Arrow S02E22 – Review

By: Jake Coburn & Ben Sokolowski (story)

The Story: It’s Opposite Day in Starling City as assassins go out of their way to save lives.

The Review: Late again! No big movie premiere got in the way this time, just studying for a big final. I always feel bad doing this to Arrow, especially since it’s been in its prime this season, but such is the way of this harsh, unforgiving world. I think the characters of Arrow would understand. Right now, they’re struggling to survive in a Starling City on the brink of oblivion, facing threats within and without, from above and below, despite the best of intentions.

It’s kind of amazing how many of the most twisted characters in the show are the ones most convinced that they’re doing the right thing. Slade, of course, has the excuse of being legitimately off his rocker, but Blood seems blind to his own crimes even as he acknowledges the mistake he made in partnering with Slade. With his entire office slain,* the city in near ruins, and even after Isabel gives him the run-through on the end of his mayorship, his last words are a clenched, defiant, “I loved this city.” It’s an interesting moment in that he expresses no regret for what he’s actually done, yet there’s still a note of triumph, even manic heroism in his voice.

The same applies to Malcolm Merlyn, who still maintains that the Undertaking was a necessary endeavor, who’s now eagerly pushing himself into the position of the hero-father, putting forth all his murderous skill to save Thea. Like Blood giving Ollie the Mirakuru cure behind Slade’s back, Malcolm’s efforts aren’t a redemptive act because he actually believes he needs redemption, yet it’s undeniable that he’s doing something good (protecting his daughter) for a sincerely good purpose (because she’s his only remaining family). So yeah, your opinion of him is naturally going to be mixed.

But part of the growing strength of Arrow is its willingness to drag its characters away from the polarized ends of the moral compass towards its uncomfortable middle. Thea’s been repeatedly victimized on the show and she’s justifiably angry about it, but pointing the gun and—spoiler alert—taking a couple direct shots at Malcolm is pure, projected rage on her part, especially after he saves her life twice that night. That misdirected anger proves that she has more in common with her father than she’d ever admit.

Just as Thea’s drawn shakily towards the dark side, Sara takes sure-footed steps to the light. Having spent much of her return this season in angst over her killers’ instinct, it’s encouraging to see her embrace a heroic role and name, revealing she was known in the League as the Canary (as translated). But saving one little girl from a burning building isn’t enough to give the Canary name its weight. With Sara’s doomed-to-death vibe growing stronger every episode, you wonder if the show will give her the same chance as Ollie to build her credibility as a hero, or if it’ll be up to Dinah to do the job.

That said, even though the Arrow’s pretty well established as a hero in Starling City, that’s different from being its model of virtue. Right now, he’s more like the weapon he’s named after: deadly and precise, an invaluable tool for survival. Whether he’s a force for good depends on where he aims, and that is subject to Ollie’s mortal limitations and emotional hang-ups. Fallible as he is, right now he’s in control of the city’s fate, wedged as it is between the rock of Slade’s army and the hard place of an A.R.G.U.S. drone strike. This is the first time that Ollie has to rise above his feelings to do something great for the city, and he does so by injecting the untested Mirakuru cure into a comatose Roy.

But that decision is not unlike the one Waller makes to destroy Starling City, though on a smaller scale. When Ollie protests the half million citizens that will die by her orders, she corrects him with real emotion, “576,000—none of whom deserve to die. But I have to think about the people in every city.” It’s an extremely convincing performance, and probably the most human Waller you’ll ever see. Her choice isn’t arbitrary or driven by statistics; it’s driven by real fear from what Ollie himself has told her about Slade and Mirakuru. There’s a pause Waller makes (in a great bit of acting by Cynthia Addai-Robinson) just after Ollie tells her he can stop Slade, which shows she’d like to avoid a hard choice, too. But she’s right when she says she can’t take that chance. This isn’t Green Arrow, the Justice Leaguer, making promises; this is Oliver Queen, wannabe hero, and he has yet to prove the extent of his greatness. That moment is coming, though.

Conclusion: Some vagaries with the villains’ motivations aside, this is an intense, involved episode that allows most of the characters to redefine themselves in important ways.

Grade: A-

– Minhquan Nguyen

Some Musings: * Including Kate Spencer, which is quite sad, as it nips the bud on any future Manhunter appearances.

– Felicity Line of the Week: after crashing the Arrow van into Isabel, “I really thought the airbags were gonna go off.”

– For some reason, I always think it’s kind of funny for someone to get a phone call in the middle of a crisis.