The Flash's Secret Superpower: Emotional Intelligence

I don't know that I would call the CW's The Flash a smart show.  I mean, it is perhaps the most comic-booky TV shows out there full of outlandish plots, cartoony villains, and ridiculous technobabble but over the course of its season and a half run, The Flash has become an emotionally intelligent show in which characters and their interactions are not only at the forefront but are navigated in a way that actually resembles actual human relationships.  This is remarkable for TV (especially genre TV) where misunderstandings and "drama" are often manufactured and milked for seasons on end in order to generate story.

The Flash has always had heart.  It been a warm show that has never shied away from being emotional (I seriously doubt that there has been a single episode in which at least one character does not cry) but much of its first season was marred by the fact that it kept one of its characters, Iris West, on the sidelines and out of the loop as far as the Flash's secret identity as Barry Allen her adopted brother/best friend/possible love interest.  This not only marginalized one of the show's primary female characters but also generated a lot of artificial-feeling plotlines including a tiresome love triangle between Barry, Iris, and the Flash.  The show did some course correcting late last season and reintegrated Iris so that she is now on the same page as everyone else and, more importantly, an important relationship with Barry that is no longer compromised.

I think The Flash learned a lot from this experience and now routinely does a good job of navigating these conflicts.  For example in a recent episode, Barry learns that his Earth-2 teammate Harrison Welles had been working with the arch villain Zoom to steal the Flash's speed because Zoom was keeping his daughter prisoner as leverage (see what I'm talking about?) In a lesser show, this would result in a multi-episode arc about trust and betrayal and it would be mined for maximum conflict and drama. In The Flash, Barry takes a moment to process the betrayal but he also understands why Welles did it and appreciates that he might have done the same thing to protect someone he loved and he resolves to not only continue working with Welles but to make it their mission to help him rescue his daughter.  You know, like a real mature adult human being and not a character from The Real Housewives.  Even in an outlandish superhero show, it is satisfying to see characters navigate their relationships like real people and not drama puppets.

And the show has some intense and complicated relationships.  Barry's mother was killed when he was little and his dad was unjustly locked up.  He was raised by Joe and with Iris.  Recently, Joe found out he has another son with whom they are all building relationships.  Caitlin's ex disappeared in an accident and briefly reappeared before dying in another accident.  For the most part, the show does a really amazing job juggling all of this in a satisfying way while being an immensely fun superhero show at the same time.

Another way that she show is emotionally intelligent is in how it handles its male characters.  Barry and Joe, in particular are allowed to be sensitive caring men, and, in fact, do the bulk of the crying on the show.  In fact, Joe always seems on the verge of tears. It's refreshing to see a show where the men are not expected to be tough unfeeling stereotypical males.  Perhaps is the sign of a more relaxed, nuanced masculinity.

On a related note, the show has also gone out of its way to be female and gay friendly.  With a couple of notable gay characters, an openly gay producer, multiple recurring out gay actors, and a cast that seems to be almost entirely musical theater people, this incarnation of The Flash might be the gayest superhero project ever.  This is consistent with a generally inclusive and diverse vibe that the show has, with a lot of women and people of color playing important complex characters.

In the end, maybe the CW's The Flash is a truly Millennial show in a way that other shows with pretty young casts are not.  It embraces the best of the values associated with the Millennial generation such as diversity, openness, and a relaxed, laid back masculinity. It is smart enough to get past superficial conflicts to the relationships and meaningful character interactions beneath.

Patrick Garone
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Westeros Community College: Who Is The High Sparrow?

The High Sparrow is a unique kind of character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO's Game of Thrones: a man with humility and pure motives.  Some of our more savvy players have tried to get close to him to learn how he can be manipulated only to be rebuffed.  We are lead to believe that he really is that sincere in his beliefs. In a world where almost every character has an angle, where all of the institutions are corrupt, the High Sparrow is a man who is what he says he is: a simple man devoted to the Seven above all things.  Or is there more to this mysterious character than we have been lead to believe?

Before we actually meet him in the flesh, we do hear about the High Sparrow here and there in the books.  Martin seeds mentions of him for careful readers and his presence is established in Westeros at least as early as the War of the Five Kings.  However, we know almost nothing about his backstory or any deeper motivations so all we have to go on is what little he tells us and his actions, which taken at face-value paint the picture of a pious and humble man.

Perhaps the most suspicious thing about him is his lack of a real identity.  The other characters seem to automatically take his High Sparrow identity for granted due to the way that he presents himself and that he has thousands of loyal followers.  No one in the books or show ever really vets him or asks him who is.  You would think that someone who is essentially assuming the role of High Septon, would need to be somewhat of a known quantity but the High Sparrow seems to come out of nowhere and our characters conveniently fail to ask important questions about who he is.

Now, Martin's books and the HBO series from which they are adapted have got me a bit cynical but I can't help but think that this High Sparrow is not who he says he is.  Humility aside, the Sparrow seems to have quickly amassed a consequential amount of power in King's Landing and the realm thanks to his ability to capitalize on Queen Cercei's misteps.  He has an army of the devout and has effectively counterbalanced the political power of the Lannisters and other nobles. He seems to be playing the game quite well for a simple unwashed holy man.

But to what end?  If we accept things on face value, the purpose of the High Sparrow's movement is to turn the Realm into some sort of egalitarian theocracy and rid Westeros of vice and corruption but from what we've seen this is not something that is likely to stick. The people of Westeros, particulalry King's Landing, really love their vice and corruption.  If the High Sparrow were a serious reformer who's intent was to create long-lasting change, he would affect incremental manageable reforms easily supported by the masses.  But what the Sparrow is doing instead is sudden and drastic and will face a certain public backlash.  He's essentially destabilized Kings Landing and the Seven Kingdoms and created a chaotic situation.

Therefore, I think the High Sparrow is merely a tool being used by another.  So, if the High Sparrow has a master who would it be?  Who benefits from the Lannisters being neutralized and distracted?  Who wants to see chaos in Kings Landing?

Despite the very public and showy destruction of his brothel by the Faith Militant, Littlefinger is the character who best benefits from this movement and one of the few people cunning and cynical enough to pull it off.  And he is conveniently out of town when all of this happens. In the show, he absolutely takes advantage of the Sparrows to ensnare Cercei to the benefit of himself and his Tyrell co-conspirators.  While we don't yet know Margaery's fate on the show, in the books at least she is quickly released from her imprisonment.  One definitely gets the impression from the books that Cercei is getting the worst of it.  Indeed, when Olenna Tyrell confronts him about the seemingly sorry state of their alliance, Baelish essentially plays his Sparrow card.  He is at the very least involved enough to get get Lancel to the High Sparrow and likely a lot more.

Patrick Garone
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