Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Arrow 4x02 "The Candidate" (What Do You Stand For?)


"The Candidate"
Original Airdate: October 14, 2015

I've said this before, but it bears repeating –– in all kinds of circumstances –– that I am not a huge fan of change. Change, to me, is scary in its uncertainty. I like order and structure. I organize my days at work based on the tasks prioritized in our project management system. That allows me to be more structured and focused and calm. Change represents upheaval and chaos. I'm meticulous and people who are dominated by chaos are definitely not. So that is why, in this episode of Arrow titled "The Candidate," chaos is so unnerving to not only the citizens of Star City and the vigilante task force, but to Damien Darhk as well.

Star City (it's still weird typing that), is so used to being dominated and ruled by chaos. If there is a bombing or city-wide takeover? Well, must just be May! Someone is holding the city leaders hostage or killing them off one-by-one? Just another Wednesday. And if it seems unbelievable or implausible that the residents of this particular city would live in such a place for so long, you would be correct. I am glad that the series addressed the real problem of Star City in the premiere last week. No one wants to leave their houses. When Oliver and Felicity returned to the city, it was dark –– littered with destruction and vandalism –– that Oliver rightfully questions if THIS was the end result of them "saving" the city time and time again, what good did it do?

There are many kinds of heroes in life –– some who fight behind a hood and a mask, and others who fight from behind a podium. Heroes have to stand for something. And that makes them heroes. In this week's episode titled "The Candidate," an old family friend of the Queens' –– Jessica Danforth –– decides to run for mayor, and does so under the inspiration of The Green Arrow. 

"If that man can take up The Arrow's mantle," she reasons, "then I can take up your mothers'."

Heroism requires much more than just stepping into someone's shoes or wearing someone's red hood or donning someone's black leather jacket. It means much more than just having a code name or a secret lair. Heroes can have those things but they aren't defined by them. And I think that these kind of dialogues and themes will be more prevalent this season as Oliver and company (not to be confused with the adorable animated Disney movie about cute singing kittens and puppies in New York City –– although now I need someone to make fan art of Team Arrow as the animals in Oliver and Company...) grapple with what it looks like to be different kinds of heroes than they were before.

That and the idea of family are huge components in Arrow now –– since hanging up the hood of The Arrow and embodying the persona of Green Arrow; and since the pit... not this pit, though and since deaths and betrayals turned the people we knew into different versions of themselves, it's necessary to question what KIND of heroes Dig, Laurel, Felicity, Thea, and Oliver will be this season. I think "The Candidate" is a good jumping-off point for this discussion.

MASK(ERADE)

I'll keep repeating how thankful I am that Arrow has allowed Thea to don a hood and head out into the field until they decide to remove her hood or she hangs it up on her own. I feel like out of all of the things Arrow has focused on throughout the years, questions of moral decision-making and identity have frequently been at the forefront. But what truly captivates me about this show now –– four years later –– and what captivated me then was the way it constructed relationships, especially familial ones. Lizzie recently wrote a post for us about the fact that family is often not who you're related to, but who you choose. A lot of this series has focused on that last part –– about Team Arrow and who Oliver has chosen to let into his life and his crusade. And Team Arrow is so important, don't get me wrong here.

But they're not as important as Thea.

Oliver and Thea? They're the only true family they have left. Yeah, Malcolm Merlyn is Thea's biological father and all, but we don't count that for reasons of 1) sociopath and 2) SOCIOPATH WHO MADE THEA KILL HER BROTHER'S EX-GIRLFRIEND. Oliver and Thea's relationship is one of the most foundational on this series, apart from the relationship Oliver has with Felicity. And so, I'm anxious to see more of their sibling bond strengthen now that they are on equal playing field. Oliver will still be concerned and try to police what Thea does. But it won't be because he's a control freak (like he was for a lot of last season), but because he's her BROTHER. And he loves her. He's always going to worry about her. He's always going to want to keep her safe.

