Last week, “Reversal” showed us invents which led to Deathstroke revisiting Star City looking for help finding Joe Wilson, his son. Oliver agrees to help in the next episode titled “Deathstroke Returns” to try and keep Slade’s murderous intent in check at keeping the body count to a minimum.
Arrow is on a roll of season this year. After a disappointing season, 4 and a grueling and brutal season 5, the folks at arrow are working their asses off to make this season match the Oomph and wow factor of its predecessor. The inclusion of Manu Bennet as Deathstroke as a series’ frequent is a step in the right direction.
Taking after his father, Joe, like Slade, joined the Australian intelligence agency A.S.I.S. After an arms deal goes awry, Nylander – an old ally of Slade, reveals him to be held in a Kasnian prison. Oliver and Slade go on a rescue mission, with Slade surprisingly asks for the Mayor of Star City for help and not the Green Arrow. This mission he says “requires a touch of diplomacy”.
The prison administration gives off a vibe of corruption, seeming as if they are hiding something (much like any other eastern European prison is portrayed in Hollywood). Aptly titled Liberty watch, the two-man operation involved Oliver Queen asking for Joe Wilson to be released for a payment of $50,000 USD.
The Plan goes awry when the guard explains the boy died in a prison fight. Slade and Oliver have a hearty talk when Oliver returns back with the suitcase of cash. The newfound fatherly knowledge Oliver possesses is bestowed on Slade who realizes his mistake and decides to see his son’s body for one last time. I think everyone can guess what happens next.
Slade sees right through the prison guard’s poker face. His son wasn’t killed in a prison fight. In fact, his son may not be even dead. As a spy with intel worth millions in his head, he was abducted by The Jackals- a paramilitary organization of stone cold mercenaries with apparently no history to trace back to. No one wanted to mess with the Jackals, so the prison guards assumed Joe died like the rest of their prisoners.
A pep talk back at the Hotel ends with Slade leaving with his mask on to go save his son while a laced beverage takes Oliver down for a good few hours. Slade promised Oliver he won’t be needing the hood. A man of his word, his frenemy kept on that promise.
What ensues is a mother of all fight scene seen never before in the Arrowverse. Deathstroke goes on a rampage throughout the Jackal Headquarters. Fists, knives hell even bullets can’t stop this one man army. After such an impressive fight scene where Slade took out about two dozen bad guys (at the very least), he founds himself surrounded by the very people he wanted to kill so bad. And look who’s back. Nylander. The son of a bitch was a Jackal all along.
Surrounded and outnumbered, The Jackals don’t kill him just yet. This is the part that’s the most interesting. Slade is looking for his son and offers his services for his release. Nylander just laughs it off. Throughout their conversation, Nylander passes of sly remarks which make the viewers think Joe may already be dead. The final reveal is enough to suck the life out of one’s whiskers.
The episode is sprinkled with flashbacks of Slade and Joe on a camping trip. In the woods, while they show a somewhat rocky relationship between the father and son, the trip isn’t what Slade has in mind for mending it. The real reason he’s there is to get near a Chinese secret agent, who also is camping nearby with his family, and get info on Yao Fei and his whereabouts. A snide connection leading to the events leading to Lian Yu.
As the flashbacks end, an older and more badass Joe reveals himself. And might I say he is the spitting image of his father. He is not a prisoner of The Jackals. He Is The Jackals. Specifically, Joe Wilson is the leader of the dreaded mercenary group. As an astonished Deathstroke looks at his son, the screen fades to black.
The plotline is part of a two-episode story arc starting with “Deathstroke Returns” and assumed to end with “Promises Kept”. Next Episode’s description reads Slade “continues to uncover clues about his son’s last few years.”. There’s a lot of Joe Wilson backstory that’s about to hit the fans real hard.
The Arrow will air its next episode on November 16. Stay Tuned.
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