Final Thoughts From the Arrow Episode "Unchained"

It's not that I don't like the twist involving Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) being in a wheelchair and having to overcome the challenges associated with that. It's just the show seems to be spending a bit too much time focusing on that aspect to the point it almost feels like one of those made-for-TV movies that go out of their way to show us disabled people can be important too.

In other words, I think it would be better if the show moved on and treated her as one of the team, ignoring the fact she's moving around on wheels.

One thing I've always liked about this series is the fact Oliver (Stephen Amell) isn't the only one who gets a nemesis, his team members do too. And, while I agree with Felicity about the name, the Calculator seems to be a very good one for her.

The added twist that the villain is also her dad is a nice touch because it creates a whole range of potential plot twists. It also explains where she got her tech savvy from.

We learn early on that the mind-controlled Roy had a camera that allowed his controller to see everything. If this is correct, then shouldn't the Calculator know who the Green Arrow is?

The first time Oliver stopped Roy and unmasked him, he wasn't wearing his costume. That means, if Roy saw his face, the Calculator should have too. And, even if the connection wasn't apparent right away, the criminal genius shouldn't have much trouble connecting the dots.

If I'm right about this, then maybe his decision to reconnect with Felicity is related to that. She's engaged to Oliver and, if he knows Oliver is the Green Arrow, he probably has figured out she is working with him.

She's one of the ones I've suspected since the series started foreshadowing Oliver standing in the cemetery. And, while there is still some part of me that doubts the show will go that far and won't, instead, find a way to cure her blood lust, it does make some sense.

Thea doesn't want to keep her blood lust under control by killing people. And, while Nyssa (Katrina Law) is willing to offer a cure, I just don't see Oliver following through on killing Malcolm (John Barrowman). Those things add up to her letting her blood lust take her life instead.

That being said, there's one other possibility. Maybe the person in the grave isn't Thea but someone Thea killed because her blood lust reached a point where she couldn't control herself. In that scenario, Oliver and Felicity's discussion about killing someone could, in fact, be in reference to Malcolm because they realize they have no other choice if they want to cure Oliver's sister.

What makes her think recruiting Oliver to kill Malcolm is going to work? It's not like Oliver hasn't tried dozens of times before only to fail miserably every time. Even if he agreed to it, and I still have some doubts that will happen, his chances of success, at least based on his past record, are slim.

She would be better off recruiting an army of assassins to take him out instead.

As I said before, there's a little too much emphasis on Felicity's wheelchair but, overall, I thought this was a somewhat interesting episode. The bad guy, ultimately, proved to be a little too easy to defeat. But, now that we know who he is, things could get even more interesting for Team Arrow in future episodes.

My Grade: B