Arrow S04 E06: Lost Souls

After the seriousness of past seasons, and especially this season so far, the old school scifi horror of Damien Darhk looking in at the shrunken Ray Palmer in a jar might seem childish, but let me assure you this would fit in quite nicely with the Silver Age Atom comics. As a matter of fact, this Doctor Cyclops vibe reminds me of the last couple episodes of "The Flash," because Doctor Light once trapped the Atom in a lightbulb.

Had things stayed in that vein of Silver Age goodness, I think this could have been a good episode. The only time it even came close was when Team Arrow (with two Black Canaries!) raided Kord Industries, but even that fizzled, without even a hint of Blue Beetle-ness. The episode never seems to want to commit.

Even with distractions like some weirdness and bad decisions on Flashback Island and the side plot of Felicity's mom in town - that last almost as bad as the sitcom-iness on "The Flash" last week. In the same vein, it looks like Felicity's mom and Laurel's dad are hooking up. As are Thea and the possible Dr. Davis. Let's not even get into the time wasted on Ollicity this week.

I wanted to like this episode a lot. I had high hopes when Green Arrow and Damien Darhk faced off momentarily, but again no real pay off. Ray is back, Sara is gone, and I was mostly bored. Bring back Constantine, bring back John Barrowman, do something, please.

Next: Pretty much more of the same, it looks like…


We really can't get here fast enough…

Arrow S04 E05: Haunted

I've never been all that much of a big fan of the Hellblazer comic. I can acknowledge its quality, but it was never really my thing. In the comics John Constantine is many things - magician, con man, antihero, cynic, detective, punk - full of snark and sarcasm making him a poster child for not only the grim and gritty 1990s, but for DC Comics' mature line, Vertigo Comics, or as I like to call them, comics for folks who hate superhero comics.

Honestly I only really kind of started to dig John Constantine when he was swept fully into the DC Universe in the New 52. I know I'm in the minority with that, but there are a lot of folks, who like me, really loved the NBC television series "Constantine." I was sad when it was canceled, and sadder that I wouldn't see more of the Spectre or see Doctor Fate, hinted at so often. You can imagine how thrilled I was to hear John Constantine, as played by Matt Ryan, was coming to "Arrow." And apparently based on ratings, I wasn't alone there either.

As we open, Sara is stalking the streets of Star City while Oliver settles in for his run for mayor. Thea introduces him to an Alex Davis, a political strategist. The name Davis has meaning in the Green Arrow mythos, from the criminal inventor Dr. Davis from back in the Silver Age to a name on The List back in season one. I have to wonder if it's a coincidence. Davis is trying to protect Oliver from controversies that might ruin his campaign in an upcoming interview with Bethany Snow.

And yes, that's a recurring name as well. News anchor for Channel 52, she's appeared several times before starting in "City of Heroes." In the comics she was not only under Brother Blood's control but also his voice in the media. I am sure we haven't seen the last of her.

Finally something interesting is happening on Flashback Island, it's where Oliver first meets John Constantine. He apparently is on the island looking for something, and Oliver helps him find it, saving Constantine's life while he's at it - setting up the favor owed in the present day. We may also have discovered how Oliver knew about the prison under the island. And is that the Orb of Ra that transformed Rex Mason into Metamorpho (or here and here)? Nope, Horus, wrong Egyptian God and artifact.

While Team Arrow clashes with mad soulless Sara, there are other subplots afoot. In a seemingly desperate attempt to tie up loose ends, Diggle and Quentin Lance are working for Darhk to erase computer files of military who have worked for H.I.V.E. Weak or badly planned, this one isn't doing it for me. It's like Curtis Holt being a Bronze Medalist in the decathlon. It's too easy, too convenient. And Ray Palmer's message from beyond, is this whole season of "Arrow" (and "The Flash" as well) just one big set up for "Legends of Tomorrow"?

