This Is Your Sword Plot Summary:
After deciding Oliver (Stephen Amell) was lost last week, Team Arrow is skeptical when Malcolm (John Barrowman) explains that his behavior is all part of their plan to keep Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) from destroying Starling City. While Diggle (David Ramsey) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) are convinced after seeing the effects the Alpha and Omega virus had on Hong Kong five years ago, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) refuses to believe Malcolm until Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) intervenes. Back in Nanda Parbat, Nyssa (Katrina Law) tries to stop her marriage to Oliver by any means necessary.
This was a strange episode. It’s hard to judge it properly without seeing the finale to understand its full context within the season. That said, some great stuff happened last night.
Shockingly, the most satisfying part was Thea (Willa Holland) and Roy’s rekindled romance. Roy was rarely an asset to the show, but time, distance and Colton Haynes’s scruffy face and newly-hairy chest reminded me how much I used to like him. Back in Season 1, I almost quit Arrow because the storytelling was so dismal. But then Haynes was cast and I decided to wait until his first episode to see if the show improved. That episode, “Dodger,” was the turning point (more for establishing the Team Arrow dynamic than Roy’s parkour) and I’ve been hooked ever since. That said, I’m glad Roy sacrificed their love so Thea can become a vigilante (Speedy!). So thanks, Colton, for making me stick around long enough to see this show get good. Now never come back.
Malcolm Merlyn should also never return after this season. Felicity might have been at peak denial in not believing him about Oliver or the Alpha and Omega, but she ended up being totally right about what an untrustworthy scumbag he is. It’s highly improbable outing Oliver as faking to Ra’s was part of their plan and while he likely has some self-righteous justification for doing it, it doesn’t matter. Despite repeatedly claiming that he loves his daughter, Malcolm hasn’t done a single thing this season that didn’t benefit himself first and foremost. The character is irredeemable and the show needs to stop pretending he isn’t.
Ra’s al Ghul is pretty much in the same position, though I adore what Nable has done with the character. I’ve seen a lot of people online get very furious about the idea of a father forcing his lesbian daughter into marrying a man, but Ra’s is a villain, what do you expect? He has done some truly horrible things this season, but the scene where he made Oliver and Nyssa sit down together for dinner and gushed about how he couldn’t wait for her to bear Oliver’s children was probably the most twisted thing the show’s ever done. It was totally repellant and the only satisfying end would be for his daughter to kill him.
Speaking of Nyssa, she was the strong, brave, complex hero she’s always been in defying her father at every turn. Trying to stab Oliver mid-wedding was badass even if she ultimately failed. Katrina Law has been an asset to the show since her first appearance and I’ll pray to whatever god I have to if it means she survives the season and becomes a regular next year.
Oliver’s actions, meanwhile, were far less admirable. I would have liked if he’d actually been brainwashed, but perhaps it’s more interesting that he’s done all this with full knowledge of what he’s choosing. From the beginning, Oliver has sacrificed his desires for his cause (Laurel, running QC, close relationships with his friends and family, Felicity, etc.). With the exception of Thea working with Malcolm, the fallout of his decisions has been minimal. But by kidnapping Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) last episode, he seems to have irreparably damaged his relationship with Diggle, his very first ally. While it’s painful to watch these two “brothers” fight, it’s a great direction for their relationship. Even after confirming Oliver was faking, Diggle said Oliver had lost both his trust and respect—and he had every right.
Oliver’s biggest problem has always been keeping his motives secret from his allies and acting without their input, often to their detriment. If the show has proven anything, it’s that Oliver needs Team Arrow to truly be a hero. Without them, he’s borderline suicidal, both physically and emotionally. This season has been about answering one major question: how much is Oliver willing to give up for his cause? The episode’s brilliant final montage showed that he was not only willing to sacrifice his heart and marry a woman he doesn’t love, but also his friends’ lives. While the promo for the finale and the fact that nobody was bleeding from the mouth like Akio (Brandon Nomura) made it clear Team Arrow would live to fight another day, that may not matter. Oliver likely knew his friends weren’t being given the virus, but he has treated them so poorly this season that he may deserve their trust anymore. He is going to need to evolve big time in the finale. Is it Wednesday yet?
Rating: 7/10
https://youtu.be/iuS8ij1Jt8o
