Despite this week kind of acting as filler, in a way, for next week's episode following the catastrophic and rather large events of the end of last week's episode, this week's episode (how many times can I say "episode in a sentence, am I right?) played on the emotions of the characters very well. Despite there being minimal action, we got a lot of pay-off for things that have been sort of realizing themselves to the characters. Pieces we expected to fall into place did indeed do so, and there were some surprises as well.
This week, for example, had a lot of firsts. It was the first non-season premiere to not feature Oliver's monologue ("My name is Oliver Queen...) at the beginning of the episode, it was the first episode Oliver straight up told someone he was the Arrow, it was the first time Felicity met Amanda Waller, it was just really interesting stuff.
I mean, it wasn't like this episode shouldn't have been all of this. Some of the stuff was kind of like "oh, FINALLY you figured it out" while other stuff was "oh FINALLY you're working together." But it was meant to be an emotional episode in the wake of a very large tragedy for all the characters.
This episode was also a return to our main three characters doing what they do best--working together by themselves. Their mission to infiltrate and destroy Slade's army may not have gone exactly as planned, but, had they taken into account just one variable, it would certainly have worked out for them.
For the majority of the episode, Oliver is missing and there is absolutely nowhere for people to look, since they've essentially looked every place he would go. And not only that, but FREAKING WALTER is back! Yeah! You know it's gonna be a good episode when good ol' Walter is back on the job.
Sadly his appearances are limited.
But it's still really cool. Anyway, Diggle and Felicity are helpless but refuse to believe that Oliver has been offed. Clearly they don't know there are two more episode left. Pft. Amateurs.
Diggle, however, figures out that there is but one person who knows where he could be: Amanda Waller. Again, good sign of a good time. Amanda is a little put-off that Oliver is missing amidst Slade's uprising but she keeps her calm facade throughout A.R.G.U.S.'s appearance this episode. It was rather amusing seeing Felicity geek out over all of the tech they use.
While that's going on, Brother Blood is crowned as the new mayor, which makes Laurel suspicious at how easily he puts off Moira's death. This gets her curious, so she turns to Detective Lance and that hacker guy for help. They manage to bust into Blood's computer and realize that he wrote a condolences letter for Moira the morning before she was killed, revealing that Blood knew she would die and that he and Slade are working together in an evil plot. Villains and stuff.
Waller manages to pin down Oliver, who is hiding out in his secondary lair that was meant as a back-up should the base under Verdant be compromised. And look at that, Isabel Rochev turns up again, slightly frightening Dig and Felicity as they presumed she was dead, and tells Thea to get out, the club is hers. So no more Arrow cave, it looks like.
Oliver claims he is going to turn himself into Slade as he thinks he is the last person Slade wants to kill before his vendetta against Oliver is over. He also believes that if he goes, then Slade will give up his pursuit of taking over Starling City. Which is absolutely ridiculous. Neither Diggle nor Felicity can stop him.
Oliver returns home, to him one last time, to tell Thea that she is right for wanting to leave the city, as bad times are ahead of it. It's also the last time we see Walter. Sad face.
When Oliver goes to the docks for Slade to finish him off, he starts talking to someone off screen before being shot with a dart and getting knocked out. Upon waking up he sees Diggle, Felicity, and Laurel, who reveals that Slade told her when his plan was just kicking into gear. She also reveals that Sebastian Blood is Brother Blood--the man in the skull mask--and that he and Slade are working together. She provides proof of this and Oliver must find this out for himself.
He meets with Sebastian but plays no games with the mayor. However, he does tell Sebsastian what an idiot he is for working with Slade, as he is just using his political influence to get a grip on the city and completely destroy everything Oliver has worked for. Sebastian does't seem to care as he believes he will get the chance to rule the city, which he probably wouldn't even if they do succeed.
Oliver and the gang get a plan ready to take down the army before it can all begin that night, telling Laurel to stay in the cave and stay safe and stuff. Felicity tells Oliver where to go, as usual, as Diggle plants charges to kill the entire army, which I don't think would work anyway but whatever. Oliver gets a bit entangled, though, with a Mirakuru and is nearly killed before Laurel shows up and gets in the way but also helps. However, before they can escape, they get cornered and Oliver blows up the roof to protect them from having to fight, and be killed by, a bunch of Mirakuru dudes. Meanwhile, Diggle is interrupted by Isabel Rochev as she wants revenge for him shooting her. Felicity seems like she'll be in a bit of danger as well, and back at the police station and airport, two separate Mirakuru dudes make themselves known and get ready to wipe out the people in there.
Phew.
Like I said, this episode definitely sets up big things to come. Slade's army is on the move and our heroes, even Thea, seem locked in hopeless situations. The episode ends pretty quickly, as if ending on a commercial break for next week, giving me all the more reason to be freaking pumped for next week's episode.
All in all, though, this week's episode featured a lot of drama and a lot of revelation for the characters, not so much for the audience. In a way, this week got them up to speed with us. And with all that out of the way, we can move onto bigger and better things. Like fighting.
And YES MALCOLM MERLYN is back!
That's right! Next week will feature the inevitable return of the Dark Archer--seriously, he is in his get-up--as he tells someone that the city is no longer safe. I imagine that's going to be Thea, as they will likely have to talk it up about their little relationship--or it may be Felicity, as there is no one, but like Roy or something, to save her from the impending Mirakuru men from attacking her. Laurel and Oliver also appear to be in a bit of trouble but it seems like Laurel continues to increase in coolness as she seems to be the one fighting their way out of there.
Not only that, but, with leaked pictures of Nyssa al Ghul surfacing for the finale, I'd say that we really are shaping up for all out war. It will certainly be interesting to see how the League interacts with Malcolm given that he is wanted by them, and maybe this will be a redemption in a way, but, the task at hand is fighting off Slade's army. I just hope they don't kill Slade. Maybe if he gets the cure, which I'm assuming Felicity's phone call was about, he'll stop being crazy, see the error in his ways, and try to redeem himself by joining the Suicide Squad. With Harley Quinn.
Yeah!
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