Well, here it was, the Arrow story of how two friends–brothers in arms–went to war with one another over the love of a girl. It had been teased and set up and alluded to, and finally, we got to see how it all shook out. ‘The Promise’ was a very strong episode, but I have serious issue with the reasoning behind Slade’s hate of Ollie. In my opinion, the creators have not come up with a strong enough premise to cause these two friends to split. Maybe if they had made it abundantly clear that Ollie chose Sara (in the episode ‘Three Ghosts,’ Ollie seems to offer himself up to Ivo to be shot and Ivo shoots Shado, meaning that Ivo made the choice), maybe his guilt would be warranted. Maybe he should have called Ivo’s bluff. Actually make it Oliver’s fault and not ambiguous as it is now.
Seeing how important this event is to the creation of Arrow and his rogue’s gallery of villains, it should have been better thought out and executed by the writers and directors of the series. I just hope that this one mistake in what is usually a well written, superbly conceived show will not end up being its Achilles heel.
1. What is it?
Arrow Season 2, Episode #215, titled ‘The Promise.’
2. Who’s in it?
Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen/Arrow; David Ramsey as John Diggle; Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak; Willa Holland as Thea Queen; Colton Haynes as Roy Harper; Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen; Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson; Guest stars this week include Caity Lotz as Sara; Dylan Neal as Anthony Ivo; Artine Brown as Thomas Flynn; James Pizzinato as Hendrick Von Arnim; David Nykl as Anatoli Knyazev; Ron Selmour as The Butcher; and Celina Jade as Shado.
3. Who made it?
‘The Promise’ was written by Jake Coburn & Ben Sokolowski. The episode was directed by Glen Winter.
4. What is it about? (**spoilers galore**)
‘The Promise’ is Season 2’s flashback-heavy episode as it spends most of its time in the past. Season one had ‘The Odyssey,’ so it seems that each season we’ll get one primarily flashback episode.
This episode–which is essentially two different plots/stories–opens with modern Ollie (Amell) and Slade (Bennett), face to face. Ollie is obviously uncomfortable as Slade plays him like a cheap fiddle. He constantly paws Moira (Thompson), asks open-ended questions that puts Ollie on the spot, and prolongs the visit by asking to see various things around the Queen Estate. At one point, even Thea (Holland) is brought into the mix and Ollie knows that Slade means to harm them all. During a stop checking out the elder Queen’s collection of classic American landscapes, Ollie is able to dial Felicity (Rickards) in the Arrow Cave. She and Diggle (Ramsey) are just coming back with a sack full of Big Belly Burgers as Sara (Lotz) and Roy (Haynes) are training with a bow. Felicity, thinking she was butt-dialed, puts the call on speakerphone and Sara hears Slade’s voice and realizes that Oliver is in deep trouble.
She rallies Team Arrow–including Roy–and they set off to save Ollie and his family. When Roy appears at Stately Queen Manor, Slade realizes what is happening. When Sara suddenly appears, he seems genuinely shocked, alluding that there is more story to be told.
Sara tells Ollie that Diggle is set up outside for a headshot and Ollie walks Slade to his car, a beautiful Lamborghini. Before Diggle can take the shot, he is mysteriously taken down. Ollie puts all the pieces together and realizes that Slade Wilson has been pulling the strings in Starling City. Slade informs Ollie that Diggle will not be taking the shot, and then tells him to remember his promise that he made back on the island. Slade drives away and Ollie is left knowing that his entire world in now in turmoil.
Moira tells Oliver that because of the way he treated her guest, Ollie is no longer welcome in her home.
Slade goes back to his office and he activates a series of cameras that he secretly places all over the Queen estate. He now has eyes on all things Queen.
The second story in ‘The Promise’ deals exclusively with the events on the island and with the Team Oladera attacking Ivo (Neal) on the freighter.
The island story opens with Ollie training, now much more skilled than we last saw him. He’s running and tumbling and shooting and even Slade tells him that “Shado would be proud.” With preparations complete, the plan goes into motion and Ollie is wracked with guilt over Shado’s death. Sara tells him that he has to kill Ivo before Slade finds out the truth.
Ollie dons the green hood for the first time and allows himself to get captured. Ivo pumps him full of truth serum, but Ollie–using a concoction that Sara whipped up–is able to fight it and misdirect Ivo and his crew while Slade and Sara parachute onto the deck. Slade dons Billy Wintergreen’s mask and the assault begins.
Ollie is able to corner Ivo on the bridge and he cannot kill him, as Sara directed. Ivo tells Ollie that it was his fault that Shado was killed–that he made the choice, and Ollie admits that he made a mistake. And Slade hears it all.
With the secret out, Slade beats the snot out of Ollie while Ivo tries to escape. Sara frees the prisoners, including Anatoli Knyazev (Nykl), Reverend Thomas Flynn (Brown) and Hendrick von Arnim (Pizzinato). Hendrick tries to kill Sara until Flynn saves her. She leads the others off the freighter and they swim toward the island. Ollie tries to follow, but Slade is able to grab him before he can jump and continues beating his one time “brother.” He throws Ollie into the holding cells.
Now, driven by Mirakuru-fueled rage, Slade takes the Amazo for himself, cuts off Ivo’s hand, and then promises to make Oliver Queen suffer, to take everything that Ollie cares for, just like Ollie took Shado from him.
Sara and the prisoners wash up on shore and she realizes that Ollie didn’t make it and things must’ve gone bad. And the next chapter of the island saga begins.
5. Any revelations, tie-ins, easter eggs, etc.? (**SPOILER!**)
William “Billy” Wintergreen, Slade Wilson’s butler/handler/co-merc/friend is mentioned. It was Wintergreen who wore the mask while working for Fyers in Season 1 and subsequently died.
Curtis Swan, the painter that Thea mentions, is actually an old Green Arrow artist from the early ’80s.
6. Will we watch next week?
Did anybody else catch the very quick shot of the blond woman in pigtails in the jail cell during the previews for the next episode? The episode is titled ‘Suicide Squad,’ and it will premiere on March 19. Will they at least HINT at Harley Quinn? Even knowing that she exists in this universe is enough to make a grown man giddy.
