Iris West

[Pacodakat]

Iris has said I love to Eddie twice and I don't remember him ever saying I love you back.

[phoenics]

I wonder about Eddie anyway... that last name and all.

Also Iris was getting a PhD in Criminal Justice or something like that - what happened to that? In the pilot, she's working on her dissertation - when that guy grabs her bag, Barry goes after him... after that we never hear about her studying school anymore... maybe they'll bring it up when she starts journalism... her degree work actually SHOULD make her a better reporter...

Was it Joe who made her quit or was it Barry getting hurt?

I would imagine that the stress of having a friend - a loved one - in a coma like that would derail a lot of people from their plans. I mean - she was likely there everyday. Coming from experience (I have a PhD), it takes an inordinate amount of focus to finish - and if my best friend (whom I considered family and whom I was joined at the hip too) landed in a coma and almost died, I would be there everyday too - afraid of what would happen if I wasn't.

I really - really hope that the show delves into that at least a little bit.

Since they are

going to do time travel soon in an upcoming episode, it would be great if they made Barry end up in the past so he could see what Iris was doing during the time he was in the coma. Because that might explain why she isn't doing the PhD anymore - even though now she's going to try her hand at journalism.

Edited January 25, 2015 by phoenics

[Trini]

That's a really good point about her dad and the punishment being overly harsh - I can't remember the whole scene, but did they make it so that he was just giving it back to her when she was moving? Like - he'd kept it from her the whole time?! I can see taking a child's toy when they do something wrong to show them actions have consequences - but doing it for a long period of time or keeping it forever sounds cruel.

Sometimes I wonder if the writers think about how these scenes play out.

Also - did Joe make her stop grad school? She was working on a dissertation - what happened with that? Was it Joe?

 

Yeah, Iris being in school hasn't been mentioned since episode 2.

I mean, I get it; Barry is the lead of this show, and everyone else are supporting characters, but if they really want the viewers to get on board with Iris/Barry (eventually?) they really need to flesh out Iris as a person, not just a love interest. The next episode description seems like may be on their way to starting that -- hopefully.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Trini

[Enero]

Very interesting points about Eddie. They've been in a relationship for a year and we've not seen him say he loves her. Perhaps he's said it off screen, but it is interesting that we haven't seen it. Even when he asked her to move in he just mentioned the length of time they've been dating and that she stays at his apartment all the time anyway. No mention of love. What's also interesting is that his gift to her was asking her to move in. That's great and all but I hope he gave her something more for HER later. The key to his place and request to move in seemed more about him (again which is great, it means I guess that he's serious about her) than her.

Does anyone think that after this week's episode Iris will quickly put together who the Flash is? I don't see how she cannot, considering the coincidences that just happened. Caitlyn was kidnapped to draw out the Flash. Cisco and Wells helping the police department with fighting Captain Cold. Was it made clear that they (Wells and Cisco) were friends of the Flash? I thought so, which means it shouldn't take much for Iris to figure out who Barry is or at least suspect that he might know the Flash too.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Enero

[phoenics]

Yeah, Iris being in school hasn't been mentioned since episode 2.

I mean, I get it; Barry is the lead of this show, and everyone else are supporting characters, but if they really want the viewers to get on board with Iris/Barry (eventually?) they really need to flesh out Iris as a person, not just a love interest. The next episode description seems like may be on their way to starting that -- hopefully.

My theory (mentioned above in an edit to my earlier post) is that Barry's coma interrupted her PhD work. Well, that's my hope at least... and that they'll revisit that time period... maybe in time travel?

[Xander]

We don't even need time travel. They just need to have Iris have a heart-to-heart with someone. 

[phoenics]

We don't even need time travel. They just need to have Iris have a heart-to-heart with someone.

Perhaps we will get that with Linda Park... though I think that with the way the show seems to write almost everything from BArry's POV, I guess my mind could only conjure up a scenario where Barry went back to the past to watch Iris go through all of that.

But I'd love to see that heart to heart... the show NEEDS to do that... stat.

[Oscirus]

Also - did Joe make her stop grad school? She was working on a dissertation - what happened with that? Was it Joe?

 

It was nine months from the time that Iris did that dissertation to the time that we next see her.  I feel as if she probably finished it off-screen and it will never be explored again. I do wonder why she's taking a basic journalism class after doing her dissertation but I'll just hand wave it as plot convenience for now.

 

 Thankfully,

the next episode is the start of her reporter career,

. If I didn't see that preview on twitter I'd be complaining about her character not having any forward motion career-wise since "Flash  vs Arrow."

