Arrow - S6E22 - The Ties That Bind

Previously on Arrow, “Docket No. 11-19-41-73″

“The Ties that Bind” was the obligatory late-in-the-season episode where the villain decides to go after Team Arrow’s loved ones. As much as the show is trying to build up Diaz as an intimidating and capable villain, it’s hard to take seriously when he launches a large-scale attack on the team in their homes, and only manages to injure Curtis’ underdeveloped boyfriend.

The Good

Dinah’s sound wave bounce off of the brick wall was a neat stunt. The show can lean pretty heavily on the punching things side of superheroism, so it’s always fun when they get creative with superpowers.

Lyla doesn’t often get much to do, but when she does it always feels like the adult has finally arrived. Her overwhelming competence can make even the most stupid of plans seem reasonable (and boy are these plans stupid!)

The Bad

I’ll admit that this is just me nitpicking, but I wish that shows would stop naming episodes ‘The Ties That Bind’. According to Wikipedia, there are eleven episodes with that name, and they don’t even include this one.

I love the shared universe most of the time, and am generally good at excusing characters not calling their superpowered friends for help, but having Oliver go to the FBI agent investigating him as a last resort seems pretty absurd when he has a friend with super speed who could take out Diaz in an instant. That said, I’m glad they are finally doing something with Special Agent Watson, who has been puttering about on the sidelines for a year or so now.

There has always been some corruption in this city, but the level of police corruption in this season is truly over-the-top. The main cops we have been exposed to over the years have generally been the heroic kind: Lance, Dinah, Felicity’s dead fiancé (whose name I have forgotten if I ever knew it), Curtis’ current boyfriend (whose name I have forgotten if I ever knew it), so it is hard to believe that literally every other police officer in this town is corrupt. As much as DCTV clearly wishes it was, this isn’t Gotham!

Quotes of the Week

“You can not wage revolution with white gloves. Lenin had many faults but he was right about that.” -Anatoly 

Felicity: “It’s good to know that after all these years you can still learn something.”
Oliver: “I still have ways to go.”
Felicity: “That’s true.”