As expected, Oliver calls in that favor from Constantine and together with Laurel, they go rescue Sara's soul from the other side. It's a good sequence that I wouldn't mind seeing again, a Green Arrow/Black Canary/Hellblazer team up. I dug it, more please. Is there any way that the CW could pick up "Constantine" for another season? It would be an awesome addition to your growing DC TV Universe... please?

Next: The search for Ray Palmer!

Arrow S04 E01: Green Arrow

How do you make a fanboy giddy? Easy. Make them wait three seasons of a Green Arrow television series before ever even uttering the words "Green Arrow" or "Star City." Finally, they're here.

Now, that said, the last episode of last season could have easily have been the end of the series. Starling City was protected. Malcolm Merlin was now the gentler and friendlier R'as Al Ghul. Arrow was no more. And Oliver and Felicity had driven off to Coast City to live happier ever after. But nothing ever stays happy and shiny in Starling City for long...

Nothing says domestic bliss like a smiling Oliver saying, "Felicity Smoak, you have failed this omelet." I'm not sure I care for Oliver having most of his tattoos removed either. Felicity is still having trouble convincing Palmer Technology she's a good replacement for Ray - who we all know is just shrunken, not dead.

I loved seeing the Black Canary and Mia, I mean Thea as Speedy try to stop a hijacked Kord Industries truck. I also loved Speedy wanting to called Red Arrow, and Diggle replying that "a red arrow just means you can't make a left turn." And then lo and behold, Diggle shows up in a costume(!). Is that T opening in his helmet supposed to remind us of Mr. Terrific? Interesting. All in all, as much as I enjoyed her debut here, Willa Holland is an unconvincing action heroine, unless of course she's acting like an untrained amateur. Which she is not.

Next we have the info dump of a town meeting. Starling is now Star City, and they can't keep a mayor, or even interest one because they keep getting killed. The latest person to decline is Walter Steele, who folks might remember as Oliver and Thea's stepfather. The city has a high speed rail line to Central City, and it's jokingly suggested they have a Flash Day. The baddies are the newest problem however, better and sleeker than regular criminals, they call them ghosts because they disappear into thin air, just like they did with Team Diggle in the last scene.

Just then they get a visit from the big bad of this season, Damien Darhk, chillingly played with the arrogant confidence of a veteran a-hole by Neal McDonough. You might know him from HBO's "Band of Brothers," or as Dum Dum Dugan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and on "Agent Carter," but here he is all villain. He wants this town council to just let the city die, to let his ghosts do their jobs, and he'll be in touch.

And then the ghosts start to off members of the city council, and that's just the first ten minutes of the episode. We all knew it was coming, Laurel and Thea go to Coast City (or is it Ivytown?) to rouse Oliver out of his "domestic life of tranquility and soufflés." Speaking of Coast City, flashbacks are back, but neither on the island nor Hong Kong. It's Coast City where the unreasonably thin Amanda Waller tries to coach Oliver in vigilantism. We all saw Hal Jordan's flight jacket in the bar, right?? No matter, he's quickly back to the island…

Much like the stubbornness obstacle in this week's season premiere of "The Flash," the grudge between Oliver and Diggle borders on ridiculousness. When faced with the task of saving your city, you put this kind of crap behind you. If you're going to live in a superhero world, you have to realize that certain pettiness is beneath you. To Oliver, Diggle, and even Barry, just grow up. You're wasting screen time.

As the reunited Team Arrow watches from the shadows, Damien Darhk punishes one of his ghosts by touching his chest and seemingly sucking the life force out of him. Afterward Oliver suggests this is mystical rather than metahuman. Possibly this is setting up the John Constantine appearance this season? I can't wait. Personally I was never really a big Hellblazer comics fan, but I dug the NBC show.

