[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ46fj8gfKc]
Arrow: Crucible (2×04)
Synopsis: Oliver has to stop a gang, led by a man called the Mayor, from bringing stolen military weapons into The Glades.
Rating: ★★★★☆
This week’s episode starts with Oliver arriving late once again to his own social gathering after spending most of the night going after a gang equipped with stolen military guns. He doesn’t even have time to wipe the remaining blood off of his face but Felicity takes care of it before Isabel Rochev can ask too many questions about it. Sebastian Blood and Laurel are also at there and they strike up a conversation with Oliver about the gun violence in The Glades, specifically a man who calls himself The Mayor who aims to rule the city with his guns.
It then cuts to a scene of the infamous Mayor as we see him spiel about his rise to the top after the quake and then gun down one of his own gang members.
At the party Laurel’s downing a glass of wine like it’s water when Oliver asks if she’s okay which is a dumb question because of course she’s not, she was kidnapped and almost murdered. Before they can have a real heart to heart Felicity pulls Oliver away. She’s figured out that the Black Canary isn’t following The Hood but instead following Laurel. With this new information Oliver manages to find and capture her before finally discovering her true identity. It turns out to be none other than –gasp! – Sara Lance. Oliver is momentarily struck dumb and she’s able to escape.
At Team Arrow HQ Oliver reveals to Felicity and Diggle that he knew Sara didn’t drown but he won’t tell them much more than that to their annoyance. He changes the subject and asks them if they know anything more about the happenings of The Mayor.
In their own HQ Sara tells Sin about her fear of her family finding out that she’s alive. Sin isn’t aware who Sara actually is but that doesn’t matter because after Sara saved her from being attacked they’re now besties which is great because everybody love a well written female friendship.
Diggle gets into contact with an old army friend to find out about stolen army weapons. It’s nice to see Diggle having a friend (or maybe a bit more than that with all that flirting) outside Team Arrow. As much as I love the three musketeer’s friendship having a life of their own makes them more well-rounded characters. Now all I wish is that they give Felicity a bit more of an outside life. In fact what do we even know about her other relationships such as friends and family?
Back to the episode: Oliver arranges a meeting with Sebastian and Isabel. He tells them about his idea of how to get guns off the streets. At first Blood is a bit sceptical but Oliver insists that his part in the scheme will not be revealed in order to appease him. After Blood leaves Isabel tells Oliver that there is no way the company can afford to pay for this but he asserts that he’ll pay for it himself with his own money.
Laurel and her boss Adam go out to dinner and she enjoys the wine (maybe a little too much) but not Adam’s flirting and leaves early. On her way home she gets pulled over for driving while over the alcohol limit. Luckily her dad gets called and she doesn’t have to face harsher punishment. They argue about Laurel’s current state and she storms off.
Sara pays Oliver a visit at Verdant and he assures her that he hasn’t told her dad that she’s actually alive. He questions her about what she’s been doing and why she even came back but Quentin arrives before he can get much out of her. Outside the club, and away from Sara, Quentin asks Oliver to speak with Laurel after the event earlier that evening and he agrees. When Oliver returns inside Verdant Sara’s already gone. When Oliver goes to speak to Laurel like Quentin asked she isn’t too happy that her dad asked Oliver to check up on her.
In a series of flash back we see Oliver in a dank cell on a ship. When he won’t answer his captive’s question he gets shot but at least they’re kind enough to leave him with supplies for him to patch himself up. When his captives come back they question Oliver about his knowledge of the grave site, once again Oliver says silent but they take it as an affirmation that they’re on the right island.
Oliver’s cash for guns event is going well until The Mayor and his gang drive in and open fire. One of the people hit is Sin (nooooo not my baby) but fortunately Thea and Roy are there and able to get help. Safe and relatively okay in the hospital Sin is thankful to Roy and tells him that she’ll keep the fact that he’s working for The Hood from Thea.
Felicity, ever brilliant, is able to identify The Mayor and how he’s getting the stolen military weapons. With this information Oliver is able to pursue him but he doesn’t go alone, Sara joins in on the fun. The fight scene is awesome as always, but even more so with some cool weapon swapping between The Hood and Black Canary. All I need is for them to join forces and fight together more often because hot damn! Together they capture The Mayor alive and put him behind bars- or so they think.
Sara pays a visit to the hospital to check up on Sin and there Oliver tells her that she needs to go see her family, who aren’t doing too well. Quentin’s worries about Laurel, who’s drinking too much and even taking pills.
In another flashback we see Oliver being dragged out of his cell and is then locked into a room with none other than Sara Lance.
The Mayor actually isn’t in jail but rather cuffed to a chair and then killed by dun dun duuun Sebastian Blood. I knew Blood was going to be evil he just has that look about him, also you don’t give a character the name Blood without the intention of making him a bad guy.
Arrow keeps on delivering great episodes week after week and Crucible is no exception. I only wish that there was a bit more Felicity and Diggle (I just love these two characters so much) but I understand that it wouldn’t have served the story of this episode which centred more on the Lances. I can’t wait to see how they will explore Laurel’s downwards spiral and what it will do to her character development. Also look forward to more kickass Black Canary fight scenes.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWJds685rcE]
English