Arrow Season 4: 12 Big Questions After 'Beacon Of Hope'
Arrow has never *been* so much fun.
I can't bee-lieve this episode. Honestly, after watching it you'll be buzzing, because it wasn't really like any episode of Arrow we're used to seeing, bee puns or no bee puns (but most definitely the bee puns).
Aside from that particular brand of humour, the episode itself was a hive of activty. It may not have been Ah-Muzen, but it was a thoroughly ridiculously and enjoyable romp that finally seemed to make good on the promise of Season 4 being lighter and funnier than previous years. Hey, it only took them 17 episodes!
Beacon of Hope (gettit, like BEE-con? Ok I'll stop now) brought back Flash Season 1 villain Brie Larvan, after Felicity not because she put her in jail, but rather the technology that allows her to walk. It meant we had the absurdity of Team Arrow, this week joined by Curtis Holt as the Felicity stand-in, taking on a bunch of robo-bees, while Felicity was trapped in Palmer Tech with Thea and, even better, Mama Smoak.
There were lots of jokes, movie references (Berlanti shows have been loving Harry Potter this week), and some general silliness you wouldn't normally associate with the show, alongside the action and drama beats playing underneath it all.
While it was a light episode, there's still plenty to question going forward, and there's a lot to comb through after that sting in the tail...
12. What Next For Brie Larvan?
Brie Larvan, or the Bug-Eyed Bandit, made a big return this week after her previous appearance in the Arrowverse, which came on The Flash.
Although she ended up in a jail cell, thanks to Felicity, for some baffling reason this expert computer hacker was allowed internet access, hence how she orchestrated her release in this episode.
She's taken down again though, and presumably won't have such privileges this time. Does that mean this is the last we see of Larvan? She's not the sort of villain who could carry a season, or even a mini-arc, but for a one-off episode of either show she's adds a fun if rather OTT and, er, cheesy presence, and it could be interesting for her to come back again in Season 5 of Arrow or 3 of Flash, especially if she does end up paralysed and out for further revenge.