There are good dads. There are bad dads. And then there are dads like Ra’s al Ghul and Malcolm Merlyn. The aptly named episode “Sins of the Father” revolved around Thea’s life that hung in the balance and Nyssa al Ghul holding the cure with an expensive price attached to it. That price is the death of Malcolm Merlyn by the hand of Oliver. His death will restore the League of Assassins to Nyssa, the rightful heir. Oliver is now caught in the middle and is conflicted between wanting to save his sister’s life and at the same time keeping her father alive. Warning, spoilers ahead…
For much of the episode Team Arrow urges Oliver to reconsider his stance on keeping Malcolm alive. No one would shed a tear if Malcolm were gone, except perhaps his sister Thea. It’s her feelings and her feelings alone that Oliver takes into consideration. How does he save Thea, keep Malcolm alive and still give Nyssa what she desires? All sides, Team Arrow, Nyssa and her assassins and Malcolm and his meet on a rooftop to settle their differences. Just when it looks like Nyssa will have a one-on-one battle with Malcolm, Oliver steps in as is his right as her “husband” to face off against Malcolm. At this point, it all looked staged. As a viewer it appeared that the way Ollie and Malcolm were in cahoots. Well, we were wrong.
Oliver ends up betraying Malcolm by cutting off his ring hand and presenting the ring of al Ghul to Nyssa. In the end, Thea’s life is spared, Nyssa becomes the new Ra’s al Ghul and as a compromise, Malcolm’s life is also spared albeit, there will be severe consequences in doing so. With Nyssa now in control of the League of Assassins, she informs Oliver and Malcolm that she has disbanded the league for good and tosses the ring into the fire. This act further infuriates Malcolm who leaves Oliver with a stern warning that killing him is nothing compared to the real pain he will inflict on him. It’s now game on and the rivalry between the two has only just begun.
Ironically, the showdown between Oliver and Malcolm was all too brief thus making it somewhat disappointing in the end. That however was quickly forgotten when Malcolm told Damien Darhk about what Oliver holds most dear to his heart, his son William. Even for someone as sinister as Malcolm Merlyn, this becomes a new low. Of course this leaves so many possibilities and plot twist that will not only carry us to the season finale but more than likely into next season as well.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
