The Flash, like Arrow, has struggled with its portrayal of female characters. And the overprotective father trope is a big contributor to this.

Joe West is one of my favorite characters on The Flash. His relationship with Barry is at the heart of the show. At his core, Joe is a good man and a loving father to his kids, both biological and adopted.

But Joe has a problematic relationship with his daughter, Iris.

A lack of story

The Flash only has two female regulars on its cast: Iris West and Caitlin Snow. Neither woman is particularly well-treated by the narrative, though I’d argue that Caitlin’s story being completely tied up in a male character’s (Ronnie Raymond) story does her more service than Iris’ story (or lack thereof) does her. Caitlin is allowed to have agency. She is in on all the major secrets. She is a key member of the S.T.A.R. Labs team.

Iris, on the other hand, has been kept out of the loop since the pilot. Like fellow cop daughter Laurel Lance on Arrow, Iris was kept from becoming a police officer — though she’s proven she can look after herself. Instead, she went into journalism as an outlet for her curiosity, intelligence, and bravery — all reasons Barry has been in love with her since they were children. But she’s far removed from the A-story because she’s not in on Barry’s secret.

She ends up feeling out of place in the narrative through no fault of her own.

Protective vs. overprotective

We can rant and rave at the men in Iris’ life, including best friend Barry and boyfriend Eddie, for keeping secrets from her, but their actions reflect the desires of Joe, who pressures both to leave Iris in the dark. Papa West, like any father, wants to protect his little girl. And that desire is understandable and even admirable. Joe sees the darkest parts of the world as a cop, and he wants to keep Iris away from that.

However, Joe is either unable or unwilling to see Iris as an independent adult. And he does so while treating Barry as an adult. He initially tried to protect him, but pretty quickly realized that not supporting Barry being the Flash was actually damaging to Barry’s ability to be a hero. Now the two work on equal ground to protect Central City.

Doesn’t logic dictate that Joe underestimating Iris hurts her ability to reach her potential as well?

So, what is the root of this discrepancy? Is it because Barry isn’t his biological child? Based on his reaction to Barry coding in the flashback this week, I’d say no.

Is it because he and Barry work together on a professional level? Possibly, as there is a measure of forced equality in the workplace that may force Joe to view Barry in a different way.

Or is it because Iris is female while Barry is male? I sure hope not. Because Iris deserves better.

Withheld blessing

In this week’s episode of The Flash, “The Trap,” Eddie revealed to Joe that he intended to propose to Iris. Joe refused to give his blessing. And that is his prerogative; nothing says he has to approve of Eddie and Iris’ relationship. It is awkward to have your partner and your daughter dating, after all.

Source

But the reasoning Joe offers — to Barry, no less — comes across as presumptive. Does he need to offer his blessing to a potential marriage he thinks is a mistake? Again, no. Is he giving Iris the credit she deserves in the situation? Absolutely not. And that’s where the issue lies.

At Christmas, Barry confessed his feelings to Iris. She teared up as she realized the significance of the confession, but she didn’t “get caught up in the moment” and damage the relationship she was in at the time, so for a viewer it’s not clear where Joe’s assessment comes from.

But even if she were to go through with an engagement and marriage to Eddie, as an individual, she deserves the chance to make that decision for herself. As a daughter, Iris deserves the benefit of the doubt from her father. As a human being, Iris deserves agency, which is something female characters have lacked at times on The Flash and Arrow.

Looking to the future

We grow by making decisions and learning from mistakes. One of the hardest things for a parent to do is let go and stop trying to protect their child from getting hurt, and Joe is clearly struggling with that.

Side note: This, I think, ties into the mysterious fate of Mama West. We don’t know what happened to Iris’ mother, but it seems to have deeply affected Joe and shaped the way he interacts with his daughter.

And perhaps that is the point. Perhaps, with Iris now in on Barry’s secret, Joe will be forced to reassess his relationship with his daughter. Perhaps said reassessment will lead to a more adult father-daughter relationship.

And that, I believe, will make a world of difference for Iris and for the show.

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.