Arrow Season 2 Countdown: Ranking Episodes 23-14

Opinion Recaps & Reviews October 6, 2014 Matt Tucker

In anticipation of the Season 3 premiere, Matt Tucker counts down his ranking of the episodes of the superb and densely packed Season 2....

Season Episode: 2.3
Series Episode: 26
Original Airdate: October 23, 2013
Credits: Guggenheim & Shimizu (writers); Winter (director)
Synopsis: Canary frees Arrow from Laurel’s trap at the DA’s office. The Arrow asks Roy to track down who she is, which leads him to Sin and the clocktower they are hiding out in. Laurel and Quentin are captured by the Dollmaker, one of Quentin’s old collars who plans to kill Laurel in front of him. Arrow and Canary separately infiltrate his lair, stop him, and free the Lances. In the past, the freighter fires on the plane. When Oliver runs to save Shado, he’s knocked unconscious and captured, while Slade is horrifically burned.
Guest Characters: Sara Lance/Canary, Shado, Sin, Adam Donner, Barton Mathis/The Dollmaker (Michael Eklund), Jean Loring (Teryl Rothery), Lucas Hilton (Roger Cross)

From Matt’s Review: “Beyond technique, heroics, and flashbacks, this episode really is a Lance family one. Kudos to both Paul Blackthorne and Katie Cassidy for some of the strongest work for both of their characters to date. […] Even with the somewhat procedural structure of this episode … there is a combined narrative and character propulsion that continues to elevate the show.” (more)

From Derek’s Second Opinion: “‘Broken Dolls’ had the workings of a potentially lame episode. The Lances have often been a weak spot, and a CW show presenting a gruesome serial killer story in a superhero world hasn’t always yielded the best results (how many times did Smallville attempt it without much success?) But Arrow smartly took the serial killer story and used it as a tool to expediently develop this season’s ongoing stories and delve into the Lances better than we ever had.” (more)

When I think of an episode like this coming in so relatively low, it reminds me of how strong are so many of the episodes of Season 2. You frequently have to cringe at themed serial killers on these kinds of shows because they offer are all style and no substance. Winter does so much with style here that makes the creepiness effective to really sell the danger. Tying it to Quentin’s past raises the stakes and gives both Blackthorne and Cassidy great material to work with.

We get more time with Canary, but her motivations are somewhat unclear. She’s initially sold as a vigilante attacking men to stand up for women, but it’s kind of confusing. That makes her saving of Oliver kind of weird at the time, something that only makes sense later on as we discover she is Sara.

The importance of the Lance family gets lost on the audience sometimes, but it’s nice to get an episode here and there that deepens them. This is a key episode in setting up the trajectory for Quentin, Laurel, and Sara for the rest of the season.

This is also the episode with that gruesome immolation scene for Slade that eventually prompts Oliver and Shado to give him the Mirakuru and changes everything.

Number 17: “League of Assassins”

Season Episode: 2.5
Series Episode: 28
Original Airdate: November 13, 2013
Credits: Coburn & Greenberg (writers); Stanzler (director)
Synopsis: When attacked at the mansion, Sara finally opens up about her past, revealing that she was a member of the infamous League of Assassins but ran from the group to make sure her family was okay following the Undertaking. They’re hunting her to bring her back or kill her. Fearing for her family, the Arrow and Canary take out the assassins. In the past, after surviving the Queen’s Gambit sinking and after drifting for days, she’s picked up by Ivo and his crew.
Guest Characters: Sara Lance/Canary, Adam Donner, Al-Owal (Navid Negahban), The Butcher (Ron Selmour)

From Craig’s Advance Review: “[…]with cast and crew members hyping the episode up so much, there’s always the concern that they oversold it. Actually, they didn’t. The show has no slow points; lots of action and character moments, and some great elements from comic book mythology, brought to life on television. […] The emotional stakes behind the Canary being Sara have potential effects on many characters.” (more)

From Matt’s Review: “Though ‘League of Assassins’ is a bit light on the assassins, it manages to give the group its due importance and teeth. The palpable sense of dread chasing everyone is deftly handled, and despite winning the battle, it sets a tone for the season going forward.” (more)

The assassins aren’t so menacing of a threat in this episode — their pursuit of Sara doesn’t come across as breathtakingly relentless, and they aren’t around enough — but they do just enough to establish the threat for the rest of the season. (Though, that certainly turns out differently than thought, but serves to set up some of the plot of Season 3.) It’s a bit of a downer that we never get to see Sara actually during her time with the league here, the flashbacks instead focusing on the immediate aftermath of her being pulled out of the yacht during the storm and being “rescued” by Ivo and the Amazo. Setting up the relationship between those two is effective, though.

