Oliver is a big faker and I’m mad about it. Al Sah-him isn’t real and Oliver isn’t really gone. He and Merlyn have planned this since the beginning; Merlyn told Oliver what to expect with his transformation into the Heir, and Oliver used that information to trick Ra’s al Ghul, which is apparently a thing people are able to do. I personally was a bit disappointed by this. During the last episode I had the fleeting thought that Ollie was faking, but I dismissed it, thinking it was too easy. But I’ve been wrong before and I was wrong now. Merlyn’s got to convince Team Arrow that Oliver is still Oliver, and get them to stop Ra’s and Al Sah-him from unleashing the bioweapon. He enlists Tatsu’s help in convincing Team Arrow, which makes total sense, seeing as they have no idea who she is or what she means to Oliver. Merlyn, Felicity, Diggle, Laurel, Tatsu, and Ray make up an interesting but ineffective team; the episode ends with them imprisoned in Nanda Parbat and in capital t Trouble.
Thea goes to see Roy which is only worth mentioning because it looks like she’ll be taking on the Arsenal suit. So I guess this is goodbye to Roy for real? And maybe I’ll finally get that Thea action I’ve been waiting on for this entire season.
Al Sah-him and Nyssa get officially married and Oliver’s now Ibn al Ghul. I still have no idea what they’re aiming for here but I hope that when Oliver inevitably returns to Team Arrow, Nyssa goes with him. Another woman in the field would be great, plus she and Laurel supposedly have a strong friendship we’ve seen very little of, and she’d certainly bring a different perspective to the team. While we’re at it, I’m also cool with having Ray around a bit more. He brings some light-heartedness that the team could really use. I love Ollie but he can be a downer.
The season finale is next week and I’m looking forward to it, despite the messiness of the past couple of episodes. There’s a lot to be resolved and not all of it can be done in one episode. Diggle and Oliver’s friendship is shattered, and that won’t be easily mended. Felicity and Oliver have been will-they-won’t-they for far too long, and I can’t imagine the writers dragging that out any further than they already have, so hopefully that one will be resolved. And speaking of dragging things out, this episode was a prime example - I feel like I spent the entire episode waiting for it to start.
Score: 3/5
Arrow 3.22 – “This Is Your Sword” Watch Arrow on the CW, Wednesdays at 8/7c.