S01.E18: Salvation

[formerlyfreedom]

An angry resident of The Glades who calls himself “The Savior” embarks on a kidnapping and killing spree to punish those he believes have wronged the residents of his neighborhood. To make things worse, he broadcasts these murders online and claims he was inspired by Arrow’s vigilantism. Oliver is horrified by this statement and vows to stop “The Savior,” but his manhunt in intensified after Thea comes to him in tears and tells him Roy has been kidnapped. Laurel is surprised when her father starts to believe her mother’s claim that Sara is still alive. Meanwhile, Malcom tells Moira to find the person responsible for his attempted murder.

 

[quarks]

Another vigilante! Roy meets the Hood! Malcolm Merlyn takes a page from the Darth Vader School of Management Techniques! Oliver and Felicity deepen their relationship just as Oliver decides to be an island

(I sense a theme)

; well, kinda! Also there's a C plot involving Laurel where the Chinese Embassy proves unexpectedly helpful. But first!

 

1. Shirtless Oliver and Felicity ogling. Hee.  

 

2. There's a bit more going on here, though, in between the ogling: Felicity started out against Oliver killing people. Aware of this, he asks if she's ok with this one. "One hundred percent." Arguably the ogling made a difference.  Take a note of that for future fights with her, Oliver: they might go better if you take your shirt off first.

 

3. One of the hands down worst reusing of a set this show has ever had: John Nickel's bedroom is obviously Malcolm Merlyn's office.

 

4. "I don't like the idea of somebody dangerous out there."  (Felicity gives a "You have GOT to be kidding me" look) "SOMEBODY ELSE! Because typically they don't show my level of restraint."

 

I feel that for next season we should all give Oliver a nice dictionary so he can look up the definitions of "restraint" and

"dead like actually dead."

 

5. "The people who get close to me get hurt...The life that I'm leading for myself doesn't leave much room for an actual life. And I don't need one."

 And this is before Oliver became Queen Consolidated's most useless CEO ever.  Never accuse this show of not setting up themes early. Interesting that it follows Tommy's similar observation from the previous episode - it's clearly something the show wanted to explore.

 

6. But enough of the mushy stuff! Let's go killing!

 

7.

I feel the overall lesson this show teaches us is never, ever work for the DA's office in Starling City. Like ever.

 

8. "You're going to hood up?"  "It's the middle of the day!" Thank you for clearing this up, show.

 

9. Was anybody else worried that something would happen to Oliver's coat during the rooftop chase/car/truck scene? Just me? Ok, let's move on to the more important stuff.

 

10. "Maybe it's better being alone."  

It's like this entire episode is a setup/foreshadowing for season three, isn't it?

 

 

11. "I can't imagine you want the death of an innocent young woman on your hands. Not with your principles."

 OW, show OW. 

 

12. The subway reveal is really, really awesome.  A) because it's a joint Team Arrow effort - Felicity tracking the signals, Oliver investigating the buildings, Diggle drawing the correct conclusion, B) when we see the subway tunnel entrance, it looks awesome, C) the callback to several episodes before this with the subway map.

 

13. "What's the difference between you and me?" Well, you aren't going to like this answer, other vigilante, but Oliver is trying to save a guy that the network really, really wants to have on the show because of the supposed teenage appeal, and, well, you aren't. Confirmed by the swelling music.

 

14. Awwww. Moira, how nice of you to try to argue to keep Amanda alive after you arranged to have her father shot. It's these moments of compassion from you that make you so awesome. I do hope all that blood didn't mess up your manicure.

 

15. Let the Oliver/Felicity shoulder touches begin.

 

And now, the rest of the episode, aka how can we possibly torpedo Laurel's character still further?  

Though season two is still to come. 

 

Number of times Laurel fails as a lawyer this episode, two: 1. Using her work time to track down pictures of her missing sister. Also, forcing the receptionist dude/intern whatever to handle her calls from the Chinese embassy, 2, Leaving her desk to go chat with Thea which means making the Chinese embassy, which is doing HER a favor, wait on hold. Wait, that's more office etiquette failure. Never mind. Moving on.

