Join us each week as we review the latest episode of ARROW. Warning: the following review contains major spoilers for the newest episode of the show.
Episode 16: "Broken Hearts"
Synopsis: A heartbroken Cupid returns to Star City with one goal – to destroy anyone in love. The team learns she's killing couples on their wedding day so Oliver and Felicity decide to pose as bait.
Review: There are some episodes of Arrow that do not need to exist. Before the brief hiatus, we witnessed the break-up of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak. While the break-up was also coupled with Felicity regaining the ability to walk, it was a slightly stunning development. Tonight's episode drives the finality of their break-up by bringing back one of the lamest villains in series history, Cupid. While Cupid's initial appearances capitalized on the thematic link to Valentine's Day, her appearance tonight feels a bit forced and out of place. It also doesn't help that the series continues to employ the lame backstory narrative device.
Post break-up, Felicity and Oliver are doing their best to stay on good terms as part of Team Arrow but Oliver still wants to get back together. Thea and Diggle tell Oliver to give her time but to make sure to tell her that he still loves her and wants to get back together if possible. They then have to contend with the bodies of newlywed couples being left behind by Carrie Cutter, aka Cupid. Released from her Task Force X duties at ARGUS, Cupid is still distraught at the believed death of her second love, Floyd Lawton, during their tenure on the Suicide Squad. Believing love to be dead, she is killing celebrity couples and sets her sights on Oliver and Felicity.
Oliver, who has not cancelled the venue for their wedding, decides that he and Felicity need to fake a wedding ceremony to draw Cupid in and stop her spree. As they perform the ceremony and exchange vows, Felicity breezes through hers while Oliver uses the chance to express how much Felicity means to him. Felicity is clearly touched by Oliver's words but they are interrupted by the arrival of Cupid. She reveals that she has rigged the building with C4 and plans to detonate it, killing everyone inside. Felicity takes the chance to tell Cupid that she is wrong about love and how powerful and important it is. She also tells Cupid that even if they die, their love won't. Cupid is touched by the words and is taken aback long enough for Thea and Diggle to arrive and knock her out. Oliver and Felicity decide to talk through their relationship later but instead of reconciling, Felicity decides she cannot be a part of any of Oliver's life and decides to leave Team Arrow for good.
In the other big plot of the evening, the bail hearing for Damien Darhk brings a slew of witnesses to the stand, none of whom are strong enough to persuade the judge. Even Diggle is called to the stand but his employment by Oliver Queen and the instance when he bought drugs with Thea are called into question. Darhk's attorney also alleges that his client is actually a victim himself in an attempt to gain sympathy. Quentin Lance asks his daughter to put him on the stand despite revealing his complicity with Darhk may lead to his arrest. The testimony works and Darhk is remanded without bail but Lance is suspended pending an internal investigation. The end of the episode shows an incarcertated Darhk removing a ring from his mouth and smiling menacingly.
In this week's weak flashback, we find Oliver and Baron Reiter exploring the secret chamber on the island and discovering an ancient idol. Reiter kills one of the men whose soul is sucked into the idol and transfers the energy to a glowing tattoo on Reiter's forearm. Reiter explains that he came from a village in Africa that was pillaged and destroyed, leading him to swear he would never succumb to others ever again. Taiana and Oliver steal the idol when Reiter reveals the prisoners he has been keeping on the island are intended to be sacrificed to build the power of the idol. As the run deeper into the tunnels, Reiter reveals the only way out is past him and sets up a confrontation to come.
Arrow was hitting a nice stride for a while but has recently been bogged down by relationship drama between Oliver and Felicity. As a couple, I like the two characters, but this strife feels artificial and a tool for the writers to drive some tension back into Oliver's life. I am still shocked that they have not returned to the coupling of Oliver and Laurel and I doubt they ever can with Felicity as a character on the show. As much as I like this team, there is definitely a need to shake things up. Even Damien Darhk is beginning to lose some of his standing as a bad guy after so many weeks of no development for his master plan. We have about a half dozen episodes left to wrap up this season and I really hope they end up stronger than this one.
Final Verdict:
Next on ARROW: "Beacon of Hope" airs March 30th – Brie Larvan breaks out of jail and turns up at Palmer Techthreatening to kill everyone unless she gets the bio-chip that is implanted in Felicity's spine. When Oliver realizes that Felicity,Thea and Donna are trapped in Palmer Tech with everyone else, he looks to a surprising ally to help Team Arrow save the day.