Viewer Log: Arrow ep 4

When we last left Mr. Queen, he was frantically saving the life of his unlucky bodyguard, John Diggle. Diggle had taken a few GSW’s to the chest, with bullets that were laced with curare. So he’s doubly screwed. Or would be, if Oliver hadn’t gotten him to his lair in time. When Diggle awakens, he learns that his employer is actually the mysterious Hood that’s been running around town. I feel like this was an “Ohhh!” moment for Diggle. Oliver asks Diggle to help him with his crusade against the corrupt elite of Starling City, but Diggle is a little uncomfortable with the offer. He leaves in a huff.

Oliver comes home, gets chastised for apparently abandoning his family by Laurel, you know, the usual hero clichés. The next day, Oliver finds out Diggle quit, and he already has a replacement Bodyguard. I didn’t bother learning his name, he’s not that important. He also hears about a news story from when he went missing, of a man named Peter Declan murdering his wife Camille. The part that interests him, Camille had worked for a fellow named Jason Brodeur. Who is on the list. Dun-dun duuuunnnn. And just to make sure we get that Brodeur is a bad guy, we see him meeting with his head of security, who confirmed that he did indeed kill Camille. Way to make us work for it, Arrow Writers. Oliver, in his Hood costume, gets Laurel to look into the case, and we learn from Declan that his wife was going to report Brodeur for illegal dumping.

Say what you like about Laurel, but she's an effective attorney.

Back with Diggle, he’s spending time with his sister-in-law, Carlee. She generally approves of Diggle quitting, and that Oliver is an @%$, just for Oliver to show up. He descretely tries to convince Diggle to join him again, even showing him the book and the list, and telling Diggle how his father died. While a little more intrigued than last time, Diggle still says no. Oliver then gets in costume and “talks” with Camille’s supervisor. By now, you should get that when I say “talk” it involves torture. This time, he uses a train. Oliver is a sucker for the classics. He learns that Camille gave the supervisor a file with all the info. He gives the file to Laurel, who gives it to a judge, but it’s not enough for the judge to stay Declan’s execution.

Diggle talks with Carlee again, this time, it sounds like both think that working with Oliver is the “right” thing. Oliver goes after Brodeur, who after being shot through the hand, tells Oliver that Declan and Laurel are good as dead. Oliver rushes to Iron Heights Prison, and arrives just in time to save the two. The security guy Declan met in the beginning staged a prison break to cover up the hit. Oliver saves the day, and Declan is reunited with his daughter. Everybody wins. Oliver’s mother, Moira, meets with a mysterious man. Said guy points out that all the Hood’s targets are part of their secret little cabal. The plot thickens. Diggle meets Oliver at the lair, and agrees, though he refuses to be a side kick. When they go back to the Queen mansion, Oliver is arrested. Oh, forgot to mention that subplot. Detective Lance got some video footage of Oliver grabbing his gear in the previous episode, and sets out to stop the Hood.  

The Island subplot, Oliver is barely surviving. The Archer gives him a bird. He says something in Chinese, that Oliver doesn’t get. I understood based on the context right away, Kill the Bird if you want to eat. Once Oliver finally get it and kills the bird, the Archer, in English, tells Oliver what he was saying means “survive.” He urges Oliver to stop looking at his picture of Laurel and survive the island. There’s also a subplot of Walter Steele looking into an accounting irregularity. 2 million dollars missing, pretty big irregularity. He gets Felicity to look into it, and learns Moira invested it in something called Tempest Industries. They just have bought a warehouse. Walter goes to the warehouse, and discovers the wreckage of the Queen’s Gambit. This plot is pudding thick.

This episode was solid, but not fantastic. Pretty standard, Oliver finds a local injustice and solves it. Him trying to convince Diggle to help him stop the people on his list is an interesting little plot. When Diggle does agree, he does give one of the better speeches in the show about why he’s going to help. Don’t want to ruin it, just watch the episode and enjoy. Next time-

We need to have a chat.

Deadpool? What are you doing here?

What opens this week?

Y-your movie?

Yeah, MY movie. So where the heck is my Theme Week? Shnk Think carefully before answering, and I might not stick this katana into you.

Ah…. Next time, Deadpool review. Goodnight everybody. Gotta run!

Get back here, you nerd!