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In the high-speed world of Grant Gustin’s The Flash series, where meta-humans battle villainous foes and time travel often complicates relationships, love took on a different kind of velocity for audiences. Well, apparently, after Gustin’s Barry Allen ended up with Candice Patton’s Iris West, following their initial association in Season 3, fans expressed their disappointment in the pairing.
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen in The Flash | image: CWDespite being initially thrilled to see the duo begin their dating phase in The Flash Season 3, and even affectionately dubbing them “WestAllen”, fans’ preference took a wild detour. As the show sped toward its conclusion in 2023, the audience’s romantic inclinations shifted from Barry and Iris to his association with some unexpected characters like Caitlin Snow and Kara Danvers.
The Flash Fans Expressed Disinterest in Barry Allen’s Relationship With Iris West
Although initially in The Flash TV series Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen and Candice Patton’s Iris West grew up together, after Barry was taken in by Detective Joe West, following his mother’s demise and his father being wrongly incarcerated for crimes—things changed in season 2 finale. In that particular episode, Gustin’s character decides to travel back in time to alter the course of his life by saving his mother from being murdered and his father from being framed.
This eventually altered his timeline, and the Barry we met in the Season 3 premiere appeared living with his parents, having never been taken in by Jesse L. Martin’s Detective Joe West and raised alongside Iris. Therefore, this particular change of plan allowed Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen to spark his romance with Candice Patton’s Iris West. Eventually, in season 3 of The Flash, audiences were greeted with a tantalizing romance between Barry and Iris.
Grant Gustin and Candice Patton as Barry Allen and Iris West | image: CWWell, fans were certainly excited about this new journey. So much so that they even dubbed the couple “WestAllen”. Thereafter, the duo continued their romance until the end of the show in 2023. However, after the conclusion of The Flash, fans appeared to change their notion about Barry and Iris’ relationship and began voting for two other female characters. Shockingly, after the end of the show, fans expressed their disinterest in Candice Patton’s character.
Taking to the hub of passionate debate, Reddit, fans advocated for a shift in Barry’s love life. Changing their song about “WestAllen”, netizens noted that Grant Gustin and Candice Patton surprisingly lacked chemistry. Further, they began highlighting the dumb stuff that Iris did and called her as two-dimensional and boring, while uplifting Barry’s chemistry with Caitlin Snow and Kara Danvers.
Fans Wanted Grant Gustin’s Barry to End Up With Caitlin Snow or Kara Danvers
According to fans’ recent desire, they vouched for Caitlin Snow or Kara Danvers over Iris West for Barry Allen in The Flash series. Initially beginning the fan-fueled love fest with Danielle Panabaker’s Caitlin, fans noted that from the moment she popped up in the show (season 2), she clearly seemed to share a unique bond with Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen.
Their flirty banter and scientific escapades hinted at more than just friendship. Fans couldn’t help but notice the palpable chemistry between the two, especially in those moments when they worked together to save Central City in the 2015 episode ‘The Man Who Saved Central City’. Therefore, while WestAllen was all about heart and soul, Caitlin and Barry emitted playful intellect—a dynamic that fans found refreshing.
Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen with Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers in Supergirl | image: Warner Bros.Thereafter, fans highlighted the fan-favorite crossover with Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers, aka Supergirl in CW’s Arrowverse. Their shared experiences as heroes, coupled with an undeniable chemistry, led to a surge in Kara and Barry shippers. Fans quickly began looking for more of their playful banter and superhero escapades. Moreover, as they battled against intergalactic threats, viewers envisioned a relationship that transcended Earthly norms.
As the dust settled on The Flash, fans didn’t just want a rewind button on the past—they craved fresh takes on iconic pairings. Perhaps, considering that they already witnessed the timeline where Barry and Iris end up together, fans sought an alternate course of story where Grant Gustin’s Barry ended up with Caitlin or Kara.
The Flash is currently available to watch on Netflix.
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