I didn't like the line about Harry being a father to Cisco as I never felt that was their relationship. They were equals and friends. EoWells was the father figure and Cisco didn't let Harry become that out of truama and then out of friendship later
Ok so I’m a Harrisco shipper obviously. But even if people don’t view their relationship in that way which is fine, It’s truly bizarre (and genuinely uncomfortable) for me to see people call their relationship father/son. I assume just because of the age difference, but still it’s ridiculous. They don’t have that dynamic. And anyway, The Flash went and said “20 year age gaps are fine actually” in the Supergirl crossover when they decided to pair up Joe West with Martin Stein.
You’re right about Eobard. He had more of that mentor/almost fatherly role in Cisco’s life, complicated though it was. Harry doesn’t.
Initially yes, the trauma of Eobard had Cisco keeping Harry at a distance. But that initial antagonism towards with each other is exactly what fostered Harry/Cisco having an actual friendship. Cisco didn’t hero worship Harry. He didn’t see Harry as a mentor. He wasn’t subordinate to Harry. He didn’t work for Harry. Cisco challenged Harry because he was traumatized by Eobard. And Harry didn’t groom or manipulate Cisco the way Eobard did. Harry fought back just as hard, not acting like Cisco needed to be babied or cared for. He treated Cisco like some guy who was being a dick to him and he was a bigger dick back. This led to them being on an Equal Playing Field.
From that level of being EQUALS they slowly started to bond. First through tragedy and fighting side by side and then as actual friends. Fighting and aggression turned into bickering and teasing. They bonded over science, over working in the lab together - as colleagues and equals who are both interested in similar things. They bonded over movies. Then they got closer to the point where Harry was often misunderstood by everyone except Cisco. They often mirrored each other in speech, finishing each other’s sentences.
And Harry was tactile with Cisco in a way he wasn’t with anyone else. Always putting his hands on Cisco’s shoulders when he was near him or walked by him. Slugging him in the arm at the Christmas party just to be playful. Annoying him in the pipeline with a bouncy ball for the same reason. Not like a father.
And the way Cisco talks to Harry, giving him advice about relationships with the Council or in general. The way Cisco continues to speak to Harry frankly and emotionally. Cisco is not “like a son” even remotely. And Harry asking Cisco to talk to his daughter for him about becoming a speedster as the older/more experienced person than his daughter/someone Harry trusts in that capacity. Harry also sent his daughter off in the care of Cisco/Team Flash in the episode where they went to a bar because he sees TF as the trustworthy adults and his daughter as his child. They’re not the same. He doesn’t treat Cisco anything like how he treats his daughter.
And then we can get into the flirtation. Which if you want to view as a platonic friendship thing, ok fine I guess, but it’s definitely the behavior of equals and not a father/son relationship thing because that’s creepy.
They hung out in a strip club together and were glued to each other the whole night. Are we gonna act like it’s a father/son relationship just because Harry went and got Cisco a drink?
Are we gonna pretend Harry telling Cisco “you’re welcome” about seeing Harry naked is a thing that’s not inherently sexual? Are we gonna pretend that Harry saying “you’re gonna help me finish?” and pointing down wasn’t also sexual? That “You wish I was unbecoming” doesn’t also tilt towards suggestive?
Or pretend that having Harry quote a famous Kirk/Spock shipping moment with Cisco when he came back didn’t At Least make them friends and equals and put them outside the realm of a normal father/son dynamic?
Or act like that the fact that they closely paralleled Harry/Cisco’s relationship and interconnected story arc in season 4 with that of two (2) married couples (DeVoe/Marlize & Joe/Francine) dealing with their spouse’s addiction was a normal, legitimate choice to make for a father/son duo?
Especially when you can’t call it “just a coincidence” when Joe makes the connection in the actual episode dialogue and compared Harry/Cisco to him/his wife and talked about “the people you care about”? If the connection we were supposed to make was meant to be just about addiction in general and that was the theme, and we weren’t supposed to notice the spousal relationships, then Joe would’ve connected Cisco’s role to that of Iris, not himself, in his telling Harry about Francine’s addiction.
Their relationship is not paternal. I’m genuinely disturbed by people who say it is. If you see it as platonic, fine. But it is the relationship of equals.