Doppelganger Arrow 615 Review

                  Last night's episode ranks with one of the  best! It had wonderful Olicity moments, a  moving scene between the Queen siblings, a talk between Felicity and Diggle, Roy and Thea back together, and of course plenty of  fast action scenes between OTA and  the  Diaz "Family".  The  cherry on the  top of  all  this goodness rests  in the  knowledge we didn't have to deal with Curtis  or Rene.

       Olicity:  I loved the  Olicity moments.  Felicity  know  Oliver so very  well.  When he comes back to the bunker  without Roy, Felicity goes to Oliver and knows  what he thinks.  She knows he blames himself for putting  Roy in this situation by Roy turning himself in as the Arrow.  Oliver has changed, yet within him  still exists  the core part of his  personality,  he  takes the responsibility of other's  actions upon  himself.  Roy  chose to become the Arrow to save  Oliver.  Felicity  even told Oliver that she believed he  was right to do that.  Why did Oliver become the Arrow in the first place?  He  wanted to right his father's  wrongs.  He took the mess  his father created, and set about to change the wrongs  his own father committed, and  in the process, he actually became a better person.  Felicity's  encouragement gives Oliver strength.  They share a kiss  and Oliver seemed  to take a  deep  breath.  Oliver and  Felicity make each other stronger, better.  They talk about about anything.  Oliver  shares his conversation he had with Diggle about Diggle  returning as the Green Arrow.  Felicity tell  him that she  and Diggle  had talked about that,  and she  told  John, that it was because now  was not the time.  Oliver  wasn't so sure that was it.  Oliver, I don't think, wants to quit being  the Green  Arrow. There is  a  part of him that doesn't want to give this up.  I think we shall see more this  down the road.

           Thea and Roy:  Roy Harper has nothing in common with  Rene.  Yes Rene had  his  daughter held over him,  but Roy had Thea dangled in front of him, yet he  did  not relent.  He took the beatings  that clearly could have killed  him, and still he refused  to  testify against Oliver. Rene didn't think twice.  For Roy, Oliver and Thea have been his only family.  For Thea, Roy is  her family.  She said that since  her Mom died she just wanted to be sure Roy was  safe.  I think that for a moment, Oliver may  have wondered  if things in the past 2 years may  have altered Roy's life such that he might have been willing  to  testify, but always Thea knew Roy would never do that.  She would do  anything to save Roy.  Colton Haynes played his  part to perfection.  The viewers  felt every blow that Diaz's men gave to him.  When Diaz dangled Thea  in front of  him and  walked  way, the  sneer and the hate that came  across  his  face, said more than words ever  could.  Thea and Roy belong together, and we will see  Thea and  Roy leaving Star City to have live their lives.I know some blogs  are speculating  that Thea dies at the end, but I hope the writers  don't do that.  It would be good to see her have a  happy  ending. I only wish there would have been more with Roy and OTA in the bunker.  Maybe even Roy fighting alongside them again, but he was badly wounded, so of course he could  not. We have at least two more episodes I think with Roy, or so I hope.  We  can never be certain, can  we?

       

              Queen Siblings: I always enjoy the moments that Thea and Oliver have together.  They love each other so much and care for one another.  Oliver  want to give his little sister some big brother advice.  Thea sighs  a  little, and I related, because I  have three older brothers, and that's  what I do when one  wants  to give me some big brother advice, but like Thea I always  listen.  They share their hearts.  Thea tells Oliver that since her mother died  all she wanted to do was be sure Roy was  safe.  Oliver knows the importance of  deep love in his life, and tells her, "Thea, you've seen what having Felicity in  my life has done for me; you deserve the same  kind  of happiness."  He tells her when, not if , they  get Roy back,  she  should  leave with him.  He will miss his little sister, but her happiness is most important, and she should have the chance to build  her  life with Roy.  They  will keep each other safe, just as he  has learned.  He learned that he and  Felicity keep  each other safe.

