Jessie Robertson review the twentieth episode of Arrow season 2…
To begin, there are 3 words you need to read very carefully before this begins: Spoiler, Bombs, Dropped!
Okay, that’s out of the way.. this appeared to be an episode about redemption from the previews. Roy, practically brimming with Mirakuru goes on a rampage through Starling City (although what exactly he was looking for/doing was never revealed). He was so hopped up on the stuff he couldn’t even form words. He gives the Arrow crew a run for their money, even nearly snapping Oliver’s leg in half. It’s suspected he’ll be after Thea and she finally finds out Roy’s been dealing with this for a while, and an even bigger kick in the pants, Oliver knew about it. More lies.
But, as I said earlier, BOMBS DROPPED! First off, Irresponsible Ollie got a girl preggos back seven years earlier. Laurel had one scene this week as young Laurel and man you almost feel sorry for her. Moira overhears Ollie lying and pulls the truth out of him. We see her as the more patient mother, willing to forgive, as we know at this point she’s neck deep in corruption. She assures Ollie she’ll take care of it and she does, paying the unknown mother a hefty $2 million prize to get out of town and take Ollie off the hook. So, he has a kid out there somewhere, granted only about 7 years old but don’t think that won’t come back up, probably as he’s in a really happy place.
Again, Moira takes center stage in this episode, from dealing with “her first grandchild” as she calls the unborn baby, to cementing her place in the campaign (to give Thea something to be proud of her mother for) to informing Ollie “I know.” And she meant “I Know.” The scene was startling and I thought both of them pulled it off marvelously. Not a lot was said and wasn’t needed to be except she was proud of her son and he, again, backed her on her mayoral race. Almost as if they were going to tag team crime and corruption in Starling from both angles.
Then, more bombs: Slade (who had been quiet this episode) struck like a mack truck and organized a fenderbender into the Queen family limo; when they awoke, Ollie was having flashbacks to the Island and saw two women he cared about tied up and Slade standing over him, asking him to make a choice. This was evil poetry at it’s finest and may have been Slade’s best moment as a bad guy, even making reference to Shado behind him instructing him what to do. Ollie begs him to kill him instead, but Slade will have none of it. Moira stands up and tells Slade to take her instead, and leave her children; he’s impressed with her courage… right before he drives his sword through her chest. The episode ends with the Queen family down another parent and the blood drained from Moira’s face.
A hell of an episode and not one I saw coming; my early prediction for the season was Sara would be the one to die but they threw us a curveball and took out a character I thought would be around for a long time. It doesn’t seem like it, but a lot happened in this episode and now it feels like Slade has to die to get a proper revenge after this act. Three more episodes left until the season finale and it’s been a hell of a ride.
Jessie Robertson
Originally published April 24, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
