Arrow Season 7 Episode 5 Review: The Demon
Brandon Vieira
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It's been a long time coming (not really but doesn't it feel like it has been?).
On Arrow Season 7 Episode 5, we finally got the answer to the question, who is The Demon?
There have been a ton of theories. Some, like myself, thought it was going to be Stanley. Alas, that was not the case. Instead, it was someone Oliver knows very well.
Related: Arrow Season 7 Episode 4 Review: Level Two
It turns out Slabside Maximum Security Prison is a co-ed facility. #Progress. That might not be the case, but there was one woman locked inside Level 2, and she was the infamous Demon.
Her name? Talia al Ghul.
A couple of TV Fanatics guessed this one in the comments of my Arrow Season 7 Episode 3 review, but I didn't see it coming.
The main reason for that is because I thought The Demon was going to be someone who played a major role throughout the rest of Arrow Season 7 and that could still be the case, but it felt as though Talia's escape from Slabside meant that that would be the last we saw of her for the time being.
Oliver: You survived the explosion. How?
Talia: You know I'm not so easily defeated.
Oliver: What are you doing here?
Talia: Oh, I ran afoul of an old foe in Gotham.
Also, I thought The Demon was going to become the main villain of the season, but now that we know it's Talia, that's unlikely to be the case, especially since she and Oliver fought side-by-side.
Related: Arrow Season 7 Episode 2 Review: The Longbow Hunters
Am I a little disappointed that the reveal of The Demon wasn't something bigger and longer-lasting? Sure, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the time Oliver spent with Talia.
The history between these two made their interactions all the more exciting to watch. Oliver proved that the student does sometimes outshine the teacher, but that doesn't mean he knows better.
Without Talia's guidance, Oliver probably would have fallen into the trap Dr. Parker was trying to set. But really what can we expect from Oliver? No one that pretty can be all that smart...
Luckily, Talia managed to be the brains in the operation, and really opened Oliver's eyes to see how dangerous things could get in Level 2 if he wasn't careful.
Considering all Oliver did on Arrow Season 7 Episode 4 was talk about his past and his feelings with Dr. Parker, it was refreshing to see Oliver kick some ass again.
If anyone knows how to produce an epic fight scene, it's Oliver Queen!
Oliver and Talia's team up worked out in his favor, and for the first time since Mr. Queen entered Slabside, things aren't looking so grim for our favorite hero.
He may still be locked up, but Talia escaped and delivered some intel to Felicity anonymously, which not only shut down Level 2 completely but could also get Oliver released from prison.
Related: Arrow Season 7 Episode 3 Review: Crossing Lines
Obviously, I want Oliver to reunite with his family, and be happy or whatever but getting out of prison means no more friendship bonding moments with Stanley. Honestly, I'm not ready to give that up just yet.
Their friendship gives me life!
Another friendship that gives me life?
Laurel and Felicity!
Laurel: Well, all this saving your husband crap has made me very hungry, so I'm going to go get a pizza.
Felicity: Okay.
Laurel: Do you want to come. If you're hungry... I don't know.
Felicity: Are you asking me out on a friend date?
Laurel: No.
I seriously can't get enough of this pairing that I'm secretly hoping The CW decides to do a spinoff of Arrow where Felicity and Laurel solve crimes together.
It would be amazing!
The newly formed gal pals recruited Dinah in their mission to take down Diaz and save Oliver and were quite successful in doing so.
The three of them managed to uncover incriminating evidence against Dr. Parker, which ultimately led to his firing and the shut down of Level 2. Although, Dr. Parker's time on the unemployment line didn't last long thanks to some handy swordsmanship by Talia.
This episode should've been called "Female Empowerment" because the ladies were the real heroes here. After multiple seasons, Arrow has finally mastered the greatness that is female friendships.
Related: Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies!
Laurel and Dinah empowered Felicity when she was feeling down about herself, and consoled her when she worried about Oliver's fate.
I'd prefer if Laurel and Felicity remained a duo, but the only time I actually like Dinah is when she's interacting with Laurel, so I'm willing to give this trio a chance.
Felicity: Okay real talk. We're working together and we need your help.
Dinah: Huh, we?
Laurel: It's called empathy, Dinah.
Dinah: I'm about 100 percent sure that's not what we're dealing with here.
The best part is Laurel and Felicity's tracker that's following the Silencer says she's in Moscow, where Diaz has Anatoly in his grasp.
Honestly, I don't really care what Diaz is up to; I'm just excited about the possibility of my new favorite gal pals taking a trip together.
Laurel and Felicity for the win! I need more!
Despite being a little disappointed about The Demon reveal, this episode was pretty fantastic and delivered almost everything I look for on an episode of Arrow. Explosive fight scenes, shocking revelations, villain takedowns and the bonding of friendships.
Yet, the greatness kept being interrupted by the snoozefest that was Curtis and Diggle.
Listen, I love Diggle, but without Oliver aka his best friend, he's been a little lost. ARGUS has never been an organization that can carry long-term storylines, and despite their best efforts to add some mystery, I could care less about what secret their hiding.
Diggle: Sir, if this is about the 23 minutes of accounted time in our field log, it is because we took a pit stop, for chocolate.
Curtis: When in Rome, right? You want some, you should have some.
Deputy Director Bell: Actually, I'm diabetic.
Curtis: Okay, don't have some.
Curtis and Diggle have a solid enough connection, but the storyline they are involved with is doing more harm than good. I'm losing interest quickly, and I'd much rather spend more time with Oliver, Felicity, and Laurel then with ARGUS.
The episode would have been better off exploring the Green Arrow 2.0 story instead of this unnecessary plot, because as of right now it's one of the most boring stories Arrow has told to date.
What did you think of "The Demon"?
Did the reveal of Talia being The Demon shock or disappoint you?
On a scale of 1-10, how happy does a Laurel and Felicity friendship make you?
What does Arrow need to do with Diggle to make him more interesting?
Let us know in the comments below and if you need to catch up, make sure to watch Arrow online right here on TV Fanatic!
Brandon Viera was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He retired in May 2019..
