Image via The CW
19. Iris West- The Flash
The Flash is currently in its third season on The CW and is based on the DC Comics about a superhero crime-fighter with superhuman speed. The lead of the show is of course, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) as The Flash himself. But Barry has a trusty sidekick in his best friend and girlfriend, Iris West (Candice Patton). Iris is the daughter of Detective West and works at Central City Picture News as a journalist.
Iris’s life hasn’t been easy, she’s been through a lot but continues to pick herself up and dust herself off. It’s all shaped her into a strong woman though. In an interview with The Daily Beast, she explains it. “We often see women on TV who are weak and not given a lot to do and it can be frustrating as an audience member—I totally get that. But I think it’s important to also not do the flip side because that’s not real life either. We’ve got to see them grow into their strength, at least for me, for it to be believable. I’ve said this in an interview before, but sometimes I find that audiences have a hard time watching women grow. They want to see their women on TV come in and, from day one, be strong and have it all together and figured out. And I just don’t think that’s true of real women. We’re flawed, we’re messy.”