From the moment Barry Allen awoke with superpowers in The Flash, it seemed he and Cisco Ramon would be bonded for life. With a shared love of all things nerdy, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Barry and Cisco have had some great bromance moments throughout the series. But there is much about their friendship that feels imbalanced.
While the two superheroes have managed to remain friends through the ups and downs, one cannot help but wonder how strong that bond actually is. Especially when compared with other dynamics on the show, Barry and Cisco’s relationship pales in comparison.
Barry Created Flashpoint
Although Barry unraveled the timeline by creating Flashpoint out of a reaction to grief, he still did so without a second thought to any of his loved ones, including the man he called his best friend.
By creating the alternate timeline where he still had both parents, he forewent his relationship with Cisco and the gang. As a consequence, when he undid Flashpoint, Cisco’s brother Dante died in the new timeline.
Cisco Is His Sidekick
Cisco did not always have superpowers, and it could be argued that his superior intelligence was his power. But with or without metahuman powers, Cisco always wound up being Barry’s sidekick.
In the field or behind a computer, Barry relied on Cisco for backup and support. While the dynamic is often portrayed as equal, there are many times when Barry’s attitude makes it feel more like he is Cisco’s boss rather than his partner.
Disregarding Boundaries
Barry gets caught up in saving the world, sometimes at the expense of his own relationships. His relationship with Cisco often takes the hit. When Cisco becomes a metahuman, Barry pushes his friend to accept his powers and use them to do the same as him: saving Central City.
He does not take into consideration that Cisco might not want to be a superhero. Eventually, Cisco relents, but in the most recent season, he gives up his powers.
Life Outside of Team Flash
Barry does not seem to show much interest in Cisco outside of their responsibilities as heroes. He occasionally asks about how things are faring in Cisco’s love life, but he does not know much outside of superficial details.
Granted, Cisco tends to keep such things to himself. But for two people who call each other best friend, there is an awful lot kept separate that best friends wouldn’t keep from each other.
Alternate Barry Abandons Cisco and the Team
In the future where Savitar lives and wins, Barry once more gives in to his grief and disbands the team. In doing so, he abandons Cisco to his own grief.
While Barry often relies on Cisco and others for tactical or physical support, he tends to neglect their emotional support. That behavior leads him to also neglect their emotional needs. Iris would not have wanted this for them.
Cisco’s Breakup
As Cisco and Cynthia navigated a complicated long-distance relationship between the multiverse, things eventually came to a head when she wanted to take over her father’s role. Cisco avoided talking to her, compromising his emotions and making him a liability to Team Flash.
Barry’s desperation to get Cisco back in working order made him push his friend to talk to Cynthia. While he didn’t cause their breakup, he sped up the process.
Barry Doesn’t Show Up
Barry often comes to Cisco when he needs help or a favor. But rarely does he do the same in return for his friend. While Barry states he is always there when Cisco needs him, his actions do not follow suit.
He doesn’t get involved much in Cisco’s problems and only comes to him when he needs something. That is a one-sided friendship that is not fair to Cisco.
Distrust
When Barry first learned Dr. Harrison Wells’ true identity as Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. the Reverse-Flash, it left him reeling with betrayal. Since Caitlin and Cisco were so close to Dr. Wells in the beginning, he suspected them of conspiring with his enemy.
After all Cisco and Barry had been through together, and everything Cisco did for Barry, it didn’t seem fair for the speedster to consider Cisco guilty before proven innocent.
Never Friends On Other Earths
Team Flash has traveled through several Earths in the multiverse and through various timelines. It’s interesting that on all these other Earths, the alternate versions of themselves are never friends.
Comparing different versions of Barry and Cisco to the main Barry and Cisco from Earth-1 doesn’t make an equal parallel for many fans. But it cannot be ignored that these other versions of Barry and Cisco are facets of the ones fans know.
Refused to Bring Dante Back
Barry refuses to time travel again to undo the damage and bring Dante back. While Barry has a good reason for this, being that he learns his lesson about meddling with events and time, Cisco does raise a good point about his hypocrisy.
Barry loses his good judgment to undo history when it’s convenient for him, but when his best friend asks him to do the same, he suddenly has good sense again.
