Arrow: Code of Silence
February 18, 2016 7:43 AM - Season 4, Episode 14 - Subscribe

Oliver and team uncover HIVE's plan to take out Team Arrow once and for all. With HIVE's next attack imminent, Lance wonders if Donna is safer without him in her life. Meanwhile, with the wedding fast approaching, Oliver begins to feel guilty that he hasn't told Felicity about his son.

People don't communicate well, lies are justified, baddies fought, Neal McDonough is still awesome, Ollie likes to pun (who knew?)
posted by phearlez (17 comments total)
 
I narrowly resisted the urge to describe this as "things go boom fall down, rocks fall nobody dies, have you tried lying to her?"

Not a bad episode overall. I'm a little confused about Oliver's secret identity here; is he just being sloppy by making it clear he knows she's tied to Darkh? The maiden name thing maybe he could get away with, but the bringing down the house thing... I guess we could assume he's willing to let her know he's tied to Green Arrow so he can know these things. But it seems reckless.

Then there's the whole issue that Malcolm knows full well that Oliver is Green Arrow; is handing over his kid okay but unmasking is a bridge too far? Is this just the only way the show can handle the fact that we have a pissed-off Malcolm who could also sell out the Flash? I am pretty certain Malcolm saw an unmasked Barry during the Vandal Savage stuff, so either we approach it like this or we think there's some reason he doesn't reveal that as well.

Or we assume he has spilled that and it just doesn't matter for Darkh's purposes.

"Curtis... you're terrific." Now all we need is for Curtis to say something about being interested in fair play. COME ON MAN SUIT UP.

As far as the flashback... nice to see that dirtbag go, but "he'll kill you all when he has what he wants" has got to be the least surprising thing ever. Oh wait, the slaver who has no compunctions about killing folks? Obsessed with getting this mystical whatever? Willing to have people lashed, work with folks who betrayed others? THAT GUY might just kill you when you are no use to him anymore? I am shocked, SHOCKED!

I am going to be somewhat interested to see how they handle a bad guy with a kiddo. Does this mean one or both of them get away? Is she orphaned and now Team Arrow? Do they all get away and take William with them, providing some ongoing tragedy?

Is William's mom dead? If she's able to call for help she'd surely contact her rich ex who is the father of the kidnapped kiddo.
posted by phearlez at 7:57 AM on February 18, 2016


I'm ready to call it. It's Donna Smoak. It's her name on the gravestone.
She might be in hiding or gain super powers, so I'm not going to say she dies. No one dies.
posted by FallowKing at 10:07 AM on February 18, 2016


Thea: "I can't believe Mom and Ollie never told me that mass-murderer Malcolm Merlyn is my real father‼"

Thea: "Ollie, you definitely need to lie to and about your son to keep him safe."

I waited in agony the entire episode because I haaaate watching characters being humiliated in public, and I was CERTAIN that Ollie's secret love child would be brought up during the debate. Then we didn't even see the debate! Now I'm relieved yet annoyed at the subpar dirt-digging of Star City's journalists. Seriously, Moira wrote a hefty personal check to Oliver's baby mama. How was she that dumb about covering her tracks?
posted by nicebookrack at 10:09 AM on February 18, 2016


A personal check they were clear to indicate was never cashed. It's hard to imagine anyone outside internal auditors would turn that up. Honestly I'm not entirely sure I buy the idea that anyone would turn it up. That's now a, what, seven year old check written by someone whose estate was liquidated and accounts presumably closed several years ago.

Yeah I know I'm applying too much rational analysis to this.
posted by phearlez at 11:34 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Somewhere in Star City, the former Queen family accountant still has nightmares about that outstanding check looming overhead, putting the clients' account inexplicably $1 million in the red FOREVER.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:52 AM on February 18, 2016 [4 favorites]


I am a super buzzkill so I will just say "stale instrument"
posted by phearlez at 12:26 PM on February 18, 2016


booooo realistic forensic accounting standards in a superhero show
posted by nicebookrack at 1:34 PM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Neal McDonough and, really, his whole family are so awesome that I am now interested in this whole 1/10th baked William storyline.

