It’s one thing to fail the city, but when you’re busting your ass using two personas to save the city and people keep vehemently bringing up that you failed it, life sucks.  

 

Okay, in Starling City that situation only applies to Oliver Queen, but the point of “Identity” is Ollie seems to be screwed no matter what he does, however he’s not doing himself any favors with his choices.  As CEO of Queen Consolidated he’s considered to be too much of a greedy fat cat to make a difference (well his company did make the earthquake bomb), and as The Green Arrow he’s considered to be bad news, especially by Laurel.  She did have a point, he does tend to cause a lot of chaos and death.  So what does he do about it?  Probably the wrong thing.  

 

It isn’t just Oliver that’s suffering this dual identity pain though.  Poor Felicity has been reduced to Executive Assistant to the CEO, a title necessary to carry on her activities for Team Green Arrow, but from a resume perspective, is one lousy demotion from being IT genius.  She went to MIT for god’s sake!  It’s her personal sacrifice though for the city, and she could only deal with her wounds by declaring that she would never bring her boss coffee.  Huh, at least her secret identity isn’t the “black driver” (way to point that out Diggle!).  Digg had already made his big sacrifice, but Oliver only found out after Felicity gave him the riot act for being ignorant.  He ended his relationship with Carly, partially because of his brother, but mostly because he couldn’t do the vigilante thing and be with her.  It’s sad, but very understandable.  He has a bigger purpose.  

 

So, team misery takes on The Triad, who are too easily hijacking drug shipments from the Feds, thus preventing needed medicine from getting to the Glades.  Yes, Felicity, I wondered the same thing, exactly why were the cops more concerned about catching The Hood (what happened to the new name BTW?) than getting the guys hijacking the shipments?  Especially when both Felicity and The Triad could easily track when those shipments were?  Why weren’t the Feds sending armored battalions with those shipments after a couple of robberies in which their drivers were killed?  Heck, why didn’t Ollie just pay an armored service?  I know this is Comic Book land, but geez, how incompetent.  


 

As you might recall from my prior reviews, I’m a self professed Comic Book moron.  I’m no more familiar with DC characters than I am Marvel, but at least when I’m watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I can claim I’ve seen the recent movies of that franchise.  However, thanks to some forward reading, I do know that the introduction of Bronze Tiger is a big deal.  So, congrats DC fans, he’s here.  It’s my understanding that this seems to be another step to the Suicide Squad being on this show, so welcome Wolverine-like dude (yes, rip into me and tell me how they’re not the same).    

 

Having said that, I really hope Bronze Tiger gets more time in his return, because his fight scenes were kind of short and weak.  But he got away, so that’s all that matters.  I wasn’t too impressed with the fight scenes with China White this time either.  I though the previous showdowns were better.  She got caught a little too easily, but this is the new non killing Green Arrow, and since she needs to make more appearances in the future her arrest seemed to be a logical option.  

 

Other than some new cool characters coming into the universe, Oliver spent most of the episode being the most clueless/hapless dude on the planet.  He was publicly admonished by the local alderman for the Glades for not caring about the city after visiting a Glades hospital that was more like a pitiful triage unit than a place that actually healed people.  Then Ollie meets with the guy to set things right in his office (yes, the view of the city was awesome, wasn’t it?), then gets publicly admonished again by the same guy for not caring because Ollie was too busy putting on the green suit to stop The Triad instead of attending their joint fundraiser for said Glades.  Bottom line, Ollie really sucks at this dual identity thing, because China White even pointed out the obvious.  Stopping people as The Hood/Green Arrow won’t get any attention.  No one will know.  Right now, Oliver Queen needs to step up, not the Green Arrow.  

 

Still, Ollie didn’t get the point, and decided to visit Laurel as The Hood/Green Arrow, even though their visit earlier went very badly.  Laurel figured that was going to happen, and that’s when the swat team moved it.  It all ends with the red lights all pointed on Oliver.  Considering we saw Ollie as The Hood/Green Arrow in the next episode preview, I presume he gets out of it, but if he doesn’t learn his lesson from this, then Diggle looks great in the suit too.  

 

It’s one thing to be a secret hero, but it’s a lot tougher being a real one with a face that people know.  Oliver might be realizing he’ll need help on the secret identity front  judging by the way he reached out to Roy in the end, asking him to help him with information instead of chasing villains.  After all, the dude needs training because the injuries are getting ridiculous!  So does this mean Ollie will step up as Oliver Queen and not The Hood/Green Arrow, or did he reach out to Roy because of Thea? 

We’ve got a whole season to find out, but dude better get a clue fast.  Not all heroes wear masks.  Luckily, Ollie’s got Felicity and her awesome dresses to point out under no uncertain terms what a dumbass he can be.  

 

Other Thoughts

 

Hey, I was going to watch anyway, but if you want to start with the shirtless workout on the high bar to get my attention, I won’t object.  

 

I’m sorry, what’s the red arrow significance again?  I kind of missed that reference.  

Yes, my kids actually had to point this out to me, but the alderman that publicly denounced Oliver, twice, is Sebastian Blood.  That is apparently a shout out to Teen Titans.  

 

I’m enjoying that these first two episodes are focusing more on the comic/superhero mythos and less on Ollie’s love life, at least in present time.  Perhaps that’s the intent given that Diggle doesn’t have a love life anymore either.  Even the “bromance” angle has been subdued, so I wonder if that’s a sign of things to come.  I like that the romance is being saved for the flashbacks.  It belongs there, because it’s key to the story and not for fluff and filler. 

 

Next week, I’m not really sure.  Perhaps fluff and filler, maybe not.  

 

 

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