Arrow Season 3 Episode 22 - This is your Sword Review

Arrow Season 3 Episode 22 – This is your Sword Review

So things are getting intense.

 

Episode 22, This is you Sword follows team Arrow heading to Nanda Parbat to prevent the use of the Alpha-Omega bioweapon. Meanwhile Thea hunts down Roy and in the flashbacks Oliver and Maseo try to hunt down a cure for the bioweapon to use on Akio.

 

I really enjoyed this episode, overall it was really strong and I hardly have any faults with it. My favourite thing about the episode was seeing team Arrow interacting with Oliver now they think he has betrayed them and gone to the league. Props to Stephen Amell, he pulled off the Al Sah-him character really well and sure had me fooled that he had changed for good. Seeing his former allies, especially Diggle being so enraged at him was done really well and at the same time really painful to see such a strong bond broken especially seeing as Oliver is putting on a façade for this whole thing.

 

I also enjoyed the scenes with Ra’s and Malcom. Ra’s as I’ve said before carries such presence and power and it is very apparent that he is the most dangerous man on earth. Malcom is always a joy to watch, you’re never quite sure of his intentions and it makes him extremely interesting. He also has some charm and almost decency but in a sick and twisted kind of way that makes him an interesting character. Despite how many bad things he does it is as if he sees himself as the good guy and convinces himself he is doing the right thing. It makes for an interesting character.

 

Remember last season when after every episode of Arrow you’d think wow Felicity is awesome. She’s strong and has some sass and wit without being a typical strong female stereotype and brings some humour to what is quite a dark show. These days Laurel is the character that does that for me. I find myself looking forward to her in every scene she’s in and I have actually really enjoyed her growth from someone who I thought was pretty pointless and not needed into arguably the level headed and strongest member of team Arrow. Thea is similar in how I used to find her a whiney brat and now I’m looking forward to where her character is going. I want to see some after effects to the Lazarus pit but equally I enjoy how now she tries to fix her problems instead of crying about them as she did when she went to find Roy.

 

Speaking of Roy I want him back on the show. He had developed into a good character, one who while similar to Oliver in some ways was an individual and could have plots focused on him. Saying that the way he left this episode I think was perfect for the character he has become. He became Arsenal to do the right thing and that’s exactly what he did and now you could argue he’s saved both Oliver and Thea, keeping Oliver out of prison and giving Thea purpose again.

 

The big fight with the assassin’s vs Team Arrow was one of my favourite fight scene all series. I thought it was really well done and it was simply entertaining, plus I’m glad Ray turned up, he’s another character I look forward to seeing developed more in the spin off show (It cracked me up seeing him talk to Ra’s al Ghul, maybe I’m just easily pleased). The fight was entertaining but also had some emotion behind it with Katana and Maseo In their battle. It was quite tragic seeing them have to fight like that, especially for Katana who has now seen both her Son and Husband die in her arms. I do think some more time devoted to them in previous episodes would have been good as this kind of came out the blue having Katana back but she is a really cool character and hopefully she’ll be important in the finale.

 

I even thought the flashbacks were decent in this episode, a rare thing recently. They weren’t amazing but I did enjoy them and it didn’t just feel like being taken out of the much more interesting plot as they did tie in to the present day. Not much more to say on them, they all things considered they were okay.

 

I had one problem, Felicity. Man can she whine. I remember back when she was strong and witty and had a fire inside her. We still see glimpses but for the most part she isn’t that same great character I remember. I realise she’s going through a lot and I like seeing characters going through tough ordeals but it’s being just too much of a downer. Diggle is going through a lot too and he still remains interesting and not whiney. Don’t get me wrong I don’t dislike her, she’s just not quite the same. The thing that sums it up for me is when all team Arrow were locked up and she starts about how Oliver is marrying Nyssa. It seemed a little over dramatic and like something out of a soap opera. It’s not even like I’m against the whole Olicity thing, I think it can work as long as they stick with it throughout the seasons and don’t just throw it aside for a new love interest and thus undermining all that happened this season. Not a major complaint, I still like her as a character, I’m more just a fan of Laurel now instead.

 

Next episode is the final episode of the season :’(. Who knows what I’m going to watch on television for the months afterwards (Suggestions will be appreciated) but despite having some ups and downs I do think they have set up this final episode extremely well. I look forward to the finale after a solid episode today.