What started as an episode where I had to put down my pen, so enthralled by the happenings to take any notes, it quickly became merely a plate for Ollicity fans with a side of exposition. Just as Genie and Master, Bones and Booth or Fran and Mr Sheffield should never get together, neither should Ollie and Felicity. Half the humour disappears when these kind of relationships start, making the audience feel like a third wheel. I understand that some of my examples did get together. But how well did that go? Thea’s performance was remarkable at the beginning of ‘The Fallen’ as she pulled her almost lifeless body across the shards of a broken glass coffee table (If I may, I immediately thought ‘Killing Joke’).
The scene continued on the incredible fight she put up against Ra’s last episode and was followed by a dramatically broken Ollie. Just as I start to think Stephen Amell won’t break Ollie’s emotional state down anymore, he and the writer’s pull an episode opening like this. His performance was amazing. I’m being specific here because once Ollie and the Arrow team climbed aboard Roy’s plane the episode lost traction. Any Ollicity fans will freak when they watch this episode, whereas I stared at the screen annoyed. Every love scene cliché was used from Ollie taking off Felicity’s glasses, carrying her to the bed and them wrapping it all up with the man fully clothed and the woman in a dressing gown. And every scene around this felt like filler, including the massive fill of exposition from Ra’s.
During the first scenes with Ra’s I saw him as just an Aussie dressed up like an Arabian. It grated in so many ways. And yes, he has become the broken flood gates of exposition but it is so good to have a mystical, proverb-speaking wise man who doesn’t have a heavy accent. Yoda and Mr Miyagi are great, don’t get me wrong. It’s just nice to hear wisdom from my native tongue. A continuous highlight with her almighty swords of justice, Tatsu once again outshone Ollie with a remarkable entrance.
Pinned in the cargo bay of a truck, Ollie stares in awe as a sleek samurai sword slices through the canvas with such flare I reckon the goon died before the blade hit its mark. Keeping her origin story in mind, I did fear for Maseo when he offered Ra’s his sword. I also squealed a little in delight. With this direction of Ollie becoming the next Demon Head and everyone in Starling ‘knowing’ who the Arrow is, I am very intrigued at how these last episodes and next season will pan out. Especially how team Arrow will manage. Will Thea join the fold to learn control over whatever the Lazarus Pit has done to her? When will they tell her Roy is actually alive? We can only know by watching the next episode of Al Sa-him.
Review by Brittany
