Tonight’s episode of
Arrow, “Dead to Rights”, was written by Geoff Johns and directed by Glen
Winter. Johns also co-wrote the teleplay to “Muse of Fire” with Mark Guggenheim,
an episode that also featured both Tommy (Colin Donnell) and Malcolm Merlyn
(John Barrowman) and Moira (Susanna Thompson). Johns’ script and Winter’s
direction resulted in an episode that delivered a number of terrific
performances from Donnell, Barrowman, Thompson, and Stephen Amell. This was
Winter’s first time directing, and I felt his strongest scenes were the more
emotional, character-driven ones. The initial fight sequence was good, though
it felt like the helicopter got in the way, but I felt the fight sequence with
China White (Kelly Hu) was too choppy and cut up to really enjoy or appreciate.
This episode was very much about
trust and the bonds of family, and that played into every character’s
decisions. The loss of a family member and the subsequently strained
relationship with a parent was a theme that touched on Tommy’s relationship
with his father, Oliver’s relationship with his father, and Laurel’s
relationship with her mother. In addition, Diggle (David Ramsey) is also
confronted with his brother’s death again when Lawton/Deadshot (Michael Rowe) turns
up alive. Ramsey is terrific in the scene when Oliver breaks the news to
Diggle. I’m also very much enjoying the chemistry between Diggle and Smoak
(Emily Bett Rickards). It feels very much like the team is becoming a family
themselves, especially as Diggle begins training Smoak to be able to defend
herself in the event she has to fight to protect herself.
One of the things about the show
that has impressed me from the beginning is the complexity of the characters. This
is a tribute to both the writing and the acting on the show. The characters are
anything but black and white, stereotypical comic book good and bad guys.
Instead, they are very real characters with complex motivations, and one of the
ways that this manifests itself is in how difficult it is to label a character
either good or bad. This in itself holds a mirror to the Vigilante. Is he bad,
for committing violence, or good, for defending the city?
Up to this episode, Malcolm
Merlyn seemed to be the straightforward bad guy as the head of the “Undertaking”
and as the Dark Archer. He seemed to have no fatherly feelings towards Tommy
and even tried to get Tommy to disband the charity that his mother had set up. This
episode shows Malcolm as the head of the “Undertaking”, telling his fellow
conspirators that “There is hope on the horizon. We won’t fail this city.” Yet,
while making his speech for Humanitarian of the Year award he says “I haven’t
done enough for this city. I’ve failed it. I’m going to do more.” This echoes
Oliver’s tagline to the villains that “You have failed this city.”
Malcolm also refers to his wife
Rebecca’s death in his speech. He is obviously still very affected by her
death. When the attempt on his life comes, Malcolm is most concerned about
getting Tommy to safety. He reveals his fighting skills to Tommy when he
disarms and then kills some of the attackers. Tommy is stunned. Malcolm is
about to reveal his alter ego to Tommy in the secret chamber in his office when
Deadshot prevents him from doing so. However, Malcolm does finally open up to
Tommy in the hospital and reveals that when he went missing after Rebecca’s
death, he was on Nanda Parbat. He tells Tommy that “I found a man who helped me
find a purpose for my life to make this city better for everyone.” Nanda Parbat
is a fictional city in the DC universe that has featured in several comics as a
place of healing and enlightenment.
Malcolm’s story seems to eerily parallel
Oliver’s. It seems that Malcolm’s intentions may have started out in an effort
to do good, to avenge the death of his wife. Oliver saves Malcolm twice: once
as Malcolm and Tommy flee through the hallways, and once by identifying the
poison and getting Tommy to do the transfusion. Both times, Malcolm seems
unhappy that it is the Hood saving him. It’s possible that he feels guilty for
having tried to kill the Hood, but it seemed more like he simply didn’t want
the Hood to be the one to save him. John Barrowman does a fantastic job in this
episode. It would be very easy for him to play Malcolm over the top and his
restrained and sincere performance kept me guessing as to his true feelings.
Given how campy Barrowman was as Captain Jack in Torchwood (which I loved), I was concerned initially about how he
would play Merlyn, but he completely put those concerns to rest in this
episode.
Moira also continues to be
intriguing. Thompson is likewise doing a marvelous job keeping the audience
guessing. It’s clear that Malcolm, based on his asking Moira to dinner after
the awards ceremony, would like their relationship to be something more, which
makes getting Robert and Walter out of the way even more sinister. Moira, for
her part, is able to keep a completely false face to Malcolm even as she
executes his assassination. Yet, as she is getting ready for the awards
ceremony, her hands are shaking so badly that she can barely get her earrings
on. Winter frames a great response shot of Thompson’s face in the crowd at the
ceremony of Moira’s anguished realization that Tommy is in the audience and is about
to witness his father’s assassination. We’ve already learned at this point that
Tommy virtually grew up in the Queen household, so this is a nice touch that
Moira appears to have a maternal concern over Tommy. It is, of course, ironic
that Malcolm tasks Moira with finding the traitor. I suspect that poor Frank,
her co-conspirator, will be offered up in order to save her own skin.
