Arrow Season 1 Countdown: Ranking Episodes 9-13

As we (finally) approach the heavily-anticipated kickoff to Season 2 of Arrow next week, and as we try to sate ourselves with some tasty preview images (and more, and some more, and even some cast photos, for good measure), we thought we’d offer fun little coverage of the freshman year in recap. Over this week, GATV reviewer Matt Tucker offers his countdown ranking of each of the 23 episodes of Season 1 in the run-up to the new season premiere, “City of Heroes,” on October 9th.

Moving on to the next five on the list and cracking into the Top 10…

Your “Arrow: Year One” countdown:

• Wed 10/2 – Episodes 23-19: Honor Thy Father, Muse of Fire, Trust But Verify, Damaged, Pilot
• Thurs 10/3 – Episodes 18-14: Vendetta, Legacies, Vertigo, An Innocent Man, Lone Gunmen
• Today – Episodes 13-9
• Mon 10/7 – Episodes 8-4
• Tues 10/8 – Season 1 Top 3 Episodes

Agree or disagree? Have your own rankings? As always, we welcome your feedback and discussion. Tell us what you think in the comment section below or over on the forums.

Number 13: “Burned”

Episode: 1.10
Original Airdate: January 16, 2013
Synopsis: Physically healed but mentally broken from his confrontation with the Dark Archer six weeks earlier, Oliver has yet to put the hood on and continue his campaign. Laurel steals the phone Oliver gave to Quentin Lance to contact the vigilante and asks him to help solve what she believes to be the murder of Joanna’s firefighter brother. Oliver reluctantly accepts and, investigating a fire, gets into a fight with the killer that nearly costs him his life. Diggle is concerned the Dark Archer rattled Oliver too much for him to be out in the field. Laurel and Oliver work the case from two ends and discover that three firefighters have lost their lives recently, all sharing a Firefly tattoo and previously working at the same firehouse two years earlier when a catastrophic building fire took the lives of a number of fighters. Oliver noted the killer had the same tattoo, and they eventually pin the murders on Garfield Lynns, a member of the house believed killed during that big fire. At a charity benefit for the firemen, Lynns attempts to kill the fire chief, but the Hood stops him. Lynns then takes his own life by stepping into fire.

This first episode back from the winter hiatus — and from the terrific midseason finale “Year’s End” — is a compelling look at the effect trauma can have on one’s life. Oliver was thoroughly owned by the Dark Archer, bruising his ego and his confidence far more than any physical damage. This is mirrored to the extreme in Lynns’ story, a good man forever altered by a horrendous event. Though he could’ve used a bit more character development on-screen, this translation of the DC villain Firefly is quite effective, and there felt like strong motivation for his actions, even if his response was tremendously misguided. The episode was also an involving balancing act; you don’t want to shy from the lasting impacts of Oliver’s failure, but you also don’t want to drag that on too long. Keying the movement in time on the show to the actual length of the real-world hiatus was a smart move that gave real depth and believability to Oliver’s plight. Using a story that didn’t relate to the list or the Dark Archer as a way to have the Hood find his footing again was also a boon.

For more on “Burned”: Matt’s Review • Episode Guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq4XyC9BXjE

Number 12: “The Huntress Returns”

Episode: 1.17
Original Airdate: March 20, 2013
Synopsis: As Oliver settles into a relationship with McKenna and the nightclub is about to open, Helena returns with news that her father turned states evidence and will avoid jail time. She wants Oliver’s help to take him down and threatens to reveal his secret and possibly harm his family if he doesn’t help her. Oliver refuses to kill him. The night of the club opening, Helena holds Tommy, who has problems coming to grips with now knowing Oliver’s secret, hostage in the Arrowcave. Oliver agrees to help and they pursue separate armored transports in a motorcade that might hold her father. It turns out to be a police trap and Helena is taken into custody. With her captured, they press her for the identity of the vigilante, which she nearly reveals but decides against. Oliver frees her and gives her a one-way ticket to Europe. Not leaving, Helena harasses Felicity into locating the safe house with her father. As she attacks the safe house, Oliver intervenes, as does McKenna, who gets shot by Helena’s crossbow in the process. Frank Bertinelli escapes, as does Helena. McKenna decides to leave Starling City to recover from her injury. Meanwhile, Laurel and Quentin decide to help Dinah Lance search for Sarah, who might be alive. On the island, Oliver and Slade Wilson attack Fyers’ missile platform and steal the control circuit board. They plan to make a trade in exchange for a way off the island.

