Title: Arrow: “Brothers & Sisters” Review
Release Date: March 4th, 2019
Network: The CW
Genre: Superhero, Drama, Action
That was a really strange way to reveal Dante, am I right?
So, after months of building up this Dante guy as some mysterious figure, Arrow just nonchalantly reveals him 20 minutes before the end of an episode? It’s a strange creative decision for sure.
Weird reveal aside, Dante is interesting, to say the least. He’s obviously a highly-skilled fighter who is capable of keeping up with the Green Arrow. The fact that a few characters practically killed themselves for Dante went a long way into showing that he is a huge threat going forward. He’s also apparently funding Emiko’s mission and maybe even had a hand in training her. The build-up and foreshadowing of this revelation were superbly well-done. Arrow is sure to reveal more in the coming weeks and I can’t wait to see it.
The relationship between Oliver and Emiko is very compelling to me. Like I’ve mentioned countless times in past reviews, Emiko’s personality mirrors Oliver’s mindset in the early seasons of Arrow. Oliver, on the other hand, is coming off as a law-and-order figure to counter Emiko (like Quentin Lance was to Oliver in earlier seasons). It just goes to show how much Oliver has grown over the years.
Felicity’s pregnancy was handled about as well as it could’ve been, considering the circumstances in the flashforwards. The friendship between Laurel and Felicity once again worked, providing some growth for both characters. Laurel’s ready to move past Diaz for good and commit to her job as DA. Out of fear for her family’s safety, Felicity wants to kill Diaz. Which makes Felicity’s decision to spare Diaz more meaningful at the end, especially when she finally reveals her pregnancy to Oliver.
Speaking of Diaz, his tenure on Arrow was disappointing. He started out as a worthy adversary for Team Arrow, taking control of Star City from within. His origin story was one of my favorite Arrow episodes of all-time. But, soon after that, Diaz began to dwindle into obscurity.
The Dragon constantly lost every fight he was in. He was outmatched in the season finale and was then paired up with the underwhelming Longbow Hunters (who had a solid introduction but haven’t been seen since). His final plan to kill Oliver in prison was a perfect send-off for him but Arrow decided to put him into the newly reformed Suicide Squad Ghost Initiative. Of course, he betrays the team to repay Dante, which still ultimately led to his death. It is a little poetic that he would die in prison seeing as he stated that this is the one place he would never kick the bucket. Although his character ended up as one of the more weaker main antagonists, Kirk Acevedo was always amazing and did the best he could with what he was given.
Also, along with Diaz, I’m assuming the Ghost Initiative has been dissolved? If this is the case, the whole arc just feels pointless. Here’s hoping Lyla keeps it going somehow and we get an episode with the actual team in the limelight this season.
The flashforwards are really entertaining for me and it gives the series some mystery heading into “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. That being said, Felicity’s decision to never tell her friends about her pregnancy is baffling.
Mia Smoak is an extremely likable character. Her disdain of vigilantes comes from the lawless state of Star City and how vigilantes played a part in it. I’m guessing we’ll discover that it delves a lot deeper than that. In that fantastic scene between William and Mia, they both referred to Oliver in the past tense many times, more specifically stating that “he was a hero”. Oliver’s potential sacrifice in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” could be the root of this hatred for Mia as she wouldn’t have any memory of her father or his sacrifice.
I’m curious if these flashforwards are gearing up for a new Green Arrow to take up the mantle. And if so, who will it be? Connor Hawke is a strong possibility. His brief appearance as the Green Arrow on Legends of Tomorrow’s first season makes him one of the more popular picks. At the start of the season, there was the potential of William following in his father’s footsteps. After seeing that he has zero training and no interest in taking up the Green Arrow name, I’m certain we can go ahead and cross him off the list of candidates.
Mia is my pick. She’s the reluctant hero in this whole situation who wants no part in vigilantism. Her entire motivation is purely from saving her mother, making her perfect for future character development as she becomes the Green Arrow. Also, as we saw in her introductory episode, she’s more than capable in the fighting department. No matter who takes up the Green Arrow name, the flashforwards continue to be one of the best parts of Arrow season seven.
Verdict: “Brothers and Sisters” was a good showing for Arrow season seven. We saw major developments in the Dante storyline as well as Emiko’s past. Season seven is gearing up for an epic conclusion and “Brothers and Sisters” may be the starting point for it.
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