Title:ย Arrow: โUnmaskedโย Review
Release Date: December 3rd, 2018
Network:ย The CW
Genre: Superhero, Drama, Action
Well, we learned one thing from this episode of Arrow. Oliver is just as intimidating with or without a hood.
โUnmaskedโ was a double-entendre title for the Arrow mid-season finale. On one hand, it symbolized Oliverโs new position as a public figure after being outed as the Green Arrow. It also meant the reveal of the new Green Arrowโs identity.
Honestly, I thought the reveal at the beginning of the episode was a little lackluster. The intrigue around the copy-cat vigilante eased that reaction as it left the door open for a better reveal down the road. Despite a โmehโ reaction to the initial introduction, the final moments of โUnmaskedโ put all of my complaints to rest.
So, we know that the new Green Arrow (who definitely needs an official name ASAP) is Oliverโs half-sister and the daughter of Robert Queen. This all makes sense considering how much effort this season has put into Oliverโs mission and Robertโs part in it. Like The Flash, Arrowโs season is based around legacy.
If I had to speculate, Iโm guessing that this woman is none other than Emiko Queen, who is Oliverโs half-sister in the comics and takes up the vigilante lifestyle. In the comics, Emikoโs mother is Shado, who actually appeared in the flashbacks of Arrowโs first few seasons. If this new Green Arrow is Emiko Queen, Iโm guessing that there will be a few backstory changes.
Speaking of the Queen family, Oliverโs first episode out of prison was certainly eventful. His demeanor and willingness to make a stand for prison reform shows that the show wonโt just forget the arc. Prison clearly affected him. This is great from a storytelling perspective because we know that these arcs matter for the characters and will change them over time.
Oliver as an unmasked hero was something that I never thought would work. Turns out, I was wrong as even in the public eye, Oliver can still protect his city. With the prison storyline gone, we needed another meaningful arc to grab onto. Oliver officially working with SCPD as the Green Arrow has the potential to be that arc if handled correctly.
I mentioned in my โDue Processโ review that Felicityโs character hasnโt been this interesting since the showโs second season. That still hasnโt changed. Her motivations behind her new attitude are somewhat justified. Oliver took the FBI deal without telling her or William, leaving them in a vulnerable spot. She was attacked while in witness protection by Diaz and ended up having to send her step-son away. I donโt blame her for being a little antagonistic towards Oliver. Although if this carries over for the entirety of the season, I can easily see me growing tired of the drama.
Thereโs one problem with Arrow at the moment. One that the writers just canโt fix.
They may have made these flashforwards too good. We know that the present day Star City ends up in turmoil. This makes us as the audience hope for the future to change. But, the flashforward scenes are so compelling that I donโt want them to change. Honestly, I wouldnโt mind if Arrow just made a time-jump next season so the flashforwards take the main focus (that is if they get another season).
โThe Mark of Fourโ was revealed to be a term coined by Oliver. Future Dinah explained it as the four pillars of heroism and that everyone on Team Arrow has the mark. Which does explain why Roy was so quick to oblige to Williamโs request. Juliana Harkavy was excellent in this scene as Dinah but it was a little too cheesy for me there at the end when she was going into the individual โpillarsโ.
It seems that Blackstar (or Maya) is going forward with Felicityโs โevil planโ. I donโt see that being the case. For one, I still donโt buy that Felicity is dead and/or sheโs turned to the dark side. Also, I donโt believe Maya will be a villain. The Arrowverse has been killing it with the expert castings of the next generation of heroes (Jessica Parker Kennedy as The Flashโs daughter and Ben Lewis as adult William). Katherine McNamaraโs Maya looks like she could be the daughter of Oliver and Felicity. Just saying.
The A.R.G.U.S subplot scares me. I havenโt been shy about my feelings on Ricardo Diaz as the main villain and I thought last week was the final time we would see The Dragon for a while. It seems that heโll be appearing when the show returns in a supporting role for A.R.G.U.S. Hopefully, this isnโt a stepping stone for the character to return to the top of the food chain.
Here are just a few bullet points for some of my observations from the mid-season finale of Arrow that didnโt make it in this review:
- I noticed that in the future, Dinahโs has a scar on her throat. Iโm curious about how she got that scar and if this means she lost her powers?
- Felicity and Laurel’s friendship is one of the strongest elements of the season thus far.
- Although it was fun for this episode, I hope that the hood-less Oliver doesnโt become a thing. Because weโre only a small step away from his ridiculous Robin Hood hat from the comics and that would be terrible.
- Keeping William out of the present day feels weird. I’m not mad as itโll probably fit for storyline purposes in the future stuff, I just found it awkward.
- Oliver fighting in the nightclub was cool and on-par with the amazing action of season seven. The only way it couldโve been better is if he got in a โYou Have Failed This Cityโ line in during the staredown with Fuller.
- It was also pretty cool for the show to reuse the nightclub in both the present day and flashforwards. Things like that will help make these flashforwards feel more concrete.
- Reneโs scenes in this episode were absolutely hilarious. That is all.
- The teaser for the crossover episode was great. I just donโt know if Earth 90 is from the 1990s The Flash TV series or in the Smallville universe. I only say this because I saw a few dead heroes in that teaser that looked similar to the ones seen in Smallville.
Next week is the three-night โElseworldsโ crossover event. Iโll be reviewing all three episodes of this crossover, starting this Sunday night with The Flashย (for some reason, The Flash kicks off the crossover).
Verdict: Arrow is on a roll heading into its mid-season break and I see no reason for that to change unless the show returns to a boring main villain. The reveal around the new Green Arrowโs identity is more than enough to keep viewers invested and sets up some more Queen family drama for the rest of the season.
What did you think about this week’s episode? Are you excited for the crossover? Let us know in the comments below!
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