 

We don't even need time travel. They just need to have Iris have a heart-to-heart with someone.

 

I thought that they were going to establish the waitress from "Flash is born" as that temporary go to person.  But yea I guess it'll be someone at her new job.

 

Edited to fix spoiler tag and grammar mistake.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Oscirus

[phoenics]

It was nine months from the time that Iris did that dissertation to the time that we next see her.  I feel as if she probably finished it off-screen and it will never be explored again. I do wonder why she's taking a basic journalism class after doing her dissertation but I'll just hand wave it as plot convenience for now.

I think it's more plausible that it was dropped. What I'm asking for is that the writers make how it was dropped integral to the story. They had her as PhD student for a reason - Iris is destined to become a reporter, so why put in the PhD stuff and then just drop it? The ONLY thing we know that happened during that time period was that Iris visited Barry a lot and that she and Eddie started their relationship then.

But during that time, she also dropped her PhD. I don't think it's realistic to say that she finished it. Even if Joe forbid her from going near the "law" areas of her topic of study, she could still teach a class. She wouldn't be working in a coffee shop with a PhD... and if she was, they would mention it - because it makes no sense.

So, that leads me back to the theory that she dropped it BECAUSE of Barry's coma. So - at the time when Barry's life was changing and he was in his "coma cocoon", I think Iris was just in arrested development. Because of how much she loved Barry.

Wouldn't it be interesting if she realized that Eddie was an escape hatch from how strong her feelings for Barry are? And that him nearly dying made her see him in a way she hadn't expected? And here comes Eddie to save her from those thoughts?

I just think that missing 9 months has been explored for our villains and even to some extent Cisco and the gang.

Why not Iris? I really want the writers to delve into that time in her life - I think it would be totally interesting.

Thankfully,

the next episode is the start of her reporter career, . If I didn't see that preview on twitter I'd be complaining about her character not having any forward motion career-wise since "Flash  vs Arrow."

 

I thought that they were going to establish the waitress from "Flash is born" as that temporary go to person.  But yea I guess it'll either be someone at her new job.

Yeah - I think it's going to be Linda Park... eventually. I haven't figured out the timing yet... if Iris/Linda become friends first and THEN Barry dates Linda. I kinda wonder if Iris confides in Linda and then Linda figures out on her own that Barry is the guy she's talking about and eventually ends her relationship with Barry because she sees they have no future?

Or if Barry meets Linda first and Iris and Linda aren't friends... hard to say. I know Iris and Linda will have scenes (based on twitter), but not sure of how this might all fall out - but I can't wait to find out!

[Xander]

I hope she didn't drop her PhD over Barry. I'd rather she threw herself into it instead of dropping it and attaching herself to another man.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Xander

[phoenics]

I hope she didn't drop her PhD over Barry. I'd rather she threw herself into it instead of dropping it and attaching herself to another man.

Eh - the way I see it (and speaking slightly from experience) - I could see someone powering through a PhD to help themselves get over someone... but when I made my suggestion, I didn't mean she dropped it for Barry - just that the constant worry and stress of Barry being in that coma and feeling like she needed to spend her time there with him would make it really hard to concentrate on a PhD. It's well documented how family members of people who have fallen into comas tend to put their own lives on hold and that fits into my theory about Iris and why she might not have finished that PhD. The Eddie part I think was a reaction to the intensity of the feelings she felt about Barry (fear that he would die, fear of the intensity of her feelings - speculating here).

I didn't mean to present it quite the way you took it...

[driedfruit]

I like the explanation that Barry's coma made Iris re-evaluate her life. She could've been extremely unhappy in her field to begin with, so the added stress of Barry's situation could've been something that forced her to step back and consider her priorities. That might seem flaky to some, but changing fields at such a late hour is incredibly ballsy, and to me Iris seems like she's been very much undecided about her career goals and where her heart is. 

[Enero]

I kind of think the writers did a retcon and completely dropped the story that Iris was working on her dissertation.

In 1x2 she complained to Barry that she could've taken Europeon Folklore to meet her Sociology requirement but took Journalism due to his encouragement and was bored with that class. If she was still working on her dissertation for her PH.D I believe she would've already completed her course requirements.

Whatever is going on with her education, I do think she might've put school on hold while Barry was in a coma. I had a friend who went through something similar when her brother died. She was almost done with her dissertation, but his sudden death completely changed the course of her life. She dropped out of the PH.D program and moved to another state to live with a new boyfriend. It's been 4 years since that happened and she still hasn't had the heart to finish her PH.D. So I could definitely see Iris completely changing directions with her life when Barry ended up in a coma.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Enero

[driedfruit]

In 1x2 she complained to Barry that she could've taken Europeon Folklore to meet her Sociology requirement but took Journalism due to his encouragement and was bored with that class. If she was still working on her dissertation for her PH.D I believe she would've already completed her course requirements.

