Though he often found himself on the receiving end of lectures and pep talks from Barry or some other member of Team Flash about the power of friendship and the value of helping others, Ralph struggled to internalize – or even remember – these lessons from week to week. Instead, most of Ralph’s story in Season 4 was repetitive and stale, as he engaged in what might be kindly construed as the one-step forward, two steps backward school of heroism. Ostensibly, Ralph’s initial arc seemed clear: Learn to use his stretchy powers, help the good guys defeat the Thinker, and become a hero in the process. He became a hero purely by accident, thanks to the release of dark matter during Barry Allen’s escape from the Speed Force in the Season 4 premiere. While on the force, he falsified evidence to get a conviction and though he lost his job for it, he certainly didn’t seem any less morally flexible once he turned private investigator. Rather than go with his traditional comics backstory, The Flash instead chose to make this version of the character an ex-cop with a shady past. Furthermore, the Ralph we spent most of Season 4 with wasn’t much of a hero and didn’t seem terribly interested in becoming one either. His casual misogyny, condescending attitude, and unwillingness to listen to others were just a handful of his (unfortunately, many) negative traits. Although the character was generally entertaining thanks to actor Hartley Sawyer’s deft physical comedy, he was often difficult to root for, or even like.įrequently rude, dismissive, and selfish, Ralph treated everyone on Team Flash terribly, particularly its women. A fan favorite from the Flash comics, his presence in the Arrowverse ended up being slightly more controversial. One of the biggest developments in The Flash Season 4 was the introduction of Ralph Dibny, otherwise known as the Elongated Man.