“Why do we fall Master Bruce? So we can learn to get back up”; “It ‘aint about how you hit the mat, it’s about how you get back up”. The idea of rising from defeat is common place in many a hero mythology. Why? Because they only become heroic symbols if we can relate to them.... and we fail... a lot. A hero that wins too easily all the time becomes unlikable and difficult to relate to (like John Cena). Sometimes, they even fall to the darkest places imaginable to help us believe that when we do the same we can still come back; that we never beyond redemption.
Beyond Redemption – Oliver announces his candidacy for mayor of Star City with less enthusiasm than expected from his friends while a group of rogue SCPD cops are taking a new approach to combat drug trafficking. Laurel reveals Sara’s resurrection to Quentin but he struggles believe what’s returned is still his daughter.
This is a very well put together episode in the main theme of redemption feels naturally extended to many different characters. The main idea is still an embodiment of the show’s core ideal: to save the city. Things in Star City are now worse than ever but in Oliver’s campaign for mayor he wants to give people hope that it can be saved. This is a story right out of the comics, and it feels a good time for the show to use it. It gives the Oliver Queen side of Green Arrow plenty of good story without the need to inject personal trauma or romantic escapades. Oliver’s declaration speech makes a great finale to episode as takes of uniting the city while ripping on his lack of qualifications. The next expected stop on the redemption express is over the newly resurrected Sara Lance. As suspected last episode, we’re led to believe that Sara has returned in body but her soul is missing (episode 5 trailers confirm Constantine will be in town next week to fix that). The focus is on whether or not Quentin Lance can accept seeing his daughter way. The episode does well to show it as an ordeal for him to deal with and very nearly take the toughest of options. For many reasons, Quentin Lance is the clear MVP of this episode and his breaking down while trying to make Sara “Old Yella Canary” is definitely one of them.... but not the best. That comes from his own redemption as Oliver discovers that Quentin is in (all be it unwilling) cahoots with Damien Darhk. In this, we see Quentin reduced to his lowest. Even when being more of an antagonist on the show, he has always done so with righteous intentions only have that stripped from him. Quentin’s confrontation with Oliver is one of the best exchanges Arrow has ever done. Stephen Amell is outstanding as he finds himself on the unexpected moral high ground, “You always held yourself as better than me, more righteous and you were until tonight”. Yet Paul Blackthorne matches him dramatic blow for blow as he confesses all. There are even implications Oliver views Quentin as almost a surrogate father. The way Oliver talks about always wanting to show Quentin the man he really is feels like an alienated son trying to make his father proud of him again.
The idea of the good cops gone bad isn’t the most original but seeing the fully geared up Anti-Vigilante Task Force in the field delivers some great action results. The gadgets designed to counter specific Team Arrow members make complete sense for a unit that have studied them as targets. A sonic neutraliser of the Canary Cry, a net launcher to negate their agility & stop them running and finally just pure and simple armour to protect against arrow projectiles. The first Team Arrow Vs Bad Cops encounter shows all these off well while the rematch is made fun by the team’s increased awareness and adaptation in a “fool me once...” approach. Many will recognise True Blood’s Tara (Rutina Wesley) as leader of the rouge unit, Liza Warner. This is actually a character based on DCs Lady Cop (most original name ever?) form the 70s. Liza gets a redemption arc this episode like the aforementioned regular characters. From early on, Wesley does a great job of making us feel like a less yellow version of The Lego Movie’s Good Cop/Bad Cop. Deep down, she still believes in being a police officer, but has come to take these selfish actions out of fear and desperation for the direction the city is heading in. Hopefully, she’ll continue to be recurring presence throughout the series as Quentin’s right hand woman for a more badass version of The Flash’s Joe West/Patty Spivot partnership.
For the second week, running the big problem here is the flashback storyline. It’s okay, it has its moments, but it isn’t proving rewarding enough for the amount of screen time it’s being given. 95% of this week was drawing out a foregone conclusion from last week: that Oliver was going to save the woman. The end twist is a good move to shake things up, but many of the flashback scenes in-between felt unnecessary. By contrast, the “partners in geekery” relationship of Felicity and Curtis is still fun as hell. His poor attempts to guess who Green Arrow’s identity are brilliant, as is Felicity’s moment of getting over jargoned, “Oh my God this must be what talking to me is like”. The Ray’s mysterious glitchy messages story is in danger of getting drawn out but all in fairness, this was not the week to reveal Ray’s miniature living self. With so much else going on, it would have gotten lost in the episode rather than getting the significance it deserves. On a final note, whoever was the production designer for the new Arrow Cave deserves free drinks at Comic Con for life. It’s incredible! The elevator reveal into the darkness is a genuine gasp moment as the sheer size and scale of it all takes you back. I love slide opening door costume pods for suiting up, the vastness of it all leaves plenty of space for new team members (Mr. Terrific hopefully!) and its sheer presence is a real statement of the show raising its game.
With a lesser action presence, you could call this a quieter episode of Arrow as it focuses more on character interactions and development. These episodes can be tricky to get right, but Beyond Redemption is a great example of doing just that. It’s gripping and uplifting in its delivery, serious yet not devoid of humour and another strong offering from this already impressive season. Some people tried to write off Arrow after season 3 but as it’s proving, nothing is beyond redemption.