Arrow Al-Saheem Review

arrow al saheem review

Review of the Al-Saheem episode of Arrow where we see Oliver and Team Arrow’s separation for now.

This week’s Arrow focused on the training and setup of making Oliver the next R’as. The whole thing opens with Oliver essentially being tortured and then forced to kill what he believes is Diggle. However, it is some random person who looks like Diggle because of the psychotropic drugs the League is notorious for using. After doing so and proving his loyalty, R’as takes him aside to tell him his next task – he must kill his rival for ascension.

Back in Starling City, the rest of Team Arrow is left to cope with the new found realization that Oliver is gone. Felicity is mopey, John is in a state of denial, Thea is angry, and Laurel finds comfort in helping Nyssa try to find a real life outside of the league. That is until Nyssa discovers that Oliver is trying to kill her, because of that whole rival thing.

This leaves the team in a predicament that they must decide to help Laurel defend Nyssa or allow the League to handle its business. Upon Oliver’s first arrival, the team decides to help Nyssa, but then they later discover that Oliver has stooped so low as to kidnap Diggle’s wife and trade her for Nyssa. After a brief argument, Team Arrow decides to make the trade.

When they arrive at the trade point, Nyssa walks over to the league and Diggle’s wife is returned. However, they had a plan to try and recover Nyssa from the jump. Diggle’s wife pulls two hidden guns from Felicity’s coat and starts an all out fight with the League. Team Arrow is dispatched fairly quickly and Oliver is left standing over Diggle with a sword threatening to use it. Thea shows up at the last second to shoot Oliver in the wrist and he leaves before the act is accomplished. All of this is fine and good, but why did so many people have a problem dispersing Team Arrow when between them all they had two guns. Cool fight scene, but oddly executed.

When they return with Nyssa to the league, R’as has some interesting news – Nyssa and Oliver are to be married to the chagrin of both parties. However, we also learn one other thing. Oliver will be dispatched to Starling City to use the Alpha and the Omega chemical weapon that has been the focus of the Hong Kong flashbacks all season.

Overall, solid episode as part of the annual ramp up for the Arrow series. Definitely worth the watch and leaves you waiting for the conclusion. However, the fight scene was a little off to me this time and the Nyssa/Laurel bondign scenes felt a little weird.

Andy G for short, is a digital media designer for a local college, previously for some radio stations. If you’re wondering what a digital media designer is, he helps make the internet look pretty. When not at work, he is either at the gym or involved in generally nerdy activities.