Team Arrow, featuring Oliver with a new suit and a new name, save the day from the exploding rail line, and they didn't even need help from the Flash - which I thought for sure was coming when I spied Grant Gustin's name in the opening credits - holy spoiler, Batman! The Flash does show up in a teaser scene several months later with Oliver swearing lethal vengeance in front of a grave Batman style. We don't see the grave, but is it Felicity? Thea? Diggle? Time will tell.

And while I try to ignore the obvious distraction of Oliver attempting to propose to Felicity, making her the obvious choice in the grave, it's the other ending of this episode that is really upsetting. Quentin Lance is cahoots with Damien Darhk. This is not good, and perhaps it means that maybe the disguised Larry Lance's time on this show is coming to an end? Surely they wouldn't off the super popular Felicity, right?

Arrow S03 E18: "Public Enemy"

As we saw in the last moments of the last episode, Starling City's mayor was shot in the chest by Maseo acting as the faux Arrow. And the next arrow is targeting Felicity. If that doesn't just scream cliffhanger, I don't know what does. Thankfully, because of my vacation, I only had to wait a few hours, unlike you fine folks sweating this one out for a week to find out what happened.

What happened is not good. The mayor is dead. Wow, mayor of Starling City is not a good job to have based on what we've seen the past few seasons. And Ray Palmer took an arrow to the chest to save Felicity, and is at the hospital in critical condition. In retaliation Lance issues a first-degree murder warrant on the Arrow, and reorganizes the anti-vigilante task force with shoot to kill orders if necessary. Bad times.

After extended chase scenes with the Arrow, Arsenal, and Black Canary on the run from the cops - fun but lengthy - R'as Al Ghul takes a hand in the fight. He first leads the police to them, and then does something even more sinister, something that leads Quentin Lance far closer to his doom. R'as reveals the Arrow's secret identity to him. Then, everything becomes clear to Lance.

When Laurel confronts her father, he turns the tables on her. He blames everything on Oliver and the Arrow, from Sara's death to the explosion of costumed maniacs and metahumans both in Starling and in Central City. He started it all, he's to blame. Lance goes on TV and tells what he knows. Police are everywhere, Oliver's identity, and the Arrowcave all compromised - this looks like the end.

Back in Flashback Hong Kong, as you might remember from a few episodes back, Oliver has run into Shado, or who has turned out to be her twin sister. The bad guys come after Oliver, Akio, and her, and they're saved by Maseo and Katana. Our Flashback lesson this episode is about the power of truth, as Oliver tells her that her sister and her father Yao Fei are gone. This is the lesson Oliver uses in the present day.

Oliver turns himself in to Captain Lance, along with a deal arranged by Laurel for immunity for the rest of Team Arrow. Let's not even discuss how unethical it is for Laurel to even be involved with this, but there it is. Lance is losing it, playing the blame game, and giving it to Oliver, when suddenly the Arrow gives himself up - and it's Roy.

Meanwhile Ray might have a blood clot in his brain. He's able to use, through some soap opera shenanigans with Felicity's mom, his own shrinking nanobots to cure himself. Wait, did I say shrinking? This is Ray Palmer after all! I guess the X-0 Manowar armor must have confused me. And then there's the old idea of Felicity having to make a choice between Oliver and Ray. Help, I'm drowning in soap, but at least Ray might be able to shrink away now.

"Arrow" has been suffering this season, perhaps suffering from what one might call SHIELD-itis. There's a lot of build up but very little pay off. I hope there's some coming soon. This is getting tiresome.

Next on "Arrow" in two weeks: "Broken Arrow!"

Arrow S03 E17: "Suicidal Tendencies"

I suppose with all the hype about the theatrical Suicide Squad movie coming out in the summer of 2016, it may have been time for the team's return on "Arrow," and what better timing than crashing the wedding of Diggle and Lyla, right?

The wedding is rather rushed, and awkward, as Ray Palmer (apparently a minister (!) "long story") is the officiant. Ray is Felicity's date, Nyssa is training Laurel, and due to R'as Al Ghul's masquerade, the Arrow is wanted by the police. It's from this background that Diggle and Lyla leave for their honeymoon, or do they?

