It’s nerd vs. nerd as Felicity takes on the Calculator in Arrow’s ‘Unchained’

The next “Previously on Arrow…” clip might take a while.

Despite the absence of Damien Darhk, “Unchained” manages to be one of the series’ busiest episodes in recent memory, advancing the flashbacks, Thea’s blood lust arc, the civil war within the League of Assassins and the storyline surrounding Palmer Tech’s business struggles. Oh, and the villain of the week is apparently Felicity’s father?

“Unchained” definitely has a bit of a soap opera feel with a twist-heavy plot that moves from shock moment to shock moment: Roy’s back! Shado’s back! No wait that’s just a vision ... but wait, here’s the Calculator reveal! The episode can feel a bit hokey at times (the entire flashback sequence had the emotional tenor of a Xanga page littered with My Chemical Romance lyrics), but most of this chapter does well to balance the gravitas of Thea’s situation with the weirdly fun Calculator storyline.

We might as well start with the return of Colton Haynes as Roy Harper, who has been blackmailed into stealing tech for Star City’s newest villain. Harper’s turn to the dark side doesn’t last long, and after a short reunion he’s back in the Arsenal getup, leading Team Arrow’s charge to stop their new tech-savvy enemy from killing a whole bunch of people with a “web nuke.”

The Calculator plot on its own is kind of … whatever. The character has never done anything for me in the comics and we get no hint as to his motivations here, other than to “make a statement.” The late reveal that he’s Felicity’s father is a nice touch, and one I should have picked on given he shares his daughter’s knack for awkward humor during tense situations (the cat videos crack was delightful).

Felicity doesn’t necessarily need an archfiend, but the chance to explore her relationship (or lack thereof) with her father seems like an important step for the character. Donna has hinted there was nothing pleasant about the Smoak domestic situation when Felicity was a child, and it would be interesting to see how her father’s wicked ways helped shape the First Lady of Nerdom.

The Calculator plot also brings Roy back into the fold, providing some tense moments that actually caught me off guard. Haynes isn’t a regular cast member now so I’m much more apt to believe he might die, and given the show’s overt message about Thea choosing her own fate, I was pretty ready to accept he might die in the battle with Calculator or sacrifice himself to save Thea in their tearful goodbye. The whole Roy-Thea relationship has always worked for me, melodramatic elements aside, and their exchange here was one of the episode’s better scenes.

Speaking of that goodbye, the effects of Thea’s blood lust continue to sway dependent on the plot’s needs (she goes feral, now she’s dying from lack of feeding an urge that works like vampirism?), but at least the outcome gets us to an interesting place. I could care less about whatever McGuffin Elixir Nyssa has recovered to heal Thea, as long as it leads to a renewed Merlyn-Oliver rivalry. I’ve waited to see Merlyn assume a more villainous role since ascending to the mantle of Ra’s Al Ghul (outside of his role in reviving Vandal Savage) and it’d be nice to allow him to return to the role of ace antagonist while Darhk is away.

Lots to swallow here, but a big meal isn’t always a bad one. “Unchained” actually used Arrow’s at times crowded storytelling tactics to its advantage, marrying disparate plot threads that might not have stood on their own into an enjoyable, fast-paced and fun episode.

Left in the quiver:

- Curtis’ evolution into Mr. Terrific continues. Nice to see him hold his own, but ultimately lose, a fight to the superior combatant in Ray. Kind of laughed to see him try and use one of the T-spheres only to have it turned against him.

- God, the flashbacks … one week after I complained about “Arrow’s” overuse of the “traumatized character sees visions” trope the show doubles down on the device and brings back Shado for an incredibly annoying journey of self-discovery and forgiveness with past Ollie. Just stop it. There are a million more emotionally realistic ways to force Oliver to confront what he did to his fellow captive’s brother. Ghosts aren’t necessary.

- The presence of Darhk’s wife as a mayoral opponent breathes some much-needed life into the campaign storyline. Oliver running unopposed had left that storyline without weight.

- Project Cadmus logos on the Calculator’s bomb could be nothing but an Easter egg, but it seemed worth noting.

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