This Is ARROW

Article originally posted as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 22 This Is Your Sword on Seat42F.

With only an hour left in this crazy, crazy season of Arrow on the CW, Al Sah-Him (Stephen Amell) has only two tasks left before he can become Ra’s al Ghul. But Malcolm (John Barrowman) suddenly claims that Al Sah-Him is still Oliver, executing an elaborate ruse. With everything Al Sah-Him has done, from kidnapping Lyla to almost killing Nyssa (Katrina Law) and Diggle (David Ramsey), it doesn’t seem likely Malcolm is telling the truth. Plus, Malcolm is a known liar. Should Team Arrow take a chance and trust him in “This Is Your Sword?”

It turns out, Oliver is still in control of his actions. I’d say that is unrealistic, given how far Oliver has gone, and I definitely question the scene in which Oliver maybe thinks he slaughters Diggle, but Oliver is known to go to extremes. If he believes a cause is important enough, he will sacrifice far more than most, totally committing to a mission. Because of this personality trait, I can see how Oliver may have been playing a game the entire time.

It’s not a game anymore in “This Is Your Sword,” though. Malcolm leads Team Arrow in an assault to stop Ra’s (Matt Nable) from unleashing a deadly virus on Starling City. The battle is an awesome sequence, with Laurel (Katie Cassidy) getting a great dig into Malcolm, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) wrongly believing she has killed with an iPad, and The Atom (Brandon Routh) spectacularly saving the day. In the end, though, Tatsu (Rila Fukushima), who joins Team Arrow in the assault, executes Maseo (Karl Yune), releasing him from The League to be at peace with their daughter, and everyone else is captured.

In Nanda Parbat (which, despite the plane ride, must be one county over given how often travel to and from it happens), Oliver begs the others to believe him, but even Diggle is having none of it. Diggle is blinded by anger as to what Oliver has done, thinking he has gone too far in keeping his cover, and thus has crossed the line into unforgiveable territory. It’s a real shame to see the best friends at such odds. I wish Oliver had been able to let Diggle into the plan earlier, rather than team with Malcolm. But Oliver knows Diggle would try to stop some of the things he’s doing, while Malcolm does not. So even if Oliver succeeds, will he have a home to go back to?

To Oliver, it probably doesn’t matter if he loses everyone or not by “This Is Your Sword.” That’s not to say he doesn’t care, and I don’t for a single second believe that Oliver let Ra’s kill all his friends with the virus. But Oliver clearly has made peace with the necessities of what he is doing. If losing his cherished relationships is the price he must pay in order to save tens or hundreds of thousands of lives, he’s prepared to do so. He truly is the hero of ARROW.

Does that mean Diggle and the others are not heroes, since they aren’t willing to go as far as Oliver? That’s a tough question to answer. On one hand, how far can a hero go to pretend to be on the dark side without losing the essence of good? Do the ends justify the means? On the other, Oliver is still saving lives that he may not be able to, playing by Team Arrow’s rules. I think this chasm can be bridged next season, but there’s a long way to go until Oliver can be back in anyone’s good graces.

Malcolm is definitely not a hero. He agrees to help Oliver because Thea (Willa Holland) is in Starling and could be one of the dead. But captured by Ra’s, Malcolm wastes no time in selling Oliver out. Ra’s may or may not believe Malcolm, but the last step of Oliver’s plan will certainly be that much harder to carry out after this betrayal.

Ray is a hero, giving of himself for a woman who doesn’t love him. He even gifts Felicity the company, though she doesn’t realize it yet. I’m glad Ray is continuing in the spin-off, since his time on ARROW seems nearly over.

Thankfully, Thea is far away from all of this. She tracks down Roy (Colton Haynes), now living as “Jason,” and reconnects with him, emotionally and sexually. When she wakes in the morning, though, Roy is gone and his suit is still there, giving Thea is blessing to take on the Arsenal mantle. He doesn’t want to hold Thea back and doesn’t see a way to return. I don’t agree with Roy’s decision, but it makes sense for his arc for his departure to be real in “This Is Your Sword,” as regrettable as that may be for the show, and at least Thea gets to see him one last time.

There are flashbacks again, even more unnecessary than ever. Viewers can glean from the present events that Maseo and Tatsu lose their son to the virus. We don’t need to see Oliver and Maseo fail to find a cure. These become more and more unnecessary with every passing year. I hope they are ditched entirely in the very near future.

