Arrow Review: All For Nothing (Season 6 Episode 12)
After a solidifying family-centric episode, Arrow Season 6 Episode 12, “All for Nothing,” switches gears to the villains’ and newbies’ story by giving another character a very personal stake in what happens next.
There are some episodes that once you finish make you say, “now we’re heading somewhere!” This was that episode as it ends with new details about villains and a step forward.
Vincent: He’s smart. He makes sure no one person sees the whole picture.
Though the flashbacks retread things we saw when we were learning about Dinah early on, Vincent’s line about how smart Sonus is set off a few alarms upon a re-watch. That’s essentially how Cayden James’s arc plays out, and how he plays Vince throughout the episode until his death.
Seeing what happens to Vince and from the sounds of what Alena tells OTA, there’s someone bigger than Cayden and his goons out there, and they want to destroy Oliver and the team. It’s surprising to see that there’s a more significant force at play with all of these villains (some of whom we haven’t seen in action for a while) around.
The question now is, who could be a bigger villain than Cayden James, and how long before we see the whole picture? Will we be more invested in what the bigger bad’s machinations are like we were with Prometheus last year? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, the newbies’ continued posturing when it comes to interacting with OTA is wearing thin. When you share information and collaborate on missions, is that not working as a team?
The only thing missing is the trust or attempt at rebuilding trust, which is clearly not something the newbies are willing to work on. But as the season continues, chances of being welcomed to the team shrink and so does my patience for their somewhat cavalier attitude towards OTA.
At this point, Dinah is the only newbie that has a story gaining traction, and I can sympathize with, as she deals with Vincent’s death and her plot for vengeance (which I am 100% here for, by the way).
The way she talks to Oliver about what her plans are is so very reminiscent of how Oliver would react in the earlier seasons.
Though I know I’ve said it before, it definitely bears repeating because I feel that’s why I’m still not willing to count Dinah out. Julianna Harkavy plays the grief and anger heartbreakingly well that you can’t help but feel for Dinah and believe that she will definitely be the one to take down Black Siren.
If there’s one thing that comes of this whole story that I feel many can agree on, is the new development that any hope for a redemption arc for Black Siren is officially dead.
Despite the early attempts at rehabilitating a character that was always meant to be a villain but just looks like a late Earth-1 Star City citizen, the shift in position is welcoming.
She was a murderer before, and what she did to Vincent proves that she remains a murderer. Not every villain deserves a redemption arc (very few actually do, in fact).
Hopefully, this means they can stop breaking Lance’s heart repeatedly. Please. I can’t take it anymore.
A Few Stray Observations
- It’s always fun to see Alena return to help OTA and Felicity. That camaraderie between her and Felicity is always fun. Her return also conveniently adds new pieces to the puzzle that spices the villain story up a bit more.
- The division has continued to bring more Oliver and Diggle out in the field and OTA generally working together, and it still brings me joy.
- In the midst of moments of chaos with Cayden and the bomb, Oliver and Felicity’s quiet moment in the bunker is sweet, offering that show of support and lightheartedness that can balance out their darker moments.
- Oliver and Felicity talking about honeymooning and Aruba was lovely but raised a red flag because I feel when anyone mentions about happy plans on Arrow, it’s a predictor of turbulent times to come. Perhaps an arrest? Jail time? But for who?
What did you think of this episode of “All for Nothing”?
Any guesses as to who manipulated those pictures and the video? Is anyone going to miss Vince? Anyone else sensing impending danger when Aruba was mentioned or is that just my years of TV-watching experience? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Arrow airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Brianna Martinez
Brianna spends her time away from briefs, legal research, and pleadings, watching TV and writing about it. She generally has a lot of feelings about TV, which you can read about here and on Twitter.