Saturday, February 6, 2016

Arrow - Unchained


"Unchained" introduces a Batman villain to DC's TV universe in the Calculator (Tom Amandes). A master of technology, and the leading comic book nemesis for Oracle in Gail Simone's Birds of Prey series, the super-hacker takes Star City by siege using high-tech mind-control to retrieve different pieces of tech around the city he hopes to fashion into a doomsday-style weapon. One of the items he sets his sights on is Palmer Technology's new uber-battery. And of of his mind-controlled soldiers turns out to be Roy Harper (Colton Haynes). Oh, and did I forget to mention this version of the Calculator is also Felicity's (Emily Bett Rickards) father?

The other major storyline of the week deals with Thea (Willa Holland) whose unsatiated blood lust turns inward as her body starts to break down. Neither Oliver (Stephen Amell) nor Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) can offer any cure to save Thea from the effects of the Lazarus Pit, although Oliver seriously considers reaching out to Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) for the villain's help. Harper's return helps unite the two stories. Arsenal won't be staying in Star City but at least this time he and Thea get a proper goodbye as the series continues to hint that Thea will be the character Oliver buries in the near future.

Roy isn't the only familiar face to return in this episode as flashbacks to the island during Oliver's torture offer the opportunity for a hallucination of Shado (Celina Jade) who, despite not being real, seems to be the catalyst to Oliver's journey to redemption. Freed by her supporters, Nyssa (Katrina Law) is given her own subplot which will lead her to a confrontation with Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) and bring her to Star City with an offer for Oliver which he may not be able to refuse. After struggling to put their past animosity aside will Green Arrow and the current Ra's al Ghul become enemies once more?

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