On Arrow Season Finale Episode 'Sacrifice,' Tommy Merlyn Dies

Death of Tommy Merlyn on Arrow Season Finale 'Sacrifice'

In Arrow Episode 123 "Sacrifice," somebody has to die. That somebody is Tommy Merlyn, and he was a recurring character on the show.

I personally liked Tommy Merlyn and was sad to see him die, although it makes sense because I saw Colin Donnell (who plays Tommy Merlyn) in a Television commercial recently. Obviously his stint on Arrow had ended and he is looking for more work.

Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn on Arrow

Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn: Best Friends

I was actually shocked at the end of the Arrow Season Finale when Tommy Merlyn was stabbed through the chest with a steel rod. He was a likable character, and Oliver Queen's best friend. I was very surprised that he death was so early in the show, especially since Oliver and Tommy have an ongoing feud over Laurel.

As Season 1 comes to a close, Oliver has a meeting with Tommy Merlyn at Merlyn Global, and tells Tommy to fight for Laurel because he (Green Arrow) cannot endanger Laurel by dating her. Tommy takes his advice and goes to talk to Laurel only to find Oliver upstairs making love to her. This can be seen through an open window. This upsets Tommy because he just received the "go ahead" from Oliver, yet his buddy Ollie is shagging with his woman.

Merlyn Global Group

Oliver Queen's mom, Moira Queen holds a surprise press conference and announces that she has been involved in the conspiracy called "the Undertaking." This conspiracy involved seismic devices that Malcolm Merlyn ordered from a company to be modified so they can be turned into Earthquake catalysts. Malcolm Merlyn is going to level the Glades of Starling City so he can rebuild it. He came up with this insiduous plan after his wife was killed in the Glades, where her clinic was.

Malcolm murdered all of the employees with knowledge on the seismic devices. He does this to prevent anyone from learning of what he is planning on doing, so nobody can stop him. He did not foresee Moira Queen spilling the beans to reporters. Green Arrow goes to investigate at Merlyn Global. Diggle finds the empty crates. Malcolm Merlyn has already removed them from storage at the thought of being discovered.

He has already placed the devices in the subway underneath Starling City.

Green Arrow Fights Malcolm Merlyn

Green Arrow fights Malcolm Merlyn on rooftop

Green Arrow has a showdown with Malcolm Merlyn on the rooftop. Green Arrow manages to stab him with an arrow. Ultimately, Oliver Queen spares Malcolm Merlyn's life. Malcolm Merlyn reveals that he is a businessman and he has learned redundancy, hinting that there is more than one seismic device underground.

The east side of The Glades is spared, but the west side is leveled. Tommy and Laurel happen to be on the west side. Oliver Queen races to the offices where Laurel works. Laurel was saved by Tommy, but Tommy is lying inside the rubble. Oliver finds his best friend with a steel rod through his chest. Tommy Merlyn is dying.

Oliver Queen finds dying Tommy Merlyn with steel rod in his chest

Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlin at his death scene

Best friend Malcom Merlyn and Oliver Queen embrace before Tommy dies

The Death of Tommy Merlyn

Tommy Merlyn wants to know two things at the end of Arrow Episode 123 'Sacrifice':

1. He wants to know if Laurel is okay
2. He wants to know if Oliver killed his dad

When Tommy finds out his dad is still alive, he says "Good" because his death should be torture enough for all of the atrocities that his dad has committed.

Tommy Merlyn was a character that started out a selfish and rich man. His father, Malcom Merlyn cut him loose, and Tommy had to fend for himself, and get a job and be out on his own. During this time, Tommy grew and because more respectable. By Episode 123 of Arrow, he went back to his father for a job, not knowing that his dad was plotting to destroy the Glades.

I wish that Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen had been able to truly mend things in the show, but it ended as they were both interested in the same woman. It felt like their friendship has not been restored.

After all of this takes place, Oliver Queen realizes that he is still in love with Laurel.

Season 1 of Arrow was very good and I am looking forward to Season 2 in the Fall on the CW.

Green Arrow Saves & Bonds With Diggle in 'Trust But Verify' Episode

Green Arrow Oliver Queen and John Diggle in "Trust But Verify"

In the Season 1 Arrow episode, "Trust But Verify," John Diggle's former military training officer appears on Oliver Queen's little book of men he must eliminate. John Diggle has a problem with this. John Diggle served with Ted Gaynor in Afghanistan, and this target hits a little too close to home for Diggle to sit by and watch.

After all, Gaynor is "innocent until proven guilty."

