Every series has that one character that the entire fandom comes together to hate, and for The Flash, it is Iris West. The co-leader of Team Flash somehow manages to get under the skin of thousands and thousands of viewers just by being herself.
From her narcissistic tendencies to the lack of chemistry between her and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), Iris has been described as a toxic character by fans. Some would even go as far as to call her The Flash‘s antagonist.
Take this video on Instagram, for example:
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zaffy (@thecinemavigilante)
The video rightly points out that anything Team Flash ever does, Iris finds a way to make it about her and Barry. You could even say that she, from time to time, tries to take credit for the team’s wins. “WE are The Flash” – Now that’s one of the most-hated lines from the show.
Next, Iris somehow turns Barry’s sacrifice in the Speed Force into being all about her. He was out saving the universe, yet when he came back, she was mad at him for leaving. Fans couldn’t make sense of it. Not to mention that she didn’t seem too eager to help the team bring Barry back.
Adding to it, Barry somehow had chemistry with every woman on that show, EXCEPT the one he is married to. A fan commented, “I agree and he also has harmony with all the girls except Iris“. Another wrote, “I stopped watching the show because of her.”
‘The Flash’ Fans Went Too Far with Iris West Hate, Candice Patton Speaks Up
Alright, we get that Iris might not have been the best character in the Arrowverse, but there is no reason for fans to go out of their way to attack the person behind the role.
Actress Candice Patton received endless hate for playing Iris, and it made her want to quit The Flash in Season 2. During her appearance on The Open Up Podcast, Patton revealed that she was “severely unhappy” after making her debut as Iris. The hate wasn’t limited to her work either; it was also filled with racism.
She stated, “I remember being like, ‘I can’t do this. I’m not going to make it through. I don’t want to be here.” Patton recalled that as a Black woman, she had a lot of “responsibility” while playing the character, but she ended up receiving “backlash” from fans who “can be racist.”
Moreover, Patton added that others in the workplace didn’t help her out either. She added, “There were no social media protocols in place to protect me; they just let all that stuff sit there.“
SeriesNo. of SeasonsIMDb RatingRotten Tomatoes ScoreThe Flash097.5/1085%
Despite wanting to leave the show in Season 2, Patton stuck around and remained a main character till the end.
When Candice Patton Clapped Back at a Hater
Candice Patton in The Flash (2014-23) | Credits: The CW
While the best way to deal with the haters is by ignoring them, sometimes you have no choice but to clap back at them. This is exactly what Patton did back in 2019 when a “fan” on Twitter, now X, accused her of single-handedly ruining the show.
Patton replied, “And got paid big bucks to do it!”
And got paid big bucks to do it!— Candice Patton (@candicepatton) November 7, 2019
That’s just Patton having a little fun riling up a fan who was already pretty riled up with her character “ruining” things.
Even though she clearly took it in good fun, we must remember not to let the line between fiction and reality blur. At the end of the day, Iris may not be a fan favorite, but she has a real person attached to her.
Do you think the hate against Iris/Patton was uncalled for? Let us know in the comments section below!
Stream The Flash on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
