As Father’s Day approaches, let’s take a look at some fathers and father figures on television today that absolutely embody #ParentingGoals. From This Is Us to Riverdale and even the Arrowverse, TV has given us some great father figures who are raising, or raised, the kind of children we all wish we could be.
Jack Pearson – This Is Us
A father of three, Jack Pearson is the epitome of #ParentingGoals! In his short life, Jack and his wife Rebecca (played by Mandy Moore) were blessed with Kevin, Kate, and Randall, who all grew up to live impressive lives.
While alive, Jack did everything he could for daughter Kate as she grew up with a serious lack of self-esteem due to bullying over her weight. Regardless of how she felt about herself, Jack was always giving her words of encouragement. He would remind her that she was beautiful, and he even tried to give her confidence in her great singing voice — a gift she inherited from her mother.
Meanwhile, adopted son Randall suffered from panic attacks, especially after putting so much pressure on himself to succeed. To calm Randall down and alleviate the panic, Jack would place his hands on his son’s face. The cupping gesture, feeling skin against skin as they’d breathe together, would allow Randal to regain control. This technique continued to work for him into his adult life and Randall even used it to comfort his biological father on his deathbed.
Joe West – The Flash
Detective Joe West was a single father to a young daughter, Iris, when he brought Barry Allen into his home after his father was arrested for allegedly killing his mother. Joe raised Barry as his own, putting him through school and eventually working with him professionally as a forensic scientist with the CCPD.
Through the years, Joe and Barry worked together on cases — first as police operatives and then as part of Team Flash once Barry got his super speed powers. But while Joe continued to give Barry the love and support he needed, he never abandoned or took his daughter for granted. Joe supported Iris as she struggled to find her own path, first as a journalist, and later as the leader of Team Flash. While Joe always worried about Iris, he never belittled her or saw her as anything other than capable.
When Joe discovered that he had another son, Wally, he welcomed him into his home as well. And after learning that Wally was participating in illegal street racing to pay for his mother’s medical bills, the West family put an end to it, encouraging Wally to go to school. Years later, when Wally decided he wanted to travel and explore — the planet, alternate Earths, or even time — Joe supported his decisions.
And now he’s going to do it all again with a newborn daughter, Jenna. In Joe’s house, the more the merrier.
Fred Andrews – Riverdale
Not exactly a single father, but after Fred Andrews’s wife moved to Chicago, he became the sole caregiver of his son, Archie. Fred is a respected business owner in Riverdale, and even ran for Mayor on the platform of honesty, integrity, and family values, three traits he embodies greatly.
In Riverdale, where crime and corruption run rampant, Fred Andrews is a pillar of the community, often speaking as the much-needed voice of good. When Archie’s best friend Jughead needed a place to live after his father was incarcerated, Fred offered him to stay with the Andrews. When corrupt cops were going to raid Whyte Wyrm, the haven for Jughead’s gang, the Southside Serpents, Fred took in the rag-tag team of misfits, even going out of his way to make breakfast for everyone because he values human life regardless of where they live, be it in the neighborhood or the south side of town.
J’onn J’onzz – Supergirl
Secretly a shapeshifting Martian, J’onn posed as DEO director Hank Henshaw for many years before being exposed and was eventually permitted to continue living under the guise of Hank’s appearance. J’onn recruited bio-engineer Alex Danvers to join the DEO, becoming not only a professional mentor but also a surrogate parent to both Alex and her adopted sister Kara.
Since revealing his true identity, J’onn has been a pillar of support for the Danvers sisters through many life events, such as Alex’s coming out, Kara’s breakup with Mon-El, their reconnections with previously presumed dead father Jeremiah, and even trips to other planets. Through the seasons, J’onn has found himself taking care of other DEO agents as well, for example helping Winn cope with his father’s death and mother’s return.
But J’onn doesn’t only go above and beyond as a father figure, he’s also an incredible son, becoming a caretaker to his own father as he deals with “Za-alet” — the Martian equivalent to Alzheimers or Dementia.