ARROW Has Some Great "Tendencies"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Any television episode that features a wedding is bound to have something dramatic interrupt the proceedings, and ARROW’s most recent installment, “Suicidal Tendencies,” is no different. Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) barely say their I-dos (again) before two emergencies force them and their friends into action. Will their love story have a satisfying ending?

Thankfully, Oliver (Stephen Amell) seems to want Diggle to be happy, sending him on his honeymoon instead of allowing him to deal with the threat in Starling City. Ra’s and his followers continue to impersonate The Arrow, ruining Oliver’s good name, in the hopes that Oliver will abandon that persona and become the next Ra’s. It doesn’t work because, while the city turns against The Arrow, Oliver remains committed to clearing his name and stopping the imposters.

Oliver’s foe in “Suicidal Tendencies” is Ray, a.k.a. The Atom (Brandon Routh). While Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) and his cops are no match for the superhero, a fellow crusader might be. Except, Ray is too new, unequipped to really deal with The Arrow. So it’s more a battle of the minds, with Oliver trying to convince Ray that he’s innocent of the murders. Eventually, this works out, but not before fans get a showdown between the pair, which The Arrow easily wins. Hopefully, this new alliance will survive the death of Mayor Castle (Christina Cox), which will surely be pinned on Arrow.

On a more personal front, both Ray and Oliver feel betrayed by Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) when they learn the other’s secret. This is understandable for Oliver because he gives up a chance at romantic bliss with Felicity in order to save the city, and she is now in the arms of someone else doing the same. But Ray is still naïve, not knowing the price of the life he’s chosen, and Oliver is sure they won’t work out. Ray has to decide if Felicity is leading him on, a complicated effort when she’s still keeping a past flame’s secret. Yet “Suicidal Tendencies” ends with them reuniting. I doubt they can make it work long-term, but while I root for Oliver and Felicity to wind up together, it’s nice she has this relationship for now.

Speaking of love, despite Oliver’s intentions, Diggle and Lyla don’t get to fly off on vacation. They are intercepted by A.R.G.U.S. and sent on a mission with a couple of members of The Suicide Squad, Cupid (Amy Gumenick) and Deadshot (Michael Rowe). While the team tries to take down corrupt Senator Cray (Steven Culp, Desperate Housewives, Bosch), the newlyweds wonder if they have any shot at domesticity while they engage in such dangerous professions.

Deadshot says they do not, and we see why he believes this in a series of flashbacks to his character coming home from war. This is far more compelling than the usual Oliver flashbacks, the story of a man whose child doesn’t recognize him and whose wife is afraid of his PTSD. It’s heart-breaking, and certainly gives a lot of depth to the recurring player. By the time Deadshot sacrifices himself (I really hope he’s not actually dead, and he probably isn’t) to stop Cray, which isn’t completely effective, even Diggle, whose own brother was murdered by Deadshot, can’t help but respect the man.

But that doesn’t mean Deadshot is right about the couple. Lyla gives up A.R.G.U.S. because they let Cray get away with his lie in the aftermath, so both parents aren’t going to continue to be in constant danger. Even if something happens to Diggle, their baby will still have a parent at home. And something won’t necessarily happen to Diggle. Lyla rejects his offer to quit Team Arrow, citing the good they are doing for the city, but that doesn’t mean Oliver won’t do everything he can to make sure Daddy Diggle goes home in one piece every night.

“Suicidal Tendencies” is mostly a great episode because of the character development and questions it raises. ARROW has been on a roll this year, and by finally making the flashback element interesting again, this installment raises the bar even more. Overall, I really liked it.

Which is not to say that it’s without problems. There are some very obvious issues as ARROW allows tropes and flubs to slip in. From Cray revealing his entire plan to our heroes, to Deadshot not flinching when Diggle slaps his injured arm, to Ray having to fill in last minute as minister, there are some sloppy parts of the hour. ARROW isn’t usually this obvious in its flaws, but considering the bigger picture, they are not enough to tear down the episode.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

"Midnight" For ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 11 Midnight City on Seat42F.




The CW’s ARROW continues a harrowing plot last night in “Midnight City” as those left in Starling try to make up for the presumed-dead Arrow (Stephen Amell). This is easier said than done, though, as powerful villain Brick (Vinnie Jones) has crippled the city and frightened the mayor (Christina Cox), and not every new costumed vigilante is up to snuff yet. Will Oliver return to save the day before it’s too late?

I think the best thing “Midnight City” does is expose Laurel’s (Katie Cassidy) weaknesses as the Black Canary. She hasn’t been training that long, nor does she go through the experiences Oliver and Sara (Caity Lotz – whose voice returns!) do. Arsenal (Colton Haynes) and Diggle (David Ramsey) have spent more time on the job, but even they’re not up to the same level as Oliver and Sara were, so it’s nice to see Laurel isn’t, either. Better for ARROW to take its time developing its next hero than to unrealistically rush in.

And develop, she will. This week’s episode finds several members of the team struggling to carry on. Laurel has plenty of self-doubt. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) has quit because she’s so discouraged. But with Brick doing what he’s doing, someone has to step forward. So the series lets our main players wonder if they’re cut out for this kind of life, but then they recommit themselves to it because someone has to and they realize they stand the best chance of anyone in the city to do so.

Felicity should also calm a bit when she decides to help Ray (Brandon Routh) finish his super suit. Ray may not be ready to take on any baddie too big, but he does have some of the same qualities that many of the rest on the team do. If they aren’t up to Oliver’s level, their strength can come in numbers by adding another capable person to the mix. As we see in “Midnight City,” Laurel can afford to stumble if Arsenal has her back. Ray should help with this.

Of course, there are more people to watch out for than even Team Arrow knows about. This week, it is revealed that Chase (Austin Butler) is working for Maseo (Karl Yune) and the League of Assassins. That certainly explains his interest in Thea (Willa Holland), though she deserves someone genuinely attracted to her. But it also leaves a big question mark in what Chase’s intentions are and what he is prepared to do.

Maseo is a shady character. He rescues Oliver, sure, and that makes him somewhat noble, repaying Oliver for the past. However, Maseo also still works for The League. And while he’s willing to kill some of his fellows if it endangers Tatsu (Rila Fukushima), his ex-wife, and himself, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any loyalty left towards his employer. This arc is far from over.

It’s nice to see Thea stand up to Malcolm (John Barrowman) using his own words against him. That’s a strong sign she has not turned into his puppet, and may not listen to him at a crucial moment when she shouldn’t.

As if all of the action isn’t enough, major emotion comes into “Midnight City” when Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) hears that Black Canary is back in town. Naturally, he assumes it’s Sara, as he still doesn’t know that Sara is dead. Laurel goes to great lengths to keep him believing this, with assistance from Felicity in mimicking Sara’s voice. I don’t think it’s smart to keep stringing this out because Quentin is going to learn eventually and then be even more upset with Laurel for keeping it from him. But the reasons behind Laurel’s actions are pure, and it’s very moving to see how faking it affects her.

What ARROW is doing well is building large mythology and big arcs. Even this week’s flashbacks are more tolerable because they seem even more relevant to the present than most. At a time where some serial shows are disappointingly shifting more procedural (I’m looking at you, Sleepy Hollow), it’s nice to see a show go the other way, as it makes for a far more compelling story.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.