It was already hard to root for the newbies before season 6 episode 14 of Arrow, which not only proved that their behavior just continues to get worse, but also that OTA should never want to work with (or even talk to) them again. While Curtis declared the newbies “done with” OTA, meaning “no more cooperation, no more communication, forever,” the members of OTA weren’t the ones in the wrong here. The newbies were.
Since the split, we’ve seen OTA prioritize saving the city over the newbies’ hurt feelings (while NTA has been more concerned about blaming Oliver for everything, it seems), and the newbies refuse to take any responsibility themselves, even going so far as to blame OTA (specifically Oliver) for pretty much everything they can.
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Hey, Newbies, Remember the City? Where’s the Money?!
Everyone’s main concern in “Collision Course” should have been getting the money back. Star City needed it, and if that meant putting aside personal feelings of vengeance (especially for, say, a lieutenant on the police force), that’s what they should done. According to a video, Black Siren had the money, and since she never said she didn’t, they had to assume she did.
Though Dinah may have stated that she wanted to get the money back and she thought the only way they would was a more aggressive approach, it was clear that for her, getting “justice” for Vince was the number one priority. The money came second, almost an afterthought. And Rene and Curtis backed her play, but then Curtis had to talk her out of murder, giving Black Siren the chance to escape.
OTA’s focus had to switch from getting the money to stopping NTA from preventing them from getting the money, and because of that, Black Siren, despite her injuries, escaped.
Sure, it’s impossible to say if OTA would have gotten the money from Black Siren if NTA hadn’t interfered, but they would’ve had a greater chance in succeeding in their mission if they hadn’t had to deal with their former teammates. How can they work with people who continue to prove that they don’t really seem to care about the city?
NTA Crossed Lines, but They Won’t Even Acknowledge What They’ve Done
In the same episode that the newbies were upset when OTA broke into their base and Curtis was mad that Felicity hacked their system, the newbies tracked OTA and Curtis hacked Diggle’s arm, disabling his implant to find their location. Let’s not forget that Curtis was against inflicting pain on Black Siren to get her to give up the money, but he had no problem hurting Diggle to find OTA’s location. (And if he hadn’t mentioned that he could do that, Rene and Dinah would have had no idea he could.)
It seems like NTA thinks they can do no wrong and have an answer for everything OTA throws at them. Rene betrayed Oliver? He’s been punished already, according to Dinah, even though he’s presumably still planning to testify. Rene taunts Oliver by bringing up William? No big deal because it was all to plant an audio bug on him.
Curtis “really” hurts Diggle to find them? Doesn’t matter because according to Curtis, OTA’s mission to get the money would really hurt the city if they let Black Siren go because that’s not justice, not for Dinah at least. The city doesn’t seem to factor into their thinking.
At one point in the episode, Curtis complains that OTA never treated NTA like equals, and if he ever said that to Oliver, Diggle and Felicity, they’d have a valid list of reasons — just since the split — as to why the newbies aren’t their equals when it comes to the work they do trying to protect the city. (Just look at the supposed “cooperation” and “communication” between the two teams in the last few episodes. NTA’s version of that is them being told everything and only sharing what they want to.)
Curtis hacking Diggle’s chip and the others having no problem with it hurting John showed that they didn’t care about inflicting pain on the members of OTA. But it just got worse. Before the two teams’ fight, Dinah warned her teammates that they couldn’t hold their punches or they’d get hurt.
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During the fight, Rene went after Oliver with an axe even after Oliver told him to stay down. (What was Rene thinking? And that’s not even mentioning that while he was shooting at Black Siren to stop her from getting away, he was shooting at Lance and Thea as well, not caring about their safety.) When Oliver fought back and Rene ended up in the hospital, the newbies blamed Oliver. What was Oliver supposed to do? Not defend himself when Rene swung an axe at him?
It was no one’s fault but Rene’s, and while Curtis and Dinah might not have known about the axe, they just assumed, like NTA has been doing, that Oliver was the only one responsible for anything bad that happened. Those aren’t people OTA should want to work with, and we see nothing that suggests that will change.
Furthermore, Curtis and Dinah wouldn’t even give Felicity and Diggle an update on Rene’s condition, which says a lot about the kind of people they are. Hey, newbies, take some responsibility. Curtis and Dinah seem to refuse to acknowledge the kind of person they know Rene is — they still don’t seem to get that he’s the one who betrayed Oliver and could betray them next — and while lashing out can be understandable, they need to stop acting like they did nothing wrong.
The newbies are not people that OTA can trust in the field, not after their actions in “Collision Course.” Hacking an implant that helps someone in a way that hurts them? Going after someone with an axe? Blaming someone else for others’ actions? Caring more about someone’s “justice” than what’s best for an entire city? Not really showing anything that suggests that any of that will change in the near future? Those aren’t the actions of heroes.
So, no more “this doesn’t change anything” or “we’re done with you” from the newbies. OTA and NTA are former teammates, and it should stay that way, permanently.
Do you ever want to see OTA and the newbies part of one team again?
Arrow season 6 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on the CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
If it’s on TV — especially if it’s a procedural or superhero show — chances are Meredith watches it. She has a love for all things fiction, starting from a young age with ER and The X-Files on the small screen and the Nancy Drew books. Arrow kicked off the Arrowverse and her true passion for all things heroes. She’s enjoyed getting into the minds of serial killers since Criminal Minds, so it should be no surprise that her latest obsession is Prodigal Son.