But this year, Arrow is less focused on Oliver shutting Thea out and more focused on what it means for them to work together. And for that, I am so grateful. In "The Candidate," though, Oliver is still concerned about Thea's bloodthirsty behavior while hunting Ghosts. And he has good reason to. While trying to gain information about Anarky's whereabouts, Thea's anger gets the best of her and she snaps and snarls and injures the guy she's questioning.

Back at the lair (or Arrowcave 2.0, or not-foundry-foundry), Oliver and Thea have a heated discussion about her behavior, which leads the two to spar (in his defense, Oliver calmly tries to teach Thea how to disarm someone without severely injuring them, but she wants no part of that) and ultimately attack one another –– with Thea doing most of the attacking. Just like in "The Fallen," the youngest Queen leaps in the air, animalistic, and tries to destroy her prey. Full disclosure: I'm not a comics girl (shocker, I know, considering I watch so many comic book shows), so I'm not exactly sure WHAT the Lazarus Pit did to Thea. But I have a conjecture.

If you die, your soul is at peace. I mean, whatever you believe –– whatever religious philosophy or ideal you subscribe to, that seems to be a widely held conjecture. But being almost-dead and then resurrected is like... removing all of the rest from your soul and replacing it with eternal unrest. You're lost and dark and can never truly be at peace until you die. Resurrecting someone in the Lazarus Pit has consequences more far-reaching than just the immediate ones. It's been six months and slowly, the darkness –– that soul-crushing anger and pain and restlessness –– has been gnawing away at Thea. But no one has noticed it. Or if they did, they excused it. Perhaps she had a bad day. Maybe someone cut her off in traffic. She just didn't have enough coffee.

But Oliver knows Thea like the back of his hand and he –– immediately –– can sense the change in her. That's the thing about being away for so long: when you return, it's with clarity that others who have been in the midst of life have not noticed. Thea is rebellious and resistant. But more than just that, she's angry. She's angry at Oliver for leaving her for six months and because of that –– because he left –– she snaps at him that he has no right to judge her or tell her what to do.

An unhinged Thea is an extremely intriguing Thea, but she does concern me, too. In her moments and outbursts of vengeance, Thea has nothing but joy. The episode ends with her and Oliver discovering and trapping Lonnie Machin. While Oliver wants to bring him into custody and justice, Thea gleefully SETS HIM ON FIRE. That's a tad worrisome, if you ask me. It's not like this darkness from the Pit is coming out of nowhere. Thea had that dark seed planted in her chest long before she was stabbed through it by Ra's. The problem is... how do you prevent yourself from slipping into the anger and the bitterness and the vengeance when you enjoy the taste of it?

If last season was about Oliver fighting to save Thea's life, then this season will be fighting to save her soul.


I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARHK

(No, I'm never going to stop with the puns. You can expect about twenty-one more. You're welcome.)

I think my favorite thing about watching superhero series or movies is when villains clash over methods of operation. Arguably one of the best scenes in Doctor Who's second season was a scene where the Cybermen (evil) and the Daleks (also evil) were trying to take over the world. In the midst of all of this, they had time for a hilarious smack-down of each other. I love it when villains argue because it reminds us –– the audience –– that the common thread between the two isn't a sustainable one. Damien Darhk is totally evil, and Lonnie Machin is, too.

But that's where the comparisons end. Everything else about them: their personalities, their methods of operation, their skill sets is different. And in spite of the fact that they work together in this episode, they're not really working together. Damien is still in charge, ultimately, with Lonnie Machin –– whose evil alter ego is revealed at the end of the episode to be Anarky –– acting as a (dis)obedient lapdog. Damien, you see, values order and structure and he tells Lonnie that there are certain lines that even villains don't cross. Essentially, he says what Professor Kane and Jeff Winger do in Community: "a man's got to have a code."

