Arrow Review: The Longbow Hunters (Season 7 Episode 2)
Despite their separation, Felicity and Oliver are fighting to take down Diaz and reunite their family on Arrow Season 7 Episode 2, “The Longbow Hunters,” as new villains are introduced and people that used to be reliable, end up disappointing.
After that pep talk on Arrow Season 7 Episode 1, “Inmate 4587,” Oliver is ready to fight on the inside, and Felicity steps up her game from the outside to take down the man that has taken away the life she knew and the family she loves.
The energy and anger that Felicity carries throughout as she goes on the warpath is invigorating while also culminating in more than a few painful realizations about the people she once surrounded herself with—namely, Diggle.
After everything they’ve been through for the last six years, Diggle’s attitude and willingness to side with ARGUS over someone that is as close as a family is heartbreaking.
From the moment he tells her that Oliver is gone and is never coming back to his actions on the train, it feels like he’s saying that even though these two people have risked so much over the years for the team, he can’t take that risk.
I mean, at this point the newbies are expected to fall in line behind some lame rule of law justification for bowing out of helping Felicity take Diaz down. But to see Digg leave her just hanging there adds a painful distance to their scenes that leaves you feeling with the sense of isolation that Felicity is currently dealing with.
You would think after everything that Olive and Felicity have done for the team –which, yes, did include a prison break where Oliver risked his life back in Arrow Season 4 to get his best friend and brother out—they would be willing to help the two who have dedicated all this time and effort for the team.
It sure says a lot about some of the “heroes” we’re dealing with.
That anger and desire for revenge speak to the pain she’s been through the last five months, and honestly, it’s incredible to see play out throughout “The Longbow Hunters” and probably as long as this arc continues.
I’m excited to see how she works through that anger, frustration, and seeming isolation from everyone she used to have as support.
Felicity: You made a deal with my husband, and he’s in prison because of it. Now it’s your turn to keep up your side of the bargain.
I’m even more excited to see her team up with Samanda.
It’s a delightful surprise to see who she turns to when her “team” disappoints her and I am all for seeing what a Felicity and Samanda team up looks like. We didn’t get to see much interaction between these two during Arrow Season 6, so it should be fun to see that now.
Meanwhile, at Slabside, Oliver tries to make some moves from the inside and leads to a task that has him scrambling to find an alternative along with his new prison sidekick, Stan.
Stan: WWGAD…What Would Green Arrow Do?
Oliver: He’d have Overwatch gather information.
The way he finally gets it done really shows how his instincts seem to fight the idea of killing this prison guard and prove that he’s still not this criminal that everyone thinks he is.
While there’s more information gleaned in the flashforwards with William and Roy on Lian Yu, there’s something unsettling about that information about Oliver and Felicity we are getting. It seems highly unlikely that Oliver and Felicity would ever willingly leave William behind and never come back considering how hard they have fought for him and want to keep their family safe.
So, what does it mean that they never come back for him? What danger could they be in? Why does Roy have that look as he reads the message that is inside Oliver’s bow?
I like that William shares a bit more with Roy about what his life is like before he arrives in Lian Yu, including that bit about his ex-boyfriend and that billion-dollar investment in magnetic levitation. Makes me very curious about what a day in the life of William Clayton Queen looks like 20 years from now.
Random Thoughts
That new opening monologue is painful as it ends with “I am no longer a hero. I am inmate 4587.” I’m also concerned about what this means for Oliver’s frame of mind.
A new seasonal reminder: she’s not the Laurel they knew. She is a lying murderer, as Dinah mentioned, and she really hasn’t proven that she’s worthy of any kind of redemption or trust.
The Longbow Hunters are introduced, and honestly, there’s not much we know about them beyond they were hired by Diaz. So, I’m reserving judgment on that trio of villains.
Anyone else think “I’m not mad, just disappointed” when Diggle and Felicity have that last conversation? Any thoughts about what that note says that makes Roy tell William that they are returning to Star City? How sweet is it that Oliver responds to WWGAD with something Overwatch would be doing?
What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Arrow airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
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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.