Arrow: Seeing Red is Spectacular, With Too Many Great Performances To Single One Out

Seeing Red is an intense thrill ride of an episode which shows Roy struggling with the effects of the Mirakuru and everyone around him struggling to deal with Roy. Meanwhile, Moira's campaign is heating up, but what will it cost her to win? One way or another, next week's episode is called "City of Blood," so it seems Sebastian Blood will be a major player for the last few episodes, win, lose or draw. In an episode that gives the actors a lot of room to shine, it's far too difficult to choose a single standout performance in "Seeing Red." As Thea, Willa Holland's work continues to shine. Susanna Thompson as Moira and Bex Taylor-Klaus as Sin also give amazingly strong performances. And as Roy, Colton Haynes works through nearly the entire episode with amazing skill and nuance.

It's one of those rare occasions -- because of Roy's relationship with Thea -- when the Team Arrow A-plot and the Queen Family B-plot intersect. It creates a feeling that the lines between the two are blurring that we've seen ever since Deathstroke took Thea hostage a few weeks back, and while much of the episode centers on Roy's power struggle, it doesn't feel like a one-off, and manages to hold the momentum from the last few weeks. Stephen Amell has said it's his favorite episode this season, and there's little question why; in terms of craft, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more impressive episode of the series, with the emotional stakes outweighing -- but sometimes bleeding into -- the "life or death" that you come to expect from a superhero/adventure show. Douglas Aarniokoski directs this really spectacular, can't miss episode.