The larger Arrowverse owes a lot to its namesake, The CW’s Arrow. While the franchise has several shows and web series that focus on various heroes from the DC Universe, it all starts with Oliver Queen getting off of Lian Yu and returning to Starling City to fight crime. Arrow isn’t perfect by any means, having several seasons that lose their way and let their characters down, but it still does a lot more harm than good. One of its best qualities is introducing complicated villains, such as Slade Wilson and Malcolm Merlyn, who have more to offer society than killing or robbing. However, one group deserves most of the credit for making Arrow a spot for bad guys to thrive: the Suicide Squad.
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Task Force X forms in the early seasons of Arrow as a way for A.R.G.U.S. to get into the vigilante game. The team returns on several occasions, helping and hindering Team Arrow. Not every episode of Arrow featuring the Suicide Squad is cut from the same cloth, though.
5) Season 7, Episode 14, “Brothers & Sisters”
As Oliver deals with the fact that his sister, Emiko, is now in the picture, John Diggle and Lyla Michaels continue hunting down the elusive terrorist Dante. They can’t do it alone, so they get the Suicide Squad to help out. However, that turns out to be a mistake because Ricardo Diaz betrays the team and ends up dead at the end of the episode.
“Brothers & Sisters” is memorable because it features the death of one of Arrow‘s most impactful villains. But the rest of the episode doesn’t live up to the shocking conclusion, feeling like a misguided attempt to recapture the glory of the show’s early years.
4) Season 7, Episode 11, “Past Sins”
After just learning about Emiko, Oliver’s life gets thrown upside down when the sins of his father come back to haunt him. Most of Team Arrow is dealing with that, while Diggle, Lyla, and Curtis Holt try to get Task Force X up and running. They recruit Diaz, China White, Joe Wilson, and Cupid and work to get them onboard with running missions for A.R.G.U.S.
What makes “Past Sins” better than its fellow Season 7 episode, “Brother & Sisters,” is that the main plot works pretty well, which helps the Suicide Squad side story not stick out like a sore thumb. There are also some solid moments with Diaz where he thinks he’s getting the better of his captors, only to realize he’s not the one in control.
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3) Season 2, Episode 16, “Suicide Squad”
Despite wanting to focus on helping Oliver take down Slade Wilson, Diggle finds himself at A.R.G.U.S. headquarters with Amanda Waller. She’s putting together a team to take down a warlord and needs his help. Diggle initially isn’t happy to be running with former criminals, including Deadshot, who is responsible for his brother’s death. Still, he finds common ground with them as they stop their target’s plans.
While “Suicide Squad” is the first appearance of Task Force X in the Arrowverse, it’s not the strongest. That’s not to say the episode is bad by any means; it does a great job blending its stories together and showing how The CW is capable of adapting iconic DC teams on the small screen.
2) Season 3, Episode 17, “Suicidal Tendencies”
Diggle and Lyla finally tie the knot in Arrow Season 3 and are ready for peace and quiet on their honeymoon. Unfortunately, A.R.G.U.S. has other plans because they pick up the couple and send them on a mission to save a US senator in Kasnia. The whole thing turns out to be a ruse, though, and Deadshot loses his life in the chaos.
Season 3 is pretty uneven as a whole, but “Suicidal Tendencies” stands out because it refuses to pull any punches. Diggle and Deadshot’s rivalry reaches its conclusion, and despite being from different worlds, they change each other for the better. The action in the episode is also a highlight, showing how formidable Task Force X can be when they work together.
1) Season 2, Episode 23, “Unthinkable”
Slade unleashes his army on Starling City, forcing Oliver and Co. to make some tough choices. He has plenty of friends by his side to help him through the situation, including Diggle and Lyla, who let the Suicide Squad out of their cells to aid in the battle. “Unthinkable” concludes with Slade’s forces down for the count and Team Arrow ready to help rebuild the city.
Arrow‘s Season 2 finale doesn’t give the Suicide Squad much to do, but it’s one of the better episodes in the series. Slade and Oliver’s dynamic is incredible, and there’s enough action to fill an entire season. “Unthinkable” is Arrow at its peak, and it’s nice that Task Force X gets to be along for the ride.
Arrow is streaming now on Netflix.
Do you agree with this ranking of Arrow‘s Suicide Squad episodes? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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