Arrow: S03E21: "Al-Sah Him"

Rating: 7

In A Nutshell

Oliver, now know as Al-Sah Him, undergoes some torturous training regimes that wouldn't be out of place in Guantanamo Bay. He's now sort of like Darth Vader (another Star Wars comparison by me) as he is seduced by all sorts of drugs and mind bending rituals to become the killing machine. He's ordered to head to Starling City and bring back Ra's al Ghul's daughter which brings Oliver in confrontation with his former friends. Eventually however he retrieves Nyssa, and takes her back to Ra's al Ghul's temple where everything doesn't go as you think, in that she's to become Oliver's wife, and Ra's al Ghul orders Oliver to eradicate all memories of his former life in the most spectacular way possible; a lethal bio-agent, the same one they've been running from in the flashbacks.

What I liked

Dark Oliver works very nicely. He doesn't say much. Struts about and beats people up. I quite like this.

Some decent action scenes. Nice to see the "bad" guys win.

Decent little twists at end with the marriage setup and the ultimate setup for the finale!

Some tie-in with the still a little pointless feeling flashbacks.

What I Didn't Like

The League of Assassins aren't very good once you get down the the basic soldiers. Disposed off like nappies in this show.

Dark Oliver jumps off a building ... as you do in this show.

Huh?

They are all quick to accept the Oliver they knew is gone aren't they?

In another spin of the moral roulette wheel, this week Thea asks Malcolm for his help and advice. Yup, each week there's a new dynamic between everyone.

And Finally

A dark episode, with the "bad" guys getting their way in almost everything they do. This is much more like it. Would have been better if this story arc had been spread over a whole season perhaps. What are the odds on things being reset after the finale? Hope not, this show needs a change of direction.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Darker than black, this episode starts to pack a decent punch at convincing everyone that Oliver is now a meanie).