Doppelganger (Arrow)

Last updated
"Doppelganger"
Arrow episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 15
Directed byKristin Windell
Story by
  • Christos Gage
  • Ruth Fletcher Gage [1]
Teleplay by Speed Weed [1]
Original air dateMarch 8, 2018 (2018-03-08) [1]
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Collision Course"		Next →
"The Thanatos Guild"
Arrow season 6
List of episodes

"Doppelganger" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season, and 130th episode overall of The CW series Arrow . The episode sees the return of former main character Roy Harper (Colton Haynes). It also sees the return of Thea donning her Speedy suit since the ninth episode of the fifth season. [2] The episode stars Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen) who is joined by fellow main cast members David Ramsey (John Diggle), Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak), Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance), Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Echo Kellum (Curtis Holt) and Juliana Harkavy (Dinah Drake). Main cast member Rick Gonzalez (Rene Ramirez) is also credited but does not appear in this episode. [3]

Contents

Synopsis

The episode starts with Jean Loring, Oliver's solicitor in his impending trial coming to him hopeful that she could get the charges against him dropped due to Rene's testimony being illegally obtained. Quentin then walks in to inform Oliver that Laurel Lance / Black Siren from Earth-2 is posing as Earth-1's deceased Laurel Lance much to the disbelief of Oliver and Thea. Oliver, Thea and Quentin go to the Star City Police Department in the hope to stop Laurel from speaking to the press but they are too late. Meanwhile, Curtis visits Rene's daughter Zoe to explain to her what happened to her father. In a meeting with the Star City district attorney, he reveals to Jean and Oliver that they are no longer using Rene's testimony and instead using Roy Harper's. After learning that Roy is the witness, Felicity Smoak and John Diggle discuss the situation with Thea and Oliver. After Laurel is taken from the hospital Dinah and Quentin find that there is corrupt officers in the police department who takes her to Anatoly Kynazev. Oliver and Diggle fight about Oliver being the Green Arrow again. Thea decides to go back out to the field to save Roy, she successfully gets into the hotel room where Roy is being held and kisses him after watching him get tortured. When SWAT shows up to the hotel, Oliver pulls Thea out to save Roy later. Dinah and Quentin are tasked to find the corrupt police officers in the department. When Laurel tells them that Diaz has Roy and where he is, Oliver, Thea and Diggle get ready to go after him. Dinah offers to join them, but Oliver declines her offer due to trust issues. After Roy is rescued, he and Thea go to bed and they were being watched by an unknown person.

Production

Colton Haynes returned in this episode as Roy Harper Colton Haynes PaleyFest 2015 (cropped).jpg
Colton Haynes returned in this episode as Roy Harper

In December 2017, it was announced that Colton Haynes was returning as his character of Roy Harper after an absence since his last guest appearance in "Unchained" since leaving in the third season. Arrow executive producers said, "We're thrilled to announce that Colton Haynes will be reprising his role as Roy Harper. Roy is called back to Star City to help resolve an urgent matter with high stakes for the team. His short visit turns into something surprising when he reunites with Thea and sparks a change in both of their lives that will have long-lasting consequences...." [4] It was also revealed that he would have a short arc beginning in this episode. [4]

Reception

Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the episode 7.0 and said about the episode "I was thrilled when it was announced that Haynes would be returning as Roy Harper this season. Haynes' presence has been missed on the show in recent years, both because he was a memorable part of the Team Arrow dynamic in Seasons 2 and 3 and because Thea never really made for a satisfying replacement in the vigilante sidekick department." [5] [ excessive quote ] He added "It was also nice seeing Diaz actually demonstrate his martial arts prowess for a change. In the comics, Richard Dragon is one of a small handful of post-Batman-level martial artists, and it's about time we started to get a sense of the physical powerhouse he can be. Hopefully we'll see some good Diaz/Ollie fisticuffs in the near future." [5] [ excessive quote ] Schedeen finished the review with "This week's Arrow is a clear good news/bad news situation. The long-awaited return of Roy Harper amounted to very little, begging the question of why he was brought back into the picture in the first place. But the renewed focus on Ricardo Diaz is beginning to help turn around this season's overarching conflict. The question is whether there's enough time left to truly take advantage of this status quo upheaval." [5] [ excessive quote ]

Marc Buxton of Den of Geek said in his review "this is the first episode where I really felt Diaz as a force to be reckoned with. Cayden James was an effective villain but since the twist of Diaz murdering James went down, Diaz has been so much background noise. But Diaz's torture of Roy really elevates the villain." [6] A writer for Express Newsline, commented about this episode by saying "Right from the start of this episode, it quickly becomes clear that this Arrow episode will be a rough one for Oliver Queen. (Ignoring the season 5 episode where she tried to trick Ollie she was the real Laurel.) Yet the brilliance of this plot is how it puts Black Siren in such close quarters with Oliver and the gang. It's easy to forget just how much this show has changed and evolved over the past few years, but tossing Roy back into the ensemble really drove the point home. Now, she has escaped and is ready to resume her old life." [7] [ excessive quote ] They also added "It was nice seeing Thea back in her Speedy uniform." [7]

Nicholas Graff of Sciencefiction.com said "Well, this was one of the episodes we had been waiting for this season, the long-awaited return of Roy Harper to 'Arrow,' and I can say it was not exactly what I had expected. Some of the side-stories seemed a bit more interesting, and it definitely felt like a bit too open-ended (I know there's a second half to it coming along in 2 weeks), so I am honestly not sure exactly how I felt about the episode." [3] He ended his review by saying "Solid episode, always good to see Roy, though I kind of wish he was back in a more permanent fashion, and I was kind of hoping to see him suit up and go out and fight with the team again, like old times (though at least they put him in a red hoodie at the end, that was a nice-callback). I like where the show is going, though I think I want to see some closure or something on the split team storyline soon before they go to all-out war with Diaz and his SCPD goons. And I'm definitely not happy that we have a break next week before the second half of the Roy arc. Ah well, see you back here in 2 weeks!" [3] [ excessive quote ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Arrow</i> (TV series) American action-adventure television series