But Lonnie isn't about codes or honor or killing people neatly and nicely. He finds pleasure in torture and in the mess of it all. To him, everything is a game –– a trick. And Damien, after learning that Lonnie kidnapped Jessica Danforth's daughter in order to get the woman to stop running for mayor, is disgusted. He wants no part in the mess that Lonnie has created and actually hands Lance the address that Lonnie is keeping the girl at.

In a brilliant scene, Damien threatens Quentin (more specifically, Laurel) and notes that Lonnie is unhinged and he doesn't like that. He wipes his hands of it, essentially, and only wants to sit at tables with criminals and supervillains who are as precise and mess-free as possible. Somehow... all of this makes Damien even MORE of a frightening villain. You'd expect him to get angry like Slade or act irrationally or snap.

But the calm, cool, and detached way in which Damien Darhk operates is rather terrifying. I honestly have not been more excited for a villain since Slade Wilson. Neal brings the exact right blend of suave, terror, and precision necessary for this role. He's not a man to be trifled with. Quentin Lance would do good to remember that.

A true villain is born in this episode, though, and he doesn't reside in a totally blue, minimalistic lair (Damien, let me redecorate please). No, you see, when Thea thought she killed Lonnie, she actually didn't. At the end of "The Candidate," Quentin Lance gets a call about the fact that Lonnie wasn't transferred to a hospital –– oh, and he fatally and brutally murdered the people in the back of the transport vehicle, then used their blood to make the anarchy symbol on the vehicle. Okay then.

And thus, Anarky was born –– a villain who, I suspect, will be returning soon enough.


WHO RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS!

Let's talk a bit about Felicity as CEO of Palmer Technologies because I think it's really important that we do. Last week, Felicity expressed mainly frustration at having to become an active CEO. She didn't really want the company Ray gave her (she tried to give it back to Oliver), and this week, we see Felicity learning to embrace the newness of her position as well as trying to retain the things that made her such a valuable employee. It's not easy. Someone like Felicity... well, she's someone like me. Felicity Smoak isn't some hardened, heartless suit walking around in expensive heels and unflinchingly firing people. That is not who she is. It's never who she will be.

Felicity cares about people –– deeply. She forms attachments to them and she empathizes with them. So when it's clear that she is going to have to fire a bunch of employees at Palmer Technologies because the company is suffering, she is not looking forward to it. At all. Add to that all of her new responsibilities of being in charge, a relationship with a new co-worker (hi, Echo Kellum!), and you have a very emotionally drained Felicity. At the not-foundry-foundry, Oliver and Felicity have a discussion about this, essentially, where she –– in tears –– talks about how she thought that returning to the city would allow them to resume their lives in some ways, but start over in many more. While last week saw Oliver facing a mini-identity crisis and Felicity supporting him, this week we got the chance to see Felicity facing problems with Oliver emotionally supporting HER.

Yes, you read that correctly: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. It's like they're finally a healthy couple!

Felicity and I are alike in many ways. We both want to please people. We both want to make people happy. We both hate hurting people. And we both often get stepped on because of it. Oliver has found his "new way" in the form of the Green Arrow. It would be easy for the writers to let Felicity fade into the background in that relationship –– to make her nothing more than the cute, babbling girlfriend of the hero. But the Arrow writers have never done that. So they showed everyone in this episode –– through some lovely parallelism –– that Felicity is just as much of a hero as Oliver is. She just happens to wear pencil skirts and blouses instead of leather pants and green hoods.

Instead of letting the board of Palmer Tech push her around, Felicity stands up to them. She –– listen carefully –– finds another way. It's not perfect and it's not a cure-all (it's more like a patch on a ship slowly filling with water), but it earns her respect and it earns her a voice. Felicity tells the board that she did not acquire Palmer Tech to watch it sink and to be at the helm when it did. Ray gave the company to her because he trusted her; he knew the kind of woman that she was and what she was capable of. He gave the company to her because he believed in her.

