It feels like forever since Arrow has been on. “Time of Death” is a solid if unremarkable episode, the kind that critics such as myself call a “place setting” episode, a necessary expenditure of time for any serialized show. So let’s take a look at “ENTER – the Clock King!!”
It’s nice to see Arrow delving more and more into DC’s rogues gallery. And since DC doesn’t have the wide exposure that Marvel has enjoyed over the last fifteen years, we, the viewers, can still be surprised by the appearance of, say, Bronze Tiger or the Clock King (played nicely by Prison Break‘s Robert Knepper). What Arrow is doing is creating a fully realized world of its own, centered in Starling City as opposed to Metropolis or Gotham (case in point: Ra’s al-Ghul has only been mentioned, not seen). Unfortunately, this will most likely be bastardized by what I can only imagine is Stephen Amell’s inevitable cameo in Batman vs. Superman. While that’s great for Amell, I have to be honest and say that I’m selfish and want to keep Arrow hermetically sealed on TV.
William Tockman, alias the Clock King, is more or less a distraction for Oliver. We know he’s not going to make it to next week’s episode, although since this is Arrow he’ll probably pop up in season three. Tockman’s presence is more or less a catalyst for Felicity’s feelings of marginalization due to Sara’s arrival. “Time of Death” is a nice showcase for Emily Bett Rickards, although I wish Felicity wouldn’t turn into a puddle of hormones every time Oliver looked at her. It’s a nice change of pace to see Felicity save the day – which she does, absolutely.
In fact, “Time of Death” is like a highlight reel for Arrow‘s most important actresses (I’m not counting Susanna Thompson’s Moira, who’s been shuffled to the sidelines because of her quite frankly stupid mayoral campaign). I still don’t quite buy Caity Lotz and Katie Cassidy as sisters, but I think as they have more scenes together, their chemistry will grow and become more believable. It’s a testament to how well done Arrow is that I’m actually invested in the family dynamics of the Queen and Lance clans. Also, the more Paul Blackthorne we get, the better; his chemistry with Cassidy is among the show’s best.
Arrow is definitely building to something, and without the threat of the Undertaking, I imagine it’ll be something more small-scale and personal for Oliver. There are currently three Chekhov’s guns on the wall – Barry Allen, who hasn’t been seen since the particle accelerator explosion; Thea’s true paternity; and Slade Wilson’s return to Oliver’s life. It’s the first and the third I’m most excited about. I don’t really care that Malcom Merlyn is back, and I wish the show would let dead be dead (unless they’re going to introduce the Lazarus pits, which Merlyn was arguably alluding to when he told Moira that he’s been to a place where “death is just an illusion”).
There’s a lot of spinning plates here, but Arrow had one of the stronger freshman seasons in recent memory. I have faith the show will get to wherever its going, even if it won’t be pleasant for our hero.
Arrow| Wednesdays 8pm – CW
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