For sci-fi fans out there, Ted Gaynor is played by none other than Ben Browder. He is most famous for his role on Farscape, and the later seasons of Stargate: SG1. Oliver Queen is played by Stephen Arnell. John Diggle is played by David Ramsey.

The episode starts out with an armed robbery of an armored courier transporting cash. Oliver Queen studies video surveillance to deduce that these robbers have military training. Diggle agrees, but is skeptical that his former military leader is involved in any way.

Diggle sets out on his own to prove that Gaynor is innocent of any wrongdoings, so he takes Gaynor up on a standing offer to join his company, Black Hawk.Security. Diggle takes the job only after saving Gaynor from the hands of the Green Arrow. Oliver manages to swipe a flash drive from Gaynor's office before making a quick getaway.

Oliver later finds that the flash drive contains elaborate map of routes used by an armored transport service. 

As Diggle is learning the ropes from Gaynor, he learns of another ex-military guy that has recently been hired by Gaynor. Diggle wonders why Gaynor would hire such a loose cannon. Gaynor explains that everyone needs a second chance. Without this job, he would be "knocking off liquor stores for money."

~I found it very ironic that Gaynor makes this comment since you are wondering if he is really involved with the robberies.~

Oliver informs Diggle at Thea's Birthday party that a man involved with a failed heist has been wounded, and is bleeding. He knows, because he just foiled their robbery, leaving a man mortally wounded. As Diggle leaves the party, Oliver brushes the inside of Diggle's lapel with a bug to track and listen in on him.

If Gaynor is involved, then his guys would have dripped blood in one of the vans. Diggle goes back to the Black Hawk Security Warehouse to investigate the fleet of vans. When he finds fresh blood in a van, he is sobered to the reality that Gaynor is guilty. That, and the fact that one of the vans has a peel-away magnetic logo covering a fake company. The same van used as the getaway vehicle in the robberies.

As Diggle steps out into the warehouse, Gaynor comes out and forces Diggle to help with the next robbery, or his sister-in-law will die. Diggle complies. 

The next scene reveals Diggle standing in the middle of the road with a grenade launcher as an oncoming van is heading towards him. He doesn't step out as the van zips past him. This angers Gaynor, but Diggle starts blasting the Black Hawk team with his grenade launcher. Green Arrow joins the fight. Gaynor runs, and Diggle chases. The meet at a dead end against a fence. Gaynor calls Diggle's bluff, saying he won't shoot. Diggle fails to pull the trigger, but Oliver Queen zips an arrow into Gaynor's chest, saving Diggle.

David Ramsey as John Diggle in "Trust But Verify" Arrow, episode 11

Flashback

A flashback to the island where Oliver was stranded reveals that the asian man he thought was being hunted, was really planted by the [bad] Military Leader. It was all a setup to catch Oliver Queen. I didn't see that coming. The flashback leaves us watching Oliver in a makeshift cage on an island at the hands of the bad guys.

Thea's Drug Use

Ever since her introduction to the show, Thea has experimented with drugs at the loss of her father and brother. In the past few episode before "Trust But Verify," Thea has appeared to clean up her act, since her brother Oliver is back. But, at her suspicion that her mother is cheating on Walter with Tommy Merlyn's dad, she decides to take the latest designer drug, called "Vertigo."

As a result of her indiscretion, she wrecks her brand new convertible that she receives as a birthday present. As she is walking out of the hospital, cops arrest her because she tested positive for narcotics.

This is a lead-in to the next episode - episode 12 - where Oliver Queen is drugged and taken captive by the Vertigo drug dealer.

Is Moira Queen Cheating on Walter?
Thea is distraught in this episode because she has seen her mother consulting with Malcolm Merlyn twice now. The first time was right before her father and Oliver left on the boat that went down in the ocean, and now, on the cusp of Walter's disappearance. Thea tells Oliver her suspicions that their mom is having an affair with Malcolm Merlyn. Oliver then confronts his mother, who lies to him, saying she is only consulting with Malcolm as a business consultant.

The Good Guys Bond

One of the most significant takeaways from episode 11 is that Oliver Queen and John Diggle really learn to trust each other. At the very end, Oliver entrusts his little book of names to John Diggle. Diggle returns with "I don't want to know any names in there until you tell me." They become closer as friends and teammates by the end of this ordeal (and episode).

Season 1, episode 11 was good. "Trust But Verify" will be available to watch online for a short time until more episode air.

I give it Z.Love's Stamp of Approval for an entertaining Television drama. 

Z.Love's Stamp of Approval

Please note that Z.Love does not endorse drug use as described in the above episode.