3) Arrow Begins
Although “Bratva” wasn’t close to being my favorite episode of Arrow this season, it certainly wasn’t one to be dismissed.
As you can guess, it dealt heavily with Oliver Queen’s history with the Russian mafia and let it collide with the present. In short, Team Arrow 2.0 – complete with new Black Canary, Dinah Drake – traveled to Russia in search of the crooked General Walker, who has been brokering the dirtiest of deals.
While there, they got wrapped up in some serious international intrigue that felt a bit too big for the britches of a show about street level vigilantes. At least we got to see that Ragman’s costume can contain a nuclear blast even though its power was rendered useless thereafter. But, hey, Joe Dinicol is contracted for only so many episodes and we need a storyline excuse for him to be gone until later in the season.
The flashbacks, which were also tied to the Bratva, focused heavily on Oliver’s training with Talia and his transitioning to becoming a vigilante. I’m looking forward to seeing when exactly she teaches him more about her relationship with her father, Ra’s al Ghul, and why she wasn’t around during any of the business involving the League of Assassins spanning seasons 2-4.
