Somehow, Arrow just keeps going from strength-to-strength. The cliff-hangers come thick and fast, the storytelling proceeds at a blistering pace and for those DC fans initiated enough to know our Tigresses from our Artemises there are lore references crafted into the plot with a nuance Smallville’s shoehorn approach to DC comics could only seek to envy.
Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is of course the command presence of ‘Three Ghosts’. He lunges through the entire action hero repertoire. He’s unconscious at death’s door, then resuscitated, then smashing through skylights and rescuing sidekicks (alright, so we aren’t quite there yet with Speedy but bear with…), and he even has time for a bit of flanter with emerging love interest Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) who is a million times more interesting than wooden and useless Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy). Diggle (David Ramsey) has also gotten back into the thick of the action, instead of just being Oliver’s sounding board and best friend, he actually takes over some of the action this episode on the trail of Cyrus Gold (Graham Shields).
The supporting cast are also upping their game. Obviously Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) is gorgeous and as enchanting as always, even if he isn’t in the red costume yet and running around playing sidekick to Oliver’s Arrow. Although, I can’t help but feel by the end of this season, he will be. Thea Queen (Willa Holland) has also upped her game, easily overtaking Cassidy as series female lead alongside Bett Rickards. She has sass and she’s also finally cottoning on to the fact that after Roy got an arrow through his leg, that he hasn’t exactly left the Vigilante alone.
I’m also quite glad to see the back of Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) as arch-villain since I found the interpretation wholly unconvincing. After all of Barrowman’s turns in light entertainment, I kept expecting him to break into song and dance at any moment. He lacked any menace whatsoever, which makes the arrival of Brother Blood (Kevin Alejandro) one of the most exciting plot developments all season. “Three Ghosts” added to it though, with the revelation of Slade (Manu Bennett) being alive, off the island and out to kill Oliver. In a haunting but totally epic montage at the end, Slade ticked off his designs on destroying Oliver’s world piece-by-piece before destroying him. Apparently, they didn’t part on best terms then.
There were so many reservations about the arrival of super powers in the Arrow-verse but the arrival of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his scene of powers thrust upon him was just amazing. I almost wish it had been underscored by the Flash Gordon theme.
“Three Ghosts” was truly a glorious way to cap Arrow’s strongest run in only a year and a half on television, which is actually saying something considering the quality of the first season. Everything is just…well…perfect. Slade is possibly the greatest villainous reveal in the series, Oliver is as resolutely engaging a protagonist as ever and everything has been set in place for an electric second half of the season. Oh, and did I forget to mention, THE FLASH?!
Best Reality Check In An Otherwise Unrealistic Situation:
Felicity (to Oliver, after he was brought back from the brink of death by Barry): This is the point of the life-saving-emergency when you thank the person who did the life-saving.
Biggest Grinch Give-Away:
Laurel (to Oliver): I noticed on the way up that your house is infested with Christmas decorations.
Most Awkward Phone Conversation For A Trigger-Happy Bow-Wielding Vigilante:
Oliver (to Diggle): Roy’s been shot…with an arrow. It’s a long story.