What I’m Watching: Arrow

Arrow: Season 1, Episode 9 “Year’s End” (C+)

This episode was a bit silly in its focus on Christmas, with Oliver, who is hardly trying to get close to his family in a way that actually matters, whining a lot about wanting to celebrate the holiday in his family’s traditional way. Running off in the middle of the party to stop a bad guy hardly constitutes Oliver for brother and son of the year, and he should really work on finding other ways to connect with his sister and his mother. Thea, to her credit, is actually whinier than he is, and it would be nice to see her doing something other than dating a boring guy simply inserted into the plotline to run off when Oliver barges in without waiting for an answer after his knock. Oliver isn’t the only one getting sentimental around the holidays, with Moira being surprisingly honest with Walter about the person she’s become before having him abducted and presumably doomed to some unfortunate fate despite promises to the contrary. Tommy is also getting especially sappy without his family fortune, daring even to confront the intimidating and eternally disapproving Detective Quentin Lance as he continues to romance a seemingly smitten, or close to it, Laurel. I was convinced that the mystery murderous archer would turn out to be Oliver’s island friend, but instead it was Malcolm Merlyn, who is taking an awfully personal role in ensuring the vitality of his enterprise and possesses a shockingly convenient level of skill when it comes to marksmanship.