Arrow S2 E22 - 'Streets of Fire' Review


Not Done Fighting.
The SCPD teamed up with the Arrow this week as Starling City descended into chaos and ARGUS prepared for war.
The action and spectacle were ramped up in the penultimate episode of season 2 of Arrow this week, as Slade's goons tore apart Starling City. It was great to watch the level of destruction and it shows just how far this series has come in terms of scope and CGI. I particularly loved seeing the ragtag group of SCPD officers making their war plans in a destroyed police station. Quentin taking the lead was bad-ass, particularly the way he convinced Pike to side with the Arrow in order to save the city. The ARGUS inclusion was also appreciated, as it makes sense that a secret organisation with influence as widespread as theirs would be taking interest in the events unfolding in Starling. The plot device of the missiles which would blow up the city may feel to some like one too many things happening in the finale, but it further increased the pace of the episode which helped make it feel coherent and relevant.
Sebastian Blood's change of heart lay at the core of this episode and it was great to see, as clearly Mayor Blood isn't as nefarious as his colleagues and it makes sense that he would want to help the Arrow considering Slade's betrayal. It allowed the character to bow out of the show with honour, and in an awesome scene when Ravager stabs Blood with both of her swords, before the latter's mask fell to the floor. A fitting end for one of the best characters in season 2.
The other subplot this week was a strange arc in which the Canary debated her heroism. It felt forced and unnecessary in an episode already packed with story-lines. The dialogue was cheesy, particularly the random cop mentioning the Canary's heroics, thus it didn't land and was the weakest part of the episode.
Malcolm Merlyn's return was another great aspect, along with that shock cliffhanger ending where Thea supposedly shot her dad. The flashbacks were minimal this week, with Oliver saving Sara and resolving not to give up on Slade, adding extra emotional weight to the inevitable confrontation between the former brothers in the season finale.
Overall, the penultimate episode lived up to expectations and built a great platform for the finale. Brother Blood's journey may be over, but Ravager and Deathstroke still pose a formidable threat.

 STARRING: Deathstroke, Brother Blood, Ravager, The Canary, The Dark Archer

 AWESOME MOMENTS:

  • Diggle fighting Ravager was awesome! Even better was how Felicity ran her over with what I am now coining the 'Arrowvan'!!
  • Quentin being a legend is always appreciated - seeing him destroy the mirakuru soldier was definitely a highlight
  • Laurel shooting the bow was kinda cool i guess, if a bit ruined by Laurel being Laurel (kinda wish she just got crushed)
  • "Make the call" - Pike telling Quentin to call the Arrow was dope!
  • QUENTIN REINSTATED AS DETECTIVE!!! HELL YEAHH!!!!!! He sure as hell earned that badge!
  • The brutal murder of the DA and her office was crazy!
  • Team Arrow's heartfelt discussion in the Clock Tower included name drops for the many villains they faced this season and also the heroes they have lost along the way - very cool
  • "I loved this city" - RIP Brother Blood!
EASTER EGGS:
- This episode is named after a Bruce Springsteen song that appears on his "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album.  If that album sounds familiar, it's because that was the name of last season's penultimate episode
- The STAR Labs courier is played by Adrian Petriw, who was the voice actor for Tony Stark in the Nickelodeon series Iron Man: Armored Adventures
- One of the police officers mention taking up positions at the intersections of 5th & Adams and 2nd and Kingsley.  This is a clever little way of sneaking 52 into the episode (along with Officer Lance's DC-52 callsign), as well as giving Neal Adams, the artist responsible for one of Green Arrow's most definitive runs, a little call out
- This is the second season in a row that Arrow has killed off an established DC character in its second to last episode (Kate Spencer).  Last year, Malcolm Merlyn killed off Brion Markov, which kicked off the events leading to the destruction of the Glades
- Monument Point is a fictional DC city created by Arrow producer Marc Guggenheim
- The officer who offhandedly mentions that Canary had saved a little girl in a fire is played by Jennifer Cheon.  Interestingly, Cheon played one of the SCPD officers who was killed by Cyrus Gold in "Three Ghosts".  I guess she got better

RATING: 9.2/10

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