Arrow review Season 8, Episode 6, “Reset”, Aired Nov. 26, 2019.
No episode of season 8 so far has reminded us that it’s lost its heart, Felicity Smoak, quite like 8×06, “Reset”.
Let’s get into it:
Getting a little loopy
This episode was a stark reminder of why I love and admire Oliver Queen. He is a person that learns his lessons mercilessly, and repeatedly. And amongst those merciless lessons there’s always a point to be made. An end goal. The “light at the end of tunnel” some might say. There’s always hope.
But the manifestation of that hope within the difficult lessons, was always Felicity. And if I have a main criticism for the episode, was that yes, the lesson he is learning here is difficult, and quite frankly the end result is a level of bravery we can all aspire to, but, it lacked heart.
And it’s hard to truly fault Arrow for that. Their beating heart is not on the show. I just would have been more in it, FELT it MORE is she was there… to go on her own journey regarding Oliver’s death.
When you think about it, whose life will change the most when he’s gone? Felicity. Of course Mia and William will be devastated, and grieve him. However, when we look back at those 20 years, the life that fundamentally changed (besides Oliver himself) was Felicity’s. And although she wasn’t there, I would have liked more acknowledgement of that. Maybe a line from Mia regarding her mother, and her perspective.
However, given that this episode was about Oliver, in a perfect world the people closest to him would also be in this time loop… if he wasn’t going to be in it by himself.
Paul Blackthorne— I mean Quentin Lance
Paul Blackthorne, or rather Quentin Lance, held our collective hands as the Arrow writers were telling us we also have to accept Oliver’s death. He guided us in our grief, and in Oliver’s. Oliver grieves for the life he could of had, while Lance’s resolve and ability to let go showed Oliver that it was the strongest thing he could do.
So, Oliver gives in, the time loop stops, and that in turn gets him ready for the coming Crisis with a healthier state of mind.
Black Siren
The Lance and Laurel stuff: YAY
The Lyla and Laurel stuff: NAY
And that’s where I’m at with this episode.
Positives:
I like that Laurel’s reward for not betraying Oliver was time with her not-Dad Dad to say goodbye, and how much he meant to her. Those scenes are the one’s where I wish they didn’t kill Lance’s daughters 100 times.
Negatives:
Firstly, here’s the line that gets an honorable mention for being objectively awful: “I pull off short hair way better than you do.” Yikes, my cringe had cringe.
But in the Lyla and Laurel debacle, I don’t know why Laurel has a hard time… not being sanctimonious? Like she invented vigilantism?
Here’s what I think:
Siren cannot comprehend the varying degrees of the morally questionable choice, and then therefore weigh that against a seemingly heroic action.
I possibly have an explanation: trying to comprehend those actions threatens her redemption because she’s currently struggling with being/seeing herself as a hero, and when she sees others be ambiguous, she begins to question what she can and cannot do to still be considered a hero. Therefore, she overcorrects and becomes hypocritical and self righteous. Which is endlessly frustrating.
We would all like Laurel to respond to these situations differently, and take ambiguity at face value and to lay out for Lyla, this is what I think, and what I’ve learned, and these are the choices the got me here. All in hopes of helping, not judging.
Right now Laurel is a character of extremes and hypocrisy.
Stray Musings:
- I would love to learn more about Lyla’s partnership with The Monitor and where it all began.
- I would also love to get Diggle’s reaction to his wife’s teamup.
- The Diggle and Oliver scene was so seamless and refreshing.
- Give Paul Blackthorne all the standing O’s!
- GREAT CONTINUOUS SHOT, DAVID RAMSEY! EPIC!
- Give me all the memes of William sipping a Big Belly Burger cup.
- “Dad, you’re going to be fine” wins.
- “Time is a gift” also wins.
- So, it’s basically confirmed that The Monitor brought the kids back from the future to see his fan fiction come to life… right?
Arrow is all new Tuesdays at 9 PM on The CW!
