‘Arrow’ season 4, episode 15 review: Oliver, Felicity, Vixen, and William
You’ve waited for so many weeks to see a wide array of different things come to a head on “Arrow,” and they certainly did and then some on Wednesday night’s new episode “Taken.” We had the ultimate showdown with Damien Darhk, and quest to get William back, and also an important status update on Oliver and Felicity. This is without even mentioning the appearance of Vixen on the show for the first time, and likely the only time for the time being.
First of all, the show did a great job making Vixen someone powerful, confident, and a little bit fun. Given that the circumstances were dire, she still brought an interesting sort of energy to the story. Not only that, but she was enormously crucial in making sure that Darhk was stopped for the time being, as his magic was temporarily drained. This was a worthy showdown with a villain who has shown to be incredibly powerful.
The good news is that William was safe. As for another bit of good news, Oliver has decided to keep his distance for the time being, knowing exactly what sort of life he would be giving his kid in the event he brought him into his life in a substantial way. Samantha knows that he is the Green Arrow, and he told her to take him far away at the end of the episode to ensure that he could have a real childhood somewhere else. Was this show conveniently throwing away this storyline for a while? Sure, but it was earned, and it makes sense.
Now, the bad news. Felicity and Oliver are over for the time being. She didn’t scream at him in rage, but she was understandably heartbroken that he kept this secret from her about the kid. It also didn’t help that she had to spend so much time with Samantha and Laurel. Also, Oliver left her out of the loop in regards to William going away. For the time being, we actually could do without the relationship melodrama. We want the two of them together, but in the fun, flirty way of the earlier seasons rather than what we’ve seen off and on the past two years.
Elsewhere in this episode, Thea more or less disowned Malcolm after realizing his role in the kidnapping. Once again, a sensible move. The episode was unsurprising with one exception (and it’s an unfortunate one): Removing Felicity from a wheelchair so quickly. Not only was this conveniently ending that part of her story before a hiatus, but it also doesn’t send the greatest message. We would’ve preferred either a long recovery or her even staying in the wheelchair, proving that disabilities don’t get in the way of being a hero. Grade: B-.
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