REVIEW: ARROW - SEASON 8, EP. 4: "Present Tense"
Oliver Queen has seen many many things in the last 7 plus years...but NOTHING could prepare him for what he faced THIS week: his own kids. Not only that, but also trying to figure out just what in the hell is the Monitor's game. On the OTHER side of the coin, we have the Kid Arrow Team wondering just how in the hell they got there, and how do they react when they come face to face with their parents?
We kick of this installment with Mia, William, and Connor looking at Ollie, Dig, Dinah, and Rene. Everyone's confused as to how this all came about. William asks his dad what year it is, and when they find out it's 2019, they're in disbelief. Diggle is especially confused when Connor refers to him as "Dad". Diggle has always been, for the most part, the level headed guy in the field. But what's gone on in the last few years (hell...ever since he first saw Barry Allen as The Flash), has really turned his world upside down. He's still not quite able to wrap his head around different worlds, different dimensions, metahumans, and now the end of the universe as we know it. Time travel just became another new wrinkle for him---especially seeing Connor.
It's natural that Team Arrow has A LOT of questions for the kids, but Mia is the one that feels they shouldn't divulge any info. They table some of the conversation for now, especially when it comes to Zoe...who died before the kids got brought to the present. William, however, is glad to see his dad, and sees this as a chance to reconnect. Mia---not so much. Mia feels those pangs of abandonment from an early age, so she holds a grudge against Ollie.
Over at Starling General, we have a woman bringing in her husband to be examined, and when the doctor opens up his shirt, they see a bomb stitched underneath his skin. The doctor tells everyone to scatter as the bomb goes off. From a distance, we see a man in a Deathstroke mask looking at his apparent handiwork.
The news of the explosion gets back to the Bunker and Team Arrow need to find out who's behind it. The kids have an idea of who it might be, but don't want to relay any info to Team Arrow. At this time, Curtis shows up to help Ollie out with a problem. Ollie has a piece of cloth he obtained while on Earth 2---he wants Curtis to find out what it is, and if they can make more of it.
Connor and Diggle are hanging out, and they meet up with Dinah at the SCPD. They talk about the explosion, and Dinah hands them a clue they found. Connor, using his training to decipher the note, and says that someone is targeting the rich people in this city, as they feel they are a plague. But he knows it's the Deathstrokes, which makes him believe that JJ had followed them through time, and might be looking to cause trouble here.
The kids meet up separately from their parents, and feel that it is THEIR mess to clean up, and don't want to have their parents follow them. They will handle it. They go to the hideout where the Deathstrokes got started, and run into a boobytrapped building. Mia and William are on land mines set to go off if they move, and the Deathstrokes arrive. Connor calls out to the leader, thinking it's JJ, only to see that, once unmasked, it's Slade's other son, Grant Wilson. Just as Grant is about to put the kibosh on the kids, they hear people coming, and are about to bail, as Team Arrow shows up for the save.
After a bit of arguing, Team Arrow forces the kids to confess as to what's going on...especially in the future of 2040. They tell of how the Glades and Star City are separated, more corruption than ever...especially to Rene. They also inform them about the Deathstrokes, and that Zoe had been a Canary, and was killed by John's son JJ---which sets Rene and John off on an argument of their own. Rene takes off, and Dinah feels she needs to try and mend the fences.
Mia wants revenge, and decides to go track Grant down, but Ollie refuses to let her go. All her pent up frustrations about his absence rears its ugly head, and she unloads on him, saying he has no rights to tell her what to do. Laurel decides to go with her. Once THEY get to searching for Grant, Laurel KNOWS what Mia wants to do---kill Grant. While she isn't a fan of Ollie's....she also doesn't want Mia to make the choices SHE made. She also tells Mia about Felciity and her wanting to kill Ricardo Diaz. And because Laurel talked her out of it...knowing that it wouldn't make things better, Felicity didn't do it. It gives something for Mia to ponder on.
Ollie is visibly upset over things that transpire in the future, and William does what he can to reason with him, and tells him to give Mia time. Curtis comes back to inform Ollie that he has an idea as to what Grant is up to, breaking the encryption code he had. Turns out, Grant is trying to finish what Slade had started: The Siege.
Dinah has the tough task of trying to get Rene and John to mend fences, and reconcile the fact that they have a chance to set things right for the kids in the future...because they ALL failed to save the city. Rene wanted to give a better future to Zoe, but is scared they're on borrowed time. She assures him that running for mayor of the Glades, knowing what they know from the kids, can set things in the right direction. So, they go into effect with those plans. She also talks to John, in order to get him to open up to Connor, and listen to him...which John does.
The team reconvenes, and lay out a plan to stop Grant from initiating another Siege. Rene will hold a rally in the Glades, Dinah is at the station getting her officers ready for the storm coming, only to be attacked by one of the Deathstrokes who plants a bomb under his chair to cause havoc. Meanwhile, Mia and Ollie are on the hunt for Grant. Dig, Laurel, and Connor are looking to locate the central bomb in the city that will set everything off.
While Dig, Laurel and Connor find the bomb, they have Curtis and William telling them what they need to do. At the same time, Ollie and Mia find Grant, and a battle ensues, but Grant is captured. Mia is ready to kill him, but she relents at the last moment. Grant goes to activate the bomb, only to discover that Connor disconnected it. The day is saved.
