Last night’s episode of Arrow was one of the most anticipated episodes of the whole season, with press and producers promising big revelations and cliffhangers, but did it live up to the hype? The short answer is: to be determined.
It seems that the show is trying to get away from the usages of secrets as some of these characters are finally starting to get all the cards on the table. Thea, who learned last week that she had been drugged by Malcolm to murder Sara, decided to not follow her brother’s advice and told Laurel the truth as it was killing her emotionally.
When we talked to Willa Holland last summer at Comic-Con, she promised that viewers were going to love Thea’s arc this season, and she wasn’t kidding. This character just continues to become a stronger character in each episode and has come so far since the first season as the problematic drug-addicted little sister. Also, praise to Laurel for not freaking out at Thea and being able to keep herself emotionally stable by telling her that it wasn’t Thea’s fault, because honestly, we didn’t need that type of drama.
However, there was some tension between Oliver and Laurel in this episode, as Laurel reminded us once again that Oliver does have some serious personality issues. I understand that he just wants to look out for her, but at this point in his life after everything that has happened, the character needs to realize that he can’t keep assuming he knows what’s best for others. In addition, lies have only caused more problems than they have helped.
While every show needs some drama, Arrow‘s lies and secrets were quickly becoming one of the show’s weaknesses, so the less we have of them, the better the dynamics on the show can be because there have been an overwhelmingly amount of unnecessary fights this year. It was heartbreaking though to hear Laurel say “I can’t remember a time when I was actually in love with you,” as I really want that Black Canary and Green Arrow romance to happen one day, which it probably will.
Olicity fans are still probably recovering from last night as Felicity got into bed with good ol’ Ray, as he was working hardcore on his A.T.O.M. project. While I do think Oliver and Felicity have great chemistry because of Amell and Rickard’s interactions, I have never wanted to see them in a romantic relationship. Seeing Felicity getting together with Ray feels a lot more enjoyable as they are better fit for each other. It’s one thing to have good chemistry with each other, but if the characters are way too different from one another, then the chemistry has no point at all because it just won’t work.
While it’s too early to say what it’s going to be like for Ray being out there as a hero, the suit does look great in action. Although I couldn’t help but feel that it was a little bit similar to the first Iron Man movie, but nonetheless, it was really cool. It will be even more interesting to see how The Atom will be played when he (along with Felicity) stops by The Flash in Episode 18.
“Nanda Parbat” focused a lot on, well, Nanda Parbat which is a place I have been dying to see more of since the name drop in Episode 16 of Season 1. I don’t really question Thea for reaching out to Ra’s to get protection in exchange for giving up Malcolm to the League of Assassins, because it’s understandable: look at what he did to her! I do enjoy that Roy was able to be there for her as he, more than anyone else on this show, knows what it feels like to have accidentally killed someone while being controlled by a substance. Colton Haynes has been so well used this season and as the big Roy Harper fanatic that I am, it makes me very happy to see the strength in both his hero side as well as the man himself. It was great though to see more of Ra’s al Ghul as I still feel I have so much more to learn about this incarnation of the character. Also, it’s never bad to have more Nyssa on this show as Katrina Law is nailing that role every time she is on screen.
This is going to sound really weird, but even though we had more of Malcolm’s presence than we have had so far in the season, I still feel it wasn’t enough. His scene with Ra’s was brilliant, though, as the character, for the first time ever, actually showed some fear and desperation. As Oliver and Diggle (who need to go on more missions together, just the two of them) go to Nanda Parbat to rescue Malcolm, they do run into a trap as Ra’s was expecting them both. The final scene between Oliver and Ra’s is where we get the episode’s promised cliffhanger.
Instead of killing Oliver (again), Ra’s tells him that he wants to make Oliver the next Ra’s al Ghul as he has shown strength and the capacity that is needed to be the leader of the League. I will give the show props for giving us one heck of a twist for a cliffhanger as I didn’t see it coming at all, so that’s the positive part of it. The downside for me is that this wasn’t the type of “big surprise” I was hoping to see, as I wanted something completely different on a whole bigger level. It didn’t make me excited or upset, just genuinely confused, which I guess is the sign of a successful episode, because it does make me want to know more as soon as humanly possible.
Despite my nitpicks, “Nanda Parbat” did live up to its hype in, as it had a lot of suspense, tension, and action, which was one of my favorite parts of the episode. I’m very much looking forward to the next episode, as it seems it will show Oliver making some big decisions, Nyssa and Laurel bonding, and so much more.
Arrow returns with new episodes on Wednesday March 18th, 8/7c on The CW.
[Photo via The CW]
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