Arrow - The Calm - Review

Arrow returned for its third season with “The Calm.” The episode’s story was written by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kriesberg with the teleplay by Marc Guggenheim and Jake Coburn and was directed by Glen Winter. The series has a new title card as writing has been added to the arrowhead. The episode featured the amazing stunts we’ve come to expect and sees our hero begin the episode in a better place than we’ve seen him enjoy before, but the calm is shattered by the episode’s shocking ending.

The episode sets up many stories and themes that will no doubt play out over the course of this season. At the heart of the episode is the question of whether you can be a hero and still have a life. Intertwined with this theme is whether those close to you make you weaker or stronger. It would seem that as in the first two seasons, these themes will play out in both the past and present storylines.

As the episode begins, we see that team Arrow has become a well-oiled machine. Diggle (David Ramsey) is about to become a father, and Roy (Colton Haynes) is a full-fledged member of the team – complete with fantastic new crime-fighting suit and mask. The Arrow (Stephen Amell) also has a new bow – that is cleverly fully collapsible! During the last five months the crime rate has dropped significantly in Starling City, but the city itself is in dire trouble because nobody wants to live there anymore because of the previous two major disasters, which I thought was a nice realistic touch.

John and Lyla are happy together and as often happens when one friend is happy, he wants that for his other friends. It’s obvious to everyone else around them (audience included!) that Oliver and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) belong together. Oliver gives Diggle a present for the baby, and Diggle tells him “things are as good as they’ll ever be.” Oliver needs to stop worrying about what might happen and start living his life. Oliver needs to stop saying it’s not the “right” time. Of course, Oliver finally asks Felicity out on a date and it goes horribly wrong when Oliver is targeted for death by Werner Zytle/Count Vertigo (Peter Stormare).

Rickards is adorable in the date scene. And Oliver is has an adorable smirk on his face when Captain Lance (Paul Blackthorne) asks the Arrow if he has a hot date! After their initial nerves, Oliver confesses that he wasn’t always on the Island, but that the whole time he was gone he couldn’t completely trust anyone. When he came home, he didn’t know how to turn that off. He tells Felicity that she was the first person he could see as a person. It’s clear that they both remember that first meeting – with Felicity chewing on a red pen. It’s a nice touch that red is the complimentary color to green. Oliver reminds her of what he said then – that because of what they do, he could never be with someone he cared about. Rickards is once again wonderful as her face falls – and then Oliver says, “Maybe I was wrong” – just before the rocket hits the restaurant…

Of course, by the end of the episode, Lyla and Diggle have had their baby, and Oliver and Felicity’s chances for a relationship seem to be dashed. While I’m a bit disappointed that they’re covering the same ground here over and over, I did like that Felicity is essentially the one to end it – demonstrating just how far her character had come from the dewey-eyed young IT girl we first met. Oliver tries to soften the blow by telling her that they really can’t have a relationship now – maybe not ever. But then he kisses her and tells her not to ask him to say he doesn’t love her. But it’s Felicity that categorically walks away. I hope we don’t lose Felicity from the team – but I’m betting things are going to be a little tense in the lair for the next little while.

We also learn early in the episode that Thea (Willa Holland) is travelling and sending texts – so at least she’s keeping in touch. However, Oliver wishes she would send pictures – which, of course, is a red flag that she either isn’t where she says or that there’s something she doesn’t want Oliver to see – her travelling companion? The fact that she’s getting super fit? We also see as Roy overhears the conversation that he still has strong feelings for Thea. In fact, kudos to Ramsey and Haynes both for the background work they do in the first scene in the lair. They have no lines, but it’s hilarious to watch their faces as Oliver and Felicity pretend there’s nothing between them, even though she’s bought him a fern.

Felicity, of course, has a new day job which she describes as “a soul crushing exercise in misery that offers health and dental.” We first meet Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) when he comes into the technology store she’s working in – and then inadvertently tells him how to more effectively hack into Queen Consolidated enabling him to win the bid for Queen Consolidated over Oliver. Roy almost immediately recognizes her and offers her a job – which begs the question of why she is working here. It’s funny, but it also seems she could have gotten another much better job somewhere given her talents.

There’s a nice moment demonstrating Felicity’s geekiness when she says “Oh Frak!” Somewhat tongue in cheek Palmer says he wants to make big changes to Starling City – beginning with a name change to Star City to help clean up its image. It’s tongue in cheek because, at least in the comics, Ray Palmer is Atom, who can control his body on the subatomic level. His power comes from a white-dwarf star. His ability to control his body on the molecular level makes him similar to few other superheroes, but is similar to the Flash! I wonder if Palmer, who is also a physicist, was affected by the same blast as Barry Allen (Grant Gustin)? Routh is clearly having fun with the role, and I like the energy he brings to playing him. I’m not sure if the tone is a bit too light, however. I’ll want to see him settle into the role a little more. Both Roy and Barry also present some interesting prospects for Felicity now that she may be ready to at least try to move on from Oliver.

Detective Lance is now Captain Lance and he disbands the anti-vigilante task force. I did think it was a very silly story line to have the Captain of police running about dark alleys playing helper to superheroes when he has a serious heart problem. His motivation that he needs to be doing something in order to feel like a cop is just silly. Disbanding the anti-vigilante task force was a bid deal and huge contribution all on its own – proving that even behind a desk, Lance can have a huge impact on society – and contribute to the Arrow team.

Laurel (Katie Cassidy) has also settled nicely into her role on the team, getting the bad guys sent to jail. She seems at peace with Oliver and her Sara (Caity Lotz). I was thrilled to see Black Canary arrive to help the Arrow – and both shocked and devastated by her death. This will clearly have an impact on Laurel and will no doubt be both a test for her sobriety and the crucible that will have her picking up the leather jacket. I’m betting we will still see Lotz in the flashbacks, but I can’t help but feel cheated that we won’t be seeing her in the future.

       
The flashbacks set up a whole new dynamic and group of people. We see that Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is ruthless. She knows that Oliver would rather die than work for her, just as she knows Maseo Yamashiro (Karl Yune) would sacrifice his own life. So, she uses Maseo’s wife Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) and son Akio (Brandon Nomura) to motivate him by threatening to hurt them. She also knows that Oliver is honorable enough that he won’t let a child – or another woman – both innocents – be hurt for him. But it also teaches Oliver that those around him make him vulnerable – and it also sets up Diggle being more vulnerable too. Diggle’s family is in danger because of Oliver – or this is likely how it will play out.

Maseo shares his father’s proverb that “a man cannot live by two names.” This resonates with Sara’s last words to Oliver – “We’re not our masks, and we need people in our lives who don’t wear one.” This season promises to continue to explore Oliver’s search for this balance between Oliver Queen and the Arrow. Oliver continues to fear being Oliver Queen as is also shown by him seeing his own face when injected by the new Vertigo.

        Diggle comes to see that he needs to put his family first. I’m hoping that this simply means we will see more of Diggle holding down the lair – after all, that’s mostly been his role to date and he doesn’t have a suit while Roy does. Oliver is convinced that it was his lack of focus that allowed the thug to plant the tracker on him, almost resulting in Felicity’s and his own deaths. Will Oliver give up being Oliver Queen – as he’s decided it’s selfish of him to get the company back after all? Will he stop trying to be a regular person and a hero? Does he need to? Even if he chooses to be a hero, can he still allow others into his life?

What did you think of the season premiere? Do you think there’s hope for Felicity and Oliver? Should there be at this point? Do you think that sidelining Diggle will keep him safe? Let me know your thoughts and theories in the comments below!    

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.