Arrow: Dead To Rights Review

Our take on the seventeenth episode of Season One...

It's safe to say that these past few weeks, the scale and action on Arrow have been significantly ramping up from the initial episodes. Dead To Rights continues this trend in full force, shedding new light on the relationship of two key characters and building towards the finale in intriguing ways.

Let's get the negative stuff out of the way first, though. Firstly, Alex Kingston's brief cameo as Laurel's mother was a little underwhelming, feeling like little more than a cliffhanger plug for the final run of the season's first few twists. On top of that, the character arc of John Barrowman's Malcolm felt underdeveloped, and this reviewer couldn't help but wonder whether this effective character biting the proverbial bullet would have been a more impactful early conclusion to his storyline.

Nevertheless, Dead To Rights was filled to the brim with redeeming aspects. Barrowman and Colin Donnell were both on fine form as Malcolm and his son Tommy, and the latter's discovery that Oliver is in fact the Hood should definitely shake things up in the remaining six episodes of this blockbuster season. Stephen Amell thus got the chance to excel as the protagonist too, further integrating the Queen prodigy back into society as he made his alter-ego clearer to the world at large.

What should we expect after the second and final mid-season break, then? I'd wager that once she's dealt with her mother's return and the possible survival of her sister, Laurel may yet discover the truth about her ex and take the first steps towards becoming the Black Canary. Until then, on the basis of Dead To Rights, it seems that Arrow will continue to keep up its strong performances and compelling narrative arcs as it enters the final quarter of its first season!

4.5/5