The Arrow Season Four penultimate episode “Lost in the Flood” sets viewers up for both the beginning of the end and some season five beginnings. After learning that Thea (Willa Holland) is under HIVE’s control, Dig (David Ramsey) and Oliver (Stephen Amell) track her down in the Ivy Town underground. Meanwhile, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum) and Noah Kuttler (Tom Amandes) take on another foe from both Team Arrow and Felicity’s past, Cooper Seldon (Nolan Gerard Funk). In both of the previous two episodes the writers have given Darhk (Neal McDonough) obscure season three 
villains that were released during his escape in “Eleven Fifty-Nine.” Overall the episode got a bit lost in it’s own thematic metaphors, but delivers on important character dynamics to setup that final showdown between Team Arrow and Darhk.
Anarky (Alexander Calvert) has slowly become my favorite villain this season for multiple reasons, not including his continual reference to Thea as “Mommy.” I finally understand this nickname after watching this episode and he explains to Darhk’s daughter who Thea is to him. All the way back in “The Candidate” (4×02) Thea not only burned his face, but made him into Darhk’s enemy. Lonnie Machin could have just been another stooge, without interference from Team Arrow; tonight’s episode could have ended very differently without any Anarky. Between his multiple appearances and overall use in Thea’s hero journey, Anarky actually manages to follow through on his villainous plans. In this episode alone he kills Darhk’s wife, Ruve Adams (Janet Kidder), and destroys the underground ark all together. After another round of brainwashing, the Malcolm (John Barrowman) and Thea dynamic is feeling tiresome; about time to bench the father and let her “son” take his antagonistic place.
To counterbalance Lonnie’s tantrum underground, Felicity finds herself trying to reign in her parent’s contempt for another, long enough to put Rubicon offline. “You poor thing,” says Curtis to Felicity after spending some quality time with her divorced parents. Curtis really shouldn’t be surprised considering he pointed out to Felicity in “Sins of the Father” (4×13) about her two sides. If only he had stopped while ahead and not attempted to make the comparison between Felicity’s parents and her relationship with Oliver. There are similarities between these two pairings, but it’s not a perfect equation. We learn in this episode that Noah actually didn’t abandon Felicity all those years ago, they left him. Donna (Charlotte Ross) decided Noah would never live up to his fatherly potential; plus, the danger of having a full-fledged criminal for a father. The writers do a nice job illustrating a child of divorce, as Felicity has nice, separate moments with both parents in the same episode. She will always be torn, beca
use one of her sides is drawn to each parent. Noah may have left, but there’s still plenty of Smoak story left to tell.
“But there’s still people who need saving,” states Oliver over the comms to Felicity; as they watch a part of Star City collapse and burn; well it is May after all. During the final moments in the episode, Darhk comes face to face with Felicity Smoak, the very woman he paralyzed in “Dark Waters” and who has the codes to burn down this world. Now on the Scene N’ Nerd episode “TV Deaths & the Old West,” we speculate about the possibility of Felicity Smoak killing Darhk. This suddenly feels like a strong possibility given her sudden close proximity to the man, he may threaten her mom, and all of the heartache he has caused her over the past seven months will start to surface. Remember, there are two side of Felicity Smoak, this season is all about duality; not to mention both the cast and crew continue to tease a finale filled with “devastation and destruction.” Just another Wednesday for an Arrow fan!
Tweet me your Arrow season 4 finale theories @sjbelmont