Another mother joins the cast
this week as Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is confronted at the end of the episode by
her own mother, Dinah, played by Alex Kingston. Laurel has been ignoring phone
calls from her mother throughout the episode, so she shows up on Laurel’s
doorstep. It’s a nice parallel to Tommy’s rebuff of Malcolm when he shows up at
Laurel’s doorstep during Tommy’s birthday party. We also learn during the party
that Sara had a black canary as a pet growing up. Black Canary is prominent love
interest for the Green Arrow in the comics but her alter ego is actually Dinah
Laurel Lance. It’s unlikely that the Black Canary will end up being Dinah, but
as the pet was Sara’s, it will be interesting going forward to see just who
does end up being the Black Canary.
My favorite moments in this
episode come between Oliver and Tommy, but before I rave about those, I want to
mention again what an amazing performance Stephen Amell is turning in week
after week. It’s important to note that episodes are shot over an eight day
period and that includes all the scenes for a particular episode, so it’s not
as if all of the flashbacks were shot at one time. What this means is that
Amell has had to keep two separate but related character evolutions in his head
at one time. We are seeing a very gradual change in Oliver on the Island from
the spoiled rich kid who knew nothing about survival and who cared about no one
but himself to the accomplished fighter and survivalist who left the Island
while at the same time we are seeing a gradual change in present day Oliver
from the estranged, cut off and guarded man who returned from the Island to the
warmer and more caring man he is becoming. Amell delivers yet another nuanced
performance as two very different facets of the same character.
In this week’s flashbacks, Slade
(Manu Bennett) attempts to get Oliver to train to be able to fight – it’s
pretty hysterical given the now famous salmon runs to watch Oliver fail to do
four basic pull ups. He is, however, able to fix the radio enough for them to
be able to overhear Fyers latest plan – or at least that he is planning
something. Oliver’s knowledge of The Odyssey comes in handy again. I love the
chemistry between Bennett and Amell and the comic moments that help to lighten
the tension, such as when Slade suggests Oliver collect bamboo so they can
build a boat like the characters did on Gilligan’s
Island. It’s unclear exactly what Fyers is up to at the end of the episode
with the missile launcher or what Oliver and Slade will do to stop it.
I thought that every scene
between Donnell and Amell was terrific. Their banter and body language are
perfect for best friends who grew up like brothers. I love their whispered
relief that Laurel hadn’t cooked the birthday dinner. Both actors also knocked
it out of the park in the scene in the Chinese restaurant. Oliver is supportive
of Tommy’s decision not to want to have anything to do with Malcolm, but he
also wisely advises him that whatever else happens, Malcolm is always going to
be Tommy’s father. Tommy obviously has a somewhat romanticized memory of Oliver’s
childhood, and tells Oliver that Robert was much more of a father to him than
Malcolm ever was. Oliver tells Tommy, “I have a lot of anger still at my Dad,
but at the end of the day, he’s still your Dad.” Tommy, of course, has no idea
just how complicated Oliver’s relationship with his father is – including Oliver’s
vow to honor his father’s dying wish and his mission to work his way through
the list.
Yet another aside to mention the
scene where Oliver gets up to “visit the restroom” and actually goes into the
kitchen and takes out the guys in the back room, blinding one with hot sauce
before interrogating him. The best part of the scene is when the guy tells the
other bad guy that the guy who attacked him had to be Chinese because he spoke
perfect Chinese! Loved Oliver simply slipping back into his chair and calling
for the check!
Another powerful scene, is, of
course, the big reveal. Oliver must reveal himself to Tommy in order to save
Malcolm – the irony! Tommy is stunned to learn that Oliver is the Hood. Once
again this parallels Tommy’s astonishment at what his own father is capable of.
On leaving the building, Quentin Lance finds it curious that the Hood has once
again saved Tommy and asks him, “Is this guy a friend of yours, Merlyn?” Tommy
answers, “I don’t know who the hell he is.” On the face of it, Tommy is
protecting Oliver’s identity – we don’t see Oliver ask him to do it, but he
does it anyway. However, on a deeper level, Oliver has just proven to Tommy
that Tommy doesn’t really know the Oliver who came back from the Island.
The most powerful scene in the
episode, however, is the final scene between Oliver and Tommy. Both Amell and
Connell deliver amazing performances. I felt for both of them. Tommy obviously
feels betrayed that Oliver didn’t confide in him. While it was brutal, I was
relieved that Oliver was honest with Tommy when Tommy asked if Oliver was ever
going to tell him. It was only for Tommy’s own safety that Oliver kept his
identity a secret. Hopefully, once Tommy thinks about it, he will be able to
forgive Oliver for not telling him. In the meantime, it will be interesting to
see if he keeps this a secret from Laurel – I suspect strongly that he will. If
he does keep it secret, it can only harm their relationship. Just as Oliver’s
continuing to lie to McKenna (Janina Gavankar) can’t end well.
A lot of balls were left up in
the air. What is Fyers up to? Will Tommy forgive Oliver? Will he at least
continue to work in the club or will he let Malcolm give him back his trust
fund? Is Sara alive? Will Laurel let Dinah back into her life? Will Moria try
to kill Malcolm again or frame Frank? We have two weeks without a new episode!
So lots of time to ponder all these questions... What did you think of the
episode? Let me know in the comments below.
