Anyway, the opinion on this ep appears pretty divided.

Yeah, Jenny Crusie is really negative on it. I thought it was pretty good, although I would have liked more of the Clock King and less of the most awkward family dinner EVER.

Yeah, I read the first line of JC's post and hightailed it outta there as I did not want my mellow harshed.

The Clock King was fabulous. He's not a member of the Suicide Squad in comics, correct? I would love to aee him again. Oliver's no kill policy is enabling some fun recurring villains, which I dig.

Oliver's no kill policy is enabling some fun recurring villains, which I dig.

And tested better than the alternative name of "Catch and release policy".

The Clock King was fabulous. He's not a member of the Suicide Squad in comics, correct?

Not any version I read, although that doesn't mean he wasn't. t edit Wikipedia says he was. So there's a possibility Amanda Waller will grab him up.

Crusie appears to have seen an different episode than I did.

A few points:

There is no reason for Oliver not to tell Thea the truth.

Exactly how does one start that conversation? Also, everyone is lying to Thea. Why should Olly be different? I anticipate one giant info dump on poor Thea, in which Merlin shows up and says, "Honey, I'm home," then Ollie has to reveal he's the Arrow.

There is no reason for Oliver not to tell Quentin he’s the Arrow.

I like to think Quentin has his suspicions, but he's a cop. He would be obliged to arrest a vigilante.

Crusie's "lying, hypocritical, judgmental takedowns of the people the hero has injured and continues to injure" was my finally calling out Laurel on her whiny, everything happens to me-me-me shtick.

“I have loved you for half my life” except when I was doing your sister and helping you torpedo your relationship with the man who really loved you,

I concede "doing your sister," but blaming Ollie for torpedoing her relationship with Tommy is a vast oversimplification.

If Oliver liquidates 800,000 shares, doesn’t Isabel buy them?

Okay, she has a point.

There is no reason for Oliver not to tell Quentin he’s the Arrow.

I like to think Quentin has his suspicions, but he's a cop. He would be obliged to arrest a vigilante.

I would have said yes last season, but Quentin has been working with the Arrow. I think the time for arresting him has come and gone.

Also, Quentin's apology to Ollie was fantastic, other than the whole awkward "I know you're not a killer" line.

And I really wanted to hug him after the most awkward family dinner EVER, when it turns out his ex-wife really IS with the Doctor.

Oh, and I do agree that Sara taking Ollie to the most awkward family dinner EVER was stupid as hell, and really did seem like just a contrivance to get Ollie in proximity to Laurel so he could bust out the Burn Unit.

If Oliver liquidates 800,000 shares, doesn’t Isabel buy them?

Okay, she has a point.

I wondered that, too. But I'm ridiculously willing to handwave certain shit.

finally calling out Laurel on her whiny, everything happens to me-me-me shtick.

Seriously. That needed to happen. Hard.

Like I said, I didn't read her post, but I don't know why she'd be baggin' on Oliver for keeping secrets from Thea and Quentin NOW when this has been going on for the entire season. Sounds like trying to find nits to pick.

finally calling out Laurel on her whiny, everything happens to me-me-me shtick.

Yeah, I found that super-satisfying. I feel like Laurel's about-face was a bit too abrupt though. Ah well. The rest of the show is moving at a sonic speed -- it's high time Laurel caught up to its speed instead of dragging it down, I guess.

Clock King was in the JLU cartoon version of Suicide Squad (called Task Force X because kiddies)

If Oliver liquidates 800,000 shares, doesn’t Isabel buy them?

Okay, she has a point.

I wondered that, too. But I'm ridiculously willing to handwave certain shit.

I just assumed the unspoken was they would set up a straw buyer so they wouldn't lose control of the voting stock.

Plus? It's all done electronically. Who gets cash for shares, and where?

Clock King was in the JLU cartoon version of Suicide Squad (called Task Force X because kiddies)

"Research says that shows with X in the name get better ratings."