On this week’s Arrow, the team visits Russia and, for some reason, every single one of them loses their minds. Felicity threatens Russian gangsters and engages in some black hat hacking, Oliver tortures and then pierces a guy with multiple arrows, and Diggle goes overboard during an interrogation and punches a suspect into a pulp. When the dust settles, Team Arrow meets in a hotel room and tries to figure out what the heck happened. Maybe what happens in Bratva stays in Bratva?
When Oliver confides his fears in Dinah, his new Black Canary, she tells him that Diggle and Felicity will always take their cues from him. When he gets mopey, they do too. When Green Arrow crosses a line and bends his ethical guidelines in the name of justice, Team Arrow gets in line and starts torturing, threatening, and extorting people. When confronted about their recent aggressive behaviors, Diggle and Felicity pretty much re-enact that old anti-drug commercial. “Stop being shady?” Felicity basically asks. “But Ollie, we learned it from you!”
Though Oliver isn’t a fan, Arrow fans fell in love with Felicity’s new, cut-throat Russian spy personality, dubbing her Dark Felicity. Felicity’s vicious tactics with the gangsters fit into the pattern this season has been setting for her; in previous episodes, we’ve seen her train in boxing, punch an alternate universe Laurel, and call Oliver on his shit.
After arguing a bit about their team’s ethics, Oliver and Diggle come to an agreement. “You, me, and Felicity,” Diggle says, “we make each other better.” Oliver smiles and agrees, but the next time we see Felicity, she’s still in contact with her old hacker buddies. It looks like somebody can’t let go of the thrill.
Arrow airs Wednesdays on The CW at 8 p.m. Eastern.
