Arrow S2 E18 - 'Deathstroke' Review


Not One To Hold A Grudge.
Slade finally starts putting his plans into action in a standout episode of Arrow. As the pieces of the puzzle come together before Oliver's eyes, Deathstroke brings his world crashing down around him in a powerful display of strength.
The main plot this week follows Slade attacking every aspect of Ollie's life and relationships, particularly with Thea and Laurel. Having kidnapped Thea at the end of the last episode, Slade wastes no time releasing a hostage video to send Oliver into a frenzy. Meanwhile Roy leaves Starling after turning on Oliver, Isabel Rochev reveals herself to be working with Slade and steals Queen Consolidated from Ollie and Slade drops in on Laurel to tell her the truth about her ex-boyfriend - that he is secretly the Arrow. All of this chaos unfolds over the 40 minute run-time in spectacular fashion, and it is genuinely harrowing watching our hero be broken down meticulously by his arch nemesis. 
The final nail in the coffin is when Thea turns against her family after discovering that Malcolm Merlyn is her father. I never really understood why nobody told her, after all she had every right to know, so this just felt frustrating, yet there is a sense that the damage is lasting.
One of the best scenes in the episode comes when Oliver and Slade argue in the interrogation room, as we learn just how deeply embedded the latter's hatred runs, as he explains to Oliver that the island feels like "yesterday", as he has never gotten over Shado. We also get to see the evil Shado apparition in Slade's corrupted mind, giving us an insight into what drives his decision making. I liked that we got a glimpse at the villain's fragility here, as beforehand it appeared that the mercenary had no weaknesses.
Overall, 'Deathstroke' was just brilliant. The episode was extremely reminiscent of the comics from which the show takes its material, particularly in the format it took - systematically breaking down the hero until he is at his lowest. It's a tried and tested trope for a reason and it pays off here for sure.

 STARRING: Deathstroke, Brother Blood, The Canary

 AWESOME MOMENTS:

  • The moment when Roy super punches Shade, but it does NOTHING.
  • "It's a bit flamboyant. I like it"
  • Nice touch that Deathstroke's eye is the only part of him which wouldn't regenerate
  • That brief Rochev/Oliver fight was cool, although it served little purpose
  • Slade stopping the prison bus and beckoning for the prisoners to join him is single-handedly one of the coolest moments in the history of the Arrowverse
  • Seeing the evil trinity of Deathstroke, Brother Blood and Isabel Rochev was fun - they seem truly unstoppable sat atop their tower looking over the city
  • "Now we fight back" - hype for next episode. Let's goooo!
  • "I told a boy the truth once. He got hit by lightning" - cute Barry Allen reference
EASTER EGGS;
- When Roy drives out of Starling City, he passes a sign that reads "Starling City is a STAR City." Star City is the Green Arrow's home in the comic books.
- A piece of graffiti appears on the building outside where Oliver, Sara, and Roy encounter Slade Wilson before having him arrested. The names "Griffith" and "Kerr" appear in this graffiti. Stu Kerr and Ralph Griffith are writers for "Arrow Comics", an independent comic book company
- Isabel references a connection between herself and Ollie's father, Robert.  In the comics, Isabel Rochev met and fell in love with Robert Queen during his time in Russia.  While their relationship was ambiguous, Rochev considered herself to be the true heir of Robert Queen and eventually took over Queen Industries in the aftermath of an attack that left Star City devastated and Oliver Queen on the run from the law

RATING: 9.2/10
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