Arrow – Disbanded

• Title: Arrow – Disbanded
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Oliver (Stephen Amell) has pushed away family and friends “for their own good” far too often for “Disbanded” to be a stand-out episode of the series. Arrow goes back to that same well again with its latest episode, although their is a twist this time. Rather than forcing others out of his one-man crusade, this time a defeated Green Arrow is attempting to shut down the crusade for everyone. There’s more than a little hubris hear as a shattered Oliver decides if he can’t be Star City’s vigilante none of his team can be either.

Realizing that Prometheus (Josh Segarra) is a threat which isn’t going away, Oliver reaches out to the Bratva and makes a deal with the devil. Offering Anatoly (David Nykl) stolen drugs in exchange, the Bratva agree to kill Adrian Chase. It’s too bad that Diggle (David Ramsey) and his team have other plans. Saving the sociopathic serial killer, Dig and the rest of Team Arrow instead work on a new plan involving exposing the evil mastermind as Prometheus. Thanks to the help of Helix, that’s one victory Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) can claim. With Chase outed, the Bratva betrayed by an indecisive Oliver who attempts to renege on their deal, and the hero still reluctant to put on the hood, where does the show go from here?

While a quality episode, the main issue with “Disbanded” is how rushed the timeline feels. Oliver’s quitting, and his attempts to convince his friends to do the same, lasts less than one episode which makes the entire event feel more like a speed bump than a major event for all involved (who have each been pushed away by Oliver Queen before). That said, the emotion of the episode feels right and, when left to his own devices, we see Oliver make the same bad decisions he’s made before. I’m not sure whether making enemies of the Bratva is a good thing for the series or not, but given the flashbacks in Russia are coming to an end the Russian villains will need a foothold in Star City if they are to continue on the show.

In terms of ongoing storylines there are a few memorable scenes here. As we’ve seen before it’s Diggle who helps put Oliver back on the right path. The scene involving the team discussing whether or not to allow the Bratva to kill Adrian Chase is highlighted by Diggle’s reaction to Felicity’s willingness to be an accessory to murder. She’s certainly come a long way since Season One, hasn’t she? And, it’s worth noting that Curtis (Echo Kellum) gets to play with his balls again this episode, which prove to be the key to outing the super-villain and giving the team its first big win against Prometheus (although it doesn’t appear he’s all that worried).