 

Number of times Laurel fails as a human being this episode, six:  1, having, just LAST EPISODE, told her father that maybe he should look into this Sara thing, she starts off THIS episode by claiming that the only reason she wanted her father to talk to her mother was so that he could talk Dinah out of this belief and he needs to stop the search, like, now, which apart from being completely inconsistent (again), is just AUUGH LAUREL! This is his daughter! Of COURSE he should search for her! What's wrong with you? I started printing up flyers when my CAT took off for four hours (happy ending) (I apologize to all parents for that unfair comparison.) 2, initially brushing Thea off when the girl asks for help, even though, Laurel, let me remind you that you offered to be in loco parentis or whatever. 3. As Statsgirl pointed out, bringing her parents into her office to shove Jen into their faces, like, THANKS LAUREL. 4. Deciding to act as an actual lawyer with probing questions for the first time in several episodes on her mother who is having a complete breakdown. 5. Making her mother cry. 6. Not going to her mother to hug her after this.

 

Number of negative comments on the Oliver/Laurel relationship, five: 1, Oliver, including Laurel on the list of women that he's hurt, 2. The entire C plot reminds us that Oliver cheated on Laurel by running off with Sara and now she's dead like THANKS OLIVER but also 3, suggests that Sara thought she was in love with Oliver, the first wedge between the "Laurel and Oliver have always been twu wuvs" 4, when Oliver asks if Laurel wants to have dinner or coffee, she's all like,"Why?" 5, and walks away.

 

There's a reason for that.

 

By the time episode 18 was storyboarded and scripted, fans and critics had responded negatively to Laurel and Laurel/Oliver, with general tolerance for Laurel shifting to "I hate Laurel."  Episode 10, intended to rehabilitate Laurel and try the Laurel/Oliver relationship one more time, had not reversed this trend - though it had demonstrated the issues with trying to write episodes where a vigilante and a lawyer work together.  In any case, the decision to back away from Laurel/Oliver and bring Felicity into the Arrow Cave instead had been made before that episode had aired. 

 

This episode continues that trend. It's not just that Laurel's only independent plot is entirely about the pain that Oliver has caused her and her entire family, emphasizing how the crash and burn of their relationship was so terrible that it broke up another marriage, or that this is yet another episode where Laurel is again almost the only character with no connection to either of the main plots (and she serves to keep Quentin out of them) but Laurel physically walks away from Oliver - allowing him to walk to Felicity. Meanwhile, Oliver and Felicity are paired throughout the episode: both are single, both are isolated because of this crime fighting gig; their words echo each other's. Felicity never appears outside the Arrow Cave in this episode, emphasizing the connection, and she is one of only three characters aware of the two main plots - the Savior and the Undertaking.

 

And the other key: several episodes had shown Laurel actively or passively preventing Oliver from taking down the bad guys. In this episode, however, paying attention to Felicity allows Oliver's eyes to move to her computer - where he makes the connection between the subway and the symbol in the book. (I still don't know why the Undertaking is using a subway tunnel system as a logo or why Robert Queen thought putting it into the notebook was a good idea but let's move on.) It's subtle, but it's another sign noting that Felicity is going to be a better partner for the Hood than Laurel.

[TanyaKay]

hahaha I laughed out loud at that one. And it is bad to be working for the DA's office unless you happen to be Laurel Lance.

 

Not only you will get the most high profile cases for not reason whatsoever,
you will also not be questioned or suspended for killing a police officer (she
killed him and showed no remorse in Blind Spot) even if it was in self defense
and if you do get fired for substance abuse, you get handsome severance package
and you can later blackmail your way back into your job.

 

[icandigit]

Love the moment when Diggle says he's not asking Oliver about going out to eat.Partners.
Island Oliver's negotiation made me giggle.
"Keeps my ears warm"Oliver can be cute sometimes.
The scene with oliver and diggle in big belly burger is one of my favorites in the series.
Liked KC in this ep, but was bored by the storyline.
"Do I tell you how to sharpen your arrow?" Love them
Aww.Thea thinks her big brother can fix this.so cute
Because she's your baby sister.Felicity was on fire this ep.
Moira is sweetevil.

[MsSchadenfreude]

This episode had one of my favorite action sequences when Oliver is running and jumping across the rooftops.

 

Good for you Felicity.  If Oliver insists on hanging over your computer station shirtless.  Then it's pretty much your sworn duty to ogle him.

 

The look on Felicity's face when Oliver says "I don't want somebody dangerous running around out there" was priceless.  

 

"I used my loud voice"

 

Nothing makes me giggle more than listening to Oliver tell some other vigilante why The Arrow killing people is different.  Because it just is... unnamed vigilante.LOL

 

Loved Diggle/Oliver's dinner.  "I'll take you to dinner" "I'm not hungry" "Yeah, I'm not asking"

 

The Oliver/Laurel scene still seems weird to me.  "You want to get dinner or coffee?"  "Why?" "I don't want to be on an island anymore."  "Sure…bye" Leaves in cab.  Just what???

