Arrow Season 8 Episode 6 Review: Reset
Sarah Little
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Quentin Lance is back.
Well, he returned for Arrow Season 8 Episode 6, and he was not technically resurrected from the dead like his daughter, Sara. But he was still the same old Quentin we all remember and love.
On an hour that was akin to Groundhog Day -- or Edge of Tomorrow if you think like Laurel -- Arrow was yet again fantastic and full of throwbacks and tears.
After many trials and errors, Oliver finally figured out that he could not change his fate in the upcoming Crisis. Oliver Queen is destined to die, just like Quentin Lance was during Arrow Season 6.
It took six episodes, but The Monitor, through Lyla, finally revealed the reason behind his missions for Oliver. Oliver's doomed future is a sad reality that The Monitor wanted him to accept, and in turn, he has been preparing him for the Crisis.
Of course, The Monitor has been the good guy all along, something the audience already knew (even though I predicted he was the Anti-Monitor in disguise -- we can't all be right).
It was time for Oliver to discover The Monitor was on his side, even if he did so by being put in a torturous time loop.
The Monitor sure has a funny way of proving loyalty.
Oliver and Laurel had to watch their father figure die over and over again to learn a lesson. And even though they did overcome their struggles in the end, it was an extreme and cruel way to prove a point.
Laurel: How'd you find this place?
Oliver: We analyzed the bomb and traced the chemical signature back to this building.
Laurel: Interesting.
Oliver: What?
Laurel: Your mouth, but Felicity's words.
However, it was successful in getting Oliver to trust him. And the time loop set forth by The Monitor proved that he is a no-nonsense kind of guy. He does not have time for slow-building trust -- The Monitor just needs the heroes to do their jobs.
The Crisis is getting closer and closer and The Monitor is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the destruction of multiple Earths.
Even though the time loop was harsh, it was also a gift in that Laurel finally got to say goodbye to Quentin.
So maybe The Monitor does have a heart, after all. He rewarded Laurel for not giving into his offer of restoring her Earth by betraying Oliver.
After all, Laurel's biggest issue since she was introduced as Black Siren has been her loyalty. At first, she was only loyal to herself, but over time, she has redeemed herself by putting her trust into Team Arrow.
The Monitor wanted to put Laurel's newfound loyalty to a test. And again, it was quite cruel in that he promised her he could bring back her erased Earth. But it was necessary to assure she was fighting the good fight alongside the heroes.
Laurel's relationship with Quentin was the main reason for her redemption. She would not be the hero she is today if Quentin did not believe in her.
But Quentin left her -- and all of us -- way too soon. Laurel never had the chance to say goodbye, and The Monitor gave her the closure she has been craving.
Quentin: I'm sorry baby girl, look's like we lost this round.
Laurel: No! No, I'm not letting you die again.
Quentin: It's too late.
Laurel: No.
Quentin: It's time to say goodbye.
Laurel: I'm not giving up on you Quentin. Quentin, I'm not giving up on you. You never gave up on me. You believed in me when nobody else did.
Quentin: Well that's what dads do. They believe.
Laurel: I want you to know that you are the reason that I'm trying to be a hero. It's because of you.
Quentin: Sweetheart, you are a hero. You are.
Laurel: Thank you. Thank you, I never had the chance to tell you how much you mean to me.
Quentin: Well, I think you just did. I love you. I love you.
In a heartfelt goodbye, Laurel told Quentin how grateful she was for him. Katie Cassidy Rodgers pulled out all the acting chops, and it was everything that we never knew we needed.
Quentin's repeating deaths felt like an unnecessary pain at first, but with Laurel's goodbye, it was finally understood that they were for a greater purpose.
Laurel needed closure, and she finally got it. Now, she can kick some butt in the upcoming Crisis.
Quentin's return to Arrow was welcomed with open arms, even if his death was shoved in our faces repeatedly.
In the beginning of Arrow, Quentin was a bit irritating as he was against Oliver's vigilantism -- debateably for good reason. But, in the end, he was a morally good character who showed that you did not need a mask to be a hero.
Quentin was willing to help Oliver every single time in all the different time loops. An alternate reality version of Quentin created by The Monitor was still a selfless hero who only wanted to do good.
Quentin's death has always been one of the sadder losses on Arrow as he was a beloved character. And his death did not make much sense until Oliver and Laurel got stuck in the time loop.
The former police captain had escaped death many times. By the time Diaz shot him, he had made his peace with his inevitable passing.
Quentin: Oliver, you take care of these guys, there will be more behind them, there will be more behind them. There is no saving me from this! Okay? You ever think that's the point? Maybe you're not supposed to.
Oliver: I'm not giving up. And, you're not giving up either.
Quentin: No no no, I'm not giving up. Maybe I'm giving in. You see, I've been outrunning death for awhile now. The siege, the island. And, when Diaz shot me, that felt different. Like I was finally at the end, and I made my peace with that. And, maybe it's time you did too.
Quentin and Oliver are a lot alike in many ways. They are both heroes who have lived by strong moral codes and, as a result, have been very wrong on some occasions.
Both Quentin and Oliver have made major character developments over the seasons. But Quentin learned way before Oliver did that sometimes you cannot fight fate, and the only choice is to let go.
With Arrow Season 8 Episode 6, Quentin taught Oliver once last lesson that The Monitor has been trying to teach him all along. Just as Oliver cannot save everybody, he also cannot save himself.
Cue the hearts shattering all across the world.
Lyla was The Monitor's stand in as she guided Oliver and Laurel in the time loop.
Why couldn't The Monitor do that for himself? What was he busy doing while Lyla was making sure Oliver learned his lesson?
It would be nice if The Monitor stuck around for a bit instead of dramatically dropping in every now and then. We do not really know that much about him other than the fact that he is a godlike figure.
Thank you for the advice, Dr. Phil. And, now here's some for you. The next time you decide to double-cross someone, don't pick a woman who specializes in revenge.
Laurel
The only new information that we got was that Lyla has been working with The Monitor for "awhile."
A bit of context and background on The Monitor would fill in a lot of blanks that most fans are dying to know.
What did you think Arrow Fanatics?
How happy were you to see Quentin back?
Do you trust The Monitor now? And how many of you are still convinced that Oliver will survive the Crisis?
Let me know in the comments and do not forget that you can watch Arrow online right here on TV Fanatic!
Arrow airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
