Arrow is finally back! Season 2 of Arrow has begun, and we are excited to see where the season plans on going. What happened to Starling City in the aftermath of the earthquake? How did Oliver handle the earthquake and the death of Tommy? What becomes of the Queens? This episode gives us some answers but asks more questions! Josh provides the Arrow episode summary, and both Violet and Josh provide their thoughts on City of Heroes. Let’s dig into this week’s episode recap of Arrow after the jump!
Don’t need the Arrow episode recap for City of Heroes? Click here to jump directly to Josh’s thoughts on the episode!
To see Violet’s thoughts on this week’s Arrow episode, City of Heroes, click here to get directly there!
Arrow, Season 2 Episode 1: City of Heroes Recap Overview
Need a quick Arrow episode recap of Season 2 Episode 1 titled City of Heroes? Here is a summary of events for the episode. Each event is linked to the more detailed Arrow episode recap for City of Heroes if you need more information!
- Oliver has returned to the island in a state of grief, Diggle and Felicity try to drag him back to Starling City
- Oliver returns and visits Thea, and Laurel has moved on to the District Attorney’s Office. At a city council meeting, the mayor is shot by a new group of vigilantes dressed like the Hood
- Oliver meets with Isabel Rochev, the person responsible for attempting to take over his company. They are interrupted by the vigilantes, who attempt to kill Oliver. Diggle comes to the rescue.
- Thea is taken by the vigilantes. This prompts Oliver to return to his costumed hero, and he makes a choice to save Thea but not kill the kidnappers.
- The episode wraps up, Laurel and Oliver come to terms with being only friends. Thea visits her mother, and Oliver embraces his persona, but wants to be a hero rather than a vigilante with a list.
Arrow episode Recap: City of Heroes, the Details
Oliver Returns to his Island
The new season of Arrow begins back on the island. Are we starting in the past? No, actually. Oliver has moved back to the island. We see Oliver spot a plane, which we learn has Diggle and Felicity aboard. They wind up parachuting to land, to pay Oliver a visit. Felicity isn’t excited about the prospect of jumping out of a plane, and yaks when they land.
Searching in the forest, Diggle becomes alarmed that he has heard something, then we actually do hear something–Felicity has stepped onto a land mine. We then hear Oliver warn that disarming it won’t work. He then decides the next best course of action is to swing, Tarzan-style down to swoop Felicity from the mine.
Oliver takes Felicity and Diggle to his “home”, and Felicity isn’t happy that Oliver isn’t excited to see them. Oliver explains his reason for leaving–failing his mission and letting Tommy die. Diggle explains his mother’s trial is coming up soon, and his company is in danger of a hostile takeover due to a competing company purchasing the majority of stock.
In a flashback, Slade and Oliver are sparring. Oliver is “distracted” by Shado, and Slade lets him know it both verbally and physically. We see that the relationship between Shado and Oliver has developed into more than friends. They then find out that they are being visited by another group of people using some radar equipment they have.
Oliver Returns Home–To The Chaos That is Starling City
Oliver has decided to return, and we see the Glades have been decimated. Oliver pays Thea a visit, who is busy first making out with Roy, then scolding him for be his own vigilante. Roy isn’t sorry though, and believes someone needs to help the city. Oliver shows up, and we learn Oliver’s cover story for disappearing was visiting Europe. Thea has also taken over Oliver’s bar, and we learn that Thea is so pissed at her mother, she refuses to visit her. Oliver is happy to see his sister “put together” though, as she is working hard on the bar. Thea and Roy leave, and Oliver catches the news on a TV already announcing his return.
A press conference is being held at what I assume is city hall or something of that nature. Laurel is there, and we learn she has joined the District Attorney’s office. The mayor speaks, and his speech begins explaining how to turn around Starling City, but he is interrupted by a voice saying, “You have failed this city, Mr. Mayor”. Oliver? No, copy cats armed with more than just a bow and arrow, and several people, rather than just Oliver. The mayor is shot, as are several other people. Laurel decks one gunman, and one of the assaulters threatens Laurel, but then lets her go.
