Arrow "The Odyssey": Journey of A Good Man

This has to be one of my favorite episodes of Arrow as The Odyssey brought Arrow to a high point of the season. This was the one episode of Arrow that had me actually excited and waiting with anticipation. No scene was out of place as each scene had it's purpose to build up the story line further and give us a clear image of how Oliver came to be what he is now. How Oliver began to change himself and taking charge of his own life. The Odyssey also brought another member to Team Oliver (awesome name I know) who can also be a positive impact on the team and along with some other things. Welcome Emily Bett Richards (she plays Felicity) to being a series regular now on Arrow!

The Odyssey picks up where Betrayal left off with Oliver in his hood persona confronting his mother about her part in the "uprising". Moira begs the Hood not to hurt her due to her children, and when the hood lets his guard down, she takes the opportunity to pull a gun. Wounded Oliver flees the scene and turns to an unsuspecting Felicity for help. Felicity takes him back to his hideout and asks Diggle for help with bringing Oliver inside. Diggle quickly overcomes his surprise and moves to help Oliver. Together the two work together to keep Oliver alive. With Oliver unconscious, The Odyssey slips into the world of island flashbacks that show us Oliver and Slade preparing to take the island airstrip. Still new, but willing to help, Oliver prepares himself for his task of taking out the guard in the tower. One step closer to getting off the island and back to his life and right the wrongs hes done. Oliver soon learns that there is no easy way to survive and begins on his journey to becoming the Hood.

I  can't stress how great of an episode The Odyssey was for Arrow, and I can't simply cover them all in this article alone. Unlike other episodes of Arrow, The Odyssey was flashback heavy with brief moments in the present. And you know what, it worked. Arrow was able to transition between the two effortlessly and didn't waste time on side story lines and focused on the meatier story of Oliver. The Odyssey really showcased Oliver's transition from a spoiled brat to a man who can handle himself. Zero to Hero. In addition to wanting to right the wrongs he did, like cheating on Laurel with Sarah. I also love the introduction of Felicity to Team Oliver and the prospect of what she will bring to the team. Diggle is Oliver's moral compass while Felicity is probably going to be the common sense to the team as well as the computer skills. I love how she took the liberty of re-vamping Oliver's computer tech. So I guess this proves Oliver isn't totally in the computer know how.

Just a few points I like to say about The Odyssey that fell through and then no more. The whole Lian Yu story line is a bit thin in some areas as you have to wonder who he really is and why is his daughter on the island? Was she there the whole time? If not, how did she come to the island? Why was he fighting the people he later joined for so long? The whole thing seems ify. As for Felicity, as much as her joining of Team Oliver was welcome, her reason seems more like a front than anything else. I mean come on, she is probably going to be around for a while.

I am glad that Arrow has rewarded my faith in it with The Odyssey. Between the flashbacks, Diggle freaking out over flat lines and awesome lines like "I'm impressed. You didn't puke." "I swallowed it.", this episode was a high point for Arrow. It's episodes like this that make me love Arrow a little more until it heads back into the usual multi plot line episodes. Which brings me to next week's episode Dodger, which I'm a bit ify on for some reason. Maybe because after this episode, I'm worried Arrow can't go back to that high again. Well Arrow will figure it out, especially since the CW just renewed it for a second season. Congrats Arrow, you earned it and what a better time too.

Did you enjoy the flashbacks this week? How do you think Felicity will change the dynamic of Team Oliver?