Arrow Season Four: Beyond Redemption

How will Quentin deal with this shock?

Laurel has to deal with a feral Sara when she brings her back to Star City meanwhile rouge police officers lead by Liza Warner (Rutina Wesley) are causing trouble for both Green Arrow and Quentin.
I have praised him a lot this season but Quentin, Paul Blackthorne, defiantly deserves it because he had the spotlight in this episode. He was involved in both of the major subplots and made a big contribution to both with which is probably his best performance in a episode of far in Arrow. Him finding out that Sara was alive was so well done; his initial shock at seeing her tied up in a basement, having some shred of hope when he thought she was responsive and then horror at when he had to save Laurel from her. It made for some really powerful stuff but the real emotional scene came when he took Damien's advice and tired to kill Sara, seeing it has a kind of mercy. The way he almost pulled the trigger and then broke down when he couldn't do it, again this is Blackthorne's best performance in my opinion and scene speaks for itself. Then of course he was part of the subplot to stop Warner and this is when you can tell how hard it has been for Quentin to have the double life of being a cop and working for Damien. He almost lost his faith in the city (like Oliver) after seeing the corruption in the force but managed to claw out of the darkness with a great speech that inspired both Warner and Oliver during the fight at the end. I also of course have to mention the two scenes with him and Oliver talking in his apartment because those where also some of their best scenes together. Amell was also so good because of the way he argued against Quentin, saying that for ages he has just wanted his approval and with Quentin saying how screwed he basically is working with Damien. I am glad that he and Oliver have a better relationship now because I defiantly much prefer it when they work together then against one another.

Police gear for a costume does look really cool

As for everything else the villains where really good, corrupt cops aren't anything too special but they tired in perfectly with what Quentin is going through this episode. I really enjoyed the action scenes with them; it was some awesome fighting, their special weapons where really cool and I am glad we got to see the Canary Cry again. Warner also made for a good villain because she really held her own in a fight against Green Arrow, she was really humanised as well with the way she wasn't evil but just someone desperation wanting to leave a dying city and with the way things ended I think we might see a redemption story with her in the future. Oliver's subplot at being mayor was better then I thought especially with the reveal that they are using Sebastian Blood's old office and lair (good call back to Season Two) and that they made a kickass new lair that looked really cool! His Flashbacks are still good, not a highlight or let down they are just good so far. Then there was Felicity's subplot involving Ray's last message and while I like her scenes with Curtis and I want her to find Ray they just felt really out of place this episode and just a mild distraction from the two major plots involving Quentin. Finally Laurel continues to be a weak link this season (shame because I really liked her in Season Three) because again I just think her bringing Sara back has been for selfish reasons and it is hard to sympathise with her when Quentin does a better job of it.

"I will now run this city"

Overall a near perfect episode and Quentin's best so far and I am looking forward to next week's with the arrival of John Constantine! I usually avoid spoilers and previews but him arriving has been such a big topic for this season it was hard to avoid some, like which episode he appears in.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Best Quentin episode
                   Warner and her cops where good villains
                   Oliver was also great

Let - Downs: Laurel still hasn't been that great
                      Felicity's subplot just felt too out of place

   
The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/          

Arrow Season Three: Public Enemy

Run Team Arrow RUN!

When Ray is injured during an attack on the Mayor's office Felicity's mom Donna visits Starling City again. Meanwhile Team Arrow tries to find Maeso however things take a turn for the worse when Quentin is kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul.

 

This is almost like Season One when Arrow was hunted by the SCPD but the notable difference was Quentin is now almost completely blinded by hatred. Now I say almost because he kind of isn't in the wrong about what he is doing because that speech at the end with Oliver in the police van (standout performance by Blackthorne, he did a great job of being completely overcome by anger this episode) did make a lot of sense in that despite Arrow doing good at the end of the day it is Quentin's job to arrest him and how he actually hates himself for not doing so and even becoming his accomplice. I didn't actually expect him to meet with Ra's al Ghul at all but it was nice that these two characters got a chance to but it was a shame Ra's never used this as an opportunity to reveal more of Sara's time in the League; it is still really vague how she got there and what she did. As for Oliver it really seems hopeless for him now; Slade made him feel that why but who to thought it would be the police this season, just shows you how much Oliver needed them on his side. I guess it's kind of understandable that he turned himself in, in the end because he had no other options but it seems Roy has got his back which is good because he has been on the side lines too much this season. Now I'm not sure how Oliver and Roy are going to get out of this but I really hope it doesn't end in Roy's death (because a character death has been teased for the next episode) since I really like him as Arsenal and he still needs his robotic arm. As for Quentin I like to think he may come to regret his actions, maybe if Roy does die that will trigger it, but I don't know how he is going to redeem himself to Team Arrow and Laurel. Finally this storyline gave us some kickass fight scenes between Team Arrow and the League and some great police chases.

