Arrow Season 7: 4 Ups & 0 Downs From 'Past Sins'

2. Tying It All Together

Oliver's meeting with Emiko didn't go so well because she refused to believe that there was any good in the Queen family. Although Oliver set out to change her mind with honesty, it was clear that he was still struggling with the fact that his father murdered Dave Hackett in order to give him a chance at survival all those years ago. Of course, this set the stage for Hackett's son, Sam to unleash an attack on Star City.

Outraged by the fact that Oliver was portrayed as a hero, he sought to bring down the SCPD precinct until they removed him from their staff. This, however, prompted Oliver to come forward with the information that he had been hiding as he publicly revealed what his father had done, ending the web of lies and ultimately doing right by both Dave and Sam Hackett. This honesty, in turn, opened Emiko's eyes and, perhaps even her heart, as she was willing to think about giving her brother a chance.

Much of Arrow's strength lies in its ability to use the past to enhance the present, and that's exactly what we saw here. Little did we know that, when we all watched Robert Queen kill Dave Hackett in the pilot episode, his actions would still have such an adverse effect on the characters so many years later. But Sam's quest to get justice for his father pushed Oliver to open up to the public and, in doing so, it brought his arc in this episode full-circle. His emotional journey was very well-executed, and it made full-use of Arrow's rich history.