The "Uprising" Of ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 12 Uprising on Seat42F.

Bex Taylor-Klaus as Sin, Katie Cassidy as Black Canary and Colton Haynes as Arsenal | ARROW

 

This week’s installment of the CW’s ARROW is called “Uprising,” though I would certainly contend that the series has been raising its game for more than just this single hour. With the police having given up The Glades to Brick (Vinnie Jones), Team Arrow is left defending the lawless neighborhood on its own, which they are not quite up to. Looking for options, they receive an offer they are very tempted to refuse.

“Uprising” is an excellent episode. It pits our heroes in a losing situation, testing their mettle and their moral compass as they seek to find a way out of it. Malcolm’s (John Barrowman) offer of assistance could end the fight with Brick, but it will also cost them a bit of their soul, teaming up with the man who killed their friend and almost destroyed the city. Yet, they are divided on whether to accept. Even when compromising their code appears to be the only solution, some of the team want to take the higher ground, and those people win out.

Roy’s (Colton Haynes) reasons for wanting to work with Malcolm do not stem from desperation. After a talk with Thea (Willa Holland), Roy sees that Malcolm may be redeemable. Malcolm is misguided, but at least he cares. This highlights Roy’s sensitive side, and also makes Malcolm far more interesting, enhanced by flashbacks that show how he becomes a murderer in the first place. These flashbacks are way more interesting than the ones we usually get with Oliver (Stephen Amell). Roy could also just be championing Malcolm because of his feelings for Thea, though.

Laurel’s (Katie Cassidy) reasons for wanting to join with Malcolm have to stem more from desperation, right? After all, Malcolm is responsible for Laurel’s sister’s death, and Laurel knows this. It’s surprising she’s willing to set that aside and work with the monster, a sign of just how dire things are.

Diggle (David Ramsey) is the one who makes the final decision, backing up Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) objections. Diggle is trying to fill Oliver’s shoes, taking on the mantle of leadership. Being in charge is not easy, and that person must make some tough calls. Diggle does what he thinks Oliver would do, and what is the more noble thing, and that’s refuse Malcolm. It may make Team Arrow’s job tougher, but it makes sense.

Diggle also comes up with another idea, and that’s to get the citizens, including Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez) and Sin (Bex Taylor-Klaus), to rally and stand with the costumed heroes. It’s a genius plan, really. The superheroes work on behalf of the population, so it makes sense to ask the population to repay that protection. Their battle seems epic as the sides clash, like a blockbuster film, though obviously with fewer extras and less impressive sets than, say, Lord of the Rings.

There is one problem that stems from this war, though, which ends with victory for the good guys. The more people let in on a secret, the harder it is to keep it. Sin immediately recognizes that Laurel is not the same Black Canary that she’s used to. In turn, she mentions this to Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), whom Team Arrow has been lying to. This will not end well, though “Uprising” does not reveal what happens.

“Uprising” also features the return of Oliver, a.k.a. the titular Arrow. I think this comes a bit too early. Arrow-less Team Arrow has been through many challenges, but they have not gotten anywhere near boring nor played out everything they could. I wish this story would have been stretched out just a few more weeks. If the writers didn’t know what else to do with Oliver in the cabin, he didn’t have to appear in those episodes at all.

As Oliver comes back, he strikes up a deal with Malcolm. He can be forgiven for doing so because he has a very different perspective on things than his team, with additional knowledge about who Malcolm is and was. But it’s also easy to see why Felicity and Diggle would feel betrayed, thinking they were upholding Oliver’s righteousness and being disappointed that Oliver himself will not do the same. Felicity, in particular, doesn’t give him a chance to explain, which again, is understandable because she’s experiencing very strong emotions upon learning Oliver is not dead, as she thought he was. All in all, it’s a messy return.

“Uprising” presents an exciting, engaging story, challenging our heroes and expanding our minds about who some of the characters are. Something ARROW has been doing extremely right this season is deepening the mythology and the players, and I’m happy to see that trend continue.

