Arrow Review: “City Of Blood” (Season 2, Episode 21)

The revelation that Oliver has another lair was an unexpected little twist, and showed that even after all this time, he still keeps secrets from the rest of his team. It also makes me wonder how many times he’s retreated to the barren facility throughout the season. Oliver didn’t just keep the secret from his friends, he kept it from us too, which means he must have been truly desperate for some alone time.

Lair #2 will no doubt come in handy once Isabel Rochev takes over and probably demolishes Verdant and the Arrow Cave beneath it, which may be a good thing. The club at this point feels superfluous, and has been more of a way for the writers to give Thea something to do than provide Oliver with any sort of anonymity.

Episodes like this one really show how far Oliver has come over the course of the series, and while recent tragedies drive him away from the cheery, dry witted Green Arrow we know and love from the source material, it’s still been a compelling journey. Oliver has lost a lot since getting back to Starling City, and Amell really conveyed that this week. As this season draws to a close and a third year draws near, I wonder what roads the showrunners will take us down as Oliver gets closer to the hero we know he’s destined to become.

The scene with Oliver at the dock was most impressive. It’s one of the few scenes in the show to take place outside during the day, and it allows Oliver to take a brief second to look back at all that’s happened to him. He’s staring off into the distance, where the Queen’s Gambit was once docked. It all began by him getting on that boat, and each subsequent decision has shaped the man and the hero he’s become. He’s lost nearly everything along the way, and at this point he’s ready to give himself over to Slade, hoping it will save those he loves that are still alive.

The fact that Oliver believes that Slade’s crusade ends with his death is a bit naive, and frankly narcissistic. If Slade wanted him dead, he would have done it a long time ago. Slade’s had plenty of chances, but instead has systematically taken everything out from under him, while building a Mirakuru army to take Oliver’s city as well.