Jesse L. Martin is going from high speed to high probability. After eight seasons, Martin will no longer be a series regular on The CW’s The Flash. He instead is moving on as a lead in the NBC drama pilot, The Irrational, which is based on Dan Ariely’s book Predictably Irrational.
Written by Arika Mittman, the show centers on Alec Baker (Martin), a world-renowned professor of behavioral psychology with a unique insight into human nature who lends his expertise to an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, corporations and law enforcement. However, he meets his match in a female domestic terror suspect who turns his world upside down
Mittman is exec produceing alongside Sam Baum and Mark Goffman. Author Ariely is attached as a consultant on the drama from Universal Television. The pilot will be shot in late May-early June in Vancouver.
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Tony winner Martin was one of four remaining Flash original cast members, along with star Grant Gustin, Candice Patton and Danielle Panabaker. The existing contracts of all four were up at the end of the current eighth season. According to Deadline reported in late January, the studio closed a new deal with Gustin ahead of the CW’s renewal of the show for Season 9 last month. Patton and Panabaker are in negotiations to return.
As for Martin’s future on The Flash, Martin, who stars as Joe West will continue to appear in multiple episodes of the DC drama. Also according to Deadline, there has been talk of the series coming to a conclusion with an abbreviated final season.
For the past eight seasons, Martin starred on The Flash as Joseph “Joe” West, a CCPD detective, father of Iris (Patton), Wally and Jenna West, and legal guardian to Barry Allen (Gustin) following Nora Allen’s death and Henry Allen’s incarceration. He is also well known for his nine-season run on NBC’s Law & Order as Det. Edward Green.