ARROW’s season finale, airing next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on the CW, is sure to be tense and satisfying. Don’t miss it.

ARROW Is Dead, Long Live "Al Sah-Him"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

ARROW is dead, long live “Al Sah-Him.” Those are not words you’re likely to hear from any of Team Arrow, whose leader, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), is gone. But it is a chant that could be uttered within the walls of Nanda Parbat, the place where the man formerly known as The Arrow is now residing. Is there any chance of getting Oliver back, or is he lost to his loved ones forever?

It doesn’t take much time for “Al Sah-Him” to establish how good Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) is at brainwashing. A mere three weeks since Oliver agreed to become the next Ra’s, Ra’s has him murdering a man he thinks is John Diggle (David Ramsey), his best friend. It seems like Oliver has been completely erased from the body of this man, and whether Oliver knew what he was signing up for or not, his immersion into the new life is proceeding as Ra’s wants.

This causes much distress among Team Arrow, understandably. While Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) helping Diggle find the bad guys for him to take down seems to be working all right, the gang is definitely operating on a shoestring. Starling City is somewhat vulnerable to attack, its hero not returning and the third member of the team gone, too.

Which means they are not prepared when Al Sah-Him comes home and kidnaps Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson), something he would never have done as Oliver. His goal is to nab Nyssa (Katrina Law), who must face justice from her father, Ra’s, for abandoning The League of Assassins. But even with Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and her new scream, as well as Felicity and Diggle, standing up for her, Nyssa stands no chance escaping from Al Sah-Him. Thankfully, Ra’s has forced marriage in mind for Nyssa, intending to wed her to Al Sah-Him, rather than death. But she’s still being held against her will and Team Arrow cannot save her. Like I said, the city needs a hero again.

In fact, Starling needs saving more than any of the good guys know. Ra’s reveals to Al Sah-Him that the last thing he needs to do to erase Oliver Queen’s existence is destroy his home, meaning to kill everyone in Starling City. Ra’s himself did this once upon a time, and has the virus that Oliver, Maseo (Karl Yune), and Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) narrowly escape from, with grave consequences, in this week’s unnecessary flashback. Al Sah-Him may have forgotten himself enough to murder a friend, but is he so brainwashed that he would slaughter millions without blinking?

One bright spot of hope in “Al Sah-Him” is when Thea (Willa Holland) dons the hood and shoots Al Sah-Him through the arm before he can kill Diggle for real. I’m sure Team Arrow is resisting letting Thea in, as they did Laurel before her, but Thea is quite capable at this point. With the roster feeling empty, it’s time for recruitment, and Thea is the best candidate around. If she pitches in, Starling might just survive this.

“Al Sah-Him” is an emotional hour. Thea, Diggle, and Felicity all still have deep feelings of affection for Oliver, and only believe he’s been lost to them when they see his behavior. The acting in this installment is terrific, proving the cast is capable of more than just running around and shooting arrows. ARROW doesn’t have the best cast on television, but the group is certainly well used, the show playing to the strengths of what it has. And the story couldn’t get much better, high stakes with bold choices.

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

ARROW Is Not "The Fallen"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Whoa. Last night’s episode of the CW’s ARROW, entitled “The Fallen,” is big for the series. Not that other episodes this season have not been big; ARROW has shown no hesitation to blow up its world and core cast repeatedly. That is welcome, as it keeps the plot exciting and moving, and this third year has been much, much better than the first two. “The Fallen” might just set a new high bar, though, with some big things fans might not expect to happen, at least not now.

As “The Fallen” begins, Oliver (Stephen Amell) decides to take Thea (Willa Holland) to Nanda Parbat because that’s her only hope at getting her life back. Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) knows what he’s doing when running Thea through with a sword, leaving her alive enough for the Lazarus Baths, which he controls, to heal her, but injured enough that Oliver will pay the price for the use of the baths, which is becoming the next Ra’s.

Oliver has resisted becoming Ra’s for good reason. He would have to leave his life and everyone he loves behind, giving himself fully over to the League of Assassins, which isn’t the most heroic of organizations. Even though the resources in the group would allow him to expand the good he does for the world once he reformed it in the image he wants, it requires great personal sacrifice on his part to take up that mantle.

But Oliver is nothing if not a hero. He may have had to give up being The Arrow, but the core of who he is remains intact. He gives in to Ra’s’ demands because it’s what’s best for Thea, her only shot at a normal life, and Oliver loves Thea more than anyone in the world.

