1.16 Dead To Rights I have to say that I loved this episode and, although it might not have been one that we all remember five seasons down the line, a lot of stuff was going on here. This is the moment in which John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn became more than a sleazy bad guy, for example, and Oliver may have actually sabotaged a relationship he truly cared about. There was minimal Laurel and no Thea at all, which also helped, and we were focused on Oliver Queen the man, rather than the actions of his heroic alter ego. We also get to know the relationship between Tommy and Oliver much more, with the bond strengthened and then ultimately broken over the course of the episode. Their man-date in the Chinese restaurant had more chemistry to it than anything with Laurel, McKenna or the Huntress. They were able to be almost completely honest with each other which, considering one of them is Oliver, really is saying a lot. They trade childhood traumas and daddy issues, with Ollie actually comparing his own past tortures with those of Tommy’s father. And Tommy is well on his way to becoming the prince of evil, with his allegiances and trust now largely transferred to his father. He might have been emotionally absent for most of his life but, crucially, when pushed, Malcolm told Tommy some version of the truth. He protected his son when it was most crucial, and even dared to drop the charade when they were both in danger. Oliver, on the other hand, though he saved both of their lives in the scuffle, admitted to his best friend that he was never intending to tell him about the Hood. I loved this brutal honesty because it forced Oliver to confront the way he’s going about things. Oliver let go of Laurel in the beginning largely because he knew he would never be able to fully reveal himself to her, but he held on to Tommy as a part of his past. He might never have been willing to share that other side of himself with his friend, his sister or his mother, but something about those people is keeping him human. Should he be left with only Diggle and Felicity, I don’t think his mental health would be in a very good state. He needs people that make him feel normal, no matter how invested he is in the mission, and that’s probably the main reason for his relationship with McKenna. Read Caroline’s review of the previous episode, Dodger, here. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