Quentin learning Sara is alive, especially after that ill-advised plotline in Season 1 with Dinah searching for her, is the true highlight here. That and the sight of Green Arrow and Black Canary fighting ninja assassins on TV.

Number 16: “Identity”

Season Episode: 2.2
Series Episode: 25
Original Airdate: October 16, 2013
Credits: Sokolowski & Schwartz (writers); Copus (director)
Synopsis: Roy draws the Arrow’s attention to raids on FEMA medical supplies en route to the ravaged Glades by China White, her gang, and new hired hand Bronze Tiger. Oliver is a no-show at a benefit event thrown by Sebastian Blood, adding fuel to his rhetoric. Arrow and Diggle stop the latest FEMA raid, taking down White and Tiger. In the past, Oliver, Slade, and Shado find a cave with the corpse of a Japanese soldier.
Guest Characters: Shado, Sebastian Blood, Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger, China White (Kelly Hu)

From Craig’s Advance Review: “It’s not absolute perfection, but there are enough moments within to give audiences a bit of everything.” (more)

From Derek’s Review: “This is far from the best outing the show’s had, but nothing feels unimportant to the grand scheme of things. Even in an episode taking time to explore some common superhero concepts, it still feels like it’s taking steps towards a larger endgame for Oliver, Oliver’s identity, and his newly forming enemies.” (more)

From Matt’s Second Opinion: “All in all, there feels like a deepening and richer quality to the characters so far this season. […] ‘Identity’ continues a great evolution of the series.” (more)

Another good episode that elevated a number of the plot elements that were established in the season premiere that sits lower because there are even better episodes above it. Bronze Tiger proves to be a bit more flash than solid villain, which is somewhat disappointing given that this episode helps transition from Kelly Hu’s China White to Turner as the go-to second stringer for the season. Still, what we get of him is fun, particularly that first fight between he and the Arrow.

Gotta love and enjoy Felicity, but we start to get our first signs of the season that bumping her to series regular is going to bit bumpy. There’s some fun to be had in her being snotty about being relegated to Oliver’s “assistant” as cover at Queen Consolidated. Yet, we see signs of a naggy and slightly annoying version of Felicity that will pop up a few more times throughout the season. The character and Emily Bett Rickards are better than some of juvenile pettiness they give her this year.

Meanwhile, Sebastian’s public roasting of Oliver is a bit gratuitous, but he makes for an intriguing antagonist during this first part of the season. And bringing on Roy as the Arrow’s Baker Street Irregular in the Glades is a welcome decision.

Number 15: “City of Blood”

Season Episode: 2.21
Series Episode: 44
Original Airdate: April 30, 2014
Credits: Harold (writer); Schultz (director)
Synopsis: The day of Moira’s funeral, a despondent Oliver wants to sacrifice himself to Slade and disappears. Diggle and Felicity turn to Waller to help find him. They and Laurel confront him and convince him to go against Sebastian Blood and the Mirakuru army to stop Slade’s plan. In the past, someone has to manually pilot a torpedo to free the Japanese submarine so that Oliver, Sara, and Anatoli can escape.
Guest Characters: Sara Lance/Canary, Sebastian Blood, Isabel Rochev, Amanda Waller

From Matt’s Review: “Thoughts that take your brain as you’re left with an episode full of necessary but nigh perfunctory events. It’s a cohesive whole but never really feels much more than setting up people and situations for what’s about to come. Perhaps it’s good to have a mild breather before all hell breaks loose.” (more)

From Derek’s Second Opinion: “The cliffhangers themselves are stellar, with all the major players suddenly in danger as the oncoming siege begins. But they’re cut together awkwardly with a fairly weak flashback; it’s all good stuff, but the timing and the order just doesn’t work that well.” (more)

Taking a page from last year, the season finale is really a three-episode arc. This is the first act, yet while a number of appropriate things happen, it feels perfunctory and disjointed rather than exciting. There’s nothing particularly wrong with any of the events that occur here. It all just feels like setting up the chessboard rather than beginning play.

