I have to start by saying I am REALLY liking this trend of opening the show with Stephen Amell shirtless. I would be perfectly happy to see it continue throughout the season. And what I wouldn’t like to see continue throughout the season is that opening monologue. Those things always get SO tedious.

So this episode, “Identity,” is all about Oliver seeing how the world perceives him- both his real and secret identities- and him settling into his new, non-killing ways. Every character around Oliver states their opinion of each of his identities, and some are more polarized than others. And this episode ends on a cliff hanger. A rather large one. I really don’t know how Oliver’s gonna get out of that situation.

So if you haven’t watched yet, you should get on that. The rest of us are going to meet up after the break.

***SPOILER WARNING***
 

So, now that Oliver has taken the helm of the family company and is in the public awareness, it’s time for him to try to clean up all the bad press swirling around him. He attempts this by trying to make friends with Glades mouthpiece and mayoral candidate, Sebastian Blood. He throws a charity benefit, but duty- as his other identity- calls and he ends up being a no-show. At which point, Blood defends crucifixion by saying it was a just form of punishment that’s a victim of bad press, then makes a speech about how Oliver Queen is no friend of the city.

While Laurel has chosen to defend and be friendsies with Oliver, she’s decided to lead the chase for the Hood. (I thought he was changing his name.) Personally, Laurel is really starting to bug me with how completely illogical she’s become. When the Hood (I thought he was changing his name) visits her, she tells him how he should have been saving Tommy instead of defending himself against Malcolm Merlyn (who was trying to kill him at the time), and that this makes him a coward and he belongs in jail. Then, when Roy is arrested in place of the actual threat, Laurel doesn’t want to hear about the real suspects who are killing FEMA workers left and right. (Seriously, if I were a FEMA worker tasked with driving that truck, I would call in sick.) Who cares about all those people dying when the Hood is still out there saving lives? Then she ends up actually catching him. We’ll see how that pans out next week.

As it turns out, it was China White and Wannabe Wolverine the Bronze Tiger behind the FEMA hi-jackings. While “The Emerald Archer” (I thought he was changing his name) and Diggle go to kick their asses, Felicity feeds the police year-old footage to keep them from catching up and breaking up the fight again. A new no-kill policy apparently means new gadgets, so Oliver defeats them with an arrow-Taser and a… an arrow that has a rope and weights attached that wrap around China White’s wrists and peg her to a pole. (There’s not really a short, clever name for a tie-you-to-a-pole-arrow.) Before he and Diggle leave, China White tells Oliver he will never be seen as a hero. Sticks and stones…

The Hood (I thought he was changing his name) goes to visit Roy to tell him to stop putting himself in danger and start spying for him instead. Roy in turn reassures Thea that he will no longer be acting as vigilante for the Glades, but fails to mention his new spy job.
 

The flashbacks take up from the moment they left off in the last episode with Oliver being a little bit horrified by his own actions and staring at the literal blood on his hands. (He bludgeoned that guy to death remember?) He’s put at ease by getting to make out with his fatal distraction girlfriend, Shado, though. And can I just say that I find it kind of strange that she never defends herself during Slade’s billion and one lectures about what a detriment she is. While she’s standing right there! I mean, I would be kind of pissed off if I were in her place.

After the big deal made at the end of the season premiere where Oliver says he doesn’t want to be called the Hood anymore, they… don’t mention it again. Thus making us witnesses to the worst branding campaign EVAR. We’ve never heard him say what he wants to be called. I was expecting Oliver to be telling everyone his new name, but he didn’t bother to correct anyone when the news kept referring to him as “the vigilante” or when China White called him the “Emerald Archer.” And on that note, “Emerald Archer?” What the hell was that?

Are you annoyed with Laurel? Would you like Oliver to finally say what he wants to be called? What happened to the chick who saved Roy in the first episode? Let me know in the comments!