Last week’s Arrow is one-upped in almost every way this time around. Laurel’s attempt at becoming The Canary is fully realised this week, as Brick takes hostages in attempts to wrest control of the Glades from Starling City.
Meanwhile Oliver continues to recuperate, being stabbed and kicked off a cliff will do that. Having said that, the details of his return are still sketchy, and there isn’t a Lazarus Pit in that cabin.
Arrow plays a less important role this time around, with him being fully in recovery mode at the moment. It feels very Empire Strikes Back wherein the hero is aware of his friends being in danger but ultimately unable to do anything about it. Flashbacks help explain why Maseo and Tatsu helped save him. While the particulars of the couple’s relationship no longer existing has yet to be answered, it’s intriguing to say the least.
Malcolm and Thea’s story is kind of on hold at the moment. We know the League of Assassins will come calling sooner or later, but they’re taking he back seat at the moment whilst more present threats are being dealt with.
Getting onto the meat of it here. Brick’s continued actions have the police force on the ropes. Laurel finally gets the chance to be in some big action moments. Roy plays support, but it’s really all about seeing Laurel taking up the Canary mantel for the first time. While her fumbles and mistakes might be a bit overplayed, there’s a certain gritty reality that comes with it and ultimately to a head when she finds out first hand just what kind of man Brick is. Diggle takes the back seat this time, and unfortunately if it means more action scenes with Roy and Laurel I’m pretty dandy with that.
Speaking of Brick, he’s probably one of the bigger threats ever faced in the show. He’s very close to getting what he wants, and he hasn’t used and earthquake machine or an army of chemically enhanced soldiers to get it. There’s a particularly striking scene where he has the mayor meet him to discuss terms and walks away from it despite being surrounded by police.
He seems remarkably capable of getting the right kind of leverage over his opponents, though there’s no indication of their being someone backing him from the shadows. We also get a little more insight into both his morality and taste (seriously, he quotes Shakespeare, this guy is cultured, ish).
The drama side is in full swing this week too. Felicity is like waves in that her emotional state is very back and forth. Ray Palmer is surprisingly mellow for someone who narrowly avoids getting shot. While his jovial attitude helps provided some much needed light-hearted moments, it still seems like the show is stalling for his inevitable suiting up and crime-fighting. Felicity somewhat predictably backpedals on her previous statement about not helping him, after a deep discussion with Laurel means they can help people.
It essentially boiled down to this: Oliver may be gone, but his mission to save Starling City and its people remains. Indeed, things are looking dire at present. With Detective Lance continuing to ask after Sara, will Laurel be able to focus on the task at hand whilst still hiding the truth from him? Will Ray ever finish building his super suit? Hopefully next week’s conclusion to this mini trilogy of episodes will be able to shed some light on this and more.
Do you think Oliver needs to come back right now, or should Team Arrow keep on without him for a little longer? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