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

ARROW "Guilty" of a Few Things

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 6 Guilty on Seat42F.

The CW’S ARROW proclaims someone “Guilty” this week when a serial killer begins slaughtering criminals. Suspicion immediately falls on Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez), who is seen on the scene of multiple murders and who, it turns out, used to be a vigilante himself, like The Arrow. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is sure Ted is innocent, but could that be because she’s developed a loyalty during her training sessions and so is blinded to the truth?

It’s hard to believe that Oliver (Stephen Amell) doesn’t take Laurel at her word immediately when she says she is with Ted during a murder. After all, Laurel and Oliver have a long history together and he even trusts her with his secret identity as The Arrow. Why would she by lying to him now? She has been a little erratic lately in seeking vengeance for the death of her sister, but I still don’t think that should cast doubt about her words in a totally unrelated matter. It’s just poor writing.

It is neat to learn about Ted “Wildcat” Grant’s past. He serves as both an inspiration and a cautionary tale to Oliver. Ted was tough enough to handle the city’s scum, but he had an apprentice named Isaac (Nathan Mitchell, Tide Waters) who crossed a line, and is the one framing Ted in the present. As Oliver thinks about Roy’s (Colton Haynes) woes and how young Speedy has strayed from the path, it’s easy to see the parallels between the two men’s situations.

Unfortunately, ARROW isn’t completely solid on the storytelling here, either. Roy asks Oliver not to give up on him and Oliver says “Never,” as he should. Then, immediately Roy wants to hang up his superhero suit. Is Roy asking Oliver to not give up on him personally? If so, that’s not clear. The handling of this is a bit murky when a few tweaks would have made it solid. Also, the transition of Roy from Speedy to Arsenal is a bit heavy-handed when coming up with the new name.

Roy’s big issue in “Guilty” is that he’s being haunted by dreams of murdering Sara. He eventually confesses to first Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), then when Felicity indicates Roy may have actually done it, to Oliver, Laurel, and Diggle (David Ramsey). This is a major step for Roy, but one that his character has earned in his growth. He is willing to take responsibility for his actions, even those he isn’t entirely in control of. He’s ready to turn himself over to the authorities so that Sara will get justice, even though it wouldn’t be justice for Roy. Excellent Roy moment.

When Roy realizes he didn’t kill Sara, just a cop, the fact that his guilt quotient remains high is terrific. This proves Roy really is a compassionate person, above and beyond worrying about his friends. I think Oliver can help Roy get over the guilt and I hope Roy lets him do so, but another excellent development for the sidekick.

I’m disappointed that Diggle turns on Roy so quickly, arguing that justice must be applied equally to friends and foes. Diggle is fully aware of the Mirakuru drug and what it can do. He also knows Roy, a man who would never kill an innocent. Why can’t Diggle be the least bit understanding of the situation? Why does he think Roy should be punished and kicked out of the group? It’s a stretch for ARROW to do this.

Now, Laurel turning on Roy, that I would understand. It’s her sister that is dead, and emotion over something like losing one’s sibling can override common sense. “Guilty” doesn’t reveal if Laurel will blame Roy or not. But then Roy is cleared, so he should be safe from her. Not so for whoever the actual murderer is because, despite Oliver reiterating that Laurel shouldn’t be training, she goes back to Ted at the end of the episode and carries on.

The scene in which Oliver tells Laurel he never sees her as helpless, he just tries to protect her because he cares, is a great one. It’s a charged moment between the two exes, and one that holds out hope there could be a rekindling at some point, though they’re not on the same page right now. It’s also a testament to how Laurel has changed over the course of ARROW to be much more than a damsel that needs rescuing. The pictures that the CW released yesterday of Laurel donning the Black Canary outfit (right ) should continue this nicely.

