Title: Arrow: “Level Two” Review
Release Date: November 5th, 2018
Network: The CW
Genre: Superhero, Drama, Action
After last week’s disappointing showing, I felt that Arrow had to bounce back strong with its latest episode, “Level Two”. Well, it may have actually exceeded my expectations.
“Level Two” saw the return of the imposter Green Arrow and flashforwards story arcs. The flashforwards, in particular, are extremely engaging to watch each week. Honestly, I haven’t been this excited to sit down and watch since season two and these flashforwards are a large part of that.
Turns out, much like the rest of the Arrowverse, the future hasn’t been kind to Star City. It appears that at some point in the future, The Glades rise up against the rich of the city and create a wall, dividing the two into a crazy Escape from New York/Batman: Arkham City situation. Dinah showing up as Black Canary (with an older Zoe as her sidekick) was a welcomed sight to see, as was the twist reveal of Dinah telling William and Roy that Felicity is dead. This brings the question of who is sending these instructions to William and why? Is Felicity’s fate sealed? Or is this a possible future for Team Arrow if they fail against Diaz?
In the present day, the new Green Arrow moves using unnecessary parkour stunts and has seemingly been trained by a pro. With both Zoe and Dinah recognizing him in the flashforwards, it is all but confirmed to me now that this imposter Green Arrow is none other than Roy Harper. Hopefully, the series won’t drag out the reveal of our mystery vigilante’s identity too long as it has in the past with, well, Vigilante.
That being said, I love the way they’re presenting the Green Arrow story. It’s much like season one. He (or she) has a list. They are willing to kill if need be and are primarily working alone. The only difference is that we are watching it from the outside with Dinah and Rene. It’s refreshing.
While there are probably some people frustrated with Dinah’s actions during this episode, I completely understand where she’s coming from. Diaz completely destroyed the Police Department last season and, if we’re being honest, they weren’t that impactful to begin with. She wants to change the public’s mindset without using hoods and masks. After receiving some sound advice from Diggle, she learns that sometimes you are going to have to cross that legal line in favor of the greater good. I could easily see her and the new Green Arrow having a similar dynamic to Oliver and Lance in the show’s first few seasons.
Felicity had a nice arc as well. She’s becoming more ruthless every episode in her hunt for Ricardo Diaz. Turning to someone she hates in Black Siren for help is proof of this. It was a pretty cool moment for Laurel and her continued redemption as she warns Felicity of this revenge-fueled path. We also got a small tease of what Earth-2’s Felicity is like (Seriously, is every hero a villain on Earth-2?). I hope we see Earth-2 Felicity show up sometime later this season, maybe even as a villain of the week.
If you’ve noticed, I’ve yet to talk about the main character of Arrow, Oliver Queen. It’s not that his developments in “Level Two” were bad, it’s just that all that you’ve read above were just better. I really enjoyed Oliver’s “talks” with Dr. Parker. Other than Daredevil’s Charlie Cox, I don’t think there is another superhero TV actor who impresses me as much as Stephen Amell with these emotional beats. Prison is finally starting to get to him. Not just prison but everything that has happened to Oliver for over a decade has started to hit him.
As Dr. Parker said, Robert Queen forced his problems onto his son. That’s true. As soon as he shot his bodyguard and himself, Robert changed his son, putting him on his way to becoming The Hood. That’s Oliver’s greatest fear for William and Amell portrayed that to perfection. Unfortunately for Oliver, it looks like his greatest fears will come to life in our flashforwards but that shouldn’t take away from Amell or his character’s development in the present day.
“Level Two” is a great episode but I did have one problem. I hope that the series finds something worthwhile for Diggle soon. At this point, the character feels like The Flash’s Joe West or Henry Allen. He gives great advice and…that’s about it. His time as the Green Arrow was lackluster at best and A.R.G.U.S hasn’t done anything to revitalize the once prominent member of Team Arrow.
Verdict: Arrow has bounced back strong with its latest episode, “Level Two”. Not only did we see the return of the series’ most interesting arcs but we also saw some new developments with Felicity’s hunt for Diaz and Oliver’s breakdown in prison. I haven’t been this excited to see this show in years and I hope that continues beyond next week.
What were your thoughts on this episode? Where do you see Arrow going with these flashforwards? Let us know in the comments below!
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