2 romance authors find 'so many rewards!' in latest 'Arrow'
Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent are back and making plans for the future! We had so much fun discussing Arrow the last two weeks that we've decided to keep it going.
LK: This is one of the first episodes in a long time that I've watched live — or, at least, nearly so. (Son and I started about 20 minutes late, so we were caught up by the end.) This means that I heard nothing about the episode before watching, except for seeing a few tweets that big things were happening.
I loved this episode as a fan. So many rewards! It was wonderful to be back on the island and to see Oliver teaching Thea to fight just as Slade had taught him. The flashbacks of Team Arrow and Thea were also a delight. I loved a couple of the near misses that occurred with Oliver back in Starling City — not that there was any real worry that Oliver would be found out.
I finished the episode with a big smile (as did Son, although I think his was more related to the trailer for next week. He is a big Ra's fan.). What about you, Allison? Did you feel The Return rewarded you as a viewer?
AB: The first thing I said when it was over was, "Wow, that was a dense episode!" There was so much going on. The island was actually secondary to the bigger story of Oliver's return to Starling City 2½ years before he really came back. The island was poignant and bittersweet — for example, Thea seeing the real grave of her father vs. the flashback to her as a teenager in front of the empty graves of her father and Oliver. It was a brief scene, but moving.
But the best part of the episode was the flashback sequence. I loved seeing Felicity talking to herself in Robert Queen's office. I was completely torn up when Oliver watched Thea at the gravesite, and then saw how Tommy was protecting her — was, in essence, being her surrogate big brother. (And I've always loved Tommy.) The two halves (the present and the past) were woven in so well! Like a twist on the movie It's a Wonderful Life, Oliver gets to see what his family and friends have become without him. I also feel I understand the character growth of Laurel and Lance a bit better. This episode also shows the evolution of Oliver — but also reminds us that even though he had been turned into a killer on the island — and by Amanda Waller in Hong Kong — he is, at his core, loyal. He went home, planned to tell his family that he was alive, but in the end, he went back to Maseo. Not just because of the video message from Robert Queen — though that was part of it. But because Oliver knew that Maseo didn't have a chance of stopping the Triad without him.
Overall, I think (until the present very end) that the flashback segments were my favorite parts of this episode, and arguably the best flashback segments in all three seasons.
LK: The moment when Oliver snapped the drug dealer's neck and tossed him over the railing was one of the real telling moments for me. It clearly demonstrated where he started compared to where he is now. I had forgotten that he had been such a killer. I may need to go back and watch the first season again. (Writing these recaps is such a great excuse.)
AB: Absolutely! It was a powerful scene.
LK: I was also blown away when Oliver told Thea, after some pushing, that she had killed Sara. I thought that was going to be a secret until late in the season and then would be used as the excuse for Thea to melt down. I am so glad they got it out of the way now — and continued to allow Oliver to stay firmly in a position of honesty. (Yes, I am ignoring that it's still hidden from Laurel. They have to save some secrets.)
AB: I was shocked. It was something I didn't expect, but honestly, I'm so glad they did it. Because Thea deserved to know the truth. And her meltdown? Wow. That's the scene I mentioned above that was amazingly powerful, outside of the flashbacks.
LK: It was so great to see Slade (Manu Bennett) again. I know that you've said you love him, Allison. What were your feelings on his return?
AB: Loved it. Loved that it was Merlyn who broke him out (and killed a guard — that was quite interesting). But the one thing that just has never worked well for me in the whole Oliver/Slade/Shado triangle was that Oliver still has so much guilt over Shado's death. He had no choice! He didn't "pick" for Shado to die, but when Ivo aimed the gun at Sara, Oliver jumped in front of her, and then Ivo shot Shado. That Slade keeps talking about this big secret ... it doesn't make sense. It's losing me, and was the weakest point of the show. So I'm thinking there's something else that hasn't come out, something none of us knows yet. I hope. I'm actually kind of happy that all the secrets are spilling out ... because when too many people know things and keep them from others because they might be hurt or whatever, it gets old fast.
But the fights! I loved how first Slade caught them by surprise, but then Thea and Oliver fought back when they caught up with him the second time. I think that — between the island, the flashback and the ending — this was Willa Holland's best episode ever. Emmy-worthy.
LK: I have to admit that, as with last week, this episode was somewhat a transition episode, setting everything up for next week with Ra's and Merlyn and, I think, moving the bioweapon further into play and continuing to cast Chien Na Wei/China White as a true villain (my guess for at least part of what the end of the season will be about).
AB: Yes, it was definitely a transition in many ways, but masterfully done, so it didn't feel like a transition. The writing on the show has always been good, but I think season three has the best writing. I don't know if they got someone new on the team, or if the team just grew as a whole, but the writing went from good to great.
LK: Oh, I have to pay a brief homage to the moment at the end when Slade is asking Oliver about all the people that he's lost and he mentions Felicity. My romance writer's heart did a true pitter-patter at the look on Oliver's face.
I have to admit that, like my son, I am also a Ra's fan and can't wait for next week. I have so many theories going on in my head for how it will be resolved. Will Merlyn sacrifice himself? Will Thea save him? Will the plotline end there (for the moment) or will it lead to a bigger battle later in the season? I can't wait to find out and then dish about it!
LK: P.S. — Does anybody know who the other inmate in the prison is? My son says Digger Harkness, but I couldn't find that anywhere in the show — but I didn't go back and watch all the episodes since his appearance.
AB: P.P.S. — I want to know, too! I think it's Matthew Shreve, the general who walked in at the very end of the flashback segment. Why? Because it was clear that Amanda Waller was scared of him then, but she doesn't have the same fear in the present. Because obviously when Oliver looked at him and the general said he would let Oliver go after being debriefed, Oliver didn't believe him — and neither did I. And Oliver had to get back on the island somehow ...
One more thing to mention — in the flashback sequence, we briefly see Diggle — with his brother, who is on security detail with him. We learn that his brother got him the job. They're friends. Well, we know that Deadshot shot Andy Diggle, and we know that Deadshot was a hired gun, but we don't know who ordered Andy killed. Someone in ARGUS? The general maybe? And that's why he (may) be the other prisoner? And does Oliver know? ... This is all just speculation, but it's going to have to be revealed at some point, right? Maybe after the Ra's al Ghul storyline ...
—
Allison Brennan is a Paste BN and New York Times bestselling author of romantic thrillers. Lavinia Kent is a bestselling author of sexy historical romances. They both watch Arrow with their sons, Allison on the West Coast and Lavinia on the East Coast. And now, they enjoy recapping their favorite show together. So let's chat! What did you think of The Return, and are you as excited as we are about next week's Nanda Parbat?
Find out more about Allison and Lavinia and their books at www.allisonbrennan.com and www.laviniakent.com.