Arrow S1 E14 - 'The Odyssey' Review


Nothing is Bred that is Weaker than Man.
'The Odyssey' serves in large part as an extended flashback episode and the series benefits from it. As Oliver lies dying after being shot by his mother, we learn about how he and Slade became friends five years before. The training montage is fun and makes the viewer feel like they are finally seeing some progression in the Hood's origin story. The action in this episode is also worth mentioning, as the clearing of the runway shows Slade's brutality and fighting style, whilst the climactic showdown between Wilson and his old partner Billy Wintergreen is a brilliantly choreographed battle and a satisfying ending to the episode, as Slade finally gets his revenge for being betrayed.
Oliver also faces a change of heart in this episode - he resolves to help people, as he feels he owes it to Yao Fei and thus should stop being so selfish. We can see the beginnings of his journey into becoming Starling City's vigilante. Thanks to Slade, Oliver has also learned how to defend himself thus he is developing from a weak victim to a strong opponent.
Overall, 'The Odyssey' is an excellent episode. Anytime we get to see Slade Wilson in action is a treat and acting as an extended flashback serves to flesh out the past story-line in order to regain audience interest in the plot. Felicity Smoak has also now officially joined Team Arrow, setting the way for the series to continue.

 STARRING: Billy Wintergreen, Slade Wilson, Edward Fyers, Yao Fei, Shado

 EASTER EGGS:
- Slade's ex-partner Billy Wintergreen is loosely based on the DC comics character William Wintergreen, who was Slade Wilson's partner and best friend. Slade defied military orders and undertook a mission to save Wintergreen which led to his dismissal; a catalyst to becoming the mercenary "Deathstroke: The Terminator." Wintergreen served as his partner for many years. Unlike his television portrayal, Wintergreen never betrayed Slade but did meet his end at Slade's hands
- First appearance of Shado
- This Episode is named after Homer's "The Odyssey" because in a flashback scene, to make sure the plane doesn't turn around, they have to remember and finish a sentence from "The Odyssey" (coincidentally the only book Oliver studied in college)
- When Diggle assesses Oliver's injury after Felicity brings him to the hideout, he states it is a 'Zone 2 wound'. In emergency medicine, this identifies a penetrating neck wound between the collar bone and the angle of the jaw bone
- Oliver reveals to Felicity Smoak that he is the vigilante, making her the third person he has chosen to reveal his identity to and let into his crusade
- Particularly as it pertains to Lian Yu, there are numerous parallels between Oliver's endless attempts to get home and those of Odysseus in Homer's tale
- In a flashback, Oliver is amused that he is trapped on an island and his only friend is named Wilson, a reference to the 2000 film Cast Away
- In this episode, Felicity Smoak becomes the third person to learn Oliver's identity, after John Diggle and Helena Bertinelli
- This episode marks the first appearance of Laurel Lance in the flashback storyline. The second will be "The Return"
- Billy being stabbed in the eye by Slade Wilson foreshadows how Oliver did exactly the same thing to Slade over a year later in "Unthinkable"
- This is the first episode of Arrow to focus primarily on the flashback storyline
- This is the first episode in the series to only feature a villain, in this case Edward Fyers, outside of the present-day storyline

 RATING: 8.4/10

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