One does have to like the fact that these three episodes all take place on the same day, the day of Moira’s funeral. Then, the checklist comes out. Despondent Oliver plans to sacrifice himself, check. Diggle and Felicity turn to Waller, which means ARGUS — and Lyla — is going to be directly involved in this night’s events, check. Isabel informs Thea that Verdant is being kicked out, giving her reason to leave town, check. Laurel finally tells Ollie she knows he’s the Arrow, check. On and on.

The hour also ends with one of the weirdest cuts seen on the show. The Mirakuru army starts advancing on the city, walking down a stretch of highway. Abruptly, but not very dramatically, the scene cuts to the end credits. It almost felt like the broadcast signal had dropped out right at that moment. The intention of the cut was very evident, but the cut itself left a weird aftertaste.

Number 14: “Blind Spot”

Season Episode: 2.11
Series Episode: 34
Original Airdate: January 22, 2014
Credits: Mericle & Schwartz (writers); Winter (director)
Synopsis: No one will believe Laurel about Sebastian, including eventually Olver as the Arrow. Amidst Slade’s displeasure, to get Laurel off of his trail, Sebastian and SCPD Officer Daily trump up a warrant and get Laurel arrested for illegal prescription drug possession. When released, she’s kidnapped by the masked Brother Blood. She gets free and shoot him, but it’s revealed to be Daily. Charges are dropped but she’s fired. Slade confronts Sebastian as Deathstroke and warns him not to fail again. In the past, Oliver and Sara chase after the running Slade.
Guest Characters: Sara Lance/Canary, Sebastian Blood, Sin, Adam Donner, Anthony Ivo, Officer Daily, Maya Resik (Ana Mercedes)

From Matt’s Review: “There are some episodes that command immediate response. Then, there are others that require time to marinate, to really taste the full flavors of what they have to offer. With ‘Blind Spot,’ it leans toward the latter. A pretty episode that seems a bit light, yet it’s strengths become more evident as you sit with it.” (more)

From Derek’s Second Opinion: “As strong as Arrow season 2’s first half was, one downside was how disparate many of the plot threads often felt. […] ‘Blind Spot’ certainly doesn’t tie together everything, and much legwork had been done to cross over these threads already, but it’s the best effort so far to do it. […]still suffers from some predictability in its storytelling, though–the Roy stuff and even the Blood bait-and-switch, honestly–so we’ve yet to achieve the near-perfection of the season’s first half since the hiatus.” (more)

Perhaps this is the most shocking news of the day, but many don’t care for Laurel. I generally hadn’t, but came to respect her more over the course of Season 2, even though they wrote some sketchy to bad material for her throughout the year. This, though, was a highlight episode that is actually much deeper when you sit with it.

It should be fairly obvious, but I’ll say this again and again. A proactive Laurel is a better Laurel. This is true of any character. If someone is merely reactive all the time, they will often become a plot device and a cypher rather than a full-fledged person for the audience to care for. Laurel was such a device in the first season. This year, they tried to do more with her, but it was in fits and starts.

The Laurel here is great, doggedly pursuing what she believes even while everything around her tells her and tries to prove to her that she’s crazy. Some people get short-changed often in a large ensemble cast. When it’s your second lead and someone so important to the source material for your story, better efforts should be taken. Despite some of the schlockiness of the whole addiction storyline, this hour is the foundation of a good template going forward.

For a little retro fun, you can also check out Matt’s ranking of Season 1 episodes from last year.
Season 1: Episodes 23-19 • Episodes 18-14 • Episodes 13-9 • Episodes 8-4 • Top 3 Episodes

Navigate below: