Arrow: 5 Things That "The Calm" Did Right (And 3 It Didn't)

2. Character Dynamics

The Diglette was not the only endearing element of "The Calm." The dynamics between nearly all of the characters received at least some attention without feeling superfluous or overwhelming the rest of the plot. Especially refreshing after the Lance family drama that occupied so much of the second half of Season 2 (and to the pleasure of about 12 people) was the way in which no relationship in the premiere was marginalized by the others. One pairing may have received more screen time, but there was so much substance to even the briefest of interactions that it really didn't matter. Oliver and Laurel have a mature conversation that did not once devolve into a blame game. Quentin and the Arrow have a stable working relationship. Diggle and Lyla have a life together outside of the Arrow lair and ARGUS. Diggle and Oliver bond, fight, and hug it out. Felicity and Ray banter. Roy has moments with each of the three original members of Team Arrow. Lyla and Felicity are friends! Sara and Laurel have a conversation that almost would have passed the Bechdel test! The episode may not have been perfect, but the character relationships came pretty darn close to it. Oh, and it may seem like a certain unit of characters was left off of this list, but that's just because there was nothing particularly worthwhile about their interactions that anybody would actually care about...