Arrow 6x19 : The Dragon review

Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it

The Dragon. Quite the appropriate name for this Ricardo Diaz centered episode. Even the Arrow logo is changed to a Dragon Symbol which was a really nice touch. That being said the episode begins in an orphanage where Diaz is after his father left him. A young Diaz is being bullied in the orphanage by another older kid who sets a picture of Diaz's father on fire and throws the remains into a bin. More on the bully later. 

It all begins in Bludhaven however as Diaz and Laurel await the arrival of a member of The Quadrant. The Quadrant are an organization who run all 4 corners of the country hence the name The Quadrant. Diaz meets with the leader of the group's son and he makes him jumps threw plenty of hoops before he can even meet the actual board members. He makes him do some recon on an informant of theirs who has been placed under FBI investigation. Diaz does this but the guy tells him he wants him to now go and retrieve this informant as The Quadrant want to debrief him themselves. Diaz also does this but as he calls for a driver that had been ordered for him the same guy he had been dealing with turns up and shoots both the informant dead and Diaz who just so happens to be wearing a bulletproof vest. The Quadrant member unaware that Diaz has survived begins to plan things without him. But Diaz is hot on his tail and as he arrives back at the meeting place he as Laurel use her scream to torture not only the member of The Quadrant but all the guys he had hired to protect him. Diaz beats the guy to a pulp but not before he tells him that The Quadrant have a meeting planned for later on that night. So Diaz and Laurel ride to where the meeting is being held with the same guy in the booth of the car with C4 strapped to his chest. The C4 is part of Diaz's entrance plan and he uses the guy as bait leading him right to his death as he enters the building where The Quadrant are meeting he blows up killing a bunch of security members in the process. Diaz and Laurel fight through the remaining guards and enter the room where the real stuff happens. Diaz after a long villain speech (you know how it goes) ends up killing the main member of The Quadrant in cold blood. Finally getting his seat on the board after what seemed like an age trying to do so. Diaz is absolutely brutal in this episode but in the best way possible. His reactions to some of the things he does is absolutely frightening showing next to no emotion he really is a cold hearted killer. 

Let's skip to Felicity for a bit and Curtis comes to visit her and they both work from her apartment much like old times Curtis agrees. The two talk about Oliver's current situation but not before they get a message to turn on the news. Turns out the Green Arrow was in the Glades fighting when a giant fire broke out. It's later learned that Oliver did manage to escape before the whole place got burned down but seeing Felicity's genuine reaction to her husband maybe not coming back was a pleasant surprise. Felicity is actually really good in this episode. She's not on screen so much and it really helped her be more tolerable.  The episode ends however as Diaz goes to visit the bully I mentioned earlier at his home. He doesn't recognize him however but Diaz still takes him to a top a building where Laurel is waiting. Diaz tells him that he made his life a living hell in the orphanage. The guy doesn't even remember who he is at first but then as Diaz tells him he becomes overcome with guilt that doesn't sympathize with Diaz one bit as he straight up sets the man on fire leaving him to burn to death. Good luck dealing with this one Oliver as he really is a big threat. 

For a Diaz centered episode this was really good as before I didn't really care for or was really even into the Diaz character. But after this I believe he really is a big threat to not only Oliver but the entirety of Star City. Arrow's been on the quite the roll the past few weeks. Long may it continue!

★★★★