There’s also another completely unnecessary flashback of Oliver in Hong Kong this week. It does deal with memories and such, which ties it to the main plot of “Guilty,” but the episode could easily have proceeded without them and not lost a thing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is past time for ARROW to drop this element.

“Guilty” is a bit uneven, as shows on the CW in general and installments of ARROW in particular tend to be, but it’s still got some good stuff in it, especially where Laurel, Roy, and Oliver are concerned. As long as the show sticks to its character development and allows continued growth, it’ll remain worth watching.

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

ARROW Goes to "Corto Maltese"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 3 Corto Maltese on Seat42F.

In a move that feels overdue for the CW’s ARROW, even though it is only three episodes into its junior season, Oliver (Stephen Amell) travels to “Corto Maltese” to bring Thea (Willa Holland) home. Of course, a few other things happen, but the hour is mercifully free of Oliver’s flashbacks, instead just giving us a few glimpses of Thea over the past few months, and it’s a pretty solid hour, especially in terms of character focus.

Oliver and Thea’s relationship is broken because of all of the secrets Oliver keeps from her. He considers coming clean in “Corto Maltese,” but instead, gives her just a taste of the horrors of the time he spent missing, using that as a way to assure her he’s staying silent for her own good. This may be wise, as Diggle (David Ramsey) points out Thea would feel incredibly betrayed all over again if Oliver admitted to being the Arrow these past two years. But it seems to forestall the inevitable. Thea ran away this time when she was kept in the dark. What will she do the next time?

It is true that Oliver needs Thea, but one issue not raised in this episode is how revealing his secret might endanger Thea. In truth, she is in danger anyway, should any villain discover the man behind the mask. But Oliver wouldn’t want her on Team Arrow, right, constantly putting herself in danger?

Someone that could benefit from the support of the team is Laurel (Katie Cassidy). Oliver turns her away because he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but he clearly doesn’t see the determination in her eyes. Laurel is angry at her sister’s death and one hundred percent committed to avenging it, whatever that takes. She isn’t even tempted by alcohol anymore, so focused is she on her singular goal these days. Thus, after Oliver won’t help her, she turns to Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez, Power) for training. Now, Oliver will have no say over Laurel’s fate, which he could come to regret, even if he tries to keep her away from this life for her own good.

Diggle remains on Team Arrow, which is sort of odd because Oliver is giving up the hunt for Sara’s killer, the reason Diggle rejoined. I guess this can be explained because Diggle doesn’t really think Oliver is done with the search, and he wants to be there when the murderer is found. My guess is, given who shows up at the end of “Corto Maltese,” our heroes will begin their investigation anew next week.

Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) might not be available to help them, though. She has a new job, a good job with her own executive assistant, working for Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh). He even allows her time off, just after she starts, to hop over to The Flash spin-off to visit her now-out-of-a-coma friend. True, this week she keeps putting her job on hold to help her friends, but if Ray keeps treating her this well, making her feel appreciated, how long before she shifts her efforts to someone who rewards her for them? Ray is no Oliver, who blows her off for justifiable, but dumb, reasons.

This, of course, raises the question of Ray’s motivations. Sadly, “Corto Maltese” gives us no hint of those.

We do know Roy’s (Colton Haynes) reasons for accompanying Oliver and Diggle on their trip. He wants to see Thea again and apologize, as well as tell her that he just wants her to be happy. Roy is never bad to Thea, not really, but this side of him, caring and sweet, is a step forward. This is a man worthy of Thea, and because of that, viewers can renew their hope for the couple to reconcile, something that looked like it would never happen at the end of last season. Someone has to be happy, right?

Finally, we have Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). Is he still evil? He’ll surely be following everyone back to the States, given that he’s now a main character on ARROW. He has formed a trusting bond with his daughter, Thea, albeit through brutal means. Does he really care for her? Does he want her to be his disciple in crime? Will he try to use her to execute some nefarious plot?

ARROW is doing a fine job this season setting up things to come and charting new paths for all of its players. “Corto Maltese” continues that trend.

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