Arrow 2.22 "Streets of Fire" Review: What Makes You Stronger

      The second last episode of Arrow’s sophomore season, “Streets of Fire,” was written by the team of Jake Coburn and Ben Sokolowski and directed by Nick Copus – all familiar names to regular viewers. This episode was so big with stunts, emotions, reveals, and deaths that it could easily have been the finale. Arrow is one of the few series on television that actually makes great use of writing teams. I’ve criticized other shows for having too many fingers in the pot, but Arrow makes it work. In fact, this episode appears to continue seamlessly from the last one as we pick the action up just where we left it.

    Well, maybe not quite where we left it. I did have a few quibbles with the opening scenes. How, for instance did Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) go from being side by side to being separated by that cave in? And how did Diggle (David Ramsey) fend off Isobel’s (Summer Glau) blades with just the leather of his coat? That’s some badass leather... I loved the fact that Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) actually points to a moment that stretches our credibility by wondering why the airbags didn’t deploy in the van when she runs down Isobel. Of course, it would seem they are defective because I’m sure that they don't deploy when the van crashes later in the episode either...

    As always, the show more than makes up for these little inconsistencies. I loved Oliver talking Laurel through using his bow. I’m assuming she’s something of a natural here – I hope that we’ll see this developed more. I’m really torn with Laurel now. I really like where they seem to be going with the character, bringing her back to being the strong support emotionally for those she loves and being the one inside the legal system to help them. Cassidy is great in these scenes. Cassidy has also shown that she can handle the physical aspect too, but I don’t think the character needs to be a masked superhero at this point either. Let’s just keep her away from being a victim...

    And speaking of badass women on the show – yes please, more Summer Glau kicking butt. She’s almost certainly got to die in the finale, but she is an absolute joy to watch in the fight scenes. Of course one of the most satisfying moments in the entire episode is Felicity mowing her down with the van as she bad mouths Felicity to Diggle. Priceless. Thank you show.

    A quick shout out to Rickards who brings her A-game to this episode and delivers one of her best performances to date in the show. Felicity proves time and again what a vital part she plays on the team in the episode, but her most important role is to give Oliver strength. I think the Olicity fans had to be more than satisfied with the scenes the two shared in this episode. I was curious and looked up the meaning of the name. It means happiness and is derived from the Latin which means good luck or good fortune. And why did it only just occur to me now that her name is FeliCITY.

    Oliver tries to apologize to Felicity, telling her that he had no idea five years ago that this destruction was even possible. He tells her that he’s failed this city. That he’s failed to honor the memories of Yao Fei, Shado, Tommy, his father, and his mother. Felicity counters by listing all the people he’s saved the city from: Malcolm (John Barrowman), the Count, the Clock King, the Triad. Rickards is just so wonderful in this scene as she goes from her own terror and shock to anger, telling him that he honors the dead by fighting. She essentially tells him to man up, you’re not done! She tells him that she doesn’t know how he will defeat Slade, only that he will. She tells him that she does know two things: “You are not alone, and I believe in you.” She hugs him but the camera gives us a closeup of Oliver’s hand hugging her back.

    At the police precinct, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) takes out the Slade soldier with three hand grenades. He also stands up to Lt Pike (Adrian Holmes), insisting they need to fight masks with a mask. Quentin corrects Pike when he calls Oliver the Vigilante, insisting it’s the Arrow. He’s their mask after all. Pike acknowledges that Quentin knows more about what’s going on than anyone and re-instates him as a Detective – while I’m not entirely sure that would be his decision, it’s nice to see Quentin finally back where he belongs.

    Laurel continues her own journey from victim by becoming the strength that Sara (Caity Lotz) needs. Kudos to both Lotz and Cassidy for a terrific scene. Laurel tells Sara she knows who she is after the Black Canary suddenly returns to Starling and saves her. Sara tells Laurel she doesn’t even know why she came back as there is nothing for her in Starling City. Laurel tells her that her family loves her and that she’s a hero. Sara denies it, saying she is the farthest thing from being a hero. Laurel then tells her “These things don’t break us. They make us who we are.” Laurel has clearly learned one of the central messages of the entire series. She has come through her own crucible to find herself forged more strongly. She points out to Sara that if she was so irredeemable, they would never have given her the beautiful name of Canary.