 

 

Since she's 25 this could be her getting a second bachelors.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I thought that Iris was getting a Masters, and that it was in sociology. I'm pretty sure on the latter, not quite as much on the former. 

[MarkHB]

I have a friend who completed his Ph.D. in Physics, but became disillusioned with the BS of academia along the way and is now working as a programmer.  But they were paying him to bang protons together at Fermilab, so it was worth sticking out.

[phoenics]

I thought that Iris was getting a Masters, and that it was in sociology. I'm pretty sure on the latter, not quite as much on the former.

Master's degrees don't require dissertations - so she had to have been working on a PhD... but as to the subject, I'll admit that now I'm unsure... would have to go back to watch. I thought it was criminal justice, but I could be wrong.

I kind of think the writers did a retcon and completely dropped the story that Iris was working on her dissertation.

In 1x2 she complained to Barry that she could've taken Europeon Folklore to meet her Sociology requirement but took Journalism due to his encouragement and was bored with that class. If she was still working on her dissertation for her PH.D I believe she would've already completed her course requirements.

yes - this is the most compelling argument that the writers just dropped the storyline sadly.

Unless she decided to work on another BS degree, which I doubt.

[Trini]

 

Master's degrees don't require dissertations - so she had to have been working on a PhD... but as to the subject, I'll admit that now I'm unsure... would have to go back to watch. I thought it was criminal justice, but I could be wrong.

There's also the possibility that the writer of that line had no idea what he/she was talking about.... It happens.

[phoenics]

There's also the possibility that the writer of that line had no idea what he/she was talking about.... It happens.

There's that.

Aargh - I just hoped for something a little more deep with the storytelling and it feels like a flashback to that time period and Iris' dropping of the PhD would have been a really great angle to explore with regards to both Iris and her feelings about Barry.

I'm always looking for a deeper angle to be explored.

[Trini]

Well, I'm with you on that. It'd be nice to see what was going on with everyone during Barry's coma.

[wingster55]

Maybe we will see that. 

[phoenics]

Well!! In tonight's episode we're kicking off Iris' journey towards becoming a great reporter! Awesome! I really enjoyed it...

So glad to finally see this storyline getting started... and next week Linda Park joins!!! It's about to go down!!

[Enero]

I must say I was a little disappointed I was hoping we'd get more of Iris tonight. What we did get though I enjoyed.

After all that time she spent moving out, she still didn't get everything? It's possible I guess, but I kind of think Iris came by the house for other reasons. Maybe to see Barry? Her father, or both. Interesting too that Barry was there when she got the news about getting the job at the paper. He was also there to support her after a bad day. The former couldn't be helped, but I thought it was interesting that she went to Barry to talk about her bad day instead of Eddie. I'd think she'd be reluctant to continue that type of interaction considering what she knows about Barry's feelings for her.

Lastly, Wells calling her out at the press conference was a little surprising. I wonder if that was planting the seed for more interactions between the two.

[Trini]

... He was also there to support her after a bad day. The former couldn't be helped, but I thought it was interesting that she went to Barry to talk about her bad day instead of Eddie.

 

I think they want to play up the 'best friends' angle as much as possible.

 

 

... I'd think she'd be reluctant to continue that type of interaction considering what she knows about Barry's feelings for her.

 

... And we still don't have Iris' feelings about that. Looks like they're saving that for next week's shipperbait-y episode.

[Xander]

She doesn't have those moments with Eddie because that's not the relationship we're supposed to care about.

[Actionmage]

She doesn't have those moments with Eddie because that's not the relationship we're supposed to care about.

 

Then why bring in Linda Park and, essentially, waste screen-time on her? Why go to the trouble of having Iris move in with Eddie, build Det. Thawne up heroically and give him a relationship with Iris instead of giving Barry/Iris as a given couple from the jump?

 

While I am fine if cannon is going to be used, I'm okay if there is a mix of characters that comics fans weren't expecting. IMO, Iris/Eddie is fine, except that it isn't getting attention. It has impact on the FlashMob and Joe as well because Iris is a newish friend to Caitlin and Eddie is a cop who could cause all sorts of havoc, with Joe and with STAR Labs, even without knowing about Barry. Barry seems to spend a lot of time at STAR, even though he's CCPD. Eddie was all about going after the Flash before he had Barry beat him up, as well. What might send him off on a private investigation of his own- just like Joe? Knowing about Barry's actual feelings and that Iris hasn't been entirely truthful about the fact. (Based on how she's reacted in-show and that she is Joe "Protect You From Knowledge You Might Need" West's daughter.)

