‘Arrow’ season 2 spoilers: More details on Malcolm Merlyn’s return

What could be the one thing to make matters worse for the characters on “Arrow” than they were already? How about an appearance from one of the show’s most-notorious villains ever? While Malcolm Merlyn may not be the Big Bad this season, he clearly still has a role to play that will be unraveled during “Streets of Fire.” This episode, airing on May 7, is the penultimate chapter of season 2.

There is also so much that must be under wraps about this episode that The CW seems to be actually shy about giving very much away. Instead, all you have can be summarized in this official synopsis below:

“Oliver (Stephen Amell) rallies his team as Slade’s (Manu Bennett) soldiers attack the city. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) gets a call from S.T.A.R. Labs with game-changing news and Thea (Willa Holland) comes face-to-face with her father – Malcolm Merlyn (guest star John Barrowman).”

What does Malcolm want? Here is the scary thing: With him out there, he probably has some sort of devious plan that he’s been forming, and is only waiting for an opportunity to execute it. If Moira Queen ends up being elected Mayor, you have to wonder if there is any sort of say that he will try to have in how she functions within her new role.

Whatever happens here will blend over directly into the finale … which you can already expect to be one of the craziest things that the show has done yet. Typically, you don’t earn the title of “The Unthinkable” unless something truly unthinkable actually happens.

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Photo: The CW