So much happened on Arrow Season 4 Episode 9, as Malcolm masqueraded as Green Arrow, Olicity got engaged, and we learned Damien Darhk had a family just as he was having the happy couple hunted down in the city, leaving Felicity gravely injured.

Join TV Fanatics Liz Estey, Lindsay MacDonald, Meg Bonney, Caralynn Lippo and Carissa Pavlica as they discuss all of these topics and more!

What did you think of Malcolm as Green Arrow and Black Canary taking on HIVE?

Liz: I enjoyed Malcolm as Green Arrow. It sort of reminded me of Arrow Season 1. More Laurel embodies Black Canary the better. She has come a long way from her role in the earlier seasons.

Lindsay: I do love to see others put on the Green Arrow hood when Oliver is nearby. It reminds me that not everyone knows his secret. I'm also curious to see if Malcolm and Damien have more fight scenes to come!

Meg: I usually hate Merlin scenes, but I liked him busting in with Laurel to save the day! I am also really happy that it was Laurel that saved them. The Arrow team has all had a chance to prove themselves, but she hasn't gotten that moment to shine. I am loving her this season!

Caralynn: I liked it a lot! Especially Thea being surprised and wondering if that was her dad. I also love seeing Laurel be actually useful, so it was great to see her being the one to rescue everyone for a change.

Carissa: They worked together really well, and Malcolm even got to see Laurel put her bondage gear to use in the field. Haha. Her Canary Cry was pretty damn handy, too.

Oliver and Felicity are engaged. React!

Liz: It's nice and all, but it probably won't last very long. What with Oliver's secret son, and Damien Darhk's determination to destroy Oliver, it's probably going to get called off at some point.

Lindsay: I'm not super comfortable with Oliver proposing while still keeping his son a secret from Felicity. It's a big step to take on a foundation of dishonesty.

Meg: it's sweet, sure, but there is no way it can last. Felicity will find out about Oliver's son, and that may be what does it.

Caralynn: I agree. The engagement plot was very cute (particularly the Felicity and Mama Smoak moments), but there's definitely a dark shadow cast over it with the secret and Darhk being on the warpath against Oliver. It's almost definitely going to get side barred or, worse, blown to pieces in all the chaos. But all that really indicates is that there will be another proposal later on, when everything's settled down and the secret about his son is out in the open.

Carissa: I'm not sure how I feel about it at all. I'm trying to picture a world where these two are actually married and the show continues, and I just can't see it. 

Any idea what's behind the Genesis project?

Liz: My impression is that H.I.V.E. is manufacturing some sort of "cleansing" to help the world start over (hence the biblical reference). My best guess is that they've created an underground environment comparable to Noah's Ark.

Lindsay: I agree with Liz, this is definitely a bunker of some sort to help the "select few" weather whatever storm they're planning to cause above.

Meg: Now that we know Damien has a family, maybe it's for the HIVE family members. Perhaps Damien does have a heart after all and will want his team to have their families protected. That's how we will see some resolution to Dig's brother trouble. Maybe his brother agreed to join HIVE in order to secure that type of safety for his family.

Caralynn: I honestly had no ideas, so I like Liz's idea, that sounds about right. We obviously know, now that we've seen Darhk has a family, that he isn't some Joker-like villain causing chaos for chaos' sake. He obviously has a plan that he thinks is morally just based on his own wacko morals, so I'm curious to see what his reasoning is for this "cleansing" being necessary.

Carissa: I'll just roll with what you all said, because it's better than anything I can come up with at this point. Good answers, good answers!

Another React: Darhk has a family! Did anyone see that coming?

Liz: I really didn't! It makes sense for him to have a family. That will probably be the key to defeating him.

Lindsay: I absolutely did not! He just doesn't seem like a family guy at all! After all the personal attacks on Oliver's friends/family, he might just be willing to cross that line to go after Darhk's.

Meg: I love this layer! I think it's the driving force behind Genesis.

Caralynn: Not at all! Like I said previously, it definitely casts his actions in another light. Since Darhk has been established as virtually impossible to beat in normal combat, it does seem likely that his family will be used against him, to stop him.

Carissa: And not JUST a family, but one with all the traditional trimmings! That idyllic setting really threw me off. It was pretty amazing. I hate to think they're about to be collateral damage.

What's the fallout of Felicity's injury?

Liz: I'm betting Oliver will blame himself, and push her away. I'll be pleasantly surprised by any other outcome.

Lindsay: I feel like they've already done the whole "pushing you away for your safety" thing with Olicity, and that would really cheapen the whole speech she gave him about her life and her choices. I did see an amnesia storyline idea that would be cliched but kind of interesting!

Meg: I don't think she is dead, but maybe she will decide that she no longer wants to chose this life knowing how hard it has become.

Caralynn: Oh god, I hope it's none of those options. Oliver blaming himself and pushing Felicity away is very repetitive, and an amnesia storyline is super cliche. It'll probably be one of those, though.

Carissa: My initial thought was that she would choose for herself to walk away from being in the line of fire. Then it's not a push, but a pull and genuinely chosen. Love doesn't solve everything, you know.

Midseason update: Who's in the grave and what's coming for the rest of the season?

Liz: I maintain that Thea's in the grave. It just makes sense given how reckless she's been, and how much the Lazarus pit affected her. I'm sure we'll see the progress of Oliver's mayoral campaign, and Darhk will continue with his machinations.

Lindsay: I still love my theory that it's Oliver's baby-mama, which would force Oliver to be a full-time parent next year. However, now I'm thinking it might actually just be his son. He was certainly heartbroken enough for it.

Meg: I like Lindsay's theory. Although, I would be fine with it being Thea. Her blood lust stuff is getting a little old.

Caralynn: I think it's either Quentin Lance or the baby mama. Especially now that they're involving Lance with Mama Smoak, it seems like they're trying to amp up the devastation if he bites it. If it's the baby mama, like Lindsay said, that would force Oliver to take on the dad role full time, which would be an interesting plot point. Though if the mother got killed because of Oliver's world that would sort of prove her point about keeping her kid away from Oliver's world and make it strange for Oliver to take him in... So I'm leaning towards Lance, still.

Carissa: I have a hard time imagining Oliver and Felicity as a married couple; imagining them married and with a child throws the entire show off balance in such a way that I cannot allow it to be Samantha in that grave. I'm gonna vote some rando, like Alex. Yeah. Dude, we hardly knew you, sorry to see you go. LOL

Arrow Season 4 Episode 10 will return on January 20. Feel free to take another look at the preview video now!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.