 

To just say that we ( the audience) aren't supposed to care may be true in a long-range plan for the show, but for folks in the audience who don't know and don't care about comics continuity and all- and have been drawn to Eddie- that is a cop-out ( as it were.) If we care about Iris, and we are supposed to feel that way, we should want her to be happy. We may want her with Barry, but until Iris decides that, I would hope that we see her in a happy, loving relationship. Otherwise, why give her a steady man that she feels committed enough to to move in?  Iris is getting the fuzzy end of the characterization lollipop when it doesn't have to be.

[Xander]

I'm not a comic book fan and didn't even really start reading anything about this show till the hiatus and I could tell from the first episode that we weren't supposed to get emotionally invested in Iris's relationship with Eddie. If we were, they would have spent more time developing it. 

 

Barry and Iris didn't get together from the jump because very few television shows do that. Most do years of will-they-won't-they before putting the couple together in the final season. 

 

I think they've shown Iris and Eddie happy but since they are building Barry and Iris up to eventually become a couple, they are going to give us emotional scenes between them. And having her go to Barry instead of Eddie is part of the story they are telling.

[Oscirus]

Yea, I assume that Eddie heard about her bad day later that night. They just had to establish that things aren't awkward between the two anymore and that was the best way to do it.

 

I must say I was a little disappointed I was hoping we'd get more of Iris tonight

 

I think it was actually a pretty good amount of time and a fairly eventful episode. Other then the thing I mentioned above,  she got established at her job, was given two problems that she had to learn how to overcome and even managed to show her disapproving partner that she had his back. There was also the fact that she finally came into team flash's vortex without Barry being involved.

[quarks]

Lastly, Wells calling her out at the press conference was a little surprising. I wonder if that was planting the seed for more interactions between the two.

 

 

Oh, I hope, though I took that as Wells knowing something about Iris' future that we don't, and nudging her to it.

[Trini]

I wonder why they didn't have Iris be a reporter/journalist/writing intern from the start? It's weird that she's suddenly* wants to be a writer/journalist; but maybe I should just be grateful they're making this course correction in Season 1, instead of Season 3.

 

 

*Okay, so they did have the blog thing as a weak set-up.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Trini

[phoenics]

I wonder why they didn't have Iris be a reporter/journalist/writing intern from the start? It's weird that she's suddenly* wants to be a writer/journalist; but maybe I should just grateful they're making this course correction in Season 1, instead of Season 3.

 

 

*Okay, so they did have the blog thing as a weak set-up.

I wondered about this too - I think part of this is because this is meant to be Iris' origin story too... but the other reason is that I think they wanted to try a fresh take on Iris' journalism career and how she got started. I mean - it's rare that you find someone who just "wants to be a journalist" these days. It just isn't really done that way anymore.

Plus, I just think they wanted to do the "blogger turns journalist and has to prove herself to the snobby "real" journalists" thing...

Anyway - I'm excited about what's coming up for Iris.

She's supposed to end up investigating Star Labs coming up. In the comics, Iris works really, really closely with Barry Allen on cases - her as a reporter, him as a CSI. I don't think we'll be getting that here - at least not now. If Iris is investigating Star Labs, then it will kinda put her at odds with Barry. I hope he doesn't act all stupid like he and Joe did with the blog. I hope Iris figures it all out so we can get this out in the open. It makes no sense that nearly half the cast knows about him but she doesn't. I hate Joe for that. Okay I don't hate Joe - you know what I mean.

[Xander]

The least they could have done was make it clear that she was interested in writing or even have her be a blogger before developing an interest in The Streak. She should have already written an article about the particle accelerator and any strange happenings in town since then. Then Barry could have consulted her and established her as a source to the audience. Then she'd have had an even better argument against heeding his warnings when he told to stop writing because he'd never had a problem with anything she wrote before then. And it's senseless that they didn't allude to her writing about the Cold vs Flash fight. Just little things like this could have salvaged this storyline but I'm just glad they've finally given her a profession. 

[KirkB]

See, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention but I had no idea Iris even had an interest in journalism. Sure, she was blogging about the Flash, but I thought that started as more of a fangirl, myth proving thing. I can understand it if they made more obvious she was working at the coffee place while trying to work her way into journalism and didn't realize she was being hired for the Flash rather than her writing knowledge. Her suddenly being a reporter doesn't quite come out of left field but it did take me a bit by surprise.

