Arrow Recap Sara
With Sara dead, Oliver feels he doesn’t “have the luxury of falling to pieces.” Everyone needs a leader, and if he grieves, “nobody else gets to.” In a way, he’s right, but it’s also an important theme, one I think that will play out throughout the season. How can he find the killer if he falls apart? Also, how can Oliver and Felicity ever get together if he’s going to end up dead in a cave just like Sara? “Sara,” is truly an emotional roller coaster for everyone in Team Arrow, because in an instant everything changed.
Laurel: The Beginning of the Black Canary?
Laurel, since Sara was her sister after all, goes through the most changes (ups, downs, attempted murder…) throughout the episode. The episode starts soon after Sara’s death in the prior episode. As Oliver, Felicity, and Roy come down the stairs into the Arrow cave, they shockingly discover a bloody Laurel and a dead Sara, arrows still sticking out of her chest (on a side note, can we all give props to Caity Lotz for staying perfectly still while shooting these scenes?).
One question though: how did Laurel carry Sara (deadweight and all) into Verdant without anyone noticing?
Felicity goes into denial (wanting to bring her to the hospital), while Laurel and Oliver hug, Laurel crying that it isn’t fair since they just got her back. Stephen Amell’s stone face as Oliver (showcasing emotion only behind the eyes), really proves what a great actor he’s becoming. From there, it becomes all about revenge in Laurel’s path to the Black Canary. She wants blood and she’s going to get justice for her sister no matter the means.
As the team tries to figure out who killed Sara, Captain Lance informs Oliver of another archer killing people in Starling City. Team Arrow, with Diggle back into the fold for now, discovers Komodo, an assassin. Convinced he is the killer (because the number of professional archers in town is rather slim picking), they go on the hunt. Laurel even tracks down one of Komodo’s targets, using her DA and Captain’s daughter card to speak to him. Taking no prisoner, Laurel is no longer Miss Nice Girl, using violence to get information. She succeeds, that is until Komodo arrives to finish killing his target. Not sure why Laurel decided to look out of the window though…If it was me, I’d hide behind the bed or something. I guess gold medal for bravery.
Oliver does attempt to take down Komodo but fails in a well-choreographed action motorcycle fight scene between the two (getting hit by an arrow in the process). So when the time comes to take him down a second time, Laurel demands to come with Oliver on his dangerous mission, trying to grab a gun. Oliver says no, goes to the Star City fundraiser (run by the handsome and clearly generous Ray Palmer), and dukes it out with our villain of the week. Nevertheless, Laurel doesn’t take no at face value, but really when has she ever?
Clearly Oliver does know Laurel well, however, because after Oliver takes down Komodo, Laurel arrives to kill the man she believes killed Sara. Laurel shoots the gun more than once, even after Komodo claims he didn’t do it, but thankfully nothing happens because Oliver took out all the bullets. Smart move, because Laurel almost murdered a man out of vengeance, a man (that while an evil killer) didn’t do it after all. This call to vengeance all seems to be a call to Laurel’s next step of taking on her destined Canary mantle; her last scene spent staring at that black leather jacket…
A Goodbye
After taking down Komodo, the entire team buries Sara in her grave still standing from when she “died” before. It’s a sad goodbye because they still don’t know who Sara’s killer was, Oliver claiming that the trail went cold. But he’s not giving up; he just doesn’t know how long it will take them to find the killer. Of course it couldn’t be easy; we need a mystery arc to last for a good while…
The goodbye also sucks because Sara’s father Captain Lance doesn’t even know his own daughter is once more gone. Even though Oliver implores Laurel to tell her father the truth, when she tries, she can’t do it. How can she break her father again? The fallout from this dark choice should prove interesting.
In one of the most emotional scenes of the episode, as Laurel again claims unfairness about Sara and her perverse burial, Diggle admits that he and Lyla decided to name the baby Sara. She would always be remembered by someone. A nice touch by the writers.
Ray, Felicity, Oliver, and a Standout Romantic Moment
As everything horrible goes down, Ray Palmer continues his pursuit of Felicity. Since she turned down working for him, Ray literally bought the entire company she works for to become her boss. Impressive and suave move…So, Felicity can either come and work for him at Queen Consolidated with a big paycheck, or stay where she is (with little pay) and still work for him. Felicity, in an emotional state of mind chooses a third option: she quits. Ray, as likable and charming as he already is, continues to grow on me as he also expresses an intuitive concern believing something else to be the problem rather than him. He really knows how to turn a girl’s head. Not to mention, if a guy spent 1.2 billion dollars on me to convince me to work for him (without being super creepy), I’d have to reconsider my options too.
