Arrow Review: We Fall (Season 6 Episode 11)

Arrow makes a case against the Internet of Things and highlights the heart of the show on Arrow Season 6 Episode 11, “We Fall.”

There’s something to be said when, even in the midst of the plot moving forward, there is some time to slow down and do some really good character work by bringing in moments that just make your heart melt. “We Fall” has more than a few of those.

Cayden James’ attack on Star City through its electronics leads to a city in fear and William finding out that Oliver is still the Green Arrow, despite Oliver telling him otherwise.

That confirmation hits William hard, and as he struggles with it for the better part of the hour, it highlights opportunities to really show how deep of a partnership Oliver and Felicity have when it comes to every aspect of their lives together.

It’s rewarding to see how the pair deal with the co-parenting aspect of their relationship. There’s actual communication and support in all of those heartwarming moments, from the pep talk Felicity gives Oliver to talk to his son to the family meeting Oliver calls at the end of the episode.

It takes a moment in the middle of Oliver, Diggle, and the newbies out in the field and Felicity explaining the toll the superhero life they lead takes on their normal lives and relationships to make them realize how precious all of those moments are.

Felicity: This is what he does best, and nobody does it better…This life is not ideal. But he makes his sacrifices, so we have to make ours…because that’s the price we pay for choosing the people that we love.

Felicity’s voice over as everyone is out in the field is a new kind of scene for Arrow. One that hasn’t been done and definitely adds a depth to it that makes it one of the highlights of the episode.

It’s a scene that highlights not only the history of her relationship with Oliver (I mean, that line about falling in love with him the moment he brought her the laptop) and how she looks at things from her point of view on the team, but also the sacrifices made by everyone.

The build towards William accepting his dad’s role as the Green Arrow is a logical and heartfelt beginning to this new phase in their relationship that is more than welcome to stay as a constant.

William is part of Oliver’s driving force for anything he does, and I suspect it’ll bring Oliver, William, and Felicity closer and help build to a new level of trust and understanding.

But, it’s not just the Queen-Smoak family moments but also the return of the Delicity (Diggle/Felicity) moments that make this episode quickly rise to one of my favorite of the season.

The trust and confidence in each other shine through as Diggle worries about returning to his hood duties (even though he gets an impressive Spartan suit upgrade) and Felicity worries about her stepmom duties, which is so adorable.

Then there are the newbies who are still trying to make a case for their setting out on their own. There’s some major stumbling as they seemingly play into the hands of Vincent, questioning whether they can trust the man who has actively tried to kill one of their former team members.

It seems like a natural conclusion, but the team spends most of the hour contemplating the question. This feels like it will only end with all of them being burned and reaching out for more than just sharing information with OTA.

It’s only a matter of time before they find out they get played, right?

A Few Stray Observations

• Captain Pike’s death is abrupt and kind of sad even if we haven’t really seen him consistently since Lance used to be a part of the SCPD. It will be interesting to see if Lance stays on as acting SCPD captain.
• I can only imagine how tickled Lost fans were when Cayden introduces himself as Ben Gale in Oliver’s office as he breaks down his demands.
• That opening loft scene is such a cute, domestic moment as Oliver and William use toy bows and arrows, and Oliver “loses” while Felicity checks William’s homework. The domesticity nearly made my heart burst.

What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Anyone else have questions about who sent that package to Cayden? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Arrow airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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