I had enormous expectations heading into this week's climactic installent, and almost all of them were met.  It's not like we were going to get an elaborate sprawling clash on the streets of Starling City (in the vein of The Dark Knight Rises) but Arrow's attempt was still pretty ambitious and season finale-esque. I absolutely loved watching Canary and Arsenal lead the fight against Brick's minions with Wildcat and Sin in town.

However, if I had any complaints, (aside from the fact that the skirmish was far too short), it's that Ollie's arrival wasn't nearly as climactic as it could have been. Picture Team Arrow really getting a beating and struggling to stay alive, only for Arrow's arrow (see what I just did there) to fly in and save the day. That would have been a true goosebump-worthy entrance. I think the show kind of dropped the ball with the potential of that momentous moment. 


But, the writers obviously had other plans with regards to Ollie's return. His much hyped return was in fact quite low-profile, as he stopped Malcolm from killing Brick (who apparently was the thug behind Rebecca's murder). Sadly, I'm on the fence concerning the super-villain's storyline. On one hand, it was a refreshing change of pace to flash back to Malcolm's journey to badassery (as opposed to the inconsistent Hong Kong flashbacks), but I'm not exactly sure what to make of the character.

Am I supposed to be rooting for his redemption? Is that even possible after everything he's done? Have we forgotten his super villain status in season one, and the fact that he had Thea kill Sara not too long ago? I just can't shake the feeling that something about this whole arc feels messy (although it's remarkably riveting). Still, it was a treat to see little Tommy and Ollie, punctuated by little Nyssa's appearance in the final moments. And hey, we finally know where Malcolm's name - The Magician - originated from.



Laurel and Arsenal continued to kick ass. First they cleared the diner in the teaser (before strutting out and boarding that bike), and then they took out Brick's thugs one-by-one from the shadows in a manner that would make Batman himself proud. But the duo's real highlight? Gathering their army at the end and uttering Arrow's prophetic "you have failed this city" line. Too perfect!




Finally, although I'm still not a fan of Olicity, the episode's final scene was wonderfully effective with Felicity telling Ollie off. Yes, the character has gotten far too whiny for my taste (and I'll never buy this supposed romance), but her entire "I don't want to be a woman you love" speech was extremely impactful. Maybe now Ollie can focus on training with Malcolm and the show can bring the Ra's Al Ghul mythology to the forefront. The show needs to top last season after a horrid first half, and I'm supremely confident with how the rest of the season is shaping up. There are so many players, and so much potential for exceptional storytelling.