Considering how much of a snake Macolm Merlyn has proved himself to be, Oliver really should have expected that Slade would be at large on the island! Though I enjoyed seeing Manu Bennett making a brief return to the show, adding an extra edge to the fight scenes as well as making a few sharp observations on our hero's psyche. I also enjoyed how the writers threw in a few jokes at the expense of the show's absurdities, making Oliver astounded at just how much Thea learned from Malcolm in 9 months, as well as Maseo's crack about how ineffective a hood and greasepaint streak would be as a disguise! However, having gone to the trouble of poking fun at earlier 'stupids', we then see Oliver recover a pistol from a grave (two absurdities for one really, a pistol most probably wouldn't work having been so poorly stored for that long and, more obviously, why didn't they take some guns with them in the first place?) that we hear functioning perfectly when required later in the episode. What could have been little more than a filler episode managed to develop things plot-wise; Thea refusing to follow the path Merlyn had set out for her, culminating in her rejection of him as her father; Laurel, by contrast, alienating her father through her keeping Sara's death from him; Oliver being increasingly shown as a man of 'heroic' integrity, returning to help a friend in trouble in the flashback, coming clean to Thea about Sara's death. As the episode ends, we see Malcolm still maintaining that refusing to kill will be Oliver's downfall, in fact he even suggests it was how he lost to Ra's the first time. This 'hesitation' idea hasn't really been as fully developed as it most probably should have, considering where the story is going next!
2 Reviews
Welcome Home Kid
ThomasDrufke18 February 2015
I actually didn't have high hopes for this week. I figured that the extended time away from Star City in the present would take away from the tension building within the team up against the league, but I was dead wrong. It was one of the best episodes of the season and it brought back so many characters we have grown to love over the course of 2 and a half years. It even featured the original opening music and logo we had the past two seasons, and that would be for one big reason, Slade is back.
It was fun to see Oliver and Thea's relationship go to a new level by training alongside each other. Obviously it has been a rough few weeks for Thea, finding out about her brothers vigilantism and now that she was brainwashed and killed a close family friend, Sara. Willa Holland's chops were in full effect this week. She was given a lot of difficult emotional material and she handled it incredibly well. It was devastating to see her reaction to the truth about Sara's death. I think we all hope Slade is wrong and that only good things are ahead for Thea. I never thought I would say that.
The flashbacks were in Star City this week so we got to see appearances from almost everybody. Diggle and Felicity both had their close encounters with Oliver. I wouldn't say it felt forced because the writing went for the comedic approach. It was really nice to see Tommy again. Colin Donnell was one of the bright spots to season 1 so I love when he cameos. Tonight also saw a bumpy relationship between Laurel and Quentin in both the past and present. Laurel may have had a right to be worried, but she didn't have a right to keep Sara's death from her father. So I'm pretty much with Lance on this one. But it was still sad to see their relationship once again go sour.
The final interaction between Slade and Thea was pretty cool. The characters have had so much history, even if it's not all face to face, it was cool seeing Oliver finally outsmart Slade after all these years. But Slade is right, how many more people are going to die before there is no Oliver Queen? In 2 and a half seasons he has already lost so many people. But tonight felt like the end of a chapter with Slade. I hope that we will see Deathstroke return in some capacity in the future. To cap it off the last scene at the apartment with Malcom, Thea, and Ollie was also very telling. Thea has come into her own this season and standing up for herself was nice to see. They are almost hinting at the student (Thea) defeating the master (Malcom) by the end of season 3.
+Willa Holland's best performance
+Old foes & friends return
+Thea stepping up her game to Slade & Malcom both
+Morbid, but incredibly acted all around
+End of a chapter
10/10
It was fun to see Oliver and Thea's relationship go to a new level by training alongside each other. Obviously it has been a rough few weeks for Thea, finding out about her brothers vigilantism and now that she was brainwashed and killed a close family friend, Sara. Willa Holland's chops were in full effect this week. She was given a lot of difficult emotional material and she handled it incredibly well. It was devastating to see her reaction to the truth about Sara's death. I think we all hope Slade is wrong and that only good things are ahead for Thea. I never thought I would say that.
The flashbacks were in Star City this week so we got to see appearances from almost everybody. Diggle and Felicity both had their close encounters with Oliver. I wouldn't say it felt forced because the writing went for the comedic approach. It was really nice to see Tommy again. Colin Donnell was one of the bright spots to season 1 so I love when he cameos. Tonight also saw a bumpy relationship between Laurel and Quentin in both the past and present. Laurel may have had a right to be worried, but she didn't have a right to keep Sara's death from her father. So I'm pretty much with Lance on this one. But it was still sad to see their relationship once again go sour.
The final interaction between Slade and Thea was pretty cool. The characters have had so much history, even if it's not all face to face, it was cool seeing Oliver finally outsmart Slade after all these years. But Slade is right, how many more people are going to die before there is no Oliver Queen? In 2 and a half seasons he has already lost so many people. But tonight felt like the end of a chapter with Slade. I hope that we will see Deathstroke return in some capacity in the future. To cap it off the last scene at the apartment with Malcom, Thea, and Ollie was also very telling. Thea has come into her own this season and standing up for herself was nice to see. They are almost hinting at the student (Thea) defeating the master (Malcom) by the end of season 3.
+Willa Holland's best performance
+Old foes & friends return
+Thea stepping up her game to Slade & Malcom both
+Morbid, but incredibly acted all around
+End of a chapter
10/10
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