Rating: 6/10
After Felicity’s father shows up in Star City to blackmail her into doing work for him, Malcolm also shows up to help Thea get rid of her bloodlust. Then Laurel shows up on Nyssa’s doorstep to convince her to help them. In the past, Oliver shows up in prison to help an old friend who’s probably also an enemy, but what else is new (literally not this, it’s in the past)? Lots of people showing up in lots of places in this one.
This episode is a “waiting episode” which I’ve noticed is pretty common in the middle of the season for most of these Arrowverse shows. What I mean by that is that it feels like everyone in the show is just waiting around for other things to happen. Certain things might get started but we all know it isn’t going to pay off until the final episode. I know shows are written to be like a season long movie now-a-days and this would be right in the middle of the second act where action is still rising to a climax that will hopefully pay off, but as an entire episode of this it makes me start to wonder what happened to one-shot villains like Huntress or Clock King that could come in and take over for an episode. We could use someone like that to cause a little mayhem while we’re waiting for other things to happen in the main story for each season.
This episode does get a lot more interesting within the last 10 minutes or so. Also, good martial arts action sequences throughout, often involving multiple fights going on. But most of the fights don’t have a lot of weight to them, outside of what’s nearer to the end of the show.
SCORING:
+5: It’s a story that doesn’t really go anywhere (until the very end)
+1: Despite this episode’s failings, it has some great action in it. I just wish there was more of it throughout. Still, props to the stunt department and fight choreographers.