Also, screw it. The tombstone is for Earth-1 Felicity and we're being swerved with an Earth-2 Felicity.

Then there's the whole issue that Malcolm knows full well that Oliver is Green Arrow; is handing over his kid okay but unmasking is a bridge too far?

The only things I can think of are that he is trying to both hurt Oliver and bring down Darkh to take over HIVE himself; trying to hurt Oliver while minimizing the risk to Thea; make him suffer in life not be freed by death kind of thing.
posted by humans are superior! at 2:23 PM on February 18, 2016


Yeah I wouldn't put it past Malcolm to try and take over HIVE and gain Darhk's power. He needs a new hobby and a long con now that the League is disbanded. He's kind of like the Lex Luthor of this show.
posted by numaner at 3:23 PM on February 18, 2016


Yeah, the logic (or lack thereof) in this show is becoming staggering, but I'm almost at the point where I'm just willing to throw up my hands and ignore the plot holes. But I'm getting more and more annoyed this season at the fight scenes. I swear there wasn't this much weightless arm flailing before, not to mention the sped-up camera movements. I know they've got a bigger team (now that Diggle officially has an alternate identity) and they need to fit in more and more heroes in action, but it's just too much. Scratch that. It's not enough: not enough force, not enough believable hits, not enough action and reaction, not enough solidity. I don't have a lot of expectations for these kinds of shows, but I need to have either compelling storylines or good action. Right now this isn't delivering either.

Oh, and I had to stop and laugh at the scene where Speedy jumps the motorcycle out of the back of the truck right in front of the giant (I swear it couldn't get any bigger) Mark's/Canadian Tire store. At this point they're not even pretending that it's supposed to be an American city.
posted by sardonyx at 7:49 PM on February 18, 2016 [2 favorites]


That had to be the least stealthy tail operation in the history of manking.

Thea's bike is lit up by red neons, FFS! Don't dirt bike jump over your subject, toolbags!
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:19 PM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


The only things I can think of are that he is trying to both hurt Oliver and bring down Darkh to take over HIVE himself; trying to hurt Oliver while minimizing the risk to Thea; make him suffer in life not be freed by death kind of thing.

That's about the only way this works for Malcom's supposed motivations - if he lets Darkh harass Oliver but prevents their city-destroying scheme which would harm his daughter. But really, that doesn't much pass the sniff test since he knows Thea goes out and fights crime with Oliver. MAYBE you say he aims them at William to reduce the odds of a more violent type escalation? I guess that's dumb enough for this show to have him state.

Thea's bike is lit up by red neons, FFS! Don't dirt bike jump over your subject, toolbags!

Look, most people aren't trained to recognize a tail. You have to learn to see and hear all the racing and jumping motorcycles in your rear-view.
posted by phearlez at 8:23 PM on February 18, 2016 [3 favorites]


Hey! Next week: Vixen!
That's pretty exciting.
posted by Mezentian at 6:49 PM on February 19, 2016 [2 favorites]


I see YOU, Canadian Tire/Mark's in the opening chase scene. I delight in this, I do not care.

STILL: communication issues, people. Damn.
posted by Kitteh at 4:51 PM on February 20, 2016


Trying to decide if I needed three tries to see this whole ep because I should be sleeping more or if I'm so bored I just keep blacking out.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:06 PM on February 25, 2016 [1 favorite]


Dang. I was hoping for a full episode debate, like Santos v. Vinick on the West Wing. They'd actually talk about all the non supervillain issues the city is facing. Infrastructure, schooling, etc.
posted by brundlefly at 12:51 PM on February 28, 2016


Wow, way to have Thea argue for lying about parentage and Felicity arguing to have her mom stay with someone she knows is lying to her for...reasons.

Did enjoy the "junk on the hunk" talk and Felicity's continued clinging to Oliver's arm like it's a rope.

And Curtis has the best wedding gift ever, proving Oliver's saying that in their world it's reasonable to walk again belief right.

I still don't care about the small child I have no attachment to and barely saw. I am a heartless wench. I saw some suggestion somewhere that maybe William is the grave and I would be fine with that.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:23 PM on March 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


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