Thea isn’t the only one that loves Oliver. Diggle (David Ramsey), Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), and (for Thea’s sake) Malcolm (John Barrowman) accompany Oliver to Nanda Parbat, and Maseo (Karl Yune) risks his own position and life to help Oliver late in the hour. This would not have happened so readily early in the series’ run, before Oliver inspired loyalty and respect from those surrounding him. It’s a testament to how far he has come that people fight to save him.

Felicity takes it to another level when, prompted by Ra’s to express her feelings, she sleeps with Oliver and then tries to kidnap him. The sex is a great pay off for shippers, who have longed for the two to be together, and comes at the perfect dramatic moment since they will not be seeing each other again, as far as he knows.

Felicity tries to ensure a future for them and she fails. Still, I think it’s awesome that “The Fallen” finds her standing up to someone like Ra’s, which it’s hard to imagine Felicity doing even a short while ago. Her involvement with Oliver has made her stronger, and she’s come into her own this year. This episode pays off that character growth. And it’s satisfying that ARROW gives her a quick break up scene with Ray (Brandon Routh) first, so there are no questions of morality.

So what happens next? Presumably, Oliver is with Ra’s and Maseo to stay, whereas Thea goes home with Malcolm, and Felicity and Diggle must decide if they want to continue their heroes club sans Oliver, as they did when they thought Oliver had died. I can’t help but think that ARROW will do some sort of reset by the end of the year, next fall at the latest, to get everyone back on track and restore Team Arrow, not as it was, but close enough. At the same time, it would be pretty darn cool if they didn’t, letting someone else become The Arrow and continuing Oliver’s story as Ra’s. ARROW is bold enough that I can’t say for certain what will happen, but it’s likely to be good, no matter which direction they go in.

Oh, and there is yet another flashback, this one taking fight scenes to all new levels of non-believability. It is well past time to ditch these. Please do so ASAP.

ARROW airs Tuesdays 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.

ARROW "Left" Me Excited

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 10 Left Behind on Seat42F.

The CW’s ARROW comes back from a nail-biting cliffhanger this week with “Left Behind.” Several days after Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) deadly battle, his team has heard nothing of his fate and struggle to accept the possibility he might not be coming back. They valiantly try to continue the good fight in his name, but they may not be up to the task without their leader.

Oliver is the glue that holds Team Arrow together. Personally, I think it would be really cool for ARROW to kill off Oliver, something that happens in comic books, an alter ego dying and another picking up the mantle, but I don’t believe has ever happened to a central superhero on a television series. Yes, Black Canary is killed and replaced, but not being a main or titular character, it’s not the same thing. It’s not that I don’t like Amell or Oliver; it would just be a very bold, unexpected move that would signal to the viewers that this series means business.

Instead, because Oliver is made to be the glue, things cannot function without him. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), once she stops denying the most likely scenario, quits the team, and tells Ray (Brandon Routh) that she won’t be helping him fight crime, either. Diggle (David Ramsey) tries to wear the green hood, but he is not that skilled with a bow and finds it easier to return to his plain clothes and gun. Roy (Colton Hayes) is the only one that seems to be doing well, but he can’t go it alone.

An answer to Team Arrow’s problem could be Laurel (Katie Cassidy), who dons the Black Canary outfit for the first time at the end of “Left Behind.” She has a strong enough personality to be a leader, though there’s no guarantee the existing members would take orders from a semi-outsider. Plus, she’s been acting a little reckless, so she may not make the best decisions for them.

So Team Arrow is left in a holding, or disintegrating, pattern until Oliver can return. He’s alive, of course, Malcolm Merlyn’s (John Barrowman) evidence to the contrary, though Malcolm can be forgiven for believing as he does. Maseo (Karl Yune) rescues Oliver from the cliff because, as we see in flashback, Oliver risks his neck to save Maseo’s wife, Tatsu (Rila Fukushima). Thus, it will only be a matter of time, and perhaps some physical therapy, before Oliver resumes his role as protector of the city.

That time can’t come soon enough. The bad guy in “Left Behind” is Brick (Vinnie Jones), a returning foe who is able to gain the upper hand here. He isn’t someone to be trifled with, and now that he knows the heroes are vulnerable, he’ll probably be breaking quite a few more laws than previously. If he is to be stopped, either Team Arrow needs to pull itself together or Oliver needs to get back on the job.

