Arrow Review: Purgatory (Season 8 Episode 6)
With Oliver and the others back on Lian Yu, Oliver comes face to face with the dead and another round of heartbreaking goodbyes on Arrow Season 8 Episode 7, “Purgatory.”
Without any time left, Oliver is forced to finally tell William and Mia about his post- “Crisis on Infinite Earths” fate. The news about his impending death goes over about as well as you’d expect considering how little time the pair, specifically Mia, has had with their father.
But in that anger and lack of understanding, there are emotionally poignant moments between the Queen-Smoak siblings to work through their own feelings about the news.
I love that William continues to impart what he’s learned from the painful lessons he’s had over the years with Mia to make her understand. The pair have come a very long way from when they first realized they were related in 2040 on Arrow Season 7 Episode 13, “Star City Slayer.”
Meanwhile, the Diggle family arc throughout the hour is wonderfully done as Diggle works through the realization of how long Lyla has withheld information about her work with Mar Novu.
With time not on anyone’s side, I’m glad we get to see the 3 of them together at least for a while, and each working through their understanding behind what Lyla is doing with Mar Novu while Connor’s understanding of the importance of the mission—even without many details—Diggle’s dealing with this secret about as well as Mia did when she learned of Oliver’s fate.
There is always sacrifice involved, and if there’s one person that would understand withholding information for the greater good, it would be Diggle. He comes to terms with Lyla’s choices just in time to see her be called to do her part to save the Multiverse in the “Crisis.”
It’s a quick moment, but it’s still heartbreaking to see them have to say goodbye.
The Lian Yu returns, from Billy Wintergreen and Fyers to Yao Fei, work for the fun bit of nostalgia and serve as solid throwbacks. But where other characters having come back in the final season leave each hour with some emotional resonance, many of these appearances fall flat.
It’s one moment with Yao Fei while trapped in a pair of nets that leaves an emotional impact on his return.
Yao Fei: Shengcun is more than body. It is spirit. What lives on. Like I did in Shado. Like she does in you. You survive.
Oliver: How do I do that?
Yao Fei: You live with your children, with the time you have left.
Paired with what Lyla told Oliver on Arrow Season 8 Episode 6, “Reset,” about time being a gift, Yao Fei helps wholeheartedly settle himself with what he’s doing and what’s going to happen to his children.
It’s truly heart wrenching to see Oliver continuously face this, but it’s done in a way that sticks with you. With that knowledge, he’s truly ready to head into the “Crisis.”
Elsewhere, Roy losing his arm leads to an important conversation with Diggle about the risks taken in coming back to help Oliver and the others. In that one conversation, we see how much of what he’s learned from Oliver and OTA about heroism and being part of a team.
Roy: Heroes make sacrifices, John. For better for worse, this just had to be mine.
As part of the first generation of Team Arrow, with Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity, he’s seen so much of what they’ve given up and done for each other and their team. So, to have him reassure Diggle of the very thing he’s learned from Digg and OTA is lovely.
But if there’s one thing the Arrow writers do so excruciatingly well, it’s the emotional moments that leave a lasting impression, especially in the final act of the hour.
Oliver must go through another set of painful goodbyes, with a far more permanent feeling than the ones that have come before, starting with William. Oliver and William’s relationship wasn’t easy, and William wasn’t always able to understand what his father did and why he had to do it. So, to hear him confirm that he not only understands but supports Oliver’s decisions, means a lot.
William: I didn’t understand what it meant to fight for something bigger than yourself. But now I do, and I’m really proud of you, dad.
Oliver: Not as proud as I am of you.
The moment that theme cues up in the background, all semblance of emotional restraint is lost and takes their goodbye to another tear-inducing level.
So, when Oliver goes from saying goodbye to his son to the man who has become his brother, the emotions continue to build as the finality hits with his words to Diggle and Oliver’s last request from him.
Oliver: Every mission has an end.
Diggle: I wish this one didn’t.
The final acts goodbyes end with Oliver and Mia’s as he shares a bit more about what Lian Yu has meant to him and why he wouldn’t change a thing.
Oliver: This island taught me to survive. It turned me into someone else. Somebody better than the person I was before. So, despite my feelings, there are no stories about the Green Arrow to tell if I don’t make my way to Lian Yu, and I’m also not standing in this moment looking at my daughter.
It’s great that she’s able to get this moment with her father, and that Oliver got the opportunity to not only meet her daughter but get to bond with her before he sends her back to 2040 with William.
Of course, she doesn’t get away as Lyla returns as Harbinger, with news that the Crisis has already begun.
So, with the Crisis officially starting and Oliver destined not to make it out, how devastating will this year’s crossover be?
We’ll find out soon enough!
Random Thoughts
- There’s something about Oliver not taking the Hozen from William that gave me pause. It may be my brain firing on all speculative cylinders based on one small moment, but it feels like there’s meaning behind it.
- The reference to a potential spin-off is not lost on me as Oliver tells Mia that she has more stories to tell on her own.
- With Roy losing his arm, I wonder if this means that the future is changing?
- After all the tea spilling about the future, it’s funny to hear the concern about what the future will look like if there’s more information given.
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.