Arrow Review: “Time of Death”

Team Arrow takes on the Clock King against a backdrop of family drama.

Title: “Time of Death”

Cast and Crew
Director: Nick Copus
Writers: Beth Schwartz, Wendy Mericle

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
Caity Lotz as Sara Lance / Black Canary
Katie Cassidy as Dinah “Laurel” Lance
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
David Ramsay as John “Dig” Diggle
Alex Kingston as Dinah Lance
Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance
Willa Holland as Thea Queen
Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen
Bex Taylor-Klaus as Sin
Robert Knepper as William Tockman / Clock King
Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson
Russell Porter as Pilot

Full cast and crew may be found here.

Premise

A time-obsessed criminal challenges the Arrow and the Canary with a device stolen from Kord Enterprises, while the drama with the Lances boils. Back on the island, years earlier, we receive some clues as to Sin’s history.

High Points

I’m impressed with this version of the DC Universe. It remains stylized enough to permit superheroics, but comes closer to the real world than the comic version, as suits the medium. I like Arrow’s support team– and this week, Felicity gets to shine, even earning her scar.

The show does superheroics for television very well…

Low Point

…but it’s less consistently successful with its serious drama, and some of the dialogue hits cheesily off the mark.

It’s a triviality, sure, but do actors have to be clothes-horses in every scene? I cannot imagine Felicity going out on a covert adventure wearing that ridiculously tight skirt with heels. The comic-book Canary’s outfit is eminently practical in comparison.

The Scores:

Originality: 3/6 Clock King has been handled a variety of ways; this incarnation owes much to some earlier versions, but he has his own feel, a sort of Clock King via Walter White, and I hope we see more of him some time. It’s amazing how much cooler a villain gets when he’s not running around with a clock on his head.

Effects: 6/6

Acting: 5/6 I’m glad we’re learning more about Sin. She’s original to this show (as far as I know), and Bex Taylor-Klaus has a lot of talent that’s not being tapped.

Story: 5/6 Wouldn’t Oliver’s set-up to lure Tockman ultimately make him suspicious as to his connection with Arrow?

Emotional Response: 4/6

Production: 5/6

Overall: 5/6

In total, “Time of Death” receives 33/42

2 replies on “Arrow Review: “Time of Death””

  1. I thought that Felicity’s choice of clothing spoke more about her apparent overcompensation in trying to “fit in” since she was feeling left out.

    Sarah’s outfit, like many female superhero outfits, was impractical to say the least…

    Robert Knepper was good in this, I hope they find a way to bring him back. I did not like him at all on Heroes, and I really didn’t care for him on Prison Break (or later when he played the same character on an episode of Breakout Kings) He was tolerable on SG:U but still I think this may be the first time I’ve actually enjoyed watching him in a role.

    • It’s one of the best takes on Tockman I’ve seen. I’d be good with the show bringing him back a few times.

      And I know it ain’t happening, but DC should consider not taking on Marvel in the movies so much, and letting their universe unfold on television instead.

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