The couple is needed to lead the Suicide Squad on a mission into Kaznia to rescue a corrupt US Senator. Kaznia, alternately spelled Kasnia, actually has a long history with DC Comics characters, but not in the comics, in the DC Animated Universe. The unstable Eastern European nation has featured in both the "Batman" and "Superman" animated series, was nearly taken over by Vandal Savage in "Justice League," and was even shown to still exist in the future time of "Batman Beyond." Besides Diggle and Lyla, this Suicide Squad also includes old favorite Deadshot and the still delusional Cupid.

Meanwhile back in Starling City, Oliver discovers it's not just one Arrow imposter, but several, including old friend Maseo. And Iron Man, ahem, I mean the Atom has discovered that the Arrow is actually Oliver Queen. This makes Ray's relationship with Felicity a bit dicey. And with Oliver as well. But once Ray has that one piece of information, the connections of all of Team Arrow fall neatly into place.

In lieu of Flashback Island and/or Hong Kong this episode, we look into Deadshot's past. His is a tragic story, and had he not died in this episode, this would have made an intriguing backdoor pilot. And really, with "The Flash," "Supergirl," "Vixen" and the untitled pilot with Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Hawkgirl, Rip Hunter, etc. (is "iZombie" part of this? I know it was published by DC Comics, but is it in continuity?) - might this be spreading things too thin?

The shame of this episode is that the titular plot, along with Deadshot's origin story, falls far short of being as interesting as the seeming subplot of Ray vs. Arrow. The fight between Arrow and Arsenal, and X-0 Man of War, um, I mean the Atom is very cool, and far too brief. I wanted more. No, what I really wanted was the Atom, not the A.T.O.M. or some armored hero rip-off. Give me the Atom, or don't bother calling the character that.

The senator in Kaznia is of note, as Joseph Cray was a particularly nasty bad guy in the Suicide Squad comic series, and his son Adam was one of the men who called himself the Atom over the years.

Next: With the mayor killed by an arrow, and Felicity in Maseo's sights, Team Arrow have become public enemies!

Arrow S03 E15: "Nanda Parbat"

Our opening this week, although brief, clears up a bit of a problem I've had with the character of R'as Al Ghul on "Arrow." The idea that he did not approve of the relationship between his daughter Nyssa and Sara, the first Canary, has always had a bit of an unspoken and icky anti-gay sentiment to it. Although a villain, it was always in my mind that R'as would be a bit more open minded, being immortal and all.

What is made clear in this short exchange between R'as and Nyssa is that yes, he did disapprove, but because he knew Sara would leave Nyssa (and him, and the League of Assassins) and hurt her. Also made clear is that R'as knows Oliver is alive, and that he did not kill Sara. Still, he must be dealt with. I also have to say that this opening is the first time that Matt Nable has made me believe he's R'as. He's good, but this is the first time he's struck me as that good.

The Arrowcave and the club have been fortified by Dig with A.R.G.U.S. tech, and given everyone inside a bit of time to catch up and get to know each other better for good or ill. Whether it's trading quips, training for battle, revealing even more secrets, or just the hostile environment caused by Malcolm's presence, it's just not pretty. I did love Malcolm's comment about Oliver bring a bow and arrow to a sword fight.

The thrust of the first half of the episode focuses on the mad obsession of Oliver's that Malcom train him to defeat R'as. Why is he so adamantly on Malcolm's side? As Dig says, there must be something to it, but Oliver is such a liar we'll never know it, until it's too late. When it does come up - while it's irrational male ego more than anything else - it makes more sense than 'trying to save Thea's soul.'

Laurel confronting Merlyn, followed by the assassins taking Merlyn, and Arrow fighting Nyssa are three excellent fight scenes in quick succession. For all the talking in the episode, this more than made up for it in the action column. I have to say however they are making much too fine a point on how good a fighter Malcolm is and how bad Laurel is. It's just not consistent.