"I forgot how good it felt to chase masks"

As for everything else I enjoyed seeing Felicity's mom again because she brings a breath of light hearted fresh air and again raises questions about who Felicity's dad was with her comments. However while Ray's nanotechnology was interesting I didn't like that he was put on the sidelines this episode when we saw him in action in the last one; I just felt he could have played a larger role and all in all this small subplot felt out of place compared to everything else that went on. Also I'll say again I'm not bothered about the relationships in the show (it sometimes focuses too much on them) however I can't believe they have opened to possibility of Felicity being with Oliver again because I just do not like that. I think her conflicted feelings for Oliver has just been such a downer for her character (when she has been so cheery in the previous seasons) and I just want it to end already. As for the Flashbacks I did like them because it was a nice way to bring Shado and her father in it again even if it was just for closure for Shado's twin.

How is Roy going to get out of this one?

Overall it is a desperate time now for Team Arrow and I don't know how they are going to make things right which is why I can't wait for the next episode.

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

Highlights: A Quentin focused episode

                   All seems hopeless for Team Arrow

                   Great action and chase scenes

 

Let - Downs: Ray's subplot felt out of place

   Felicity still can't decide who she wants to be with which I'm sure will just waste future screentime

 

  

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

Arrow Season Two: League of Assassins

"The League is here b***hes!"

The episode begins with a Flashback of Oliver and Sara on the Queen's Gambit sinking while in the present Sara is staying with Oliver. Moira is then given a plea agreement for life in prison and Laurel is one of the lawyers against her because of her boss, much to Oliver's shock. In a Flashback Sara is a drift but stops the Amazo in the distance, in the present Oliver and Sara are attacked by a League of Assassins member, Al - Owal, but manage to hold him off. Oliver then takes Sara to the Arrowcave where she explains that she has left the League, in a Flashback Sara is put in a cage by the Amazo pirates. Arrow and Black Canary track the League members down to an old factory and fight them to a stalemate however Al - Owal threatens Sara's family, in a Flashback Sara meets someone named Dr Anthony Ivo.

"These guys are weird"

Felicity then vaguely warns Quentin of the League however he does not take her seriously which forces Sara to reveal that she is alive to him. In a Flashback Ivo asks Sara for help in his experiments and in the present Oliver makes sure Laurel is safe but sees a dagger in her wall but he removes it discreetly. Quentin and Sara's happy reunion is cut short at the clock tower by the arrival of Al - Owal and two others however they fight them off, along with Arrow who arrives, and Sara kills Al - Owal. Realizing her family will be in danger Sara decides to leave Starling City much to Quentin's dismay and Moira decides to fight the death penalty with the support of Oliver and Thea. The episode ends with Oliver admitting to Diggle he wasn't always on the island and we get the same Flashback as last episode where Oliver is thrown at Sara's feet.

Awwwwwww

What an awesome episode because we finally have the League of Assassins involving themselves more in the series. I know that this is only the fifth episode in but it has so far proved to be better than season one because of the inclusion of better villains like Bronze Tiger, Brother Blood and The Dollmaker and now the League of Assassins. We had some awesome fight scenes from them, I mean who doesn't like seeing ninjas fighting each, and their outfits are awesome because I already liked the Dark Archer costume. Sara had the spotlight once again and again I am glad because she is definitely one of the best characters now on Arrow and even if she left I doubt she will be gone for long. Her Flashbacks where also interesting as well though it is a shame they skipped the year she spent with Ivo before seeing Oliver again, even a small montage will do.

"Only losers use the front door!"

