“Suicidal Tendencies” has the unenviable task of trying to live up to “Suicide Squad,” season two’s almost perfect Arrow episode that first brought together the titular band of misfits and murderers. It would be easy to fall short, and, well, “Suicidal Tendencies” absolutely does.
In the wake of last week’s ersatz Arrow’s killing spree, Starling City is turning on everyone’s favorite vigilante. Diggle and Lyla’s wedding reception is interrupted by seemingly everyone’s phone going off with the news alert. There’s a press conference with the mayor, Quentin, Laurel, and, um, Ray (who is privy to the inner workings of Starling City government by virtue of being very rich and good-looking) wherein Ray promises that the Arrow will be brought to justice. In short order he finds out Oliver’s secret, and he and Oliver get dual scenes where they dress down Felicity for not being up front about the other’s nocturnal activities. (Roy: “Ray built a super suit? That’s kinda awesome.”)
Meanwhile, Diggle and Lyla are called back into action with the Suicide Squad (ARGUS is so fucking shady that it makes SHIELD look like the 4H Club). Diggle, Lyla, Deadshot, and Cupid are sent into the fictional Republic of Kasnia, where a hostage situation involving a U.S. Senator has broken out. Their orders are to extract the Senator and let all the other hostages fend for themselves, because, like I said, ARGUS is so goddamn shady it strains credulity that Lyla, a fundamentally decent person, would ever be a part of it.
My problem with all the Suicide Squad stuff is that it’s a B-story elevated to an A-story, not by virtue of storytelling prowess, but by sheer virtue of runtime. The Ray-Oliver business is not only more interesting, but way more narratively important in the long run. We get a lot of Floyd Lawton flashbacks, which basically play as a pulpy, CW version of American Sniper, but they do manage to convey some important information: 1, Michael Rowe is very handsome with or without an eye patch, and 2, Deadshot is definitely not making it out of “Suicidal Tendencies” alive. Which he doesn’t, as he covers everyone while they make their escape. Arrow literally blows up its chance as re-using one of its most interesting characters.
Another problematic aspect of the SS is Cupid. Seeing her again, I was really hoping that Arrow would have fleshed her out, and given her more personality apart from her psychotic love for Oliver. “Suicidal Tendencies” shows what is clearly mental illness in such a childish way that it offends more than it amuses. Arrow‘s Cupid problem just gets worse when Deadshot saves her life, and she immediately starts calling him “baby” and making googly eyes at him. What this does is make Cupid impossible to take seriously.
Ray eventually comes around after a heart-to-heart with Oliver, by which I mean fight. I will say this for “Suicidal Tendencies,” my gripes notwithstanding, the action is well-directed (by Arrow vet Jesse Warn), fluid, and easy to follow. Just as Ray is pleading Oliver’s case to the mayor, an arrow fired by Maseo flies through the window, killing her. We see him take aim at Felicity, then the screen goes black, and we hear the sound of an arrow being loosed. I’m sure Arrow will kill Felicity off-screen, it’s totally earned a reputation for being unsentimental towards its characters. Ha, kidding, there’s no way that will happen. This is the same bitch I had about the “twist” ending to “Nanda Parbat” from a few weeks ago: there was no way that Oliver would become the next Ra’s al Ghul, just like there’s no fucking way Felicity is dead.
A Few Thoughts
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In Kasnia, Lyla has a mini-breakdown as she wonders why she and Diggle accepted the mission. Yes, Lyla, why did you accept? You are a mother and a wife, you goddamn moron
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Ray goes to Laurel with his accusations about Oliver. Literally anyone would have been a better choice, as she quickly demonstrates
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Speaking of Ray – three PhDs? Come on, Arrow, that’s a bit much
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Lyla quits ARGUS, which I’m sure will have repercussions, and Diggle says he’s quitting Team Arrow, which, lol no you’re not Diggle come on no one believes that
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I want to give this 2 1/2 stars, but I’m going with a reluctant 3, because all the Ray/Oliver stuff was actually important. It was just surrounded by stuff that wasn’t
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