After last week’s shocking cliffhanger, this episode spends a lot of time unpacking that last minute, and seeing where the various threads of Sara’s death take the characters.
1. Jeff Lemire all up in this piece
This episode featured Komodo, a villain who was created by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino and, as if that wasn’t enough, was spotted near “3rd and Lemire.” Not only that, but Lemire’s run was all about recontextualizing the Queen family, taking what was the perceived truth and adjusting it to reveal what really happened. In a way, this episode does the same: it presents what appears to be a straightforward story, but uses enough misdirection to have various elements appear as surprises.
2. Ray Palmer gets the Barry Allen treatment
Thus far, the Ray Palmer on Arrow isn’t much like the Ray Palmer in the comics, beyond the implication of a great scientific mind. However, much like over on The Flash, the character has been branded as such a charismatic and engaging figure that I almost don’t care. This is a refreshing approach, as it bucks the usual “darker = better” method that DC tends to employ. Palmer, played charmingly by Brandon Routh, seems almost too good to be true – he is a philanthropist like we haven’t seen on the show yet, and seems to really care about Star(ling) City. Plus, since Ollie seems to be content letting Felicity slip away, he’s right there to grab the most eligible bachelorette on television. Play on, Palmer.
3. Thea’s absence defines the season thus far
Her last-minute cameo notwithstanding, Arrow has been defined by Thea’s absence more than anything else this season. On the show, people are almost magnetically drawn to Oliver, but not Thea. Her rejection of her brother, as well as the Queen name, is the show’s most obvious suggestion that there is another way to deal with the shitty hand Ollie has been dealt. He goes underground, recruits a small army; she runs away and learns to kick ass.
Having Tommy return this week, via flashback, offers yet another take on Ollie’s path not taken. If he didn’t need to have some downlow action, Ollie could be taking trips around the world, looking for his bro, and being a general pussy. Again, showing a path that isn’t Ollie’s crazy vigilante mission further defines that, like Ollie says at a few points in this episode, leads almost certainly to death.
But here’s the rub: Tommy still died. Thea isn’t dead, but all of her relationships, save for with her real father, are effectively dead. So while Ollie’s life is exactly pretty, at least it is a life.
4. Biker Boyz
The scene of Ollie and Komodo on motorcycles, shooting arrows at each other, was ridiculous – and sort of in a fun way, but it would’ve been much, much better if it was lit by anything other than the reflection of a light a few blocks away. It appears that they borrowed the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. lighting director, and decided that the best way to differentiate between someone in a hunter green leather get up and helmet and someone in a black leather get up and helmet is to put them someplace with such little lighting that it doesn’t matter who is who!
Now, I get it – helmets mean that stunt doubles don’t need to look anything like the characters they’re supposed to be playing. That said – this scene was really confusing to watch, and not nearly as cool as it could have been.
5. Family as a created construct
The show has worked really hard to make “Team Arrow” seem like a family, and they keep ramping up the idea that this is all the family Ollie has left. As they do that, instead of going the traditional TV route of showing that new family falling apart, the show is doubling down on these relationships. Diggle and Laurel, in particular, are more focused and determined than ever, and their dedication to Ollie’s mission is part of what is fueling him, especially as Felicity (temporarily) walks away.