 

But that's okay because not getting dinner or coffee with Laurel meant Oliver could go tell Felicity that she can always tell him about her day.  Awww!

 

You should have listened to me, Frank.  I told you not to trust Moira Queen and now you're dead.

[wingster55]

Rewatched this one...I quite liked the Lance's story here..especially Laurel. 

The last scene with her and Oliver was pretty good too. 

 

The Team Arrow dynamics were also spot on...all played a part (and yes the dinner scene with Oliver and Diggle was great)

 

I liked both Laurel and Tommy being there for Thea to talk and for comfort (take note Oliver).

[bijoux]

Toodles, Frank.

 

I miss Big Belly. When was the last time they went there? I'm thinking Dig and Felicity on The Flash.

 

I find myself puzzled over really liking the villain of the week story considering he comes down to a diluted version of Malcolm. Maybe it's precisely because of that that he comes across as so human and all the scarier for it. Of course, I did still appreciate Malcolm at this point as well, to be fair.

 

I will never not be disappointed by how much I dislike Alex Kingston here. It's not just because of Dinah, who's an unlikable character, it's her portrayal as well. I just don't get it. I think she's a great actress but here nothing clicks. Digression, but since I mentioned clicking, what are the clicks Slade uses as the measure of distance on the island?

 

One of the many things I find puzzling about the writing for Laurel is that they chose to send her to have a pretty warm conversation with Oliver after being served the freshest reminder of him cheating on her with her sister. And then she casts a flirtatious glance as she's leaving?! My mind continues to boggle over this.

[statsgirl]

 

I miss Big Belly. When was the last time they went there? I'm thinking Dig and Felicity on The Flash.

 Digression, but since I mentioned clicking, what are the clicks Slade uses as the measure of distance on the island?

The Big Belly Burger joint got repurposed to be CCJitters on The Flash. I think MG said we will see Big Belly no more.

 

I don't remember that line of Slade's but 'clicks' is often used as a short form for kilometres.

[Chaser]

I think they were rushing to get Laurel hook up ready for 1x20. It didn't help her consistency problems. It damaged Oliver too, but I would say it hurt Laurel more.

[bijoux]

The Big Belly Burger joint got repurposed to be CCJitters on The Flash. I think MG said we will see Big Belly no more.

 

I don't remember that line of Slade's but 'clicks' is often used as a short form for kilometres.

Thanks for the clicks.

Noooo about the Big Belly Burger. I get that they needed it in S1 when Iris worked there. But can't they hand the set back over now? Even Kendra's off the show. It was just so great to see how characters used to hang out somewhere different from time to time. Or have Thea open something in Verdant. Seeing the opening in the previous episode and the scenes there in this one, they really managed to fill the place up with bodies in S1. Not so much in S2. The music really sucked, though. And why there were two flat screen TVs right next to each other in a night club, I cannot fathom. Like, open that decent sushi place, the lack of which Felicity bemoans.

[statsgirl]

The Flash definitely gets more love than Arrow from both the network and the EPs.  It's not just the Big Belly Burger set they're willing to cannabalize.

 

I agree that it's nice to see them on a set other than the lair, PT or the candidate's office.  I don't think they necessarily need the Big Belly Burger set since Carly is no longer part of the show and Oliver and Felicity now eat together at home, but it would be nice to have a place where they could get together socially.

[Wayward Son]

Good episode all around! I enjoyed the scene where Oliver is trying (and failing) to find the saviour in particular. I thought the pacing was great and the team work of team arrow was wonderful to see :D. 

 

I didnt mind the Lance stuff. While I’d normally say Laurel was right to force them to accept the loss of Sera and start moving on I’ve a strong feeling we are about to find out Sera actually is alive. 

[statsgirl]

I think it's generally a mistake to force people to accept "the truth". Mostly people know what is true and what isn't; if a person won't accept it, it's most likely their subconscious protecting them.  I can't remember if it's a deleted scene or in the broadcast version so I'm putting it in spoiler tags

Spoiler

Dinah saw Sara before she left on the boat and failed to stop her, so Dinah needed to believe that Sara was still alive otherwise she had to blame herself for Sara's death.

Laurel blindsiding her mother like that in the office rather than telling her quietly and directly seemed angry and resentful to me.

