Stephen Ammell's performance isn't at the point yet where he (along with the directors and editors) is fully able to convey the warring motivations of Oliver Queen in this episode, but the effort he does put in is strong enough that watching him try was affecting enough all the same. It's impossible to know exactly how much of the character's backstory (as unveiled in later seasons) was available to Ammell when shooting "Honor Thy Father", but regardless of how far ahead the creative team was working at this point, subsequent revelations do resonate in Oliver's fumbling attempts to improvise a convincing playboy cover for his vendetta. OIiver didn't quite seem to have accounted for how his much-changed (much-improved, arguably) self would crave connecting with the friends and family he'd maybe been able to compartmentalise away as he was busy becoming the Arrow. Perhaps his plans were based on the stunted emotional life of the cad that left Starling City five years previous, but this Oliver seems to suddenly care more than he'd expected to. The melodrama built on dynamics like these was to become the show's greatest asset, but as of this second episode, Arrow has a little ways to go before it really starts hitting those high notes.
How convenient that Oliver was there to save Laurel. That totally wasn't for the plot. Also, was that a Bruce Wayne reference when Oliver said he can't do the things he needs to do if he has to attend board meetings?
This episode was really good; just like episode one. The characters were amazing in this episode, with a large portion of the episode focusing on Laurel. China White is a great villain, even if she doesn’t really play a huge role in the show. The fight between GA and China was great, too. However, the rating is brought down by the fact that the pacing wasn’t great (I often found myself checking how long was left) and the “main” villain being quite bland. This episode is also a filler, which is a problem that most superhero shows have.
Final Score— 75%
very solid follow up
love the diggle interactions in this episode
also we get the first appearance of China White
who will be a reoccurring villain over the years
Not the best follow-up episode after the amazing first episode but still solid enough to not drag down the momentum built up from the pilot. I liked the exploration of Laurel as a lawyer and really enjoyed Quentin continuously trying to chase down the Hood. So far i like all the characters which is a huge plus to the series.
Shout by Darren RennelsBlockedParent2022-04-04T06:30:26Z
Decent follow-up, mostly feels like it's trying to set up the season, which is fine. Perfectly entertaining on its own, I don't imagine it offers much on a rewatch.