The Flash: "Armageddon, Part 2" Reveals SPOILER'S Death
This week on The Flash, Barry (Grant Gustin) and the rest of Team Flash continued to try to prove Despero (Tony Curran) wrong about the Scarlet Speedster and show the alien that Central City's hero isn't going to become the villain that brings about Armageddon. It's a task that has, over the first two episodes of the five-part "Armageddon" event, seen Barry surrounded with the support of his friends and family though there is one person that viewers haven't seen. Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) has been conspicuously absent as Barry faces what might be his most urgent Crisis yet and this week, in "Armageddon, Part 2", Joe's absence is explained – and it has major implications on what's next for the event.
Warning! Major spoilers for this week's episode of The Flash, "Armageddon, Part 2" below.
Early in this week's episode, Despero informs Barry that he is going to endure tragedy that will cause his mind to shatter, and it's that madness that turns him into the villain. Despero even warns Barry that that descent begins the next day and, sure enough, the very next day Barry starts having a pretty bad day. He loses his job when he comes under federal investigation and STAR Labs is shut down by the city. However, he does get a bit of a boost of positivity, however, when he manages to apprehend a villain that has been using telepathic powers to drive people insane. Assuming that the villain is at the root of the "madness", Team Flash is ready to celebrate their win and Barry suggests they get Joe to make them a nice lunch.
It's that suggestion that prompts Barry's world to fall apart. It's revealed that Joe hasn't been around because Joe died six months prior. A cause of death isn't given, but Barry apparently gave the eulogy and everyone he's close to is horrified that Barry has no memory of things. After all, Joe is one of the most important figures in Barry's life. How could he just forget that Joe had died? Barry has very little time to process this devastating revelation as the news reports that The Flash has turned on innocent people and Despero shows up to try to kill him, but Barry manages to escape.
The idea that Joe is dead is a huge shift for The Flash. The character has been a major part of the series since its debut with Martin being a fixture as well. However, Martin did take a medical leave of absence in Season 5 after suffering a back injury and while he did return, fans have noticed that the character has had a bit of a lower profile since. That said, given the importance of Joe on The Flash, it seems a little unusual that the series would simply write him out off-screen without giving Barry – and fans – a chance to properly say goodbye. Add to the mix that the "Armageddon" storyline seems to be dealing a bit with madness, it's possible that there will be some sort of reversal. After all, there are still three more installments to go and we haven't even gotten to the arrival of villains Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh) and Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) yet.
Fans will just have to keep watching to find out more about Joe West's death and the impact it has on Barry as The Flash's "Armageddon" event continues.
The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.