    I thought the rescuing a child from a burning building was a little on the nose, but again, I’ll excuse the show for it. It’s overhearing an anonymous police officer call her a hero at the precinct that actually gives Sara hope that she really may be a hero. I thought Lotz did a particularly good job in this episode, and there is a real contrast in her performance in the present and in the past. She seems far more innocent in the flashbacks.

    The flashbacks this week bring us right to the brink of what happened between Oliver and Slade (Manu Bennett). Bennett deserves special mention for the contrast in his performance as well. While we know the Mirakuru had a hold on him in the past, there is still a subtle difference in how the madness manifests in the present. We also see some hints about what’s to come. Anatoly (David Nykl) takes his leave of Oliver on the sub, but we see that Oliver can’t speak Russian yet. Anatoly promises to teach him, and we know from earlier in the season that Olive can speak Russian, leading me to believe that Anatoly is not getting away just yet. Another thing that did rather bother me is that suddenly Anatoly can rig a torpedo to work without being manned – did Peter die in vain? I’m hoping it’s just that Peter’s torpedo needed to be steered in more than a straight line... Oliver does try to send Sara to safety before he goes after Slade, but she refuses and is therefore captured with him.

     We lose Sebastian Blood (Kevin Alejandro) in this episode, and both Alejandro and the writers deserve credit for allowing him to redeem himself somewhat. His plan never included destroying the city. He is shocked when he can no longer control the soldiers and they kill the Kate (Chelah Horsdal). Of course, this leaves the seat vacant for Laurel... He confronts Slade who reveals that he plans to utterly destroy the city. I loved Bennett’s deliver of “By tomorrow night, this city will be nothing but rubble, ash, and death. A land only good for one thing --- grraaaves.”

    This sets us up for Blood to steal the cure back from Slade to give to Oliver. We see that Blood adopted his own mask with good intentions – to help the weak, but he, like Oliver started with murder. In Blood’s case it was the murder of his own father, and he was not able to come back from that. Again, one of the telling differences is that Blood is alone – he doesn’t have the support or family that Oliver does. Alejandro is fantastic as he becomes almost child-like in his belief that he will be able to continue as mayor. I almost felt sorry for him when Isobel showed up and double skewered him. Blood’s last words are that he loved this city – which didn’t help either of them.

    Meanwhile, we see what appears to be the army arrive to save the city. In reality it is ARGUS and Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) has decided that Slade and his army are a clear and present danger and she intends to destroy the city. Her deadline is even earlier than Slade’s tomorrow night – she gives Oliver until dawn before she makes Starling City a crater. This forces Oliver’s hand to inject Roy (Colton Haynes) with the cure. I loved Felicity asking why every secret formula has to be a color. She is, as always, our touchstone with reality, and so often says what I’m thinking.     Felicity tries to get Oliver not to inject Roy as she is concerned Oliver’s treating him like a lab rat and they don’t know if the cure will kill him or he will wake and kill them. We have to wait for the finale to find out!

    Oliver thinks that Thea (Willa Holland) is safe, but we see that she has only been saved by the return of Malcolm. I was thrilled to see Barrowman back, and I like the actor so much, I’m really pulling for Malcolm to become a good guy. Clearly, there is much that cannot be forgiven, but maybe it can be explained. The scenes between Barrowman and Holland are excellent, and I’m looking forward to many more between the two of them. Thea does not want to trust Malcolm, and he clearly wants to save her. He tells her they’ve both suffered the loss of having their loved ones ripped from them. The episode ends with Thea unloading the gun she has on Malcolm at him – but I’m of the opinion that she’s shooting a soldier behind him and not Malcolm himself – after all, we see him in the promo shots for the finale!

    This was a terrific episode. Kudos once again to the stunt team for some great fight scenes. And kudos as well to the writers for payoffs on so many storylines. We see the transformation of Canary and Arrow into true heroes for the city. We see Laurel come through her crucible and we see Quentin reinstated. They have truly been made stronger by the events of the past season. I can’t wait for the finale, but I’m not looking forward to the hiatus! What did you think of the episode? What are you most looking forward to in the finale? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!