Shifting Allegiances

...is the fact that Kathleen Gati (Raisa) had more natural facial expressions in those last 5 seconds of the episode than Emily Rickards had during all 6 seasons (and probably the rest) combined.

Fun episode though.

Nothing new in this episode. diaz continues to have as much power, maybe more, than al capone did. one thing is for sure, since season 7 has been contracted oliver will get out of this somehow. the only real question is what kind of ridiculous gimmick will the writers come up with.

as for moving oliver's trial up, even a first year law student will tell you that the prosecution can't do that without the defendant's agreement. if oliver is stupid enough to agree to that (no doubt the writers will make him that stupid) then he deserves whatever happens to him.

In past seasons, Oliver has shown much progress in his combat ability facing the likes of Slade Wilson and Ras al ghul. How is it in this episode? When he fights Ricardo Diaz he still loses, even while being stabbed? He face more adversity and worse enemies than a common street thug who happens to be " born in hell", a.k.a. The slums of starling city? I mean, even Damien dark was worse of a threat, and Oliver Queen still managed to beat him. I think this is just plot armor for Ricardo Diaz and his character, but I think that the show should've stuck true to what all the queen actually was able to do.

Oliver works for the Russian cartel in Russia, then tries to work with the Russian mafia in Star City.

Oliver still can't beat the bad guys.

Quentin signs City property over to criminals like it's his own,

Quentin still shelters and protects a murderer (*with Oliver's knowledge!*) because she looks like his dead daughter.

Diggle, and New Team are actually having successful missions against the bad guys, and *they all get along with each other!*

"Arrow" series is upside down, and dead. Start a New Team series, and put Oliver and Quentin in *prison* ...--->> because they're criminals! <<---

It was inevitable that Arrow would eventually have to cut the ultra-dark and focused Oliver / Diaz arc's for a lighter, more sporadic chapter. "Shifting Allegiances" mostly captured the hot streak that the show has been on in the past three or four episodes. The return of New Team Arrow was admittedly, not bad at all. Diggle (David Ramsey) and his collaboration with Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) and Curtis (Echo Kellum) worked as they sought to take down Diaz's (Kirk Acevedo) operation in Stary City. René's comeback, while better than expected was odd and underwhelming. His current condition showcases early season six Diggle symptoms, which does not make for compelling drama. The spotlight is really on Oliver (Stephen Amell) and David Nykl's Anatoly. The palpable tension between two former friends was either very upsetting or moving and seems to open doors for a potential reunion. I feel that Katie Cassidy and Paul Blackthorne also should be credited, as their own family feud also has plenty of fine moments. The highlight of it all, was the Oliver / Diaz fight, which while a little awkwardly shot, managed to encapsulate the desperation and the brutality both of them felt. Moreover, the season seems to have established a cool new end game which is very different from any other we've seen. "Shifting Allegiances" is not quite as focused as the past few weeks have been, juggling a character too many again, but its grim twists more than compensate and make for great entertainment .