Arrow Review: Lost In The Flood (Season 4 Episode 22)

This is how you end your season with a bang. And I’m not just talking about a literal one.

Arrow has always done particularly strong season finales. Season 2, in particular comes to mind. We were on the edge of our couch for the last 3-4 episodes then.

We’re on the edge of our seats now.

It could be that Damien Darhk makes for a particularly compelling villain. Perhaps it’s that the stakes have been raised so high it’s almost impossible to see past them.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s that, this time, the story is global. It’s not just about Team Arrow, it’s about us.

All of us.

Felicity, Noah and Donna are every dysfunctional family we’ve ever seen, every parent who’s always done what they thought was best for their child. They’re real, they’re relatable and they’re as messed up as we expected them to be.

Sure, Donna did wrong, but you won’t see me defending Noah Kuttler. Oh, no. I’m 100% Team Donna.

He’s the best hacker in the world, after all. If he wanted to be in his daughter’s life, he would have found a way.

Yes, she took Felicity away from him, but once that was done; he just …took the easy way out.

I’ve got no sympathy for that.

Thea, however, didn’t take the easy way out in this episode. She’s been brainwashed more times than I care to count, and yet, she’s not a little kid who needs to be saved.

She’s a hero. And so is Oliver.

Heroes fight, even when there is no hope. Heroes do what’s right, even when that’s saving the villain’s daughter. That’s what makes them heroes.

Star City needs Oliver Queen. It needs the Green Arrow.

It needs hope.

Two years ago, when Arrow was moving full steam ahead towards one of the best finales television had ever seen, Oliver wasn’t capable of providing that hope. He was a broken, damaged man then.

Not so much now.

He isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, this Oliver Queen, and he might not be the hero his city deserves, but, as the often quoted line says, he’s the one they need.

The only question now is he’ll be doing it entirely behind the mask or if we’ll see a new Iron Man-style era in Star City.

My guess is on the later.

Other things to note:

• Yes, Oliver was mostly at fault for their breakup. Yes, Felicity was right to take some time for herself. And yet, Curtis is also right …her reactions do have a lot to do with her parents. This is true for most of us. Felicity’s default mechanism for dealing with pain is …well, running the other way. And as understandable as that is, you can/will lose a lot of things if you’re not willing to fight for them.
• I want to believe think that at some point someone at Star Labs (probably Cisco) will call up Oliver (Not Sara and Lance, but at least Oliver) and be all like: “Hey, we kinda sorta have an Earth-2 version of Laurel locked in Star Labs. Just a heads up.”
• Because, that’s just a confrontation that begs to be written. It’s too good to pass up.
• Charlotte Ross can rock a jumpsuit like it’s no one’s business. I’m jealous.
• Being mayor of Star City is way more dangerous than being the Green Arrow.
• Anarky is crazy, and I’ll admit, a little awesome.
• The Oliver/Diggle made me really, really happy. Sometimes I forget, what with all my Felicity love, that the reason I gave episode two of this show a chance was Diggle.
• Quentin being part of Team Arrow also makes me happy.
• Basically, this last stretch of episodes makes me happy. This is Arrow at it’s absolute best. May it continue on next season.

What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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