There's a good chance that most of you (myself included) are still riding that happiness high Arrow delivered during last Wednesday's midseason premiere, which revealed that Oliver Queen is alive and well. (Or, at least, as well as one can be after literally coming back from the dead. He may need a nap or something.) And while his unexplained resurrection is still certainly cause for celebration, I can't help but find myself anxious to know when Oliver will return to Starling City on Arrow to rejoin his team. However, it seems we still have a few weeks to go before that happy little reunion occurs.
According to the series episode descriptions, our hooded hero unfortunately won't be donning his green outfit again until Episode 13, titled "Canaries," which is set to air on Feb. 11 and will find Oliver coping with the ramifications of his time away from his city. Check out the full synopsis below for the complete lowdown:
"Oliver is thrown by the changes within Team Arrow. He's used to calling the shots but sees that the team has evolved in his absence and tensions quickly escalate in the lair. Oliver is furious that Laurel has been going out as the Black Canary and tells her to stop risking her life, but when Vertigo (guest star Peter Stormare) hits the streets again, Laurel goes against Oliver's wishes and tracks down Vertigo who hits her with a full dose of the drug."
Now is that longer than we would like? Yes. But in many ways, it makes a lot of sense to not return him sooner. I mean, why go through all the trouble of arranging a near-death storyline if it's going to resolve itself after only one episode? That would just seem silly, not to mention a little pointless. There need to be some repercussions from such a traumatic event. It's bound to change Oliver and the team as a whole — though whether it's for better or for worse remains unclear (given this show's history, I tend to think the latter). Something tells me hero egos are about to collide.
To be honest, this whole thing kinda reminds me of when I was a kid and would be out sick from school. When I eventually returned, I was always so surprised at how life seemed to go on without me. My teachers had continued class without me. My friends informed me of stories that I was in no way apart of. It was almost as if the world had dared to keep turning while I was asleep in bed! It's a harsh wake up call for any kid — to realize that the universe does, indeed, not center around you. And I have a feeling our Arrow will experience some of the same misgivings.
But regardless of how the team deals with adjusting to Oliver's return, I can say with absolute certainty that the fans will be ecstatic to have our vigilante back to the place where he oh-so rightfully belongs, especially when that place involves a salmon ladder.
Images: Diyah Pera/The CW; Giphy
