Arrow Review: “This is Your Sword”

This week, Arrow brings us a twist that wasn’t entirely unexpected, a second twist that’s certainly another ruse, and signs that Thea may become the Arrow’s Speedy.

Barakat.

Title: “This is Your Sword”

Cast and Crew
Director: Wendey Stanzler
Writers: Ben Sokolowski, Brian Ford Sullivan, Erik Oleson

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow/Al Sah-him
Katie Cassidy as Dinah “Laurel” Lance / Black Canary
David Ramsay as John “Dig” Diggle
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
Willa Holland as Thea Queen
Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance
Colton Haynes as Roy Harper / Arsenal
John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn
Rila Fukushima as Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana
Matt Nable as Ra’s al Ghul
Katrina Law as Nyssa Raatko
Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer / Atom
Karl Yune as Maseo Yamashiro
Brandon Nomura as Akio Yamashiro
Françoise Yip as Priestess

Premise

The plot involving Ra’s al Ghul grows more labyrinthine, Thea tracks down Roy, and the flashbacks bring out the Katana in Tatsu Tamashiro.

On their wedding day, Nyssa unsheathes a surprise for Ollie.

High Point

We finally see Rila Fukushima in full Katana mode.

The fight scenes work, though I can see a number of options that a group called “The League of Assassins” might be expected to take against their opponents, that they don’t even consider.

Low Point

The upfront reveal of the answer to a question haunting last week’s episode meant that much of what follows this week feels blunted– and, of course, means we can’t buy the ending cliffhanger at all.

The Scores:

Originality: 3/6

Effects: 5/6

Acting: 4/6

Story: 4/6 The flashbacks work well with the present-tense plot. The main plot itself feels like an old-style cliffhanger serial, where the main outcomes are no longer really in doubt.

Emotional Response: 4/6

Production: 5/6.

Overall: 5/6

In total, “This is Your Sword” receives 30/42

4 replies on “Arrow Review: “This is Your Sword””

  1. Rather underwhelmed with this one, felt more like a stepping stone to the finale than its own story. At least we did get to see Tatsu and her Katana at work. I hope she sticks around.

    The low point for me for Arrow was actually the preview at the end of The Flash for the finale.

    It showed Oliver back in his Arrow garb in Central City helping out Barry. Gee I wonder if Oliver will make it out of the finale and get back to being himself. I suppose at least that means we aren’t in for a cliffhanger.

    Also: Putting the entire principal cast in danger makes it hard to believe any of them are in actual danger.

    At least my prediction from last week was partially correct.

  2. Dude, you can’t friggin SHAVE for your own wedding??? I mean you took the time to shave your HEAD, but you can’t do the scruff???

  3. I agree on all the criticisms, is the audience supposed to forget Oliver is simply acting?

    I’m also a bit underwhelmed by the League of Assassin foot soldiers in general. When I think of an ancient order of highly trained killers I assume that you shouldn’t need more than one to take on a woman with only a few months of serious training. It seems like their only real function is to be villains without personality that the protagonists can kill without moral repercussions.

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