Arrow Season 7: 4 Ups & 1 Down From ‘My Name Is Emiko Queen’

1. The New Green Arrow

While Arrow's midseason premiere proved to be a lot of fun, it simply wouldn't have worked without its protagonist - and although this protagonist had a penchant for wearing green leather and beating up bad guys, it wasn't Oliver Queen. No, this week, that honour belonged to his long-lost sister, Emiko.

The character's introduction at the end of the season's first half sent shockwaves through the Arrow fandom, so following that up with an episode led by her was undoubtedly a risky move - but it was one that ultimately paid off. With her own mission, her own motivations and her very own list, she tore up Star City in search of her mother's killer in a way that would have made Season 1 Oliver Queen very proud. However, she was equally as engaging when she wasn't wearing the hood.

A distraught daughter angry at the world for the cards that it dealt her, Emiko isn't just another vigilante that risks fading into the background of some team in a later season. Much like the rest of the female characters this season, she's a strong independent woman with her heart so set on solving her own problems that she had to be convinced to even take on a partner. And in a single episode, she has managed to make her own unique stamp on the show, while also resurrecting that grounded vigilante approach that the first few seasons thrived on.

Without a doubt, the rise of this new Emerald Archer was worth the wait.

Now for the negative...