Arrow 7x10 : My Name Is Emiko Queen review

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

Arrow returns from it's mid season break with one hell of an episode. Starting off and continuing with the reveal during the mid season finale that Oliver has a half sister named Emiko Queen. The first thing we see during this episode is of Emiko hunting down and crossing off various criminals names off of a notebook. It's all incredibly fast paced, almost to the point of where I couldn't even keep up with my notes on it all. Emiko narrates all of this and we learn of her goal. To find the man who murdered her mother. Oliver arrives at his first crime scene while working for the SCPD and is right away made to know that he isn't all that liked by members of the force. Dinah finds a blood sample on the floor as at the beginning of the episode Emiko had jumped out of the window to avoid serious injury given that she got shot in the shoulder and ended up going to see Rene for help, but more on that later.

Oliver suggests that he ask Felicity to help with the blood/DNA sample and Dinah agrees leaving Oliver to go back home and ask Felicity for help. She agrees and is blown away by the person the blood/DNA belongs too. A person on Oliver's father's side. His half sister. Stunned by this revelation Oliver seems incredibly hesitant at first to get involved in Emiko's life especially as she's never once even tried to get in contact with him but as the episode goes on and he learns more about her he changes his mind. Especially after learning that his father abandoned both Emiko and her mother many years ago. Seemingly forced to by Oliver's mom Moira as Oliver and Felicity find a letter sent to Walter Steel from Robert Queen mentioning that even though he loves Emiko and her mom he has to leave them. Emiko herself even mentions this later to Rene as she says she and her mom always would wake up and hope that her dad would be waiting for them but alas he wasn't. The entire theme of family and family values running throughout this episode is fantastic. The flash forwards return also in this episode and offer a lot of insight into just what is going to happen and what already has. We learn that Rene is the mayor of The Glades and Zoey his daughter is helping him. He seems intent on helping The Glades & only The Glades. Later while out and about Rene bumps into Dinah and the two challenge one another. Dinah says what he used to do mattered while he seems unconvinced and happy as the mayor as he says he is getting things done. Later back at his office the guy who works for him assures Rene that all is going to plan. Rene mentions that Felicity was murdered as Dinah told him and the guy said that she was becoming a problem and she needed to be eliminated. He says he hopes Rene isn't getting cold feet to which the mayor says he isn't. So I guess the plan to blow up Star City is what they're talking about?? left for William by Felicity so it's easy to see that the plan will be stopped. 
                                 

The episode ends as Emiko and Rene team up to go and take down the man who murdered her father. Complete with an assault on his home Emiko learns that it wasn't him who killed her mother. He says he was out of the country for the past 2 years and that he must have been set up. Overcome with rage and even more guilt for not getting justice for her mom's death Emiko vows to not stop until she finds out who truly done it. Rene says she can't do it alone and the two agree to join up together. But before the episode truly ends Emiko is seen standing over a grave before Oliver steps into the frame and says ''Hello Emiko'' and that is where it ends. I genuinely loved this episode. It felt fast, fresh and exciting. Emiko is a great and interesting character and someone who I definitely wouldn't mind taking over from Oliver if this show is to continue in the future. All in all though this was a great episode and an even better way to come back to this show. 

★★★★