Laurel seems to have had a love/hate relationship with her sister's memory. She loved and grieved her sister's death, but she seems to have also resented the time her parents spent mourning Sara and the attention they still gave her.

[tv echo]

118 (Salvation) – Oliver Queen’s voiceover intro:
Oliver (voiceover): "My name is Oliver Queen. For five years I was stranded on an island with only one goal... survive. Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish... to use a list of names he left me, to bring down those who are poisoning my city. To do this, I must become someone else. I must become something else."

118 (Salvation) – Felicity watches Oliver work the salmon ladder above her head:
(Shirtless Oliver works the salmon ladder high above Felicity’s head.)
Oliver: “John Nickel is one of the wealthiest real estate developers in Starling City. He's also one of the dirtiest. That building that burnt down last night? The wiring was not up to code.” 
Felicity: “Maybe he didn't know that.” 
Oliver: “I guess he also didn't know about the seven people who have frozen to death in his other buildings over the past three years.” 
Diggle: “Yeah, he's a real man of the people.” 
Oliver (grunting, jumps off salmon ladder): “Not for long. The D.A. ignores this, and the police can't do anything because all these slums are in the Glades. So tonight, Felicity, we cross Mr. Nickel's name off the list. You okay with that?” 
Television News Anchor: “The scene outside of the courtroom where Nickel was released this afternoon was not surprisingly tense.”
Felicity: “100%”.

118 (Salvation) – Oliver returns to the Arrowcave after not finding John Nickel, and Felicity questions his motives:
Felicity: “He was just gone? 
Oliver: “No! Not gone. Taken.” 
Diggle: “Looks like Nickel was on somebody else's list, too.” 
Oliver: “After the fire last night, it's not entirely surprising. Felicity, I need you to get me everything that you can on Nickel. Focus on his tenants, and anyone who might have filed a formal complaint against him, or people that lost something in the fire.”
Felicity: “Well, it's going to be some list. I mean, slum lords aren't generally known for their popularity. Plus –“ 
Oliver: “What?!” 
Felicity: “Nothing, it's just – you went over there to be all, 'grrr, stop being bad or I'll arrow you,' and now you want to rescue him?” 
Oliver: “I don't like the idea that somebody dangerous is out there.  (Felicity looks at him, he sighs) Somebody else. Because typically? They don't show my level of restraint.”
Diggle: “So you're going to cross Nickel off anyway?”
Oliver: “No. I'm finding somebody else who needs a talking to.” 
Diggle: “Wait, you're going out there again, Oliver? Why don't you go home and be with your family, man?”
Oliver: “That's when the work is done, Diggle.”
Diggle: “Okay, then I’ll take you out to dinner.”
Oliver: “I’m not hungry.”
Diggle: “I’m not asking.”

118 (Salvation) – Felicity doesn’t like Oliver being a ‘back seat driver’ when she’s working:
(Original Team Arrow watches link to video of John Nickel, who's been kidnapped by an unknown assailant.)
Oliver (on phone): "Track him, Felicity." 
Felicity (on phone): "I'm looking." 
*  *  *
(Oliver enters Arrowcave.)
Oliver: "Anything new?"
Felicity: "This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to 'Wired.' His website's protected by some very serious encryption."
Oliver: "Well, use that air magnet thing, you said that it could trace -"
Felicity: "Oliver! No offense. Do I tell you how to sharpen your arrows?"

118 (Salvation) – Felicity is dispirited after failing to locate the victim in time for Oliver to save him and thinks maybe it’s better to be alone:
Oliver: "I'm at Ocean and Grand. Felicity, that's just a vacant lot."
Felicity: "How is this possible? This can't happen. He -"
(Gunshots)
Oliver: "Find the right address, now!"
Diggle: "Oliver, it's over, Carnahan is dead."
*  *  *
Oliver: "Where's Diggle?"
Felicity: "I asked him to leave me alone. In my loud voice."
Oliver: "This wasn't your fault."
Felicity: "I was the one who was supposed to find Carnahan, and I was the one who sent you that bogus location. I've never seen anybody die."
Oliver: "Hey. This is the thing with what we do. Sometimes we lose." 
Felicity: "Maybe it is better being alone. I'm not seeing anyone currently, but - if I were, I don't know how I'd tell him about today." 

