This is a big week for the Arrowverse. Not only is it currently embarking on its most ambitious crossover event to date, bringing together characters of The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl in a battle to fight the terrifying alien race known as The Dominators, but tonight is also the 100th episode of Arrow. The series to thank for the entire DCTV universe as we know it today, the episode will be bringing back a number of familiar faces from the series’ history as Oliver grapples with the life he always wanted and the life he actually has to live with. In case that wasn’t enough, it’ll also double as the third installment in the 4-part crossover event.
As those who have been keeping up to date with the crossover will already know, last night’s episode of The Flash ended with Oliver (Stephen Amell) and a number of the other Arrow cast members being abducted by The Dominators. While on the ship, it turns out that Oliver and his friends have been put under a deep sleep, where he wakes up in the idyllic life he would have wanted at the start of the series, where he’s engaged to Laurel (a returning Katie Cassidy) and his parents are still alive.
In anticipation of the episode’s airing tonight, as well titled “Invasion!,” a brand new featurette has been released that teases how the episode manages to both celebrate Arrow’s milestone achievement and function as the latest installment of the Heroes vs. Aliens conflict. The episode will also be slightly longer than most of the show’s past episodes, and the only real question still left to be answered, is how well it’ll balance the story of Oliver and the other characters on the alien ship with the heroes who are still stuck on Earth.
Katie Cassidy won’t be the only Arrow cast member being brought back for the episode either, with Susanna Thompson and Jamey Sheridan reprising their roles as Robert and Moira Queen, Manu Bennett returning as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, and more. The featurette itself also gives us some brief new glimpses at Oliver and Laurel’s seemingly perfect relationship in the episode, Sara’s (Caity Lotz) banter with Oliver, and what some of the other DC heroes will be up to while Oliver and co. are trapped on The Dominators’ ship.
Aside from just drawing out the conflict with The Dominators in an interesting way, especially after Barry (Grant Gustin) and Oliver were left pitted against all of the other heroes in last night’s episode, credit should be given to the Arrow creative team for finding a way to integrate the episode’s story perfectly into the rest of season five’s themes. So far, a majority of the fifth season, which has been a critically successful return-to-form for the show, has focused on bringing things full circle for Oliver and his life in Star City. Learning to come to terms with the losses that he’s suffered, and what he’s had to sacrifice in order to save his city over the past five years, may be one of the last steps Oliver has to take in order to truly move past everything that’s been holding him back.
Invasion! continues tonight @8pm on the CW with Arrow, followed by Legends of Tomorrow on Thursday, December 1st @8pm. Arrow returns next Wednesday @8pm with ‘What We Leave Behind’.
Source: The CW