With Grant heading to Blackgate prison, the team feels it's taken the first step to altering the kids' future. Dinah and Laurel hear about the Canary Network, and decide that it's not a bad idea to get the ball rolling on that, while Rene holds his press conference, announcing his candidacy for Mayor. He also wants Dinah to continue to train Zoe, and prepare her for the future. But they feel they are taking the right steps. John and Connor talk, and John is proud of Connor, and what he's become. They both feel bad about JJ, but they know they are on the right path to making changes, so they feel.
Ollie takes Mia to see her grandparents' graves, and shows her that he has made so many mistakes, and that he feels the guilt of their deaths. Mia asks if it ever goes away, and Ollie tells his daughter no, but it gets easier to handle in time. We also see the Queen family chat and get to bond a little, as well as Laurel and Dinah discussing their Canary Network while we hear Rene's passionate speech about the future.
Ollie gets a call from Curtis, who says he can replicate the material, but it's going to be highly illegal and ethical. It requires plutonium...which he can only get in Russia. Ollie's NOT thrilled to hear that.
We end with Laurel leaving the precinct, and the Monitor approaching her. She's not thrilled to see him for what he's done, but he says he has the power to bring her world back, and all she has to do....is BETRAY Oliver Queen.
We got a lot of emotional baggage that had to be dealt with in this episode. And we got a better idea as to when the crap hit the fan for the kids in Star City later on....where it all got started. But first of all...let's look at the relationship aspects:
John and Connor: This was tough for John, who had literally no clue he even adopted Connor. And to hear him confess to John about JJ's fall from grace because of John's apparently more attention that he gives to Connor, it's unsettling. As I have stated, John is the level headed one in the field and off. He's also not used to all this time travel, other worlds, metahuman stuff. It's all unsettling to him (unlike his counterpart on Earth 90), so even SEEING Connor all grown up is a shock to the system. To find out his own son grows up to be a villain is worse, THEN to find out that his son KILLED Rene's daughter Zoe is just the rotten cherry and a crap sundae, which causes grief between him and Rene briefly. But he's also avoiding Connor, because it's also a reminder that Ben Turner dies at some point..which isn't expressed, but we KNOW John's thinking about it. However, watching what Connor has become, knowing that HE had a part in it, and that Connor is truly grateful...it helps to mend the fence in the end.
Rene doesn't get a chance to see his adult daughter. Zoe did die before the white flash of light brought the kids to the present, and it destroys him...especially in front of John, when he finds out that it's John's own son that kills her. Dinah is the main key for BOTH men, as she becomes the voice of reason this episode. She relays to Rene that for THEM, the future isn't written yet, and that THEY can change it for the kids---the RIGHT way. And as much as Rene hates the thought of spending ANY time of his life without Zoe in it...knowing how she died...he still wants Dinah to train her. Rene knows the life he's led, and knows that Zoe needs to be prepared. He also knows what a blow it was to John to hear what he heard---so, he understand's John's view of things, and it allows them to be alright with each other.
Laurel is still not happy about her situation, but she agreed to do what she can to save the world she has left. And while she isn't Ollie's favorite person, no is he hers...she does what she can to sway Mia from making a mistake and going down the dark path she went down. Using Felicity as an example seems to get through to the young woman. Her relationship with Dinah seems to have reached a new level, as they now have a common goal: The Canary Network. Them discussing it sets the future up for that Network to grow, which will eventually include Zoe. But things are not looking good for Team Arrow right now, as the Monitor looks to throw a monkey wrench in the works, by luring Laurel to his side with the promise of restoring Earth 2, by having her betray Ollie. This Laurel doesn't have the moral direction her deceased counterpart has...so the thought of having HER world back is a MIGHTY big offer NOT to take. It will be interesting to see what Laurel does to betray him, and whether or not the Monitor is someone she can trust.
Ollie, William, & Mia: This was the focal relationships this episode...primarily because we see the fallout from Ollie's actions. While William is a bit more responsive, and is willing to talk to his father, get to know him once again (even admitting that he's gay---to which Oliver KNEW, as well as Felicity---which I thought was interesting, but I guess they could tell), Mia still carries around A LOT of anger and resentment towards her father for abandoning her and her mother. William understood why Ollie did what he did, but he STILL wished Ollie would've tried A LITTLE harder to make inroads with William's grandparents in order to still stay in contact with him. Mia, who is still trying to open up as a person after years of being a loner, and not having anyone around to care or love her, needs to vent and is continually angry---the spitting image of Ollie. Ollie knows it, but still tries to play father, with disasterous results. It isn't until faced with the opportunity to kill Grant...and not do it, does she finally get her father. When he takes her to visit his parents, her grandparents, all the feelings of guilt over losing Zoe just comes to the surface. She finally understands her father a little better. He's not the perfect father...and ANY relationship they have is going to have to be rebuilt...but at least she starts to be receptive.
It was cool to see Curtis back (though I would've LOVED to have seen some Mr. Perfect in action, just having him work with William was cool enough). Not sure how much of a role Curtis will have in CRISIS....but he'll be there.
And did ANYONE notice Spartan's gear these last couple of episodes? Remember that it was a silver and black combo when he got started? If you paid ANY attention...and this is your Easter Egg, folks...that his uniform had a GREEN light in his visor helmet, and traces of GREEN in the black? What does that tell you? Don't worry...I'll give you all the time in the world to wrap your head around it.
That's it for this week...a really decent episode. I was hoping for MORE with Ollie and Mia, but I have a feeling there will be more coming up as Ollie continues is globe spanning final adventures before he departs in CRISIS. So, with that said, subscribe, leave a comment, and pass the word around about this blog, eh?
Until next week....keep your sights on the bullseye!
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