Quentin was great in this episode as well, in fact he has been great this season, and I really liked that emotional goodbye he had with Sara at the end. Also despite not being a ninja he still kicked some ass against those League members and it seems he is going to have to live with a big secret for a while now as well. However once again the real weak point of this episode was Laurel because I am really just not liking her, she may have stayed off the drink and drugs this episode but I hated her damn attitude with Oliver and Quentin. However it seems the writers want to make us hate her even more by being against Moira in her trial, even if it was because of her boss she still shouldn't be against her friend's mom and she doesn't even seem bothered.

"You better not catch this!"

Overall this was a great episode for the League of Assassins and I want to see more of them but I also want to see more of Diggle who hasn't had a large role lately.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Arrow and Black Canary still kick ass together!
                   Quentin was great in this episode
                   League of Assassins

Let - Downs: Laurel once again

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net           

Arrow Season One: Unfinished Business

"Go right ahead, prove your no better than I am"

The episode begins with a young woman dying just outside the Verdant (Oliver's club) and when Quentin questions Oliver and Tommy about it they find out she died from Vertigo. Quentin and The Hood both go visit The Count however he is in no fit state for questioning since he is still suffering from the affects of a over dose of Vertigo. In a Flashback Slade and Yao Fei's daughter Shado (Celina Jade) are sparing but Oliver still can't get over his deal with Fyers not working meanwhile in the present Diggle is upset that Deadshot is still at large. It is later revealed that The Count has escaped from the mental hospital and that a new stronger Vertigo is hitting the streets meanwhile Quentin questions Tommy because he received a text from the victim before she died. In a Flashback Shado begins to train Oliver while in the present he stops a Vertigo deal while Diggle asks A.R.G.U.S agent Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) for information on Deadshot. Tommy is later still followed by Quentin who then gets a warrant for the Verdant, luckily all the stuff in the Arrowcave was moved ahead of time however Tommy later quits because of how Oliver suspected him of selling Vertigo.

They are fighting right?

The Hood then tracks down where the new Vertigo is being made and finds The Count strapped to a chair and is soon knocked out by a Dr Wells who worked a the mental hospital. It is revealed Wells created the new Vertigo and faked The Count's escape because he knew the police would suspect him. He then forces The Hood to drink the Vertigo who then activates an explosive arrow and then Diggle arrives to help out. The Hood then kills Wells by firing three arrows in to his chest but has to be talked out of killing The Count by Diggle. In a Flashback Shado begins to teach Oliver how to use a bow while in the present Quentin admits to Laurel he owes Tommy and Oliver an apology. The episode ends with Diggle wanting Oliver's help to take down Deadshot while Tommy asks his father for a job at Merlyn Global Group, which Malcolm agrees to while embracing him.

Nothing to be ashamed of Oliver, from what I have read in comics every hero gets captured at least once in their career

Looks like we got the return of Vertigo but I knew it couldn't stay away for long since it is named after a villain, we also go the return of The Count in a way. I did really like the twist that they pulled at the end of this episode that The Count was only being used by Wells but I didn't really like Wells because he was nothing more than a throwaway villain. I still liked almost everything else to do with Vertigo such as a stronger one being made, The Hood stopping the drug deal and the showdown at the end where Diggle came and helped. However one thing I didn't like was Quentin thinking Tommy was behind the overdose of the victim; now that his ex wife is gone he is back to his overzealous police work and I admit it does get annoying some times. For example when he was trying to catch The Hood by bugging the phone, then being a hypocrite and asking The Hood for help or kind of when he was so convinced it was Oliver he didn't listen to no one else to the point that even Laurel gets angry with him like this episode.

"Wells The Count's cell mate Myers didn't tell us anything"

Tommy however still continues to be a great character because I liked the conflict he had with both Quentin and Oliver. As I said above Quentin can be an ass but at least Tommy never backed down from him of allowed himself to be intimidated. It is also interesting now that Tommy has ended his friendship with Oliver but it kind of felt like the right thing to do since Oliver didn't fully trust him over the Vertigo incident and he just can't take his best friend being The Hood anymore. Tommy always seems to have some great material to work with and proves that he is a better person than Oliver or Quentin but now that he is working for his father I wonder if he will become involved in The Undertaking?

