Arrow - S5E3 - A Matter of Trust

Previously on Arrow, “The Recruits”

Arrow - S5E3 - “A Matter of Trust” | Starring: Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Emily Bett Rickards, Paul Blackthorn, Echo Kellum

This week’s Arrow was a pretty average outing. Oliver spent the first half of the episode berating the recruits for having the audacity to do the same things that he does, before having a change of heart brought on by his conscience being scolded by Felicity. So, pretty much what happened last week.

Images: The CW

The Good

Diggle’s plotline this season is pretty dull and only around to delay his inevitable return to Team Arrow, but on the plus side it does bring about the return of Deadshot, who always manages to elevate any scene he’s in. That said, the sooner Diggle is done moping around prison the better; he really needs to remember that having a kid to get home to trumps his desire to make penance for killing Andy.

The Bad

Having the recruits watching on as Oliver works makes his violent tactics appear even more repugnant than normal. The ‘Oliver’s killing again’ storyline and the ‘Oliver teaching the newbies’ storyline should really not have coincided. Watching Oliver drop someone off a building for mouthing off as the recruits watch on is profoundly uncomfortable, especially when paired with the climax of the episode which sees all of the recruits killing the bad guys indiscriminately. The storyline is coming off less like a hero training other people to be heroes, and more like good kids being corrupted by an outright abusive older man.

Wild dog joking with Oliver about his hockey mask makes me worry that they only chose that character because of Amell’s role in TMNT. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, this time.

Curtis seems to be having marital troubles. This could be a good thing and mean we get to see a bit more of their relationship. On the other hand, if they break up I will burn The CW to the ground. Where else am I supposed to find a happily married biracial queer couple? Seriously where? Send links please!

Quote of the week 

“Do the people who built this elevator know your secret too?” - Wild dog asking the important questions