In talking to people that watched the show and reading fans reactions online, I didn’t come across a single person who believed Felicity was going to die. She’s become so integral to what the executive producers want ARROW to be about nowadays.
A point of note though, which I missed but other eagle eyed fans spotted she wasn't wearing a ring. Are Oliver and Felicity destined to break up? Felicity gets a lot of hate. She gets a lot of love too but I think it's fair to say she is the most disliked character on the show. This episode did not help her case.
Whilst recovering through multiple surgeries we're told (not shown) no less than four times how strong she is or how much stronger she is than everyone else — you know, the crime fighting vigilantes who put their lives on the line every night. At one point they try to show how much they need Felicity by having Thea attempt to hack a security feed only for her to fail miserably. Two seconds later, Diggle does it with no problem. In fact, I.T. support wise, they did ok without Felicity. Which is peculiar because this episode gave us the development so many fans were expecting. That though Felicity was going to live, she was never going to walk again. The showrunners have stated numerous times she is not a poor man's Oracle, but everyone know's that's exactly what she's becoming. ARROW is Batman TV show without any Batman characters.
ARROW Season 4 Episode 8: LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Set-Up Continues
Desperate to make Damien Darhk pay for his attack on himself and Felicity, Oliver goes on a rampage, finding only Ghosts willing to die rather than talk (again). Diggle is forced to lay a beat down on his own brother to try and get any information and when that doesn't work, instead tries to reach him through the power of brotherly love, as suggested by his cameo making wife Lyla.
Upon investigating Darhk's base of operations, Oliver finds the place ransacked, dead Ghosts everywhere and Anarky’s symbol emblazoned on the wall in blood. The messed up killer for hire is back and wants revenge on Darhk for giving him up back in episode two. Discovering that Anarky used his own foster parent's blood to make the symbol, Team Arrow track the psycho down to his childhood home where he lies in wait for them, booby traps and all, sporting a burnt face and unhealthy obsession with Speedy thanks to his previous encounter with her.
Capturing him, Oliver plans to use him to get to Darhk but his hand is forced when Laurel gives Anarky up to the police. Breaking him out police custody, the Green Arrow makes Anarky promise Darhk will suffer, before his real plan is revealed, that he put a tracker on Anarky so he could follow him right to Darhk. The plan goes awry when the tracker stops working and Team Arrow admonish Oliver for being so reckless, letting a crazed killer go.
Thankfully, Diggle's lead from his brother, when combined with the last known location of the tracker, actually leads Team Arrow to a residential location, Damien Dahrk’s house! (See, who needs Felicity?) There they find Anarky has Dahrk's wife and daughter captive.
During their confrontation, Anarky tries to goad Speedy to a new level of violence, but thankfully our girl doesn’t succumb. Anarky gets away and I'm left thinking what was the point? Hopefully, they'll build Anarky up as a true nemesis and not just villain of the week fodder.
Green Arrow comes face to face with Damien Darhk and after a short scrap, takes credit for saving Darhk's family’s life, despite being the one who put them in danger in the first place. Darhk gives him a free pass for now, but promises he’s still going to kill him. In a limo ride later we see that Darhk's family aren't complete innocents; his wife is in on his evil plans and wants him to kill the Green Arrow despite him saving her life. I'm now waiting expectantly to find out Darhk 's young daughter is actually the mastermind behind the whole thing. Team Green Arrow now know Damien Darhk has a family, but I'm honestly not sure how that info is going to help them at all.
In all I was left thinking not much actually happened. Felicity's in a wheelchair, that's it. Thea briefly called it off with her campaign manager boyfriend only to get back with him later. The Team seemed angry at Oliver's recklessness but were right behind him in working to avenge Felicity. I would have loved to see the team split over Oliver's actions but shows like Arrow revolve a certain format, a status quo, so conflicts are only ever temporary, designed to get you to sit through a commercial break.
In the flashbacks, Oliver looked to be in great danger, until Baron Reiter sees the tattooed symbols Constantine magical put on Oliver. They seem to react to the orb that Ryder was so interested in. Oliver, going so far as to threaten to kill himself, knowing how important he is to Reiter’s goals, whatever they be, parleys for Taiana's life and they are both spared and imprisoned for the time being. Taiana thanks Oliver saying her brother would have liked him, still unaware that Oliver is the one who killed him.
Written by Nick Whitney, ARROW Beat Writer
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