Welcome to the Suicide Squad
Yet another expansion of the Arrow-verse came in the form of the Suicide Squad, which was established by A.R.G.U.S. leader Amanda Waller. Waller recruited criminals for high-risk government-sanctioned missions.
The first mission run by the Suicide Squad saw Diggle and Lyla leading the team of Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, and Shrapnel. Though Shrapnel was killed for refusing to follow orders and Diggle was dismissed, the Suicide Squad remains an active operation, and Deadshot even appeared in the season finale. The team will no doubt be seen again and could potentially even anchor a spinoff.
Laurel learns Oliver’s identity
Laurel’s arc over the second season was uneven, as she fell into the grips of addiction in her grief over Tommy’s death. But after hitting rock bottom, Laurel finally started clawing her way back up, particularly once Slade revealed to her that Oliver is the Arrow. Though Slade expected to destroy that relationship, he underestimated Laurel, who did some soul searching and decided to keep Oliver’s secret.
But more than that, Laurel was the one to kick Oliver back into gear after his mother’s death by revealing that Sebastian Blood was working with Slade. Laurel gained a sense of purpose after learning Oliver’s secret, giving her character sky-high potential for season 3.
Moira sacrifices herself
Moira has always been a family woman, even when her actions seemed questionable, and her season 2 arc revolved around her children. After being acquitted for her role in the Undertaking, Moira was convinced to run for mayor of Starling City against Sebastian Blood.
Rifts with her children over her many lies made things difficult, but in the end, Moira showed Thea and Oliver how much she loved them by making the ultimate sacrifice; when Slade kidnapped Moira and Thea, Moira volunteered herself to protect her children, prompting Slade to commend her “true courage.” Her death shattered her children and will drive them into season 3 and beyond.
Felicity cures Slade
Felicity had numerous standout moments over the course of the season, but the culmination of her journey from Oliver’s personal researcher to his trusted partner came when Slade kidnapped her and planned to kill her in front of Oliver. What Slade was not expecting was Felicity’s heroic moment of truth when, with a sword to her throat, Felicity pulled out a syringe of Mirakuru cure from her pocket and stuck it in his neck. Kreisberg called the moment “certainly one of the bravest things we’ve ever seen anybody do in the course of the series.”
Oliver becomes a hero
Arrow‘s second season followed Oliver’s journey, both forward and back, in his attempt to honor Tommy’s memory, and he struggled over the back half of the season with whether he would need to kill Slade to stop him. In the end, Oliver captured Slade and had him locked in an A.R.G.U.S. prison facility on Lian Yu, bringing everything full circle.
In Oliver’s season-closing monologue, he told Slade it was thanks to him that he became a hero, showing his acceptance of his transition from vigilante to true hero.
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