Arrow Review – “This is Your Sword” S3E22

The end of the third season of Arrow is finally upon us, and CW is really pulling out all the stops. Oliver is preparing to become Son of the Demon, all the while keeping a genocide from hitting his city. The theme of the episode is best-described as defining identities. Many of the characters were faced with tough decisions that would define them as characters. There was also a shotgun wedding where the bride tried to stab the groom. In other words, “This is Your Sword” was an action-packed and insightful watch, much more true to the show we know and love.

Pros:

So the flashbacks DO have a purpose: After nearly half a season of seemingly meaningless flashbacks, there is finally some depth and mystery behind what the heck happened after Akio died. General Shrieve is an evil S.O.B. and his conflict with Amanda Waller should make for some good story-telling going forward. Also, how the heck did Maseo end up with the bio-weapon, and finally, his acceptance to the League?

Arrow — “This is Your Sword” — Image AR322B_0011b — Pictured (L-R): Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Rila Fukushima as Tatsu Yamashiro, and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Laurel’s stock continues to rise: If you’d have told me two seasons ago that Laurel would be a more likable character than Felicity, I would have thought you were crazy. However, Laurel was awesome in this episode. She kicked butt, frankly. Her fighting skills were awesome, and she reacted to the situation in ways that make sense.

Tatsu-Maseo showdown: Finally! The Katana-Sarab fight we’ve all been waiting for. Oh man, the pain, the struggle… The entire episode could have been centered around these two and I would have been happy, but the bit we did see was a major highlight for me.  I was a bit disappointed when Maseo took his Scorpion mask off to fight. In my head, Tatsu said, in a sexy voice, “no, keep it on.”

Roy’s cameo: Imagine my surprise when Roy’s appearance actually added value to the show! I was convinced this would be an excuse for Thea for pine over Roy’s absence. However, it ended up being a refreshing talk with Thea, pretty much saying, “Hey girl, respect yourself.” I didn’t find it gratuitous or cheesy, and it helped address the broken record that Thea has become these past few episodes. He also gives her back the Red Arrow suit, which is awesome! It’s so awesome that I’m not even going to address the fact that Roy and Thea wear the same size.

Merlyn: Seriously, why is this guy not in this show more? He was such a badass in “This is Your Sword.” He’s the only one not constantly whining about the current situation, and the only one with a plan. Plus, he can fight as well as, or better than, Oliver. He took out a whole mess of the League with like 5 arrows! Plus, he hurls insults with swiftness and accuracy. What about that “None of you in particular are good actors” line? Was that supposed to be meta?

Arrow — “This is Your Sword” — Image AR322A_0232b — Pictured: Katrina Law as Nyssa al Ghul — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Yeah, let’s not destroy Starling: We knew that once Ra’s told Oliver he would be unleashing the Alpha & the Omega on Starling, that his working contract with the League of Assassins was void. It was kinda nice to find out that the whole thing was a charade (or sha-rod, as Merlyn puts it), but nothing ever goes according to Oliver’s plans. When the League captures them all, Oliver is kind of left holding his junk in his hand. But there’s gotta be a back-up plan, right?

Ray’s character growth: Remember how much you hated this prick for taking over Queen Industries and stealing Felicity from Oliver? He has grown into the perfect Atom, and is still there for Felicity even though she broke his heart (and has a scary-sized obsession with Oliver at this point). I can’t wait for him to break off into the spin-off, because he’s going to be great.

Cons:

Felicity: Is it even worth explaining anymore? She’s not about this life. Constantly complaining, never leading, and turning this whole thing about Oliver into HER loss. She did manage to fling a tablet computer into some dude’s neck; that was cool. I found myself not being very concerned if she were to have died this episode, and that makes me sad.

Arrow — “This is Your Sword” — Image AR322B_0244b — Pictured: Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Canary Cry: While Cisco’s tech has made the Canary Cry a legitimate weapon, the lack of visual effects to accompany it look kinda weird. Then again, visual effects might make it look dumb, too. I’ve only really seen the Cry in comic books and animated shows, so it might not translate to live-action. It’s worth a try, though.

A.T.O.M. effects: I don’t know if it was the fact that it was daytime or lack of trying, but the CGI effects that went into his fight with the plane were awful. There’s a good chance that once we’re supposed to care about The Atom more as a character, there will be better effects, but it just was not working this time around.

