Returning from mid-season hiatus, the first two episodes of Arrow heat-up the fight between Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and the team led by Cayden James (Michael Emerson) who is so overconfident after fracturing Team Arrow he reveals the full roster of baddies under his control before hijacking Star City’s infrastructure and holding it for ransom to the tune of $10 million a day. The episodes also reveals James’ reasoning for attacking Oliver’s city, although it appears the villain is blaming the wrong bow-and-arrow wielder for the death of son. Despite bending to the terrorist’s demands, the latest piece of information may offer Oliver an out if it turns our he can’t defeat the villain as either the mayor or its hooded vigilante.
Much of the episodes center around Rene (Rick Gonzalez), Dinah (Juliana Harkavy), and Curtis (Echo Kellum) forming their own team and the awkwardness of the two groups working together in the field. On the other hand, Curtis’ research does provide Diggle (David Ramsey) with at least a temporary solution to his degeneration allowing Spartan back in the field as well. Perhaps Team Arrow isn’t as weak as the previous couple of episodes had suggested. The show also cracks open the door of evil Laurel‘s (Katie Cassidy) possible rehabilitation yet again, and offers the possibility that Vigilante (Johann Urb) may not be one of James’ loyal soldiers after all.
