ARROW: "Sacrifice"

Arrow has been The CW's biggest hit in years and, as I hoped, I've been able to watch this season for sheer entertainment. The writers envisioned Oliver Queen as a human hero. No powers, no magic. He's been indecisive, stubborn, scared at times, making for unpredictable, watchable television.

My favorite moment of last night's season finale was Ollie admitting to Diggle that Malcom Merlyn (John Barrowman) would probably kill him. He had lost two fights to Merlyn and didn't know how to stop him.

My other favorite moment was Tommy (Colin Donnell) saving Laurel from the earthquake, but getting trapped himself. In an interview with Zap2it.com, Donnell points out that Ollie, Laurel, and Malcom all loved Tommy, which makes his death a fine catalyst for Season 2.

Malcom Merlyn's engineered earthquake threatened all the characters, and did not feel like a ratings stunt because "The Undertaking" had been foreshadowed all season. It compelled Moira to admit to the press her collusion with Malcom, resulting in her arrest. Thea headed into the earthquake's path to save Roy (Colton Haynes).

When Ollie removed his hood in front of Tommy earlier this season, the expectation was that Tommy would become Ollie's nemesis. Instead, he, along with Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), became Ollie's conscience, never condoning his use of deadly force. Though I'll miss Tommy, I'm glad he, like NCIS's Kate Todd, was a fully realized character allowed to finish an arc.