Thea (Willa Holland) doesn’t know that Oliver is dead, but since he’s really still alive, I guess that doesn’t put her at a disadvantage. She’s worried because she hasn’t heard from him, but despite the fact that she’s the one who sends Malcolm to investigate in the first place, Malcolm doesn’t share what he finds with her. So Thea still doesn’t know Oliver is The Arrow or that he went into a fight to the death on her behalf.

What is Malcolm’s game? Why doesn’t he tell Thea the truth about Oliver? Is he worried that the truth will make Thea think more highly of her brother, thus bleeding away some of the influence Malcolm has over her? Or does he want to draw out Thea’s distress so she comes to rely more on him as a shoulder to cry on? And is he sincere about wanting to be a father, or does he have some dark purpose for Thea?

These questions and more will surely be answered in upcoming installments of ARROW. If there’s one thing you can say about the show, it’s not boring (except some of the flashback parts). It’s also usually well crafted, with mysteries eventually being solved and elements playing into one another. If it were a little bolder, it would be nearly perfect.

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

ARROW Struck By Cupid's "Bow"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 7 Draw Back Your Bow on Seat42F.

It must be Valentine’s Day on the CW’s ARROW because Cupid, a.k.a. Carrie Cutter (Amy Gumenick, TURN: Washington’s Spies), has arrived in Starling City and has her eye on a certain hero. Friends may tell Oliver (Stephen Amell) to “Draw Back Your Bow,” though, because this Cupid cutie is more than a little nutso, as her real name also indicates, and she embarks on a killing spree to get his attention. Not exactly a match made in heaven.

Gumenick is deliciously delightful as Cupid. Her character is off her rocker and a danger to society, but the actress still brings a fun charm to the role that demands people sit up and watch her. Carrie will never be part of Team Arrow nor a serious love interest, but she makes such an impression here that I hope she becomes a recurring player, popping up periodically to cause further turmoil.

Oliver isn’t having none of it, though he could be forgiven for being tempted, because his heart belongs to another. I’m not sure I understood just how deeply Oliver’s feelings for Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) went until I watched “Draw Back Your Bow.” He’s so bad at expressing himself that it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking. However, his complete lack of any interest at all in Cupid’s flirtations, and she is very attractive on the surface, likely indicates his heart is spoken for and can’t be swayed.

Felicity may not be in the same boat, though. Ray (Brandon Routh) buys her a very expensive dress, loans her a necklace worth millions, and, most importantly, pays attention to her and praises her. Plus, his body is every bit as good at Oliver’s, and as Felicity say while drooling over a shirtless Ray working out, she definitely has a type. Though their dinner date with clients is labeled “purely platonic,” there is no mistaking that Felicity, at least, is interested in taking things a little further by evening’s end.

Ray is the one that stops sex from happening, but why? I can’t believe he’s not interested in the beautiful Ms. Smoak. His every action and word speaks to the contrary. Could it be that whatever secret plans he’s been cooking up for the city prevent him from getting involved with anyone right now? Is he that altruistic? He can’t possibly be the opposite (evil), or why knowingly keep Felicity close? He’s a bit confusing in “Draw Back Your Bow.”

Weirdly, Diggle (David Ramsey) is the one who tries to play matchmaker, encouraging both Oliver and Felicity to admit their feelings to one another. This isn’t something he’s done a lot of in the past, and suddenly having not one, but two scenes in which he does so seems off. However, he’s also recently had a baby, so he’s probably more emotional than usual, which could explain the behavior. After all, that warm happiness is surely what sparks him to invite Oliver and Roy (Colton Haynes) over for a family dinner, a very sweet moment in the hour.

There’s also flashback, of course, in which Oliver and Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) work together to find a missing Maseo (Karl Yune). I assume the connection ARROW makes between this flashback and the present story is that both circle around love, but that’s a weak thread and there are no other obvious connections. The fact that ARROW has to make such tenuous ties these days is probably a sign that, as I’ve long been saying, these past scenes are unnecessary. Any time they occur, I’m itching to get back to the main plot the entire time.

ARROW is a CW show, and follows some of the elements of such. Programs on this network often have eye candy, and “Draw Back Your Bow” delivers plenty of that for both sexes to enjoy, no gender bias present. They also tend to be a little more melodramatic than typical scripted dramas, and ARROW falls into this a bit, too. But it’s hard to argue that the show isn’t enjoyable, and the plot is usually engaging enough to get past those features, as it is in “Draw Back Your Bow” and most ARROW installments. That’s why I like it.

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