Arrow 6x03 "Next of Kin" - How Diggle (mostly) got his groove back

With this season of Arrow, the development of having Diggle become the Green Arrow is a particularly interesting one, because it now allows the focus of the storytelling to migrate (at least temporarily) from Oliver Queen as Green Arrow towards the rest of the Green Arrow team. Many aspects of "Next of Kin" shine through as a result of this development and certainly helps to keep the show feeling new.

The initial point of tension many may point to is the final scene of the episode, showing Diggle in a neon-lit alleyway, taking some kind of injection to help ease or temporarily stay the tremor that keeps him from shooting straight (in one sense or another). I would argue that although it is true Diggle has found a way to "fix" his physical problems, in many ways, this episode marks the start of Diggle trying to - and in some ways successfully - forge a better path for himself and the team.

Much of the episode spends time positing that John Diggle is the epitome of the soldier, and through much of the series, this has remained true. He is a follower at heart and, as the episode shows early on, he is not much of a leader. He may find peace in having someone direct him, and when given that direction, he will execute swiftly and precisely. But when asked to make that split second decision, he hits a psychological block. This is seen during the nerve gas theft that causes him to freeze in combat; it's something Diggle argues strongly that is a foreign concept to him, but likely stems from a perceived lack of some inherent leadership ability - something he saw in Oliver since the two met. In an interesting reversal of roles, it is Oliver who finds Diggle in the bunker mulling (or rather brooding) over his failures and is the one who rights the other's path by providing much needed clarity. Oliver, and by extension the show, argues that Diggle does have the ability to lead, not through raw instinct, but by his strong moral compass. By the episode's end, Diggle has won back the respect of Rene and Dinah especially, and I would argue that is something that Diggle has earned as a result of his progress through the episode, despite the implications of the stinger at the episode's end. The use of whatever miracle drug does not necessarily undercut the fact that Diggle has found some way to become a leader, but it does prove to be foreboding as it may be the source of his rediscovered confidence that will not be able to withstand much stress.

One interesting facet of the episode is how both sides feature a well-trained, former military operatives working in tandem. If not for the other plotlines in the episode I would imagine it would make for an interesting contrast in which one side (Onyx and her team) is a well cohesive unit on the hunt for members who betrayed them, up against a team with a newly minted leader whose members carry a certain air of doubt about his ability to lead. Either way, the episode centers mostly on John Diggle and still comes out stronger for it.

With Oliver Queen being less of the focus of the episode, his presence wanders into interesting territory that skirt those of lesser plotlines even as his character dips back and forth between the life he has chosen (taking care of William) and the one he is trying to avoid (nightly Green Arrowing). The modified introduction helps reinforce the tone as Oliver acts more like a secondary player in the episode, having almost nothing to do with the A plot of Onyx and her team's mission. In a sense, it allows the rest of the cast more room to work with while giving Oliver more interesting material to work with that almost seems to feel out of the confines of what Arrow relied on for most of its run.

The change of tone in Oliver and William's relationship becomes much more interesting by this episode, because with the relative animosity and fear gone, the show looks to build a healthier relationship while still providing Oliver with interesting situations in parenthood. The particular problem with William is less about Oliver-as-looming-figure and more about a boy's attempt to return to normalcy, and the obstacles that come with it. It's again something that Oliver struggles with, almost quite simply as he states that he was not that good at math or paid attention in school, and in his search for advice (and attempts to court Felicity again), it allows him to search for alternatives and look for help even in less than life-or-death circumstances. The brief scene with Felicity and William show some much needed depth to William as someone who had many things going on in his life before he and his mother was captured by Adrian Chase

Things for Oliver and Team Arrow seem to look fairly uplifting with this episode, and I have some hopes it will continue for longer. The increased focus on Diggle has not gone unnoticed, and the work put into the changing team dynamics feel well earned as Diggle assumes the mantle of the Green Arrow. There's sure to be dark clouds on the way, but it is fun to simply enjoy Arrow balancing the light and dark moods without feeling much whiplash.

• Glad to see acknowledgement of John Jr. and Lyla, though it seems Diggle himself is perfectly fine with putting himself in danger even with a wife and child - possibly something Oliver (and by extension William) will need to chart a course towards eventually.
• I'm not a hater of Olicity in a fundamental sense but I did not enjoy the execution of said relationship during the tumultuous years that were seasons three and four. If there is a way for the writing to strike a good balance of mature, healthily relationship (so much as it is with vigilante crime fighters) with more relatable problems that arise in relationships (i.e. no secret keeping upon secret keeping, ad infinitum) despite the superhero trappings of the show, then I will be the first to applaud it.
• There's no shortage of interesting or eye-catching action sequences since the start of season six, so I hope the show keeps it up.
• And yes, we all saw "ORACLE" on the glass board crossed out, but I wouldn't read much into it. If anything, they would have to go and cripple Felicity again; plus she already has a codename.