Free Passes: Seriously, how many free passes are these guys gonna get? They’ve trespassed and interfered with League activity half a dozen times now, and for a guy that murders people at the slightest misstep, Ra’s has sure let it slide with these guys one too many times. It’s not that I want them murdered, by any means, but the more mulligans Team Arrow gets to try and foil his plans, the less exciting their eventual triumph will be.

Easter Eggs:

Arrow — “This is Your Sword” — Image AR322A_0226b — Pictured (L-R): John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Matt Nable as Ra’s al Ghul — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Merlyn the Magician: During his time in the League, his name was Al Sah-Her, The Magician. He showed why in the scene where he and Oliver are sitting around the fire, and then Alakazam, he’s gone. I hope we can get a better look at his

Katana: Tatsu Yamashiro is fitting her mantle of Katana almost to a tee on Arrow. First, let’s talk about how sweet that costume looks on TV. The New52-style outfit with the rising sun is awesome! They also make some reference to her… katana… named Soultaker. In the comic books, Maseo’s brother, Takeo, was the one to slay Maseo with the sword. Tatsu believed that Soultaker’s mystic abilities allowed her to talk with her dead husband through the sword, so look for some Michonne-like (Walking Dead) moments with Katana if she continues to be a part of the show.

Ferris Air: There it is, blasted in our faces again. The company that employs the most recognizable Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, was mentioned again. There hasn’t been any official mention of Jordan, or Carol Ferris, but we’d be gosh darned if there wasn’t eventually going to be the inclusion of Green Lantern in this CW universe.

Red Hood: When Roy runs away, he goes by the pseudonym Jason. This is likely a reference to Jason Todd, the Red Hood – a formerly-resurrected Robin that spends a lot of time with Roy Harper in the comic books. They will actually be sharing the spotlight in the upcoming Red Hood/Arsenal book out in June.

Predictions:

Arrow — “This is Your Sword” — Image AR322B_00380b — Pictured (L-R): David Ramsey as John Diggle, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak and Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

What a cliff-hanger: There’s no way Ra’s just unleashed a bit of the bio-weapon into their cells, right? Oliver wouldn’t just leave his team to die in a cage while he was off to the shotgun wedding… would he? The promo for the season finale showed the crew fine and well, so there isn’t too much mystery here, but it was believable enough of a scene to make you question what’s happening.

Transfer of ownership: If I was reading that situation right, then Ray Palmer is relinquishing control of the company to….somebody? The easy answer is Felicity, but there’s a chance that the VP needed to sign off on it either way. I’m intrigued to see what happens while Ray is out galavanting. It would be cool to see Felicity in a role of power. It might make her likable again.

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Hush Comics gives “This is Your Sword” a A- for turning things up a notch, keeping us guessing and really buffing up the characters who needed the most attention.

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment and are credited to Dean Buscher and Cate Cameron.

Arrow Review – “The Offer” S3E16

As we spiral deeper into an emotional state of Theadom, Arrow‘s dreary tone is getting more and more grating to the viewers. We’re venturing into the realm of C-Dub overload, as drawn out speeches of inner turmoil are starting to drown out the undeniably incredible story unfolding. It’s a shame because the whole story, as adaptive as it has been from Batman lore, is just as engaging as any of the past material. At the same time, I can’t be too critical of the show that has bred this new generation of superhero TV hype, but there’s an overwhelming feeling that the show has become diluted with the recent explosion of content at CW.

Pros:

Ra’s the roof!: Let’s not pretend that Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins aren’t the best villains on this show thus far. He is shrouded in mystery, and has the force necessary to make life very difficult for Star City. As a villain, he’s less emotional than Slade, but there is a certain amount of maturity that Matt Nable brings to the role that makes him twice as frightening as Deathstroke was. He’s also a villain that has seamlessly transitioned from a Bruce Wayne bad guy to a Oliver Queen bad guy. Nanda Parbat and the League of Assassins have always been held in high regards, so to see them more intimately explored on one of the best TV series out has been gratifying.

