Now that the CW's Arrow is really behind us, and we look forward to a pretty dull summer TV schedule, it's time to look back properly and with a very clear mind on what the fantastic super-hero drama action has brought us the past two seasons. There are 46 episodes to choose from, some not so great. But what's the fun in focusing on those? Today we are here to discuss my top ten favorite episodes of Arrow, each filled with great dosages of drama, action, and not failing the city.
Spoilers, duh, by the way
10. Seeing Red, Season 2
This episode started off and seemed like, for the first four commercial breaks, that it would be nothing more than a Roy-centric episode. It was a good episode, full of tension as Roy was out of control and since Oliver refused to fail Roy and kill him, it looked like he would be a tough puppy to put down. Not only that, but Thea was throwing herself in the way while also dealing with the revelation of Malcolm as her father and Moira had her campaign to deal with. Sara also was fairly gung-ho on separating from Oliver and killing Roy to stop him from killing others.
On its own, the episode would have been average. That is, until the final scene of the episode that shattered hearts and changed the show forever. After Moira announces not to pull out of the race, Slade decides to kill two birds with one stop, crashing into the Queen limo then taking Thea and Moira hostage in a situation similar to what happened with Shado and Sara on the island. Only this time Moira decides to sacrifice herself and absolutely shatters the worlds of Oliver and Thea. The entire sequence is one of the standout moments of season 2 and is probably the most gut-wrenching moment.
9. Year's End, Season 1
The Season 1 mid-season finale brought a lot to the table and set up a lot for the second part of the season. It was here that we found out Malcolm Merlyn was the mysterious Dark Archer, and we also saw Oliver get absolutely pummeled by him in a fight that, going into it, seemed like it was going to be fairly straightforward. The reveal that the archer was Malcolm Merlyn was very well done, with some build up as Malcolm was revealed as a not entirely good guy, but also a man shrouded in mystery. There was some interesting island action where we found out more about why the island even existed, a little of why Fyers and Yao Fei were on it, but not too much. Not like other episodes would bring.
This was one of the better set-up episodes with a sort of large reveal but ultimately set things in motion that would have major reprecussions, such as the kidnapping of Walter. Ultimately this episode served as the one to thrust Season 1 out of the identity crisis it was happening as far as story and character motivations went, and it did so in a very good way. In a way it defined the season as it cemented our main villain who would be slowly given more detail, which I liked.
8. Dead to Rights, Season 1
Another Deadshot episode, this episode, for the characters at least, was a mess of confusion. For the viewer, it was very interesting to watch. Oliver was helping Malcolm, the Dark Archer, while McKenna Hall chases the Arrow, Oliver, who is her boyfriend. And China White comes back. There was a lot of swirling around and intrigue in this episode that could have brought a lot of things crashing down and out of control. The one thing that slipped out was Oliver's identity to Tommy, an interesting twist that would just add another thing to stir the plot pot.
What I find great about this episode is that nobody really knows who is who. Oliver saves the man he swore to take down while Tommy starts to doubt Oliver's true motivations and lacks faith in their friendship. On the island, too, we get a shorthanded victory as Oliver manages to put a radio together and ironically refuses to work out, when that's all he does really in the present time. This episode furthers both stories in neat little ways and is again, a great way to get everyone in the room confused as to what they are really doing and who they are really helping.
7. Deathstroke, Season 2
You know, I like to think of this episode basically as Slade screwing with Oliver. Because that's really all it is. He doesn't really do anything. He kidnaps Thea and then just tells her Malcolm Merlyn is her father. That's it. He also recruits an army, but, that's not important, right? The real kicks in this episode are watching Oliver frantically try to solve every problem at the same time and ultimately being lost. Roy is gone, a decision he had to make, and he's lost his mother. This episode shows more than any leading up to that point just how scared of Slade Oliver really is. He refuses to give in but you can see the desperation on his face the entire time to get Thea back and try and stop Slade.
