After a bumpy sixth season, the seventh season of ‘ARROW’ has proven itself as the best current season of the Arrowverse, thanks to new showrunner Beth Schwartz. After an all-flashforward episode last week with ‘Star City 2040’, we now return to the present day with ‘Inheritance’.
After a short flashback of Emiko (Sea Shimooka) and her father Robert (Jamey Sheridan), we see Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Emiko training together as they bond over their mysterious pasts. Meanwhile, following the events of the fifteenth episode of the season, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is stalking Emiko due to her suspicions of Emiko’s true colors, and is shot by Emiko after being seen.
Meanwhile, Felicity (Emily Bett-Rickards) is hard at work getting Smoak Industries ready, with the help of her friend Alena Whitlock (Kacey Rohl). While attempting to talk to Felicity, Laurel bumps into Oliver, and drops the bombshell that Emiko killed Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo). Not believing Laurel, Oliver follows Emiko on a mission, as she suits up in a new red suit, like her comic identity Red Arrow. Here, Oliver discovers Emiko is working with Dante (Adrian Paul) and his group: The Ninth Circle.
Oliver meets with Felicity, Diggle (David Ramsey), and Rene (Rick Gonzalez) to warn them about Emiko and the Ninth Circle. Meanwhile, Laurel is warned by Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) to begin playing by the rules after her less than legal interrogation methods are uncovered. Oliver confronts Emiko about her connection to Dante and the Ninth Circle. Emiko reveals that she has known Dante for years, and that it’s too late for her to back out now, transitioning into a flashback showing the first meeting between Emiko and Dante.
Using Dante’s DNA, Felicity is able to track him, giving the team the location of his next mission. Oliver, Diggle, Rene, and Dinah suit up against Dante and the Ninth Circle after crashing their mission, leading Dante to believe Emiko has betrayed him. As Team Arrow engage in battle with members of the Ninth Circle, Dante tries to capture Emiko, but Oliver saves her, and Dante escapes before Team Arrow can catch him.
Oliver and the others bring Emiko back to the bunker, where she reveals that Dante is searching for a material manufactured by only two other corporations in Star City. The team splits up to watch each location and stop Dante. After another short flashback showing Emiko’s past with Dante, we transition back to the Star City Police Department, where Laurel is interrogating a criminal while Dinah watches her. After the criminal makes a comment on Laurel’s father, Laurel blows up on the criminal, causing Dinah to take her away.
Oliver and Emiko return from their mission, having found nothing. After Felicity tells them that the others found nothing as well, she leaves the room, leaving Oliver and Emiko alone. Emiko betrays Oliver after he discovers a device that has been messing up their tech that was placed by Emiko herself. This leads to a well acted and well choreographed fight scene between Oliver and Emiko, leading to Emiko escaping.
As Team Arrow figures out where to go next following Emiko’s betrayal, Dinah talks with Laurel after the criminal interrogated by Laurel earlier is found dead. Dinah accuses Laurel of his murder, leaving Laurel angry and hurt. After a short scene between Emiko and Dante, we get another well-acted flashback showing Emiko and Robert’s last meeting before his death, wherw he refuses to give her a job.
Oliver and Diggle enter into an argument over Oliver wanting to help and save Emiko rather than take her down, with Amell and Ramsey both giving great performances in the scene. Team Arrow heads into battle against Emiko, Dante, and the Ninth Circle, leading into an awesome fight scene between the heroes and villains. Emiko attempts to have Oliver killed, but he survives. Oliver manages to stop most of Dante’s drones, which contain gases, but one gets away, and is released over Star City.
As Team Arrow recovers from the fight, Emiko leaks Laurel’s connection to Diaz to the public, and reveals she framed Laurel for the earlier murder. While Felicity works on the Archer program, Oliver and Diggle discuss their next plan. In the episode’s ending, it is revealed that Emiko is the leader of the Ninth Circle and, in one final flashback, it is hinted that Emiko was apart of the bombing that sunk the Queen’s Gambit and led to the death of Robert Queen.
In an epic new episode, the Ninth Circle storyline is expanded on, and we finally get to see more of Emiko’s backstory. Stephen Amell and Sea Shimooka both give amazing performances that carry the episode, and leave me very excited to see how Emiko’s storyline progresses. Laurel’s storyline is also continued this episode, and leaves me very excited for next episode, which looks to be primarily focused on Laurel. This season of ‘ARROW’ is amazing, and this episode is no different.
‘ARROW’ returns with a new episode Monday, April 15 on The CW.
