‘Arrow’ review: Oliver Queen fights a new sort of crime

Oliver Queen for much of “Arrow” this season has had the luxury of being able to do things his way … but what happens when he gets pulled in a new direction? This was really the focus of Wednesday night’s new episode, which really featured the vigilante taking on a new sort of criminal that he hasn’t quite faced off before: robbers. Sound petty? Well, it really wasn’t. Instead, it was one of his most dangerous enemies yet.

So what brought on the change in strategy this time around? It was really his new partner Diggle who helped him to open his eyes that there are more people out there worth stopping than just evil CEOs on his father’s list. This, dear friends, is compromise! It also led to some pretty great moments between the two characters, and it has changed the show in a good way having someone to fight alongside the Arrow at points.

As for the rest of the episode, it was a little flat unless you are a big fan of Tommy and Laurel. Oliver’s longtime friend has made his intentions clear regarding Oliver’s own ex, and he wants them to actually give a real relationship a shot. Did it happen? Not yet, though there were some moments in here that could suggest that it is coming up, as she agreed to at least let him throw a fundraiser for one of her firm’s causes.

Overall, we’re torn on this episode: there were some great moments, but the story never really had the sort of jaw-dropping surprise that some past hours have. Maybe we should consider this more as the lead-up to the Huntress, who is coming up later this month.

What do you think about this episode, and are you totally shipping Laurel and Tommy after seeing what happened here?