Arrow New Episode Review: 'Left Behind' Reveals Oliver Queen's Fate

Season 3 of the CW's Arrow finally returned with a new episode tonight entitled "Left Behind," which revealed Oliver Queen's fate in the aftermath of his duel with Ra's al Ghul in the midseason finale.

When we last saw Oliver, Ra's had stabbed him through the chest with a sword and kicked him over the side of a snowy cliff. It seemed rather clear that Oliver was dead, and this episode confirmed that. But because the show is called Arrow, Oliver couldn't stay dead for long.

The episode misdirected the audience through a series of cutaways by making us think that Malcolm Merlyn was the one who collected Oliver's body. But it turned out to be Maseo, Oliver's friend from the Hong Kong flashbacks. He's now a member of the League of Assassins, but he still helped his old friend by bringing him to someone who could restore his life: his wife, Katana.

It's still unclear how exactly she brought him back to life, but it appears Stephen Amell told us the truth when he said the Lazarus Pit would not be used to bring Oliver back. Of course, this begs the question of how exactly she resurrected him, but we'll surely find that out in the next few episodes. Some fans might be pleased that Oliver came back to life so quickly, while others might be annoyed that the show didn't stick with the death for more than an episode. But either way, it doesn't seem that Ollie is just going to pop back into Starling City like nothing happened.

Speaking of Starling City, the place was in rough shape by the end of the hour. The criminal known as Brick (Vinnie Jones) has amassed a gang by stealing loads of evidence against the criminals Oliver spent the last eight months putting away. Almost every bad guy Ollie captured is back on the street, and they're all working for Brick.

This would be manageable if Ollie were still in town, but with him gone, his associates have had to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, they were demoralized and disorganized when they were clinging to hope that he was alive, and they got even worse after Malcolm dropped in to let them know that Ollie was dead. Felicity wanted to give up altogether, and Roy was leaning that way, too. Diggle was just upset that he couldn't protect Oliver as his bodyguard (I'm man enough to admit that hit me right in the sweet spot), but he wanted to keep going.

And then there's Ray Palmer, who is hellbent on becoming the A.T.O.M. despite Felicity's protests. The exchange between the two was a highlight of the episode, as Ray was firm but understanding with her when she broke down in tears. He's still going to become a hero and hit the streets. It's just a matter of when and how.

And finally, Laurel has suited up as the Black Canary. For weeks and weeks, fans have complained that she has no business taking up Sara's mantle. She's not trained enough. She's too weak. It doesn't make sense.

But the writers said all along to have faith, and that faith was justified tonight because the show managed to expertly craft a logical reason for her jumping into the costume. Oliver's team had all but given up. Ra's al Ghul had killed him, and Sara's death was going to stand without justice. So she saw the gloves, the mask, and the wig and decided to take matters into her own hands. Laurel is going to get hurt, probably a lot, but her reasoning makes sense.

"Left Behind" brought Arrow back with a bang. Thankfully we only have to wait a week for a new episode.

Notes:

- Diggle pulls out a gun and Malcolm says it annoys rather than threatens him, so Diggle pulls out another gun. Diggle is the best. All hail Diggle.

- DIggle: "I'm more of a Glock guy myself." Roy: "I didn't say anything."

- Does Thea own a shirt that covers her stomach?

- Have Ray and Felicity had a conversation in the last three episodes in which she wasn't crying?

- The flashbacks showed why Maseo owed Oliver. Ollie went off mission when they were going after another bioweapon on Amanda Waller's orders just to help Maseo rescue his wife.

- Regardless of if he lived or died, shouldn't Oliver's back be broken from falling and landing on that cliff?

What did you think of "Left Behind"? Let us know in the comments section.