What would really change the future

[beatrice_otter]

You know what Barry should do if he REALLY wants to change the future?  Forget flailing around trying to prevent all sorts of things he doesn't understand from happening.  Forget being a control freak.  Forget time travel.

Get therapy.  Both for himself and possibly couples' therapy with Iris.

Seriously.  It has been obvious for a looooooong time that his coping skills ain't so hot.  And with each trauma he gets worse.  Well, now he knows where that ends up.  Time for new and better coping skills, and some serious work to unfuck the insides of his head.  And hopefully actually learn to treat Iris as she deserves, as a woman he loves and his partner, instead of as an object to be protected.

(I love Iris.  I was a strong Iris/Barry shipper until they actually got together, and he started treating her so badly and the show started using her as nothing but manpain-fodder.)

Comments

[monanotlisa]

I feel a lot of shows' conflict could be thus resolved - Please Get Therapy. (And I cherish the genre where that isn't true, e.g. Agents of SHIELD, even more; while they're all messed up to some degree that does not tend to be where the conflict comes from.)

[beatrice_otter]

Yes, this! Therapy! Very helpful! Or, you know, at least writers who don't think that "characters being stupid and self-destructive" is the only way to get interesting conflict.

[copracat]

I know right. It's like they're pre-fridging her, forcing her to stand witness to his manpain. Argh.

[beatrice_otter]

That's an excellent way of putting it.