Arrow - 'The Recruits'

"When you say I 'suck' at motivation..."

We now present another episode of 'Oliver Queen tries to grasp what a dick he is.'

Having finally been convinced that he can't operate solo, Oliver brings in hockey-masked vigilante Wild Dog (their name for him), erstwhile spare Canary Evelyn Sharp and the ever so terrific Curtis Holt to be his new team, and when I say 'be his new team' I mean he shouts at them and beats them up until they all quit. While I appreciate that this year's flashbacks properly link to events in the present day, Olly's attempt to train his superteam using Bratva tactics is indicative of how little he's really learned since Season 1 about working with real people.

So, I seriously thought this guy was the other archer for at least half of the
episode.

As Mayor, Olly is working - loosely - with Thea to organise a healthcare benefit, but some weirdo wrapped in magic rags is doing a number on their corporate backers. It turns out that said backers made the missile that hit Havenrock, and 'Ragman' - seriously guys, Cisco is one phone call away - is the sole sruvivor, having been protected by his magical mummy wrappings. Felicity works this out after getting her boyfriend, an SCPD detective, to let her play with the department's gas chromatograph. Given how weak her excuses were - like... sub Oliver in Season 1 quality - he's either seriously into her, completely onto her, or secretly evil. Olly manages to draw Ragman into a fight with Charon, sacrificing his chance to defeat the crime boss in order to turn a loose cannon avenger into an ally and a hero.

Olly gets to grips with the idea of forming a team without being a colossal jerkass to everyone. Thus he gets the gang back together, reveals his identity and invites them to join him. Thea is way ahead of him on the motivation thing, and on learning that Quentin has fallen off the ladder continues in her plan to hire him, challenging him to do better and to make saving the city his reason not to drink.

It's not just me, right?

Charon, meanwhile, gets a visit from Stabby McArcher - incidentally, the death or disappearance of the hero cop he jumped appears to have gone entirely unremarked - who tells him that if he'd killed Green Arrow, he would be dead. "Green Arrow is mine," he declares, and gives his name as Prometheus(1). I say 'he', as with The Flash I'm not ruling out a completely different actor under the hood. Maybe it's Slade Wilson in disguise, or Grant Wilson, or Billy Wintergreen Jr, or Scandal Savage, or some Russian ex-girlfriend that Olly really pissed off. All up in the air for now, especially as there isn't just one Prometheus. Mind you, if Roy Harper shows up again, I'm not giving much for his chances of getting out with both arms intact.

(1) Of the several DC Promethei, there is one who is linked to Dr Alchemy, so maybe we have some villain crossover this season.