wordswehavesaidworld:

She’s one of the few female characters on the show in a very physically active role.

It cuts off her character arc abruptly with absolutely no resolution.

She and Barry were both willing to work things out up until practically the last five minutes of the episode (look at how eager she was for it to be Barry at the door before Turtle showed up – classic beginning to a reconcile scene). So this abrupt decision on her part without talking to him first despite wanting to make their relationship closer makes no sense.

She and Barry were happy together. In fact, in show and in interviews, the characters and Grant Gustin specifically cited Patty as one of the only things in Barry’s life right now that was making him happy.

Patty was clever enough to see when Barry was holding back (and even saw right through some of his deceptions, i.e. the “blind” date) but always reacted reasonably and did her best to be understanding even when from her point of view she didn’t have to be.

Patty was about the only person who was openly acknowledging that Barry is still suffering from PTSD, and acknowledging her own struggle with how to deal with that while not make him feel bad. Concerned, reasonable, understanding. Again.

Barry trusted her enough to tell her his secret identity while they were dating (I cannot even stress how much of a rarity that is in the superhero genre).

She has a job and a home and a boyfriend and friends at work and there’s no way a character can make this kind of decision to uproot her life completely in the span of less than half the episode.

She would’ve needed to put in at least two weeks’ notice, so the surprise-move itself makes no sense. Not to mention a talk with her partner, Joe, would’ve probably been in order. And likely Captain Singh.

Her and Barry’s relationship was far too close already for her to simply walk out like it didn’t matter to her.

Narratively, it reduces her character to a dead-end of a subplot, and Patty deserves far better than that.