What do you do when the most powerful and dangerous man in the world asks you to become his successor? It's a question Oliver Queen will attempt to tackle during Wednesday night's Arrow episode, aptly titled "The Offer." Last we saw before that all-too-long hiatus, Oliver was offered the chance to replace Ra's al Ghul and become the new leader of the League of Assassins. But what exactly should his decision be? We'll know what he's chosen by the end of the hour, of course, but do we, as fans, even know which way we want the scales of fate to tip? Like most things in life, there are positive and negative sides to either scenario, however, we're talking about a major character crossroads here — one that could completely alter our vigilante's entire purpose on the show.
Sure, it's important for any good series to grow as time goes on, but to have Oliver leave Starling City behind altogether for greener pastures feels like an unlikely way to go, especially for all those Olicity 'shippers out there. (Don't let Ray Palmer's impending departure be for nothing, writers!) So while I'm initially inclined to think Oliver should flat-out reject Ra's offer, I'd be amiss if I didn't admit there are several important factors to consider. Such as…
Ra's al Ghul's Wrath
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stephen Amell admitted that Ra's will not take no for an answer. "It’s not really an offer. It’s a demand," Amell explained. "If Oliver says no, there are going to be incredibly dire consequences." This is certainly an aspect that should not be ignored. (We all saw what happened the last time Oliver got on Ra's' bad side.) So if it's a matter of Oliver's safety on the line, then I'd much rather see him leave Starling City than face another sword-through-the-stomach scenario. That poor six-pack has been through enough.
Verdict: Take the offer, but be really mad about it.
Olicity's Chances
Like I mentioned earlier, if Oliver does end up taking the offer, it could significantly damage any chance he may have still had with Felicity. Granted, it's her close relationship with Ray that could be what sends Oliver right into the League's waiting arms. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim recently told TVLine that "I’d be lying if I said Felicity and Ray sleeping together in [Episode] 15 doesn’t factor into that decision." Will this be what prompts Felicity to sever ties with Ray and allow Oliver back into her heart? Something tells me she'd pull out all the stops to keep her ex-beau in town. So, you see, he simply can't leave. Olicity won't stand for it.
Verdict: Take the offer, but then change your mind due to love.
Serving The Greater Good
The one major benefit I could see from Oliver accepting Ra's offer is the fact that he would then have the resources to save not just Starling City, but the entire world in general. With him at the helm, new League rules could be implemented and his heroism could be spread worldwide. Such a positive prospect may be too tempting for Oliver to pass up.
Verdict: Take the offer, but rack up a ton of frequent flyer miles.
Oliver's No-Kill Policy
Something tells me that becoming the League of Assassins ruler would require our hooded Arrow to throw his whole "no killing" policy out the window. He may be able to change the way some things work around there, but I doubt even he would have the ability to take death off the table, which means he'd totally have to reevaluate his morals yet again. And after seeing how far he's come, it'd be a shame for all that to go to waste.
Verdict: Reject the offer. Your values take priority.
Team Arrow Will Survive
One very important certainty we can take away from all this is the fact that Team Arrow is extremely resilient, which was recently proven when they all thought Oliver was dead. As difficult as it was, they banded together and made it all work. So regardless of whatever decision Oliver ends up making, take heart that, if nothing else, Team Arrow will survive.
Verdict: Doesn't matter. Team Arrow rules!
Images: Jordon Nuttall/The CW; smoakandarrow (2), fponthedl, vladimirsnape, ego-centrik/Tumblr