Felicity and Oliver love each other, but that doesn’t come without serious obstacles. In one of the most important scenes of the episode, Felicity and Oliver have an argument. Felicity believes he should show emotion and be less “cold,” Oliver believes he can’t because they need a leader. Felicity will have none of that, saying:
Felicity: You’re still a human being, Oliver. You’re allowed to have feelings. I know sometimes that it’s easier to live under that hood.
She may have a point, but Oliver can’t see it yet, confessing:
Oliver: Earlier today, I was looking at Sara, I realized something. One of these days it’s going to be me. And this … [Sighs]. This life that I’ve chosen…It only ends one way.
Here, in this moment, Oliver truly believes his life has only one ending: death and darkness. But Felicity isn’t willing to wait around for that. She says:
Felicity: So that’s it? You’re just going to spend your life hiding down here in this cave, waiting to die? I’m sorry. I’m not going to wait with you, because if there’s one thing that today has taught me, is that life is precious. And I want so much more in mine than this.
She does want more, deciding that she will work for Ray Palmer. And she’s right; no one should have to wait around for someone who claims they can’t be with them because eventually they’ll die (talk about morbid and depressing). Still this scene, while also confrontational, is also very romantic. Felicity’s desire for living, ultimately leads Oliver in the end to tell Diggle he doesn’t want to die in this cave. He wants to live. Hopefully, this spells hope for our thwarted lovebirds. Now Oliver just needs to step up his game and fight for love, fight to live.
The Return of Thea
It’s about time, but as Oliver tries and tries to get ahold of Thea, Roy finally comes clean about the letter Thea left him. She isn’t where Oliver thought and now he needs to find her; he needs to bring Thea home. But does she even want to come home? Skip to Corto Maltese and we see Thea training to be a fighter, Malcolm a proud father complimenting Thea on her progress. She even says, “Thanks, Dad.” Uh Oh! Calling a murderer Dad and happily training under him can only spell trouble for this new version of Thea.
Hong Kong
Meanwhile in an unrelated flashback about Tommy five years back, Oliver has a new mission set up by the horrible Amanda Waller (does her manipulative tasks remind anyone else of Nikita or La Femme Nikita?). Because Oliver tried to send out an S.O.S. that he was alive, Tommy showed up to find his best friend. Unfortunately, that only leads Tommy to be under the bulls-eye of a sniper gun held by that very best friend. When Oliver sees Tommy, he can’t do it. He has to set another plan into motion. Instead of killing Tommy for the knowledge he thought he gained about Oliver, Oliver fakes a kidnapping, convincing Tommy that he was in fact dead and only wanted his money…Poor Tommy. He can’t even catch a break when he was alive.
Favorite Quote
Oliver: Sara was trained by some of the greatest killers in human history and LaCroix put her down. So what do you think he’s gonna do to you?
Thoughts and Questions
As much as I adore Tommy Merlyn, one has to wonder why the writers didn’t hold onto this flashback for another episode. In an episode about Sara, the episode would have been stronger thematically if the episode really was about Sara. Because it wasn’t, part of the emotional punch was truly lost. Am I the only one who felt this way?
How relieved are you to already have John Diggle as part of the team again? And anyone else super excited to see how the Malcolm/Thea relationship will play out next week? It’s really so great to see John Barrowman back on our Arrow screens. If only that would happen for Doctor Who…
Finally, anyone have any other theories about Sara’s death? I have to admit, I was slightly baffled by Oliver’s proclamation that The League of Assassins don’t kill their own. How do they know Sara didn’t try to leave them again? Just saying. Also, I’m still a little suspicious of Roy and all of his “canvassing.” What does he do? Who does he talk to? What if Tommy’s flashback is actually relevant and this whole thing is connected to Amanda Waller? She is rather good at convincing people to kill for her.
What did you think of “Sara?” Sound off in the comments…
Stay tuned for next week when I recap “Corto Maltese.”
Photo Credits: CW
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can someone PLZ tell me: when laurel was about to tell her dad about Sara and his meds alarm went off. he tipped over that picture of Laurel and Sara… what was that all about? should i know the significance of that?? AND why did it change Sara’s mind about telling her dad ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER?? what was that all about? :-/
I’d have to rewatch that scene again, but I thought it was more about the underlying subtext that Laurel didn’t want to break her father by telling him the truth. She wanted him to keep the illusion that both of his daughters were alive and well.
hmm… thnx for the reply. i guess i can kinda see that but it still doesn’t make sense that he tipped that picture of the two of them over… thanks again for getting back to me though!