Written by Marisa Carpico
Plot: After a mysterious archer kills Sara (Caity Lotz), Team Arrow and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) are desperate to avenge her death.
I need a drink, Arrowheads, what about you? That was one of the most emotionally taxing episodes of any show that I’ve ever sat through—and I loved it.
“Sara” was one of Arrow’s classic table-setting episodes. While these installments are frequently some of the show’s worst –take “City of Blood,” part one of last season’s three-part finale as proof – this episode really worked. Typically, the issue with these set-up episodes is that they have too much plot and not enough character work. Last night’s episode, however, struck the perfect balance. The action scenes and story provided a welcome break from the devastating sadness of watching the characters process Sara’s death. While the full cast turned in really solid performances, two in particular were really effective.
The first was Emily Bett Rickards. Whether it was Felicity’s borderline hysteria at seeing Sara’s body or her quiet reflection when she remembers how much she admired Sara’s strength — Rickards sold the idea that the team hadn’t just lost a valuable fighter but a friend. Her fragile emotional state, always threatening to break into full-on sobbing, gave the episode a really raw feeling of loss and hurt that contrasted nicely with the male characters more stoic reactions.
However, the episode’s real standout was Katie Cassidy. I’ve had trouble connecting with Laurel in the past, but last night was perhaps the actress’s best episode. Laurel has had many occasions to express her anger in the past, but never has it felt so justified. There was something cathartic in watching her try to avenge her sister’s death and struggle to find an outlet for her sense of helplessness.
Perhaps her most effective moment was Laurel’s outrage during the funeral. It seems wrong that all Sara Lance gets for the world to remember her by is a secret burial in a grave known only to a few. She was a girl who survived horrible circumstances and came out the other end a hero. She deserved to be recognized for that on a larger scale. Maybe Laurel can make that happen by taking up her mantle. Despite earlier reservations, I can’t wait to see her channel her desire to make Sara’s death mean something into becoming a hero in her own right. And that she’ll do it despite Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) disapproval is especially exciting.
Oliver has always tried to control the actions of the people around him. The Arrow has always been his battle, his burden, but this season he’ll be forced to realize that he isn’t the only one with a right to fight for justice. As much as he might try to retreat into himself and away from the friends he’s made, he has to live and for the first time, he’s realizing that maybe he wants to despite the risks.
http://youtu.be/6XhLauGqmjo
That final moment when he told Diggle he didn’t want to die down in the Verdant basement (a direct response to Felicity’s accusation that that’s exactly what he wants), showed that he’s already well on his way. The Oliver we met in the pilot never would have been capable of that type of introspection and watching him decide to embrace that desire to live throughout the season is going to be fascinating.
I suppose I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that other things happened this episode too. Felicity went back to QC to work under Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), Thea (Willa Holland) was revealed to be well on the road to becoming a bad ass. While I am genuinely excited about those and the other stories the episode set up for the season; it’s a little hard to focus on a possibly bright future when all of our characters are so hopeless right now. This show has always been dark, but this episode is probably the darkest it’s been since the beginning.
Right now, I need to do a little more grieving for one of the best characters this show is ever likely to produce. So come and meet me at the bar and raise a glass to Sara Lance, the best shark-loving lady assassin who ever lived. I’ll be the one in the corner repeatedly muttering the words “Lazarus Pit” and weeping over a bunch of empty glasses.
Rating: 7 out of 10
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