Arrow: 10 Best Episodes So Far

Written By: Marc Guggenheim & Drew Z. Greenberg

Directed By: Guy Bee

Slade Wilson got plenty of spotlight during Season 2 but Deathstroke absolutely belongs to Manu Bennett. We’ve seen the mirakuru-addled Slade act like a madman in the past, but this marked the reveal of Slade as a cool and collected strategist. As a villain with infinite resources, a hugely-detailed master plan, and a series of surgical strikes, this episode proved that Slade was without a doubt the most formidable foe Oliver had ever faced.

Though the central conflict of the episode centres around Slade kidnapping Thea, it’s his smaller actions throughout that cement his status in Arrow lore. He ultimately lets Thea go, but not before revealing to her that her real father is Malcolm Merlyn. He then follows that up with informing Laurel that Oliver is the Arrow. With just a couple of words, Slade turned two of Oliver’s most trusted allies bitter towards him. He finishes this sequence off by freeing a bus full of convicts for his army.

Beyond Slade’s machinations, there’s other small moments of greatness peppered throughout. Isabel Rochev, now in control of Queen Consolidated, reveals herself as a villain, and the always entertaining Anatoly makes a fun inclusion in the past. Arrow doesn’t often devote this much time to its villains but in this instance, it’s good that it did.