Arrow is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is the first series of the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other related television series. The series premiered in the United States on The CW on October 10, 2012, and ran for eight seasons until January 28, 2020. Arrow was primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Lance</span> Fictional character from the Arrowverse

Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series Arrow, and later starring in Legends of Tomorrow. The character is an original character to the television series, created by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, but incorporates character and plot elements of the DC Comics character Black Canary. Sara was portrayed by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood in the pilot episode, but subsequently by Caity Lotz.

<i>Arrow</i> season 4 2015–16 season of American TV series

The fourth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 7, 2015, and concluded on May 25, 2016, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons.

<i>Arrow</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 5, 2016, and concluded on May 24, 2017, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. They are joined by Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Josh Segarra.

"Unchained" is the 12th episode of the fourth season of The CW series Arrow and 81st overall. The episode was written by Speed Weed and Beth Schwartz and directed by Kevin Fair. It was first broadcast on February 3, 2016, on The CW.

"Lian Yu" is the twenty-third and final episode of the fifth season, and 115th episode overall of The CW series Arrow. The episode was written by showrunners Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim and directed by Jesse Warn. It was first broadcast on May 24, 2017, on The CW.

<i>Arrow</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 12, 2017, and concluded on May 17, 2018, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. Katie Cassidy, a principal cast member from seasons one to four and a guest actor for season five, was reinstated as a series regular for the sixth season as Laurel Lance / Black Siren. They are joined by Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez and Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake, who were promoted to series regulars from their recurring status in the previous season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak</span> 5th episode of the 3rd season of Arrow

"The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak" is the fifth episode of the third season, and fifty-first overall episode, of the American television series Arrow, originally broadcast on The CW. Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, the series follows the story of billionaire vigilante Oliver Queen, portrayed by Canadian actor Stephen Amell, who returns home after five years supposedly stranded on a Pacific island, featuring flashback sequences to his time away. The series is part of the Arrowverse franchise, alongside spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and other associated media. This episode is notable as the first Arrow episode to feature flashback sequences centered entirely on a character other than Oliver Queen, focusing instead on the backstory of the character Felicity Smoak, played by Emily Bett Rickards. The episode was written by Ben Sokolowski and Brian Ford Sullivan and directed by Michael Schultz. It premiered in the United States on The CW on November 5, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Diggle (Arrowverse)</span> Fictional character in the Arrowverse

John Diggle, also known by his code names Freelancer and Spartan, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise and Superman & Lois, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series Arrow. The character was created for the series by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. Diggle is portrayed by David Ramsey

<i>Arrow</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2018, and concluded on May 13, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunner for this season was Beth Schwartz. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez, Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake, and Katie Cassidy Rodgers as Laurel Lance also returning from previous seasons. Colton Haynes, a principal cast member for seasons two and three and a special guest actor for seasons four and six, was reinstated as a series regular for the seventh season as Roy Harper. They are joined by Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Sea Shimooka.

"Haunted" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Brian Ford Sullivan and Oscar Balderrama, and directed by John Badham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel Lance (Arrowverse)</span> Fictional character in the Arrowverse franchise

Dinah Laurel Lance is the name of several fictional characters in The CW's Arrowverse franchise based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and adapted by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg for Arrow in 2012. Katie Cassidy portrays the several multiverse versions of the character within the Arrowverse, all of whom are mostly referred to by their middle name, "Laurel", unlike the comics.

<i>Arrow</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth and final season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2019, and concluded on January 28, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed vigilante created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series and associated media. Executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz returned as co-showrunners for this season.

"Starling City" is the first episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz, and directed by James Bamford.

"Fadeout" is the series finale of the American TV series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The tenth episode of the eighth season and the 170th overall of the series, it was written by showrunners Marc Guggenheim & Beth Schwartz, and directed by James Bamford.

"Leap of Faith" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Emilio Ortega Aldrich and Elizabeth Kim and directed by Katie Cassidy.

"Purgatory" is the seventh episode of the eighth and final season, and 167th episode overall of the American television series Arrow based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode is written by Rebecca and Rebecca Rosenberg. Hughes and directed by James Bamford.

Emerald Archer (<i>Arrow</i> episode) 12th episode of the 7th season of Arrow

"Emerald Archer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season and 150th overall of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Star City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Marc Guggenheim and Emilio Aldrich and directed by Glen Winter.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "(#615) Doppelganger". The Futon Critic . Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  2. ↑ Donn, Emily (2 March 2018). "Arrow's Speedy is Back in Action in 'Doppelgänger' Trailer". Screen Rant. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Graff, Nicholas (9 March 2018). "'Arrow' Review: "Doppelganger" (Season 6 Episode 15)". Science Fiction. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  4. 1 2 Wickline, Dan (13 December 2017). "Arrow Season 6: When and Why Roy Harper / Arsenal Returns". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Schedeen, Jesse (8 March 2018). "Arrow: "Doppelganger" Review". IGN . Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  6. ↑ Buxton, Marc (9 March 2018). "Arrow season 6 episode 15 review: Doppelganger". Den of Geek . Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Arrow, 'Doppelganger': Animosity Set Aside to Save an Old Friend". Express Newsline. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.