Arrow Shifting Allegiances Television 

Five Thoughts on Arrow‘s “Shifting Allegiances”

By | April 27th, 2018
Posted in Television | % Comments

Arrow decided about 2/3 of the way of the season to give Ricardo Diaz an arc and stuff to do. Thank goodness they did.

1. Laurel, for fuck’s sake

Perhaps even more than Diaz, the show has no idea what to do with Laurel. The way to build tension and drama isn’t to have a character change their minds about a situation fifty thousand times. Laurel has been good, has been bad, has been very bad, and now is remorseful that she’s bad. I know this season is eventually going to bring all of Ollie’s allies together to take down Diaz, but we’ve been getting whiplash from watching Laurel change sides so many times.

There’s something to be said for giving Laurel something to do, but she needs an episode like Diaz had last week. A better understanding of what made her tick on her Earth would go a long way towards making the character feel more fleshed out, instead of scattered.

2. Odd man out

It was good to see Rene back this week, but did we have to have him go from zero to 400 ‘hoss’-es in one hour?

Insistence on nicknames aside, Rene’s arc this week is remarkably similar to what Barry went through on The Flash last week, double clutching when in the moment. Rene’s seems far more likely and relatable, and I’m glad that this season has been leaning into his role as a single parent. It takes a one dimensional character and gives him some depth and motivation.

Of course, this will all pass by next week (hell, it mostly did by the end of the episode), but it was nice to see Rene struggle with the idea of being a vigilante and being a father. For all of Ollie’s grandstanding about William, he’s never had this sort of visceral response to his son that Rene had.

3. Aurally excellent

Aside from the flashback side-effect that sounded like a toilet flushing, there is very little about the sound design or score of the show that stands out. This week had two scenes where I was very, very aware of the choices made by the show’s producers.

The first was the hit on the location Diaz wanted Lance to sell him by Team Arrow Fantastic Black Dog? There was a really cool, John Carpenter-inspired score for that scene, full of pulsing synthesizers and some really vintage tones. I was looking down when the music started, and instantly perked my head up. I wish the show took more musical chances.

The second scene was the decision to not have any underscore for Diaz and Ollie’s brawl for the right to stay in Star City. The fact that there was no music whatsoever made each punch and kick land with extra emphasis. It felt absolutely brutal, and really added a level of tension to the episode.

4. Anatoly

“Oliver, my motivations are cloudy as fuck. I am a broad stereotype, constantly drinking vodka, and I can’t decide what I want to be on this show. I’m almost like Laurel, except there are reasons to care about her. I’m charming, but don’t really have anything going on, so the producers keep making me feel conflicted, but ultimately doing nothing. Prochnost!

5. The Clink

The episode ends with Diaz having the SCPD revoke Ollie’s bail, and take him into custody. This will, likely, be the decision that makes the teams unite again and take down Diaz. That’s the predictable part, though it will likely work well on screen.

The bigger question, however, is what exactly Star City will look like, post-Diaz. Will Mayor Queen – or Mayor Lance – have to hire an entire new police department and municipal staff? Will anyone trust the government ever again? Will the show change locations? I’m not really sure, but I hope it’s not business as usual in season 7.


//TAGS | Arrow

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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