The scene where he finds where Thea was being held by Slade is also one of the best fight scenes of show. Oliver rips throw Slade's guards like they are nothing, taking out guys about to jump him and just eliminating pawns three at a time. It showed Oliver's fighting prowess when he is determined, and had Slade really been on the opposite side of the door, I think the fight would have been pretty awesome to behold. Sadly, he wasn't, but we did get a scary twist for a second where Thea was gone. Also, this episode we finally learned about Isabel Rochev, and we got to see a quick snap in Oliver. This episode was just a very tense episode fulled with a lot of possibilities and overall fear of Deathstroke, cementing him as the go-to villain of the show.
6. The Odyssey, Season 1
The most flashback centric episode of the show's run thus far, "The Odyssey" shows the journey that Slade and Oliver partake in on the island to try and find their way off but at the same time try and get Yao Fei away from Fyers, per Oliver's request. There is some funny stuff with Felicity in the present but it is greatly overshadowed by the stellar early chemistry between Stephen Amell as Oliver and Manu Bennett as Slade. The two work very well together to take the air field and the episode has some of the best island action scenes so far, such as the air base strike and the fight between Slade Wilson and Billy Wintergreen.
This episode probably wouldn't be as good as it is without the constant showing of the flashbacks. Had there been a lot of Felicity and Diggle, it wouldn't have been as good an episode. It was sort of a random episode, too, but it worked very well for what it was. We got to see the stakes of being on the island as well as the training Oliver partook in finally paying off. Looking back after all the events of Season 2, too, this episode is a very nostalgic one where Slade was not entirely crazy and where Oliver and Slade really were like brothers. Perhaps it is that that puts it so high, but, you can't blame good chemistry.
5. Sacrifice, Season 1
The Season 1 finale and coincidentally the final episode of Season 1 on this list is what some consider to be the true start of Arrow as since this episode the show has only picked up. I can't argue with that. It was a finale that had a lot of scale and a lot of story in it. Everyone was in danger, grave danger. From the minute newer characters like Roy to the big guns like Laurel and Felicity. The race to stop the earthquake machines was a very tense one, as was the fight between Malcolm, Oliver, and Diggle. Yeah, Diggle teamed with Oliver it was kind of awesome.
The final showdown between the two archers was great, as was the cutting between them and Lance trying to take down the machine very humorously. And as it would turn out, this episode actually coincided with the past very well as there was a big battle at Fyers' camp to stop the missiles as well as try to get a way off the island. It was the first time that Oliver managed to kill someone with the bow, too, which was wonderfully executed and totally epic. This episode also was high in drama, with Laurel first being stuck in CNRI and then Tommy being found dead/ dying in CNRI. It was a very sad moment, as Oliver still believed that Tommy hated him for being the Hood, which would ultimately cause the inner conflict of Season 2 he has. It was a somber ending that had a major cliffhanger as the city burned and left us burning in anticipation.
4. Three Ghosts, Season 2
The midseason finale for Season 2 was a comic book nerd's dream episode. Solomon Grundy, the Flash origin, Slade Wilson's eyepatch, it had it all. From a story standpoint, this episode also had a lot. It gave Oliver fantastic character development, made us question his motivations, and you know what Barry Allen was great in this episode. Plus he finally got the domino mask, so that was cool. Easily the best parts of the episode, though, where the titular three ghosts: Shado, Slade, and Tommy, and the big island scene that basically created the big conflict for the island eventually the present day.
It was interesting to see Shado in Oliver's mansion before we knew her fatal fate, as at first I thought she was alive, so I was very confused. Then when Slade fought Oliver I was more confused. When Tommy came to Oliver while he was fighting Solomon Grundy I got super-pumped, though, I was very happy to see Tommy back and not as a whiny punk. Speaking of Grundy, that was a great fight between he and Oliver. Each of the ghosts brought something great to the episode, be it drama with Shado, action with Slade, or inspiration with Tommy.
The climactic island sequence where Ivo held Shado and Sara at gunpoint, forcing Oliver to choose, was a very, very intense moment, one of the most tense of the entire show and one that would inspire Slade to do the same and rip hearts out. It was one where you honestly could not tell where it was going to go, and is one I still wish never happened to this day. With Shado dead you can't properly execute the Outsider's War saga of the New 52 Green Arrow noooooooo. Still, it was the big moment of the episode outside of the huge reveal that Slade was alive in the present and that he had an eyepatch! Yeah!
