As a superhero, it's a given that Barry Allen has a tragic backstory. The Flash managed to deprive him of his parents without actually killing them both, removing Henry Allen from his son's life when he is wrongfully convicted of the murder of his wife Nora. While Barry isn't quite at the Bruce Wayne end of the traumatized childhood spectrum, the fate of the Allen family is plenty sad for Barry to draw upon to fit into the genre. Nevertheless, one of the highlights of The Flash lies in the dynamics of the family unit that has formed around our hero. Joe West may not be his family by blood, but as Barry says in the second episode of the series, he is the man who loved and raised him for the majority of his formative years. Their interactions are downright heartwarming, and viewers can always count on some good Barry/Joe material to pull us out of any other relationship drama. Now, some of that drama arises from the nature of the relationship between Barry and Iris West. Barry has been in love with her since before his mother's death; Iris explicitly states that she thinks of Barry of a brother. It's a tricky balance to strike, yet it's clear that both young people can concur on one point: platonic or romantic, Barry and Iris are family. Henry's incarceration in Iron Heights-the prison that is apparently far more secure on The Flash than on Arrow-has not wholly deprived him of his son, and Barry's visits to see his father never fail to pluck at the heartstrings. Overall, the unconventional family dynamics of The Flash are some of the most consistent and grounded aspects of an other fantastical show.