Arrow set up a exciting premise for “Sins of the Father”. The conflict between Nyssa Al Ghul and Malcolm had finally come to a head and in Nyssa’s own words, someone was going to die. It was about tense a situation in Arrow‘s history( (at least for an episode that wasn’t a season finale) and it had a lot to deliver.
“Sins of the Father” sadly fell a bit short of what it could have been, but it was still a fine episode. The end has a shocking twist and is an event that will likely have major repercussions in the weeks and maybe even years to come on Arrow.
The Diplomatic Method
Oliver, of course, doesn’t willingly take Malcolm’s deal. Instead, he decides that they should try to convince Malcolm to give up his power as Ra’s Al Ghul. Nyssa will become the new head of the League of Assassins and give them the cure to save Thea. Laurel goes to talk to Nyssa while Oliver handles Malcolm.
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Malcolm tells Oliver that he doesn’t believe Nyssa and John Barrowman does a lot of angry acting with his teeth. Malcolm essentially tells Oliver to buzz off and then leaves to go be his unrepentant evil self. Laurel’s conversation with Nyssa goes marginally better. Nyssa tells Laurel that if Malcolm gives up his power, she will agree to his deal. If Oliver or Malcolm don’t take the deal she has laid out, Nyssa will declare war on Star City.
Dirty Rotten Fathers
Felicity has coffee with her own super-villain father, Noah, and he drops a bomb on her. Noah tells Felicity that he is The Calculator and he knows that she is Overwatch. Noah tells Felicity that he’s merely a vigilante like her, not a hardcore criminal. When Felicity tells Oliver about this, it gives him an idea.
Oliver goes to Nyssa and asks for a sample of the cure to prove that it works. It does and Malcolm tells Oliver that he will meet with Nyssa. When the meeting occurs Malcolm, of course, does his evil Malcolm thing. He betrays everyone involved and attacks Nyssa. Nyssa and her assassins are outnumbered and they sound the retreat. The one good thing about all of this is that the boring back-and-forth talking is over and we’re finally getting into some real action. Well kinda.
There’s a lot of talk about if people can change and if Malcolm or Felicity’s father can be redeemed. It’s just a lot more interesting than the stuff that came before it. No one is quite sure on either front except for Donna. She believes that Noah is rotten to the core and will lie to get what he wants from Felicity.
Shadow War
The war between Nyssa and Malcolm’s factions continues to rage in Star City. So that means that there will be a lot of dead bodies; civilian and otherwise. Maybe it’s just because Arrow hasn’t had a ground level fight in a long time, but all of this feels pretty shocking and effective. Oliver, Laurel and Dig track down Nyssa and knock her out. Then they take her back to the Arrow cave and into the cage.
As Laurel tries to convince Nyssa to give them the cure for Thea, Malcolm sneaks in the Arrow Cave. Oliver is upstairs with Felicity when this happens. Felicity has just discovered that her father is a scumbag and he tried to steal information from Palmer Tech. Oliver goes down to confront the other jerk wad of father, Malcolm.
Malcolm has a surprisingly heartfelt speech about the first time he met Thea. After that tale is done, Malcolm ruins it by being a power hungry jerk. Malcolm threatens Oliver by mentioning his son William. Oliver tells Malcolm that this needs to be finished and he should challenge Nyssa to a trial by combat.
The Other Way
The event is set on the rooftop and is about to begin when Oliver steps forward. Oliver says that in the eyes of the League, he is still Nyssa’s husband. This means that he can stand in her place for the trial. To Malcolm’s shock, Oliver takes Nyssa’s sword.
In a short but satisfying fight scene, Oliver beats Malcolm quite soundly. Then Malcolm goes all Jesus pose and tells Oliver that he’ll have to kill him if he wants to end this now. Oliver takes a different route and goes all Darth Vader on Malcom circa Empire Strikes Back. He chops off Malcolm hand and takes the Ra’s Al Ghul ring off it. Oliver turns and hands the ring to Nyssa. Oliver names her the new Ra’s Al Ghul and all the assassins bow to her. The League takes jewelry VERY seriously.
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Nyssa, however, doesn’t agree. She calls Oliver, Laurel and Malcolm into that underground lair she always standing in. Nyssa takes off the ring of Ra’s Al Ghul and throws it into the fire. It melts with alarming rapidity. Nyssa informs them that she has disbanded the League of Assassins as she won’t become her father.
Punishing the Sins of the Father
Meanwhile Felicity calls her father into her office. She acts civil and asks him why he left her as child. Noah tells his daughter that the didn’t want her to grow up constantly on the run from the FBI and the authorities. Felicity tells him she’s been waiting her entire life to hear that but it’s too late. She calls Quentin into the room and Noah is arrested.
Malcolm is shocked and disgusted by the League’s dissolution. He will let Oliver live but only because it will be a mercy for what he intends to next. You know the standard evil genius shtick. Sadly for Oliver, this is not an empty threat. Malcolm goes to meet with Damien Darhk and informs him about William’s existence.
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW.
(Images courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
