Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Arrow Recap: "Broken Hearts" (4x16)

The last episode of Arrow saw the end of Oliver and Felicity's engagement. Now, Team Arrow has to deal with another dose of heartbreak. Cupid is back in town, and she's out for revenge... on love.

Spoilers for Arrow.

Cupid is back--and she's terrorizing couples again by her singing, er, I mean, by tying them up and torturing them. After questioning the currently abducted couple, she shoots them both in the heart with arrows.

"Love is a bullet to the brain... or an arrow to the heart." 

Meanwhile, Damien Darhk is on trial. His lawyer hopes to get his case dismissed, so he claims Darhk is someone else from somewhere else and that there is no proof he is--or goes by the name of--Damien Darhk. Flustered, Laurel claims she has proof Darhk is... well, Darhk.

In other news, Felicity and Oliver are officially broken up, and Felicity is moving out. Oliver comes into the apartment to find her loading up boxes and going over her genius plan to transport everything out. Then, they briefly discuss what needs to be done to cancel the wedding plans. Oliver sadly reassures Felicity that she is still a part of Team Arrow--forever and always.

Team Arrow regroups in HQ despite the night being unusually quiet. They help Laurel with her case, and Felicity spills the beans on her and Oliver's break-up. Diggle talks it over with Oliver. (Good job, Diggle.) Just then, Lance calls about an "old friend." When Oliver arrives--as the Green Arrow--on scene, he learns that Cupid is back in town. She lovingly left her latest victims in a heart shape with a note that reads: "Love is dead."

(Thea is nailing the dialogue this episode.--source)

They return to HQ to bring the rest of the team up to speed. Thea immediately recognizes the couple as a high-profile couple who had the "wedding of the decade." They get to work investigating. Diggle gives his testimony at Darhk's trial. He tells them about Darhk attacking Oliver's holiday party and kidnapping him and two others. However, Darhk's lawyers have their own dirt on Diggle, and it doesn't go well. Lance volunteers to witness about Darhk and his involvement with HIVE, but Laurel is worried that will incriminate him. She agrees only if he tells them Darhk threatened her, which made Lance act under duress. (Lots of fun lawyer talk in this episode. Good thing I've been watching Daredevil to understand it all.)

Felicity locates Cupid, who has kidnapped another celebrity couple. (Oh, I see how this episode will play out. Cupid targets celebrity couples like... oh, I don't know... Oliver and Felicity? During her interrogation, they realize they love each other once more and decide to get back together and save the day? Never seen that before, Smallville.) They track Cupid, who has the newlyweds handcuffed in a getaway car. Thea hops on the back of the car, but Cupid drives into a warehouse and knocks her off. Diggle comes to Thea's aid while Oliver chases down Cupid. They fight. Cupid escapes, leaving behind a piece of her jacket sleeve. They rescue the newlyweds.

Thea: "Really brings a whole new meaning to crazy ex-girlfriend."

Diggle remembers that Cupid fell for Deadshot right before he died. (I'm still angry about this.) Felicity determines that Cupid believes love betrayed her and it only makes sense for her to seek out revenge on love. Thea and Diggle once more confront Oliver about Felicity. They think he needs to tell Felicity how he truly feels--that he wants to marry her still. Felicity uses the jacket sleeve to track down Cupid's hideout--a wedding dress shop. (Very fitting.) Team Arrow finds a shrine of the targeted couples. However, Oliver doesn't want to risk the lives of another innocent couple just to find Cupid. He thinks that he and Felicity should pretend to have a private, secret wedding for Cupid to bust. (Oh, this is even better than I thought!) This also leads to Oliver admitting he didn't cancel any of the wedding plans yet because when he does, it's over. Felicity, somewhat coldly, tells him, "It is over." (Ouch.)

Lance gives his testimony. He spills on everything he's done for Darhk, and he tells them why he did it: because Darhk threatened Laurel. (Go, Lance!) While the judge moves Darhk's case to a full trial, Lance is suspended and has to give up his gun and badge. Laurel promises it will only be temporary.

(Seriously: Go Lance!--source)

Diggle and Thea keep watch while the private, fake wedding takes place. Felicity walks in, wedding dress and all, and Oliver is stunned by her appearance. (Poor Ollie.) Together, they go to the altar. They supposedly were planning to write their own vows, so Felicity gives hers. It's short and to the point since she wants to get this over with. Oliver, however, takes his time, spelling out his true feelings toward her. (The terrible sounds you hear are Olicity fans sobbing.)

(Oh, Ollie.--source)

Then, Cupid shows up, right on cue. (She's sooo predictable.) Cupid gives a sassy speech about loving making Oliver soft. She shoots him in the chest with an arrow and pulls out a bomb detonator. She continues her spiel about love being a bullet to the brain. But Oliver stands up; he was wearing a vest. He tries to talk Cupid out of it, but she won't. Until Felicity stands up and says Cupid is wrong about love. Love is not death; love is real. And if she dies, it would be worth it because she experienced love.

(Seriously, Felicity?!?!--source)

Diggle and Thea (finally) show up and help fight Cupid. They stop her, and the police take her away. Oliver asks Felicity if they can talk about what she said back there, but Felicity doesn't give an answer. She just wants to change out of the dress. Later, Oliver is in HQ watching news reports about Darhk's trial and the ruined wedding. Felicity comes in to grab something. Oliver tells her that what he said at the altar was all true. Felicity says she loves him, but she can't marry him. (I don't... I don't understand.) He tells her she can--that he could be different, that there would be no more lies. But she tells him no matter what he'll always default to the man he was on the island--alone. Then, she gives him back the ring. She says she can't stay here and do this--any of this--any more. She's leaving, and they need to let each other go.

Oliver: "I don't want to let you go."
Felicity: "I don't want to let you go, but I'm already gone."

Darhk is escorted to a cell and is locked up. The lights oddly flicker. He opens his mouth where he has a ring between his teeth. He takes it out and slips it on to his finger. Then, he just smiles.

On the Island, Reiter leads Oliver and Taiana to a chamber where an idol sits on a pedestal. Reiter gives a speech about his past and his village being annihilated. He won't allow that to ever happen again. Then, he shoots one of the men in order to show them what the idol does. As the man dies, a weird ghostly light floats out of him and attaches to the idol. Reiter holds up his arm to the idol and weird symbols show up on his skin. (I'm actually really confused!) Reiter orders his men to start killing prisoners, but Oliver and Taiana knock out the men. They steal the idol and run. Taiana tries to destroy the idol, but it doesn't work. Reiter contacts them using a walkie-talkie, threatening they will never find their way out of the tunnels. Oliver and Taiana use the idol to set a trap for Reiter's men. When they find the idol, they attack and take their guns.

Concluding Thoughts
Personally, I didn't find this episode very exciting or moving. I wanted to feel something about Oliver's speech to Felicity or feel victorious that Darhk was being acquitted for his crimes, but I didn't. Felicity has been one of my favorite characters of the show, but recently she has started to bother me. I understand she's hurt, but I feel like she's being super dramatic about everything and very... not-Felicity. I feel bad for Oliver, but he's not doing much to win Felicity back except moping. I hope they don't drag out the break-up further, but I know Felicity isn't gone forever because of the "mysterious end scenes of doom." (Also, I am never going to take relationship advice from either of them.)

Cupid's revenge on love was so-so. It could have been better. The events on the Island have started to bore me. I feel like they're just dragging it out. The high points of the episode were Laurel and Lance finally locking up Darhk and Thea's dialogue. Diggle is still cool, but he's been continually thrust into the background.

What did you think of "Broken Hearts"?


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