"I guess my dad's the only good person in Starling City"

As for everything else the Flashbacks are still going strong and we probably have seen the beginning of Oliver being a master archer and the water pressing technique was interesting. It also seems that Diggle will be getting more of a subplot because of Deadshot and I got the feeling these two are going to be connected for a while. Plus I really liked the mention of A.R.G.U.S in this episode because when I first heard that I thought of Amanda Waller and when I think of her I think of the Suicide Squad! I know that this is still early but if we get to see more of A.R.G.U.S and then opens the possibility of the characters and villains that are associated with it.

"Why don't they do their deals in the day? Doing this s**t is dangerous at night!"

Overall this was a good episode but felt really short because of the absence of such characters like Moira, Thea and Roy.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The return of Vertigo and The Count
                   Tommy's subplot
                    A.R.G.U.S exists in the tv series

Let - Downs: Quentin was a tad annoying again
                       Felt like a really short episode
                       The "real villain in this was lacklustre

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/  

Arrow Season One: The Huntress Returns

Why couldn't they kill her off?

The episode opens at a strip club and Helena AKA The Huntress has killed her father's attorney Gus to find his whereabouts. In Starling Laurel has told Quentin that Dinah has returned and the evidence she has brought to suggest Sara is alive but he doesn't believe them meanwhile Thea runs in to Roy and offers him a job at Oliver's new club. After talking to Diggle about Gus's murder he returns home to find Helena who wants his help to kill her father; he refuses but Helena threatens his family. In a Flashback Slade thinks Fyers is going to use the missile launcher to start a war and in the present Laurel convinces Quentin to look at Dinah's evidence. At the opening of the club Tommy is still having a hard time dealing with Oliver but is soon threatened by Helena which forces Oliver to help her kill her father. Later Thea goes to Roy's place to find out why he didn't go to work but he says he doesn't need charity however he helps her later by beating up muggers but sustains a knife wound and she later accompanies him to the hospital. Helena and Oliver don their disguises and try to ambush the truck Frank is in however it is a set up by Quentin and McKenna who arrest The Huntress.

"Same plan as always kid; I do all the work"

Oliver later frees Helena and gives her a ticket to leave the country and in a Flashback Slade plants explosives on the launcher after taking out the guards but Oliver thinks they just need to take out the circuit board. While Oliver is at McKenna's he gets a call from Felicity who has been tied up by The Huntress and forced to find her father's whereabouts. The Huntress gets to the safe house but runs into The Hood and the two fight it out however just when The Hood is about to finish her off McKenna arrives; this creates an opportunity for The Huntress to shoot her and escape. Later at the hospital McKenna says she needs a year off to heal and needs to move out of town, ending her relationship with Oliver, elsewhere Quentin is ready to listen to Dinah. The episode ends with Oliver admitting to Tommy he can't have a normal life and we then have a Flashback where Oliver wants to trade Fyers the circuit board for a way off the island.

"Ok, lets start our own investigation"

Well looks like we have the return of the worst character in the Arrow series who I really wished didn't have to return so soon. I mean here we have to sit through again The Huntress's incredibly weak storyline of wanting to kill her father (it was almost a repeat of what she did before) and the poor acting of the one who plays her. She is just so poorly written and handled and after threatening Oliver's family and friend and killing those cops just doing their job I am completely unsympathetic to her cause, I just hated her superior attitude she had to Oliver in being like "I can tell on you or kill your love ones if you don't do as I say" or the way she injured Tommy. Why the hell can't Oliver see how much of a threat she is and just kill her? At least then maybe a new and better character can take up the mantle of The Huntress. The only good thing about her is that her costume is good and the final fight with The Hood at the end was alright too (I admit the arrow catching was cool).

At least your red hoodie doesn't show any blood

Because she took up the majority of the episode there really isn't much else going for it besides a few others. I do like the Roy/Thea subplot and them looking to start a relationship makes more sense then any of the other ones that have been in this series and I still really like Roy because he did kick some ass and save Thea. I do still think Dinah's subplot is too forced in to the series but at the very least it gives Quentin something else to do then hunt the vigilante but I don't think it will last for too long. As always the Flashback is always good with some great action from Slade and Oliver coming up with the idea to make a deal with Fyers, seriously doubt that will end nicely for both of them. Lastly I knew Oliver's relationship with McKenna wasn't going to go anywhere and now that the writers have dropped her out of the series it seems like it was a waste of time these past few episodes.

