Arrow 8x4 : Past Tense review

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

Episode 4 of Arrow's 8th and final season and this season shows no sign of slowing down. Beginning where last week's ended with William, Mia and Connor being brought to the past they all interact with their parents. William hugs it out with Oliver but Mia on the other hand seems a lot less reluctant to greet her father. Connor tells Diggle that he adopted him but it looks like that hasn't happened yet which it hasn't. I can only assume Bronze Tiger will sacrifice himself during Crisis thus putting young Connor in Diggle's care. William asks what year it is and Oliver says 2019. They say it's supposed to be 2040 and things just got a whole lot more interesting. Never though I'd see time travel be introduced in Arrow but here we are. William, Connor and Mia meet to discuss what they do say and what they do not. After Zoey's death last week and JJ being her killer Mia says that they all keep quiet on the future when asked. Connor agrees but William is slightly against it. Oliver ends up bringing both his son and daughter to his and Felicity's apartment. Mia again seems distant towards her father but William welcomes the situation a lot more than her. He tells Oliver that in the future he becomes a billionaire thanks to tech he created. He also tells him that he is gay which Oliver responds by saying that he already knows..Felicity too. No idea how but they knew it for a long time. Back at the bunker their family reunion is cut short as news of The Deathstroke's return rings through. Mia, William and Connor set off to stop them themselves thinking JJ is too was somehow brought to the past. At the location they learn that it isn't JJ but instead Grant Wilson Slade's other son which was a nice twist. With bombs all round the location Oliver, Laurel and Dinah show up to make the rescue but the Deathstroke's get away. 

Once again at the Bunker William struggles to contain the secrecy again longer and tells Team Arrow everything. He mentions how the future isn't a nice place. He mentions how JJ is the leader of the Deathstroke's in the future are being seduced and trained by Grant Wilson. Finally he mentions how JJ killed Zoey just moments before they were brought to the past. Rene walks out and is followed by Dig. The two share their anguish together as not only is Zoey dead in the future but JJ is a murdered which is not something Dig obviously raised him to be. Back inside the bunker and we see Mia prepare to leave. Oliver stands in her way and says he will not let her go out there alone and risk getting killed. Laurel eventually ends up going with her but not before father and daughter exchange some heated words. Oliver has another problem though as on screen we see Grant Wilson deem that tonight will be the first night of the Deathstroke's siege on the city. The future is coming to the past right now says William as Oliver tries to come up with a plan. After becoming suspicious of The Monitor in last week's episode Oliver calls in Curtis for some help on something. A piece of fragment that was left behind in the destruction of Earth-2. He wants Curtis to analyze it to see if it can be used as a weapon itself against The Monitor. As Curtis gets to work Oliver and Mia's relationship continues to simmer below the surface. With Mia and Laurel outside Diggle and Connor's relationship is too suffering as Dig wishes that he would've just been truthful from the get go. Connor does apologize but it's all too much to bear for Dig at the moment as Lyla isn't even around to help. She's off somewhere (Doing Monitor work perhaps?)

The episode draws to a close as the team learns of a bomb belonging to The Deathstroke's. Connor ends up being the one who defuses it as Mia looks set to kill Grant. Oliver steps in and stops his daughter from going down a path he knows all to well. Grant is ultimately taken to Blackgate in Gotham where he will be for the next 20+ years at least. So the future is change?? maybe not but it does put a dent in Grant training JJ to take his spot as head of the group. Another thing that can be changed is Rene running for Mayor's office after being told by William that he does become Mayor in the future. Not to mention the Canary network that's in the future well that too looks set to be in action earlier than expected as Laurel and Dinah get to work. They might not change the future completely but they can certainly try. While talking with William and Mia who by the way resents her father for leaving her and Felicity to fend for themselves to go and play hero he gets a call from Curtis who has completed the research on the object given to him by Oliver. Turns out they can use it against The Monitor but it's going to need some plutonium which just so happens to be in Russia of all places. Oliver's face tells the story as the episode ends with 2 more scenes. One is Oliver showing Mia her grandfather's grave as father and daughter ever so slowly bond and the other well that's a lot bigger as far as impacting the narrative. While leaving the SCPD building Laurel meets The Monitor for the first time who has a task for her. He says he has the power to restore Earth-2 but she must do something in return..betray Oliver Queen. The Monitor's plan is forever changing. Part of me wonders if he is already onto Oliver but that remains to be seen. This episode was great. A step up from last week's which I felt was a bit disjointed at times. Oliver and Mia's relationship is deep and complex. The future isn't sent in stone so who knows what can even happen going forward. Arrow much like The Flash goes on break until November 19th. So until then Team Arrow!

★★★★