Arrow Review: “Beyond Redemption”

This week’s episode featured strong direction and action sequences, and an unusual family drama. Some key developments, however, have me hoping the title, by the end of this season, won’t refer to the series.

Directed by Lexi Alexander
Written by Beth Schwartz and Ben Sokolowski

Cast
Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow
Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance / Black Canary
Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance
David Ramsey as John Diggle / The Vigilante With No Name
Willa Holland as Thea Queen / Speedy
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
Crystal Balint as Thompson
Rutina Wesley as Liza Warner
Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk
Caity Lotz as Sara Lance
Nigel Vonas as Walsh
Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt
Elysia Rotaru as somebody Ollie used to know

Premise

Crooked cops rob drug traffickers, Laurel keeps her sister in chains, Quentin Lance reveals more about his Darhk dealings, Ollie runs for mayor, the Team receives a new lair, and a canary flies the cage.

High Points

Apart from the action sequences, we have strong emotional sequences involving Lance and his daughters. The actors weren’t consistently equal to the material, but the concept was powerful. Quentin’s dilemma could only happen in a fantasy story, and yet it reflects real-world decisions and moral conundrums.

Low Points

However, it’s getting increasingly difficult to believe in the lives of these characters, even in a superhero universe. Felicity continues her job while running a major corporation? One of the smartest men in the world, with inside knowledge, can’t figure out the Arrow’s identity? And now they’re going to borrow the “Ollie is Mayor and a Superhero” plot from the comic. I can believe in costumed vigilantes, supernatural villains, and the Lazarus Pit– but the surrounding story increasingly lacks a necessary realism.

Also- please, just lose the flashbacks.

The Scores:

Originality: 3/5 Instead of supervillains, we have a battle between crack teams of fighters.

Effects: 4/6

Acting: 4/6

Story: 4/6

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 5/6

Overall: 4/6 The show’s progress, in one way, recalls Game of Thrones. It began with a grittier, somewhat more realistic fantasy. Over time, the supernatural and the fantastic elements played larger roles.

John Constantine is coming.

In total, “Beyond Redemption” receives 29/42

2 replies on “Arrow Review: “Beyond Redemption””

  1. I didn’t find much memorable about this episode. All of the characters’ revelations are things we the viewers already knew, which blunted the impact a bit. It felt sort of like a filler episode, giving us minor progress and setup for more interesting things to come in next week’s episode, the preview for which has definitely piqued my interest.

  2. You know, all day I kept thinking “I really liked that episode, but I don’t remember why.” Then I figured out that it was actually Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D that was really good this week.

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