Meanwhile Felicity has been distracted babysitting Ray Palmer. This A.T.O.M. suit sure is taking a long time to put together. Before his test flight I was beginning to wonder if we'll even see the Atom before he shows up on "The Flash" in "All-Star Team-Up." At least Felicity finally gets a real kiss from a bare chested man, even if it's not the bare chested man she really wants. I'm also starting to wonder what this Atom's powers are - he's more Iron Man or X-O than any version of the Atom. What I'm wondering now however is what the proposed spin-off pilot is about with the actors who've portrayed the Atom, Black Canary, Captain Cold, and Prof. Martin Stein…

What happens in "Arrow" this episode is that Malcolm is captured by R'as Al Ghul's forces, and Oliver and Diggle follow him back to Nanda Parbat. They're easily captured of course, but just when we think R'as will kill them, he instead makes an offer to Oliver. He asks him to become the next R'as Al Ghul. Now, despite various references to Bludhaven, it's been assumed that the Arrowverse is Batless. There are far too many bits from the Bat-family that have ended up here without a mention of the Batman for there actually to be a Batman. Of course that could be because of legal complications, but it still seems a stretch for R'as to groom Oliver just as he tried to with Batman. But then again, they did reconstruct the swordfight from Batman #244, so why not co-op the rest of the Batman/Demon story?

One last fun bit. William Shatner was live-Tweeting this episode the night it aired. Fun stuff, you can check out his feed here. Special thanks to super cool friend and fellow Biff Bam Pop! writer Leiki Vestimets for hipping me to it. You can check out the latest On… column at the site where she talks about "Saturday Night Live" here. And speaking of "Star Trek" and Biff Bam Pop!, please read our memorial of the late Leonard Nimoy here.

Back to the Arrowverse, I have more questions. Why does Oliver need Nyssa to tell him where Nanda Parbat is? Wasn't he there before? Isn't that where he faced R'as the first time? And after all the men that Oliver and Dig probably killed, how can R'as let them live? How can they live with themselves? I thought Oliver swore off killing.

Arrow returns March 18th, see you then...



And if you'd like to discuss this episode and anything else in the Arrowverse, please join the Arrow discussion group on Facebook.

Arrow S03 E11: "Midnight City"

With Oliver Queen once again thought dead, and new crime lord Brick having undone everything Team Arrow has worked for the last few months, things don't look good for Starling City. Its a good thing there's a new Canary on the streets - or is it?

With no Arrow and no original Canary, the vacuum is being taken advantage of by Brick. While Oliver recuperates in the Himalayas, Team Arrow confronts Laurel who is new to the mask business. She's not her sister, and she's going to get killed.

During a meeting to figure out what to do about Brick, the man himself shows up and kidnaps several aldermen. Laurel, Quentin, and Ray Palmer manage to take on a few of the gunmen and protect the mayor. Ray is not a good fighter, perhaps probing that the clothes do make the man as he quips to Felicity, "That's why I need a super-suit."

A later botched rescue attempt shows clearly how inept Laurel appears to be at this vigilante stuff, and Brick kills one of the aldermen as payment. This was the point where I started questioning the show. At first I thought did Ted Grant really do that bad a job training her? Then I wondered why Quentin couldn't tell that Canary was much taller than usual. Then I wondered why Brick would pull such a ham handed stunt when really, he already has control of The Glades?

Highlights included the gunfight in Flashback Hong Kong and a stronger Arsenal in Oliver's absence. I also liked Felicity growing a pair and getting her mojo back. Lowlights included the lack of fact checking. Pacemakers don't get recharged, they get replaced. Also the helicopter makes me roll my eyes. Why would Team Arrow leave the Arrowcave in The Glades to get a helicopter to fly back to Brick's hideout in The Glades?

