Recap: ARROW S7 E13 – “Star City Slayer”

Coming off of the stellar milestone episode last week, things get darker in this episode. Oliver is trying to mend his relationship with William, but things don’t seem to be progressing. William is a kid who’s been kidnapped, drugged, and attacked by a mob boss. He’s lived a rough life, and it all started when he met Oliver. The family drama keeps Oliver from suiting up the entire episode. The chemistry between Stephen Amell (Oliver), Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity), and Jack Moore (William) is so strong. It really makes these scenes worth it.

While Ollie is dealing with his son, the rest of the gang take on the Star City Slayer. The mystery man is targeting John, Rene, Dinah, and Laurel. He’s drugging his victims and slitting their throats. It’s really disturbing. It keeps us in line with the flashforwards. Remember, a curtain Canary has a scar on her neck in the future.

The Star City Slayer is none other than Stanley Dover. Oliver’s friend(?) from Slabside. He escaped when Diaz started the riot in episode seven. Stanley is a sick person. His family even considered sending him to Arkham Asylum. Brendan Fletcher’s performance feels like something from a horror movie. He really brought it this episode.

Oliver and Felicity continue to struggle reconnecting with William. Things get to the point where his grandparents arrive with intentions of getting guardianship. At first Ollie is completely against the idea, but after Stanley’s attack on their house, he quickly changes his mind. This, helps set the foundation for the future we see in the flashforwards. William has been written out of the story. Jack Moore is likely done with the series, and he’s not the only cast member leaving.

Echo Kellum (Curtis) is also leaving. After his disagreements with John, he felt it was time to make a change. Echo was a great actor and brought a ton of charm and wit to the series. Hopefully we get a couple of guest appearances down the road.

The flashforwards didn’t get a lot of screen time this episode, but they sure did leave and impact. Conner Hawke and Blackstar face off against William, Dinah, and Zoe. There’s a brief fight scene, but mostly it’s just a conversation between Will and Blackstar. We discover that Felicity is (possibly?) still alive, and that she had a daughter. Katherine McNamara is playing Mia Smoak. I love the nod to Mia Dearden, the second Speedy in the comics. What does this mean for the future of the show? Who’s to say. Still, Felicity not being dead completely changes the narrative of the flashforwards.

Star City Slayer was yet another jammed-packed episode! I’m not entirely sure where they’re going to go next, but I definitely can’t wait to see what they do. For all of our Arrow coverage, stay tuned.