Arrow Left Behind Recap
Arrow is finally back and surprisingly even more action packed than “The Climb.” With Oliver Queen ‘dead’ and lying on the side of the mountain, I wondered just how the episodes would work without him. Turns out it was business as usual back in Starling City. Team Arrow was just waiting for Oliver Queen, but would he ever come back was the question on everyone’s minds?
Team Arrow vs. Brick
Now three days missing, Oliver has left behind his friends to continue on his work. While waiting for his return (with Felicity searching high and low), the three continue taking down criminals. This time, however, and without Oliver mind you, they met their match in a man named Brick. While they, Laurel, and Captain Lance take down one of Brick’s goons, Brick forms a plan of his own.
After killing one of his gang (because he came out of the shadows and killed a cop), Team Arrow track this gang member down, continuing to do research as they search for Oliver. Without Oliver, do they even stand a chance?
After learning of Oliver’s “death,” Diggle realizes Brick’s plan: It seems he’s planning on stealing all the evidence of captured criminals (everyone Oliver has caught since Slade), getting them released due to lack of evidence. When Diggle and Roy face off against Brick and his gang, it isn’t a pretty sight, the choreographed sequence of gunfire and arrows quite the spectacle (at one point I started comparing Roy to prancing around the room as if he were Legolas).
When Diggle and Brick fight it out, Diggle gets banged up pretty badly, only being saved just in time by one of Roy’s arrows. Felicity hears Diggle’s near miss and really can’t bear to lose anyone else (but more on this in a moment), so she locks them in, preventing Diggle and Roy from going after the truck of stolen evidence. Because they get away, 92% of the captured criminals are forced to be set free. Brick, now has an entire crew of freed criminals he’s blackmailing with the evidence he now holds on to. It should be interesting to see where this goes next. Hopefully, our heroes can take back the truck and in the meantime, send all those criminals back to prison where they belong.
Felicity’s Emotional Breakdown
More than anything else, Felicity believed Oliver was alive. She had to believe it. The first time Malcolm confronted her and the team, she adamantly refused to admit he might be dead. She even gets support and agreement from Laurel who claimed she’d mourned Oliver in the past and he came back then. He will again (of course she’s right…). But when Malcolm Merlyn later tells Felicity, Diggle and Roy that he found the sword used to kill Oliver, she and they can’t help but believe Oliver really might be gone for good (and did anyone else love how she accused Malcolm of being the true killer of Oliver?).
Felicity without Oliver isn’t a pretty thing as her emotions soon get the best of her this episode. Felicity, thanks to great characterization by the writers, turns into an emotional wreck. You can just feel the loss on her part. One of my favorite shots was Felicity reaching for the bloody sword, the scene cutting to Oliver’s hand hanging down from the stretcher he was carried on. Very romantic and tragic! I hope these two can be reunited soon.
Running back and forth between the foundry and work, Felicity begins to doubt whether she should help Ray Palmer, but before she learns of Oliver’s death, she seems to have an open mind. She even helps Ray with a smile, the A.T.O.M. suit not quite ready yet and she the helping hand. Ray’s enthusiasm really is infectious. It’s nice to see someone so light-hearted in the midst of all the darkness.
After learning of Oliver’s death, Felicity can’t handle anymore death and confronts Ray about his idea to save the city. Not only does she tell Ray his A.T.O.M. plan won’t work, but then she brings his dead fiancée Anna into the conversation as well. Sure, she has dead Oliver on the brain and she isn’t thinking clearly….Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to go to work so soon. Felicity is reacting to everything while in the midst of a trauma.
After making a mess of it with Ray, who still with compassion can tell something is wrong, Felicity attempts to do more Arrow business and take down Brick’s gang. That’s when she locks in Diggle and Roy because she can’t handle them dying as well. Once in the foundry, they are understandably upset by her choice, but she’s done. Without Oliver, there is no fight for her and that includes with Ray as she first rightly apologizes for her rudeness and then quits because she won’t help him die either. I have to say that I loved all of her human reactions to the news.
The Rise of a New Canary
Laurel, on the other hand, reacts quite differently than Felicity. Instead of giving up on vigilante justice, she sees her sister’s costume, dresses up in it and goes after the bad guys herself. While I love Sara as the canary, I have to admit Katie Cassidy looked good in her costume and I am interested to see where this story goes.
Thea’s Quest
As someone always needs to be in the dark on this show, Thea is worried about Oliver in her own right. She has no idea Oliver is the Arrow and no idea that he may be gone for good. She even asks Roy to ask the Arrow for help, as well as Malcolm. By the end of the episode, Thea still has no clue where her brother is, Malcolm just telling Thea they need to leave Starling City because their lives are in danger. Indeed, Malcolm’s plan to be freed of R’as Al Ghul has only put a bigger mark on his back.
The Resurrection of Oliver Queen
While the flashbacks in Hong Kong have been sort of dull at times (mostly involving Amanda Waller mind you), I loved how well the past connected to the present in this week’s episode. As Oliver and Maseo track down something else for the cold Amanda (instead of Tatsu), Oliver does something for his friend. While he seemingly lets one of the criminals escape, Oliver really put a GPS tracker on him so they could find the kidnapped Tatsu. Maseo claims that Oliver will forever be in his debt for what he did.
By the end of “Left Behind,” this debt comes full circle. As Oliver lay “dead,” on the side of the mountain, a mysterious man arrives to pick up the body. As the episode comes to a close, we realize it is Maseo and Maseo has brought Oliver to his wife Tatsu, apparently alive. It is Tatsu that brings Oliver back to life and not the Lazarus Pit after all…
Favorite Quote
Thea: “I could have killed you!”
Malcolm: “It’s cute that you think so.”
Thoughts and Questions
What happened between Maseo and Tatsu to make their relationship seem cold? Do you think they may lose their son?
How will Oliver return home? How do you imagine everyone’s reactions when he does?
Also, when will Laurel learn the truth about Thea and Malcolm? Where will her vengeance take her?
What did you think of “Left Behind?” Sound off in the comments….
Stay tuned for my next Arrow Recap.
Photo Credits: CW
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