The soap opera elements of the episode, just so we wouldn't forget we're watching the CW I suppose, revolved around the leaving/not leaving of Thea and Malcolm. It really feels like they don't know what to do with these characters and are struggling to keep them busy. At least the club kid Thea was playing kissy-face with months ago wasn't a fluke, he was a League of Assassins plant.

Notably many street names and city places are mentioned in this episode, none of them referencing creators from the comics. That's an easy homage that is missed. Oliver's magical length changing beard was also distracting. This was neither a strong episode nor a favorite one. Perhaps it's time for another Flash crossover to spark things up a bit.

Next: Uprising!

Arrow S03 E10: "Left Behind"

Oliver Queen is dead.

Yes, the Arrow is dead, and while this is new for television, in the comics, Green Arrow has been dead before. More than once. He's always gotten better. And seeing how Stephen Amell and his bare chest are the stars of this show, he won't be dead for long on TV either.

Here's the situation, quick and mostly painless, as I'll be glossing over the weak plot points and cliches as we go. While under Malcolm's mind control, Thea killed Sara. To keep the League of Assassins from killing Thea, Oliver takes the blame and is brought before R'as Al Ghul. In lieu of execution, Oliver challenges R'as to a duel, a trial by combat. It's a good fight for a moment or two until R'as stops toying with Oliver, puts his sword through his chest, and kicks him off a cliff. Yeah, baby, dead us dead. Or is it?

Meanwhile as we open on a chase scene in Starling City, Team Arrow is making the best of it without their leader. Diggle is in the Arrow suit (no mask) and Arsenal is taking point. I love the one bad guy's reaction to the young man in red, "I thought he was supposed to be green," and at Dig's bad aim, "I thought he was supposed to be good." Felicity is the only one of the three who believes Oliver is still alive. The bad news is that this Arrow-less Team Arrow is going up against Brick.

Brick is a 21st century Green Arrow foe from the comics. Danny Brickwell was a low level thug and enforcer who rose to crime lord status with his powers of super-strength and invulnerability. Played here by charismatic but typecast villain actor Vinnie Jones, Brick might not be a metahuman (jury is still out on that, did he take a bullet to the head?), but he's strong, resilient, and very intimidating. And he's killing or threatening witnesses, and stealing evidence from the police, giving him a sort of invulnerability.

The case against Brick is made even more difficult by a couple visits by Malcolm Merlyn to the Arrowcave (they gotta change the locks). He first suggests, then brings proof that Oliver is dead, finally shaking Felicity's faith. Not just shaken, broken. Felicity is of course playing double duty super-assistant to Ray Palmer as well. She brings her poopie party to that job as well and tries to shatter Ray's confidence, not maliciously, but possibly effectively.

Things do not go well. It was nice to Diggle go one on one with Brick, but hated to see him lose. Felicity loses her cool and second guesses herself, opting for the safety of the team over catching the bad guys. Brick now has a force of men to take over the Glades. This is not the ending any of us hoped for. Team Arrow in shambles and everyone they've caught since Deathstroke is now back on the street and under Brick's thumb.

The story in Flashback Hong Kong continues as Amanda Waller insists Oliver and Maseo go after China White and the bomb components as opposed to Tatsu/Katana. Of course it perhaps only serves to keep Stephen Amell on the screen in his own show that he's the star of. There may of course be a payoff in the flashback story this episode however.

We knew from advance press and Amell's own words that Oliver would not be resurrected via Lazarus Pit, which of course would be the first option when a character dies in a R'as Al Ghul story. So something else would have to happen. We had seen Tatsu's healing abilities earlier in the season, and as Oliver helped Maseo find her in Hong Kong - he is owed a debt. The debt is paid when we find that Maseo has stolen Oliver's body and Tatsu has revived him.

