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Just Another Weapon In His Arsenal. Roy finally got the chance to take centre stage this week for the first time in season three as a mysterious killer tried to set up Ted Grant. I love that the show-runners chose to centre an episode on both Roy and Ted as they are excellent peripheral characters who deserved their time to shine. Ted Grant's story unfolded in the foreground, as his apprentice Isaac Stanzler returned to exact revenge on the mentor who failed him. It was an interesting plot which revealed the truth behind Grant's vigilante past and resulted in both the Ted/Laurel and Oliver/Roy relationships developing in positive ways. I only wish we had got the chance to see Grant suit up, as that would have been the icing on the cake! Roy's journey this week felt slightly rushed, but was also a chance to let Colton Haynes flex his acting repertoire. It was hard watching our beloved sidekick realise he had murdered an innocent man and I really can't remember how ...

Hacktivism. Felicity took the forefront this episode as she was forced to face her past demons. 'The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak' took a slightly different approach this week, as we delved into Felicity's past life as a hacktivist in college. Its a fun concept and great to finally learn more about the super hacker's past, made all the better by the way the writers make the focus feel natural by connecting it with the present day story-line. It all comes together fluidly to create an entertaining watch, although some may be disappointed by the lack of further progression in the main plot. After seeing Ra's in the closing moments of 'The Magician', it seems strange to not feature him in this episode. In terms of content however, this episode was certainly interesting. I loved the idea that the bad guy was Felicity's supposedly dead ex-boyfriend (let's face it, anyone who is dead in the Arrowverse is basically still probably able to return at ...

Oliver Queen Courts War. The Magician is back in Starling. Malcolm Merlyn returned this episode as we finally got to see Ra's al Ghul and understand why he and Oliver are to be at odds for the next 18 episodes. Yes, as it turns out Malcolm Merlyn is the reason for tensions between Team Arrow and the League of Assassins. Oliver struggles against his inner desires as Malcolm returns to Starling with a vengeful Nyssa in tow. He is forced to choose between saving Thea's father or putting an arrow in his arch-nemesis, a conflict which Amell portrays admirably well and the show addresses maturely. Ultimately, through choosing to protect Merlyn, he has earned the wrath of the League and Ra's himself, a move which quickens the pace of the series as our rolling conflict begins. Elsewhere, Laurel descended into traditionally irritating roles this week, with her anger towards Malcolm translating into fits of rage and stroppy behaviour, which only furthered my distaste for the ch...

A Good Teacher. Team Arrow took a vacation this week as Oliver, Dig and Roy travelled to Corto Maltese to bring Thea home in an episode which was entertaining, if a bit empty. The core plot was thin, as clearly the main push in this episode was the reintegration of Thea (Willa Holland). To validate a trip to Corto Maltese, the showrunners devised the concept of a rogue A.R.G.U.S. agent attempting to sell agents identities (a plot thoroughly well tread, in films such as Mission: Impossible ), however the whole event feels rushed and unnecessary. The only benefit of this adventure was watching Diggle take centre stage once more, a position he consistently thrives in. No, the most important aspect of this episode was Oliver and Roy reconciling with Thea, who has spent five months on a remote island training with Malcolm Merlyn, who Team Arrow still believe is dead. I liked that for once it was Thea withholding secrets from her brother, rather than the other way around, and the...

More Out Of Life. 'Sara' was always going to struggle to top the series three premier, but episode two provided some powerful emotional arcs along with some major developments in Team Arrow. The overriding plot of this episode centred on the fallout following the death of Sara at the end of 'The Calm'. The episode smartly began with the contrast between the blissfully unaware members of Team Arrow and the broken figure of Laurel quivering next to Sara's corpse, spread out on a table. From here, the episode developed into a cross between murder mystery and the pains of losing a loved one. The combination felt slightly unusual, but came together to create a solid instalment in the Arrowverse, even if the plot led to nothing in the end when it was revealed that Komodo hadn't killed Sara. Speaking of, Simon Lacroix a.k.a. Komodo was criminally underused in his Arrowverse debut (which to this day sadly remains his only appearance in the shared universe). S...

A Man Cannot Live By Two Names. Arrow  returned for season three in a big way with 'The Calm', as relationships changed and new threats and mysteries arose.  Picking up months after the Siege, we see a well-oiled Team Arrow taking out a criminal truck, showcasing Arsenal in his brand new (incredibly bad-ass) costume in the field with Dig and the Arrow. It's an explosive introduction and sets the pace from the start. I enjoyed seeing what the group dynamic would be like during a time of relative peace, although naturally this was disturbed repeatedly throughout the episode. Werner Zytle posed the threat in episode one, as he assumed the mantle of Vertigo and went around taking over Starling's criminal network. Vertigo was an entertaining villain and certainly an upgrade on Seth Gabel's interpretation of the character. I liked how the writers used him as a plot device to highlight Oliver's worst fear - himself. It might have been cliche, but it was a nice id...