After an Olympics necessitated break, Arrow is back! Let’s get right to it.
1. Sin Makes More Sense Now – As Does Sara
Sin has been a weird character thus far – part hood rat, part running partner for Roy – but tonight, she finally comes into the show’s mythology in a real and interesting way. By making Sara promise, on the island, to look out for her, it explains why Sara came back to Starling. She has said in the past that she never wanted to put her family in danger, which begged the question, “then why did she come back to Starling?” Now we know the answer, and it is a satisfying one. Sure, it seems a little too neat and tidy, but I don’t really care – it’s a TV show, these things happen.
2. The Clock King Reigns
I had legitimately thought the Clock King would have been a bad choice for the show to bring in but, yet again, the producers of Arrow know more than I do. Robert Knepper was magnificent as Tockman, balancing the genius, the desperation, and the compassion of the character into something really special. He is the first villain that you believed may have been able to actually take down Team Arrow – not just in one battle, but for good.
Sure, the “I’m doing it to pay medical bills” is the most overplayed trope there is (throw in the medical bills for a relative for bonus cliche points), but Knepper brings such an intensity to the character that it doesn’t come off as cheesy as expected. More than anything, it makes you hope his illness isn’t that terminal, so we can see him again on the show.
3. Kord Industries
Sure, it is just a cursory mention, but I love all the DC world building the show does. Ted Kord may never pop up, or he may pop up next week. That doesn’t matter. What does matter, is that within the first 5 minutes of the show last night, Arrow continued to prove how it is everything Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fails to be. It brought in an actual comic villain, it referenced a company from DC history with a beloved character attached to it, and it didn’t do so in an overly winking fashion. To a non-comics reader, nothing was unusual about the episode, but to a fan, it was a “oh shit!” moment.
4. The Lances
Tonight was all about the Lances and, specifically, how the writers realized they needed to do more with the family. Sara’s popping up was better explained and Dinah was given some purpose rather than just being the name of one of the modern day Black Canary. But the hour was really about Laurel and Quentin. Laurel, as much discussed, finally hits her rock bottom, and can begin the climb back up. The scene between her and Oliver in the hallway was, perhaps, the best acting we’ve seen from either of them on the show, and was a really nice reminder of the characters’ pasts, and how supremely messed up they are.
But Quentin takes the cake here. His apology to Oliver at the party was so heartfelt and real and unexpected. Characters like that are supposed to be angry and hate the people dating their daughters for no reason, but the writers realized that Quentin is just as able to be sympathetic and relatable as he is able to be gruff and vengeful. The Lances, at this point, are more defined than the Queens are. We know exactly why each Lance is acting the way they are – and yet, Moira is still a bit of a mystery. Still, let’s call this progress.
5. Felicity Shines
Felicity was the start of Team Arrow tonight, even with all her doubts and setbacks. Arrow writers, take notice: this is how you rehabilitate a character that may seem redundant now. Remind the audience why they are special in the first place, and never stop reminding them how important they are. It helps when you put them in the middle of everything, has them played by a charming actress, and gives her some actually funny dialogue, too.
We know that Diggle will be joining the Suicide Squad soon – that’s a good thing. Perhaps that can give him the purpose that Felicity got here. Part of the problem with the show is that, due to the ever-expanding cast, certain people take the backseat. Roy was barely a blip the last two weeks, Thea has become the most responsible bar manager since Sam Malone, but lost a lot of what her charm was, and Sin was barely a consideration before tonight’s episode. But the writers must recognize this too, and are doing their best to make each and every character vital, and give them their moment in the sun.
