Arrow S1 E19 - 'Unfinished Business' Review


A Single Step.
The Count was one of my personal favourite villains of this first season of Arrow, so I was extremely disappointed to discover that his screen time would be limited in 'Unfinished Business', as the character was reduced to insane babbling as a result of his OD on Vertigo previously. The plot twist that the Count wasn't actually pulling the strings was a refreshing one however and it was nice to see Oliver finally feel empathy for one of the villains and decide not to kill him.
Elsewhere, Tommy and Oliver's fight seemed strange to me. At no point had Oliver suggested he thought Tommy was dealing Vertigo so him snapping at Oliver was out of the blue. I am also gutted that Tommy won't be managing the nightclub anymore, as he is one of my favourite characters in the show and Oliver should probably start showing him some respect.
In the past, we get to see a momentous moment as Shado strengthens Oliver's grip and hand in order to allow him to draw back a bow for the first time. Foreshadowing his future destiny, it's rewarding to feel like we are actually seeing the Hood's origin story, as it can often get lost in the chaos which ensued upon Lian Yu.
Overall, this episode is very enjoyable and I enjoyed the focus upon Diggle and Oliver's relationship. Now they seem to properly have each others backs and just in time as well, as the end of the episode set up a confrontation with Deadshot next time, one of the best villains in Arrow history. Here's hoping it doesn't disappoint!

 STARRING: The Count

 EASTER EGGS:
- The first and last words spoken by the Count are taken verbatim from the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo (1958). The first ones from the scene when Madeleine (Kim Novak) and Scottie (James Stewart) are visiting the redwood forest. The lines at the end are from the next scene, at Cypress Point
- First appearance of recurring character Lyla Michaels, John Diggle's former wife who will later again become his wife and mother of his child
- The title's episode is a reference to Oliver and the Count's past together, though Oliver himself uses it later in the episode when referring to Diggle and Floyd Lawton
- After Diggle kills Dr. Webb's accomplice with the defibrillator, he says "clear". This is likely a tongue-in-cheek reference to "The Odyssey", where he saves Oliver's life using a defibrillator and Felicity tells him he has to say "clear" when using the machine
- When Tommy is showing his text history to Quentin Lance, several names referring to Arrow's crew members who worked on the episode are seen in his phone: Todd Pittson: Todd Pittson - production manager, M. Bunting: Mark Bunting - assistant director, B. McGuire: Bridget McGuire - art director, Michael Offer: Michael Offer - director
- A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans) is a recently created DC organization created to deal with superhero threats.  A.R.G.U.S. first appeared in Justice League #7 as an offshoot to the US military that provides logistical and combat support to the Justice League.  A.R.G.U.S. recently created the Justice League of America to act as a counterstrike force against the Justice League (if necessary).  A.R.G.U.S. also operates The Black Room, the Circus, and the Red Room, all of which house various DC artifacts (or in the Circus’s case, actual DC characters). In the Arrow universe, A.R.G.U.S. stands for Advanced Research Group United Support

 RATING: 8.1/10

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