Thea's always been one of Arrow's most problematic characters. The fact that she never knew Ollie's secret meant she was always relegated to lame subplots and the usual contrivances. I'm ecstatic that the writers finally had Ollie tell her the truth, as now the character can finally start tapping into her full potential. 

Much like Laurel, Thea needed to be included or she was at risk of becoming a really superfluous element in the show's world. Thankfully, her response to Ollie's secret was refreshingly positive and mature. In fact, little Queen actually thanked her dear brother for his heroism and sacrifices. Less effective was her sudden full-blown rage towards Malcolm. Really? Wasn't she blindly devoted to him all season long? And wouldn't it have made more sense to have her discover his role in using her to murder Sara? I just hope this subplot doesn't fizzle out after being dragged on for so long. Nevertheless, let's celebrate the fact that Thea is now in the know, and hope that she joins Team Arrow very soon. 




While it was undeniably great to see Caity Lotz again after all the hype, her return just didn't do it for  me. Maybe it was her awkward line delivery, or the clunky script, but I thought her scenes were sort of painful to watch. In addition, the two Canary fight scenes simply weren't up to par. Arrow usually blows my mind with its impeccably-choreographed fight sequences, but I could barely tell both Canaries apart, and the staging just didn't do the actresses any favors. All in all, while I liked the idea of the two Canaries on screen together, the execution was a missed opportunity as far as I'm concerned.

The most interesting thing about "Canaries" for me was Ollie trying find his place in Team Arrow's new dynamics (as they evolved so much in his absence). It was fascinating to see him struggle to control his little army as they stood up against him one by one in defense of Laurel's newfound vigilantism. I particularly loved Diggle give Ollie the speech about the ramifications of his "crusade". I'm praying the show begins to tackle this arc in-depth going forward because it's a freakin' gold-mine. 



Once again, Vertigo was utilized as a plot device for one of our characters. Peter Stromare was underused so that Laurel could hallucinate her sister and fight her inner demons. Intriguingly enough, Laurel didn't just see Sara, but her father as well who had had an explosive reaction to Sara's death. It was all quite effective before Laurel realized her strength and beat down our baddie. But the most satisfying moment of all? Laurel looking up and seeing Sara smiling and proud. So I guess in the end, the hallucinogen served its purpose. Now writers, can we finally put Vertigo to rest?




Finally, our flashbacks weren't notable in any way, but they did end on a promising note with Waller taking a captured Ollie and Maseo to Starling City. There's an interesting reversal here as present-day Ollie is now on the island with Thea, which should create some amusing contrasts in the coming episodes.