The complexity of justice and honor: I’m fascinated by the amount of talk dealing with honor and justice in this show. It’s completely subjective between Captain Lance, Oliver Queen and Ra’s al Ghul. Each character has honor, but the way they go about obtaining justice is unique and conflicting from one another. Nobody disagrees that Malcolm Merlyn is a bad man, but all three would seek to go about serving him justice in different ways. I almost enjoy this better than if it were Batman that Ra’s were dealing with because Oliver’s moral code is a bit different than Bruce Wayne’s, making the decision to take the Demon Head’s mantle a more difficult decision than when it was offered to Batman.

Maybe being Ra’s isn’t all that bad: With all that Oliver has to deal with – defiant and incompetent (*cough cough* Laurel) teammates, the sad truth that there will never be fruits for their labors, the loss of trust from Quentin Lance, and the conflict of being both Oliver Queen and the Arrow – it’s not hard to imagine that sitting atop Nanda Parbat would be too much more difficult. Ollie even falls into a more stern leadership role throughout the episode, tired of getting second-guessed and mocked for decisions that put all the heavy lifting on him anyway. I guess we all have those days at work.

More strong, sexy women: I don’t think I could roll my eyes at the way the women have essentially been reduced to emotional lightning rods in Arrow. While it’s great that Thea can kick ass and that Laurel is a stubbornly independent as her sister, there’s not a whole lot of strength in whining all the time. Felicity is finally done being mad at Oliver, which is relieving, but the show will greatly benefit by the inclusion of Shado and Nyssa round out the incessant gushing.

 

Cons:

Is this really a Batman show in disguise?: One of the most alluring elements of the show is how closely Arrow is following classic Batman lore. However, it’s almost gotten to the point where the show isn’t using much creative juice anymore, and just riding on the coattails of the Dark Knight. Whether it’s Oliver’s inner-turmoil between his split personalities, or the thought of leaving a legacy behind as a symbol, there might be too much similarity between the two. If imitation is flattery, then this is the TV equivalent of John Cusack with a boom box.

Lazy writing: There’s too much convenience going on here. How do we get Laurel to deal with her issues with her father? Let’s get the girl with the mother of all daddy issues to have coffee with her, maybe teach her some assassiny things. Poof, now Laurel will be as good as Sara, no training montage necessary. Thea is alone and sad, with nobody to turn to? Poof, let her throw down with Roy in the bedroom. That will solve all her problems. It’s just weak and predictable writing that I would have hoped CW could focus on story-telling over gawking about emotions, but maybe that’s not the main demographic the show is aiming towards anymore.

Not enough Roy in my life: Roy and Diggle, who have been unwavering voices of reason, are completely underserved in this show. They are battle-hardened and also have the best dialogue out of any of Ollie’s other cohorts. I would love to see more action montages, more diving into Roy’s background, more Diggle A.R.G.U.S. exploration. The show needs to lean more on these two characters if they’re going to continue to show the supporting female characters as the emotional wrecks they are.

Don’t mind me. Just sitting here reading my sexy book.

 

Lackluster flashbacks: Aside from the gasp-worthy reveal at the end of the last cutscene, but for the most part, the flashback scenes all seemed misplaced in the episode, even feeling unnecessary altogether. I love this show’s flashbacks, but there’s no need to include them just for the sake of including them. The Shado reveal (if it was really her…) could have been better served if it were used to more of a point than just a quick peek behind the figurative curtain. The key to these is being patient and analyzing each segment, but there wasn’t a whole lot to gather from the flashbacks in this episode.

 

Easter Eggs:

The Lazarus Pit. For Real.: We finally get a good, hard look at the Lazarus Pit. I wish I had a Lazarus Pit. Well, we’ve talked about the reviving powers from the pit, but actually seeing them at work is pretty cool stuff.

Murmur: Definitely a D list “villain of the week” here, Michael Christian Amar is also known as Murmur. He was a Flash villain who cut out his tongue and sewed his mouth shut. He was sentenced to die by lethal injection, but his abnormal blood properties prevented the injection from killing him. He’s not really that important, but it was worth mentioning.

It’s called “The League of Assassins”: Oliver mulls over the idea of being Ra’s al Ghul’s successor, but detests killing in his name. The League of Assassins isn’t always known by that name. In other comic book lore, they are referred to as the League of Shadows, which sounds just as cool without any of the nasty murder connotations that go with it.

