Arrow S05 E11: Second Chances

We open this episode of "Arrow" three years ago in Central City, the night of the particle accelerator explosion that created the Flash and dozens of other metahumans. Some thugs have kidnapped and are torturing two cops, one of them, Tina Boland, was spotted at the end of our last episode demonstrating sonic powers like the Black Canary of the comics. One guess how she got that way.

In the present Team Arrow is looking for a replacement for the late Laurel, a new Black Canary. No matter how awesome the candidates the others come up with, Oliver shoots them down, saying they're not up to the impossible standard Laurel set. Seriously, folks, was Laurel that good? I mean really, if we're being honest, there were episodes where she didn't even appear or speak, let alone suit up and fight.

Finally Curtis brings up an urban legend with sonic powers, Tina, who's kicking ass and saving lives. The only thing she doesn't have is blond hair, but one could fix that with a wig, just like in the comics. That's cool and all, but to make her a blonde... isn't that a bit weirdly obsessive? Just saying.

While Felicity meets a hacker groupie and Flashback Oliver gets help against Kovar from the Batman-less Arrowverse's version of Talia Al Ghul, the rest of Team Arrow pursue Tina Borland to Hub City. She wants nothing to do with joining Green Arrow's little club to replace his dead girlfriend.

While there and taking steady burger breaks, the three heroes - Green Arrow, Wild Dog, and Mr. Terrific - not wanting to take no for an answer get mixed up in Tina's war on drug lord Sean Sonus, who killed her partner. Sonus also received metahuman powers from the particle accelerator explosion, to create vertigo in his victims. In the comics, he's known as Dischord, and in the Arrowverse, he's actually the third or fourth meta to have that power, after Count Vertigo and the Top.

In the end, Tina kills Sonus, presumably ruining her chances to join Team Arrow, and yet does any way, revealing her real name is Dinah Drake, the actual maiden name of the Golden Age Black Canary in the comics. Per the episode title, she gets a second chance.

Elsewhere, John is seemingly exonerated using information obtained from the hacktivist group Helix. And Flashback Oliver is given the tools to create his Arrow identity by Talia. New beginnings.

For my other reviews of the entire "Arrow" series, click here. And if you'd like to discuss this episode, anything else in the Arrowverse, or anything in the Marvel or DC television or cinematic universes, please join the Marvel DC Movies TV group on Facebook.

Next: Bratva!