Arrow episode 13, Sins of the Father, follows on from Nyssa’s offer of the Lotus Elixir. With Thea dying and Star City turning into the League’s Civil War battle ground, Ollie in stuck between a rock and a hard place. His method of a peaceful trade between Merlin and Nyssa, the title of Dragon’s Head for the Lotus Elixir, quickly turns south with Merlin’s treachery. Ollie is then faced with the horrible realisation that killing Merlin, Thea’s father, is the only way. Meanwhile, Felicity decides to give her father, Noah (A.K.A. the Calculator), a second chance but at what cost?
Another side step from season four’s Darhk and H.I.V.E. story line, this episode allows the viewers to delve deeper into the world of the League of Assassins in a very juicy story. The layers revealed behind Merlin’s character were phenomenal as, until now, I questioned his true love for his daughter. It looked more a possessive relationship he had with Thea as he trained her through pain and forced her to kill Sarah. But to see him talk about his first meeting with Thea, the cheeky four month old in a pram, reveals the deeper emotion viewers haven’t seen from him yet. It’s almost scary to hear his soft voice talk of Thea, then hear him rage about Nyssa within the same scene. His love for Thea and the want of League power really put him in a difficult position too. He fought for both, proving just how attached he is to the Demon’s Head ring. But, in reality, the more difficult task would have been for the director to get John Barrowman to surrender the powerful ring, rather than Malcom Merlyn relinquish it.
Along with Merlyn was the wonderful blessing of fight choreography that always comes with the League. However, a question arises within this League Civil War. The assassin’s train daily and are the experts in their profession. And yet they miss the enemy and hit civilians. As Merlyn said, the League alters history with precision, not wildly killing civilians in plain sight. With that in mind, the war must have made every Leaguer clumsy, loud, and extremely inaccurate with arrows.
Emily Bett Rickards story this episode was, as always, fantastic. It’s amazing that her character was meant for a single episode, all the way back for when she was the Queen Consolidated IT girl, and has become one of the most interesting characters. It’s also interesting how quick she learnt about her father’s secret identity.
The reveal was quick and over a cup of coffee between father and daughter. It took me by surprise, but also made perfect sense. The Calculator is a vastly intelligent man who would have stopped at nothing to learn who Overwatch was. No doubt after this, Felicity will be creating a very tight seal around her vigilante records.
But along with this family reunion, Donna is back in town… or does she live in Star City now? Either way, the audience is wowed by how quick Charlotte Ross can turn her character’s emotions. Donna is either annoying or a welcome distraction from the moody tones in the Arrow universe, but this episode she is straight up serious. Donna has no love, or even anything positive to say about Noah and I believed every word of her warning to Felicity. It is unfortunate that the Calculator story arc feels like it’s over for this season, but it was definitely a wonderful addition.
Sins of the Father is a great episode away from the Darhk madness that has been season four. It ties up a lot of loose ends from season three and welcomes a very different, and hopefully menacing, villain that I hope the writers will revisit.
Quote of the Episode: Maybe Thea and I can make T-shirts. We could join a club. (Felicity)
