TV Reviews: FTN Reviews Arrow Season 7 Episode 2: The Longbow Hunters

After a very strong opening last week, it was up to Arrow this week to keep the momentum going in meaningful ways. For the most part, “The Longbow Hunters” did just that, including giving the titular villains their big debut in a very fun way.

First and foremost, just about every good guy team in the show had the same goal: Get Diaz. But, how they went about it was different. Oliver struggled to get information from Brick in prison. Felicity struggled to get Diggle to let her help. Diggle struggled with trying to do the right thing while also doing what’s right for Argus and the world. And the rest of the team struggled to do the right thing without getting in trouble.

All these dynamics are very fun, and proof that this show can last without a lot of screentime for Oliver (this episode honestly had very few scenes with him yet again). Granted, some characters need more time, but it’s only episode 2, they’ll make it work.

While fans may hate Felicity still (for the most part), I thought she came off great in “The Longbow Hunters”. For here is a woman who has lost everything, was almost killed last episode, and now is driven to get Diaz at all costs. And while she still cares for Diggle, he has different objectives depending on what his boss needs from him, so thus he has to look at things at a wider focus. This clash was very compelling, and I LOVED the explanation as to why John didn’t become Green Arrow, for he couldn’t do the risk that Oliver did, and that’s ok. Her going to the FBI at the end was very compelling, and I look forward to seeing where that storyline goes.

Meanwhile, Oliver trying to do things the “Green Arrow” way and failing was good stuff. If things were too easy in prison, then it would rob the gravity of the situation. But here, we got to see the pressure he was under, not just from Brick, but from how he needed to get info on Diaz. However, as someone noted elsewhere, he got lucky and found a creative solution to the problem. Something tells me he won’t get that lucky with Brick in the future.

The reluctant team-up with Dinah and Laurel was also compelling. We got to see them both in action, as well as build up their own unique dynamic. I like that we’re seeing Black Siren truly embrace the “Laurel” role, but not lose who she is in part. But, she’s also holding some deep feelings after what happened last season, and it shows. Hopefully the writers will build her up more throughout the season.

As for the flash forward, we got some more information about the events that have taken place in the apparent 20 years that have passed from where we are now in the present. William is now a billionaire, Oliver and Felicity never came back from him, Roy came to Lian Yu to “get away from it all”, something clearly happened to Thea, and to top it all off, it was the Hozen that Felicity gave William in the premiere that brought him to the island. Oh, and now they’re about to leave it to head back to Star City. Why? Guess we’ll find out. It’s up to the writer team to keep this flash forward compelling, and so far, they’re doing it. But how long can they keep it up? We’ll find out.

Finally, the Longbow Hunters. While I do admire what they’re doing (for the record, this isn’t the version that was in the comics), some of it does come off as hokey. Silencer is great, Red Dart got cooler at the end, but Kodiak? Yeah, he needs some work. But that being said, the twist with the train sequence was great, and the fight choreography was top notch here. Especially the Diggle/Diaz fight. I hope we get more fights like this going forward.

Aside from the somewhat oddity of the Longbow Hunters, the only real discrepancy was Rene and Curtis, for after a strong showing in the premiere (at least for Rene) here they were…just…there. Yes, this is a large cast to deal with, but hopefully they won’t just be there and then go for the next few episodes.

Regardless, “The Longbow Hunters” was a solid entry that pushed the conflict forward. All roads lead to Diaz, but how long will it take to get there. And don’t forget…there’s another Green Arrow in town…