Detective Lance shows up in the aftermath, and is happy to see Laurel ok. The district attorney gives some insight to the new vigilantes’ goals: to redistribute the wealth of Starling City by force. Detective Lance begins asking her questions about the attackers, but he is reprimanded by his boss, and we learn that Detective Lance is now Officer Lance–he is no longer a detective.
Oliver then shows up, and apologizes for leaving. Laurel says sleeping with Oliver was a mistake, and she feels like she betrayed Tommy with that action. They share a hug, lamenting that they can’t “go back”, and fix things.
Isabel Rochev Wants Queen. But not Oliver Queen
Oliver becomes angry with Diggle, feeling he was tricked into coming back. Diggle says that the Vigilante might be needed, but Oliver vehemently disagrees. We get a glimpse if the new vigilantes, and they want to take down Oliver and the whole Queen family.
Thea and Roy have a conversation, where Roy attempts to convince Thea to visit her mom, since she is still around to talk to, unlike his own family. She refuses, solely to hurt her mother’s feelings.
At Queen Consolidated, the business enemy, as Isabel Rochev from Stellmoor International, is there to discuss things regarding Queen Consolidated, and explains that she has bought 45% of the shares in Queen Consolidated, the same amount that Oliver owns. She plans to buy the outstanding 10% when it is released in 2 days and become majority shareholder. Isabel is harsh with Queen, criticizing his lack of education and brains, and points out that there’s no way he can get the money to buy the outstanding stock. Suddenly, we hear the vigilantes again, and they have rushed into Oliver’s meeting. Diggle manages to lay down some fire from his pistol, and Oliver busts through a window, swinging to a floor below via a chain he grabbed on the way down. He also takes Felicity with him for the ride.
The men are gone, without real explanation as to why, and the police have arrived. Felicity and Diggle confront Oliver about not taking those men out, and Oliver says he cannot be the vigilante anymore since he leaves so many dead in his wake. Diggle realizes Tommy’s death was the big reason he has hung up the hood. Oliver leaves them, and decides to pay his mother a visit in prison. She seems truly remorseful of her part in Malcolm’s plan. Oliver tells her of the potential takeover. She tells him to look for help from family. She doesn’t specify which family however…
Thea is Kidnapped. The Hood Returns
In the past once again, Oliver, Shado and Slade search for the new visitors. Shado is taken by the new occupants. Slade and Oliver find Shado and her captors, and Oliver is desperate to save her. He rushes out, and Slade has to back him up. In a fit of rage, we see him beat one of the men to death with his hands.
At Thea’s bar, the vigilantes have come looking for Oliver. They threaten to shoot people, but Roy jumps into action. Unfortunately, his heroics are cut short when Thea is taken captive, and they leave with her. Oliver shows up, and sees the cops at the bar. Lance tells Oliver they will find his sister, but Oliver heads down stairs to “check” on something. Felicity and Diggle join him, and they show Oliver how they have spruced up the joint. Doing some internet searching, Felicity is able to get a lead on the men. Felicity gives him his final “Returning to the Vigilante” present: a new bow. Oliver proceeds to save his sister.
Thea is being held in a church, and the group is trying to figure out what to do with her. They seem to disagree as to how to deal with her. They discuss her mother’s role in the earthquake, and Thea realizes his mother wasn’t as to blame as she once thought. Oliver then shows up, and takes down the soldiers with relative ease. One of them takes Thea and holds her hostage. He shoots him with an arrow, but rather than let him fall to his death, Oliver pulls him back up. They are left for Lance to arrest, and Lance and the Vigilante have a nice reunion.
Maybe The Hood Hasn’t Returned After All…
The next day, Oliver is visiting Tommy’s grave. Laurel shows up, and apologizes for disturbing him. Oliver explains he understands why they can’t be together, but they have to agree to remain friends. Laurel vows to take down the hood, as she holds both him and Malcolm responsible for the death of Tommy.
Thea shows up to visit her mother in prison finally, and they seem to have reconciled their differences. Meanwhile, Oliver has another meeting with Isabel, and says she basically has won, as she now owns 50% of the shares, and plans to get the outstanding 5% soon. Oliver has a trick up his sleeve and Walter Steele walks in, telling Isabel that he is CFO of Starling National Bank, and they have purchased the remaining 5% of the stock for Oliver. Therefore, Oliver now owns 50%, making Isabel and Oliver equal partners.
