Arrow: S:03, E:23

Episode Title: My Name Is Oliver Queen

Original Airdate: 05-13-15

Season 3 is in the books for ‘Arrow’ with the city saved and one surprising death.

I was attempting to figure out why I felt a bit underwhelmed by the season finale and I think in large part I was tired of saying goodbye to Oliver Queen.

Picking up from last week’s excellent cliffhanger, Team Arrow has been left to die — but Oliver had a plan: Malcolm inoculated everyone and Flash zoomed by to break them out of Ra’s al Ghul’s dungeon. Barry’s excitement over the dungeon and hot tub was a nice fun moment.

I liked Oliver teaming with Nyssa for a change as they battled Ra’s men en route to rejoining Team Arrow, who’d already returned to Starling City. I don’t know how they’re getting back and forth so quickly from Nanda Parbat. While most of the team was willing to forgive him, I was glad Diggle still harbored resentment from Oliver’s deceptions. Then again, he was the only one to have their wife kidnapped.

We got a slight resolution to the Laurel/Quentin storyline as she learned he’s fallen off the wagon, but he thinks he’s able to control his drinking now. The writers have done an excellent job of portraying alcoholism like an addiction that requires a daily struggle especially for those in highly stressful situations.

Team Arrow raced through the city to stop Ra’s couriers from unleashing the Alpha Omega weapon and Diggle got a little help from Thea, now dressed in Roy’s costume marking Speedy’s first official costume appearance on ‘Arrow.’

The big final showdown between Ra’s and Oliver wasn’t as epic as their first encounter in part to both men wearing the same outfit making the fight harder to distinguish who had the upper hand. Oliver kills Ra’s fittingly reciting the same incantation Ra’s cited as he killed Oliver.

Oliver restates the continued them for the season. He couldn’t have handled Ra’s without Team Arrow’s help, which is why he’s leaving Starling City behind and going to start a new life … with Felicity.I kinda hated that as it just made Felicity such a weak character perfectly willing to forgive Oliver for everything he’d done this season to run away with him. It was like she was on standby all season just for this moment.

Oliver made good on his promise to Malcolm in exchange for his assistance and now Malcolm is the leader of the League of Assassins. Looking back on all his machinations this season, Malcolm clearly comes off like the man with the best long-term strategy. Nyssa vows revenge, but for now, she bows before Malcolm, the new Ra’s al Ghul.

Ray is tinkering with his suit and theorizes delving into miniaturization could lead to some exciting possibilities, but an explosion wipes out the entire top floor of his building. Don’t worry. Ray is only leaving to team up with Hawkgirl, Rip Hunter, Prof. Stein and Captain Cold and Heat Wave.

As for Oliver and Felicity, they’re heading down the coast smiling and happy only to have it ruined just in time for Season 4. How crazy is it that Oliver’s storyline was the weakest of the season? Hopefully the writers will commit to Oliver and Felicity as it’s time to advance their relationship or end it for good. All in all, Season 3 was good, not to the excellent standard of Season 2, but let’s hope next season will concentrate less on the romance and flashbacks and more on Arrow’s place in this new world of heroes.

What’d you think of Season 3?