Arrow: "Burned" Heats Up the Winter Return

   Arrow returned after the mid-season hiatus with an episode that continues to demonstrate why this is one of the most popular new shows this season. Episode 1.10, “Burned”, was written by Moira Kirland and Ben Sokolowski and directed by Eagle Egilsson and had the carefully woven plot and intricately executed action sequences that we’ve come to expect. The basic bad-guy plot was admittedly a little thin and easily unwoven, but it was the way in which each plot thread wove together to strengthen the main theme running through the episode that is quickly becoming the signature of this series. And the reason it is increasingly becoming not-to-miss television for me.
    The visual effects department led by Jean-Luc Dinsdale and including Matthew Enright and Abel Vargas earn a special mention for the wonderful work they did with the fire in this episode. Fire is definitely one of the things that really creep me out, so right from the first scene with Firefly (guest villain Andrew Dunbar) setting Jo’s brother on fire, I was on the edge of my seat. When Firefly immolates himself rather than let Arrow help him, it’s horrific. It was pretty easy to figure out that Firefly was one of the fire fighters who was supposed to have died in the Nordel tower fire, but catching the villain was really not the focus of this episode.

      This episode picks up six weeks after the last one. Oliver demonstrates that he is physically back to form, but it’s quickly obvious that he isn’t completely recovered from the confrontation with the Dark Archer. I know that I’m not alone in really enjoying the scenes in which we see Oliver training – and a shout out to Stephen Amell who has clearly worked tirelessly to bring us a hero that is believable both physically and emotionally. We get to see both in this episode. I also remember him tweeting about how cold it was splashing about in that stream – in case you missed that you could see his breath in the scene!
    The six weeks that have passed allow society to see that the man in the hood has actually been a positive force who has helped the city, according to a newscast at the beginning of the episode. Enough time has passed for the local journalist to achieve some perspective and gather some statistics to prove crime is actually down. The episode is actually nicely framed by two newscasts, and by the end of the episode, Oliver is able to hear the newscaster describe him as a hero, not a vigilante. Jo (Annie Ilonzeh) describes him as a guardian angel to Laurel (Katie Cassidy).
    This episode marks a turning point for Oliver. He has suffered a huge loss of confidence at the hands of the Dark Archer. Diggle, so wonderfully portrayed by David Ramsey, recognizes that Oliver is in a bad place and tries to help him throughout the episode. Diggle tells Oliver that the Dark Archer took something from Oliver. He took whatever was in Oliver’s heart that allowed him to leap off of buildings and risk his life. Oliver comes to the realization that he hadn’t feared death on the Island because he had nothing to lose there. Since he’s returned, he realizes how many people actually rely on him and he doesn’t know what would happen to them without him. Diggle is the one to point out that that should actually make Oliver stronger because it’s better to have something to live for (and fight for) than to simply have nothing to lose. And this is the lesson that is threaded throughout the episode.

    The flashbacks to the Island show the beginnings of Oliver learning to be confident in himself and to fight back. We see him on his own for the first time, trying and actually succeeding in starting a fire – a nice tie-in to the villain’s penchant for fire in the present. Unfortunately, the fire gets him noticed and one of the soldiers comes after him. Oliver is able to kill the soldier – somewhat accidently, but it still leaves Oliver in possession of the soldier’s clothes and a map of the island. Oliver on the Island sets off on a hunt just as, at the end of the episode, Oliver in Starling City tells Diggle he is ready to start hunting the names on the list again.
    The women in this episode are important catalysts. It is Laurel who manages to get Oliver back in the game by calling on him to help Jo find her brother’s killer. Oliver can’t resist Laurel’s call. When he says to her, in his disguise as Arrow, that she thinks he’s a killer and he feels no remorse, her quick question of “Do you?” demonstrated how much she wanted him to admit that he did feel remorse – that he was more than simply a killer. Most importantly, however, Laurel reminds Oliver that they are very alike, that it’s their feelings and fears that control them. She tells him after he asks about why she won’t give Tommy a drawer that she’s an all or nothing girl, that she closes her eyes and jumps – just like him. There's great chemistry between Cassidy and Amell in this scene. Laurel and Oliver also make a good team as they work together to interrogate the Fire Chief at both the station and later at the fundraiser - perhaps hints at things to come.

    By the time Lynns (Firefly) shows up at the fundraiser, Oliver had had a chance to process all of what Diggle has been telling him and what Laurel has said as well. He understands, in confronting Lynns, that Lynns has nothing left to lose, but he also has nothing and no one to live for. As Arrow tells him, “You’re afraid to live.” Oliver was afraid to live, afraid to get close to his family and friends, but now he’s come to a very satisfying turning point. I’m glad the show didn’t tease this out and that while Oliver will obviously continue to keep this secret, he can also allow himself to get closer to those around him. Lynns is an example of what being a vigilante, being driven by revenge and being cut off from everyone in one's life can do to a person.
    Another very satisfying aspect to this episode for me was the interactions between Moira (Susanna Thompson) and Thea (Willa Holland). Moira’s languishing in the wake of Walter’s disappearance was somewhat excusable in light of the fact that she is between a rock and a hard place – or at least Malcolm Merlyn. She must be feeling guilty about her part in Walter’s disappearance and Merlyn does pose a very real threat to her own safety and the safety of the rest of her family. However, once she is told that the company is also in jeopardy, I thought that might be the catalyst for her to actually get back in the game. Then, I began to worry that it would take a man – likely Oliver – to come in and demand she pull herself together – much as Walter had gotten her over Robert’s death. So, I was really satisfied when Thea gives her mother the talking to she needed and Moira pulls herself up by her own bootstraps. It’s a great scene by Thompson and Holland. I will very much miss seeing Laurel get to interact with Jo in the legal aid office. The writers have done a really good job at creating strong, relateable women characters – somewhat of a rarity on television. I’m looking forward to Laurel realizing that there really was something more to her sister’s death. It was interesting that that came up again in tonight’s episode.
    It will be interesting to see where Tommy and Laurel’s relationship goes. Tommy has come a very long way in a short time. We see him take charge of Oliver’s club, organize a fundraiser, and try to move forward with his relationship in this episode. Oliver seems to be dragging his feet about getting the club up and running, however. Could be due to his lair being below the club? Whatever the reason, it seems a bit silly in light of his offering Tommy a job and then not giving him anything to do. It also seems obvious that Laurel still has some feelings for Oliver – and he for her, though he’s doing a valiant job in trying to simply be the friend. At the same time, Laurel is also obviously drawn to Arrow. It’s hard to see how this triangle can end well.
    It looks like Laurel may also have trouble ahead with her father. Lance (Paul Blackthrone) seems to have decided along with everyone else that the Hood is in fact a force for good at the end of the episode, especially when it comes to looking out for Laurel. One of the things that tipped me off that he wasn’t being sincere was actually his nickname of “the Hood” which sounds much to close to “hood-lum” for me... I think that when Laurel finds out about the tracking device he attached to the phone, she is not going to be happy with her father at all.
    All in all, this was a tightly written episode that heated things up after a long, cold hiatus. It also leaves us with lots of things simmering. I’m really excited for the rest of the season – this show just keeps getting better! Did you enjoy “Burned”? Can’t wait for next week? What did you like best about this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below...