Now, Felicity is going to keep finding ways to get the board and the staff to believe in her too. And it began in "The Candidate" with them earning her respect and recognizing her authority. I'm proud of Felicity Smoak –– proud that she constantly manages to find new ways to be a hero in her own right; that she defies the naysayers and excels in what she does.

All hail the CEO.



TWO ROUND-TRIP TICKETS TO THE WORST SPA IN THE WORLD, PLEASE! BETTER YET... MAKE THAT THREE.

Okay, I like to give Laurel the benefit of the doubt, really. And so I'm going to give it to her again, in spite of the fact that –– much like the trio in Harry Potter –– all of the plans of the Arrow characters constantly cause all hell to break loose. Laurel and Thea, as we know from last week, are living together. It's nice and the two women share a bit of a heart-to-heart when Laurel asks what happened in Nanda Parbat.

Thea reveals that the Lazarus Pit is what brought her back to life. Oliver used it on her because he would do anything to save his sister. As Laurel forms these words, you can see the wheels start spinning in Laurel's head. Sara Lance is the great love of Laurel's life. Tommy was her soulmate, but Sara is her true love. That's her baby sister –– the one she was supposed to care for and protect for the rest of her life. But Laurel couldn't do that. We saw her place a lot of blame on herself in "Canaries," and thankfully she has learned (a bit) about harboring secrets from family members since then. (HA, LOOPHOLE! Oliver isn't a family member!)

So when Laurel and Thea decide to go to Nanda Parbat to figure out what is happening to Thea and whether or not the League knows how to stop  her from becoming full-blown dark assassin, Laurel has a bit of a not-so-hidden agenda, too: they're going to exhume Sara's body and use the Pit on her. Logic aside –– which I frequently do in the case of Arrow because it requires me to –– I can understand why Laurel is doing this.

Back in Nanda Parbat, Felicity drugged Oliver. DRUGGED HIM. And why? Because she wanted to get him out safely. She was willing to do whatever it took to save the man she loved. Laurel is willing to do the same for Sara. If there is even the smallest chance, the tiniest glimmer of hope, that Sara can be in her life again, Laurel will do whatever it takes to make sure that chance sees the light of day. Do you blame her? Would you do the same for the person you hold most dear?

And so, in spite of the horrible logic of this plan (do they even know if the Pit will work on someone who has been dead for a year? How are they getting to Nanda Parbat, since the team used Ray's jet before? How are they getting THE BODY there?), I know why Laurel wants –– needs, really –– to do this. She needs to know that before she completely moves on with her life that she's done everything humanly possible to save Sara.

Love –– and the love between family –– is a cornerstone of Arrow this year. The characters are asking the right questions, too, of themselves. They're figuring out how to be new, better heroes. They're communicating, not shutting down or shutting people out. 

I'm thankful for that, really, because it looks like the team is about to face their dar(h)kest days yet, and will need every glimmer of light and hope and love they can harness just to survive to see another day.

