Arrow clearly established in its premiere that the nostalgia-driven storylines merged with Crisis on Infinite Earths progression can make for winning results. "Welcome to Hong Kong" further reinforces that statement by piling on more action and drama as it returned to a pivotal season three conflict.
I approached this episode with slight trepidation though. Season three's flashbacks were some of the more forgettable and bland elements of the show in general. Inevitably, some recycled plot points from that era didn't translate flawlessly here, but thankfully there were more compelling character interplays that helped smooth those areas over.
Katie Cassidy's Earth-2 Laurel had what I consider to be one of her strongest outings yet. Seasons six and seven never managed to bring her the convincing redemption storyline she needed so desperately. With the destruction of her universe, the seeds have finally been sown for that to happen. Cassidy's acting was on-point. Fierce, desperate and ultimately sad with just enough hope left to fight another day for what is right.
Stephen Amell also delivered another fine performance. Oliver is now burdened by the loss of an Earth and his "family" over there. His distrust of The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) only makes sense, but is justified by the core reason he fights so hard to get what the cosmic god wants. His family.
The episode was also brimming with callbacks to season three, including the return of a critical plot device and not one, but two classic characters making one last appearance. One of them was of course Rila Fukushima's Katana. Though her role relatively minor, she helped bring out the emotional notes the episode needed to hit.
As far as action goes, "Welcome to Hong Kong" continues the insanely fast-paced, brutal set pieces that "Starling City" put together. The fights still feel fresh and visceral, with Antonio Negret (a director with a particularly good action resume) capably and stylishly tracking each punch and kick, with some subtle choreography and location nods to past Hong Kong fisticuffs.
One major weakness were the flash-forwards. Charlie Barnett's JJ and Joseph David-Jones's Connor Hawke had their rather compelling brother moment, but nothing else that happened in the future mattered in any major way. No action, no serious plot progression or team building. Arrow has struggled with this story arc since the mid-point of season seven and it needs to find a concrete purpose for future Team Arrow.
"Welcome to Hong Kong" is a superb sophomore chapter in Arrow's final run. While it's return to an uninteresting point in the show's history may warrant skepticism, the emotional weight of the premiere and the looming Crisis carries the episode through without a hitch, with top-notch performances from the main cast. The return of familiar faces and cool action scenes bolster it further, but the show needs to fix these flash-forwards. And they better do it quickly.
I approached this episode with slight trepidation though. Season three's flashbacks were some of the more forgettable and bland elements of the show in general. Inevitably, some recycled plot points from that era didn't translate flawlessly here, but thankfully there were more compelling character interplays that helped smooth those areas over.
Katie Cassidy's Earth-2 Laurel had what I consider to be one of her strongest outings yet. Seasons six and seven never managed to bring her the convincing redemption storyline she needed so desperately. With the destruction of her universe, the seeds have finally been sown for that to happen. Cassidy's acting was on-point. Fierce, desperate and ultimately sad with just enough hope left to fight another day for what is right.
Stephen Amell also delivered another fine performance. Oliver is now burdened by the loss of an Earth and his "family" over there. His distrust of The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) only makes sense, but is justified by the core reason he fights so hard to get what the cosmic god wants. His family.
The episode was also brimming with callbacks to season three, including the return of a critical plot device and not one, but two classic characters making one last appearance. One of them was of course Rila Fukushima's Katana. Though her role relatively minor, she helped bring out the emotional notes the episode needed to hit.
As far as action goes, "Welcome to Hong Kong" continues the insanely fast-paced, brutal set pieces that "Starling City" put together. The fights still feel fresh and visceral, with Antonio Negret (a director with a particularly good action resume) capably and stylishly tracking each punch and kick, with some subtle choreography and location nods to past Hong Kong fisticuffs.
One major weakness were the flash-forwards. Charlie Barnett's JJ and Joseph David-Jones's Connor Hawke had their rather compelling brother moment, but nothing else that happened in the future mattered in any major way. No action, no serious plot progression or team building. Arrow has struggled with this story arc since the mid-point of season seven and it needs to find a concrete purpose for future Team Arrow.
"Welcome to Hong Kong" is a superb sophomore chapter in Arrow's final run. While it's return to an uninteresting point in the show's history may warrant skepticism, the emotional weight of the premiere and the looming Crisis carries the episode through without a hitch, with top-notch performances from the main cast. The return of familiar faces and cool action scenes bolster it further, but the show needs to fix these flash-forwards. And they better do it quickly.