Arrow Review: Star City Slayer (Season 7 Episode 13)
In probably the best episode this side of the winter hiatus, Arrow Season 7 Episode 13, “Star City Slayer,” manages to fill the hour with a compelling story of the week, the villain I’ve been waiting for, and plenty of Queen-Smoak family angst, with a massive reveal by the end to really top the hour.
“Star City Slayer” manages to merge the horror, the action, and the family drama thoroughly well without clunkily switching between the modes, instead opting to thread and go between all of them smoothly, at times opting to mix them up like in the Queen-Smoak family loft scene.
Stan, the Slabside Fan, is the Arrow villain I’ve been waiting for all season. The foundation built over the first half of the season, leading up to his final moments with Oliver back on Arrow Season 7 Episode 7, “The Slabside Redemption,” was done so effectively that it makes Stanley’s presence weightier.
“The Slabside Redemption,” offers insight into Stanley and the idea that there’s something kind of off with him. “Star City Slayer,” not only follows up, but it also doubles down and reveals background that makes him all the creepier and somewhat sad.
Brendon Fletcher played the disturbed serial killer so eerily good that it makes me hope he’s not just a one-off return villain. That one terrifying and paralyzing Queen-Smoak family scene leaves a lasting impact and calls back to the hints of unhinged thinking when he had Oliver captive during the riot.
While Stan’s tortured and twisted villainous arc added a lot to the hour in terms of bringing in the team and setting things in motion for a few characters, the Queen-Smoak family angst added to the emotional aspect of the episode, providing a heartbreaking development and a shockingly happy one in the span of one act.
William’s issues with his parents and Oliver’s decision at the end of season 6 gets brought up once more as William lashes out about everything that’s happened. It’s heartbreaking but so very necessary to see William communicating precisely the kind of pain he’s been in since his father made that choice.
There may have been screaming and harsh words, but William’s been through so much in the last few years that it’s honestly surprising it took this long for it all to come to blows.
It’s rare you get to understand both the parents’ and the child’s side in things, but Arrow does it well and ultimately moves the Queen-Smoak family in a painful direction as William’s grandparents come to take him, at William’s request initially.
Seeing the realization of the implications of the Claytons there on Felicity and Oliver’s faces guts me. But nothing hurts as much as when William announces he wants normal and Oliver realizes he can’t give it to him.
The Queen-Smoak family was a highlight and kept things interesting on Arrow season 6, truly becoming a family over the season, and to see them get to this point is just upsetting, even if some of it makes sense.
It’s because of how far they’ve come and how much I’ve truly enjoyed this dynamic that Oliver and Felicity’s final scene with William wrecks me.
Oliver: You have a home with the two of us in Star City forever.
I know William in the flash forwards explicitly says that he was essentially abandoned, but the bit of a blurry timeline being provided between the present and Star City 2040, adds to the bleak feeling I get from this scene.
Will this really be the last time we see William with his parents?
From the looks of the flash-forwards, it certainly seems so if William doesn’t know that he has a sister in Mia Smoak!
That confirmation paired with the present day moment when Felicity finds out she’s pregnant manages to be both a happy moment and a gutting moment thanks to the realization of the implications of Mia and William’s exchange in 2040.
They don’t know each other and don’t know each other existed until this moment. What happened to our Queen-Smoak family to have them fall this far in the future? Why is she a Smoak and not a Queen? Where is Oliver?!
If they have to send one child away because it’s not safe and not normal, what does this mean for Mia’s life? Or will she be sent away, too?
With a 2-week hiatus coming, we’ll have plenty of time to ponder these questions.
Random Thoughts
- The present and the future are starting to weave together as we find out the circumstances behind Dinah losing her cry and it’s all because of Stanley.
- Curtis’ final episode is an interesting choice considering everything that is happening throughout “Star City Slayer.” At the same time, it makes sense that he would look for a different kind of path in the world.
- Will Curtis’ final exchange with Felicity about Helix dynamic finally move Felicity towards the Smoak Tech that we know exists in 2040?
- Oliver’s famous chili makes its debut and seems to be a hit with his wife, and it’s equal parts funny and adorable in its own way given the context of the scene.
- William’s “what? No! I’m gay. She’s my mom,” line is priceless and delivered perfectly by future William, Ben Lewis.
- Seeing Connor Hawke (aka JJ Diggle?) in 2040 also brings up questions about what happened to the Diggle-Michaels family as well and why he is with Mia and not William or Zoe.
What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Arrow returns Monday, March 4 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.