Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Beth Schwartz and Andrew Kreisberg
Directed by Ken Fink
After the previous episode, I felt that the writers were setting things up for a relationship between Oliver and Helena that would evolve over a few episodes, until Oliver came to the realization that Helena was too consumed with her hatred to be redeemed. It was a logical way to approach Oliver’s own issues with his mission of vengeance, and the writers have been very smart about the slow but steady evolution of Oliver’s heroism.
So I was a bit disappointed to see that they rushed the process a bit. Perhaps it was limited availability of the guest actress playing Helena/Huntress, or some other budgetary concern, but the relationship needed a little more time to develop before the impact of the rift could be felt. The progression seemed to be missing a middle step, since Helena never actually made an effort to step back from the abyss.
It renders Oliver’s reaction to the rift a bit overdone, since the audience isn’t given the time to invest in the relationship enough to feel his pain. Oliver does discuss the matter with Dig, expressing his intentions, but the entire whirlwind romance plays out over the space of a couple days. Oliver may have been desperate for someone to share his secrets with, as well as his lingering psychological wounds, but I can’t see him clinging so hard, so quickly, as to justify this level of sorrow.
As it stands, the situation doesn’t last enough for Oliver to examine his own actions in light of Helena’s extremism. That’s another reason why a longer arc for the relationship would have been more effective. We saw more of Oliver/Helena than Arrow/Huntress, and yet the gist of the break was based on their activities in costume. It just doesn’t come together to support the final act.
Meanwhile, things are getting interesting on the homefront, as Walter discovers another journal like the one that Oliver has, with the same list of names. One has to wonder if he (or Felicity, his adorable minion) will make the connection between the list and Arrow’s targets, and therefore to Oliver. With the public now convinced that Oliver is not a vigilante, it seems reasonable to think that people in his life would start finding out. On the other hand, we still don’t know Walter’s motivations; for all we know, he could be working for Merlyn.
If there is one benefit to moving so quickly with Helena’s apparent exit, it’s a likely return to the previous mixture of action and character exploration. The relationships are an important part of the mix, since it is clearly meant to set things up for the future, but there’s a balance. I want to see if Oliver will approach a situation like the ones already shown, but differently, now that he’s had this experience with Helena. And despite my misgivings about how this early portion of the relationship was handled, Helena’s survival presages an eventual return.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Score: 7/10