Arrow Season 5 Episode 4 Review
Not much happened in terms of story in this episode as it mainly focused on resetting the status quo. With only two major developments, this episode lacked a main connection to the overarching plot but was still entertaining.
Arrow seems to be reverting to its roots with how they handle Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow. By keeping them separate, they are allowing for each side to be fleshed out allowing for the side characters to be tied to their hemisphere instead of being forced into the other one. The best example of this is how Thea and Quentin now are involved with the mayoral storyline. Thea and Quentin are both characters who have excelled when they primarily interact with Oliver Queen and are not involved on the vigilante side of the show. It is much more apparent now then ever before that these characters belong in the light of day, not in the night.
Also this episode showcased how the introduction of the new team does not interfere with the Green Arrow handling things on his own. One complaint however is that this divides attention from Oliver to this new team who aren't that compelling. Wild Dog is the only who actually seems to have a personality whereas Evelyn is Thea 2.0 and Curtis is an odd misfit who doesn't fit in with the show at all. Going more into Curtis, Curtis as a character was set up last year as Felicity 2.0 and now it feels like the producers don't know where to put him. Making him a vigilante is good, but his skills in the show is more tech-based. I personally would have loved to see Felicity gone and have Curtis be the on-the-move tech support. It could have given him a stronger role within the team than just another fighter.
The conclusion of Diggle's sideplot ended quite quickly which was appreciated considering how out of place it felt. With the flashbacks and the divided present day storyline, Diggle's arc felt tacked on and unnecessary. Oliver rescuing him however was pretty entertaining. The scope of what Arrow was trying to achieve was a bit too big for the show (Dark Knight escape) but it was still cool to see Oliver sneak around. Also the recruits had their first solo mission and it went just as expected. Apart from Ragman's CGI being very poorly done, it was no surprise that somebody would get hurt or that someone would get captured.
Overall, this episode of Arrow was nothing special but was still enjoyable.
**Overall Episode Grade: 8.2/10**
Arrow seems to be reverting to its roots with how they handle Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow. By keeping them separate, they are allowing for each side to be fleshed out allowing for the side characters to be tied to their hemisphere instead of being forced into the other one. The best example of this is how Thea and Quentin now are involved with the mayoral storyline. Thea and Quentin are both characters who have excelled when they primarily interact with Oliver Queen and are not involved on the vigilante side of the show. It is much more apparent now then ever before that these characters belong in the light of day, not in the night.
Also this episode showcased how the introduction of the new team does not interfere with the Green Arrow handling things on his own. One complaint however is that this divides attention from Oliver to this new team who aren't that compelling. Wild Dog is the only who actually seems to have a personality whereas Evelyn is Thea 2.0 and Curtis is an odd misfit who doesn't fit in with the show at all. Going more into Curtis, Curtis as a character was set up last year as Felicity 2.0 and now it feels like the producers don't know where to put him. Making him a vigilante is good, but his skills in the show is more tech-based. I personally would have loved to see Felicity gone and have Curtis be the on-the-move tech support. It could have given him a stronger role within the team than just another fighter.
The conclusion of Diggle's sideplot ended quite quickly which was appreciated considering how out of place it felt. With the flashbacks and the divided present day storyline, Diggle's arc felt tacked on and unnecessary. Oliver rescuing him however was pretty entertaining. The scope of what Arrow was trying to achieve was a bit too big for the show (Dark Knight escape) but it was still cool to see Oliver sneak around. Also the recruits had their first solo mission and it went just as expected. Apart from Ragman's CGI being very poorly done, it was no surprise that somebody would get hurt or that someone would get captured.
Overall, this episode of Arrow was nothing special but was still enjoyable.
**Overall Episode Grade: 8.2/10**
A Look Inside
