Arrow Season 7: 3 Ups & 1 Down From 'Level Two'

Ups...

3. Oliver's Emotional Trials

While the idea of yet another week of Oliver Queen getting nowhere in his quest to find The Demon didn't exactly sound appealing, the writers outdid themselves this time - choosing to focus on the effects that prison is having on his mind.

Having finally arrived at Level Two, Oliver was subjected to a number of mind games by the prison's psychiatrist in an attempt to get him to open up to him, and essentially reject his former lifestyle so that "history wouldn't repeat itself for William". But as history was involved, the episode took us back to the moment in which Oliver's life was changed forever: His father's death.

The show's decision to recycle both the old footage and the score from Season 1 made the whole thing an incredibly emotional experience for us, as well as Oliver. As a result, he wasn't just going through this alone, we were going through it with him, re-living all that heartache alongside him.

In addition, the fantasy scene in which Oliver took his father's place and William took his on the lifeboat was every bit as emotionally harrowing as the actual Season 1 footage, and it really felt like this was the moment that ultimately broke Oliver - leaving us to wonder what will actually be left of him in next week's episode. His body may be intact, but the Green Arrow's soul may have been broken.