Arrow Review: Welcome to Hong Kong (Season 8 Episode 2)
Oliver, Diggle, and company are back on Earth-1 as our hero has more questions than answers and a new task from The Monitor on Arrow Season 8 Episode 2, “Welcome to Hong Kong.”
It’s another solid, emotional hour on Oliver’s final journey as he lands in Hong Kong and on a search to find Dr. Wong, the man who ultimately is responsible for re-creating the Alpha/Omega virus—a virus that first appeared on Arrow Season 3 in the flashbacks.
Their trip to Hong Kong leads to a poignant reunion with Tatsu. She doesn’t hesitate to offer her blunt opinions about the way Oliver is going about his tasks for The Monitor and pushes him to consider another approach.
Tatsu’s history with Oliver and her masterful martial arts skills adds depth to the Hong Kong story. But it’s her very frank questions about The Monitor’s request that lead to one of the highlights from the episode.
Oliver: Because If I’m wrong—If I’m wrong, then all of this is for nothing. You understand, Tatsu? I left Felicity. I left my children. So, if The Monitor can’t fix this and if he is not here to help, then all of these things I’ve sacrificed and all of the things that so many other people have sacrificed will have been for nothing! I need my family to live—which means that I need this to work.
Stephen Amell does a fantastic job illustrating the desperation, heartache, and need Oliver has to believe in whatever The Monitor’s mission entails and that it will make all of his sacrifices worthwhile, keeping his family safe.
The scene complements the moment before that beautifully and heartbreakingly intercuts Oliver putting his wedding ring back on with the moment that Felicity tells Oliver that knowing him has changed her life from Arrow Season 3 Episode 20, “The Fallen”, and Felicity giving Oliver assurances that they’re going to be fine from Arrow Season 4 Episode 6, “Lost Souls.”
The question now is, are the choices of scenes meant to be taken as more than just a pair of crucial moments in Olicity’s relationship or are they just a pair of randomly selected highlights in their relationship?
Considering Tatsu’s family history with Akio and Maseo, it makes her an even more perfect candidate to question these things about The Monitor’s task for Oliver and his choices. She’s lost so much, as much as Oliver has. She would understand this need—to a certain point.
Tatsu poses a valid question about how blindly and unquestioningly Oliver is going into this mission. There are so many non-answers given in just the span of these 2 episodes, that a sinking feeling creeps in about what this mysterious man is up to.
It’s enough to have him reconsider his plan going forward. A change in strategy that leads to a shocking development as Lyla appears.
But it’s not as it seems when she’s revealed to know more about The Monitor if that conversation by the end of the hour is any indication. It’s such a solidly shocking moment, despite what we know about Harbinger’s appearance in “Crisis” because there’s still so much we don’t know about her.
Was she always Harbinger? Is this the Lyla we’ve come to know over the last 7 years? Did she strike a deal with The Monitor, too? Is what they’re doing above-board?
I guess only time will tell.
Meanwhile, in the future, Future Team Arrow’s continued mission to find the older Diggle brother leads to more emotional depth to the team’s story as they continue without the physical ties they had on Arrow Season 7 to OTA.
JJ and Connor’s conversation offers some fascinating insight into what their dynamic was growing up. Joseph David Jones and Charlie Barnett play off each other very well and have me very curious to know more about the next generation Diggle brothers’ upbringing, their parents, and their relationship.
Things go south quickly and the heart-seizing moment where William’s life hangs in the balance thanks to JJ’s men add another layer of emotion to 2040, especially considering that William and Mia are all the Queen-Smoak family they have left.
I’m going to need William to make it out of that situation alive and well because I can’t accept another Queen-Smoak family loss.
Random Thoughts
- We get our final Arrow introduction at the top of the hour and it—sniffles—is another heartbreaking reminder of what Oliver’s given up to help save the Multiverse and even manages to feature a part of those gut-wrenching final 10 minutes of the Arrow Season 7 finale. You know the ones, Olicity’s goodbye and the cabin montage.
- I may have missed this but, exactly when are we on Earth-1?
- Those two scenes used during the ring scene are courtesy of Antonio Negret-directed episodes! An excellent way to note the director’s impact on not only Oliver’s story but Olicity’s.
- I was honestly hoping we would be able to get through the final season without someone unnecessarily blaming Oliver for something that he had no control over. Alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
- Lyla’s words to Earth-2 Laurel definitely feel like they invoked Felicity’s words to Oliver on Arrow Season 2.
Felicity: You honor the dead by fighting and you are not done fighting.
What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Arrow airs Tuesdays at 9/8c 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.