TV Review: ARROW: Season 3, Episode 13: Canaries [The CW]

The CW‘s Arrow, Canaries TV Show Review. Arrow: Season 3, Episode 13: ‘Canaries,’ opened in the thick of things, with Laurel (Katie Cassidy) getting the worse of a violent reunion, with Canary predecessor sister, Sara (Caity Lotz). Of course, Sara wipes the floor with Laurel; of course, Sara has some very mean girl things to say to sister usurper; of course, this was more about redeeming Laura, than having Sara embody what certain viewers have been thinking; so, of course, this exercise needed some back tracked context.

Laurel’s Black Canary has been stepping on Team Arrow’s toes, and being kind of a brat about it. If that wasn’t bad enough, Team Arrow kept forgetting to change the HQ locks, because Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) dropped in again. This time, he came bearing concerns over the League’s intentions, as they pertained to Thea (Willa Holland). It was suggested that Thea be brought into the know, regarding Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) other life. Diggs (David Ramsey) was keen to point out that the revelation could be that last straw, that severs ties between the brother & sister; but I was left wondering how Merlyn – having been a party to much more secrets than this – would be insulated from Thea’s righteous indignation.

To the show’s credit, Thea was far more considerate, about the ramifications of Ollie’s other life, than she has been about… well, any past major development. As for Merlyn’s standing, on the lying-sack-of meter: well, Thea had to hate somebody, and Merlyn has been overdue (at least, since she shot him). The last thing Thea wanted, now that she regarded Merlyn as a wedge, between Ollie & herself, was to have him oversee their combined preparations for the League. Clearly, Thea needed motivating; so she opted to blow off some steam with DJ Chase (Austin Butler). For anyone who missed the Chase reveal – like, when he was first introduced – he was just what Thea needed, to remember the value of her Sith training. He also gave Arsenal (Colton Haynes) an excuse to come to her rescue, and Merlyn the opportunity to actually do the rescuing (sorry, Roy; but she knew you meant well). I assumed Merlyn wanted Chase dead, for all the effort that went into preventing his out; but Chase proved to be very useful, after all. Thea was now on board with Team Magician.

Unfortunately, that was just the subplot. Between the title & cold open, the episode was another exercise in Laurel redemption. To service that plot, Count Vertigo 2.0, Werner Zytle (Peter Stormare), arranged for a rather public escape (which proved useful to Team Arrow, later on), and went right back to mass producing madness. Despite ongoing clashes, over Laurel’s place on the case, the Count’s loose end nearly brought a fatal end to the new Arrow-Canary team, just as it got underway. They really didn’t have to make their escape as narrow as it was, though.

There was more doubt cast, on Laurel’s fitness, and more of Laurel lying to her father, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), about Sara, before the Count provided her with the first voice to really get through to her. Some convenient carelessness left Laurel under the effects of Vertigo, allowing the Count to assume the form of the original Canary, who then proceeded to give Laurel a violent dressing down (which was where we came in, BTW). I’m still not clear whether the Count has any actual skill, or if the combat takes place entirely in the victim’s head, but Laurel took something of a beating before The Arrow & Arsenal bailed her out (in a way that should have left the Count incapacitated; but: plot). Score one for Ollie’s paternal mistrust. He loses points, however, when he started to throw his weight around, back at the Arrow Cave. Team Arrow had gone through great pains, learning to operate without him, and wasn’t about to fall back in line.

I assume this chastening left Oliver with some wiggle room, regarding Laurel’s heroic drive, because she was back in costume, back on the Count’s trail, and back teaming up with The Arrow. So, yes, she was back on Vertigo, before too long.

That meant a rematch with Sara – only with her trading places with Quentin, this time around, to add some more poignancy to the match. Okay, it was more like another beat down session. I seem to recall Oliver having an easier time fighting himself. Never mind the question of how active the Count is, during these encounters; I’m thinking Laurel has just been that weak willed.

Well, she got better. It seems being double-teamed, by Sara & Quentin, burned through her guilt, and hit adrenal rage. It was down, for the Count, and she didn’t even need rescuing. Laurel has earned her costume (again), and a thumbs up from Seraph Sara (described as such only to make the scene sound less silly than it actually was).

Now the surviving Lance daughter had to make good on the domestic front. If her finally coming clean, to Quentin, was supposed to clean her slate (this season, anyway), then her father’s reaction just reminded me that this was a tragedy she had only made worse; and not for as noble the reasons as she may have been convincing herself of.

If ‘Canaries’ was meant to be the corner turn, that establishes Laurel’s right to be the Black Canary, then they missed an important point. True redemption, for someone with Laurel’s history, will mean making a major difference, going forward; not just being able to clean up her own messes, from past mistakes.

Oddly enough, there wasn’t enough material, to the Hong Kong flashback, to pass for anything but a footnote, to the overall episode; but its ending packed the biggest punch. The central plot, to ‘Canaries,’ might have been a necessary throw away, for Black Canary’s sake; but since the peripheral storylines seemed to promise big things to come, I wouldn’t count it as a total loss, as far as filler episodes go.

Leave your thoughts, on this Arrow review, in the comments section, below. For more Arrow photos, videos, and information, visit our Arrow Page, subscribe to us by Email, follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, or “like” us on Facebook.