3. Unthinkable, Season 2
This episode has hands down the best live-action fight sequence I have ever seen. Movie or television. The choreography and the editting between the final showdowns in the present and past between Slade and Oliver was something to behold, it was something I could only dream of every seeing performed. It wasn't anything over the top it wasn't anything crazy it was exactly what one would expect out of a Green Arrow versus Deathstroke final showdown. Well-executed fighting, swords, and trick arrows.
As the Season 2 finale we also got to see everything come together and the way that everything did come together was perfect. Brother Blood ended his story in a way that I could accept, I was cool with that. The final showdown with Slade could not have ended better, and on the island, we got to see Oliver's impossible decision to cure Slade and let him live or seemingly let him die, as well as how Sara fell out of the Amazo to her apparent death.
This episode also had some good drama mixed in, most of centering around Thea as she had to decide to stay or go with Malcolm. Admittedly it was very impossible to see where she would go with it, and her decision to leave with him is an interesting one. Plus, Roy has a red bow and arrow! Yes! Ultimately this was a near flawless finale with a perfect fighting sequence and a great story-conclusion that satisfied everything we needed out of Arrow.
2. Heir to the Demon, Season 2
Nyssa Raatko was a threat that I was psyched for as soon as it was announced that she would be on the show. I knew she would be fighting dudes and I knew that the League of Assassins would be resurfacing to be awesome once more. Luckily, I got everything I wanted out of this episode and then some, as there was some drama thrown in there with Sara.
This is a very Sara-centric episode but does not deter from the other character arcs. I'll admit, it does throw Roy to the side, however, there was a cut scene in which Roy fights and gets demolished by Nyssa that I really wish had made the final cut. DVD, then. Anyway, the stuff with Sara in this episode was really interesting as she revealed herself to her family and the different reactions were rather intriguing. Obviously Det. Lance already knew, but her mother finding out was great because of her belief that Sara was alive, and Laurel's was priceless because, you know, the drugs and stuff.
The final scene where Sara seemingly dies to save her family was great, and the fight between Oliver and Nyssa even better. Up until that point I believed Oliver was a lesser fighter than Sara but this episode definitely proved me wrong. Oliver was able to match the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, something that pretty much on Batman and Deathstroke are capable of. Maybe Damian, but, eh. To me, Nyssa was the standout point of this episode, was she was very driven to her cause in a threatening but not entirely scary way. You knew she was capable of killing Dinah the entire time and that if she were to die then the wrath of the Demon would not be good. It was a tense episode that ended in a pretty good way, things turning out on a good note. It was a compromised ending that satisfied what it was building up to.
1. League of Assassins, Season 2
This is all opinionated, remember?
It might not have the best drama, the best advancement of the story, or what have you, but this episode is my favorite and in my opinion the best episode of Arrow because it was the first episode to explode in the DC universe happenings. They furthered the Particle Accelerator, they mentioned Ra's and one of his daughters, they introduced Black Canary's fighting abilities, and it cemented Arrow as a show that could create its own expansive DC universe with what it was pulling from. In my opinion this episode had a lot riding on it, as it had to make us believe that the League of Assassins was indeed a threat and that they were something to worry about.
Having Al Owal break into the Queen Mansion and go toe-to-toe with Sara and Oliver, albeit off guard, certainly proved that and put them on the map for future enemies. It was also the episode that led me to believe Sara was the better fighter than Oliver as she was able to handle two league members on her own.
This was one of the few episodes the entire season, and really the entire show, that had me excited for what was coming next the entire time. It seemed like everything that happened in the episode had great importance to the story of the episode. Having Sara show herself to her father, fighting the Assassins, Oliver and Sara discussing, partially, her time on Nanda Parbat, and even the flashbacks where Sara manages to survive are pretty interesting. Overall, this episode encompassed exactly what it needed to do and pretty much everything about it was flawless. It ended perfectly, it started perfectly, and it introduced one of the biggest threats to the show very early on in the season. This was the episode that set the season's standard of excellence.
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