"Sara" was an especially captivating exploration of Oliver's psyche, It was fascinating to see Ollie come face to face with his own mortality after Sara's demise. Stephen Amell's performances might have been a bit wooden when the show debuted (although I always felt that suited the character's journey), but he's truly evolved into a nuanced performer. He expressed so much this week with so little dialogue, and that proves what a great handle he has on the character. I was particularly impressed by the funeral sequence which placed Team Arrow in a very relatable setting as they bid their warrior friend goodbye.




Katie Cassidy was also excellent in this episode, beautifully conveying the rage and pain of a sister left behind. The hints of her becoming a vigilante herself were finally introduced as she took matters into her own hands first by almost breaking off a witness' arm in the hospital, and then carrying through with almost killing Komodo (had Ollie not removed the bullets). Most intriguingly, Laurel didn't tell Papa Lance about his daughter's death in fear of harming his health. There's a cool symmetry here as a year ago, Lance didn't tell Laurel about Sara's return to protect her as well. 


Unfortunately, much like "The Calm" (and the majority of season one), we got yet another villain-of-the-week. This episode's baddie was yet another archer, who goes by the name of Komodo. The character didn't leave much of an impression (that often happens when you don't get any dialogue), and it's a pity that he's saddled with what looks like a carbon copy of Malcolm's Dark Archer getup. I know this episode wasn't supposed to focus on the villains of our story, but this just felt lazy. Hopefully Komodo will make another appearance and leave a greater impact in the future.



While the Hong Kong flashbacks are just beginning to gain traction, it was a real treat to see Tommy again. I'd forgotten how much I had started liking the guy at the end, and it was a stroke of genius to make him Ollie's target. The solution to this problem was also quite clever, with Yamashiro and Ollie orchestrating a fake kidnapping and rescue mission which tricked Tommy into thinking he had been targeted himself. This final sequence featured a superb performance by Amell who conveyed enormous pain as he stood unmasked behind his best friend and proclaimed that Oliver was dead. Here's hoping we continue to see Colin Donnell in future flashbacks.


It's worth mentioning that with all the drama and sadness, Arrow as always still managed to produce some thrilling action. First, we got a motorcycle archery joust for the first time in the show's history (which Ollie quite awesomely lost), and then we got that badass triple hood fight with Ollie and Roy fighting Komodo. I never imagined we'd ever get a scene with three hoods duking it out, and it was a glorious sight with first-rate choreography.




And finally, how perfect was that ending with none other than Malcolm Merlyn congratulating a masked Kendo fighter whose identity is revealed to be Thea (with a badass look and brand new confidence). Plus, little Queen's delivery of "Thanks Dad" was just brilliant. I for one can not wait to see how her storyline will be handled as it's due time she becomes an integral part of the show. Could she be one of this season's baddies? Here's hoping!