Arrow 7x04 "Level Two" Episode Review
Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with Caution.
There was too much going on in this episode. It mostly contributes to an overcrowded cast and lack of focus. I did enjoy Oliver’s prison storyline arc with the therapy and evaluation happening. There is a new character named Jarrett Parker, the psychiatrist of the prison. I wasn’t clear on his motives, which made him interesting. Like is he trying to help Oliver with good intentions or is he one of the villains trying to break him down into nothing.
The throwbacks to the first season were appreciated but overdone. Although, I did find myself fascinated by how the psychiatrist broke down Oliver’s mission… how it was forced on him and how it was tainted from the start. They also mentioned how crazy it was for Robert Queen to kill that guy to ensure Oliver’s survival. That unnamed man had hopes, dreams, and a family too. The parallel scene with Oliver in Robert’s place and William in Younger Oliver’s was a strong touch to the episode.
The flash forwards have potential to unravel the future of the Arrowverse, but it got cluttered with everything else going on. Roy Harper and William return to Star City and find it overrun with anti-vigilantism. We got a run-down Smoak Technologies, an older Dinah working as the Black Canary with Zoe as her sidekick Canary. Rene isn’t interested in Star City and Felicity is dead. The future is not bright.
In the present, Curtis is still irrelevant. I think we have to write him out or kill him off. He is not fitting like he used to. Or move him to another show. That is an option we tried out with Wally West. Rene and Dinah continue to clash over the new Green Arrow and their different views on how to save this city. By episode’s end, Dinah is willing to take a page out of Quentin Lance’s playbook and work with the vigilantes rather than against them… what a way to honor one of the best characters we lost.
I hope the reveal of the Green Arrow is worth the wait… if it’s a random person we don’t know… I’m going to be upset.
Felicity and Laurel E2 teamed up in this episode. We got a lot of Earth-2 information from Laurel like how everyone in Earth-2 feared Felicity E2 and the emotional baggage she still carries over her “Oliver Queen”. These two are more alike than they care to admit. Initially, Laurel and Felicity are feuding over how to handle the Silencer.
I didn’t appreciate how the Silencer got away so soon. I wanted to learn more about her and the Longbow Hunters, but oh well. In my opinion, this was a missed opportunity to flesh out the most interesting member.
Overall, a lot of good material but it made the episode overstuffed. We have to cut down on the characters somehow. I’m recommending Curtis at the very least and by the looks of the flash forward, Rene might be joining him out the door.