The Flash Season 5: 3 Ups & 2 Downs From 'The Icicle Cometh'

1. Joe West's Absence

When Flash staple Joe West began appearing on screen less and less, it didn't take fans long to notice that he rarely showed up unless he was sitting on the West household's sofa. Given that Jesse L. Martin was indeed a series regular, his continued absence just didn't make sense. That is, until it was revealed that the veteran actor had taken a medical leave of absence which, while unfortunate, is totally understandable.

However, the series hasn't written Joe out and, as a result, the character's inexplicable absences have continued. Though the writers did make a solid attempt to explain his absence this week, as Cecile told Ralph that he had taken newborn daughter Jenna out for a walk, this is only a temporary solution - and it certainly didn't help that he was gone all day (must've been one heck of a walk!).

It's okay to throw in a line every once in a while about how "you just missed him" or how "he's not here at the moment" as being a new father gives him a perfect excuse to not show up to every event. However, it is still rather unusual the character never appears at S.T.A.R. Labs anymore or interacts with anyone outside of Cecile.

Of course, nobody is expecting Martin to return to work before he should, but it does feel like the writers need to address his absence with a more long-running explanation instead of continued temporary ones.

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