Arrow is less than a week away from hitting another big milestone, and the 150th episode promises to be unlike any other that the show has ever aired. Called "Emerald Archer," the episode will be partly shot in a documentary format (with a fabulous narrator), but Oliver will have more to deal with than just cameras following him around. The first trailer for Episode 150 has debuted, and it reveals a frightening new villain hunting vigilantes in Star City, including the Green Arrow himself. Take a look!
The currently unnamed villain looks like a combination of Deadshot and Vigilante, and Dinah describes him as an "anti-vigilante." I know Team Arrow doesn't hang out with Cisco on a regular basis, but I do hope they come up with a better name for this baddie than "Anti-Vigilante." Wasn't "Vigilante" as a hero name literal enough? This bad guy does look formidable, with a military grade exo-suit and apparently the skills to put a serious bruising on Emiko.
Judging by the trailer, the new villain is on the hunt for vigilantes in general, with photos of Wild Dog stuck to the wall of what must be his lair. That said, Emiko specifically tells Oliver that "he's coming for you," which honestly would be no surprise. Vigilantes in general weren't really a thing on Earth-1 before Oliver, although technically Batman was battling the bad guys of Gotham City on the sly before Oliver returned to Star City, according to the "Elseworlds" crossover.
Oliver would logically be at the top of any anti-vigilante murderer's list of masked heroes to take out, especially since he doesn't have a secret identity any more. At least the trailer makes it clear that the good guys will be fighting back, with Oliver clearly out in the field with Spartan, Mr. Terrific, and Wild Dog. A significant new character is slated to debut in "Emerald Archer," but I have my doubts that the showrunner was referring to this new masked man when she teased the arrival.
Interestingly, the promo doesn't actually feature documentary footage or hype up that "Emerald Archer" will be a milestone episode. Presumably those angles will be hyped more in the coming week. Luckily, we do know more about what to expect on top of the new threat to the city coming from this villain.
Oliver, Felicity, and the rest of Team Arrow will be featured in a documentary called The Hood and the Rise of Vigilantism. (Take that, Earth-1 Batman!) A camera crew will follow them around, with the goal of learning about their pasts as vigilantes and delving into what the Green Arrow means to the city. I'm not 100% sure how it will work with regard to secret identities, but we shall see.
Also complicating matters is the return of William from boarding school. Given that he's Oliver's son, I would be very surprised if William isn't feeling broody upon his return. He wasn't thrilled about being sent away when Felicity needed to focus on catching Diaz without worrying about her stepson, and he could potentially resent not being allowed to come home sooner. We'll have to wait and see.
Tune in to The CW on Monday, February 4 at 8 p.m. ET to catch the 150th episode of Arrow. Oliver Queen is only half as far into his run on primetime as Sam and Dean Winchester, who will celebrate their 300th adventure later that week with a milestone episode of Supernatural. Still, it should be an exciting week for The CW!
