Arrow returned last night from its winter hiatus with “Divided.” The way the episode ended was hugely satisfying. Curtis leads Rene and Dinah to the old and now abandoned Helix headquarters and flicks on the lights. It’s their new decked out HQ — only Ollie, Felicity, and Diggle are nowhere in sight. Team Green Arrow is officially split. Back at the cave, meanwhile, Felicity puts the finishing touches on the implantation that’s supposed to bring Diggle back to normal. Felicity holds her breath as Ollie tosses a handgun Dig’s way. Diggle catches it and in one motion shoots out a target. He’s back!
Before we get to the fantastic final minutes of “Divided,” let’s start from the top of the episode. Cayden James and Black Siren pay a Bertinelli boss who controls a major port a visit. They want it and give Bertinelli 24 hours to vacate. Green Arrow catches wind and tries to create an unlikely alliance with him. With the rest of Team Arrow still pissed that Oliver was spying on them, and Diggle still far from 100 percent, Green Arrow is basically on his own — save Felicity’s eyes and ears.
In Green Arrow’s first tango with Cayden and Black Siren, he discovers the many other people who are fighting alongside Cayden including Vigilante, Anatoly, and other members of Bratva. This was a great turn. At the very moment where Green Arrow is the most alone, his enemy has as much backup as we’ve ever seen. Not only that — Cayden’s henchmen are some of Oliver’s most persistent antagonists.
Anatoly doesn’t feature too much in this episode, but Vigilante definitely does. Vigilante and Dinah have several scenes together, including a waterfront date where they reminisce about old times. Maybe Vigilante has finally turned a new leaf.
Later, though, when Ollie brings Dinah, Curtis, and Rene in for some attempt at reconciliation, Dinah is hit with the truth that Vigilante has aligned with Cayden. Dinah immediately rejects Ollie’s reveal, but then promptly goes to confront Vigilante about it. This was a bit clumsy, I’d say. If Dinah was as upset with Oliver as we’ve been led to believe (as well as in some sort of new honeymoon period with Vigilante), I don’t buy that she’d immediately confront Vigilante and not believe him.
In any case, Vigilante basically comes clean but says he’s got it covered. When Dinah moves to arrest him, though, Vigilante knocks her out and escapes. So much for being a changed man.
Fighting on his own, Green Arrow fares as well as can be expected. At one point, Cayden James has Arrow right where he wants him but for some reason lets him go. This gets on Black Siren’s nerves and she basically calls out the ridiculousness of it, saying she’s tired of people just not killing Oliver when they have the chance.
I’d agree.
Anyway, Bertinelli eventually sides with Arrow and the two hope to take down Cayden when he returns to the waterfront. Again, though, they’re completely outnumbered and it’s not long before Bertinelli gets cold feet and turns on Oliver. I do like how this crime boss was humanized; it’s not just self-serving, he’s also worried about his daughter who Cayden threatens.
This is one of those Arrow episodes that ends in failure, at least as far as Oliver’s ability to stop his enemies. Bertinelli is shot square in the head and Cayden takes control over the port that Green Arrow seemed to have no chance in securing in the first place.
Still, that’s why I really appreciated the last few moments of the episode, with Dinah, Curtis and Rene at their new headquarters, and the new hope of a rejuvenated Diggle who will be able to help in Green Arrow’s fight. It’ll be fun to see these two factions of Team Arrow square up against Cayden James, assuming they don’t step on each others’ toes in the process.
Season 6, Episode 10 (S06E10)
Arrow airs Thursdays at 9PM on CW
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Ade writes about the philanthropy of billionaires and millionaires by day, and writes screenplays by night.
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Ade Adeniji | Contributor
