It is a clever idea, it just would have worked better with a less far-reaching mission. Arrow doesn't tend to do as well when it extends the stakes of its missions beyond Star City.
In the beginning of season five it was difficult to believe that Arrow would ever find its stride again. Now, at the beginning of six, it's almost hard to remember the rough patches the show had in the past.
Having a well-known actor with a knack for playing oddballs arrive in a superhero show isn't automatically a cause for celebration. So much still depends on writing, and on the shape of the season.
This episode failed to generate a compelling conflict, coasting mainly on the Ollie/Felicity role reversal and some great action scenes. The series needs to do a better job of establishing the stakes and the general direction for this season.
This episode was a great reminder of why Emily Bett Rickards is so essential to the show's chemistry, and why she deserves more storylines in her own right.
Diggle as the Green Arrow works if he doesn't just feel like a placeholder. Similarly, Oliver sidelined only works if the show fully commits to it. In last night's "Reversal," it feels like neither element fully happens.
