A serial killer was on the loose on Arrow, which led Lance to get help from the Vigilante to stop the killings. “Broken Dolls” may have focused on stopping the killer, but the end result was the healing of the Lance family. The Barton Mathis investigation tore the family apart the first time around, but this time it made the relationship between Laurel and her father stronger.
Black Canary to the Rescue
With Laurel and all those guns pointed at him, it was going to take a big move for him to escape from them. And, he got it in the form of the Black Canary. Oliver was instantly intrigued by this blond with a sonic device. He immediately knew that she wasn’t a copy cat.
Oliver was adamant that the city not be overrun with vigilantes. To protect its residents, Oliver needs to manage not only the criminals and villains, but the vigilantes as well. It was the perfect intelligence assignment for Roy, especially since he’d run into her before.
It wasn’t without problems though. The Black Canary thought that Roy was a threat to her, until she saw the message about Laurel on his phone. Roy was released and knows her hangout, so it won’t be long before Arrow has a one-on-one with her.
Roy wasn’t the only one looking for the Black Canary. A representative of Ra’s Al Ghul came to demand that she return. She likely mistook Roy as one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s people. It’s a good thing Roy got the text message, because the Black Canary didn’t like the demand and her answer was to kill the messenger.
Rogue Officer Lance
Lance couldn’t let it go when the lady killer, Barton Mathis, escaped from prison and resumed his hobby of creating human dolls. After being refused access to the case, Lance signaled the only person he knew would help him — Arrow.
As much as Lance wanted to get Mathis, the killer wanted Lance to pay for putting him behind bars the first time. The case destroyed Lance’s family and now it was going to torture him personally. I didn’t think it could get worse than listening to an innocent girl die, but it did.
When Mathis took Laurel, it was heartbreaking. He couldn’t do anything to save his own daughter. All he could do was watch her be turned into a doll. With Arrow and then the Black Canary’s arrival, they were both saved.
Laurel Lets Go
Laurel blamed the Vigilante for Tommy’s death. With the help of her father and Arrow’s rescue, she came to realize that he couldn’t have saved Tommy and she was deflecting her own guilt onto him. That was a touching moment of clarity for her.
It still wasn’t clear if she would discontinue her quest to bring down Arrow or not. Though, after he helped save her from Mathis, it would be a shock if she didn’t return to being his greatest supporter.
Does Lance Know?
When Lance was working with Arrow, how did he not figure out that the man in the green outfit with a bow and arrows was Oliver Queen. Arrow doesn’t wear a mask and a little black make-up around the eyes isn’t much of a disguise.
Whether or not Lance figured out Oliver is Arrow from his severely lacking disguise or not, he’s probably at least starting to put the pieces together. When Lance was talking to Arrow about loss while Felicity was undercover, the facade began to fade.
The clincher was when Laurel and her father discussed the night Tommy died. She realized that it was her own fault because Oliver warned her to stay out of the Glades that night. How did Oliver know to warn her about the Glades?
And, as he was hugging Laurel with Arrow looking on, it was clearly Oliver. If he doesn’t know yet, then he may well figure it out soon. He was a detective after all and a good one.
Death Penalty?
The DA seems to be overreaching with his attempt get the death penalty for Moira Queen. She may have been involved in the destruction of the Glades, but she didn’t set the bombs or pull the trigger.
Moira was willing to sit in prison for her involvement, but now Oliver and Thea will fight to keep her alive. Even if Moira would rather die than have the truth revealed, it’s going to be difficult to stop them.
Will there be others that don’t want the secrets of the Undertaking to get out? Could the threat to others be used as leverage to get Moira out of this legal trouble? There were powerful people in the Undertaking and they can’t all be dead.
On the Island
I don’t really care much about what happens on the island. The flashbacks inform the present day situation sometimes, but in this case there was a disconnect. Though, Oliver acts with his heart and that hasn’t changed and won’t likely ever change.
Slade warned him against getting attached to anything, especially a woman, but Oliver didn’t listen and it almost cost him his life. What was the cost of the explosions? It’s not clear, but it looks like Slade could be seriously injured.
Did the fire damage his face? Is that why he ends up wearing the mask? If that’s the case, will he stick by Oliver? Or, will they become enemies? It’s in the past, so it doesn’t have any influence over the present day, but those are questions that will likely be answered.
Plus, Oliver is now off the island and on a ship.
Do you think that Lance knows that Oliver is Arrow? Or, maybe suspects? Will Arrow be back on Laurel’s good side? And, is Black Canary a hero? Or, a villain?
Never miss Arrow! Add the show to your own watch-list! Download BuddyTV Guide for free for your phone.
(Image courtesy of the CW.)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.
