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Arrow
S3.E22
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IMDbPro

This Is Your Sword

  • Episode aired May 6, 2015
  • TV-14
  • 42m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
4.8K
YOUR RATING
John Barrowman and Matt Nable in Arrow (2012)
ActionAdventureCrimeDramaMysterySci-Fi

As Oliver finishes his final training as Al Sah-him to become the next Ra's al Ghul, Malcolm makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow. Roy reunites with Thea.As Oliver finishes his final training as Al Sah-him to become the next Ra's al Ghul, Malcolm makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow. Roy reunites with Thea.As Oliver finishes his final training as Al Sah-him to become the next Ra's al Ghul, Malcolm makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow. Roy reunites with Thea.

  • Director
    • Wendey Stanzler
  • Writers
    • Greg Berlanti
    • Marc Guggenheim
    • Andrew Kreisberg
  • Stars
    • Stephen Amell
    • Katie Cassidy
    • David Ramsey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.6/10
    4.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Wendey Stanzler
    • Writers
      • Greg Berlanti
      • Marc Guggenheim
      • Andrew Kreisberg
    • Stars
      • Stephen Amell
      • Katie Cassidy
      • David Ramsey
    • 7User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos22

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    Top cast20

    Edit
    Stephen Amell
    Stephen Amell
    • Oliver Queen
    Katie Cassidy
    Katie Cassidy
    • Laurel Lance…
    David Ramsey
    David Ramsey
    • John Diggle
    Willa Holland
    Willa Holland
    • Thea Queen
    Emily Bett Rickards
    Emily Bett Rickards
    • Felicity Smoak
    Colton Haynes
    Colton Haynes
    • Roy Harper
    John Barrowman
    John Barrowman
    • Malcolm Merlyn
    Paul Blackthorne
    Paul Blackthorne
    • Quentin Lance
    • (credit only)
    Brandon Routh
    Brandon Routh
    • Ray Palmer…
    Matt Nable
    Matt Nable
    • Ra's al Ghul
    Katrina Law
    Katrina Law
    • Nyssa al Ghul
    Karl Yune
    Karl Yune
    • Maseo Yamashiro…
    Rila Fukushima
    Rila Fukushima
    • Tatsu Yamashiro…
    Marc Singer
    Marc Singer
    • General Matthew Shrieve
    Françoise Yip
    Françoise Yip
    • The Priestess
    • (as Francoise Yip)
    Kevin Haaland
    • Skel
    Skyler Mowatt
    Skyler Mowatt
    • Sentry
    Brandon Nomura
    Brandon Nomura
    • Akio Yamashiro
    • Director
      • Wendey Stanzler
    • Writers
      • Greg Berlanti
      • Marc Guggenheim
      • Andrew Kreisberg
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    8.64.7K
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    Featured reviews

    10AlexiosUnuero

    Ouu

    This Is Your Sword" brings the season closer to its climax, as Oliver-now Al Sah-Him-prepares to marry Nyssa al Ghul and unleash Ra's' ultimate plan: a bioweapon attack on Starling City. The stakes are global, but the heart of the episode lies in deception, loyalty, and whether Oliver has truly turned.

    Team Arrow believes Oliver is lost, but Malcolm Merlyn reveals a critical twist: Oliver has been faking his loyalty to the League all along. It's a risky play that only a few people, including Malcolm, are in on. The tension builds as Oliver must keep up the act while preparing to destroy the virus from within.

    There's strong emotional drama too-Nyssa's resistance to the arranged marriage, Felicity's heartbreak, and the growing fear that this plan might get everyone killed. Meanwhile, Maseo shows signs of doubt, torn between his League loyalty and his past life.

    The episode ends with a major cliffhanger: Ra's boards a plane headed to Starling City with the virus-and Oliver is on board, seemingly powerless to stop him.
    10DarthTARDIS

    A season highlight, a SERIES highlight, that Season 3's end really needed.

    On whole, I've enjoyed season three, and think it gets a lot of unwarranted flak, but it has had its flaws, and I thought this season really needed, in this episode, to step up its game to season two level and hammer down with the awesome stuff fans were in desperate need of. It did.

    One problem the Arrow writers will forever face is the sheer division of its fanbase. You have the "Olicity" group, then the group adamantly against them and think its soiling the show, then the Black Canary lovers and haters, and then comic fans, etc, etc. It's simply a matter of fact you can't please them all.

    But I truly think "This is Your Sword" came pretty close, with a little something for everyone but not too much for those who didn't want it. What was brilliant above all was seeing Arrow return to its roots as a comic show, not the romance one it was slipping towards (romance is an important part of the comics, but it's never at the forefront). It was emotional, it felt real and human, the story was well written- there was some occasional spotty dialogue, from Felicity mainly, but she was definitely back at her game as the Felicity Smoak fans of her have missed, not the crying version she was sliding towards. And, above all, it was action packed- it felt like I was watching a superhero show. And that's what I tune in for and have loved this show for.

    I feel like this week's amazing cliffhanger would have been that much more awesome if we went completely without a promo for next week, cruel as that would be, but you can't hold the writers/producers to that. The promos are done by an entirely different marketing department. The last scene was raw with emotion and wonderfully shot. The score was excellent, too. Roy and Thea wrapping up was a highlight as we saw the end to what I think was the best and most organic romance on the show (opinion, of course). The CGI was great, and the choreography was excellent. Also, finally, the flashbacks really showed some substance and gave us some needed explanations.

    I'm excited to see the show move towards Green Arrow, now that the Arrow is dead, and Oliver Queen is a changed person. Great, enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat kind of episode which complimented and featured all of the cast fairly and finally gave us the superhero show we've missed back. Bring on the finale.

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This is the third episode that shares a title with a Bruce Springsteen song; "This is Your Sword" the album High Hopes. The previous two are also the 22nd episode of the season: Darkness on the Edge of Town (2013), and Streets of Fire (2014). Both are from the album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
    • Goofs
      Felicity is far too intelligent to blithely sign documents without having read them.
    • Quotes

      [after watching a video of the virus-outbreak in China]

      Felicity Smoak: You don't really believe Merlyn?

      John Diggle: Well, looking at this, we can't afford not to believe Merlyn.

      Felicity Smoak: He is a mass murderer who has lied to us so many times it should be a drinking game.

    • Soundtracks
      Arrow End Theme
      (uncredited)

      Written by Blake Neely

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 6, 2015 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Greek
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Berlanti Productions
      • Warner Bros. Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 42m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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