Ray Palmer and Sara Lance have both returned from the dead. However, both need the help of Team Arrow. Felicity has become obsessed with trying to save Ray. Oliver has called in Felicity’s mom to help her relax. While Laurel and Thea try to help Sara deal with the violence and bloodlust that come with using the Lazarus Pit.
The Positive
Since receiving Ray’s message, Felicity has worked day and night to try and locate him. We get a brief flashback to the end of last season and the explosion that supposedly killed him. Turns out he wasn’t killed, he had been miniaturized and blown out of the building. He has found a way to send a message, but he is being held captive by Damien Darhk. Darhk wants to use his unique tech to power his vision for Star City. Brandon Routh doesn’t get many scenes, but it is great to have him back in the show.
Ray’s return and Felicity’s obsession over saving him is straining her relationship with Oliver. Oliver is trying everything he can to help Felicity, even going so far as to call her mother into town. Just like Brandon Routh, Charlotte Ross doesn’t get many scenes, but she is another great breath of fresh air into the show. She brings her own unique sense of humanity and normalcy into this world of metahumans and supervillains. Momma Smoak helps Felicity realize what she has with Oliver while Diggle helps Oliver realize he has nothing to fear from Felicity and Ray.
Sara Lance is whole again after having her soul returned to her body in the last episode. However, she is still feeling the effects of the Pit. The team tries to bring her out in the field with them, but it ends badly for them both times. I’m glad to see that they didn’t just erase the effects of the Pit from Sara. That power carries with it a price and it’s one she is still having to pay.
Everything culminates into an epic attack on Darhk’s base to free Ray. The team proved that Darhk is not all powerful. They aren’t yet ready to try and face him, but they were able to break in and escape without any major problems.
The Negative
A recurring problem for Arrow this season has been the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow show. The marketing that spoiled the return of Sara and Ray has made much of this season feel like it was all a build up to the other show, and that the creative energies are not focusing on Arrow as much.
Sara’s return feels like an abbreviated version of Thea’s story that just wrapped with the visit to Nanda Parbat. Sara’s return as The Canary also highlights a problem with the show and how they handle killing. During the assault to rescue Ray, Sara is clearly using a gun to shoot the Ghosts. When the fight is over and she has one pinned, Thea and Laurel are shocked when she breaks his neck. It’s an inconsistency that bothers me in an otherwise great show.
The Verdict
This episode marked the return of so many great characters. Sara and Ray were both gone too soon before, and it’s always fun to see Felicity’s mom back on the show. With Sara and Ray both back now, hopefully the story can start to focus on Darhk and HIVE and what they have planned for Star City.
This was a good episode that balanced the light-hearted with the action. The actors have all stepped up this season and delivered on more complex emotional moments than the previous seasons.
It looks like Team Arrow has repaired almost all the damage done to it at the end of last season and can now move forward as a stronger whole.
