Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Arrow episode "Shifting Allegiances." Read at your own risk!
The Arrow episode "Shifting Allegiances" left Oliver Queen in possibly the roughest spot he's been in all season, and it looks like things could get worse quick. Oliver will go on trial for his dual-identity crimes in "Docket No. 11-19-41-73," and the Arrow staff has added Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D actress Catherine Dent to try and bring the "alleged" Green Arrow to justice.
Catherine Dent will play Alexa Van Owen, an outside counsel in a Star City trial that surely won't be forgotten anytime soon, and she's yet another roadblock for Oliver to conquer. That said, the prosecution looks as though they'll have a hard time proving Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow, since the episode's preview revealed that Tommy Merlyn will interrupt the proceedings by exploding in through a skylight while dressed as the emerald archer. The reveal will certainly call for a brief recess, even if it's only to clear the shards of glass that are now embedded in the courtroom carpet.
After such a turn of events, Alexa Van Owen and the prosecution will certainly have their work cut out for them, but it's not like their whole argument is dead in the water. After all, Oliver actually is the Green Arrow, and even if he wasn't, Ricardo Diaz has Black Siren ready to testify that he is. That plan may not work out so well for the prosecution either, though, as Katie Cassidy has been dropping some strong hints that her character might flip over to the good guys at some point down the line. Will this be her moment where she finds redemption?
Catherine Dent will join the DC Arrow-verse after a fair amount of time in the Marvel drama Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Dent's role as a sleeper HYDRA agent in the Marvel series proves she's no stranger to playing a character with a lack of morals, although it may be fair to say her Arrow character Alexa Van Owen is simply doing her day job. After all, it's on the prosecution to prove the defendant guilty, regardless of if the accuser has the police force in his back pocket. Also, once again, Arrow fans already know that Oliver is guilty of being the Green Arrow, so unless the show sets Dent up for a crazy reveal in this episode, they shouldn't fault Van Owen for doing what she's paid to do.
Arrow airs on The CW Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. The series is headed towards the end of Season 6, so be sure to check out our superhero premiere guide to see what other hero shows are on the way. For a look at what new programming is coming to television in 2018 in general, head on over to our midseason and summer premiere guides.