You could have easily knifed her right in the head Oliver

Overall it was a poor episode but that is because The Huntress brings it down because they have completely ruined her character. If they gave more screen time to Roy, Quentin/Dinah and the Flashbacks I would have given this a higher score.

SCORE: 4/10   

Highlights: Roy/Thea
                   Quentin getting something else to do
                   Flashbacks

Let - Downs: The Huntress who took up most of this episode
                      McKenna subplot wasted a lot of time these past few episodes
                      Can't they find The Huntress anything else to do besides kill her father?

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/   

Arrow Season One: Betrayal

DEATHSTROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The episode begins with a gangster named Cyrus Vanch being released from Iron Heights and kills his former lawyer so he can take his mansion. At the Arrowcave Oliver doesn't want to believe his mom has anything to do with the list of names and we then get a Flashback to where Oliver has found a downed plane but is attacked by an Australian man (Manu Bennett) who holds a sword to his throat. At the SCPD Quentin hates that support for The Hood is growing and at the Queen Manor Moira refuses to answer any questions about the book and burns it which to Diggle is proof she is involved in something. Meanwhile Laurel is angry with the release of Cyrus and calls The Hood on the phone she got and Oliver agrees to meet with her, both are unaware that Quentin is listening in thanks to the bug. Cyrus wants to get rid of The Hood to strike fear into his rivals and when Laurel meets with The Hood, after ditching Tommy, Quentin arrives but Oliver manages to quickly get away after knocking him out. Laurel expresses her outrage later at this but Quentin insists The Hood must be stopped and asks for the phone back which disgusts her.

"There's no room for vigilantism in this town......until my daughter's kidnapped"

Diggle has meanwhile been following Moira which angers Oliver at first but he then agrees to it, elsewhere Tommy tells Laurel that he thinks The Hood is just a killer. In a Flashback after the man says he has been working with Yao Fei for months to get off the island he and Oliver spar but Oliver is easily overpowered and knocked out while in the present Laurel is kidnapped by Cyrus when he learns from his police mole that Laurel met with The Hood. Diggle continues to follow Moira and uses a listening device to hear her talking to Malcolm about something called The Undertaking and moves the Queen's Gambit (Diggle however does not know she is talking to Malcolm). When Tommy finds Laurel's apartment trashed and a message from Cyrus he tells Quentin who then asks The Hood for help because he can't trust his fellow officers, we then get a Flashback and Oliver has escaped from being tied up which impresses his captor who introduces himself as Slade Wilson. The Hood and Quentin rescue Laurel however she wants nothing to do with Quentin because she cannot trust him anymore. We get another Flashback and Oliver finds a black and yellow mask and Slade says that he and his best friend, Billy Wintergreen, where part of a special forces team that used the masks and they became stranded on the island while trying to rescue Yao Fei; Wintergreen joined Fyers but Slade didn't. The episode ends with Oliver going over the recording Diggle had made again and then deciding to break into her office as The Hood to question her.

"You have failed this city mom!"

YES!! We got the introduction to the real Deathstroke; Slade Wilson. I knew they had to introduce the real one sooner or later and I'm glad its when we still got a lot of episodes to go in season one. First of Manu Bennett is a great choice to play Slade because the guy just looks so damn intimidating and I also glad that we got a bit of backstory to his connection with Wintergreen, I'm sure he will elaborate more on it soon. We also got a cool scene of him kicking Oliver's ass but I am glad that he decided to work with Oliver in the end; it would be cool to see them plan, train and take the offense to Fyers. So no complaints here it was a perfect casting of a character who I am sure will be a great addition to the Flashbacks and if they stick closely to his comic book counterpart when he is on action he is going to be a one man army.

