Arrow 1.09 "Year's End" Review: Happy Holidays

     Arrow, episode 1.09, “Year’s End” is a terrific fall finale and brought the show’s inaugural fall season to a fitting and well-rounded close. Once again the episode is tightly written with the teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim and the story Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and features the attention to continuity that we’ve quickly come to expect from this show. The episode features yet another “new” villain, but also builds on the characters in a solid way and advances the continuing story arcs in a satisfying way. The episode is ably directed by John Dahl who captures the many great emotional moments provided by both the script and performances in the episode. My only quibble might be with a few too many quick cuts in the fight scenes. I know how hard these guys are working on the stunts and choreography of these fight sequences from their tweets, and I’d really like to see more long continuous shots to enjoy the fruits of their labor!

    One of the things I like the best in this episode is all of the echoes to the first episode. “Year’s End” narratively brings us full circle back to the beginning of the season in many ways, providing a nice pay off for fans and setting the stage for the action in the ‘back half’ of the season. The episode begins with the villain from the “Pilot”, Adam Hunt, seemingly trying to get “back in the game” and suddenly being killed by 3 arrows. The episode also finally answers some questions about Moira’s motivations and refers back to her having kidnapped and tortured Oliver in the first episode as well. We also return to the flashbacks on the Island. Perhaps most significantly, this “Christmas” episode allows the characters a chance to gain some perspective on the events that have passed since Oliver’s return in the “Pilot.” Laurel is able to realize it’s time to move on now that she’s been able to deal more fully with her anger at Oliver and her grief over her sister. Thea tells Oliver that no matter how fancy his party is, they can never have their family back the way it was. Of course, the viewer realizes this is not necessarily a bad thing as Oliver is a better man than before he was stranded on the Island. Oliver and Thea are also able to have a new beginning in this episode, and agree to accept each other for who they are now.

Colin Salmon as Walter Steele

    This episode reveals a lot about who the characters are now. Walter is definitely revealed to be a good guy and to have been a positive influence on Moira. Moira seems to be clearly a victim of Malcolm Merlyn’s mechanizations. Walter and Moira seem very far apart at the Christmas party Oliver throws. Walter accuses Moira of lying too often to him, and she accuses him of lying to her about dropping the investigation. Walter’s motives though are to avenge the death of his best friend. Moira admits that Walter has been her salvation. Unfortunately, whether out of fear of Merlyn or out of a lack of faith in Walter, Moira allows Merlyn to kidnap Walter by the end of the episode. It’s hard to believe that Merlyn is going to honor his promise not to harm Walter. I’ve come to really like Walter’s character and feel he could be a real ally to Oliver, and I’ve been enjoying Colin Salmon’s performance, so I hope we will see Walter escape somehow before the end of the season. I felt that this was Susanna Thompson’s strongest performance this season. I finally felt some sympathy for her character and her performance rang truer as I think we got some insight into Moira’s real motives and feelings.
    Walter also now knows about the book and has a fuller list of names than Oliver. It’s possible that Felicity will confide in Oliver now that Walter will be missing as she’s been working with him too. Once again, I very much enjoyed Emily Bett Rickards’ performance. Unfortunately, the one plot point that was jarringly unrealistic was Felicity finding the information on the arrow for Oliver. Three keystrokes to find an address for a shipment of arrows? Less than 30 seconds to discover all there is to know about a patent? It wouldn’t be difficult to make those efforts at least a bit more believable. The mentions of the Applied Sciences Center are a nice reference back to its opening in the second episode as Walter calls in Doug Miller to warn him to be careful. It will be interesting going forward to see if Miller is working with Merlyn as well.

The Dark Archer aka Malcolm Merlyn

    The biggest reveals in the episode are those relating to Malcolm Merlyn. Having Malcolm show up as the Dark Archer gives me hope that Tommy (who we might have expected to assume this role) will continue to be one of the good guys. This is a nice touch with Malcolm’s character, really solidifying him as off balance and ruthless – assuming you weren’t already getting that creeped out vibe from his threats to Moira. Merlyn’s final scene with Moira helps to set up the climax for the second half of the season as he alludes to the transformation of the city in six months, and Moira frets that thousands of people will die. The fight scene between Arrow and the Dark Archer is fantastic – really there aren’t enough superlatives in my vocabulary to do justice to the work the stunt team and fight choreographers pour into this show each week. I was a bit surprised that Merlyn seems to defeat Arrow – who is considerably younger  - relatively easily. Of course, we’ve seen Merlyn practicing his fencing skills and we know he hates to lose.

