User Reviews

At this point of the season, I'm no longer questioning if Arrow is back, but is it better than the first 2 seasons. In many ways it is, but I don't think it will ever capture that special feeling those first 2 season had. But if they were to, episodes like this one is helping that cause.

I think this is my favourite episode of the season. I'm struggling to make a list of things I didn't like about this episode and so far all I can find is the lack of Rene and Dinah, which I know their absence will most likely be cleared up next week. This is what I need from a second to last episode in a season that has been building so well for so long.

I really like how this episode started with the team celebrating Oliver's birthday and their victory over Chase. It's not often that we see the villain appear to be defeated prior to the end of the season so it was nice to see the what comes next for the team. Arrow has always been the darker show of the CW superhero line up, however it is always great when they have some light hearted moments with the team. This was one of those and I think it plays as a really nice contrast to the darker moment in this episode.

This episode shared a couple of parallels that Supergirl had in it's episode this week, however I felt that many of them were executed better by the Arrow writers. The re- introduction of Malcolm felt really natural as well as the return of Nyssa and Slade in the back end of the episode. A quick note on Slade, there was a lot of speculation as to whether it would be Manu Bennett on screen or just his voice, and I am so glad that we are actually seeing Bennett rather than a voice over a Deathstroke costume. Another parallel was Malcolm's speech about being human, which I thought hit a lot more emotional compared to the still really well delivered speech from Cat Grant.

While on the point of returns, we got a few more characters back into the fold. I have already mentioned Malcolm, Nyssa and Slade, but we also got Black Siren Laurel, Evelyn Sharp and Talia al Ghul in the present day story and preseason 1 Laurel and Yao in the flash backs. I thought all these returns were great because not only did they add into the story being told, but they are a great tip of the hat to the ups and downs of this series in it's 5 seasons.

Expanding on the flash backs, I really loved them this week. They were short and sweet but meaningful. Once this season is finished I want to go back and watch season 1 again with the context of knowing everything Oliver has been through in his 5 years away.

This episode did one thing specifically that I wanted it to nail and it did, and that is setting up for the finale. While I think the other 2 shows did a really good job setting up their finales this week, Arrow just blew it out of the water. We are in for a character showdown. And not only that, it is happening when this show all begun, Lian Yu.

Overall, I loved this episode. I've loved this season. If they nail the finale next week, I'm putting this season up there with some of the best seasons I have seen of any show in recent times. And if this episode is anything to go off, next week looks like a blast.

10/10

This season has just been an amazing roller coaster ride that really got intense with the big Chase/Prometheus reveal. The first part of the episode provided a great opportunity for Team Arrow to bond, enjoy Oliver's birthday party, and relax enough for the moment while Chase was behind bars. As enjoyable as it was to see the team bonding, they were also in a sleep state, so that Team Prometheus was able to slowly capture/kidnap members of Team Arrow in such a sneaky and creepy way. Meanwhile, the flashback scenes were also amazing as Oliver was forced to remember the painful scars, deaths, and choices he made over those five years he was on Lian Yu/Hong Kong/Russia. He overcame the drug's effects that Kovar had injected him with, and finally had real motivation to make his journey back home to his family. The entire first half of the episode was all about putting pieces into place for the ultimate battle in the finale in present day.

Then the second half of the episode was not-stop thrilling suspense and action with the return of Malcolm Merlyn as Oliver's ally as Oliver must free Chase to keep his team members/family alive. Oliver will essentially be enlisting past villains to stop Prometheus and Prometheus' team. When Oliver learned that Chase had William, as well as his Team Arrow, this was definitely the turning point of this battle with Prometheus to hold no punches. This will be one explosive, epic battle! Go Oliver, Team Arrow, and Oliver's Villain Allies! This really felt like the first hour to a two hour movie. It really was just setting everything up for next week and about wrapping up the flashback sequences before the finale as well. The writers are doing an excellent job bringing all of this full circle.

Pros--great OTA scenes as well as Oliver/Quentin/Thea scenes. Great use of individual character skills/strengths with bringing back Merlyn and Nyssa for the epic Lian Yu battle. Amazing! Amazing overall story idea by having the bad guy kidnap all of Team Arrow and bringing them to Lian Yu where it all began for Oliver. Chase truly is a psycho who really researched his victim (Oliver). Evelyn the traitor and Talia are psychos in training as well. (can't wait to see how Team Arrow and the villain allies take them down).

Cons--was really hoping Roy Harper would be going to Lian Yu too to help Oliver and rescue Thea.

10/10

This entire season has been about the sins of Oliver's past and consequences he is facing now. Adrian Chase is now implementing his final moves to destroy Oliver. And he struck a nerve in Oliver as he had captured Oliver's son William. In the flashback, kovar injects a drug into Oliver, by causing him psychological pain. The drug tries to take over Oliver mind making him think that he endangers others because of him and his sins.

But Oliver's consciousness of his father's sacrifice for him and if he died ,his sacrifice would not have meant a thing, eventually overpowers his feelings of guilt because of his sins. Then heads out of the prison to kill Kovar and his men. Meanwhile in the present Oliver takes help from Malcolm merlyn, nyssa and is apparently going to ask Slade Wilson for help to fight adrian chase and his army on Lian Yu.

Looks like the flashback and the present are coming to a full circle on Lian Yu. So this episode was a good arc of how things are going to conclude and the fact that it is happening on Lian Yu makes it more interesting.

So what will happen in the finale... Will Oliver kill Adrian only to prove Adrian is right? Or will Oliver find another way and what way will it be?

Oh goody, Kovar and Malcom return. The writing is so stale.