Who has time to celebrate the holidays in Star City when there is a traitor on Team Arrow! 

The focus of Arrow Season 6 Episode 9 is all about finding out who is stabbing Oliver in the back while dealing with Cayden James.

I won't rant about this for too long, but nothing felt right about the wedding reception. Oliver and Felicity got married during Iris and Barry's wedding by stealing their thunder, and that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It was also incredibly awkward in general if we're completely honest! From Curtis getting drunk, Felicity's parents getting closer as Quentin walked in and seeing his ex-girlfriend getting back together with her hubby, and much more.

Oh, and that part where Rene gave a deep speech to Oliver and Felicity as he was only a day away from outing Oliver? That isn't awkward at all!

I'll give "Irreconcilable Differences" points for not making the whole finale about our married couple. But it's only a matter of time before Arrow Season 6 becomes all about them again, so this victory is temporary.

The theme of this winter finale is teamwork as we saw two groups dealing with it. But only one team nails it while the other team fails that task which we will get to later.

Black Siren had quite the journey, and while she didn't have a lot of screentime, this may turn out to be a key episode for her. I had a hunch since the beginning that something tragic must have happened to Quentin back on Earth-2.

Since Arrow's start, Katie Cassidy and Paul Blackthorne have always killed it when they shared scenes together. This moment was no exception, and it was even more compelling because this is not our Laurel.

The fact that these two found a bond over something so small was beautiful. Blackthorne and Cassidy crushed it as it got me nostalgic for all the dramatic scenes Earth-1 Laurel had with Quentin in past seasons.

I've been waiting for signs of Black Siren possibly being able to be redeemed since the season started. It appears Christmas arrived early as we got our first sign of a potential redemption arc.

Black Siren spared Quentin's life as she is clearly beginning to get attached to this version of her dad. The thing she did to the bunker doesn't even take anything away from this big moment.

Whether or not the show intends to go through with a redemption remains to be seen. But now we have confirmation that this wicked Laurel has the chance of having her soul saved.

Let's dive into the team drama which is a mixed bag for me, big time. I don't know if I entirely buy Rene selling Oliver out so easily. The bigger problem is that all of this FBI business was done offscreen.

When something like that goes down, it's hard to connect with a certain story plot emotionally. What did the FBI exactly have to have a "solid case" against Oliver? 

How did they know that Rene was Wild Dog? In what way could they make sure that Rene would never be able to see his daughter again?

None of that is ever answered, and hence it becomes difficult to take this arc seriously. I simply don't believe Rene would sell Oliver out this easily.

The plot doesn't get any better as Dinah's trustworthiness is questioned because of her interactions with Vincent. That is one of the reasons why I hate that the Vigilante reveal had to be this dude.

The Dinah we have come to know and love would have arrested that man in a heartbeat. Dinah is a smart cookie, no question about it, but like Rene, she is being written out of character as well.

What drives me crazy with all of this is, to nobody's surprise, Oliver's attitude with all of this. These people, in the course of a year, joined his crusade and made so many sacrifices. In fact, I think they have done him more favors than he has for them.

So the drama that comes up here feels out of place and idiotically unnecessary. There shouldn't have been any need for Oliver to spy on them when he could have simply asked who the witness was.

After everything they have been through, Oliver should have had more faith and trust in his team, to be honest with him. But instead all of this happens, and it leads to Team Arrow breaking up...again!

What is it with Arrow and it's absurd need to recycle these story elements? Oliver quits being the Green Arrow; the team falls apart. It has been done too many times!

I don't care if the circumstances or cause are different each time, it never stays the status quo for long. Eventually [insert random event] brings everything back to normal because you know why?

There are no stakes on Arrow which is why it's a pain in the ass that we see the team once again break up. What is the point of having Team Arrow falling apart over and over again only to get brought back together eventually?

Sure they'll struggle for a few episodes, but it won't be long until everyone makes up and reunites once again. Ultimately, that is the biggest weakness with this winter finale.

But we did end on a high note with the reveal that our baddies have all come together! Black Siren, Anatoly, Ricardo Diaz, Vigilante, Boots, and Cayden are essentially Arrow's Legion of Doom.

I genuinely hope that Cayden's master plan is more than merely destroying Star City. It has the potential to be the best use of villains ever if they do it right. Hopefully, after the break, their plans will be more clear.

Overall, "Irreconcilable Differences" is a decent episode to the first half of the season. Black Siren's moments with Quentin as well as the villain team-up reveal were the highlights of this episode.

Team Arrow breaking up, unfortunately, brings the finale down by a lot. Despite the cause, this is a recycled story plot that won't last for long.

Now it's your turn to let us know what you thought of Arrow Season 6 Episode 9! What did you think of the winter finale?

Remember you can watch Arrow online right here via TV Fanatic! Catch up during the winter hiatus!