The Flash Review: Family of Rogues (Season 2 Episode 3)

In “Family of Rogues,” The Flash examines how good and bad parents influence who their children become. However, the examination blurs the lines between good and bad until there’s nothing but grey.

Being a parent isn’t easy. Most of the time you’re going on gut instinct and praying to God it’s right. Sometimes parents get it wrong… because we are human and humans make mistakes.

Iris’ mother is a drug addict who split town after nearly ODing on pills with an open stove flame burning and toddler Iris in the house. When Joe couldn’t find Francine he decided death is preferable to the truth. Mourning the loss of a dead mother would be less painful than mourning a mother who abandoned her. This is sort of like picking between liver cancer or brain cancer. At the end of the day, it’s still cancer. Joe didn’t have any good options. What’s more, his choice is based in love.

The problem is, we can justify almost anything in the name of love. Love isn’t a get out of jail free card. Love is not a free pass to lie. By lying to Iris, once again, Joe took Iris’ agency. No different from when he lied about Barry. At a certain point, these choices become patterns. Regardless of Joe’s intentions, his decision to lie to Iris is wrong. He put their relationship, and her trust, at risk. Again.

Quite frankly, the time to tell Iris was last year. When she confronted Joe about Barry and specifically asked him to stop lying to her. The door was wide open and Joe simply needed to walk through it. Yet… he chose to lie again. Yes, Iris would have dealt with issues of abandonment, but Joe didn’t really save her from that. Iris must still contend with her mother’s abandonment. Only now she has to add Joe’s lies on top of it.

This isn’t about Iris. This is about Joe. This isn’t about love. This is about control. People have free will, and it’s Iris’ free will Joe steals from her. He was afraid his love wouldn’t be enough to combat Iris’ feelings of abandonment. Joe is afraid he’s not enough because he wasn’t enough for his wife. His love couldn’t combat Francine’s addiction. Joe is equating Iris to her mother while failing to recognize they are not the same person. Yes, he wants to protect Iris, but this is also about Joe’s insecurities and fears. By lying to Iris he risks the very thing he’s been afraid of all these years… losing her.

Sometimes parents get it wrong. Joe was wrong. He is human.

Honestly, Iris was angrier with Joe over lying about Barry than she is about her mother. In fact, Iris forgives Joe easily. In the immortal words of Rupert Giles, “To forgive is an act of compassion. It’s not done because people deserve it. It’s done because they need it.” Iris forgiving Joe is a stunning act of compassion. Whether Joe deserves forgiveness is debatable. Regardless, he needs it all the same. Iris forgave him almost instantly because she loves her father. It takes strength to forgive. By forgiving Joe, Iris reveals the depth of her love, her compassion and her strength. In that moment, Iris is a true hero.

The Flash juxtaposes Joe with Lewis Snart to show the varying degrees of bad parenting. Of course, Joe is a good man with a good heart. Being a good man doesn’t require perfection. Sometimes very good people do very bad things. While Joe’s actions are based in love, Snart’s are anything but. Despite Joe’s lies, he’s still a good parent while Lewis Snart is not.

However, the comparison falls a bit flat. The argument The Flash makes is Barry and Iris are heroes because they have Joe for a parent., while Leonard and Lisa are criminals because they have Lewis for a parent. My mother always says a person only needs one good parent. She’s right and so is Barry. One person who loves and sacrifices for you can make all the difference in the world.

But what the people without any good parents? Are they doomed? No. There are many people who succeed in life without any good parents. The road is much harder, but not impossible. Many people succeed in spite of their past. The past does not define who we are nor does it dictate who we will become. We still have free will. We make choices. It is our choices that define us.

As Barry meets with Captain Cold in jail, they discuss the very essence of free will. Barry found Leonard’s weakness – Lisa.  Leonard loves his sister. This isn’t a weakness, but a strength. If Leonard can love it means there’s good in him and the potential to be a hero. The hero discussion is a bit heavy-handed. We get it Flash, Captain Cold is going to the spin-off Legends of Tomorrow. Turn the lights down on the neon sign. Still, the sentiment is valid. The Flash is no longer viewing good and evil in black and white terms. Joe is a good man who lies. Leonard Snart is a criminal who loves. The Flash is dancing in the grey by examining the varying degrees of good and evil that exists in all of us.

Stray Thoughts…

• Iris and Barry’s “Do you trust me?” talks are ranking high on the shipper feels meter. They are reaching Jack and Rose level. If they start saying “I’ll never let go” I don’t think I’ll survive.
• Iris’ mother returning because Eddie died is flimsy at best. I fail to understand what discernible life truth Mama West will impart on Iris regarding Eddie’s loss. Sure, Iris needs her mother, but that need didn’t suddenly manifest in the wake of Eddie’s death. Iris needed her mother for the last twenty years. Personally, I would have voted for the singularity being the reason for her return.
• “Losing the love of your life isn’t something you can get over in a few months.” Are we ready to classify Eddie as the love of Iris’ life? Eh. Don’t get me wrong, Eddie was a swell guy and I miss the fella, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I think we are still determining who the love of Iris West’s life is.
• The Flash needs to cool it with the Garrick/Caitlin pairing. It’s only been six months since Ronnie died.  Re: see above Francine West dialogue.
• “Cherish the gift of youth as I will go cherish my much-needed nap.” Dr. Stein is handing out pearls of EPIC wisdom. It is shocking how important naps become as you age.
• Jay Garrick’s haircut makes him hotter. Now that’s what I call making the impossible possible.
• I’m happy Cisco is getting a love interest and Lisa aka Golden Glider is great, but I still prefer Laurel aka Black Canary.
• Barry is extremely lucky there wasn’t a password limitation on the key pad. Most us only get three tries and then we’re on the phone with IT.
• How in the name of Zeus did Cisco not blow out one of Lisa’s arteries? A high pressured gun against her neck? Even for The Flash that science is highly questionable.
• “I thought I stepped on an ear. I didn’t. If I did I’d be hearing things.” Patty is adorable. She stays.
• “Being a superhero isn’t always about how fast you can run. It’s about helping however you can. Wherever you’re needed most.” BOOM. Drop the mic, Dr. Snow.
• I sort of yawned when Dr. Wells 2.0 came back, because obviously he is coming back. Still, Team Flash needs to lock the door on that portal thing.

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The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Jennifer Knutson

Wife, mother and TV enthusiast. She has a degree in Communications, a minor in English, a background in marketing, and a deep love for all story telling mediums. The TV obsession probably started from birth, but hit saturation level with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and hasn't dissipated since. She has a weakness for dark & twisty heroes and selfless love stories. When she's not working, raising her little human, or spending time with her spouse, she's writing, analyzing, tweeting, and obsessing about all things Arrow. You can check out her blog here: http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/ You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jbuffyangel