Arrow - S4E5 - Haunted

Previously on Arrow, ‘Beyond Redemption’

This week’s episode was… weird. It introduced the CW to Constantine (of NBC’s short-lived show), who was brought in by Team Arrow to restore Sara’s soul. I’m normally a big fan of Arrow’s crossover episodes, but Constantine is not a character that gels with this universe in the way that Barry Allen does. It felt a lot like biting into a chocolate cake and tasting vanilla - I’m sure there are people who enjoyed it, but it sure as hell (pun intended) wasn’t what I ordered. That said, as a woman who has loved many a cancelled show, I hope that the Constantine fans got a kick out of it.

Oliver’s connection to a demon hunter is explained by a strange flashback detour to search for the Orb of Horus. Why the staff of an Egyptian god would be hidden in a vault on a small island in China is anybody’s guess, and the writers clearly don’t care too much about the logistics of shoehorning the character into the plot, so why should we? Oliver also received a magic tattoo, which I’m sure will be an irritating deus ex machina later in the season. On the plus side, Sara is back to being herself after a few days of soulless murder. This is great news for Thea, who, as Sara’s killer, was the target of her violence. Also good news for Thea: She seems to have a new non-Roy love interest who, at the moment, seems to be a whole lot less of a tool than that DJ/assassin she was into last time. Plus, he’s played by Parker Young, who is adorable and charming in everything.

Lance and Diggle teamed up on a mission for Darkh which unfortunately lead them to discover that Diggle’s beloved brother, who he’s spent years trying to avenge, was actually a crime lord. Felicity received some much more welcoming news, finally discovering that Ray is alive (and ready for the spinoff).

Good

Curtis getting hyped up on energy drinks was pretty funny, plus it turns out he was an Olympian. Who woulda guessed?

Not exactly a plot point, but DAMN Diggle’s arms are distracting in a T-shirt. David Ramsey can get it.

It was fantastic to see Oliver FINALLY get called out on his hypocrisy by Laurel. Even better, he listened to what she said and changed his behavior accordingly. At long last some character development.

Bad

After hoping all season that the flashback would link back to the main plot THIS is what we get.

Did I miss something, or was Thea put in the hospital by tripping on the stairs? Here I thought she was more badass than that.

Fetching Sara’s soul from the underworld really should have been harder. There was not a point in that scene where there was any real sense of the stakes. Also, it would have been great to hear or see a bit more of Sara after her return - we never really got to see a difference between before and after.

Quotes of the Week

Felicity on soulless Sara’s mental state – “Her marble collection’s a little incomplete”

Her view on Constantine – “I’m just glad that the latest person from Oliver’s past is not another gorgeous woman”