[phoenics]

The least they could have done was make it clear that she was interested in writing or even have her be a blogger before developing an interest in The Streak. She should have already written an article about the particle accelerator and any strange happenings in town since then. Then Barry could have consulted her and established her as a source to the audience. Then she'd have had an even better argument against heeding his warnings when he told to stop writing because he'd never had a problem with anything she wrote before then. And it's senseless that they didn't allude to her writing about the Cold vs Flash fight. Just little things like this could have salvaged this storyline but I'm just glad they've finally given her a profession.

Eh - I kinda like that the show made it so that Iris got interested in blogging about The Streak/Flash BECAUSE of BARRY and her wanting to show her support of him and believing in the impossible.

I mean - in the pilot, Barry makes the speech about "needing us to do one thing. Believe in the impossible..." in his voiceover and then in a later episode (the flash is born, I think), Iris uses the EXACT SAME WORDS.

I think they are trying to say that Iris' love for Barry created the desire to show the world that he was right and then later to inspire the world and truly help be a force for good (notice her wanting to write a story about abuse victims).

I dunno - I was always a smart kid (usually the smartest) so I always knew I'd be *something* when I grew up - but it wasn't until I connected my true, inner self with my profession that it really took off. I feel like Iris is the same. Maybe that's why she dropped her other studies and re-directed her focus. I think it's pretty clear that she tripped into journalism and only connected to it truly once she connected it to supporting Barry - which she has always done. Then later, she saw she was really inspiring and helping people and that's what sparked the rest.

I know some will take that as, a woman's career shouldn't be defined by a man! But that's not how I see it. It was her love for Barry and her wanting to show him that she believed in him and here's proof he was right (The Flash) that allowed her to uncover that she had a need to inspire and support other people who don't have a voice with her writing.

That's what I'm getting from the show.

See, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention but I had no idea Iris even had an interest in journalism. Sure, she was blogging about the Flash, but I thought that started as more of a fangirl, myth proving thing. I can understand it if they made more obvious she was working at the coffee place while trying to work her way into journalism and didn't realize she was being hired for the Flash rather than her writing knowledge. Her suddenly being a reporter doesn't quite come out of left field but it did take me a bit by surprise.

I feel like some scenes may have been cut... I still don't understand why Iris showed up at the Captain Cold fight with that umbrella.

I wish they had shown Iris trying to get a real journalism job and getting shot down so we could see it happen in real time... I think this just adds to the frustration people already have about not getting to see enough from Iris' POV.

[Xander]

The problem with Iris is that everyone but her has a defined career while she's the only one floundering. Barry is also floundering as the Flash but he's an excellent CSI. There's nothing wrong with being normal but when you're the only one, and it's not written in an endearing way, you stick out like a sore thumb. 

 

 

 

It was her love for Barry and her wanting to show him that she believed in him and here's proof he was right (The Flash) that allowed her to uncover that she had a need to inspire and support other people who don't have a voice with her writing.

That's what I'm getting from the show.

 

Then why did her interest in blogging die once she ended her relationship with the Flash? If it was more about giving a voice to those who didn't have one, why didn't we see her attempt to write about (or even mention) women shelters or social issues in the episodes following that? 

 

If she had no prior interest in writing and just started blogging about the Flash because of Barry, why is she surprised that Mason thinks she hasn't much to offer? Other journalists spend years honing their craft but she just landed a cush job and is surprised that it's not due to her great journalistic skills that no one is even sure she possesses. 

 

There's nothing wrong with Barry being her motivation, after all, Nora is the reason Barry picked his profession. But if they wanted us to take her seriously, we should have seen her doing some investigations instead of just writing about other sightings she'd read about on social media. But I suppose that will change now that she's gotten an actual job. 

[phoenics]

The problem with Iris is that everyone but her has a defined career while she's the only one floundering. Barry is also floundering as the Flash but he's an excellent CSI. There's nothing wrong with being normal but when you're the only one, and it's not written in an endearing way, you stick out like a sore thumb.

That's an ... interesting criticism of Iris.

Given that Iris was actually working on a dissertation (that's for a PhD), I am not sure we can call that floundering. Speaking from experience as a PhD - you cannot even get to writing the dissertation until you have 1) passed your qualifiers and 2) proposed. Most finish PhDs about 5-6 years after college. I took longer because I switched schools (twice) - but if folks were trying to judge me based on that, it would have been really strange. Iris apparently dropped her degree - and seems to have either started over - or something. I guess the writers dropped something and decided to go for the "ground up" approach with her instead.

Right now, I guess Iris is working her way through school?

