The next Arrow episode won’t arrive until the end of April, but this trailer gives us an idea of what to expect – namely, lots of Oliver/Felicity tension.
We have to wait a whole month for another Arrow episode, and I’m not happy. With Legends of Tomorrow wrapping up its surprisingly exhilarating second season next week, and Supergirl and The Flash also going on hiatus, that means three weeks without any CW superhero shows. How can I distract myself from reality if I can’t escape to a world of masked vigilantes, time-traveling spaceships, and flying aliens?
Oh, the agony!
At least there’s something to look forward to. Judging by the trailer for “Dangerous Liaisons”, Arrow won’t miss a beat when it returns.
You can check it out below:
Prometheus/Adrian Chase will once again retreat to the back burner, it seems. That makes sense since we last saw him escaping from the police, his cover blown. He’ll probably want to lie low for a while. It’s a bit of a letdown, honestly, because Oliver and Adrian’s efforts to navigate their conflicting public and private identities were riveting.
But if you think we’re getting a breather, you haven’t been paying attention. The above trailer suggests that Arrow will finally delve into the latent tension between Oliver and Felicity. Among the show’s many smart moves this season was to a) let Felicity stray toward the dark side and b) let her keep a secret from Oliver. Helix is the emotionally and morally complex storyline Felicity deserves after four seasons of dealing with other characters’ angst (*ahem* Oliver).
It didn’t come out of nowhere, though. Season 4 saw Felicity questioning her involvement with Team Arrow before Laurel’s death pulled her back in. That combined with the death of her boyfriend – at the hands of her ex-lover, no less – are more than enough reason for even Felicity Smoak to lose her optimism. She’s come a long ways since her days as a bubbly IT worker at Queen Consolidated.
Also believable is Oliver deciding to not pressure Felicity into revealing her secret (at this point, he’s the only team member still oblivious). Given everything he’s put her through and kept from her over the years, it’s only fair. Ironically, only after they broke up does Oliver seem to respect and trust Felicity enough to realize he can’t always protect her.
Of course, the secret was going to come out eventually, and “Dangerous Liaisons” appears to be that time. This puts Oliver back in soul-saving mode – but with a twist. Near the beginning of the trailer, we hear him tell Felicity, “Helix has compromised your security”. Felicity’s involvement with Helix isn’t just an ethical lapse; it also endangers Team Arrow. What happens when she has to choose between them? As Oliver’s disastrous dealings with the Bratva demonstrated, juggling alliances doesn’t usually end well.
Anyway, we’re nervous and excited to see how it all plays out. We just wish we could see it sooner.
Related Story: Arrow Recap: Season 5 Episode 18 “Disbanded”
Arrow returns April 26. It airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.