Observations & favorite moments:
  • MVP for this episode is Willa Holland. I love that we got the chance to see how vulnerable she was in certain scenes, but that fight between Thea and Oliver in the lair was so great and really laced with anger. Not only that, though: we got the chance to really see what Thea is capable of and the resentment that she still harbors, whether she acknowledges it outwardly or not. Willa channels all of this pain –– this really deep, complex stuff –– into her portrayal of Thea so expertly.
  • The episode opened with Team Arrow taking out bad guys and there was an awesome stunt with Laurel swinging on rope that Oliver shot.
  • "I pick shower." I'm with you on that one, Thea.
  • ALERT, EVERYONE: THE LOVE FERN HAS RETURNED. AND IT IS OKAY.
  • How adorable was it that Oliver "packed" Felicity lunch for her first day as CEO? So adorable.
  • I'm so excited for more scenes between Echo and Emily Bett Rickards. These two babbling geniuses are going to have a lot of fun together, I can already tell.
  • Why... did anyone think it was a good idea to hold a press conference announcing Jessica's candidacy for mayor? Like, honestly, Star City.
  • "Oliver... how?..." "... Uh... self-defense class!" Man, I missed the terrible excuses Oliver used to give people in season one. This was a nice throwback.
  • "That must be a record, even for our city."
  • "... We have money now." I think it's so cute that Oliver basically is proud of the fact that Felicity is supporting them. #sugamama
  • I'm not gonna lie to you all, I am BARELY paying attention in the flashbacks. Something about landmines, Oliver lying and telling the military people on the island that he's only been there three years and was alone the whole time (because they need to trust him for some reason, per Amanda Waller/ARGUS)? Look, the only important thing to know is that THE HORRIBLE FLASHBACK WIG IS GONE NOW. Oliver can enjoy his short hair on the island in peace.
  • "The only person who is allowed to talk in sentence fragments around here is me."
  • I actually quite liked the Dig/Laurel scene in the car where he admits to knowing about HIVE and not telling anyone. Laurel is obviously confused and warns Diggle –– this is your first warning, dude, you should heed it –– that keeping secrets from family members is not a good idea. It will ALWAYS come back to bite you. Seriously, Dig, listen to Laurel. I don't say it often but I'm saying it now.
  • Damien said "good. night." to Lonnie in a scene and I love that more than I think is reasonable.
  • "I have an obsession with jigsaw puzzles."
  • "... language." Mer pointed out that I'm basically Damien Darhk though. 
  • I miss Malcolm and Nyssa.
  • "Turns out, I can't sit at the cool kid table."
  • The four heroes coming through the ceiling was SUCH a cool shot, followed up by the hilariously apt question by Lonnie: "Something wrong with the front door?" I mean, he's not wrong.
  • If Quentin Lance could kindly stop judging Oliver, that would be nice. You're currently in bed with the devil, Quentin. You lost the right to be judgey like, six months ago.
  • Felicity said "btdub" in an actual business meeting and if she wasn't already my favorite, this would have solidified it.
  • OLIVER IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR. So is the logic that he could do more good AND wouldn't have to worry about getting killed because he would... whip out some "self-defense" skills? I feel like this would put more emphasis on his identity, but whatevs. I don't make the plot twists.
What did you all think of "The Candidate"? Let me know in the comments below! :)

9 comments:

  1. Ah allow me to use my comic knowledge. It has been stated in official lore that the chemicals that make up the Lazarus Pit turn a person insane when used. (The Joker actually became sane when used.) Though also in the lore you have to use it not long after death so Sara could not be raised but that's the comics rules.

    Also the "amazing technology" that Felicity mentioned its probraly going to be the T-Spheres. They are technology used by Mr.Terrific and since Echo is playing Mr.Holt who is Mr.Terrific in the comics that is what I am speculating.

    As for the flashbacks and Thea Queen. Well in the flashbacks I guess the Al-Sah Him persona had its birth on that island. Plus I always enjoyed the flashbacks helped me get through season 3. As for Thea well she did call Malcolm her dad post lazarus pit, maybe it awakened more of him in Thea post ressurection. Maybe she becomes the new Dark Archer and takes a villian role that would be intresting.

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    1. Donavan, thanks for your comment and insight into how the Pit works! (And also insight into how Mr. Terrific will come to be.)

      :)

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  2. I feel like the trajectory episode 2 has pointed us on will be a good one. (A pilot only gives you one point of reference. A second episode gives another point and establishes a vector and I think 2nd episodes are really interesting indicators of how a season is really going to feel.) Every character got a little more development and it didn't feel like any part of the episode dragged (flashbacks are possible exception because I don't feel like they have any momentum at all at this point.)