The episode ends back on the island, and Slade and Oliver hear chatter on a walkie talkie, unable to determine where the new visitors came from. In the present, Roy witnesses a girl being attacked, and he jumps in to save her. He fights, and seems to be in a jam, when he is rescued by a masked blond woman. Finally, back at the “Arrow Cave”, Oliver says he has to change the Hood into a hero rather than a vigilante. Oliver thinks his heroic persona needs a new name, to which he looks at the tip of his green arrow without saying a word…
Josh’s Thoughts: Arrow , Season 2 Episode 1: City of Heroes
My first impression for the new episode of kicking off Season 2 of Arrow was the episode name. I am curious to know the reason for the name, City of Heroes. The nerd in me is reminded of a MMORPG named City of Heroes and am curious if this is somehow an homage to that game or perhaps the works the game is based off of. Just a fun side note for me to think about completely unrelated to the episode for the most part.
As for the episode of Arrow, City of Heroes itself was a good start for the season. It wasn’t stellar, I thought, as the show as a whole still suffers from “CW-itis”, with some bad drama, and occasional “eye-roll” moments. But still, when looked at as a whole, I enjoyed it.
feel like this show does borrow a lot from other mediums, and seems to do those sources justice. The vigilantes in this episode felt like they were taken right out of two parts of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, as both imitators of Batman and henchmen of the Joker who crash parties.
What I am most curious to see this season so far is the development of Roy’s story line into his hero character. From the comics, I have heard he goes through some pretty deep stuff. I am also curious about the relationship between Isabel and Oliver. With this remain adversarial? Could this perhaps turn into a love interest since Laurel seems to be on hiatus from Oliver at the moment? I guess we will see…
I guess the final question I have is, “Who is this blond masked chick?” She came in and kicked butt, and I am curious to know if she is a person we already have met, or a new character. Here’s to hoping for a good Season 2 of Arrow!
Violets’s Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 1 of Arrow: City of Heroes
I thought it was kind of weird that Oliver would return to the island, especially after he went through so much trouble trying to get off! Maybe because he spent so much time there, and because he pretty much found himself there, he sort of considers it his “home” in an odd way, and maybe hopes that he can find himself there again? Or he was just running away to sulk, like a dog with his tail between his legs, and he knew that was the best place he could hide. How long was he planning on staying there if Digg and Felicity hadn’t gone to get him? Forever? And what was he up to all that time? Are we going to start getting flashbacks of what happened when he was on the island the second time around? That could get confusing!
I’m glad that Laurel and Oliver are no longer together. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t like them together. However, I’m sure they’ll get back together at some point this season, unfortunately. Interestingly, Laurel says that she and Oliver sleeping together was a mistake, because she felt like she betrayed Tommy – even though they were broken up at that point. Oliver has the nerve to compare it to when he cheated on Laurel by bringing her sister on the boat with him. Totally not the same, because he and Laurel were still together – she even came to the boat to see him off! Obviously, Laurel only feels guilty because Tommy died, especially because he died saving her. If that hadn’t happened, I doubt she would have felt guilty, and things would have been hunky dory between her and Oliver, with them not caring about hurting Tommy’s feelings. Although I’m glad that Laurel and Oliver broke up, I hate the fact that it took Tommy’s death to cause that. I’m still mad about the fact that they killed off Tommy. I really liked his character, and I liked him and Laurel together. But anyway…
As a Firefly fan, I’m excited about Summer Glau joining the cast (as Isabel). However, it seems like she in more of a villainous role, which should be interesting.
Another interesting aspect that emerged from this episode is the fact that Oliver no longer wants to kill anyone. This will significantly change the dynamic of the show, now that he’s no longer going down the list killing people. I’m curious to see how this new set of morals plays out, considering that Oliver is sure to find himself in situations where it seems like his only choice is to kill or be killed.
Overall, I thought City of Heroes was a good, fun start to Season 2. Can’t wait to see how the season plays out with all these changes!
Scenes from Arrow, Episode 2, Identity
Here are scenes from next week’s Arrow episode titled Identity:
