Arrow, Season 3, Episode 4: The Magician
Well, the show-makers certainly know just how to handle an escalation well. Where do I even begin with this episode? Let's get to the Hong Kong stuff first, because that's a lot shorter but no less escalating. We see Oliver being told to murder some poor old man eating ice cream, and indeed the dude (Castwidth? Something like that) really did look harmless. We get something going on about Katana's Husband Who I Can't Remember The Name Of going on about how it's not their place to know the reasons why, but Oliver isn't going to stand for that.
We get a funny little scene of Oliver striking a deal with the kid with all seriousness to use his laptop in exchange for cookies, sees what's inside the USB he swiped and demands to meet Amanda Waller. I guess the events with Tommy Merlyn has scared him off contacting his family? He could do the whole 'I'll release information to every blogger and journalist in the world' thing not only with Fyers' plans but also with his own existence, but I guess he might just not dare to push Waller that far.
Anyway, the meeting with Oliver and Waller has her reveal that Waller has been watching Oliver's exploits against Fyers, Slade and Ivo with her satellites, and Waller's gang-pressing Oliver to work for him, Suicide Squad style. We also get the in-show revelation that Fyers is working for Amanda Waller, a fact that was all but directly confirmed way back in season one for eagle-eyed viewers... though Fyers wasn't aware of all the details. Fyers thinks he's doing all that to destabilize the Chinese economy, when in reality Waller wants to take out a single target.
And it is beautiful how it's done, how the big reveal of the episode was actually a big reveal. For all the scariness that Waller's target is built up to be, you'd think it would be Ra's al Ghul, or at Merlyn, or Nyssa at the point that Waller says it's a woman... but no, Waller's target is Chien Na Wei of all people, otherwise known as China White, otherwise known as that weird Chinese Triad Kung Fu lady that Oliver fought multiple times in seasons one and two and was never really that big of a threat.
That was, indeed, a massive bombshell and a big 'what the fuck' moment. Why is China White such an important target that Waller is so frustrated? Why is China White still in alive in the present day? A highly interesting twist that ties in together with the season one Island plot, and while there's still the 'this is all in the past' feeling, that revelation about China White is certainly a complete curveball and I'm curious to know what exactly it entails.
Is China White a member of the League of Assassins? Maybe she's secretly Talia al Ghul?
Also, Amanda Waller is awesome.
Meanwhile, in the present-day plot, Nyssa al Ghul arrives, and we immediately get Oliver telling her that Sara's dead. We get a bit more mourning with Nyssa praying at Sara's grave, and Nyssa actually being quite civil to Laurel, but Laurel basically explodes in bitchiness... and idiocy, because what's to say that Nyssa doesn't send her to accompany Sara right there and then? But all Nyssa did is call her unworthy for the jacket, which, all things considered, isn't that bad. Throughout the episode Laurel and Nyssa kind of bond over their thirst for Merlyn's blood, culminating in Laurel asking Nyssa to murder Merlyn whatever it takes, and finally Nyssa showing Laurel some grudging respect at Ted Grant's gym.
Also can I mention just how awesome it is to have freaking Nyssa al Ghul in a TV show? I still can't believe it sometimes.
Rewinding the plot a bit, shortly after Nyssa's arrival, Oliver and Roy follow Nyssa and they finally recruit Nyssa's help. Nyssa explains that Sara was in Starling City on the trail of Malcolm Merlyn, and we get a confirmation that prior to this episode, no one there even suspects Merlyn is still alive, a fact that went over my head while reviewing the previous episode... the only people who did know Merlyn is alive are Thea and Moira -- the former being a secret keeper and the latter dead.
Granted, I never bought that Merlyn is the killer, even before this. Other than the fact that the only evil archer around is way too obvious, last episode makes it clear that Merlyn's busy in Corto Maltese training Thea in the ways of evil archery. Not to mention that we, the viewers, saw Sara recognizing the killer and acts in the exact opposite of what you'd expect an assassin would if she sees her target, which is mild surprise.