And then there's the new Black Canary. I guess we have to take what we get. I have never liked the casting of Katie Cassidy, and I like my Black Canaries curvy and in fishnets as opposed to lean and leathered. And the wig is so obviously a wig - I hate it - did she rob China White's closet? Perhaps I'm being too rash from a brief cameo, but we'll see. Time will tell.

Next: More of the new Black Canary, and the return of the Arrow in "Midnight City."



You can read all of my "Arrow" reviews here, and my Biff Bam Pop! reviews of "The Flash" here.

Arrow S03 E09: "The Climb"

Finally after seasons of teasing us with the League of Assassins, we get to see The Demon himself, R'as Al Ghul. I love that the previews are visually recalling that first duel between Batman and R'as from the classic 1972 Batman #244. I remember the issue fondly as it was my introduction to R'as, Talia, and the League of Assassins. And of course, the creators of that comic, Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, rebuilt Green Arrow from the ground up around that time as well.

As this is the mid-season finale, and made by the same folks as "The Flash," we should see some resolution and ongoing subplots end or collide. That's how it's been the last two years on "Arrow" and how it was earlier this week on "The Flash." After all, this isn't "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." "Arrow" delivers.

After delivering a 'package' to police headquarters, Arrow is captured by Nyssa and the League of Assassins and given an ultimatum. If you recall, Nyssa and the League had decided it was Malcolm Merlyn who killed Sara, and wanted to take him out. Arrow knew it wasn't him and defended him - to old R'as, this was an act of war, but Nyssa allowed him time to find the real killer. Unfortunately with a week off and a crossover with the Flash, Arrow hasn't had the time.

Nyssa says dad has a new deal. Find the killer in forty-eight hours or the League will start killing citizens of Starling City. This 'cleansing' of the city will be supervised by the assassin called Sarab, who Oliver knows better as Maseo, Katana's husband from Flashback Hong Kong. See what I mean about moving forward? Pay attention, Agents. And speaking of Flashback Hong, we get a bit more on Oliver's first clash with China White and her use of a super virus.

With only so much time, the search for Sara's killer is kicked into overdrive. So much progress is made with a clock ticking, I really can't help but think maybe Team Arrow wasn't really trying all that hard to find her killer before. I know that sounds harsh, but hey, look at the results here. It's more than a little embarrassing when you think about it like that.

Secrets that viewers have known for a while are out in the open to the characters involved. I told you things are moving forward. As it turns out, Sara might have been killed by... da da dum... Thea. Used by Merlyn, she, under his drug induced influence, killed Sara. It's his convoluted (even for a show based on a comic book) plan to get Oliver to fight and kill R'as Al Ghul, thus erasing any debts or bounties - like the one on Merlyn's.

As expected, to protect his sister from R'as, Oliver takes the blame, and challenges The Demon to a duel, a trial by combat - according to R'as, his first in sixty-seven years. At least here, as opposed to the Dark Knight film trilogy, they are acknowledging his immortality. And we also know that R'as will be back. The title of the episode comes from the climb Oliver takes up the mountain to the consecrated area of combat. It's a metaphorical climb similar to the one Bruce Wayne made in The Dark Knight Rises.

And wait, what, did Oliver just tell Felicity he loved her??? But that trick never works…

Just in time for Christmas, the soap opera aspect of the show is back in full force. Ray Palmer is feeling guilty about kissing Felicity because he lost his true love when Deathstroke took over the city last year. Laurel blabs to Thea that Sara is dead. And Mom is back, River Song herself, and she knows something wrong, so Laurel blabs to her too. How the heck is she going to keep her identity a secret when she becomes Black Canary? Loose lips, Laurel, loose lips.

We get other Christmas presents as well. We get to see Katana and China White go at it with swords, and Ray reveals his A.T.O.M. exosuit to Felicity. At first he calls it O.M.A.C., the designation Queen Consolidated gave it, but says he prefers Advanced Technology Operating Mechanism. Bleah. How about atom because he'll be able to get small like an atom? I love how Felicity keeps getting saddled with superhero secrets just like Alfred in the 1966 "Batman" TV series.

