Arrow "Draw Back Your Bow" Review: Chains of Love Got a Hold on Me
Arrow S03E07: "Draw Back Your Bow"
While Arrow's third season has benefitted from the "Who killed Sara?" mystery, the episodes that haven't been primarily concerned with it have been a little iffy. "Corto Maltese" was good, overall, but "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak" and "Guilty" weren't all that great; the former was a real dud, while the latter was just sort of snoozy (outside of Laurel's "Stop telling me what to do!" attitude). As such, "Draw Back Your Bow"—which quickly eliminated Cupid as a murder suspect—needed to shake things up a bit.
Thankfully, the hour was more in line with "Corto Maltese" than it was with "The Secret Origin..." or "Guilty." A strong focus on Oliver and Felicity's relationship, or lack thereof, was complemented by superheroics that were much more successful than the hunt for Mark Shaw in "Corto Maltese," resulting in a more balanced episode. I wouldn't say that I liked "Draw Back Your Bow" more than "Corto Maltese"—I'm just not all that interested in the ups and downs of Oliver and Felicity's star-crossed romance—but it marked the first time in two weeks that Arrow left me feeling entertained, so we'll call it a win.
Even though I'm not terribly invested in the Olicity pairing, I'm glad that Arrow circled back to the romantic tensions between the two, and that the show finally presented Ray as a declared rival. We all knew that's where things were headed, so I'm glad it happened sooner rather than later. As Felicity noted back in the Season 3 premiere, things were going to be different once she and Oliver talked, and they kind of were, as Oliver was prone to getting snippy with Felicity—or, well, snippier than usual—when he wanted something done on his timetable and Felicity just couldn't make it happen because, despite being a magic hacker, she's not actually magic.
In "Draw Back Your Bow," however, the difference was acknowledged, and that yielded better drama. Oliver watched as Ray not only rebranded his family's company but whisked Felicity away with salmon-laddering, couture dresses ("There is nothing platonic about couture"), and expensive necklaces. Like I said when Ray was first introduced, he's very much the version of Oliver Queen that Oliver thought he could be. If Oliver was still in charge, with money to spend, he could've easily made strides in improving the company's image and bought nice things for Felicity. That's no longer an option, though, because he made a decision and satisfied a self-fulfilling prophecy that he can't be Oliver Queen. He can only be the Arrow. And now he's paying for it, again, by wrecking his own hideout and being a jerk to Felicity.
From Felicity's point of view, she's not only getting a sense of the life Oliver could've given her, she's also getting a taste of a life she's never had. Felicity has those aspirational, class-based desires—nice clothes, fancy jewelry—that were no doubt part of her childhood with Donna, as well as the class-based stigma associated with being the daughter of a cocktail waitress. But it's not just about the shiny baubles. Ray's stated goals for Queen Consolidated Palmer Technologies are focused on making the city better. His mission is the same as Oliver's, but it's also one that may be better suited for Felicity—who does, as the "Previously on..." reminded us, want more out of life than to be a vigilante's tech support. She may enjoy both the public do-gooding and the clandestine crime-fighting, but the latter comes with a grumpy boss she has the hots for, and who needs that kind of stress in a night job?
On that note, it was appropriate that, while Oliver and Felicity had their not-lovers quarrel, unstable former SWAT member Carrie Cutter fixated on Oliver after he saved her life during Slade's siege on Starling City and assumed the name Cupid. It wasn't the most exciting action plot Arrow has ever done, because after the initial confrontation at the florist's, it essentially amounted to "Where can we find her?" and "Where can I find him?" But its saving grace was that Amy Gumenick was so into, deftly swinging from lovey-dovey voices and faces to Cupid's "I'm going to find the family rabbit and boil it!" approach. I'm not familiar with the character's comic book incarnation—created by Arrow co-creator Andrew Kreisberg and artist David Baron (hence the mention of a Baron Street)—so I have no idea if this version rang true, but it was decidedly fun to watch Oliver confront another deranged villain. Most of Arrow's villains are rather grounded, but the crazier ones, like Cupid or the Count (either version), offer a nice contrast to Oliver's seriousness. Yes, it's the "larger-than-life villains playing off the straight-man hero" dynamic from Batman, but there's a reason that dynamic works.
Even though the plot was carried by Gumenick's performance, Cutter's twisted sense of love forced Oliver to actually talk about his feelings a little bit, something we know he just doesn't like to do, and that's really what Cupid's presence in "Draw Back Your Bow" was intended to do. His little confessional over the hood mic, coupled with some Diggle heart-to-hearts, eventually sent him to Palmer Technologies to maybe work things out with Felicity, but the Felicity and Ray smooch but a kibosh on that plan. If anything, Oliver will hopefully stick with his whole, "I want her to be happy" outlook. Maybe he'll stop being a jackass if he sees that Felicity is happy with Ray.
FROM THE QUIVER
– "Oh, God, I have a type." And in addition to salmon-laddering, Felicity, you also have a thing for guys with secrets, which in this case means Ray's A.T.O.M. Exosuit schematics. It may look a little Iron Man-esque, but I still got excited all the same.
– Thea hired a new DJ for Verdant who's played by Austin Butler (the character's name is Chase, but I don't know that anyone ever said so during the episode). They traded sarcastic and flirtatious barbs. He kissed her. Woohoo?
– Diggle's entire purpose on Arrow has become to help all the messed-up white people in his life.
– Also, Diggle, Felicity was absolutely correct when she declared that if Oliver has something to tell her, he needs to do it himself. She doesn't need you trying to guilt her into making things work with him.
– Flashback Oliver doesn't know how to do laundry. Ugh.
– Sherwood Florist, eh, Arrow?
– "Lyla said Cutter's even nuttier than the last woman they had in Suicide Squad."
– G'day there, Captain Boomerang! I've come to like that Arrow is occasionally wrapping up episodes with a tease for what's to come in the next episode. Speaking of which...
– Next Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year in the United States; as such, Arrow is taking next week off. When the show returns on December 3, it'll be with "The Brave and the Bold," the second part of a two-part crossover event with The Flash that kicks off the night before, on December 2. So, if you're not already watching The Flash, you may want to tune in just this once, or just skip Arrow that week. Either or.
What did you think of "Draw Back Your Bow"?