Though, of course, Merlyn could always be lying.
The only question is if Nyssa was the one who did it, or someone else from the League (which Merlyn implies) because Nyssa would be able to approach Sara unguarded... but the question remains on what does Nyssa have to gain other than to spark a war between the League and Team Arrow-Merlyn. Also Nyssa's grief and rage felt too authentic so unless Nyssa is a very good actor I don't think that she's the one.
Anyway, back to the plot, Team Arrow and Nyssa discover this Ghost Ink paper on Sara's person, and I think that unless they recently found it on Sara's safehouse, it would be phenomenally moronic for Oliver not to realize that, hey, this blank piece of paper might show something when heated with flame! Didn't he remember how he nearly died trying to figure out how his father's blank notebook worked? Jeez, you'd think that would inspire abject paranoia on every blank paper he sees.
They find one of Sara's targets, Jansen, and the fact that Sara's been collaborating with Quentin. We get confirmation that Laurel didn't tell Quentin about Sara's death after all, and even pulls out some bullshit lies about how Sara asked her for a favour and everything. Hell, Quentin even felt bad for not telling Laurel that Sara had visited! The fuck you're keeping Sara's death a secret for, Laurel? I mean, she uses the flimsy excuse that Quentin has a heart condition, which I suppose is sort of justifiable, but I agree more with Nyssa's point of view if not quite to her extremes. Quentin deserves to know, if not actually be out in the front lines trying to avenge his daughter. Freaking idiot Laurel, the fuck are you trying to prove. And why did you play along, Nyssa? Why did you join Laurel in her quest of deception? And that scene at the end, with Quentin just on the phone speaking to Sara-who-he-thinks-is-alive? Man, that was depressing as fuck. I really feel sorry for poor Quentin.
All the Nyssa stuff is intercut with Oliver meeting Thea in cafes and whatnot. Thea is setting up the Verdant again, and while it's mentioned we puzzlingly get no answers on where Oliver is getting money. Maybe he's got a trust fund stashed somewhere, or maybe ARGUS is feeding him, I dunno. It's weird. We get a little back-and-forth between Oliver and Thea where they keep saying that they're not going to keep secrets, but it's clear that Oliver isn't quite ready to spill everything about the Arrow and Lian Yu and Hong Kong and Slade and Roy and everything. In the same vein, Thea is tight-lipped about Merlyn. But Thea takes the gesture of Oliver telling her that a friend of Sara's saw Merlyn helping her as Oliver telling part of the truth to her...
Which implies that Thea doesn't know that Malcolm is in contact with Oliver Queen, the Arrow. Interesting. She's going to explode when she knows Malcolm is keeping secrets from her too.
Anyway, Oliver, Diggle, Roy and Nyssa head off to go to this Jansen dude, who's apparently a Merlyn ally... and there's the excellent twist that Jansen's already there and Merlyn of all people has already arrived and is waiting for them. The fact that they'll clash with Merlyn is inevitable, but the fact that they met him so early took me completely off-guard. Merlyn completely takes down Nyssa and flash-bangs away, but Oliver tags him with a freaking GPS nanite arrow.
A GPS nanite arrow.
Do you know how happy these crazy trick arrows make me? The fact that they are realistic is the icing on the cake. I mean, we've got the wire-bola arrows from episode one, we've got a flashbang arrow later on in this episode... I don't need something as extreme as a punching glove arrow, but all these trick arrows make me really happy. The fact that they're realistic is the icing on the cake.
Laurel continues her streak of psychopathy by going all 'you had a shot but you didn't kill him', just like how she was so hellbent on Oliver killing Sara's killer that she didn't give a shit that Oliver got shot in the chest in episode 2. Apparently the dude who whacked her in the head didn't give her any form of clarity, it only made her even more loony.
