Arrow S05 E23: Liam Yu

We have a very interesting season finale here, familiar in that it's an army of villains against an army of heroes, but unique in that this time it's happening on Liam Yu, Purgatory, what I have always jokingly called Flashback Island - where this all started, at this point, a decade ago.

That is worth mentioning, because at the start of the sixth season in a few months, it is likely the flashbacks will end, unless they shift to another character.  With my guess on next season's big bad, Felicity might easily slip into the flashback character role. 

In the bad guys' corner, holding most of Team Arrow hostage, we have the Black Siren, Artemis, Talia Al Ghul, and the League of Assassins under the command of this season's main baddie, Prometheus.  Against them, Oliver has gathered Malcolm Merlin and Nyssa Al Ghul, and in the final seconds of the last episode, asked Deathstroke for help. 

We open just seconds after that, answering immediately questions I had last time.  There is staff, and Oliver is taking Captain Boomerang too.  Deathstroke is apparently blaming his evilness and bad blood with Oliver on the mirakuru.  Are they planning a Deathstroke spin-off maybe?  That's where my head went first. It appears bygones are bygones, both villains are freed, Desthstroke is rearmed, the new team is go. 

The first chance he gets, at the first encounter, Digger Harkness switches sides.  Slade Wilson turns the tide.  No one is happy, least of all Thea, but Malcolm is in charge of getting some of them away while Oliver, Slade, and Nyssa continue the hunt.  Another question answered when we're shown Rene is also a prisoner. 

This episode has a lot in it, they threw everything and the kitchen sink in this one.  It's got double crosses, honor among thieves, and the final flashback fight against Kovar as well.  A nice touch was the present day Oliver and company walking past the long dead skeletal Kovar.  There's Nyssa vs. Talia, and Black Canary vs. Black Siren, and Oliver vs. Prometheus.  With the island rigged to explode if Chase dies, Oliver refuses to kill him, even if he killed his son. 

Speaking of explosions, Merlin sacrifices himself on a landmine to save Thea.  He takes Harkness with him and it happens offscreen so don't place bets.  But that is how this ends, with uncertainty, the ultimate cliffhanger.  Oliver saves his son, and Chase shoots himself, just like Oliver's father did in the very first episode.  The island blows up, taking the rest of the cast with it.  Roll credits. 

Yeah, I know, it sucks.  Here is what we know about season six however.  The entire cast sans John Barrowman (so I guess Merlin did die) returns.  The flashback will all involve how and if each character escaped from the island.  Not happy.  The least satisfactory season finale I've seen in a while.  That's "Arrow" for you, a big old sack of suck.  I may or may not be back for season six after this ending. 

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.