This is why I suggested upthread that getting some background on her dropping that PhD would have been great - pre-Barry's coma, she was on a certain path and then after she ended up seemingly at a crossroads.

To be brutally honest - isn't Barry supposed to be around 25 or so? Caitlin and Cisco too? Caitlin and Cisco I think we're saying are geniuses - are we saying that about Barry too? Because being a full fledged CSI at 25 doesn't sound at all realistic - unless he's a genius. Barry would likely need at least a Master's degree - that takes 2 years. So he'd have one year of experience as a CSI - and the lead one at that.

So - clearly Iris is meant to just be "normal" - I am not sure I understand the censure - at 25 - for her not being at the top of her career. I think it's fairly normal. She just had a diverted start - due to her dad's interference.

Maybe the show means for her to "stick out" because her growth has been stunted by an over-protective father (speculation: due to the death of her mother)? I guess I never looked at it as stunted.

 

 

Then why did her interest in blogging die once she ended her relationship with the Flash? If it was more about giving a voice to those who didn't have one, why didn't we see her attempt to write about (or even mention) women shelters or social issues in the episodes following that?

Hmmm - when did her interest die? As late as the mid-season finale, they showed she was still doing the blog - because Caitlin came by to ask her about it and Iris even mentioned the newer information she received.

And it was only one episode over that Iris was leading with her article about abuse - so clearly she was thinking about it.

I do wish that they had done more to show us this on the show though... so I'm with you on that.

 

If she had no prior interest in writing and just started blogging about the Flash because of Barry, why is she surprised that Mason thinks she hasn't much to offer? Other journalists spend years honing their craft but she just landed a cush job and is surprised that it's not due to her great journalistic skills that no one is even sure she possesses.

I think she was naive. I do think some of the journalistic parts (what Barry said about her as a journalist) haven't been told well by the writers - I'm still wondering if that umbrella scene was from some other cut scenes that might have given the story a bit more depth... or maybe not.

Also - I don't think it's that hard anymore to get a job at a paper. I have friends who started blogs and now act as contributing editors to magazines and papers. We live in a different era - and having a ton of followers to what you write - that you can bring to a paper - actually is something that a paper would be interested in - because money. We live in an age where bloggers can - within the span of less than a year - blow up from nothing to having their own line of clothing.

Thirdly - it feels like on the one hand you're saying that Iris should have needed years to get a job like that - but Barry has a job as the lead CSI in a police department at 25 and I don't think the show is saying he's a genius. Caitlin and Cisco are being shown as child geniuses - so that makes sense.

It feels like you're coming at Iris from both directions and criticizing her both ways.  

 

There's nothing wrong with Barry being her motivation, after all, Nora is the reason Barry picked his profession. But if they wanted us to take her seriously, we should have seen her doing some investigations instead of just writing about other sightings she'd read about on social media. But I suppose that will change now that she's gotten an actual job.

Yes - and I guess I was never looking at this so critically - or inspecting Iris so critically - that I felt I needed to "take her seriously". I just like the character and want to see her PoV. I do think that the writers could tighten this story up a bit - looking back, I'm not sure what they could have written Iris to do. I mean - she was already bashed to death by some fans for writing the blog and going against her dad and Barry's wishes... if she'd have added actual active "investigation" on top of that, she would have been burned at the stake, imo.

I guess they could have written Iris as being a cub reporter when the show started - but I believe it's possible that they didn't because they were trying to illustrate how Iris' path changed after Barry's coma and that's how she got into journalism.

Edited February 1, 2015 by phoenics

[Xander]

They mention that she's writing a dissertation, she needs Barry to give her science background for a class, Barry advised her to take a journalism class, she starts a blog, she works at a coffee shop, there's no mention of her PhD ever again, she's interested in the Flash to inspire people (or whatever) and she's now interested in journalism. It's like she's lost and lacks direction. That's what I mean by her floundering but to me, it just seems like the writers did not have a clear direction of where to take her. You're wondering what happened to her PhD but I don't think we will ever find out. 

 

Other than the folks at Star labs, we also have Joe and Eddie who are more normal (and older, yes) but are also established in their careers. This is why she sticks out negatively. If this was about a group of 20-somethings trying to figure out what to do with her their lives, then Iris wouldn't just look like the only person who doesn't have her shit together.  And the evolution of finally finding a purpose in life wasn't well written. 

 

 

Thirdly - it feels like on the one hand you're saying that Iris should have needed years to get a job like that - but Barry has a job as the lead CSI in a police department at 25 and I don't think the show is saying he's a genius. Caitlin and Cisco are being shown as child geniuses - so that makes sense.