Though Laurel does have a point, and she reminds us that Merlyn might not have killed Sara, but he was responsible for the Undertaking, killing 502 people including Tommy. And I thought that it was a nice parallel to Grant Ward, except Grant Ward has been consistently being shown as a complete dick for the past few episodes, whereas all of Merlyn's recent appearances have shown him as being a good guy and a good (if mental) father to Thea. Though, yes, with all those sins reminded, as charismatic as Merlyn is he is still a terrorist and a murderer...
Except Oliver doesn't kill, which is one of the biggest points of conflict in this episode, and he further has another reason to spare Merlyn since Merlyn is Thea's father.
We get some Roy-Thea moments as an intermezzo, though nothing significant beyond the two making up as friends. Laurel and Nyssa also make up as crazy women hellbent on vengeance.
Diggle and Oliver track down Merlyn, but of course he outwits the GPS arrow that 'even idiots can operate' and meets Oliver alone in a crowded place. Merlyn and Oliver have a pretty awesome conversation and Merlyn reveals that, yes, he isn't the killer. Also the fact that he still owns the streets damn it. Merlyn gives Oliver some revelations about Thea, about how he's been protecting her all the while though leaves out the training bit. Oliver later meets up with Thea and we get the little confirmation about it, though Thea also leaves out the meeting-Merlyn-and-going-away-with-him bit.
Oliver goes back and tells an angry Nyssa that Merlyn can't be the killer, because Merlyn swore on his daughter's life... and as Oliver does this cool walk-away pose, that look of complete annoyance on Oliver's face as he facepalms and realizes that he done royally fucked up is simply precious. "Malcolm Merlyn has another child?" Nyssa and Oliver argue, and Nyssa heads off to hunt Merlyn alone. Diggle, like Laurel, sees the good in killing Merlyn because whatever the case, good father or not, Sara-murderer or not, Merlyn is still a genocidal psychopath and, yes, a world without Merlyn would be a less dangerous world.
(The show without Merlyn, on the other hand, would be a less interesting show.)
Anyway, Roy hangs out with Thea, and Nyssa arrives to abduct (thankfully not kill) Thea. Roy does this funky parkour flip and then hilariously gets taken out immediately by a tranquilizer dart. Thea seems absolutely ready to kick some ass at this point, but she relents and goes with Nyssa peacefully, possibly because she doesn't want Roy to get hurt.
All this happens outside the Verdant unless my memory's being stupid, so Team Arrow assembles quickly.
And then, smoke signal! I find that unintentionally funny.
Laurel... man, it's not so much that Laurel is a massive unreasonable self-centered unbearable bitch that I hate her so much. I can deal with asshole characters, I can like complete unredeemable jerkwads if they're written right. The problem is that the writers have Laurel be bloodthirsty one minute, and then immediately backpedal and have her be all 'I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that Oliver do what you must' in this scene. I mean, yes, rage after her sister's death. Yes, she did get put down in season two numerous times and she did get beat up last episode which was well-deserved for her idiocy. And yes, she does do absolutely stupid things upon people's death -- first Tommy's and now Sara's... but all that still does not make her any less irritating.
Why can't we lose Laurel instead of Sara? Dammit.
Anyway, we cut to Thea, being hung upside-down and that shot of her with her hair all hanging down is funny as all sorts. Nyssa tells Thea about Malcolm Merlyn's Assassin name, Al sa-her which means the Magician and also the title of this episode. Oliver arrives and frees Thea and she runs away, and we get a great battle between Oliver and Nyssa, which is awesome. Merlyn goes in, snipes Nyssa's scimitar away, and tries to clear up the misunderstanding with Nyssa as well, but she ain't going to want to hear anything.