Tidbits and Predictions

Heir to the Demon’s Head: It’s abundantly clear that Ra’s and Oliver will not be friends anytime soon after the end scene for “The Offer,” where Ra’s hopes to destroy The Arrow’s reputation swiftly, but that doesn’t mean that Oliver’s genes won’t suffice… Another Batman parallel could involve Ra’s’ daughter breeding a child with Oliver. We know which team Nyssa bats for, but there has been no mention of Ra’s having other daughters. All I know is that “breeding” doesn’t exactly spell out romance.

Oliver in a suit feels weird: Remind me again what this guy does for a job? For the first time since Ray Palmer snatch up Queen Consolidated, we see Oliver back in a business suit – begging the question, “How does Oliver make money?” It would be nice to see more of his corporate side again.

Will Flashpoint affect Arrow?: After this week’s superb Flash episode, Barry finally learns to use the Speed Force and break the time barrier, resulting in unfortuitous circumstances for the group. As in the Flashpoint books, Barry’s time travel mischief changes everybody’s reality. Could it also alter Oliver Queen’s reality?

Is this a turning point for Merlyn?: Malcolm Merlyn has not been such a good guy thus far. And even further from that are his skills as a parent. After Oliver triumphantly brings Merlyn back to Star City, he is given a crash course in what it’s like to be selfless from Oliver. Has Ra’s finally knocked some sense into Merlyn, and Thea’s heartbreak finally hit home? Or is he still just playing the game to keep himself alive?

Should have switched to Geico…

 

 

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Hush Comics gives “The Offer” a C for tripping  over it’s own feet. With such a grand, expansive story at their feet, the show is more focused on inner-drama among the well oiled Team Arrow than it does finding conflict outside the group. With Ra’s presenting a real threat and bringing the battle to Star City, hopefully the team will have no choice than to confront the bad guy. Plus, we have A.T.O.M. coming up, and nobody can take that away from us.

 

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment.  They are credited to Diyah Pera.

Arrow Review – “Nanda Parbat” S3E15

This week was a very emotional one on Arrow, and I don’t mean that in a nice way. Half the episode is spent bawling over Sara’s death in the most annoying way possible: constant blame and poor decision-making. There were some legit action scenes and the portrayal of Ra’s al Ghul’s character was spot on for what DC fans expect. Even the flashbacks leave eyebrows raised as we dive deeper into the history of Shrieve and A.R.G.U.S.

Pros:

Three seasons of sexual frustration let out: Let’s admit it, Felicity and Ray Palmer are a better couple than she and Ollie ever would have been. Unlike Ollie, Ray is just as wrapped up in her as he is his work. And they are both tech geniuses, something Oliver never could get a grasp of. Now that A.T.O.M. is a go, I wonder if he will fall into the same trail of thought that Oliver did. I can do without her stumbling over double entendres, getting flustered every time a billionaire shows off his man boobs, but Palmer has been extremely likable thus far, so the pairing is welcome for now.

Pre-bitch ass Meryln: Laurel was pretty dumb to attack Meryln head-on, but it resulted in one of his best scenes in the series. Telling Laurel that she had “delusions of grandeur” was a pretty fancy way of tell her that all this stupid vengeance talk isn’t going to actually amount to a victory. Merlyn continues to whoop her ass with his hands behind his back in the most insulting way possible. In his “training” session in the Quiver/Arrow cave, he also teaches Thea and Oliver about working in unison, scolding Oliver that he brought a bow and arrow to a sword fight. He may be a condescending jerk, but he will actually make them better… if that’s the direction the show is going in anymore.

Do NOT piss Nyssa off: Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, Nyssa, is fireworks in a bottle. This girl kicks major ass. I love the “vengeance is justice” angle and hope they continue to have her as a bigger part of the story. It was satisfying to see her kick Merlyn’s butt (chin) all over town, too. She is clearly not the bad guy here, so it’s easy to get attached to Nyssa as she is the most badass female in the show not named Tatsu.

I Dig the Bromance: There isn’t a better tag team on television right now than John Diggle and Oliver Queen. Diggle knows Oliver very well, and can sense when something has gotten under his skin, or when he has an ulterior motive. Diggle is not afraid to call him on his bullshit, either, and can de-escalate a situation before it ever gets out of hand between Oliver and the rest of Team Arrow. More importantly, Oliver never has to worry about carrying him in a fight. Something in my bones tells me he’s almost TOO valuable to keep on Team Arrow forever, though. I mean, the man finally put security locks. Who else could have thought of that?

