The Flash: 10 Unpopular Opinions About Iris West Allen, According To Reddit - Screen Rant

As Iris is one of the leading characters of The Flash, fans have a lot of opinions about her. Apart from being an integral part of Barry's life, most of the praise surrounding Iris comes from her personal growth, which has seen her go from being a successful journalist to the leader of Team Flash (and later, Team Citizen).

However, that doesn't mean there aren't a few criticisms about her - especially if some fans explore Reddit. Unfortunately, the most popular fan opinions about Iris on The Flash subreddit are negative, bashing her character, her choices, her actions, and even the things she says. So much that, the unpopular opinions on the platform are few and far between, mostly positive and coming to the character's defense with a few negative ones.

10 She Was A Great Leader While Barry Was Gone

At the end of season 3, Barry went into the speed force to stabilize it and prevent it from destroying Central City. With Barry gone, Iris became the leader of Team Flash. Fans had mixed opinions as most felt that she didn't have the qualifications to lead people that relied on scientific principles to fight the powerful villains that Team Flash faces.

Contrary to that, QuantumWolf0813 on Reddit said, "Iris was also a great team leader while Barry was in the speed force." While it's true that Iris had no scientific knowledge, she was the logical option as the others had to balance other responsibilities with being out in the field. She had no combat training, so she couldn't go into the field and the best place for her was in the lab as the leader. She kept the team together and motivated them as any good leader would do.

9 Her Reaction To Barry Going Into The Speed Force Was Justified

Iris talking to Barry while they're in therapy in The Flash

After Barry's return in season 3, he and Iris went to couple's therapy. During a session, she asked, "how could you leave me?" Many fans didn't understand her reaction but the Redditor korrasbicepss said, "yes, her husband is the Flash but that doesn't mean she's always going to be 100% fine with the fact that he always ran into danger."

Barry's decision was brave and heroic and he had no choice but to do it. However, to Iris, he's more than just the Flash and letting him go without knowing if she'll ever see him again was heartbreaking. Barry's choice might have been logical, but Iris' grief and her expression of it were valid.

8 Her "We Are The Flash" Line Is Severely Misunderstood

When Barry said it was his duty as the Flash to save the city, Iris countered with the line, "we are the Flash." Fans were up in arms over the statement as they felt she was taking credit for Barry's heroics. A few didn't mind it and one fan on Reddit said the line "is a metaphor for the WestAllen supportive partnership."

The line came after her controversial accusation that Barry left her, so—unsurprisingly—it was upsetting to some fans. However, considering Iris had been expressing her grief over losing their partner, it's clear that all she wanted was for Barry to share his burdens of being the Flash with her so she could help and support him as she always does.

7 Run, Iris, Run Wasn't A Bad Episode

Iris-West-Allen-As-A-Speedster-In-The-Flash-Season-7-Finale

After confronting Melting Point, Barry lost his speed to Iris. She spent the episode as a speedster and the episode received mixed reviews as some didn't enjoy it. Sharing their less popular opinion, Reddit user theboxsays commented, "it wasn't an all-out bad episode" and pointed out that most hated it for being Iris-centric.

Storywise, the episode was realistic and handled well. Iris didn't immediately become an excellent speedster and she made mistakes. Even Barry's jealousy when she had his powers and his frustration when he couldn't help her phase made sense.

6 She's A Well-Written Character

Several fans on Reddit have pointed to poor writing as the reason why Iris is not a likable character. A few, like Ad_Total on Reddit, believe "Iris is one of the most well-written characters on the show." Another Redditor, CityAvenger, explained that they believe this unpopular view as well because Iris "learned things and gained experiences along the way and has applied that to where she is now."

There are some aspects of Iris' story that fans don't like because they feed into certain tropes and stereotypes and aren't developed properly, like her transition into the team's leader, or the fact some of the storylines on The Flash dropped. But, there are also some good ones in there, especially from season 6 where she has storylines that actively involve her and finally give her a voice.

5 She & Barry Have No Chemistry

Barry and Iris side by side, smiling in The Flash

Fans watched Barry and Iris evolve from friends to husband and wife, and the journey is filled with adorable moments. While some fans enjoyed watching it, others—like HalloweenLover on Reddit—said they, "don't feel any chemistry between Barry and Iris in the show."

Their chemistry is often compared to that of Barry and other women. That includes Patty, Linda, Caitlin, and Felicity from Arrow. Chemistry is about perception and while Barry had an interesting dynamic with them, his connection with Iris is admirable and the best. It's evident in every "you're my lightning rod" moment and when they're reunited in "The Flash Reborn."

4 The Show Needs More West-Allen Moments

Some filler episodes focus more on the emotional aspect of the show and put the action on the backburner. A lot of those have West-Allen moments that some find sweet and others don't. One fan on Reddit shared several controversial opinions about Iris, and one of them was that "the show doesn't need less WestAllen," as some fans on the platform believed.

The filler episodes tend to drag, so anyone can see why most fans don't enjoy them. However, completely removing the romantic aspect of the central love story would leave a show that's all action, which isn't appealing to some fans. The love story adds to the endearment of the show, and Barry is the paragon of love, after all, so his relationship with Iris is bound to take center stage.

3 Savitar Should Have Killed Her

The major storyline in The Flash season 3 was Iris' impending death. Thanks to H.R. Wells' sacrifice, Iris survived and Team Flash later defeated Savitar for good. However, the Redditor, FlashSeason2, had a different opinion and said, "it would've been better if Savitar killed Iris and H.R. lived."

The future where Savitar's plan had succeeded was a dystopian world, which would have taken The Flash down a dark path the fans may have hated or loved. On the other hand, killing Iris off means removing the main love story on the show, which is an essential part of the story.

2 She's One Of The Best Developed Characters

The characters have all changed and grown over the seasons, mostly because of everything they've been through. Although most fans argue that the characters didn't develop much, the Redditor, riabe, shared one of their unpopular opinions as "Iris is one of the best-developed characters."

Iris was a journalist and a leader, who helped build Central City Citizen from scratch. She also dealt with a death threat hanging over her, lost the love of her life to the speed force, and watched her daughter get erased from existence. All that made her more resilient and proactive, so while this opinion might be unpopular because she's not as liked as other The Flash characters, it has merit.

1 Most Unfairly Hated Character In The Arrowverse

As with any other TV show, fans prefer some characters over others. However, on Reddit, Iris receives more negative opinions than anyone else on the show. One fan pointed out the unfairness of this and said, "obviously she's not perfect and could benefit from better writing but that's not an Iris only problem."

There is a lot to love about Iris. She's assertive, loving, kind, and an understanding and supportive partner. Whenever Barry feels hopeless, she comforts and encourages him as his "lightning rod." Even though some fans didn't like her reaction to Barry taking Nora back to the future without telling her—among other things—all of that doesn't justify the hate she gets.

Next The 10 Coolest Sitcom Apartments, Ranked

Related Topics

About The Author

Tricia Mawire (118 Articles Published)

Tricia is a List Writer for Screen Rant with a background in creative writing and a love for all things film and TV. She fell in love with reading at the age of 10 after discovering that her favorite movie, Matilda, was based on a novel. That led to her first in-depth analysis of literary work to her mom and anyone who'd listen. If she's not reading or writing stories with crazy plot twists, she's bingeing a new series and ranting about character arcs and plot holes. Or she's eating French fries.