We get a cool three-way melee and we see that Nyssa actually is able to hold off both Oliver and Merlyn at the same time at one point during their fight, which is cool. Merlyn does this awesome triple-arrow shoot which manages to pin Nyssa to a wall, but Oliver flashbangs Merlyn. There's not really any tension since we know Oliver's not going to kill Merlyn, especially not since we know Oliver believes him, and Merlyn just swaggers off after telling Nyssa that no, she did not kill Sara. Nyssa has other reasons for killing Merlyn as this episode has established multiple times, and brings up Tommy and the possible corruption of Thea. We know Oliver won't kill, but Oliver raises his bow anyway and Merlyn actually does seem a bit panicked and tries to up his bluff.
Oliver thinks of a third option, namely to arrest Merlyn, but Merlyn pre-empts Oliver and says that no member of the League can be held in any prison... including Lian Yu. Well, shit, he knows about Slade's prison! Can the prison be shitty and not hold Slade and he can swim all the way back to Starling City? I really want Slade back.
Anyway, Merlyn escapes, and Nyssa punches Oliver in the face. Oliver then declares that the League will not lay a hand on Malcolm Merlyn while he's in Starling City, which I think is going too overboard -- as Diggle and Nyssa pointed out, Merlyn is still a killer, and that's a stupid move to provoke Nyssa while her blood is still hot like that. Oliver incurs the wrath of the League of Assassins, with the flimsy justification that he's buying time to find Sara's real killer.
I mean, Merlyn did mention that the killer of Sara is most likely one of Ra's al Ghul's men, so maybe there's going to be a conflict straight down the League of Assassins and Oliver is banking on that? Or maybe he thinks that Team Arrow, Merlyn and maybe ARGUS are enough to handle the League of Assassins? I don't know. At the moment it's a bit of a stupid decision.
And at this point Felicity comes in fresh from her guest star in that Flash episode, and goes all 'what did I miss?' Girl, you missed like the setup to this season's big plot thing. Though I suppose eliminating Felicity and the Ray Palmer subplots for this episode does make it flow a lot smoother so I guess it's a good thing for pacing? She was mentioned a bit during the GPS arrow thing, with a rather hilarious joke about how she says even an idiot can operate it.
We get a bit of a cooldown as Nyssa leaves and later meets up with Laurel, the future Black Canary. Roy gets his job as assistant manager in the Verdant. Thea thanks Malcolm for watching out for her. We get the Hong Kong flashback revelation about China White which was well-paced and well-scripted.
And, the money shot? We know it's been a long time coming, but we finally see Ra's al Ghul. I'm still not a fan of him being a white dude, but at least Ra's ethnicity isn't quite as obvious as someone named the Mandarin. He could be awesome, I dunno, we've only seen him for like thirty seconds. Hopefully they don't pull any of that moronic Ducard bullshit, though.
Anyway, Nyssa returns to what I assume is Nanda Parbat and reports to Ra's al Ghul about the developments. Ra's is awesome. He doesn't give a fuck about Sara as expected, and is more concerned about hunting Merlyn down for his transgressions against the League as well as Oliver for siding with them. All that stuff.
But the kicker, though? We see Ra's al Ghul rising from the pool. That is literally the first shot we see of him. I'm thinking that this is hinting towards the Lazarus Pits, or at least a variation thereof. Or even a homage. I'd be cool with that. It's just that, well, Arrow and Flash has been slowly getting more and more faithful to the comic books, and I wouldn't be surprised if they do the Lazarus Pit in this show, even with a sci-fi goobledeygok explanation.
Because, after all, Nyssa did say that Ra's al Ghul is 'one with a long memory'. Is that a foreshadowing about his quasi-immortality? We shall see.
Dammit, man, Ra's al Ghul! This makes me so happy.
Overall a great, great episode that really is freaking awesome. The Laurel bits do get me, but other than her it's an awesome ride. A lot of their characters have their own secrets and agendas and goals and everything and it's fun seeing Oliver, Merlyn and Nyssa clash. The League of Assassins is being set up as the next big threat, there's a lot of intrigue in the flashback arcs that I'm really curious about unlike how the flashback arcs for seasons one and two are just there... I do see a lot of potential for this season outshining the two previous ones.
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