The Flash has been sweeping people and respectable nerds off their feet for the last couple of months. Its debut season has been absolutely remarkable. The character development was a little slow for my taste, and some episodes were definitely more filler than necessary, but overall I would say it has been a terrific season. Representation on The Flash has been pretty great, and there are lots of awesome People of Color who are actually developed characters. Joe West is probably one of the top characters on the show, brilliantly portrayed by Jesse L. Martin. I also enjoy Candice Patton’s performance as Iris West, especially when the writers gave her more depth and purpose other than being Barry’s unrequited love. However, my one hero out of all these wonderful characters remains the same: Cisco. Ramon.
I feel as though Cisco has evolved. Carlos Valdes never strictly portrayed Cisco as the one-dimensional, hyperactive wiz-kid trope, but he has truly grown in his character portrayal. Cisco has shown vulnerability, humor, the ability to adapt to any situation, and — one of the most important concepts in the show — hope: The hope that at the end of the day, good will overcome evil.
Cisco Ramon is a mechanical engineering mastermind, and without him, the Flash Bash Posse would be obsolete. His brains, coupled with his endless amounts of optimism that is realistic and vulnerable at the same time, makes me really want to push for a Golden Globe nomination for Valdes, if he keeps this kind of stellar acting up. Future Vibe is also no push-over; he had SERIOUS ass-kicking moves when he gave The Pied Piper some serious bruises. The team needs Ramon’s creative gadgets, his ability to think on his feet, and his endless ability to give spot-on nicknames. Valdes has given depth to a character not too well known in the mainstream media, and it says a lot when you realize that without Cisco, this show would fall apart.
Cisco doesn’t require immediate validation, and constantly questions if the choices he is making are moral and safe for the well-being of his family and friends. He represents so much more than just the comic-relief, and the occasional fawning over Black Canary. He represents humanity, and the faith one has within themselves and their loved ones.
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John Sartoris
I completely agree. Sometimes writers feel they need to overcompensate for past hyper-sexualization when making POC geeks or nerds by excessively de-sexualizing them. Both the Flash’s writers and the brilliant Carlos Valdez make Cisco a playful, partially-irreverent, and libidinal (in numerous ways) character worthy of sexy repartee with the formidable Golden Glider. And in many ways, he is the closest thing to the audience’s avatar–a confident but sometimes self-questioning “regular’ person navigating his way through the super ones.