Arrow season 4, episode 20, “Genesis,” saw Oliver trying to learn magic and Darhk targeting the Diggle family.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of this episode. On the one hand, we finally learned what Genesis is: Darhk is taking the Book of Genesis quite literally, as he’s going to destroy the world so a select few can rebuild and begin anew. To create his flood, he’s going to use A.R.G.U.S. technology to take control of nuclear launch codes and do some serious bombing. Meanwhile, his select few — including Thea and Alex — are going to wait things out in Wayward Pines the H.I.V.E. bunker.
It’s good to finally get some answers. And considering Darhk has an extended life due to the Lazarus Pit, like his old friend Ra’s al Ghul did, it’s not all that surprising he’d grow tired of the status quo and look to change things — with him coming out on top, of course.
On the other hand, we have John doing something pretty terrible in killing Andy. John has been the voice of reason since he was first Oliver’s bodyguard in season 1, but Laurel’s death really sent him off the rails. He goes off to chase Andy half-cocked and without backup. This ends up getting him captured, tortured, and tagged with a tracker by the time he escapes. This leads Darhk to Lyla, his real target. She has the Rubicon technology Shadowspire tried to steal and he takes it from her.
Meanwhile, John chases down Andy and gives him multiple chances to offer a glimpse of something redeemable, but Andy only threatens John’s family over and over. In a scuffle, John ends up shooting Andy and killing him. John is obviously torn up about it, but he also believes there was no other choice. He probably has to believe that just to be able to live with himself after this.
I kept thinking that John should subdue Andy — use a tranquilizer or immobilize him — and put him in the pipeline in S.T.A.R. Labs. Yeah, they’re busy over there, but they could take five minutes to lock Andy up somewhere he’s not likely to escape. I guess the writers just didn’t want Andy to be a loose end. But it feels wrong for Diggle to resort to killing when so much time has been spent on the vigilantes using nonfatal methods.
Obviously it’s not the first time Diggle has killed; he’s a soldier, after all. And I understand the dramatic tension of having Diggle, who advocated for so long to protect Andy, end up killing him. And if Diggle gets some room to work through what he’s dealing with, I’ll probably have a different opinion on this by the end of the season. But I have a feeling the story is going to be moving so quickly over the final three episodes that there won’t be time to deal with the characters’ trauma.
On the plus side, though, we got to see more Lyla. She’s criminally underused for being the badass that she is. And baby Sara remains precious.
Meanwhile, Oliver and Felicity head to Hub City to meet an immortal shaman so Oliver can learn how to counter Darhk’s magic. The tattoo Constantine gave him serves as his own totem to channel magic. We learn that there is both light and dark magic. Darhk, unsurprisingly considering his name, uses dark magic, so Oliver must tap into the light side of magic to counter the dark. Otherwise, he’ll only make Darhk’s magic more powerful.
When he tries to practice with the shaman, though, he’s overtaken by thoughts of the battles he’s fought and the things he’s lost, thus letting the darkness win. The shaman decides she can’t help and peaces out.
However, Oliver and Felicity are clearly on the mend with their friendship, and she encourages him. This clearly sinks in, as when Darhk tries to use his magic on him, Oliver is able to repel him. He later tells Felicity that he heard the voices of his loved ones encouraging him to keep fighting, and that let him channel the light.
I’m glad to see Oliver and Felicity mending their relationship. I assume they’ll be getting back together at some point, but I’d prefer to see that be a slow process as they regain each other’s trust. They’re on the right track, though.
Additionally, I hope we’re not being set up to have a giant magic battle in the season finale. That just feels out of step with what has made Arrow great in the past. Arrow began as a series grounded in reality, and while fantastical elements have been added into the world, I’m the most interested in the personal stakes on either side of the fight; and we’re ripe with those since Darhk killed Laurel.
Though with Laurel’s death, I’d like to see Quentin Lance be the one to take Darhk out rather than Oliver. He’s been hurt the most by what Darhk has done since coming to Star City.
Oh, and did anyone notice there were no flashbacks in this episode?
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