Fan Forum - View Single Post - Kindred Spirits | Barry ❤ Caitlin #8: Caitlin was the first person that Barry saw after he woke up from a coma.

**PhoenixRising** · 05-01-2015, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MauderMaven (View Post)

PhoenixRising that's one of my favorite fanvids! Thanks for sharing it, I had forgotten to add it to the OP!

You're welcome!

And I'm Alex, by the way. I know Sheida from the Young Americans board.

Oh, and may I please be added?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ale-la-pazza1 (View Post)

Did I miss a video?

Here it is again.

Oh, and I'll repost what I wrote earlier both here and on YouTube:

Spoiler:

Quote:

I disagree that Snowbarry fans are making more of things than they actually are, because the writers are obviously not blind to Gustin and Panabaker's chemistry and are clearly hinting at more between the two. Look, I have nothing against Candice Patton, I'm just saying that she's stuck in a thankless role as Iris West. Sure, Felicity Smoak had to evolve on Arrow as well, but Felicity plays more of a central role in Oliver's storyline than Iris does in Barry's. No, Arrow and The Flash are not the same show, but they both still have to conform to the rules of storytelling. The problem with Iris is that the writers haven't been able to fit her into the story in any significant way.

In the original Flash TV series from 1990 with John Wesley Shipp, the character of Iris West was a minor character who broke up with Barry at the start of the show, and Barry's main female companion and implied love interest was S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Dr. Christina McGee, played by Amanda Pays(just as Caitlin is also a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist). There was a reason for that. On Arrow, both Laurel and Felicity play vital roles in Oliver Queen's story as part of Team Arrow. Laurel is both Oliver's ally in the Starling City D.A.'s office, as well as his crime-fighting partner as Black Canary. Felicity is Oliver's tech-genius who handles logistics, computer hacking, and communications. She's basically to Oliver what Barbara Gordon(Oracle) is to Bruce Wayne. And while one might say that Iris is also the daughter of a cop like Laurel Lance and Barbara Gordon, Iris does not work in the law enforcement field like they do. Iris's job as a reporter distances her from both Joe West's job as a Central City detective, as well as Team Flash in S.T.A.R. labs.

One might also say, "but isn't Lois Lane also a reporter?" Yes, but so is Clark Kent, and Clark and Lois both work in the same field at the same newspaper. It could be said that Lois and Clark, along with James Olsen and Perry White, make up "Team Superman," even though Lois is the only one who knows Clark's identity. The point is that The Daily Planet is Clark Kent's base of operations in Metropolis, which is what puts Lois Lane in the center of Clark's story. Barry's base of operations is at either S.T.A.R. Labs or the Central City P.D., neither of which involves Iris to any degree. Barry's closest ally in the Police Department is Joe West, and his inner circle at S.T.A.R. Labs consists of Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, and Harrison Wells. Iris doesn't fit into either dynamic.

Yes, Caitlin is in love with Ronnie Raymond(Firestorm) and she's destined to become Killer Frost. But the problem with Ronnie Raymond is that he's never around. He's a guest-starring character who only shows up once in a while, and you can't really have a romantic storyline where one half of the couple is never around. Caitlin will always have an important role as part of Team Flash at S.T.A.R. Labs, but Ronnie won't. And if reports are to be believed, Firestorm will soon be moving to the Arrow/Flash spinoff along with Ray Palmer(The Atom), and we already know that Ray and Felicity have broken up. Also, Caitlin and Ronnie's relationship in the comics didn't last long, and Ronnie ended up dying in the comics, with Martin Stein as the sole remaining personality in Firestorm.

So once again, the problem with Iris West is the same as it was in the original Flash TV show. What do you do with her? Sure, her character can evolve, but into what? She's not a scientist like Caitlin, Barry, or Cisco, she's not part of law enforcement like Joe or Laurel, she's not a tech genius like Felicity, and she's not a superhero like Black Canary. So there's very little for Candice Patton to work with, even if Iris does find out about Barry's identity as The Flash. Iris just doesn't fit into the story that well, and the chemistry between Grant Gustin and Danielle Panabaker is undeniable. So sooner or later the writers are going to have to address this issue.