‘The Flash’: Is There a Spot for Sue Dearbon on Team Flash Now That Hartley Sawyer is Out?
Ralph and Sue were well on their way to becoming the next super-couple on The Flash. But in an off-screen twist, Hartley Sawyer, the actor who portrayed Ralph, was suddenly fired from the show after racist and misogynistic tweets from the actor surfaced. What might Sawyer’s exit mean for the Sue character and Natalie Dreyfuss, the actress who plays her?
Natalie Dreyfuss won fans over as Sue Dearbon on ‘The Flash’
Season 6 of The Flash introduced fans to a new character named Sue Dearbon. The socialite turned jewel thief materialized in Ralph’s orbit when he was hired by her wealthy parents to find her. Dreyfuss’ plucky portrayal of Sue was a hit with viewers, who demanded more screen time for the newbie.
“Sue Dearbon is The Flash’s best new character in years,” One enthusiastic user tweeted.
‘The Flash’ fans quickly began to ship Ralph and Sue
Although Ralph and Sue initially seemed adversarial, they began to enjoy a playful cat-and-mouse flirtation. DC Comics aficionados will note that the couple tied the knot in the pages of The Flash comics. And fans of the show eagerly anticipated a hot romance between the twosome.
“I am a comic book nerd. Ralph and Sue are endgame,” tweeted a fan.
Another viewer wrote, “I find it so funny that both Ralph and Sue said ‘gross’ when the woman asked if they’re married. Little do they know what their future holds if the show follows the comics, that is.”
With Sawyer out, could there still be room for Dreyfuss?
When the audience last saw Sue, she had just discovered that Eva McCulloch had framed her for Joseph Carver’s murder. The Flash Season 6 finale left viewers with that cliffhanger to ponder until season 7 drops on The CW. It would be uncharacteristic for The Flash writers to abandon the storyline, but it might be tricky to pick back up without Ralph involved since he was Sue’s primary connection to Team Flash.
Although Sawyer has been dropped from the cast, there could still be an opportunity for Dreyfuss — and her fan-favorite character Sue — to stick around if the writers and the actress are up for it. Here’s how:
Ralph is a hero with the metahuman ability to stretch his body into seemingly impossible shapes and lengths. His power gives him the handy-dandy skill of shapeshifting into different people, regardless of age, physique, or race. With that in mind, if The Flash writers wanted to recast the role, they would merely need to come up with a plausible explanation for why Ralph would want to change his appearance.
Another way to keep Sue in the mix while dealing with Sawyer’s exit would be to have Ralph killed off screen. If the writers go that route, would Sue become the prime suspect in both Joseph and Ralph’s killings? Although it is always sad to lose a core character, that development could make for a very juicy story arc.
Either of the storylines mentioned above would allow The Flash to keep the fan-favorite character, Sue, around. With any luck, the show will figure out a way to add Sue to the Team Flash roster, and Dreyfuss to the cast.
The Flash is expected to return for season 7 in 2021. Until then, fans can catch up on prior seasons on Netflix.
