This week’s island-centric episode highlights the transformations of Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson.

Title: “The Promise”

Cast and Crew

Director: Glen Winter
Writers: Ben Sokolowski, Jake Coburn

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
Caity Lotz as Sara Lance / Black Canary
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
David Ramsay as John “Dig” Diggle
Willa Holland as Thea Queen
Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen
Colton Haynes as Roy Harper
Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke
Dylan Neal as Anthony Ivo
James Pizzinato as Reverend Thomas Flynn
Ronald Selmour as the Butcher

Full cast and crew may be found here.

Premise

This island-centric episode emphasizes Ollie and friend’s attempts to escape the island and the start of his problems with Slade. In the present, Slade Wilson visits the Queen family, and only Team Arrow can prevent a massacre.

High Points

The show used the action sequences and the emerging costumed identities—the stuff of which superhero comics are made—to emphasize the growth of character and, overall, it worked very well.

Low Point

I understand their need to keep the various plots dangling, and they did a fair job of paralleling two confrontations. However, the particular stories addressed this week would have greater dramatic impact if each had an episode of its own.

The Scores:

Originality: 4/6

Effects: 5/6

Acting: 5/6 The actors did an impressive job differentiating between the past and present versions of their characters, as Ollie moved towards his heroic identity and Wilson grew into deranged villainy. The Queen women, meanwhile, remain unaware of the danger around them.

Story: 5/6 We have a strong story, though it ends on something of an anti-climax.

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 5/6

Overall: 6/6

In total, “The Promise” receives 35/42

Trivia

For those who don’t already know, Hatley Castle in BC, which plays the part of the Queen Family Mansion, has appeared as Luthor’s mansion in Smallville and Charles Xavier’s School in the X-Men franchise.