Cons:

Sara is still in the refrigerator: The cliché has been used in comic books forever, but they are reeeally drawing out the affects of Sara’s death in the hope it will make Laurel a stronger character. Instead, it’s getting a bit repetitive. I’m still unsure that they won’t bring her back permanently, but it seems like the only reason Laurel is around is to talk about Sara – same with Quentin Lance. Can Sara be more than a beacon of hope or

And Laurel isn’t doing herself any favors: While she’s been annoyingly tagging along like Oliver’s kid sister, there’s a point when it’s not cute anymore. Laurel isn’t Sara – we’ve visited that point – but she also doesn’t have the same charisma as her sister, either. Her reaction to Thea’s confession was baffling and not believable. Nor was her reaction to Oliver, or her “burn” to them ever being in love. I will be so disappointed if this couple ever gets together. There are talks about Caity Lotz coming back for a spin-off show with ATOM – could this mean that the Lazarus Pit might be used soon? She is sooooo C-Dub.

Oliver is such a know-it-all: Not only does Oliver have to make all the important decisions for the group, but he is constantly “doing what’s best” for each person. It gets a little old, frankly. Oliver has been through some tough times, and done some pretty unforgivable things, but he got over it. There is a team – a family – now with his back, so why does he feel the need to pull the strings? If it weren’t for Diggle, I think Oliver would piss everybody away. Roy and Thea seem to accept that he constantly lies and hides things from them, but Felicity and Laurel are ready to walk away. Stop being a dick, Oliver.

Traaaaap: John Barrowman, you are better than this. I don’t know hat happened, but Merlyn turned into a gigantic wuss as soon as Ra’s captured him. I know that the Demon Head is formidable, but Malcolm Meryln turns into a total coward, and it’s pretty off-putting. I know Ra’s is scary, and I know that it’s meant to show just how much stronger Oliver’s resolve is than Merlyn’s, but  it just comes off as really lame – especially when they find Merlyn and he is barely able to whisper the word “trap.” Come on, really guys? It reminds me of that episode in Chappelle’s Show when his bodyguard is moments away from revealing one of life’s truths to Dave. So cheesy…

 

Easter Eggs:

Lazarus Pit or just Nanda SPArbat?: Maybe Ra’s just likes his bubble baths, but the way he talked about talking with illusionists in the 1800’s sure makes it seem like this guy is actually old as fuck.

More Toys!!: The newest bit of tech we see Oliver blessed with is a collapsible bow. This guy shows up to Nanda Parbat on his George Jetson. With just one spasm of his hands, his suitcase this unfolds into a beautiful compound bow. I don’t know where he’s getting all this tech (Cisco?), but I hope it keeps coming. Comic book Green Arrow has a trick arrow for every occasion.

Can’t Ra’s hell forever: Ra’s is really quite true to his source material; meanwhile, Arrow is staying true to 70’s Batman lore (screw you, Bruce Wayne), with Oliver taking the place of the traditional Bruce Wayne. Ra’s respects Oliver, and wants him to take over his position as the Demon Head. This is a big deal. Obviously, there’s a conflict of interest here, but with the lines of death not as black and white as they are for The Dark Knight, this could prove an interesting opportunity for Ollie.

Daddy issues: Ra’s isn’t just ashamed of Nyssa because she’s a lesbian; it’s deeper than that. WIth the Demon Head looking for a replacement, he’s looking for an heir – somebody to keep the family bloodline strong, and so the responsibility falls to Nyssa (we haven’t met any other of his children) to breed the ultimate warrior, similar to Damian Wayne in the Batman comic books. I don’t see Nyssa and Oliver doing the do anytime soon, but it’s always a possibility.

 

 

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Hush Comics gives “Nanda Parbat” a B- for centering the entire episode around Thea’s revelation that she killed Sara, and the ripple effect it causes between the team. There were signs of a crazy story to come, both in the flashbacks and in Nanda Parbat, but it was marred by the incessant grieving of the show’s weakest character. When Oliver was gone, the show really started relying on the wrong characters. I want: more Roy Harper, more John Diggle, and a more dynamic Felicity Smoak. If Arrow can learn how to get out of its own way, we can forgive these recent missteps.

