Living Proof: Arrow 721 Review

     Living Proof proved to be an interesting title for me.  Oliver's  living proof that people change; we have living proof of the power of forgiveness and sacrifice in the story between Roy and Dinah.  Both of these are compelling story lines.  In the Flash Forward's we have living proof in Felicity's steadfast need  to protect her children at all costs.  This episode sets up the final episode with the reason why Felicity goes into hiding.

      Oliver and Tommy:  I so enjoyed the interaction between these two.  In the beginning Tommy serves as Oliver's conscience.  The struggle that Oliver has always had still lays inside himself.  It serves to ask can a person ever be free of the past?  Both Tommy and Oliver were affected by the lives of their Fathers.  The scene with the two of them begins by Oliver calling for "Overwatch, and John." His first thought is of his wife and then John.  The two who have been with him from the beginning. The two that understand him the most.  Then Tommy appears and begins his dialogue with Oliver.  He first brings up the fact that Oliver is pretty  much in the same situation that Tommy was when he died.  It shows Oliver hasn't fully dealt with the guilt he felt at Tommy's death. At one point Oliver get's out and Tommy said, "Oliver, you have your angry face on."  Oliver wants to kill Emiko and Tommy keeps reminding Oliver that Emiko is his sister.  This is the internal struggle Oliver has.  He knows what is right, and yet he's wanting to do the opposite.  It is at this point we realize that Tommy is Oliver's guardian angel.  He's the angel on Oliver's shoulder reminding him to do the right thing. Tommy tells him that both of them had been hurt  by their fathers, "but," said Tommy, "You can keep your past from hurting your kids." In other words, Oliver has lived in the light, and he can keep his kids from living in that same cycle of  violence, if he can break free from it.  He tells Oliver that their fathers showed them, "That fear leads to vengeance and vengeance leads to cruelty." Later, Oliver confronts Emiko, and when she tells Oliver she knows about his baby, he comes unglued and kills her, but when he does, the whole team dies.  Oliver sees John die, and he looks down and all the team are dead.  In other words, if Oliver goes through with killing Emiko, he will also be destroying all those who he loves, because that cycle of violence has not ended.  He is then back with Tommy,and he tells Tommy, "There's not a day go by that I don't think of you."  Tommy tells him, "I am always with you." He tells Oliver to draw on the qualities that Oliver has that will truly reach Emiko: selflessness, loyalty, compassion, and courage.  This foreshadows, I think, Emiko's redemption. Then he snaps his fingers and says its time to wake up. It's then we know for certain, that Tommy is Oliver's guardian angel and that he's been protecting Oliver all along.  It was rather a sweet moment.  Oliver is then rescued by the team.

     Felicity and  Alena:  Felicity tries to find a way to help the team and is confronted with SCPD at Smoak Tech to arrest her.  She asks to hug her friend to say goodbye, and then she does something that causes the officers to be rendered unconscious so that she can get what she needs.  Alena seems to be a friend of Felicity, and in the flash forwards, although she developed the Archer program to the point that Keven Dale used it now to destroy the vigilantes.  Apparently, she did it to keep Mia and Felicity safe. I am not sure I see that. Somehow that confused me, so if you can explain that, please do.  Emiko shows up at the bunker, and aims her bow at Felicity, but she appeals to Emiko not kill her because it would kill her baby. "Don't kill an innocent person." She appealed to Emiko not to be like her father.  I thought that was interesting.  I'm thinking that if Emiko is redeemed at the end of seven, Felicity will have played a part in it.   When Emiko leaves, Felicity feels her belly. So now Alena knows about the baby, and she encourages Felicity to go into hiding, and she could run the company.  Felicity wanted to make a difference in the world and she created the very thing that may be responsible for destroying the world.  In my mind, that's on Alena.  I have never really trusted this character.  Felicity's who aim to protect her children, keep them safe, and give them a safe world.

    Olicity:  Oliver and Felicity didn't have a lot of screen time together,  but that doesn't mean they aren't a together.  They are the heartbeat of the team.  Oliver's first thought in his "dream state" was Overwatch.  She did everything to help find Oliver in that building.  When the team returns their first words almost at the same time were "How are you?" Felicity reaches out to hold on to Oliver.  They will face everything together with other in mind  and heart, even if they  are apart.

     Oliver and Felicity as Parents:  Oliver and Felicity have one driving force and that's to be better people than their own parents.  Both of them mention this in this episode.  This desire to be better than our parents rests within all of us who are parents.  Even if we've had the best parents in the world, there is always something we want to do better.  These two people have sacrificed everything for their children.When Oliver and the team return to Felicity in the bunker, Oliver says, "Are  you and the...are you okay?"  Loved it!  In the flash forwards we see how much like their parents they are. Mia stands up for Felicity with William.  She also reminded me of Felicity when Felicity and William were having their discussion, and Mia leaves the room.  William is headstrong like Oliver, and went to plan B instead of waiting a Felicity wanted.  This puts them all in danger at the end.

       Team Arrow:  Roy, Dinah, John, and Rene are trapped as well, but find their way out and work to find Oliver.  On the way we have a whining Dinah and Rene.  Dinah expresses her frustration with Roy and Roy said he would turn himself in, but John said no, he's a team member and we don't leave a team member behind.  Rene agreed, so on that point, I felt kinder to Rene,  but Dinah's whining about losing her job at SCPD annoyed me.  Roy risks his life to save them, and it looked at one point like he had died, and Dinah begins to cry. When Roy appears alive but weaker, she then says she sorry and says "We all make mistake," I thought yes disloyalty.  She's always ready to turn against a team member.  I'm very tired of Dinah.  I have more tolerance for Rene than I do for Dinah.  Roy has forgiven her, so I suppose I should. LOL

Final Thoughts:

• For me the heart of the episode centered on Oliver and Tommy.  Oliver finally has come to terms with who he is, a hero in the light. He won't go  back now to the darkness. He will use his selflessnes,  his loyalty, his courage, and his compassion to save all those he loves and he'll do in the light.
• Loved the Chicago Med reference, didn't you?
• This episode sets up the reason for Felicity to go into hiding.
• William blew Rene's cover and put's everyone he loves in danger.
• Felicity's whole desire is protect her children and give them a better life.
• Alena selfishly recreated the Archer program and making everything worse for Felicity, yet she seems to have provided protection for Felicity and Mia. Do you believe that?
• Loved Felicity's hair in this episode.
• So very tired of Dinah