Her emotional arc is pretty typical (spirited and energetic, to emotionally distraught in 42 minutes or less), though it does culminate in a car crash, after she indulges in a hip, canon-nodding new drug called Vertigo. Yet, by giving her half the puzzle pieces needed to figure out Moira’s activities, their relationship has a new depth, as old history starts affecting Moira’s renewed efforts to protect her family (particularly Walter, who’s still being held prisoner). How much of Moira’s explanation to Thea and Oliver we’re meant to believe is questionable, which is interesting on our side of thing, but it’s because of Thea’s mistrust that Oliver begins to realize he’s been pretty daft for not suspecting his mother has a few skeletons in the closet.
It’s becoming clear that Malcolm has been a big influence on Moira’s belief that being cold, and ruthless can be for the greater good. With new revelations as to the death of his wife, Mr. Merlyn is being built up increasingly as an “ends justify the means” type villain, like a Magento, or Ra’s Al Ghul (eight paragraphs to the first Batman reference. Is this a record?). Considering his plans for Starling City, particularly the crime-ridden Glades, seem anything but gentle, offering Tommy an olive branch, and then switching it for legal papers needed to shutdown a clinic Mrs. Merlyn operated, isn’t all that dastardly, at least from his perspective.
For Tommy though, it’s another insult added to a history between the two that has plenty already, starting when his father mysteriously disappeared (and probably got himself some bow skills) when Tommy was a boy. As with Thea, these are familiar character beats, but they finally have some consequences. Tommy has never been as likeable as when he basically tells his dad to shove the unsigned documents where the sun don’t shine, an act that edges the two further from the realm of estranged family, and closer to the territory of enemies.
Arrow has always had plenty of daddy issues to go around, so what of Oliver then? What’s the catalyst for his trust issues this week? For the answer, we have to go back to the island, where Oliver goes into deep, balaclava-y cover to try and bust out Yao Fei (who will always be called Ur-row in my heart). Despite showing some impressive improvisation skills, getting up close with Fyres ultimately, well, backfires, and Oliver finds himself captured. Seems his close-guarded nature in the present day has a lot to do with being shockingly betrayed on the island by…Yao Fei.
I’m still grappling with that last bit, which I’m sure will get a proper enough explanation next week. It’s a last second stinger meant to keep us invested in the flashback stuff, even though the island arc has probably been the show’s most consistent. But even if that stuff goes off a brainwashy, hypnotizing cliff in the near future, it won’t be a huge problem if the two other main plots make good on the promise shown this week. “Trust but Verify” picked a strong theme, some important plot points, and collapsed in on them very nicely. That’s the Arrow I want to be watching every week, where having Oliver deflect a grenade with a trashcan lid is just icing on the cake, not the cake itself.
- Stray Thoughts
-Quentin being called on to announce the robbery confirms that he’s pretty much the only plain clothes cop in Starling City. No wonder he looks so haggard and tired all the time, guy must be busy.
-The more I think about it, the more I’d be interested in a Far Cry: Arrow Edition video game.
-Digg directly refers to Oliver’s secret lair as “the arrow-cave.” This is really overthinking it, but does that imply the Batcave is a thing, one way or another, in their universe?
-Yes, it’s kinda stupid the special forces guys would saunter up to a pissed off Digg when he’s armed with a grenade launcher. But allow me to counter by saying he had a totally badass one-liner to go with it, and shut up.
-So gentrification is a threat to Merlyn’s plan? Definitely…interested in seeing where that is going.
-Another solid scene with Smoak this week. Not overly jokey, or product placement-heavy, just her and Oliver burning through a plot device in light, funny fashion.
-Ab-tastic Workout of the Week: Ten seconds of one-handed pushups. Does the CW think the storytelling is becoming strong enough to carry things without the added beef?
-Hilariously Specific Trick Arrow of the Week: I guess you could call sleep darts tiny arrows. Feel free to picture Oliver firing them from an appropriately tiny bow.
Published: Jan 23, 2013 10:43 pm