    The changes that we saw in Oliver last week are still being expressed really consistently which I love and this leads me to believe that the show will avoid that thing I hate above all others: when characters make progress or development only to have it completely ignored the next week. I really like Oliver trying to do things a new way. In the opening sequence the team is kicking butt and taking names whereas they were getting seriously owned last week. Maybe Oliver Queen really is just magic and all fights go better when he is there, even being in the background a bit as he seemed to be happy to do in large parts of that fight. This shows a man who is willing to let others do their job because he has confidence and trust in his team. He speaks and behaves with greater ease. He is gentle with John but doesn't avoid him. He was adorably supportive of Felicity and gave her great help without attempting to solve any of her problems or tell her how to do her job. He pushed Thea to see what losing her temper really looked like and he was firm but fair in trying to teach her about that. He took time to talk to the Danforths when they were going through their struggles. I just feel like he would actually make a pretty darn good Mayor.

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  3. His decision to run for Mayor seems like a pretty wise one to me. This addresses something that I often don't like about superhero stories (especially ones that are run like crime shows as Arrow often is). I don't like that many superhero stories believe that making the world a better place primarily consists of using force to stop bad guys from doing bad things. The violence can often be glamorised (which is its own problem) but the whole “bringing the bad guys down” is actually a fairly short sighted strategy. Star City has serious problems (and I am so glad to the show is seriously looking at them) and beating people up only treats the symptoms of deeper decay. It does little to help education, employment, infrastructure etc. Frankly, making the world a better place generally involves a daily slog to give everyone better opportunities to live their lives. (Did you see the hilarious segment from Last Week Tonight on Infrastructure? He makes a good point that engineering doesn't make for a very exciting disaster film but it's that kind of boring stuff that keeps real disasters from happening. And their fake trailer was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.) It's not very exciting stuff so I'm never surprised that stories often don't spend a lot of time talking about it. And we certainly don't want Arrow to turn into some sort of political drama no matter how great the West Wing was. I just think that Oliver's decision to have a day job that could really help people is a good way of acknowledging that necessary part of doing real good in the world. He kinda flirted with that idea back when he opened Verdant. We have no idea if the club actually had a good effect on the local economy (which was a proposed in the condescending words of “gentrification” and I'm so glad Diggle called Oliver on that) and Oliver's primary goal was hiding his nighttime activities. However, Oliver has been solely concentrating on crime fighting for a long time and the day job could be another aspect of achieving balance this year. So yeah, that was long way of saying that this healthier headspace for Oliver gets two big thumbs up from me. The hero doesn't have to be angst-ridden all the time in order to have compelling drama.

    I'm so glad they stressed that Oliver would never have left if there was any hint that the Pit had adversely affected Thea in a permanent way. It has apparently been very gradual because Diggle states that he was aware of Malcolm's warning too. (And Laurel wasn't told anything about the Pit. Was it just a matter of not wanting to dwell on it or was it because Oliver had an inkling that Laurel would jump at the chance to resurrect someone?) It seems to really affect her when she is in combat, like as soon as she gets the adrenaline rushing or loses her temper she really loses it. I thought it was so interesting that Oliver deliberately pushed her in order to see that change in her at close hand. In light of that it was pretty irresponsible to bring her into the situation with the hostage rescue. Laurel or Diggle could have stayed to back Oliver up but hindsight is 20/20 of course. And now they've created an even scarier threat than before. I'm glad they are putting another creepy, recurring villian in this season that has his own reasons for hating the heroes. And in a way Thea has perhaps created her own nemesis; someone who gets as much thrill from violence and pain as she seems to these days.

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  4. I thought it was fascinating that Oliver mentioned that real change in how they do things is going to take time. (So reasonable and wise. I love this Oliver!) And then Felicity takes that bit of wisdom and makes a play to give her team real time to save Palmer Tech. The company has real problems (just like the city) and there is no quick fix but if they have time to think I know she and her new buddy can figure it out. I thought Echo Kellum's first appearance was amazing and adorable. They are going to make a great team, saving the city in their own way. And this whole idea of taking time, that nothing worthwhile comes quickly or easily, makes me hope that the pacing of this season will reflect that too. Lots of stories last season felt rushed or concluded too conveniently or sloppily. I hope we can get some real, consistent work on story and character this year without any showy but meaningless dramatics. Showy is fine and fun but I really want meaning and consequences. Pretty please?