Be great to see more sword fighting in this

Besides from the Flashback we had some interesting events in the present with it focusing more on Quentin and Laurel. I said before that I like Quentin but he can be a bit of an jerk, well that is an understatement in this episode. Hated that Quentin bugged that phone because it was a really bad move, especially when he followed Laurel on the roof and tired to arrest Oliver and then he turned in to a complete hypocrite and worked with him in the end. In contrast I liked Laurel in this episode because she is cooperating more with The Hood and I am glad he cold shouldered Quentin because he really deserved it and I'll guess we'll see how long it lasts. Plus I think her working and meeting with The Hood made makes more sense than Iris meeting The Flash and that's probably because they did a better job of Laurel slowing appreciating what The Hood does and building it up than Iris just starting some stupid blog just to cause a problem for Barry and S.T.A.R labs. Even though I said that I didn't like Quentin in this episode I do like the whole conflict between him and Laurel it is a highlight.

"If I can't be Arrow maybe I'll be James Bond"

As for the rest of the episode I didn't care at all for the supposed main villain Cyrus because out off all the villains shown he is the most forgettable and mediocre. The only good thing about him was that it was cool seeing Quentin and The Hood fighting through the guards to get to him. He is obviously just a villain of the week but they didn't really make Cyrus interesting at all in my opinion. However like always Diggle is a standout and it was cool seeing him spying on Moira and he is always right Oliver has a blind spot where his family is concerned.

"Try to act more scared, I got a rep to maintain"

Overall this episode was probably just as good as the previous one and it was really the Flashbacks with Slade and the moments with Diggle that was the best parts. and I'll wonder if The Hood will be able to get any answers out of Moira. Oh yeah if you haven't noticed I am also trying to squeeze the plot explanation into two large paragraphs from now on.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: Slade Wilson introduction and the Flashbacks
                   Quentin and Laurel conflict
                   Super Spy Diggle

Let - Downs: Lacklustre villain
                      Oliver was a tad hard headed for not listening to Diggle

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/              

Arrow Season One: Damaged



"I'm going to make your life a living hell boy"

The episode starts off with the hooded man teaching Oliver how to use a bow and arrow and of course it isn't easy. Oliver is then sent to retrieve the rabbit the hooded man shot but is soon captured in a wooden cage by several commandos wearing all black. Back in the present Oliver is brought to the police station and is interrogated by Quentin who believes he is The Hood after seeing the footage of him. Walter and Moira arrive shortly in to the interrogation demanding that Oliver needs a lawyer however Oliver wants Laurel to defend him. At the bail hearing Oliver is put under house arrest while wearing a GPS tracking device, he thanks Laurel for what she has done but Laurel says she knows he cannot be The Hood.

"At least I can make this mug shot look good"

Oliver is then fitted for his GPS tracking device and says to Tommy that they should hold a prison - themed party at his manor. Meanwhile Quentin is angry at Laurel for siding with Oliver but Laurel insists that he is innocent and that he shouldn't be blamed for Sara's death or for Quentin getting divorced shortly after. Diggle wonders how Oliver will get out of this but Oliver says this was all part of his plan; to get caught on camera since he needs all suspicion of him being The Hood gone. He then tells Diggle to follow a German arms dealer in Starling City named Leo Mueller with his tracking equipment. Later Walter is talking with head of security for Queen's Consolidated and wants him to move the remains of the Queen's Gambit.

Finding it fun working for the Arrow yet Diggle?

Oliver later refuses to accept the insanity plea but agrees to take a polygraph test however Laurel does not believe that is the best option. In a Flashback Oliver is brought before a man named Edward Fyers (Sebastian Dunn) who is the leader of the commandos that are on the island. He wants to know where Yao Fei (the hooded man) is and Oliver says he doesn't know, Fyers isn't convinced by this and brings in a man wearing a black and yellow mask (Jeffrey Robinson). In the present Thea is worried about the situation but Oliver says there is nothing to worry about meanwhile Moria meets with Malcolm who says the charges are false but Malcolm believes that Oliver is hiding something.

I probably would have told them everything.........what? It's freaking Deathstroke!

During the polygraph test Oliver manages to lie through it successfully but thinks back to when he was cut by the man in the mask. He vaguely mentions that he was tortured to Quentin and Laurel and admits that he killed Sara by bringing her on the Queen's Gambit before ending the test. That night Oliver throws his party, Quentin is there as well, and tells Diggle he needs him to be The Hood so stop Mueller while he has the perfect alibi, Diggle agrees to do it. Laurel comes to the party and apologises to Oliver and they even kiss but she soon leaves. In a Flashback Yao Fei has arrived to save Oliver and fights the man in the mask but leaves shortly with Oliver.

