Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Eleven-Fifty-Nine

We’re back with another Arrow recap! With The Flash on hiatus, we were forced to leave it up to Arrow to deliver the goods, and they did not disappoint. Rather than waiting to find out who’s in the grave until the end of the season, we got a bitter send off to a character that, not only progressed the most this season, but was also the most pure of Team Arrow. Let’s get to it.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

Damien Darhk

While we don’t exactly know what the ring was for, Darhk was able to persuade Merlyn and other baddies to essentially bring him a totem and break him out of Iron Heights. Since a full riot ensured at Iron Heights, we can only assume that more prisoners than just Darhk’s men had an opportunity to get out. And since Darhk was locked up with seemingly normal inmates, we can also assume that no Meta’s got out in the riot.

Merlyn’s service to Darhk was ultimately disappointing. By now, being the former Ra’s Al Ghul, you would think that Merlyn adores power above anything else. I don’t really understand why he didn’t take the totem for himself, unless he’s planing some kind of coup in the future. So, with Darhk’s rise to power, Team Arrow was dealt a major blow by losing one of their own. But more on that later.

We can expect Darhk to retake his position at HIVE. With his wife in office, we can also expect Star City is in some serious danger. Darhk has successfully infiltrated the city and now all that’s left between him and Star City’s ultimate destruction is one pissed off Oliver Queen.

Andy Diggle

Andy’s character arc over this last episode kept us thinking whether or not he would betray the team. This suspense was kept up until the very end. Oliver and Diggle once again got into it over Oliver’s accusations. Since Oliver rushed in by himself, against Laurel’s advice, Diggle was more inclined to stick by his brother’s side.

The betrayal will ultimately make the bond between Oliver and Diggle stronger, if they survive what’s coming. As far as Andy is concerned, we can expect to see his character resolution at the end of this season. Will he betray Darhk? Will he assume a higher position in HIVE? It’s hard to gauge exactly what Andy is getting out of this. Either he’s doing this for self-preservation, or a boatload of money. Either way, any potential relationship with his brother is pretty much shot.

Felicity

Honestly, this episode was much better without having to deal with any Felicity-Oliver relationship drama. It is my sincere hope that they put that drama on hold for the remainder of the season. It makes sense to do so, mainly because Team Arrow is going to be hellbent on capturing or ending Damien Darhk.

As we saw in the last flash-forward, Felicity was in the limo with Oliver, upset, and quite vengeful. It seems with Laruel’s death that the collective heart of Team Arrow will be filled with darkness for the remainder of the season. It will be a nice juxtaposition between the tone set earlier in the season, and the remainder.

Oliver

I wouldn’t be surprised if Oliver goes back to killing this season. Midway through the episode, he told Diggle that people don’t change, and that the darkness that made him who he was over the five years on Lian-Yu changed him forever. Diggle proclaimed that people “evolve” and move past it. But for Oliver, and what seems like the rest of Team Arrow, the events that happened last night will change all of them.

Yes, with her dying breaths, Laurel blessed the ‘Olicity’ relationship, but I really hope Oliver puts that on the back-burner until his business with Darhk is done.

Laurel Lance

At first, she picked up the mantle of Black Canary to honor her sister, to get closer to Oliver, and to protect the city in ways that would eventually make her father proud. She fought crime and super villains and based her self-worth off of it. Ultimately, the Laurel we saw develop this season changed her reasoning over why she fights for the city.

Like Oliver, Laurel fought to protect the city for herself. By doing this, she became Oliver’s equivalent. Sure, she didn’t have a horrible past, or any stay on Lian-Yu, but she did lose her sister a few times, overcame alcoholism and her pill addiction, and became one of the strongest pillars of Team Arrow. Without her, it’s hard to tell how the team will stand. We won’t have to wait long.

While I’m sure this isn’t the last that we’ll see Laurel in the Arrowverse, she will be missed as a regular on the show.

That’s all for this week! Check back for a Legends of Tomorrow recap!