John and Felicity: The trust John has  in Felicity has caused them to have forged a strong bond.   John shares  with her the talk he had with Oliver.  His arm is better and he's  ready  to be the Green  Arrow.  Spartan liked being the Arrow.  This  is  the second time I think in this season they have  addressed  this  issue. I don't think Oliver really wants to hang  up the hood for good.  Perhaps this story will see itself unveil in the coming episodes or maybe in to season 7.  What say you?  Anyway Felicity tells  John that now  is not the right time to do this.

            Lance and Black Siren:  Lance is a little more than deluded, I think  he's nearly over the  edge.  I  did love Dinah's comment when she says to Lance, "You're delusional  if you think  you can change her into your Laurel."  Lance has moments when he doesn't trust her, but then he quickly changes and  says he can see her changing into  his Laurel, and she is in there somewhere.  Really, Lance?  There are only  8 episodes left in this season, if they are going to redeem her they  should at least start showing us that she wants too.  None of this is convincing.  Her story line is repetitive:  she acts like she'll turn over a new leave, then stabs Lance in the back; rinse and  repeat with Laurel.  It's starting to form  a cycle that nobody is going to buy into.  Were any  of us  really surprised at the end when she gets a message from Diaz telling her she's  done a  good  job? I don't think so.  How much longer  can our  team fall for  all this  junk she trying  to sell?  Is she all out for herself  when  it comes to the bottom  line?  It's like the writers  can't decide what  to  do with her, and  for me it's getting tiring.  I get that Quentin can't help but think of his Laurel when he looks at Black Siren. I can even understand his wanting to believe that there is a way  he could  get his daughter back, but how many  times can he be stabbed in the back  by her before he gets that this is not his daughter?  Will  this end  up costing Quentin his life?

                      Ricardo Diaz:  Finally we are starting  to see who the real enemy  is.  Did  the writers  wait too long  to introduce us to him?  In the beginning we never do see  much of him, and  assumed  Cayden  James  ruled,  but he only  used James.  In this episode we see  how he can be a villain that his rather on the quiet side 90 percent of the time, and sadistic  the other 10 percent.  He  calls  his people his family.  He  is a godfather type  of  villain that keeps his "family" in tight control.  He  is adept at martial arts, and I wonder if  in the end we  will see him fight Oliver.   Oh yes!  Also, he knows about hacking, or how else would he know everything that goes on everywhere?  Could  Alana be helping  him?   I still wonder that.

Final  Thoughts:

• Dinah wasn't so  annoying in this episode.  She  made a good  point to Lance about Laurel.  I  like the way she's  working with  Quentin, but alas, Laurel is there  to  report all to Diaz. Am I  the  only one who noticed a change on her face when Oliver told her that he didn't trust her and that he'd  rather go shorthanded  that go with someone he didn't trust.  She looked  disappointed.
• I loved Oliver's arsenal  of fireworks  arrows!
• The bad  guys should never recognize all the ways Oliver has of  escape.  Loved that he shot that arrow and escaped out of Diaz's sight.
• Anatoly wants complete revenge with Oliver.
•  We know that Oliver never completely got rid  of  all the corrupted  police  officers  on the SCPD force, so there is  some story  there to be pursued.
• I don't want anything to happen  to Felicity,but the  fact that her fingerprints are still  out there  on that bomb  still has me worried,  especially with this corrupted SCPD. Will they  let this drop, or will they raise this later.
• I was slightly  disappointed with the Roy  story  line.  I was hoping for more of the reunion in the  bunker, but then again, maybe the time wasn't right for that. I'm  hoping he will be in the next episode coming on March 29th. 
• I  totally forgot that with Malcom dead, that does leave Thea as heir to the  demon; she's can't be the new Ra's al  Ghul, since  Nyssa got the ring, destroyed the lazarus  pit, and disbanded  the group.  So  what will this mean for Thea and  for her future with Roy?
• Small  point,  but did anybody die  on the Island?  We  see that Nyssa's coming back.

When Arrow returns on the 29th, it's Maundy Thursday and I have to perform at church, so my review may be later than usual.

I