 

He really knows how to throw a party

In the present Diggle has successfully stopped Mueller's arms deal as The Hood and Walter finds out that the head of security was killed and accuses Moira of lying to him. Later at the party a waiter pulls a gun on Oliver but Quentin manages to kill the waiter, Moira snaps at Quentin for endangering her son since he is accusing him to be The Hood (even though she suspects the killer was sent by Malcolm). Quentin frees Oliver of the GPS and drops all charges because of the waiter killer and the fact that Diggle posed as The Hood to stop an arms deal, giving Oliver an alibi. Moira later tells Malcolm to never harm her family again and even finds out that he killed the head of security because Walter is finding out too much.

 

"Let Oliver stay on house arrest; I can do this myself"

In a Flashback Yao Fei takes Oliver back to the cave but leaves soon after giving him a pouch. Laurel confronts Oliver that he managed to lie on polygraph test but Oliver manages to still divert suspicion from himself. Walter is then seen leaving the manor, saying he is taking a long business trip and doesn't know how long he will be gone. The episode ends with Diggle asking Oliver if he knows how his plan will affect his friends and family, Oliver says that it hurts worse than anything before tracking down and stopping Mueller.

 

The answer's never in a bottom of a bottle Quentin

This was probably the best episode of Arrow so far; for me it had the best fight scenes, flashback and present day moments out of the five episodes. Firstly there was Oliver's predicament on convincing everyone that he isn't The Hood and it was a great plan in the end, he is lucky that he has Diggle on his side now. Speaking of Diggle he kicked some major ass in this episode, I am liking his character more and more and this one proved that he can defiantly help out Oliver on the streets. Not only did he look awesome as The Hood but he had a great fight scene with those arms dealers, one of the best parts of the episode. I really hope Diggle continues to help out more with the fighting, maybe even get his own costume or even fill in from time to time for Oliver.

 

This fight was pretty damn epic!

Now as we are on the subject of great fights the one between Yao Fei and Deathstroke was truly epic, the name Deathstroke might not have been mentioned but I recognize that mask even if it is a bit different. My favourite shot in this episode was when Deathstroke caught the arrow, it had a comic - book feel to it and the fight the came after as well. See just like with Deadshot this is the type of villain I want to see in Arrow; possessing skills that make them seem superhuman with a great costume to match. The rest of the Flashback was great as well, with the inclusion of this military force led by Fyers giving Oliver another obstacle on the island. Of course I want to know exactly why they are here and why they are interested in Yao Fei and great that we also got to see how Oliver got one of his very first scars.

 

Staring contest!

The rest of the episode was great as well such as Malcolm sending a killer after Oliver, I think this proves that he is going to be at least one of the main antagonists in the present and again makes you wonder what he and Moira are involved in? Like always Quentin has a great story arc in the episode, despite how angry he is at Oliver and how much he wanted to convict him he did save his life at the end and its actually good seeing Laurel on Oliver's side for once. Also as I mentioned above I did like watching all of Oliver's plan to prove his innocent from the polygraph to throwing that party.  

 

"You can't take it off because it's taped to your leg hair, which really hurts"

Overall as I mentioned above this is the best episode of Arrow so far with great past and present day story with the inclusion of such an iconic DC villain. I don't think there was anything bad in this episode because I immensely enjoyed it however I admit maybe Deathstroke could have had a few speaking lines but maybe they want to make he seem more menacing or mysterious right now. 

 

SCORE: 10/10

 

Highlights: Deathstroke/Flashbacks

                   Diggle as The Hood

                   The whole present - day storyline

 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/            

Arrow Season One: An Innocent Man

"I'll join if I get a costume"

The episode begins where the last one left off with Diggle waking up and finding out that Oliver is The Hood. Oliver asks him to join him in his fight to help Starling City but he refuses, believing Oliver to just be a murderer and walks off. Oliver then meets Laurel at his manor who gives him a lecture which causes him to have a Flashback to him back at the cave and the hooded man sees him looking at pictures in his wallet. In the present Oliver and Thea manage to bond again but while watching the news Oliver discovers a connection between Peter Declan, a death row inmate, and Jason Brodeur, one of the men on his list, in the morning Oliver is shocked to find out Diggle has quit. Oliver is then seen making new arrows in his hideout while investigating that Declan is accused of killing his wife.