While the character of Helena is still polarizing, it’s safe to say that her third outing is her best, by far. The episode leverages the season’s earlier arc quite well to instill the true sense of danger about the Huntress and lend credibility to the stakes presented to Oliver over both his identity as the vigilante and those closest to him. The one downside to this interpretation of the character is that she’s so batshizz blinded by rage and revenge, it’s hard to see how she could ever have an effective redemption and become a force for good. (Though, to be fair, the show has done nothing to suggest that they would even do such a thing; it’s all assumption based on the character from the comics.) Though it strains credulity that Helena would be trained as well as she has in the few months since she was last in town, De Gouw’s performance is much stronger this outing. That helps to buoy a story that, thankfully, was far less about Oliver’s “crazy ex” returning and more about the dark side of vigilantism. The one major drawback of this episode is the inelegant way they shuffle McKenna off of the show. That’s if you don’t count the rather disappointing Lance family storyline.

For more on “The Huntress Returns”: Derek B. Gayle’s Review • Episode Guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6viFK3hdXzk

Number 11: “Darkness on the Edge of Town”

Episode: 1.22
Original Airdate: May 8, 2013
Synopsis: As the Dark Archer, Malcolm Merlyn takes possession of the Markov seismic device, killing the scientist in the process. Now aware and accepting of his mother’s complicity in the plan for the Undertaking, Oliver has Diggle dress as the Hood and kidnap Moira and him. Diggle tortures Oliver, forcing Moira to spill what she knows. Team Arrow breaks into the mainframe at Merlyn Global to track Malcolm’s plans, with Oliver meeting with Tommy, who now works at the family business, as a diversion. Oliver convinces Tommy to keep pursuing Laurel, but when he realizes that he can end his vigilante campaign by stopping the Undertaking, he decides to confess his own feelings to Laurel. Tommy witnesses the two reconciling. Diggle goes after the device while Oliver tries to take out Malcolm, who has become aware that his system has been hacked. Diggle runs into a dead end and Oliver and Malcolm square off. Revealing he is the Dark Archer, Malcolm is able to overcome the Hood, and discovers to his dismay that it is Oliver. Meanwhile, Walter serves Moira with divorce papers because he knows of her role in his kidnapping. On the island, Fyers reveals that their plan is to shoot down aircraft traveling into China and destabilize their economy. He forces Yao Fei to film a video confession taking full responsibility, and then he executes the man.

As the middle section of what essentially amounts to a three-part season finale, “Darkness” benefits from having a lot of good pieces to play with, but the episode itself ends up lackluster in comparison to the preceding and following episodes. While the various plot elements that make up the narrative are quite interesting, there’s a detached quality to everything that makes it feel more like a necessary step than a wholly engaging story. The tension of the Oliver-Diggle rift is quickly dispensed and the team goes right back to work. While the urgency is certainly there to do so, it feels like a missed opportunity to really explore that dynamic between the two. A lack of strong on-screen chemistry between Stephen Amell and Katie Cassidy makes the Oliver and Laurel reconnection a bit of a slog, which is unfortunate given the importance of the relationship. The episode ranks high because those good pieces are still quite good, including the end fight between Oliver and Malcolm where the elder man once again owns the younger, and the crushing moment when Malcolm realizes just who he’s been opposing these last few months. Not that that stops him.

For more on “Darkness on the Edge of Town”: Matt’s Review • Episode Guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tnnG1VM8YU

Number 10: “Home Invasion”

Episode: 1.20
Original Airdate: April 24, 2013
Synopsis: The corrupt businessman that Laurel’s latest clients are suing puts out a hit on the family. A methodical hitman, Mr. Blank, kills father and mother, but the little boy escapes to Laurel. Blank attacks them at Laurel’s apartment, but is stopped by the vigilante. Fearing for their safety, Tommy reluctantly suggests they hole up at the Queen mansion. Diggle learns of a sting by a group called A.R.G.U.S. to catch Deadshot and leverages his contact with them to plan his own takedown of Lawton. Diggle asks for Oliver’s help, and he agrees though he’s distracted by Laurel. Oliver decides to pursue Mr. Blank, and when the sting against Lawton goes down, the Hood is nowhere to be found. Feeling betrayed and marginalized, Diggle quits Team Arrow to go out on his own. Mr. Blank invades the mansion and Tommy runs interference with Laurel while Oliver confronts him. Tommy and Oliver have a falling out, as he assumes Laurel will never have the same feelings for him as for his best friend. On the island, Yao Fei’s daughter, Shado, begins to teach Oliver how to use a bow. Yao Fei leads Fyers to their hideout and Oliver, Shado, and Slade Wilson are captured.

