If searching for one of Arrow’s creepiest villains, go no further than The Offer. Here we have the dynamic duo of Diggle and Ollie returning home safely with the badly battered baddy Malcolm Merlyn; which may have been a little more than satisfying to see (sorry, Torchwood fans). But crime is never more than a whisper away with a new villain in town ready to haunt my nightmares for the next few nights. Michael Amar, chillingly titled Murmur, struts into the criminal world with his lips stitched shut as a ‘form of meditation’ (making it so much creepier) and vengeance on his mind. Meanwhile, Ollie struggles with the value of what little he has accomplished and the overflowing opportunities offered with the Ra’s al Ghul title.
For so long Ollie has been a pillar of strength for the Arrow team, commenting at Sarah’s death that if he mourns no one can mourn. Yet finally the weight of all he has done comes seeping through. As soon as Ra’s’ offer is on the table we see the first barrier crumble, his eyes revealing just how burdened he is. And although something I don’t want to see in every episode, the revelation that Ollie does in fact have emotions after the island was perfectly placed and performed. Certainly awkward for Felicity, as well, when he meets Ray again.
The flash back this week holds very little but the son, Akio, and Ollie running from men in suits. The scenes were brief, and needed little (if any) more time as it lead to a killer WHAT!?! moment.
Things are certainly going to flip.
One thing that certainly needs a flip is Laurel’s fighting ability. I nearly leapt out of my chair as she took out a security guard in season one for Tommy and Ollie. But now, after extensive training from Wildcat (a prize-wining boxer), she’s seems worse for wear wanting only to swing her baton like a baseball bat. Although a vice of mine, I love how the writers address her skill (or lack of) within this episode as a conversation between Ollie and Laurel.
Laurel: ‘When are you going to stop telling me (I need training)?’
Ollie: ‘When you no longer need training.’
Zing!
And to top it off, the hint of who her next trainer is going to be has me so excited. It’s going to be bad ass!
Which takes us to Nyssa. She is quickly becoming the most interesting character on the show. Each hero on Team Arrow has had their own island, or trial by fire, either making them firmer in their beliefs or turning them into villains (remember Huntress?). But then there’s Nyssa who, since birth, has been fighting and struggling. What our heroes’ face are what she lives every day, making her trial completely opposite. Instead of facing demons, she needs to face kindness and normality, as stated by producer Andrew Kreisberg:
“The best part of Nyssa for this season is seeing somebody who, unlike all these other people who had normal lives and tragedy turned them into what they were, she was turned into what she is from birth. She’s actually going on a different trajectory where she’s seeing what kindness looks like for the first time and she’s seeing what normal people look like for the first time.”
Nyssa is quickly becoming my favourite character.
Although no major, kick ass fight scene in this episode, The Offer has focused more on the character development and how Ollie responds to Ra’s. So if you’re into that (which, I am) tune in and bless your eyeballs.
Review by Brittany J Howarth
