By Laura Hurley /
5. Relationships
While screen representations of comics tend to rely on the development of a One True Love for the hero, the fact that The Flash has introduced Iris West as oblivious love interest already in a meaningful relationship with Barry has opened both characters up the development beyond the restrictions of a future romance. Iris has been written the way that Laurel Lance over on Arrow should have been; as lightning is not likely to strike twice on one network and there is probably not a Felicity Smoak equivalent waiting in the wings to pick up the love story slack, The Flash has done well with the presentation of the main romance. On the platonic front, Team Flash at STAR Labs has functioned to guide Barry into the world of effective vigilantism as well as to ease viewers into the pseudoscience of the series. Cisco's enthusiasm for all things Flash is contagious on- and off-screen, and his status as Barry's only real contemporary guy friend has granted them a fun and delightfully nerdy dynamics. In an unexpectedly sweet dynamic, the fabulously intelligent Caitlin allows Barry's quest to pull her out of her grief for her lost fiancé even as Barry allows her to fret over him. Then there's Harrison Wells, whose ambiguous intentions and mysterious ability to see the future have marked him as the show's biggest wild card. Although he does genuinely appear invested in keeping Barry safe, his nefarious schemes (usually enacted in the final ninety seconds of each episode) are more than enough to fit him into the Big Bad slot at this point. His attempts to corral Barry without setting off any red flags have created in their relationship a delicious tension that has leant a necessary seriousness to a potential overabundance of fun.