- Title: Arrow – Genesis
- wiki: link
In an episode that actually shows us very little of the super-powered Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Diggle (David Ramsey) discover the madman’s underground suburb and search for a kidnapped Thea (Willa Holland) while Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), the Calculator (Tom Amandes), and Curtis (Echo Kellum) work to try and stop Darhk from starting nuclear armageddon.
Both storylines offer obstacles for our heroes. Felicity’s hacker session has to make it through Noah and Donna’s (Charlotte Ross) constant bickering and Darhk hiring Brother Eye (Nolan Gerard Funk) to try and steal back launch control from the heroes. Meanwhile, Ollie and Dig must contend with an army of Ghosts, a brainwashed Thea, and the wildcard of Lonnie Machin (Alexander Calvert) who brings HIVE’s world tumbling down. We also get more flashbacks to the island where Oliver first learns how corrupting the power of Darhk’s idol can be.
“Genesis” is a bit too scattered to be one of the show’s better episodes, but it does include some terrific moments (such as Curtis’ reaction to Felicity’s parents). The prelude to next week’s season finale also introduces a couple of important pieces of information. First, not all of Darhk’s followers are mind-controlled. And second, someone under the power of the drugs can break free if their will is strong enough (as we see with Thea). I’ll be interested to see how either or both of those revelations may play into next week’s finale.
