Arrow | Season 5 Episode 16 - "Checkmate"

Spoiler Alert!

Oh My God guys, this episode! I loved it!

This week's episode was everything that I was hoping it would be and more! 

We had a lot of Prometheus and, I don't know, just the feeling of it. I have to give some props to the writters Beth Schwatz and Sarah Tarkoff, as well as the director of the episode, Ken Shane, because this episode was seriously so god!

I'm still a bit bitter about the whole situation of Adrian Chase being Prometheus but I can work with that.

In last week's episode I didn't think this would make a good storyline, I thought Prometheus should be someone else but, in this episode, I changed my mind. I'm still not that happy about the fact that he is Prometheus, but I can see so much potential in this.

Besides, was it just me or Adrian's character got so much more interesting in this episode? I mean, I always thought he was interesting and there was some mistery about him but in this episode he was so dark and I loved it! You know I love me some psychopaths so... obviously I was going to love Adrian Chase, specially right now. And I even got conflicted about who I was rooting for! I mean, obviously I want Oliver to 'win' and stay alive but... I like Adrian so I don't want him to die either, unlike Damien Darhk, who I hated! 

Anyway, let's get into the specifics because there was a lot going on in this episode and there was so many things that I want to talk about!

We start the episode with Oliver going 'after' Talia in a way to find out who Prometheus is. She ends up telling him not only that, but also that she's Ras' Al Ghul daughter and that's why she helped Adrian/Prometheus, because Oliver not only killed Adrian's dad but also killed her dad, so she also kind of wants revenge.

Knowing this, Oliver then confronts Adrian and that's when we find that the he has kidnapped Susan Williams, which to me, wasn't a big deal since I don't really care about her.

In an attempt to find her, Oliver breaks into Adrian's house and finds just Doris there' Adrian's wife, and that's when the police arrives which foreces Oliver to escape.

Meanwhile, Felicity is kind of working with Helix and, I got to be honest, I don't like this at all! Ok, yes, they were the ones to help free Diggle, and yes, they were also the ones that, in this episode, find out about where Adrian was keeping Susan but... Felicity also had to do some things for them, which was expected, and that is breaking, in my opinion, Felicity's character. Like Diggle said (and I said) in my previous rant, Felicity is known for being the loving one, the one that doesn't really have a drak side and this is making her have one, which I'm not really a fan off... But anyway...

Like I said, they do find where Susan is so, obviously, and unfortunately, they go there to find her and although Oliver do find her there, and she does escape, Oliver also meets 'face to face' Adrian in Prometheus mode.

They fight and all because, afterall, this is an Arrow episode, and then Diggle brings their 'secret weapon' - Doris, Adrian's Wife - In a way to convice him to surrender. 

Right in that moment, when she hugs him and all I thought this wasn't going to end well. It was pretty obvious that he was just going to stab her and kill her and, guess what he did? Yes, exactly that. They still got her in an ambulance, but in the end we find out that she died on the way to hospital.

Then, Talia appears and overpowers Oliver and both her and Adrian abduct him and later Adrian tells Oliver that he isn't planning on killing him. Instead, he wants to help him learn who he really is.

And yeah, that was basically it.

We also had flashbacks, obviously, but they weren't that important, in my opinion. They just helped us know a little bit more about Oliver and Talia's relationship, although she wasn't really on the flashbacks,

Anyway, overall, like I said before, a great episode! Loved the dark tone of it and it reminded me a lot of the first seasons, which I loved! Also, I love a good villain and Adrian/Prometheus is, for sure, a good one, so I'm excited to see more of him.

Let me know what you thought about the episode. Did you like it? Which are your feelings about Adrian? Tell me everything.

I'll see you tomorrow with new rants!

Love,

Daniela.