Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 9 Episode 5 of The Flash.

In The Flash Season 9, Episode 5, "The Mask of the Red Death Part Two," characters, and seemingly the audience, bid farewell to another character. The beloved father figure, Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), is gone. Fortunately, Joe's departure isn't a tragedy, but the character's decision. Joe has been around since the very beginning and has been a major part of Team Flash. From his level-headed advice to his help in protecting the city, Joe West has played an important role throughout the previous eight seasons. There is no doubt that he will be missed, but this has been a long time coming. The character has previously discussed the move he's now officially making. But there is more to it than that. Originally a series regular, Joe's part slowly diminished in the later part of the series. Despite his deep connection to Barry (Grant Gustin) and the rest of the team, Joe has appeared less often as of late, sometimes with a vague excuse. But Episode 5 writes him out on a consistent basis, even though there is limited time left in the show. With The Flash partway through its final season, officially marking the end of the Arrowverse, it seems a strange time to write out a character, especially in an impermanent way.

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Who Is Joe West on 'The Flash'?

Jesse Martin's Joe West smiles on The Flash
Image via The CW

Joe is first introduced in the pilot episode as the father of Iris (Candice Patton) and the adopted father of Barry. Then he worked as a detective for the Central City Police and eventually became the captain before his retirement. Joe was one of the first people Barry told of his super speed. Initially, Joe was worried about Barry becoming a hero, but even his parental concern couldn't last forever, and he relented. Joe encouraged the doubting Barry to use his powers and continued to do so throughout the rest of the show. Though Joe never understood the crazy things that Barry got involved with, ranging from sentient gorillas to alternate timelines, he supported Barry in everything. As one of the earliest members of Team Flash, Joe assumed the role of the father figure and encourager. He was no stranger to protecting the city after a lifetime on the police force, but he did so without powers and never hesitated to jump in when needed despite that fact. Even as Barry becomes a hero, Joe never stops looking out for him. He helps in keeping Barry's identity a secret and is the first to suspect Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) is up to something.

Over his time on the show, Joe has had ups and downs. The lie he told Iris about her mother's death came back to haunt him when his wife, Francine (Vanessa Williams), reappeared, telling him he had a son he had never met. Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) and Joe have an uneasy relationship at first, with Joe full of regret and Wally resentful that they were just meeting. But Joe manages to connect with his son eventually. Joe later develops a relationship with District Attorney Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet). They get married and have a daughter, Jenna West (Adina Insley). But his ever-growing family never stopped him from being there for Team Flash. Joe took everyone to come into the group under his wing, dispensing wisdom and kindness, even when he couldn't understand the more outlandish tasks that the team took on.

Where Is Joe Going in 'The Flash'?

Jesse L Martin as Joe and Candice Patton as Iris looking intently in The Flash
Image via The CW

Joe's decision to leave wasn't sudden. He and Cecile discussed it before, but with Cecile's position as Team Flash's resident mind reader, she didn't want to leave. He seemed to change his mind after seeing what it meant to Jenna for her mother to be a superhero. But another crisis put his young daughter in danger, and Joe realized he couldn't keep doing this. He decided to move to the countryside with Jenna. Cecile agreed, and she plans to visit her family on weekends. Joe's plan is to move away from the constant danger of living in a city with super villains constantly popping up, but moving away without his wife is a strange arrangement. Still, all parties seem happy about it. Joe is leaving the city for good, but as he reminds the team in a tearful goodbye, he's only a phone call away.

As Joe says farewell, he seemingly passes the torch to Barry. As things fall apart, Barry is upset, and Joe gives him one last pep talk. He comments on Barry's ability to bring out the best in people, but Barry claims he learned it from Joe. Yet Joe insists that Barry is a source of inspiration for him. It's true that these men share a talent, though neither wants to take credit for it. Joe also says that there is nothing else he can teach Barry. Joe also seems to doubt his position on the team, but Barry turns around and gives him a pep talk too. It's also worth noting that the resident father figure of the team leaves just as Barry discovers he's going to be a father too.

Why Leave 'The Flash' Now?

Jesse L Martin as Joe West in The Flash
Image via The CW

Joe's departure stems from the actor leading a new show on NBC called The Irrational, but even so, it isn't sudden. His role has greatly reduced over the year. This episode explains his future absence, but it seems strange to do so with only a few episodes left. Joe has been in fewer episodes every season, so why give an explanation now? Surely, a brief excuse would work for the eight remaining episodes. But the farewell gives him a moment to shine in the last season. The other direction the show could have taken is to let him die to raise the stakes of the show. Death is chronically impermanent in The Flash, so death doesn't seem as dire as it should be. With Martin leaving, Joe could have sacrificed himself. It certainly would have taken an emotional toll on both the characters and the audience. But that isn't the story The Flash chose. Perhaps it means there is hope for him to briefly appear in the series final. While it's a shame that Joe is gone, he does at least get a happy ending.

New episodes of The Flash air Wednesdays on the CW. You can check out the promo for the next episode "The Good, The Bad and The Lucky" below.