What exactly is so interesting and enjoyable about Linda Park?
I loved the fact that she was strong and confident and met Barry head on. The two key scenes were the one at the very start (the date) and the one where Barry went back to her at her workplace to get back with her. In both scenes you could see that the character of Barry was being taken out of his comfort zone.
Those two scenes were better than any scene he has ever shared with Iris. There’s nothing positive or exciting about the Barry/Iris scenes and the supposed romantic tension that the show is trying desperately hard to create. All of the Iris/Barry scenes have been negative. There’s no fun in watching Barry pine away sadly for someone he can’t have. And it’s a boring story.
What about giving him an exciting, confident woman as a girlfriend? Let her in on the Flash secret! Someone new that Barry can confide in, someone else in his life that help him grow and become a better hero. He already has Joe who does that as a father-figure, and he has the StarLabs crew who do it as a peer-group. All that is missing is a lover, a partner, an equal who performs the same function within the episodes.
Nothing in any episode so far indicates that the Iris character will do this. Yet, in two short episodes (particularly this week’s) it’s obvious that Linda is just such a character. A positive and fun character who can clearly have positive impact on the main character.
There’s nothing good about watching lead character being made sad by another character. But, watching a lead character who is changing for the better because of the impact of another character? Now that is a show I would want to watch.
The subtext of both the scenes I mentioned is the same: Barry going outside of his comfort zone because of Linda. Sure, it was only eating stuff. For now. But the potential is there for this character to have huge impact on Barry, and on the show. Her key dialogue from their first scene is the dialogue he repeats back to her in their final scene. That’s exciting to watch.
THAT is what is so interesting and enjoyable about Linda.
