Arrow: 13 Action Sequences That Totally Blew Our Minds

9. Archer Vs Archer, Part 2

arrow oliver queen slade wilson deathstroke
The CW

Episode: 1x23 – Sacrifice

Combatants: Oliver Queen vs. Malcolm Merlyn

What Happened: The Season 1 finale saw characters fighting on all fronts. With Oliver and Diggle hunting Malcolm, Felicity and Quentin teaming up to disable the earthquake machine, and Laurel…refusing to listen to everybody telling her to get out of the Glades, action is everywhere.

The most mind-blowing is the final faceoff of archer vs. archer. With Diggle injured, Oliver and Malcolm fight with arrows and fists and feet even as they argue. Malcolm gains the upper hand and begins to choke the life out of Oliver from behind.

Oliver responds by seizing an arrow and stabbing through his own chest to impale Malcolm. After an update from Felicity informs Oliver that Quentin was successful, he tells the dying Malcolm that his earthquake device will be claiming no lives in the Glades.

Why It Was Great: As both payoff to Oliver’s first devastating loss back in Year’s End and Oliver’s first finale fight with a Big Bad, the battle between Oliver and Malcolm was spellbinding, and Digg’s eyes going huge combined Malcolm’s agonized incredulity after Oliver stabs himself to stab Malcolm was almost funny.

Winner: Oliver won the fight…but Malcolm secretly survived and his second earthquake machine claimed lots of lives in the Glades

Contributor
Contributor

Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .