Huh, that was an episode I didn’t expect. While Arrow has done well to show the histories of its villains in many aspects, including the previous big bad Cayden James, The Dragon did something no episode had done before…waited 54 minutes to show Oliver Queen. Truly a first.
Now, technically we had “news footage” of him but he really didn’t show up for the end, for one scene! The rest was really about Ricardo Diaz and what makes him tick…and so dangerous.
Through “The Dragon” we got to see what Diaz’s goals truly were. It was never about taking over Star City, or at least, that wasn’t the endgame, it was to use what he did to become part of The Quadrant. A secret mafia group that had connections all over the country. This may seem convenient, but it actually fits perfectly with Diaz’s M.O. He wouldn’t want to settle for a city when he can get a whole lot more.
The quest he took with Black Siren to get his seat at the Quadrant’s table was very fun, and it showed more pieces of Diaz’s past and personality. For example, despite him being a soft-spoken man, he does get angry, and he isn’t afraid to let it out when the timing suits him. He’s also very well trained, able to hear people when they walk in the room, and take on any foe put in front of him.
I was also surprised by how fun the banter between Diaz and Black Siren was. I did not like that they became an item a few episodes back, but this made it seem more believable. And by the end, I’m convinced that Siren will betray him before the end, and I loved that line about how he reminded her of Zoom.
The ending scene with his childhood bully was particularly chilling, and seeing how Jesse didn’t remember Diaz shows how much they’ve grown, or haven’t grown, since those days in the orphanage.
Meanwhile, Felicity and Curtis got back together to try again with Helix, and I must admit, I was happy for Felicity…until it broke down into a “I worry about Oliver” thing. It’s true that she should worry about him as his wife, but she pushed it a little too far here.
Still, “The Dragon” was a surprisingly deep episode that showed that Diaz may just be a top-tier Arrow villain, we’ll have to see how it plays out in the final four episodes.
4.5 out of 5 nerds
Todd Black
Todd Black is reader of comics, a watch of TV (a LOT of TV), and a writer of many different mediums. He's written teleplays, fan-fictions, and currently writes a comic book called Guardians (guardians-comic.com). He dreams of working at Nintendo, writing a SHAZAM! TV series, and working on Guardians for a very long time!
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