    Little things:
    - I felt like all the drama with Thea felt like a natural segue to resurrecting Sara and seeing more of Malcolm and Nyssa. It makes sense that the League would be familiar with the side effects of the Pit. And as soon as Laurel heard about the Pit we all knew where her mind would go.
    - So Diggle has been keeping the HIVE stuff to himself for a very long time. I don't think it was because he never trusted Oliver or Felicity. Neither he nor Lance can really have a go at Oliver about his behaviour can they?
    - We all suspected Lance was working with Darhk because of threats to Laurel but now that has been confirmed. Although it might not be the only reason, or the initial reason. I'm still curious.
    - The fight sequences this episode were especially wonderful I thought.
    - As soon as you mentioned how you like to see villains fight with each other I was reminded of Tolkien's statement about how evil falls apart in the end despite its strength because it cannot form real partnerships but tears itself to pieces due to its nature: jealousy, violence, betrayal etc. It is basically self-sabotaging and no coalition can last.
    - Was I the only one wondering what Oliver made Felicity for lunch? Did he cook for the meal with the Danforths? I really enjoy cooking!Oliver.
    - It seems like Oliver can let his smiles out more now even in the midst of taking down Ghosts. We all knew that Oliver was a smiley guy at heart.
    - At least Laurel's terrible decision to lie last season has really taught her a lesson? And it gave Diggle something to chew on too. However, somehow I don't think that Laurel is running her Pit Plan by Quentin either.
    - The one interest I have in the flashbacks is to see exactly how screwed up Oliver gets. I mean, going undercover takes a mental toll at the best of times but flashback!Oliver is already pretty screwed up and acting like a sadistic guard is not going to be a good thing for him.

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  5. Great review & Great comments ! I really enjoyed 'The Candidate' ... for the same reasons you did.

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  6. I really enjoyed this episode and agree with Becca that everyone has interesting storylines that I hope will be given the time to develop consistently and in meaningful ways. Even though everyone is evolving, they haven't forgotten the past and are linking their actions which is really giving this season so far a more connected feel that I'm really pleased to see.

    I felt like this was an episode where everyone had a equal opportunity to shine as characters and it didn't feel rushed; it was great to see Felicity in her new role as CEO and the difficulties she is facing, Thea and the aftermath of the Pit, and Laurel finding out about the Lazarus Pit. I admit I was not expecting them to show the decomposed body of Sara and that did creep me out at the end!

    The action scenes were excellent too, Thea in particular was kick-ass, and I love that scene with Oliver and Thea having a bit of a battle.

    Oliver has also maintained and built upon his strong opening episode, his interactions with Danford and supportive nature with Thea and Felicity is really demonstrating how far he has come and when he declared his wish to run for Mayor, I felt happy to see him step up and envision his role in Star City beyond the Green Arrow.

    While there are so many issues the Team will have to face this year with Darhk and the state of Star City, there certainly feels like a lot of hope, especially with Oliver Queen's trajectory 'into the light'

    Meeta x

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    1. Hi Meeta! Thanks for your comment. :)

      Oliver has also maintained and built upon his strong opening episode, his interactions with Danford and supportive nature with Thea and Felicity is really demonstrating how far he has come and when he declared his wish to run for Mayor, I felt happy to see him step up and envision his role in Star City beyond the Green Arrow.

      This is a great point. Three years ago, Oliver becoming mayor would have been absurd. Heck, LAST YEAR, him becoming mayor would have been absurd because of his blatant disregard for letting anyone else into his life. But this year it is -- like you said -- a perfect way for him to prove how far he has come as a character. :)

      While there are so many issues the Team will have to face this year with Darhk and the state of Star City, there certainly feels like a lot of hope, especially with Oliver Queen's trajectory 'into the light'

      I agree! I feel like this year the team is actually more-equipped and well-prepared to handle whatever comes their way -- together.

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