After a few weeks off (thanks, Mike!), I’m back with a review of tonight’s Arrow. Let’s dig in.
1. The last man standing
Who’d have thought that Quentin Lance would be the last ally Ollie has? Sure, by episode’s end, his situation with Felicity had worked it self out to some degree, but Quentin has found himself as the most true partner Ollie has had. From their early days of Quentin blaming Ollie for Sara’s ‘death’ to now him being a surrogate father and partner in politics, it’s been a really fascinating transformation for the duo.
2. Uno Dos Tres Catorce
Having Ollie dosed with Vertigo led to a few weird moments in the episode, but also clarified what I felt was a really weird plot point. Now, Ollie was clearly having a rough go of it when he yelled at William and knocked over his science fair project. He was a bad dad in that moment. But Felicity’s response was as if he hit William, or called him a piece of shit or something. He flipped out – this is something dads do.
Sadly, I know that all too well as a bad dad on occasion myself. If my wife or I threatened to leave the other whenever one of us lost our temper, we’d be separated all the time. Parents lose their shit now and then, and it is unfortunate and should be avoided, but it happens. To paint Oliver as a monster because he overreacted seemed a bit harsh, and it turns out that was just another Vertigo induced hallucination.
3. Lookalikes
Is it just me or do Ricardo Diaz and Adrian Chase look a little too alike? When the elevator doors opened, I actually said “why is Diaz wearing the Prometheus gear?” Now, maybe this is just me, but they also both speak in hushed tones and chew scenery wherever they go – this is clearly a type on Arrow.
I also think that Chase was probably the choice because of actor availability. Wouldn’t, oh, just about anyone else work better here? Merlyn? Tommy? Either parent? William’s mom? Sure, Ollie wouldn’t have snapped their necks, but in terms of losses that would resonate with him, Chase seems pretty low on the totem pole. Was DJ Dipshit not available?
4. What is Rick Gonzalez doing?
Rick Gonzalez, aka Rene/Wildcat, hasn’t appeared on the show in months. Tonight, he ‘appeared’ in a hospital scene flashback, but was wearing his full mask, aka he wasn’t there. He ADR’d his dialogue, but wasn’t on screen. Isn’t it weird that no one has visited him on camera? We see his kid each week, but never him. Is he filming a movie? Did he have facial reconstruction surgery? Is he in Witness Protection? Where you at, Rick?
5. And the walls came down
While I agree with the city council that Ricardo Diaz is small potatoes, especially compared to Ra’s al Ghul and Deathstroke, Arrow has done a fairly impressive job of having him totally take apart Oliver’s life. While he will, of course, recover from this, there’s also been an interesting mix of past seasons mixed into his plan. Vertigo, Black Siren, Anatoly, it is all part of the Arrow slurry of the past. This feels, in many ways, like the culmination of the first six seasons of the show. Oliver was built up from a man lost on an island to mayor of a major city and leader of a vigilante team. Where else can he go but down?
Again, I’m sure that’s not going to be the case, but I am really interested to see how the show pivots for season 7.
Also, how has this been on for 6 years already?