 

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment.  They are credited to Cate Cameron, Diyah Pera, and Dean Buscher.

Arrow Review – “The Return” S3E14

Pros:

Flash(back) Dance: “The Return” is chock-full of the past, to the point where it dictated the flow of the episode. I especially enjoy that the episode explores a time that has been often talked about, but not really ever shown – how things in Starling City went while Oliver was gone. Returning from the dead are: Tommy Merlyn, Robert Queen, Quentin Lance’s hair, and John Diggle’s brother, Andy. I want them to explore more of this time.

Sibling love: Thea and Oliver actually make one badass team when they’re not fighting each other. By Oliver learning from Thea, it makes the partnership that much stronger. It’s also pretty alarming what Oliver is willing to do to protect Thea from drug dealers. As a big brother myself, I can’t say I would have approached the situation differently, but you don’t escape the scene by throwing the body off the balcony. C’mon, Ollie!

Sir Lance a lot: One of my favorite characters who has been handed a diminutive role recently is Quentin Lance. Good for us that this episode features him quite a lot, specifically when showing us how he dealt with Sara’s death – both before Oliver’s return and currently. Paul Blackthorne (you’re right, it does sound like a pirate name), who plays Lance, pours a lot of emotion into this role and we all benefit from it.

Cons:

Maybe a little too much flashback: Arrow has really excelled at keeping a good balance between their flashbacks and their current happenings, but “The Return” was a slip in the wrong direction, with over half the episode occurring in the past. While it wasn’t an uncalled for amount of time, it really slowed the momentum of the show as Team Arrow inches closer to a showdown with the League of Assassins.

Too convenient: I’m sorry, but Slade Wilson almost destroyed the city. He kicked Moira Queen and took over Queen Consolidated from the inside. He’s a bad man, and for Oliver (who had just been impaled by one of his own booby-traps) and Thea (who just had her shoulder dislocated) to whoop his ass in a few minutes seemed really convenient, and a major disservice to Manu Bennett’s return. Also, why did Oliver feel like they had to break Thea’s arm? I know she’s a trooper and all, but couldn’t they have used a boot or something to hit the button? What a crappily-designed prison by A.R.G.U.S.

Merlyn works his magic: We all know at this point that Malcolm Merlyn is a giant dick finger, but he really takes it to a whole new level with this week’s episode. Thea finds out the truth behind Sara’s death, and it stings, but what really killed the moment for me was Merlyn’s incessant pleas that he loves Thea and did it to protect her. It’s laughable, and really, really annoying. I love having John Barrowman on the show, but it’d be so much nicer to see him on Team Arrow than the awful excuse for a father figure he’s been so far.

Easter Eggs:

Star City Rockets: Here we have a really interesting reference. The Star City Rockets’ logo can be found on Oliver’s baseball cap as he tries to go around the city incognito. In the comic books, the Rockets are a baseball team owner by Robert Queen. They play at Papp Stadium, named for Green Arrow co-creator George Papp.

White roses: This may be a stretch, but the white roses that Thea leaves at Oliver & Robert’s gravesite may have some subtle significance. White roses are often associated with innocence and purity. By leaving them at the graves, it could be symbolism for Thea losing her innocence – a theory backed up by the drugs she buys while visiting the memorial to her dad family.

Matthew Shrieve: Turns out Amanda Waller actually has a bossman, and it’s General Shrieve, played by the Beastmaster himself, Marc Singer. In comic books, he is leader of the Creature Commandos, a group of monsters/soldiers, but look for him to stick around on Arrow as Waller’s superior.

The Blacker the Canary: In a grieving rage, Quentin Lance spits out that he knows the masked vigilante out there is Laurel, and calls her the Black Canary, perhaps a jab that she is a darker and more evil perversion of what her sister did.

The other guy: When Oliver checks on the “other prisoner” in the Lian Yu prison, he’s looking for Captain Boomerang, who he and the Flash took down together.

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Hush Comics gives “The Return” a C- for its poor management of time and overall lack of progression. There were still some decent parts in the episode, but it relied too much on flashbacks to carry the story and sacrificed quality in the battle with Slade to make a point with Thea. It’s still better than Gotham, though.

 

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment.  They are credited to Dean Buscher and Diyah Pera.