So, I have a confession to make. I kind of thought this show was going to be a silly yet fun romp that would give us some great ab shots and maybe be fun for a season or two. It turns out, this show has some really clever writing and more than a few exceptional performances. This isn’t Smallville. This is something new.
After five episodes, I have to say that Arrow has hit the mark.
We left off last week with Oliver getting busted for being a crazy-sexy arrow-wielding kung-fu-fighting vigilante. Oliver’s response to the allegations was along the lines of, “Dude, would I risk this face fighting crime?”
Oliver wants Laurel to defend him. I think this decision is based mostly on the fact that it will cause Inept Inspector Lance (her daddy) to blow a gasket. Oliver may have learned mad martial arts skills on Magical Ninja Island, but he’s still a punk-ass at heart.
Speaking of Magical Ninja Island, we finally got some real movement on that story. Mr. Miyagi, the guy who shot Oliver to save him and taught him to kill defenseless animals because they’re nummy with barbecue sauce, takes him on a little hunting trip. Oliver ends up getting caught by some bad guys who want to know where Mr. Miyagi is. Oliver surprises them (and me) by refusing to give up that information.
So they bring in Deathstroke to do awful things to him. Damaging a body like that is like ripping up the Mona Lisa. I mean, seriously. Is nothing sacred?
Mr. Miyagi rescues Oliver and is seriously impressed that Ollie didn’t give him up. He gets Oliver to the safety of their club house and then blockades him in with a landslide. No idea how Oliver is supposed to get back out again, but I’m sure Mr. Miyagi has a plan.
Back in the modern day plot, Laurel decides to help Ollie because, well, who could say no to that face? She gets him sent home with a mere fifteen million bail and an ankle bracelet.
Once there, Oliver sets plans in motion for a huge party to mock his jailbird status. I have to say, Amell is getting better and better at pulling off the irresponsible party boy.
Digg is amused by how deep the crap is that Oliver has landed himself in. His “I told you so” speech is cut short by Oliver’s unexpected “This was all part of my plan” announcement. Digg is shocked, but not as much as I am.
Oliver knew the camera would catch him grabbing the Arrow costume. He explains to Digg that sooner or later someone would realize the vigilante got started right after Oliver returned to Starling City. So Oliver got himself arrested just so he could permanently throw suspicion off himself.
And suddenly I feel stupid for shouting at the TV when Oliver pulled his crime-fighter outfit out of the trash bin two episodes ago. I’m not sure what this says about modern TV writing, but I honestly don’t expect there to be any actual reason for a character to do something stupid.
Oliver isn’t the only one with a little cleverness. Walter Steele isn’t sure why his wife had her dead husband’s sunken ship salvaged, but until he finds that out, he wants the whole thing secured somewhere else. I find myself really interested in his character and eager to find out more about him.
Another intriguing character is John Barrowman’s unnamed but devilishly handsome villain. He seems to be some sort of puppeteer, pulling the strings of the other powerful people of the city, but other than that, he’s a mystery.
Mommy Dearest and he have a chat about the allegations that Oliver is the psychopath with the List of Doom. Moira thinks the allegations are ridiculous, but the Well-Dressed Man is not so certain. That spells trouble for our hero.
All of the pieces are falling into place for Oliver’s plan. He’s the guest of honor at a huge party, thus giving him the perfect alibi should someone spot the hooded vigilante elsewhere. He passed the polygraph he took with Inept Inspector Lance. And Laurel totally wants to do him.
Knowing that Oliver was tortured on the island melts her stone cold heart. And I have to say, this week Katie Cassidy really amped up her performance. For the first time, I actually felt the emotions she was portraying.
Digg finds out what his part of the whole plan is. Oliver wants him to dress up as the Arrow and stop an illegal arms deal across town. Digg is totally on to him and can see that this was what Oliver had planned all the way back to revealing his secret identity to him.
He doesn’t mind helping. He makes that clear. He also makes it clear that Oliver had better never ever try to play him again or there will be spankings. He might not have used the word “spankings” but it was definitely implied.
Walter finds out the guy he tasked with moving the yacht died in a mysterious accident. He’s so suspicious that he outright confronts Mommy Dearest (h/t Miz Liz) with the information and flat-out accuses her of hijinks.
Susanna Thompson, who is outstanding as Moira Queen, begs Walter to drop it and I am totally convinced she means it. She knows what the Well-Dressed Man will do if Walter digs too deep and she doesn’t want him hurt.
Walter? Not too happy finding out he’s married to someone so sneaky and dishonest.
A new snag in Oliver’s plan comes in the form of a hired gunman sent to kill him. They tussle and Oliver is just such a bad-ass and it’s awesome and then the bad guy is shot dead.
Inept Inspector Lance to the rescue! With a look of, “Ha! I knew I was right!”
Only it doesn’t help him. Eyewitnesses place the Green Arrow across town thanks to Digg and his awesome self. So Oliver is off the hook. Inept Inspector Lance is now more sure than ever that he’s right, but he knows he’s beat so he concedes. But he’ll probably ignore his massive caseload so he can prosecute this vendetta.
We get one more scene with Laurel that made me laugh. She starts in on Oliver about how he may have fooled the polygraph which means he could have been lying about all kinds of things and what really happened on Magical Ninja Island anyway?
Oliver counters with Sad Puppy Eyes of Sadness and tells her that he doesn’t want anyone to know how broken he is. Her tirade falls apart and she visibly melts before the power of his manly vulnerability.
Mommy Dearest has a second chat with Well-Dressed Man where she explains she knows what he did and that should he endanger her family again, she will get Medieval on his ass. He doesn’t look concerned.
The show ends strong with a fantastic voiceover by Digg who patiently tries to explain to Oliver that he’s in way over his head and there is damage being done he isn’t even aware of. Oliver shrugs off those concerns and heads off to murder that arms dealer.
As my scientific Excite-O-Meter shows, this episode has brought me back to full excitement. I am throbbing with love for this show right now.
How was it for you?
