Arrow Review: Episode 2.20 – “Seeing Red” aka The City Fails Moira Queen

Well, I didn’t see that coming.  You’ve got to admit though, as far as spectacular deaths go, that was a pretty powerful scene, don’t you think?  Well done TPTB in keeping Moira Queen’s demise from all of us.

Whenever you get these season end previews that come out on the big entertainment sites, the most common teaser involves a tragic death. For Arrow, that’s just par for the course (Sara is still number one in my death pool.) However, if I was given the choice that someone in Oliver’s family had to die, I do believe Moira would have been the first name off my lips.


For one, Moira wasn’t even in the comics. Or she was, dead with Robert on the boat.  When they announced that this series would start with Oliver having a mother and sister who were alive when he was an only child orphan in the comics (and in Smallville), I wasn’t sure what the idea was behind that.  Yes, the existence of Thea has amped up a lot of angst in Oliver’s world, but any time Moira earned even a tiny shred of respectability, that would be obliterated by a despicable lie.

Two, she was always written as a shallow and one dimensional character. It’s no secret that I’ve never liked Moira. I grieved for Tommy’s demise way more. I didn’t even like Tommy at first, but he grew on me, while Moira never earned that kind of respect.  Her role in the undertaking still perplexes me.  Why did it take her over five years to stop it, and by that time it was too late?  Hiding the wreckage of The Queen’s Gambit definitely made no sense.   She didn’t seem like a brave or strong enough woman for my tastes. 

Third, it became obvious that there was no where else for her character to go. How many more times can her family (and the viewing audience) be shocked by her outrageous lies and betrayals?  Often times her actions made no sense.  Think about it, did you honestly see Moira as the Mayor of Starling City? She was in the pocket of special interests.  Pretty soon everyone would be manipulating her, just like her involvement in the undertaking.  

The latest drama with Moira, Thea and Oliver already felt old, and this week’s flashback only showed how she was totally irredeemable.  Oliver got a girl pregnant years ago and Moira paid the girl off with a few million dollars. The mother to be took the money and followed Moira’s instructions to tell Oliver she miscarried. That bitch!  So now it seems that next season (or possibly the end of this one), we’ll have a baby drama? If that kid ends up being tied to the island I swear I’m throwing a brick through my TV (I won’t TV, I promise. I can never harm you. It’ll be a virtual brick.)

Moira also died right before she could reveal to Oliver and Thea the other shocking secret, Malcolm Merlyn is alive. So, that’s going to be at least two lies that will literally come back to haunt her children (or harm them in very damaging ways).  Thea tried to make that point in the car before they were ambushed by Slade.  Do we think Moira would have listened and changed her ways?  No, and that’s probably what got her killed off.  Even dead she’s a problem. So you see, killing her just ended up being a mere formality. She doesn’t have to even be alive to cause problems for her kids with her lies.

However, perhaps Moira’s final act will earn her that redemption in some people’s eyes (while others like myself think she had it coming).  She did go out making a few things right.  I loved that in her final hours she gave Oliver words that he so longed to hear, after she admitted she figured out he was the Arrow.  “I couldn’t be prouder.”  That’s everything a child needs to hear, and know, no matter what.  No doubt that will bring some kind of resolve to Oliver in his role as The Arrow, but what kind?  I actually got weepy during that scene and it was a wise creative choice to keep the camera lingering on Oliver’s face through the whole thing.  Stephen Amell can so sell the stunned emotional reaction.   

You have to give it to Moira too, she went out doing the one thing she did best, protecting her children. She did it in grand fashion, by thwarting that sick bastard Slade Wilson from staging the same scenario Oliver faced with Sara and Shado. Yeah, it did get her a sword through the heart and even Moira seemed surprised, but just like the first time, the decision was taken out of Oliver’s hands. Not that he won’t feel guilty about it. He will, loads. Guilt is a great motivator though for pulling the s*** together and formulating a good plan for revenge, right? Ollie really needs to get his crap together.  

So, farewell Moira Queen.  It’s too bad your plots were often used for episode filler than any real movement forward and in the end you became expendable.  People either loved you or hated you, but you went out with a memorable bang.  If any good comes of this, your name will be mentioned in the numerous “shocking death” retrospectives on entertainment websites for years to come.

In other plots, who didn’t think it was adorable that on top of everything, poor Oliver had his knee badly injured? This ended up being one case of his good deeds being rewarded. Sara was able to find a doctor who was very grateful to the vigilante for stopping The Triad from stealing medical supplies. He got to thank him by fixing up his knee and showing his appreciation. There was no fixing the knee though without Ollie enduring agonizing pain. In the episode’s only LOL moment, I loved Oliver snatching the Lidocane from Felicity and crankily giving himself a large dose.

The one plot that I’m not sure played out so well was Sara just up and leaving Oliver. She had every right to be spooked by Oliver’s proposal that they move in and start a life together, but to leave the team? Right when Slade Wilson is out there looming? What about Diggle and Felicity? They need her too. I’m not sure I’m buying the whole mess. Sure, Sara wanted to kill Roy, but that’s just a minor philosophical difference. Come back and kill Slade instead! I can only think that Sara’s leaving means that Oliver opens the next ep feeling isolated and alone, but haven’t Diggle and Felicity pledged their unwavering allegiance? That’s all you need Oliver.

If anything though, this episode solidified that Slade Wilson has delivered solidly on his promise to make Oliver suffer, and now the gauntlet has been thrown down.  Will Oliver choose to kill Slade this time?  This episode opened that debate, because Sara was willing to kill Roy and Oliver still doesn’t want to give up. Roy is very dangeous though and how long can he be contained if the cure cannot be formulated soon?  Will the death of his mother be a breaking point for Oliver in that vow to not kill?  Will he try to cure Slade or kill him?  What is the next part of Slade’s plan?  That’s what the remaining three episodes are sure to explore, as well as setup plenty of drama for the next season.  I cannot wait.   

So tell me, will you miss Moira Queen?  What do you think her death will do to Oliver?  Do you think Roy’s story will end well or badly?