This week on Arrow, all the women in Oliver’s life take huge strides to make his life hell. First, female supervillains China White, Cupid, and Liza Warner break out of Iron Heights prison and rampage through Starling City like a bizarro Birds of Prey. Meanwhile, Felicity and Thea discover that Oliver’s girlfriend Susan is hot on his secret identity trail, so they hack her laptop and get her fired. To complicate things further, Dinah worries whether she’s ready to take Laurel’s place as Black Canary. Oliver is so overwhelmed by all the chaos that he’s left frustrated and helpless on his own show.
In DC Comics, Oliver is perhaps the Justice League’s most notorious ladies man, though he does end up with Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary, at the end of most storylines. It’s especially obvious in Arrow episodes like this one that The CW’s adaptation has changed Oliver’s character immensely; rather than enjoying the fact that seven women are all orbiting him, he grimly tells Felicity and Thea to stay out of his business and informs the supervillains humorlessly that they’ve all failed Starling City. There’s nothing ribald about Arrow’s chaotic, female-focused episode, and that actually feels like a loss. No one’s laughing, no one’s flirting, and at the end of a confrontation, the cops shoot China White in the back of her head.
Susan, whom Arrow fans feel apathetic about at best, tells Oliver she still thinks he’s Green Arrow, and that she blames him for having lost her job. After Oliver puts away this week’s villains, he chooses to visit Thea instead of Susan, prioritizing his sister’s feelings over his girlfriend’s anger. All at once, Oliver’s priorities are clear.
Perhaps in response to Oliver’s apathy, Susan tells the press that the Mayor’s office was involved in covering up her research and planting false evidence. Oliver watches the accusations unfold from his office, and says, “This might be the end of my administration.” Losing your job is a bummer, but at least you still have your night gig, Ollie.
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on The CW.
