Jessie Robertson reviews the fifteenth episode of Arrow season 5…
In it’s fifth season, Arrow still finds time to talk about social issues that still prevail in society today; it’s another reason why this season has really picked up since last year. Tonight’s Arrow isn’t about a villain of the week or the latest secret kept within the group; its a PSA about gun violence and it does it’s damnedest in a Hollywood liberal world to show both sides. A few seasons ago, we got an episode highlighting the past of Floyd Lawton, more well known as Deadshot, who was essentially a soldier coming home from war who needed help adjusting to becoming a civilian again. It wasn’t as well paced or political as tonight’s episode but it had a simple message that tonight’s episode echoes: just be aware this issue exists and it exists around you , whether you know it or not.
I have my own opinions, as does everyone on this issue, so I’ll try not to let them influence what we discuss today. A man dressed as a delivery person enters Star City Hall and shoots up the place with a bag full of weapons, injuring many (including DA Chase) and killing 7 others. Ollie manages to swipe the murder weapon and for the lone time in the episode, gets in costume to shake down a thug from the Bertinelli family (shoutouts to season 1). That ends in death for that street thug as we see Vigilante (fresh from the hospital) take him down. That’s one perspective; DA Chase was shot so he takes matters into his own hands. Oliver takes a different approach and is well aware of the irony , saying we often resort to violence to get the job done. But, as Quentin and Thea tell him, this needs the Mayor , not the vigilante hero. So, Oliver goes to work and with some help from Felicity and her magic drive, they find the shooter is a man who recently lost his whole family to gun violence and the City Council recently turned down a gun ordinance law making it more difficult to own a gun. The pieces fit.
In the midst of this, Curtis and Rene are arguing back and forth on the topic; Curtis would love to see stricter gun control laws, especially being a young black man, a seemingly favorite target of gun violence, while Rene knows guns protect people and discourage gun violence because you can match the firepower. Quentin and several others quickly voice their opinion but in the end, the episode does a tremendous job showing both sides. We get Rene’s back story where we see him as a Dad trying to raise his daughter the best way he can; and despite his shady past, his wife’s drug habit is endangering that lifestyle. Rene is taking their daughter Zoe to a sports game that night and as usual, wants to pack his heat. His wife is against it. When they return home, she’s being held at gunpoint by her drug dealer and Rene has to quickly try to get his gun in his hands since he left it at home. He does and kills the man but not before tragedy strikes and his wife his shot dead. It cements his assuredness on the issue, as we later see his daughter has been taken from him and while he’s at his lowest point, the news shows the citizens of Star City and the Green Arrow taking down its oppressor Damien Dahrk to take back their lives. It’s a touching story and gives more detail to what the character of Rene is built upon.
Other stuff happens – John and Canary make nice and Oliver does some political maneuvering which all ends in a somewhat grandstanding final scene where Oliver talks down the killer Edlund from shooting up a hospital and turning himself in, but when he’s standing in the center of Star City at a candlelight vigil for the fallen, and his comrades and associates gathered close at hand, it’s a touching moment and it really burns the main issue here, one you cannot argue with no matter what side you fall on: guns kill and that is the tragedy. So whatever we can do, restrict access, background checks, registries, classes, making people feel safe, it must be done in the interest of saving lives.
8.5/10 – Arrow gets political – and it’s not bad
Other Notes
– Thea’s back! Yay!
– Oliver is for abortion rights and freedom of speech, he’s more left than I thought!
– Did I mention Thea’s back?
– This episode is very timely as well with the most recent attack in Canada; who would have guessed Arrow would hone in on this story?
Jessie Robertson
Originally published February 17, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