It feels like you're coming at Iris from both directions and criticizing her both ways.

 

Barry is shown as a genius in a sense because he can look at a crime scene and almost immediately deduce what took place. But I'm not even saying that she should have spent years studying to be a journalist but prior to this episode, her writing was specific to the flash and metahumans and not journalism as a whole. They never showed that she had any interest in writing about anything but metahumans. 

 

 

. I mean - she was already bashed to death by some fans for writing the blog and going against her dad and Barry's wishes... if she'd have added actual active "investigation" on top of that, she would have been burned at the stake, imo.

 

Iris is going to be bashed regardless so they might as well just write her better. But I expect her to start investigating now that she's a reporter. 

 

The show is fun fluff so I'm not watching this with a critical eye per se, but I think the lack of POV highlights the shoddy writing. We're left to fill in far too many blanks with this character. 

 

On another note, what exactly is the logic behind still keeping her in the dark about Barry? At least when Caitlin is Damsel-ed, she knows who to call versus Iris who will have to send a bat signal or something. It's silly. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by Xander

[phoenics]

They mention that she's writing a dissertation, she needs Barry to give her science background for a class,

I don't think her PhD was in the sciences - but I could be wrong. I thought it was criminal justice?

On another note, what exactly is the logic behind still keeping her in the dark about Barry? At least when Caitlin is Damsel-ed, she knows who to call versus Iris who will have to send a bat signal or something. It's silly.

I just got a mental image of Iris trying to send out a bat signal for help and can't stop giggling.

I needed that laugh, lol. Darn football game.

[Oscirus]

Yea, her doctorate was definitely in criminal justice, and Iris has Flash's number, we saw her using it in "the Flash VS. Arrow" episode.

 

I will agree with the fact that Iris has a serious development issue. I feel like that's a common theme every single week with her. I get that  this is "the Flash," but I don't think I've seen a show where the leading lady and her actions have been as handcuffed to the title character as this one.

[Xander]

I just recall a scene where she was mad at Barry for not showing up because he was supposed to give her some science background on a paper she was writing. 

 

I don't recall her having his number. I believe she used her blog to contact him. 

[phoenics]

It was her blog. Iris has never called the Flash on a cell.

[phoenics]

I will agree with the fact that Iris has a serious development issue.

I'm not sure I can completely get onboard with this. I just think we need to see her PoV. I wouldn't call that a serious development issue.

I get that  this is "the Flash," but I don't think I've seen a show where the leading lady and her actions have been as handcuffed to the title character as this one.

She's also hampered by her overbearing father. It's not just Barry.

[driedfruit]

The problem with Iris is that everyone but her has a defined career while she's the only one floundering. Barry is also floundering as the Flash but he's an excellent CSI. There's nothing wrong with being normal but when you're the only one, and it's not written in an endearing way, you stick out like a sore thumb.

 

The endearing part is subjective, because Iris' rough start is very much endearing to me. These things come down to preference, not so much writing fail. 

 

Apparently Candice said in an interview that "while growing up Iris was always changing hobbies" (via tumblr). That makes a lot of sense given her characterization, which has always been spot on. 

Edited February 3, 2015 by driedfruit

[sking24450]

The endearing part is subjective, because Iris' rough start is very much endearing to me. These things come down to preference, not so much writing fail. 

 

Apparently Candice said in an interview that "while growing up Iris was always changing hobbies" (via tumblr). That makes a lot of sense given her characterization, which has always been spot on. 

 

If it's true that she said that in an interview then I have major concerns with her character.  That is a line that belongs in the show so viewers can understand the character better.  Having to explain outside the show why a character does something is weak and not something the other characters have to rely on.

Edited February 4, 2015 by sking24450

[Enero]

If it's true that she said that in an interview then I have major concerns with her character.  That is a line that belongs in the show so viewers can understand the character better.  Having to explain outside the show why a character does something is weak and not something the other characters have to rely on.

Exactly. They really are doing a shotty job developing Iris, which is a shame because the actress is actually good.

Though Iris claims to want to do well in her journalist job she didn't seem all that worried about possibly getting fired for not writing any stories about the Flash. She mentioned being concerned, but it would've been nice to see her hustling to come up with something viable to write so that she'd no longer be at risk of losing her job. Instead we see her casually having coffee with Barry, which really added nothing to her character or her relationship with him because it was the same scene as the previous episode, and skipping off to dinner with Eddie, a scene that had nothing to do with her, but was all about Barry.

