The CW's Arrow has been getting better and better as Season Two has progressed. The episode Man Under the Hood was a solid episode which continued to set up the season finale showdown between The Arrow and Deathstroke.
In the aftermath of Isabel Rochev's hostile takeover of Queen Consolidated, Oliver and Company (couldn't resist) start taking out Queen Consolodated's applied science facilities in order to prevent Slade from mass producing the Mirakuru. Their offensive however seems to only slightly slow down Slade as he still seems to outwit Oliver at every turn. Slade finds Oliver's hideout and steals the Skeleton Key in order to procure new equipment and lab spaces. The fact that Slade now knows where the Arrow's home base is makes it very hard for an already strung out Oliver to find any peace while trying to save the city and his family. Slade once again plays intricate mind games with Oliver by attacking and then vanishing instantly, leaving Oliver and the audience dumbfounded as to how Slade broke in and bypassed all their defenses. How Slade found their hideout is most likely a result from the acquisition of Queen Consolidated, as Felicity or Oliver could have left plans for the Verdant club somewhere on the company's intranet.
The Queens going broke from the acquisition of their company is believable since in this day and age most wealth is measured in stock instead of physical money. If Oliver indeed does lose his playboy status, this would move his character more in line with the DC comics where the Green Arrow gives up his playboy lifestyle and fortune in order to become a more Robin Hood-esque vigilante instead of a Bruce Wane clone as the comic character started. This would however mean that Oliver would be back to using basic arrows instead of the fancy ones he has been developing with his new no killing mantra. This will be an important plot point if the company is not regained by the Queens.
When Slade told Laurel the identity of the Arrow, I expected her to rant and annoy Oliver has her character has done on screen all season. Laurel has been the singular low point in the series this season with her screen time amounting to nothing more than self-destructive behavior which consistently gets in the way and inconveniences the other characters on the show. However, she showed growth as with her admission of alcoholism and came to view and appreciate Oliver as her family's guardian angel. It seems she is now finally ready to let go of Tommy's death and once again sees the Arrow as the savior the city needs. What she does with her knowledge of Oliver and Sarah's secret identities remains a mystery but I am relieved to know that she will at least not be getting in their way as they try to bring down Deathstroke and Brother Blood.
The twist of Roy being the donor of the Mirakuru was interesting but it was hard to believe that Roy would willingly help Slade when he still holds a grudge for Slade kidnapping Thea. His anger at Oliver being enhanced by the Mirakuru must have allowed Slade and Isabel to trick him into helping them, it will be interesting how Roy interacts with Oliver after he wakes up. It seems like the Arrow's sidekick Speedy will not be ready for duty anytime soon.
This weeks flashbacks were great for the simple fact that we now know there is a cure for the Mirakuru. The ability to kill Slade and possibly heal Roy will serve Oliver well in his battle for the city. We do also see the start of Oliver's descent into the merciless killer Oliver from the beginning of Season One. Its clear that while we see a constantly redeemed Oliver through the rest of Season Two, the flashbacks will start showing an increasingly darker Oliver.
The references to Barry Allen and Central City are a great reminder that the Flash TV series is on the way and crossovers between the two would certainly be fan favorites. My hope is that the mention of Bludhaven throughout the season will eventually turn into a Nightwing cameo, though that is probably wishful thinking. This episode was missing Sebastian Blood who usually provides great wit and interesting storyline additions with his double life. Since the season is closing in on its end I am sure that we will finally see some resolution to Brother Blood even though the focus has clearly shifted to Deathstroke. On the subject of Slade Wilson, he is honestly one of my favorite characters in Arrow and my hope is that he is involved in more of the show as he has proven to be the show's greatest and most complex anti-hero. Since he has his army, to include a Mirakuru fueled Isabel Rochev, Slade will most likely come out of the shadows and start giving Olvier the suffering he has been promising.
Overall a great episode, with great focus on Oliver and his family relationships as we head into the final act of the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment