The Undertaking - Review

SPOILER WARNING

If you have not seen last night's Arrow, please leave the blog and return later. The following review will undoubtedly contain spoilers.

Arrow - "The Undertaking" - Review

After an entire season of mostly lack-luster flashbacks, we actually get something interesting and relevant to the episode! And yes, I'll be starting with the flashbacks. I think the events leading up to the wreck of The Queen's Gambit really highlight just how evil and desperate Malcolm Merlyn really is. I think listening to his wife dying over and over broke him. He blames everyone in The Glades and himself for her death. I thought that was necessary insight into his character because he was coming off as rather one-note. The revelation of his motivation and his part in the sinking of The Queen's Gambit gave him more than that one-note thing.

Moira also got some character development through the flashbacks. I was surprised to see that she wasn't originally in on the planning of The Undertaking. I do wonder what exactly happened between her begging Robert to stop it and Olly's return to make her support The Undertaking. Perhaps we'll get more on that next week. I thought it was very true to her current character to immediately run to Malcolm when Olly brings her the news of Walter's supposed death. She's gone back to ultimately caring about her family, even if that means screaming at the most dangerous man in her life.

I thought Olly and Laurel during the flashbacks were amazing. Kind of creepy how a wardrobe change, some makeup, and some stellar acting can de-age the characters we know and love in their current state. I do have to say, though, the last part of the flashbacks had me cringing. It's nice to see tangible change in Olly's character. Though I was initially for seeing how the change came about, the previous flashbacks have left me wanting for more than just day-by-agonizing-day of boring island crap.

This brings me... in a somewhat convoluted and nonsensical fashion that only makes sense to me... to Felicity. She is really the most adorkable thing. Her going undercover was a nice touch, since neither Olly nor Diggle could do it. I think she did an excellent job at portraying a card-counting gambler, up until she got caught. Her return to babbling was, well, a little over the top. I wonder how exactly the casino-owner didn't notice her placing the bug. It was really obvious she was doing it. Other than that, though, I enjoyed how Felicity played "relationship counselor," as Diggle put it. She also did the most amusing babbling in her scene interrupting Olly and Laurel and the scene in the hospital at the end.

Now on to the last part of the episode. I thought Walter's rescue was really well done, though it was somewhat convenient for Olly to just have a plane to jump out of. I thought the sort-of confrontation between Malcolm and Olly was interesting. Malcolm clearly has no idea that Olly is the vigilante and so that conversation must have seemed very different. I thought it was nice that Laurel finally got a confession of love out of Olly, though that seemed kind of squeezed in. Last, but not least, I like that Olly now knows for sure that his mother is working with Malcolm. It should create more tension between the two leading up to the season finale.

Let me know what you thought in the comments below, if you would. I'd love to get some dialogue going about this.

Housekeeping

So... my nephew is officially sick. I just not got finished watching Arrow and typing this up so I could get this out before midnight. I did not get to watch The Vampire Diaries or Supernatural today. I'm not sure when that's gonna be happening exactly, but it should be sometime this weekend... I hope, anyway.

Love ya, Jessie.