'The Flash' Season 6 Episode 16: Joe leaves for witness protection, anxious fans ask if he's being written out

Joe West leaves for the Witness Protection Progam, fans worry when they will get to see him again
Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton and Jesse L. Martin as Captain Joe West (Sergei Bachlakov/The CW)
Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton and Jesse L. Martin as Captain Joe West (Sergei Bachlakov/The CW)

Well, that was a  thrilling episode of 'The Flash', as it served up intense action and a lot of emotional drama.  Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) finally figures something is off with Iris (Candice Patton) and Ragdoll almost gets Joe West (Jesse L Martin) killed, more than once. 

In the first instance, Ragdoll messes with the brakes of Joe's car, due to which his car hurtles into an explosion. But hey, this is a superhero show, and even the non-superheroes find a way out of a tricky situation.

Miraculously, Joe manages to get out of the speeding car in time. Ragdoll appears in his office later, and during a tussle, Joe gets shot in his arm.

  The second time, Cecile Horton is kidnapped and tied to a bomb. Joe saves her by taking her place and defuses the bomb himself. At the end of the episode, Joe agrees to go to the Witness Protection Program.

Fans are rather worried whether this is the last we will see of the character. "SPOILERS: Just watched #TheFlash and every time a character leaves a show like Joe just did, I feel like they're never coming back," tweeted a fan.

"So joe is leaving the flash even tho useless killer frost, ralph, cecile and wells are all still there," wrote another fan. "WHAT DID THEY JUST DO TO JOE?" A fan asked. 

"Are they writing Joe out for a bit? I still dislike the subplot about Barry not having his powers #TheFlash," a fan wondered. Another fan noted that the Witness Protection Progam was the safest option for Joe.

"#TheFlash #6x16 Relief that Joe not only saved Cecile but disarmed that bomb. He made the right call. Carver's on the warpath & have Black Hole backing him, so Witness Protection is safest for him for right now. #TeamFlash Will defeat Carver & Black Hole so Joe can come back!!"

Meanwhile, other fans wondered how Joe could have survived the first car accident. Happy as they are that Joe survived such a dangerous accident, fans are still wondering how Joe managed to escape without a scratch.

"Okay if you were to jump out of car going that speed I’m pretty sure you would be dead. Why didn’t you just use your flash life alert thing joe? #TheFlash," tweeted a fan. Will Joe return? Or will he not see him till Season 7?

'The Flash' airs on The CW on Tuesdays at 8 pm.

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