Arrow Review: The Slabside Redemption (Season 7 Episode 7)
With freedom imminent, Oliver has one more obstacle before he can leave Slabside behind in an hour that is heavy on the action and offers few solid character moments on Arrow Season 7 Episode 7, “Slabside Redemption.”
The character moments stand out and, even with all of the heavy action, aren’t swept aside in favor of the stunts (which are still entertaining to watch).
Turner: But the old Green Arrow, he wasn’t the best. He saw the world in black and white. But now you, you know there’s grey out there too. Maybe that makes you a better hero.
But seeing Oliver working with Turner to try and prevent as many prison guard deaths as possible and taking moments in between to highlight the ways prison has changed Oliver for potentially the better are some of my favorite moments from the hour.
It’s in seeing that the world isn’t black and white, but grey, something that we’ve seen in Oliver throughout his Slabside arc as he interacts with not only Stanley but the men he put in prison in the first place, that will allow for Oliver to continue to grow as a person and vigilante.
Oliver: I know that years ago, you saved Lyla’s life. I don’t know if you can be that kind of hero again, but I think you deserve the chance to try.
The duality of good and evil is something Oliver had struggled with throughout the years, especially when it came to Oliver making the tough decisions he’s had to make.
So now with what seems like this acceptance that has been building over the last few episodes, hopefully, he comes out of the whole situation with the realization that there’s no single right answer or way to go about things for the sake of the greater good.
Considering how Felicity has fared so far this season, I think that that realization would help her and Oliver understand each other even better than before.
Diaz continues to be not so much frightening as insufferable throughout the hour when he decides to pop up. He’s never been a particularly strong villain (see: my thoughts on how they went wrong in season 6 ). But any potential fear or ominousness he could have earned from building a sturdy villainous foundation is lost when we Stanley really lets loose in “Slabside Redemption.”
We really see two different sides to Stanley as the riot continues and when he goes off on Oliver. Brendan Fletcher does a fantastic job conveying the duality of Stanley’s personality and takes it to delightfully unnerving heights.
Given the way things end for Stanley, he’s bound to be a big problem for Oliver and his family. His potential villain arc is set up very nicely in the final act, and I hope against all hope that we get to see it play out in the second half of the season.
That shot of Oliver limping out of Slabside and seemingly letting out a breath of relief that he’s free is one of my favorite shots of the episode because of what it reveals about where we find Oliver at that moment—walking towards freedom, his family, and everything he left behind when he decided to sacrifice it all to keep them safe.
It’s lovely and leads to the long-awaited Olicity reunion. What’s impressive about their first scene together in 6 episodes is that these two are able to convey all of the happiness, relief, concern, and love without any actual words.
It’s a beautifully heartwarming moment.
Random Thoughts
- I’m just going to disregard that magical disappearing Diggle moment in the end.
- So, who else is hoping that Stanley becomes our next villain? How lovely was the silent Olicity reunion? Did anyone else’s hearts burst? Anyone hope that this isn’t the last we see of Turner and that Oliver makes good on his promise to him?
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.