ARROW 2.20 "Seeing Red" Review: When It Comes to Your Children, No Decision is Impossible

I had to sit with this monstrous episode for ten minutes before I could start writing. That’s how difficult it was for me to process the events that just went down. Here I expected “Seeing Red” to be a Roy-centric outing but what we got was another well-balanced episode that blew up at least one relationship and drove a sword through a character’s heart. And, dear lord, was I not ready for any of it.

As expected, we open with Roy unconscious in the Arrow Cave before he Hulks-out on Felicity’s computers and escapes (I made so many “HULK SMASH!” and Kanima-related comments throughout the episode). Sara and Oliver follow Roy’s trail of destruction until Sin points them to the clock tower where Roy seemingly breaks Oliver’s leg before punching a hole through the floor, knocking out a cop, and then killing another. Roy is seriously on a rampage – one fueled by a hallucination of Thea that is encouraging him to kill her as punishment for abandoning him.

After getting some pain meds from a generous doctor, the Arrow and Canary are off after Roy. There’s a nasty argument between the two lovebirds over how best to handle the situation. Oliver wants Roy incapacitated while Sara thinks Roy is too far gone to be saved. It’s the same conversation they had five years ago about Slade, Sara reminds Oliver. Look how that ended.

Sin tells Thea about Roy’s having been injected with something that’s completely messed him up and Thea goes on live television to lure Roy to Verdant so she can, hopefully, talk him down. Roy, however, shows up in the middle of Moira’s mayoral election rally and grabs Thea by the throat – before Sara shoots him in the leg and Oliver knocks him out with some powerful sedatives.

I suspected that Sara was going to be killed by Slade in tonight’s installment after she and Oliver discussed moving in together only to break-up later when Sara explains that she wanted to kill Roy, that she’s a murderer at heart despite what Oliver believes. I was especially suspicious when Sara said goodbye to Sin before riding off to see “an old friend” – presumably Slade. However, the real clue that someone was about to die was in the B-plot.

The flashbacks were all about Moira protecting Oliver after he revealed to his mother that he impregnated some random chick while he was dating Laurel (wow, Laurel can do way better than this douchebag). Moira succinctly gave the girl a million dollars to tell Oliver she lost the baby and offered another million when the girl returned to Central City. We can now expect Oliver’s love-child to appear in season three.

In the present day, Moira is in the middle of an interview when Thea crashes it. Moira’s campaign manager explains that she can’t be both a candidate and mother. Moira chooses motherhood and tells Sebastian Blood that she’s withdrawing. However, a pep talk from Oliver convinces her that she can save her relationship with Thea by saving the city as mayor. It’s then that Moira drops a monumental bombshell: she’s known her son is the Arrow since the Undertaking. WHAT?!

The rally is underway and Moira makes a last minute decision to stay in the race when Roy attacks. In the wake of the violence, Moira and her children are swept into a limo. Thea is fed up with all of the secrets and lies (clearly coming down with Lana Lang Syndrome) and Moira understands. She’s about to reveal something about Malcolm when a car t-bones the limo.

The trio wake up, bound in the middle of nowhere with Slade looming over them. He’s offering Oliver the same choice as Ivo did five years ago. Moira figures out that Slade was on the island with Oliver and, before her son can choose whom to save, she rises to her feet, offering herself to Slade. Slade admires her courage – and then drives his sword through Moira’s heart. Oliver passes out while Thea screams in horror and Slade walks away.

I am in awe right now. I am in awe and disgusted, shocked and enraged, and a whole gamut of emotions that I can’t even put into words. I – like so many others – had no idea that anyone would die tonight (though I remain confident that Sara’s time is quickly running out as we head towards the finale). I was so relieved when it was revealed that Moira knew about her son’s double-life as a vigilante because it proved that she wasn’t an oblivious mother, that she loved her children enough to monitor them and understand them.  And I am absolutely gutted that Slade killed her - but I’m also oddly thrilled by the ramifications. Thea will be launched on a new character arc and Oliver will spiral into darkness in the final episodes of season two.

This episode gets an incredible, absolute, totally earned A+. Wow.

What did you think of tonight’s episode? Were you even remotely prepared for a death, let alone an original cast member’s? Will you miss Moira Queen as much as I will? And how brilliant was Susanna Thompson, tonight’s obvious MVP (the runner-up being Stephen Amell’s right bicep)? How will Roy be saved from his rage and the legal fallout of killing a cop? What friend did Sara go to meet? And, most importantly, are you still freaking out as badly as I am?