No full recap this week, but our regular The Flash recapper Matt Kelly and I had a discussion about all things Flarrow that should be posted later this week. Until then, here’s where Arrow Death Watch stands after the crossover.
The Unlikely but Possible Choice: John Diggle (David Ramsey)
Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) bodyguard/partner didn’t have much to do during the crossovers, but he made the most of his limited screen time. The moment when he retched after Barry (Grant Gustin) supersped him out of danger was a highlight of both episodes. Still, he was my first guess to be in the grave after the season premiere and his death would still have a big impact—it’s just that other deaths would have an even bigger impact. For example…
The It’s So Obvious It’s Impossible Choice: Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards)
You guys, we can’t keep having this conversation. There’s no way.
The Wishful Thinking Choice: Harrison Wells of Earth 2 (Tom Cavanagh)
If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have picked Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes). While I still think he’s deeply obnoxious, his romance with Kendra (Ciara Renée) occasionally warmed my cold, dead heart and I even laughed at his push-ups line last night. Wells, however, is like the Malcolm Merlyn of The Flash, except he’s not deliciously villainous. He’s just a hostile d-bag. Realistically, there’s no way Oliver would shed a single tear if Harry Wells died. They’ve never even met. So, my real wishful thinking choice is Laurel Lance, who seems less vital to the show than ever.
The Possible but Unlikely Choice: Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne)
Quentin didn’t appear in the crossover except by name, but he’s still in the mix death-wise. He’s the safe choice for the show. His death would affect Oliver and might make Laurel turn to the bottle again, but the show could go on relatively unchanged.
The Definitely in the Grave Choice: Thea Queen (Willa Holland)
She’s been my #1 guess for a few weeks now and Malcolm’s threat to come after Oliver if his “stubbornness” gets Thea killed makes it even more likely. That said, I really hope it isn’t Thea. She was so playful and snarky in The Flash‘s half of the crossover and she’s a much more valuable part of Team Arrow than Roy (Colton Haynes) ever was. Still, she’s the best choice for Oliver’s character development short of…
The It’s So Horrible I Don’t Even Want to Talk About It Choice: William
Stephen Amell’s performance in this episode was nothing short of excellent. Whether it was Oliver’s shocking optimism after Barry said they all died pre-time jump or his painful fight Felicity, the actor killed it. His scenes with and about Oliver’s newly-confirmed son, William, were perhaps his best in the show’s history. Having a relationship with his son is so important to him that he’s willing to hide it from the woman he one day hopes to marry, knowing full well that it could–and did in one timeline–destroy their relationship. Imagine how he’d react if that decision ruined that relationship and then he lost William anyway. Narratively, it would be incredible, but dear God it would be awful to watch. I don’t even think I can handle watching Felicity find out about Oliver’s lie again, let alone that.
