ARROW - Season 7.2

REVIEW:  ARROW - SEASON 7, EP. 2:  "The Longbow Hunters"

This week's edition of The Emerald Archer had A LOT more action that in the season premiere, gave us an introduction to The Longbow Hunters, as was teased last season, and more of the flash forward story with William & Roy.

We check in on Ollie, and it appears he's in solitary for fighting, and after a couple of days in isolation, he's let out by the security guard, whom we've come to know as York.  I have to say...York is a typical prick prison guard---gets off on his authority, isn't afraid to throw his weight around, and has a read mad on for Ollie.  We cut to Ollie chatting with Brick about how Diaz managed to find out where Felicity and William were.  Brick has info---but will only share if Ollie does him a favor---take out York.  Ollie refuses to kill, but Brick reminds him the clock is ticking.  Ollie pretty much spends the episode trying to figure out a way to convince York to leave, without having to shiv him.  Ollie DOES get creative, however---by getting close enough to York to make it look like York stabbed him.  Actuality, Ollie does it to himself (crazy bastard), and plays the part to get York taken out of the prison.  It works like a charm, and Brick is impressed.  Have to give props to Ollie for thinking on his feet---but DAMN, dude...you're crazy!  York should consider himself lucky---sure, he'll be transferred, but he's alive.  How do you feel about a cape now, you sanctimonious ass?

The rest of Team Arrow are hanging out, celebrating a long awaited reunion, and all agreeing that Diaz needs to be taken down.  However, everyone has a different idea on how it should be done.  Dinah wants to follow proper police channels, Diggle feels it's an ARGUS situation, which means Curtis is in his camp.  Felicity feels she's lost everything, and she's going after Diaz regardless, and Rene brought up the New Green Arrow, which Dinah shuts down real quick.  

We meet the members of the Longbow Hunters this episode, as they begin a raid on an installation housing weapons.  Weapons that are powerful enough to level the city---which is what Diaz wants.  These characters are pretty bad ass---Kodiak, Red Dart, and Silencer, all have powers that quickly nullify.  Kodiak is strong and has this shield he pummels foes with, Red Dart...well...she uses darts for various things, and Silencer---who creates this wall of silence around her.  All three of them are effective in their jobs in securing the weapons Diaz has requested.  Team Arrow gets a taste of them, and it takes a combined effort to try and stop them.  And while Team Arrow does foil Diaz plot this time around---their battle with the Longbow Hunters ends in a stalemate.

This episode also shows that while the team is back on good terms with each other---for the most part---the ideals of how to bring about justice and change for each of them has diverged immensely.  While Diggle and Felicity---the two original members of the team, share the same goal of ending Diaz, their methods of how to achieve that end are different.  Felicity is more gung ho, and willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of saving Ollie AND William...while Diggle is trying to do it in an official manner.  As the saying goes, "what once was lost, can never be regained", rings true as Felicity and Diggle argue over how to stop him.  She tries to work with him on his mission to stop Diaz from hijacking a train with the weapons on it---but when it came to a situation where it was secure the weapons or stop Diaz...Felicity froze.  She didn't want to let Diaz go.  Curtis had to intervene to save the day, and that meant letting Diaz get free.  

Rene was willing to help Felicity cut as many corners as possible, because he feels that being proactive is the best approach.  At this point, he's not much more than a tag along to the group, just to provide semi back up, and throw out the occasional joke or two.  Dinah feels that with Diaz's reappearance, it means that Laurel's life is in danger.  I have to say...I did appreciate the bickering the two do in this episode---it still shows there's not quite any love lost between them, but Dinah is willing to do what it takes to protect Laurel...because it's what Quentin would've wanted.  They had to actually combine their sonic powers in order to defeat Silencer during the final battle in the episode.  We do see the signs of a Laurel redemption here, but I feel it's a bit rushed as far as Dinah forgiving her.  

With the tension obviously built between Felicity and Diggle---Felicity plays her own card, and goes directly to the woman who put Ollie away---telling her that she's essentially going to help Felicity take down Diaz.  Interesting that Felicity goes directly to the source of her anguish, and is willing to get dirty.  I like that she's willing to take the initiative in ending Diaz's terror once and for all.  I do also like how well Diggle handled himself against Diaz.  I felt it sucked last season that he looked like too much of an equal with Ollie on a combat level.  It's one thing to be as good as your show's hero, but I felt it came out of nowhere really.  I was happy to see Diggle pretty much not only hold his own this episode, but prove that, on any given day, he can kick Diaz's ass.

The flash forward scenes gave us a little more insight on what exactly happens in the future---and it isn't bright.  It seems that Ollie and Felicity never see William again, and that creates some angst for him.  Roy pretty much asks him why he is there, and William said the object Felicity gave him had a tracker that led to Lian Yu.  They soon discover that there's something Ollie buried there with the bodies.  After digging it up, they soon find Ollie's bow and arrow...and a note that Roy promptly burns, thus not allowing William to see it.  The fact that they're being led BACK to Star City leaves me intrigued as to what comes up next.  Because it's apparent that in this sequence---there is NO Team Arrow.  

Anyone else liking Stanley as sort or a comic foil and Ollie's eyes and ears in the prison?  Yeah, me too.  It breaks up the overall hard drama that the prison part of the show has.  

Overall, the show is coming out the gate strong, and sets some things up to get even more intense down the road.  We've gotten some pretty heavy action, and we're seeing everyone's nerves a bit frayed at the seams, and that's leading to some decent drama playing out.  I feel bad for Rene and Dinah right now, as they're just essentially background characters, while Felicity and Diggle will do most of the heavy lifting for now to move the plot along.  I do commend Stephen Amell's work thus far, giving us an Ollie that feels about as helpless as he's ever been.  His frustration, sadness, and anger at not being able to protect his family is shown in great detail here.  

Anyway, thanks for checking in, and---as always---leave a comment if you can!  I appreciate it!

As always---keep your sights locked on the bullseye!