Posted in: DC Universe, Movies, TV | Tagged: ARGUS, arrow, cw, entertainment, Felicity Smoak, helix, oliver queen, television

Can Oliver Save Felicity From Herself? Arrow Returns Strong

This article contains spoilers for the Arrow episode – Dangerous Liaisons.

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In Dangerous Liaisons, Felicity's actions with Helix come to a head. Her obsession with bringing down Adrian Chase… which may stem from a desire to save Oliver as much as a desire for revenge for Billy… has put her at odds against ARGUS and Team Arrow. Helix can make a bio-tracking code that will find Chase, but to do so they need to free their leader Camden James who is being held without chargers or legal council at an ARGUS black site. Helix wants Felicity's help to free James in exchange for the bio-tracker. ARGUS thinks James is extremely dangerous and needs to be kept off the streets and where Oliver and Diggle disagree with Lila's decision to hold James without due process, they can't allow Felicity and Helix to break into ARGUS either.

This return episode was strong and showed not only the division growing between Oliver and Felicity, but a division between Diggle and Lila on doing what's right versus what's safe. Since Lila took over for Amanda Waller, she's been forced to make the decisions that Waller had to make, some of which put a persons rights up against national security and she's gone with the safety of all in some cases. This goes against Diggle's code of honor and could be what tears the two apart again.

The subplot for the story involves Quentin Lance and Rene Ramirez, who have been one of the best pairings all season. As we spend more time with the two, we get a better understanding of what makes Wild Dog tick and what a tragic past he's had. And Lance, who has already gone through more than any father should, is sliding into that father type role here. He pushes Rene to see his daughter and fight to get custody back. We learn of the incident that caused him to lose her in the first place and it just adds to the fact that he thinks he is a bad person and is trying to atone for his sins… but does he really deserve all the self-loathing?

Chase never appears in the episode, only things he set up to cause problems. This was more of an episode to focus on relationships, but the biggest mystery to me has to do with Camden James. There is no one in DC Comics lore with that name. They say that he is the founder of Helix and we never see his face. To me that says James will be back and he will be a problem. After getting their leader out, Helix cuts ties to Felicity. They give her the bio-tracker she needs, but was this the plan from the very beginning? Did Alena reach out to her because of the Team Arrow / ARGUS connection? Were they just pulling her in to help free James? That's how it looks to me.

Interestingly enough there were no flashbacks at all this episode.

By the time this season is done, I am hoping that the writer's will explain just how Chase has been able to stay ahead of everyone. It's something that viewers have been asked to just accept and that's fine, but there will need to be a payoff. Otherwise, him knowing to have a mole in ARGUS, exactly when to set off an EMP, etc… that is more than just good planning.

Next week we learn the downside of living in a secret bunker under a building and what happens when it's hit by an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse). Prometheus has trapped Oliver and Felicity in the bunker and the chip that allows Felicity to walk is also fried. Will this be the type of dramatic scenario that brings the two back together?

https://youtu.be/PRF0TjJZwgU

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