118 (Salvation) – Dinah Lance reveals to her daughter, Laurel, and her husband, Quentin, that she knew Sara was going with Oliver on The Queen’s Gambit trip:
Laurel: "How did you know Sara had her hat with her when she went on the boat? You were so sure that the girl in the photo was Sara, not because she was American, but because of her hat. Her Starling City Rockets hat that Dad bought her. Mom, how did you know she took her hat with her on The Queen's Gambit with Oliver?"
Dinah: "I saw her."
Laurel: "What do you mean?"
Dinah: "I came home early that day and I saw her. Sara. I saw her put the hat in a bag. She was packing."
Laurel: "You knew she was going with him?"
Dinah: "I told her not to. I told her not to do this. Not to you, Laurel. But she said she was in love and she had to follow her heart. Even if nobody else thought it was right. Just like I had told her - just like I told her I once did. So I let her go. I killed her. I killed my daughter. I killed her. I'm so sorry, Quentin. I'm so sorry, Quentin. I killed our baby."

118 (Salvation) – Oliver reaches out to Laurel:
Oliver: "Laurel. Want to have dinner, or... coffee, I don't know."
Laurel: "Why?"
Oliver: "I don't want to be on an island anymore."

118 (Salvation) – Oliver offers to listen if Felicity needs someone to tell about her day:
Diggle: "You okay?"
Oliver: "I'm getting there. Thank you."
(Oliver walks over to Felicity.)
Oliver: "Psst. By the way. If you ever need to tell someone about your day, you can tell me." 
(He puts a hand on her shoulder)
Felicity (softly): "Thanks."

118 (Salvation) - DELETED SCENE: Quentin and his ex-wife Dinah have a talk:
Dinah: "Quentin. Laurel's at work."
Quentin: "I know. Can I come in?"
Dinah: "Sure. Uh, you want some coffee? I know that she has some of that French Roast that you like."
Quentin: "I didn't come here for coffee."
Dinah: "Then why are you here?"
Quentin: "This was a mistake" (Turns to go)
Dinah: "No. No, it wasn't. We have a lot to talk about."
Quentin: "I don't want to talk about Sara."
Dinah: "No, you never did."
Quentin: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Dinah: "After Sara died, you threw yourself into your work. You took every case that passed your desk."
Quentin: "My job was always demanding."
Dinah: "No - no, not like this. You retreated into your work so you wouldn't have to deal with your grief."
Quentin: "I dealt. I managed not to put a bullet between my eyes."
Dinah: "Yes, and I begged you to go to counseling with me."
Quentin: "You don't get to judge me, alright? Because I stayed. We still had another daughter and I stayed... for her!"
Dinah: "Leaving Laurel was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. But she was away at law school. You had your work. And I was all alone. Now you can be angry at me for leaving all you want, but the fact is, you left me first."

Edited August 27, 2020 by tv echo

[quarks]

On 8/3/2014 at 1:49 AM, quarks said:

3. One of the hands down worst reusing of a set this show has ever had: John Nickel's bedroom is obviously Malcolm Merlyn's office.

 

 

Ah, remember the start of season 3, when I could still type something like that?

Those were the days. 

[tv echo]

118 (Salvation) - DELETED SCENE: Quentin and his ex-wife Dinah have a talk:
Dinah: "Quentin. Laurel's at work."
Quentin: "I know. Can I come in?"
Dinah: "Sure. Uh, you want some coffee? I know that she has some of that French Roast that you like."
Quentin: "I didn't come here for coffee."
Dinah: "Then why are you here?"
Quentin: "This was a mistake" (Turns to go)
Dinah: "No. No, it wasn't. We have a lot to talk about."
Quentin: "I don't want to talk about Sara."
Dinah: "No, you never did."
Quentin: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Dinah: "After Sara died, you threw yourself into your work. You took every case that passed your desk."
Quentin: "My job was always demanding."
Dinah: "No - no, not like this. You retreated into your work so you wouldn't have to deal with your grief."
Quentin: "I dealt. I managed not to put a bullet between my eyes."
Dinah: "Yes, and I begged you to go to counseling with me."
Quentin: "You don't get to judge me, alright? Because I stayed. We still had another daughter and I stayed... for her!"
Dinah: "Leaving Laurel was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. But she was away at law school. You had your work. And I was all alone. Now you can be angry at me for leaving all you want, but the fact is, you left me first."

Edited February 11, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

118 (Salvation) - DELETED SCENE: Quentin and his ex-wife Dinah have a talk:

(Hermandat)

[tv echo]

Another 118 deleted scene...

Arrow 1x18 Deleted Scene - Roy and Thea on the bed

(Hermandat)