Another beautifully choreographed and executed fight scene

    It will be interesting going forward to see if any of these traits actually show up in Tommy. There’s been no indication that Tommy has the same inclinations as his father, and the only real criticisms of him are that he’s lazy. Tommy is certainly trying hard to be a man that Laurel can respect and love. Colin Donnell is doing a great job at making Tommy very sympathetic. Tommy’s gift of a picture of Laurel with her sister and father is also a thoughtful and perfect gift. I particularly love his scenes with Paul Blackthorne who plays the protective father very convincingly. My favorite line in the episode might be when Lance responds to Tommy’s “How are you, sir?” with “Proficient with firearms.” Blackthorne also gets to showcase that Lance is a good detective. He realizes that Hunt’s death is the work of a copycat right away and is able to spot the flaws in the Police Chief’s plan at the end of the episode as well. Lance is already starting to accept the Hood’s presence and the possibility that he might be an agent for good. Certainly, his getting Oliver the arrow, even though with an ultimatum, paves the way for future collaborations.
    The dinner party scene gives a nice perspective on how the Hood can be viewed. It’s pointed out that Robin Hood was a criminal. Merlyn states that crime is down, however, and the Chief wants to take credit for it. Walter actually defends the Hood, saying the Hood’s had a chilling effect on the city’s criminals. Merlyn suggests calling the Hood, Green Arrow, which Oliver says is lame. Hood, of course, makes him sound like a criminal, so it’s in Oliver’s best interest to find his alter-ego a new nickname, and in this episode of potential new starts, it would seem to be time.
    The Island flashback provides some additional information as we learn that it was formally a prison and that Yao-Fei was an inmate. Deathstroke also makes an appearance in this episode. Yao-Fei saves Oliver from falling into the hands of the man in charge of the Island, but at the end of the episode, Oliver finds himself alone on the Island after Yao-Fei is taken prisoner. Another nice element of continuity is seen in the fight seen as we see Yao-Fei execute a move on Deathstroke that we’ve seen Oliver use several times. Hopefully, when we return from hiatus we’ll see a bit more of how Oliver came into his own on the Island.

    Oliver continues to come into his own in Starling city, however. He is concerned with bringing his family back together by throwing an elaborate Christmas party. It strikes me that his family was never what he remembers it as, however. We know, for instance, that he was a shallow playboy who was so afraid of commitment that he slept with his girlfriend’s sister to avoid it. The Oliver in this episode, however, is committed to his friends and family. We know that he hates to be alone, yet he steps up and does the right thing by releasing Laurel, essentially giving his blessing to her and Tommy. She tells him that “for five years I was emotionally ‘off’” and the last person she expected to make her feel again has. I think it’s possible that she is talking about Oliver here. She never expected him to make her feel again because she thought he was dead and she was so angry at him. You could also read this as Tommy being the one to make her feel again, and this is certainly the way Oliver indicates he’s taking what she’s said to mean – though I think he really thinks she means him too.
    Oliver is still making amends, however. He tells Thea that he doesn’t deserve a present. He also tells Diggle that he has failed the city, just as he tells the people he targets. Diggle is quick to point out that Oliver is the one who saved the five hostages. David Ramsey is doing a solid job at providing the mentor figure that Oliver needs. I’m looking forward to him becoming a bit more active in the mix, however. It’s fun to watch Amell and Ramsey spar, but I’d like to see a lot more of Diggle getting real action. Amell’s performance in this episode continues to build what he’s established throughout the season. The episode ends with Oliver pledging to take down whoever is behind the Dark Archer because whoever that is would appear to be the biggest threat to Starling city.
    This episode was a great fall finale. It tied up a lot of the plot threads and emotional arcs that were established in this first half of the season. It’s also left us with very exciting questions. Did Yao-Fei get lose again? Did Oliver actually come to his rescue? Will Laurel and Tommy stay together? Is Walter alive? Who is the person ultimately behind the book? Has Moira really made her family safe? Is it January 16 yet?
    How do you rate the first half of the season? Any villains you’re particularly anxious to see? Sound off in the comments below...