My summary for the original review of “Home Invasion” was as follows: “An episode that could get lost in the shuffle but holds some actual emotional depth to the characters that leads to influential decisions.” While the actual mansion is invaded by Mr. Blank, a nice unemotional turn by guest J. August Richards that serves as good counterpoint to all of the emotion flying around in the episode, Oliver’s base camp of support is invaded by doubt, mistrust, and betrayal. The friction between Tommy and Oliver and between Diggle and Oliver both boil over, tearing apart these strong connections he’d built and really relied upon as he re-acclimated to life in Starling City. It’s the classic downturn of the cycle of the monomyth — the hero’s journey — as things begin to crumble leading to the breaking point right before he recollects himself and goes after the final challenge. And it all plays out quite well in this hour, lending further emotional credence to the eventual resolution of Oliver and Tommy’s relationship.

For more on “Home Invasion”: Matt’s Review • Episode Guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sIAPaBrPDA

Number 9: “Dodger”

Episode: 1.15
Original Airdate: February 20, 2013
Synopsis: A jewel thief named the Dodger has been pulling off being heists in Starling City by putting explosive collars on civilians necks and forcing them to commit the crimes. New recruit Felicity is ill at ease with Oliver’s methods, but he assures her they are doing good. She suggests that both he and Diggle need to pursue personal lives and suggests they each go on dates with McKenna Hall and Carly Diggle, respectively. To learn about the Dodger, Felicity suggests bugging McKenna’s phone, which he does while asking her to dinner. At dinner, Oliver and McKenna have an awkward conversation regarding his time on the island, and then she’s called in to work on the Dodger case. She tries catching the thief working with a fence, but he escapes from the police and from the vigilante, as Oliver was tracking McKenna. The team decides to set a trap for the Dodger at a charity event by using a broach from the Queen family collection, but Felicity ends up strapped with one of the explosive collars. Oliver chases after the Dodger on motorcycle while Diggle tries to disarm the collar, both succeeding just as the Dodger pushes the button on his remote device in an attempt to kill Felicity. Later, Oliver and McKenna attempt their date again, and Diggle and Carly talk about his reluctance to get close to her because the ghost of his brother is always around. Meanwhile, Thea tracks down a thief named Roy Harper who stole her purse. Moira wants out of the Undertaking and asks Frank Chen, another associate with the group, for help. He puts her in touch with China White, who Moira employs to kill Malcolm Merlyn. On the island, Oliver returns to Yao Fei’s cave to get some herbs to treat Slade’s wound and finds a beaten and tied up man claiming to have shipwrecked, been tortured by Fyers’ men, and escaped.

“Dodger” continues a strong trend of using guest stars throughout the first season of the show. Though the episodic nature of the character’s appearance limits his development a bit, guest James Callis makes the most of the dapper thief, lending a human and grounded quality to a character whose methods lie on the outlandish side of the scale. More importantly, this hour steps up Felicity’s profile, and now a member of Oliver’s team, Emily Bett Rickards shines and adds a needed and welcome dynamic. Pushing Oliver and Dig to have personal lives was bit cheesy, but it’s actually something the show needed as much as its razor-focused characters. In addition, the island flashback story is one of the strongest of the series, a chance to showcase just how Oliver changes from naive young man to hardened loner. Though it would later be conclusively answered, that they left the episode with the audience guessing whether or not the bloodied man was a victim or one of Fyers’ soldiers in disguise was one of the most powerful story threads and endings of the season.

For more on “Dodger”: Matt’s Review • Episode Guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFUETR0MfZI

Join us Monday as we tackle the next five episodes in our countdown and sweep on in to the top 5. And make sure to stay tuned with GreenArrowTV as we bring you more goodies in this week running up to the new season!