Also, I hate the implication that she has no romantic interest in him until he starts dating. I mean she hasn't even show an inkling of romantic feelings for him, has pretty much gone on like he never confessed his feeling for her, but as soon as she sees him with Linda Park we see a smidgen of jealousy on her face. I really do hope I miss read her expression in that scene, because if I saw what I think I saw, this will again be the writers skipping several beats with this character in order to serve the plot.

All that said, I did like that Flash gave her a story to research, and that she was quick on her feet and took a picture of him. I hope this will finally give her a story. Though I think him doing this further illustrates how ridiculous it is that she can do research on a dangerous criminal for him, but still can't know the Flash is actually Barry.

[phoenics]

Tonight's episode was difficult for me. I think that I have some kind of PTSD from other shows where WoC characters are minimized and marginalized... it's worse when they are the lead actress and they get shoved aside, as Iris West has been.

I think she had less than 5 minutes of screen time in this episode.

I can handle the ship baiting - but not when Iris is barely shown and when she is, Barry's being kind of a dick to her and acting like she owes him something.

I feel like I've been baited and switched. I was going to watch The Flash regardless, but CP being cast was really an exciting and historic thing that made me even more stoked for the show... and seeing her get shoved to the sidelines and barely registering as a fully fleshed out character and looking like a supporting character when she's supposed to be the lead actress...

No. That will not do at all.

[driedfruit]

I don't think Iris is being shoved aside indefinitely, but more likely just for the first arc of the second half of the season. From what I remember of Smallville, Lana wasn't always around too much either in the first season. 

 

One thing I loved in the episode was that she snapped a picture of Flash. Physics nitpicks aside, that's exactly the kind of quick thinking I've come to expect from her character. 

 

If it's true that she said that in an interview then I have major concerns with her character.  That is a line that belongs in the show so viewers can understand the character better.  Having to explain outside the show why a character does something is weak and not something the other characters have to rely on.

 

It's not an explanation, just backstory. Not all backstory needs to be worked into the show, some of it is there for actors to get a fuller sense of their character. I'm fine not knowing Iris switched a lot of hobbies as a kid, since she gave me the impression that she was somewhat flaky as an adult in her earlier episodes.

Edited February 4, 2015 by driedfruit

[Enero]

I don't think Iris is being shoved aside indefinitely, but more likely just for the first arc of the second half of the season. From what I remember of Smallville, Lana wasn't always around too much either in the first season.

But is Lana comparable to Iris? Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't she just a passing love interest for Clark until Lois came along? From what I understand Iris is the 'it girl' for lack of a better term of The Flash comics. I wouldn't be so disappointed with Iris being ushered to the background if the writers had done a great job building the character, but we've received nothing from her POV. Almost all of her scenes to date have been about Barry and now that she's not reciprocating his feelings her scenes have been further reduced.

It's not an explanation, just backstory. Not all backstory needs to be worked into the show, some of it is there for actors to get a fuller sense of their character. I'm fine not knowing Iris switched a lot of hobbies as a kid, since she gave me the impression that she was somewhat flaky as an adult in her earlier episodes.

I don't think this would be such an issue if we'd actually received some backstory on Iris. We haven't received anything. How hard would it have been to have thrown this line in during one of her discussions with Barry or Joe? Edited February 4, 2015 by Enero

[driedfruit]

But is Lana comparable to Iris? Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't she just a passing love interest for Clark until Lois came along? From what I understand Iris is the 'it girl' for lack of a better term of The Flash comics. I wouldn't be so disappointed with Iris being ushered to the background if the writers had done a great job building the character, but we've received nothing from her POV. Almost all of her scenes to date have been about Barry and now that she's not reciprocating his feelings her scenes have been further reduced.

 

I don't think this would be such an issue if we'd actually received some backstory on Iris. We haven't received anything. How hard would it have been to have thrown this line in during one of her discussions with Barry or Joe?

 

I agree about wanting more backstory for Iris, mainly regarding her mother. But Iris is no worse off in that respect than everyone who isn't Barry. We don't know anything about Cisco's family, or Caitlin's, or Joe's... I hope next season the show becomes more of an ensemble.

 

And I made the Lana comparison only because she was the female lead of her show.   

Edited February 4, 2015 by driedfruit

[Enero]

But Iris is no worse off in that respect than everyone who isn't Barry. We don't know anything about Cisco's family, or Caitlin's, or Joe's... I hope next season the show becomes more of an assemble.

I sort of disagree. It's true we don't have any backstories on Cisco, Caitlyn and Joe, but the former two have received quite a bit more character development than Iris.

Each episode we're getting more insight into both Cisco and Caitlyn through their conversations with others. The same can't be said for Iris.