"I like to think of this as my art"

At night Oliver, as The Hood, visits Laurel and convinces her that Declan was set up and Brodeur is the guilty one; Laurel then visits Iron Heights in the morning and believes Declan is innocent. Meanwhile Quentin tries to convince Laurel to drop the Declan case while Walter becomes suspicious of Moira and thinks she knows more of the Queen's Gambit. Oliver later visits Diggle at his sister - in - law's restaurant to convince him it join him and manages to get to Diggle by saying that Deadshot was the one who killed his brother. Later Laurel then contacts The Hood and says that she needs more evidence and Oliver manages to get more by threatening Declan's former supervisor on why Declan was framed meanwhile Walter enlists the help of Felicity to find out more about the Queen's Gambit. We then have a Flashback to when the hooded man tells Oliver he must kill an animal for food and back in the present The Hood tells Laurel that Declan is definitely innocent.

"Everyone else hogs the screen time, I say we take some"

Laurel then tries to get Declan released but still doesn't have enough information and is even stopped by Brodeur and Quentin, she tells The Hood about this. Oliver then visits Brodeur and finds out of a plan to kill Declan and Laurel during a "prison breakout" which is happening now. Oliver manages to save them both as a masked prison guard but has to be stopped from killing someone by Laurel, we then have a Flashback where Oliver does manage to kill an animal. Later Walter finds the remains of the Queen's Gambit with Felicity's help and Quentin sees security footage of Oliver retrieving The Hood costume the night he fought Deadshot. The episode ends with Moira meeting a man named Malcolm (John Barrowman) and Diggle agreeing to work for Oliver again and help him but Oliver is soon arrested by Quentin for being The Hood.

Oliver's backup costume

Seems like Oliver's identity may be revealed to the public soon and after only 4 episodes lol. I admit that ending was quite a surprise because I just didn't expect it and I wonder how Oliver is going to get out of this one. It is possible that he has some plans for his new ally Diggle because if he is in a holding cell next episode than having someone on the outside could help. Speaking of Diggle I am really glad that he has come round to accepting Oliver as The Hood and I hope this means that if Oliver manages to convince everyone is isn't The Hood that he will help take out the bad guys. Also it was interesting hearing that Deadshot killed Diggle's brother and that is another reason why Deadshot has to be alive; there just has to be a confrontation between these characters.

"Don't you touch my fries!"

As for the rest of the episode I liked that Felicity is back (everyone just seems to give her their IT problems) because you just can't help but like her and I'm glad she is helping Walter because it gives these two character's their own subplot. I wonder how Moira will react when she finds out about this and I wonder what part Malcolm plays in all of this. I think Thea was a lot better in this episode because she was more of the helpful little sister in this and was there more for Oliver when he needed her. Also the Flashbacks was really good because I like how Oliver could barely bring himself to kill an animal for food yet had to be stopped from killing someone in the present. This kind of shows that Oliver is used to the killing by now and the experiences on the island has dulled of impact of taking a human life.

How is he going to get out of this one

Lastly while I think that the whole "prison breakout" scene was awesome and The Hood kicked some serious ass, after including Deadshot in the last episode I was disappointed that we didn't get to see another comic villain. I guess I shouldn't expect to see a comic villain in every episode and it probably is better that way because we just can't have one every time. This does lower the excitement slightly however because unlike Deadshot I don't think these corrupt businessmen on his list pose much of a problem for Oliver at all.

Lucky he is a skilled negotiator too 

Overall this was a good episode; the excitement has died down from the aftermath of Deadshot but I am glad we learned more about Diggle and Oliver is sure going to be in trouble next episode.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Diggle and Deadshot connection/ Diggle joining Oliver
                   The prison breakout
                   Walter and Felicity now have a larger part

Let - Downs: Villain or his plan in this was not as threatening as Deadshot