TV – Arrow Season 4, Episode 15

Lots to watch this week (with spoilers) for Steve Taylor-Bryant as he witnesses the fallout from last week's kidnap in this week's episode, Taken...

Felicity is attempting to walk after the tech Curtis invented had been inserted in her spine and, despite Oliver at her side and Curtis’ husband, Paul, the world class physio, the ability to walk still eludes her. As they are going back to their car Oliver and Felicity are stopped by Damien Darhk. Darhk wants Oliver to drop out of the Mayoral race at 6pm Friday or else they will never see William again, which leaves Oliver having to explain to Felicity who William is. Felicity isn’t happy at all that Oliver lied to her and is even less happy when she finds out that many other people including Thea and Barry Allen knew. Samantha is distraught at the kidnap of her son and has come to see Oliver because Barry Allen told her to. Oliver admits to Samantha that he is the Green Arrow and introduces her to everyone on the team.

To beat Darhk and rescue William, they will need a new plan, as they always fail to counteract his magic, so Green Arrow goes to Detroit and asks his friend Mari McCabe A.K.A Vixen to help as she understands magic. Using a Flash action figure of William’s, Vixen manages to pick up William’s scent. Thea questions Malcolm who denies any knowledge about the kidnapping and Diggle talks to Oliver about fatherhood. Back in the ArrowCave, Samantha tells Felicity the truth about the situation she put Oliver in with the secret, that she is responsible for Oliver lying to his fiancée. Oh and Laurel is still upset that Oliver cheated on her all those years ago with Samantha. The team track Darhk and Green Arrow and Vixen attack him but his magic is too strong and he launches Green Arrow out of a window. Vixen manages to break free and rescue Green Arrow but the chance to take Darhk and rescue William is gone.

When the team regroup, Quentin tells them about this mysterious totem that Darhk has and he and Vixen go to research the origins of its power and hopefully come up with a way to take down Darhk. Oliver meanwhile bows to Darhk and calls a press conference. He withdraws from the Mayoral race and endorses Ruve Adams as instructed, which upsets campaign manager Alex, who Oliver has to lie to about his reasons. Vixen advises Oliver that maybe he should stay out of William’s life and let him have a childhood without bearing the burden of who his father is. The team have managed to work out the source of Darhk’s power and trace him to his mansion. Vixen manages to steal his totem but his magic is still strong and he is using it to choke Green Arrow, Black Canary and Speedy. Vixen manages to smash the icon which breaks Darhk’s spell and Green Arrow finally manages to beat him up as Star City police, led by Captain Lance, swoop in and rescue William.

Thea confronts Malcolm, as it turns out he did the kidnapping, and they argue as Malcolm, for some reason, doesn’t like Thea’s tone. Samantha takes William away to a location no one knows about as Oliver records a message for William for when he is 18 explaining why he sent him away and who he was. Felicity breaks off the engagement to Oliver as she can't put up with not being included in any of his decision making. The anger allows her to stand and finally walk… Right out of the door.

Well, blow me down, this was a great episode. After last week's cautionary tale about lies and secrets we see the outcome of those lies this week. Having Damien Darhk involved in an episode is always a blast. Neil McDonough plays him with a twisted humour that just instantly appeals to me, add in the ever brilliant John Barrowman and it really was an orgy of brilliant bad guys. I was intrigued as to how Vixen was going to be shown, only knowing the character from cartoons where it's easier to show how her magic works but the special effects guys nailed the various animal changes perfectly. Megalyn Echikunwoke is most certainly a welcome addition the television universe and I hope she will be back soon, maybe even in her own show or at least some appearances in Legends of Tomorrow. Felicity and Oliver are off again and that will certainly change the team's dynamic as well as the personal one, so maybe we have some emotional episodes ahead that will require much weeping, but in the meantime I am going to go and rewatch this episode as this is what superhero television should be.

Image - IMDb