TV Review: 'The Flash' is Out of the Bag and I'm Confused

The CW

The Flash: "Grodd Lives" | After putting together that Barry was The Flash towards the end of last week's episode, Iris went on the confrontation war path, first with Barry and then with Joe. Hurt that she was kept in the dark, she wasn't moved by her father or best friend's explanations for leaving her out of the loop.

The weirdest part is that in her quest to have it out with Barry, she strolled into Star Labs with no security problem and seemed to know the exact level he would be working on. If it was this easy for her to find out what he was up to, why didn't she just tail him earlier?

With Iris now in the know, no main characters on the show are not unaware that Barry and The Flash are the same. In all honesty, it seems premature to go there. The clandestine aspect of a superhero’s identity is one of the most essential components of comic lore, and it is a key factor in the story’s overall tension. It's called a secret identity for a reason, and with every character from Iris to Captain Cold knowing The Flash is Barry Allen; it seems futile for him to even bother wearing a disguise. 

Departing from the secret identity angle is popular in the current wave of comic adaptations. It was great when Tony Stark did it in the first “Iron Man.” Firstly because it had not been done before. It was a natural move for him to make because it was Tony Stark, and given his character's personality. There is no way a showboat like Stark could keep his status a secret. Private characters like Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, or Peter Parker feeling comfortable with such a reveal doesn't ring as true.

Personally, “Smallville” is still the gold standard for superhero television series,s and it did not become the longest-running series of its kind without reason. The knowledge of Clark’s abilities seeped out slowly, and those who learned about them found out at a time when the reveal would have the most impact. So much of the Clark/Lana relationship revolved around him keeping his powers a secret from her. It was a push and pull that was believable. If Iris is Barry’s Lana, then she's found out way too soon. 

Side Notes/Burning Questions: Why didn't the Reverse Flash change the locks to Star Labs so Barry and the company couldn't access all of the technology that would make it possible for them to take him down? Cisco and Caitlin hilariously eavesdropping on Iris and Barry's conversation was a comedic highlight for the episode. Cisco's movie references were another one. Will Barry return in time and erase Iris' newfound knowledge of his identity?