Sarah’s back! Ray’s back!
Donna Smoak’s back?
Arrow’s episode 6, Lost Souls, follows the team as they try to save Ray Palmer from the evil clutches of Darhk. Felicity becomes obsessed with the task and her narrow focus sends shock waves through her and Ollie’s relationship. In an attempt to make things better, Ollie invites Felicity’s mum over which only causes more drama.
The sudden appearance of Donna Smoak brought just as much humour as her last. Similar to Felicity’s accidental innuendoes, Donna also has some very awkwardly funny lines. However, Donna actually means to say these. Charlotte Ross brings Donna to life in a wonderful way and presents her character as such a polar opposite to Felicity that it makes all her scenes so much more humorous. But it’s the way Ross brings it all together when she reveals Donna’s motherly side that shows how good she is. We, like Felicity, forget so often that behind it all Donna has her own kind of intelligent. She brings Felicity great wisdom and, through warm milk, projects awesome motherly love. But after her sudden meeting with Captain Lance, could Donna be playing mother to the Canaries?
This episode, the Canaries get to fight side by side once again. Alongside Speedy, the women perform a fantastic fight scene against the Ghosts as the camera encircles them all. The climactic moment also has Kuris Holt tagging along for the ride forcing Felicity to give Diggle a codename: Spartan. Could this be his new superhero title?
As opposed to the many amazingly performed and heartfelt scenes that Arrow has produced, this episode’s attempt fell short. At Laurel’s apartment, Thea, Laurel, and Sarah discuss the bloodlust that Sarah has been experiencing. Sarah decides she’s going to travel to find her own way of coping with the bloodlust in a way that could only be described as a soap opera. Sarah even stands dramatically and turns her back on Laurel before the conversation is even finished. Her movements felt very blocked and rehearsed and did not portray the emotion intended.
Emily Bett Rickaards, however, performed above and beyond. This episode shows a new twist for her character as she struggles with the guilt for Palmer and fear for what her relationship is becoming with Ollie. She becomes closed off and attacks Ollie for small incidents. She even throws Ollie one of the best evil glares I have witnessed.
This episode is also the first time we get to see Ray Palmer miniaturised. His scenes were strategically filmed and had little Palmer usually seen through skype or facetime. However, the sudden appearance of Darhk’s head behind him as he talked to Felicity gave me chills. The shot was creepy and quick, and enough to sell the idea Ray was tiny.
There were a lot of season building moments in this episode including: Donna and Lance meeting, Palmer returning, and Ollie being caught killing one of the workers in the flash backs. However, it’s not one of the best episodes put forward by Arrow.
Quote of the Episode: You have been texting with my mother?! (Felicity)
