Arrow S02E16 – Review

By: Keto Shimizu & Bryan Q. Miller (story)

The Story: Diggle doesn’t dig his ex-wife’s new pals too much.

The Review: I’ve been getting kind of worried about Diggle for a while, now.  Though in my mind, the core Arrow team will always be him, Felicity, and Ollie, the recent membership of Roy and Sara threatens to significantly erode his presence.  What need does Ollie have for an ex-soldier when he’s got a powerhouse and a trained assassin?  Felicity will always provide the techie know-how; Diggle’s value needs to be similarly set in stone.

Hence a Diggle-centric episode .  In a rather clever use of the show’s usual structure, the flashbacks switch from the tropical trials on the island to the desert cliffs of Afghanistan, where we see Diggle in full army gear protecting a fleeing caravan of villagers with future ex-wife (then fellow soldier) Lyla.  Over the course of the episode, as we see Diggle save a wanted criminal and mourn over the death of a boy who shot at him, his value to Team Arrow becomes a little clearer: his moral rigidity.

Like most virtues, it has its downsides; Lyla rightly chides Diggle’s judgmental attitude, given the ambiguities of his own vigilantism.  But the way he recognizes and reacts to the moral stakes in any given situation is still what makes him an important cog in the Arrow machine.  He doesn’t lose sight of the details by focusing too hard on the big picture, which separates him from Amanda Waller and even Ollie, who reveals more common ground with the Wall than you might think.  Nor does he let his personal hang-ups interfere with making the right choice, as his second team-up with (and Amanda-defying rescue of) Deadshot attests to.  In many ways, he’s a more trustworthy moral center for the show than almost anyone else on it.

Even Ollie can’t really claim to be in that position just yet.  He’s too easily manipulated by his inner turmoil, which explains why Slade is easily able to drive a wedge between Ollie and Sara while still remaining steps ahead, delivering a punch to Ollie’s emotional gut without lifting a finger.  But this is what keeps Ollie endearing.  Despite his scarred, gritty-voiced exterior, what ultimately drives him is his heart, which has only grown more exposed as the season wears on.  Learning to embrace that fact, as both Lance sisters persuade him to do, is a big step in figuring out how to balance what needs to be done with what feels right.

Much has been made of Sif’s guest appearance on the latest Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this episode goes whole-hog with comic book continuity.  Some things are purely candy for DC fans: references to Khandaq, Markovia, the Ostrander Hotel; Harley Quinn’s silhouetted cameo (easily ID’ed by her giddy, giggly assurance that she’s a “trained therapist!”); the formalization of Slade’s Deathstroke identity.  But by and large, Shimizu-Miller use continuity to advance the story.  Task Force X (a.k.a. the “Suicide Squad”) has always been one of DC’s better concepts because it has a ring of credibility and genuine edginess that most of its superhero stuff does not.  Besides, it allows the show to pluck several otherwise limited-use characters and put them to good use.*

Shimizu-Miller use continuity in a similar way to help build Deadshot’s character.  This being his fifth(?) time on the show, he officially has a recurring role on the show and he’ll need more than a gravelly voice to carry it.  In the choice between going the darker, sociopathic route he took in Secret Six or the more sympathetic straight man he is in his new 52 iteration, I support the show going for sympathy.  Michael Rowe plays the affectionate father surprisingly well and it’ll give him a storyline to continue if and when the Squad returns.

Conclusion: A terrific outing for one of DC’s biggest teams with some strong emotional work underneath.

Grade: A-

– Minhquan Nguyen

Some Musings: * Even Shrapnel’s quick demise dramatically exposes the darker side of being on the Squad, and by extension Waller.

– I’ll say this about Shado: it must be a pretty good gig to get a recurring role as a dead spirit.

– Of all things, Ollie detests swimming.  Hard to know what to make of that, although it’s sort of charming to see a glimpse of the spoiled child whining through again.