This episode of Arrow seemed to be specifically designed to remind us all of the glory days of the show – specifically, seasons 2 and 3. Did it work? Keep reading to find out.
1. The return of Roy Harper
Colton Haynes was never the best actor on the show, but something happened since he left: he’s added some emotional range to his performance. It was nice to see him smile and seem like he meant it. His reason for being brought back was fine – a little silly maybe, but certainly not the least sensible way to bring him back. It was nice seeing him in action again, though I forgot just how insanely parkour-y he is on the show.
But the best part of Roy’s return to the show was seeing his interaction with Thea. The pairing never had as much chemistry as they did last night, and it made me wish that either Thea leaves to live with Roy, or Roy returns to Star City, not necessarily for plot reasons, but because I was rooting for their story. That’s not something that happens a lot on this show, so the writers should try to capitalize on that.
But I did for bad for mayoral campaign staffer dude, who was trying to get Thea to staff his campaign, if you catch my draft.
(He wanted to bone down with her)
Also, who else totally forgot that Ollie was running for mayor?
2. The return of Nyssa
Seeing Nyssa attempt to overthrow Malcolm/Ra’s is a nice development, and brings Nanda Parbat back into relevancy a little bit, too. Nyssa’s status as frenemy of Team Arrow actually makes her one of the least predictable characters on the show – at any point she’s on the verge of doing something that would really, really mess up their plans, or saving the day. I wish the show would do more with her. Having her interact with Katana and attempt to assume the role of Ra’s – that’s a great start.
3. The return of Shado
This was, by far, the worst part of the episode. If anyone, at one point, cared about Shado, that ship has sailed long before the Amazo went down. We already had the “Shado isn’t dead!” fake out last season (which was lame), and now having her return as a vision is just as lame. The flashbacks have been even less consequential than usual lately, so let’s just bag them, mmmkay?
4. The rise of Holt
After a few weeks of relative nothingness, it was nice to see Curtis Holt be a part of the show in a substantial way. I hope the show takes its time with him, only turning him into a hero when it feels appropriate. If he’s Mister Terrific in a week or two, it’ll feel a bit silly.
5. The Calculator’s kid
I don’t know if making the Calculator Felicity’s dad makes much sense, or adds much to the show. I don’t think “Who is Felicity’s dad?” was a big mystery on the show, but I guess it makes her computer prowess make a little bit more sense.
But hey, if it means that we’ll be getting more Gothicity flashbacks, I’m game.
Let me know what you thought in the comments!
