Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Arrow reached what is arguably one of the most important points in the show’s six-year history tonight. Oliver Queen has been outed as the Green Arrow and is now fighting for his freedom in the courtroom. But as with the previous time Ollie dealt with secret identity issues, there’s a sense that the series didn’t go as far as it could have with this plot development. Rather than force Ollie to truly take responsibility for his vigilante lifestyle, this episode forced another happy, contrived ending that restores the status quo.
The good news is that courtroom setting at least brought a touch of novelty to this long-running series. I’ve discussed several times in recent weeks how Season 6 has improved of late because it’s narrowed its storytelling focus. Even with “Docket No. 11-19-41-73” drawing in pretty much every major recurring character, the singular focus on Oliver’s trial kept the plot humming along.