The duel ends exactly as one would expect a duel between Green Arrow and R'as Al Ghul to end, with our hero's death. Don't worry, it's not the first time Green Arrow has been dead, nor is it the last. See you in January.

Arrow S03 E07: "Draw Back Your Bow"

Back in the day, the 1950s to be precise, Green Arrow wasn't nothing but Batman with a bow. Millionaire playboy with a masked alter ego, check. Young ward/sidekick, got one. Cave headquarters, themed vehicle and arsenal, got them too. He even had a signal in the sky and an arch criminal clown for a recurring bad guy. Much like Batman had Catwoman and Poison Ivy, Green Arrow had his share of romantic interests/opponents as well.

Most notable is Miss Arrowette, who for decades was lost to the mists of time until resurrected in the Young Justice comics as the mother of new member Arrowette. Like similar villainesses, like the aforementioned Catwoman and the Harlequin who pestered the Golden Age Green Lantern, Miss Arrowette may have posed as a criminal, but she really had a soft spot for Green Arrow, which could reform her at the drop of a bow.

In the Modern Age, a new darker take was tried with an Arrowette-like character. This one however was a full-fledged sociopath, and her name was Cupid. "Arrow" showrunner Andrew Kreisberg created Cupid himself for the Green Arrow/Black Canary comic in 2009, so really it was only a matter of time before she showed up live action. CW veteran actress Amy Gumenick plays the bow and arrow armed villainess obsessed with Arrow on the TV series, and she is very good at psycho. As far as psycho girlfriends go, I much prefer Gumenick to Jessica DeGouw's Huntress.

In the Felicity subplot, she delivers the best line of the episode while watching Brandon Routh's shirtless Ray Palmer doing the salmon ladder in his office, "Oh god, I have a type." It still creeps me out that Ray thinks he can buy Felicity's love, but I kinda dig how Routh is out-barechesting Stephen Amell. I never really thought of the Atom being so buff though. I guess you miss it because he's so small. And just wait, it looks like he'll be getting smaller.

Just like in the comics, Cupid finds an arrow shot by Oliver in a previous battle (Brother Blood's assault on the city in this case) and fixates on it. She begins hunting Arrow's enemies and killing them, for him. Her lair, a love nest that would make any stalker jeal, is really really crazy ex-girlfriend creepy. Over at "The Flash," Cisco usually names the bad guys, and here Felicity pegs Cupid as 'Crazy Pants.' I like that name better.

At last in Flashback Hong Kong, we not only have a few nice moments between young Oliver and Tatsu, but finally we get to see Katana in action. Thea finds a potential new boyfriend in a really annoyingly cliché subplot, and Oliver pushes Felicity into the arms of Ray Palmer, only to change his mind too late. I'm also happy to see the name Arsenal in use finally as well.

Lots of DC Comics name drops this time out. There's St. Walker most famous of the Blue Lanterns, Baron Street in homage to writer Mike Baron, and Sherwood Florist which in the comics was the flower shop run by Dinah (Black Canary) Lance for years. And of course, rather than Iron Heights, Cupid is put in with the other inmates in the Suicide Squad, and an indirect reference is made to Harley Quinn. The biggest Easter egg however is Palmer hunting white dwarf alloy and revealing his A.T.O.M. suit of armor.

This is also the second episode in a row to end with a sneak peek at the next episode's villain of the week. I'm not sure I like that. It just seems a little bit too much Batman '66 for me. In this case, we get another "Spartacus" alum Nick Tarabay as the decidedly non-Australian Digger Harkness AKA Captain Boomerang.

Next: Flash Vs. Arrow!



And remember to see all of my reviews of the "Arrow" series, click here, its companion series "The Flash," click here, and if you'd like to discuss the latest episodes on Facebook, here and here.