Arrow: Sara (EPISODE REVIEW)

To review this episode, the 2nd of season 3, is impossible to do without divulging major spoilers for last week’s episode, The Calm. What I’m trying to infer is that if you’ve yet to catch up don’t read any further. You’ve been warned. So Sara died in the last episode (see, told you not to read on). It was an excellent cliffhanger (or buildingfaller?) to an overwhelmingly enjoyable episode. How does the follow up hold? Well.

The episode is appropriately titled ‘Sara’. Although the episode rarely gets emotional on you, it follows the morose theme of a close friend dying (or rather, getting murdered). Interestingly everyone took the news in their own way. Oliver was deeply effected, but steeled himself for the times ahead and fought off his emotions, but this strategy eventually imploded on him. Felicity found she couldn’t sit around anymore and wanted more out of life than their vigilante crew could offer: namely love, which was denied her last episode also. Laurel was understandably hit worst of all, having seen the events of Sara’s demise unfold before her, the fact that it was her sister, etc. and she let those emotions lead her to attempt revenge. Not surprisingly the most level-headed of the group is the ex-soldier John Diggle, who takes it all in stride, not without empathy however, and he names his newborn daughter after her. Naturally Roy’s reaction is to angst angst angst.

I was disappointed by the actions of Laurel, as too was she in retrospect. When confronting the archer she originally believed to have murdered Sara, she pulled the trigger on what she assumed was a loaded gun, in the hopes of getting revenge for her sister’s death. I felt bad for her up until that point. It shows a lot about her character that she intended and attempted to kill. This after the fact that she realizes the archer isn’t actually the one who shot down Sara. No good Laurel.

But now that begs the question: who the heck killed Sara, if it wasn’t the masked archer Lacroix? In the comments section of last week’s review I had a conversation with someone who thought it was Thea, and they brought out excellent points. Well, I take that back now. Before Sara gets shot she says “What are you doing here?” Im going to go out on a limb and say that she was surprised to see that Ra’s Al Ghul (the leader of the League of Assassins) had followed her to Starling City and he was the true perpetrator.

Oliver’s slight meltdown this episode, where he comes clean and reveals that he believes he’ll “die down here” (in reference to his secret headquarters, but more symbolically about his current lifestyle), is believable. He sees people fall left and right, but now that it’s one of his crew I think it struck him just a bit harder. To juggle all the responsibility on his shoulders like he does must be tiring. But he’ll snap out of it. And if anyone’s immune to death it’s him, seeing as how the show kinda revolves around his extreme lifestyle.

Brandon Routh seriously has the most trustworthy face ever. He oozes good guy! Perhaps I still picture him as Clark Kent, so I may be biased. But so far his character on the show as Ray Palmer (ahem Atom) livens things up quite a bit. I really like how forward he is with Felicity – whether professional or not is to be seen, but either way I’m sold. Favorite character of the season so far. I will say that I didn’t care much for Felicity’s quick turnaround. That really should’ve been stretched out further.

It was really good touch putting Tommy in this episode, albeit a flashback. So far this season’s flashbacks haven’t been awkwardly intrusive, nor have they tried too hard to parallel Oliver’s current predicaments (which I’m extremely grateful for). I think it was high time he got off the island, because it was starting to feel a bit LOST…

THEA! Stop sparring and answer your phone!

4 thoughts on “Arrow: Sara (EPISODE REVIEW)

  1. “Brandon Routh seriously has the most trustworthy face ever. He oozes good guy! ” – really?! I know he was Clark Kent, but he was also Daniel Shaw in “Chuck” and I could never trust him again… he’s doing a good job so far though 🙂

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  2. Oliver himself said, in show, that the league doesn’t kill it’s own. That’s why I ruled out the league and Ras himself. If you’re in the League of Assassins then you are IN. When Sara was out, they did try to kill her and friends and family… but when she willingly went back into the fold, she was good.

    Ras wouldn’t be able to hold his league together if word gets out he will off members in good standing. So I don’t see how they can make Ras be behind this.

    Given the training sequence we saw at the end… my money is still on Thea until they reveal something that proves it wasn’t her.

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    1. Hmm… Very true. I just don’t see why Thea would want her gone. Or Merlyn for that matter. And we don’t know the terms she left the League of Assassins on this time. When she went back with them that was 5 months ago. I’m sure plenty has happened. Alas, we shall see.

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    2. It could explain why she was shocked when whoever was on the rooftop attacked her. Or that fact that she was dying…yeah you’re probably right

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