This is still speculation based on a lot of assumption. I could just as easily say the lack of emotion was her poker face. The knife is to free Ollie's hands. And the very next words out of her mouth are going to be, "Oliver, what are you doing here?" Chances of that are slim since the show rarely takes the obvious maudlin route, but it's still as good any other guess. There's nothing wrong with speculating. The thing is, calling her an "evil assassin" is a big leap from suggesting she might be acting irrationally and instinctively under extreme physical and psychological duress.
Well, if its mind control that would make sense (it would be kind of lame, but thats just my opinion), along with her pretending and a few other ways that may include her not being evil yet. Regardless, killing people for the LoA is definately evil, and the way she talked about it she was taking responsibility for what she did with the LoA, so she definately was doing very evil things by choice for several years. You can argue about wether she was under duress, but she seemed fine with it until that last assassination that she told Ollie about, so I'd guess she eventually works for the LoA by choice, atleast for awhile.
Comicbook Ivo is know for three things: Red Tornado, Amazo and finding the worst ways to be immortal. TV Ivo wants to "save humanity" by experimenting on a bunch of third world refugees untill... Figuring out Immortality seems more likely than cybernetics/robotics at this early point in his origin.
Unless Ra's has been given mind control powers, choice. They haven't established mind control powers in the Arrow universe, and if they do I doubt it will be with Sarah. As for "conditioning", that is such a vague term I could see it being used for someone on arrow, but probably not Sarah. Its as unrealistic as telepathy, but so vague it basically covers most mind control not psychic based. Anything from chemicals to putting a dog collar on someone and shocking them when they don't do what you want can be "conditioning". I could maybe see it because of that, but Sarah has been pretty clear that she holds herself responsible for the killing, and I don't see that kind of control just going aay one day, not if it had been effective for so long. Plus, storywise its a cop out for Sarah, and would kind of screw up her character if she hadn't been in control of herself.
Cults program people. It's pretty easy. Very little food which is always drugged, barely allow sleep, control movement, then set up a system of punishment and reward. If you can't break someone after a couple weeks, it's too much effort, so you might as well bury them alive out back and go find another doe eyed kid at the bus terminal with no survival instincts.
THey said before the season started that The Canary would be a big part of Laurel's arc on the show, so at this point I'm assuming Laurel will find out and either due to Sarah's death or some other even Laurel will end up taking over The Canary identity. If we want to see that happen then that means we need to bring Sarah back. You really can't expect everything in the show to be exactly like the comic books, and just because something is different than the comic books doesn't automatically make it bad. The show is based on the comic books, not a direct translation of them. If you want a direct translation there are motion comics for that.
So, I can't think Sarah is only an average BC, because if I do it can only because of a bias against change from what the comic did? I liked Birds of Prey. A lot of that show was extremely far from the comics (even if Barbarta Gordon was done fairly close). I don't dislike Sarah or her role, I'd just prefer a more normal version of BC. Not because stuff has to match the comics, but because they haven't given me something that I think matches how interesting the comic version is. Of course, I do prefer the comics version a lot of the time, and I think the real BC would be more interesting that what we've got. But, they could make a different version that I could like a lot, they just haven't done it with Sarah's character. She's very, very ok. I think something more like the comics would be awesome, but I think they could have gone a different direction and still create an awesome character/storyline, they just haven't with the BC they have.
Morrow and Ivo have been involved with creating a few androids over the years. Sometimes together. Tomorrow Woman has two daddies.
Excellent episode, I love how much focus Sarah got. And now she's going away for awhile in the present storyline? Meh... boo to that. At this point I'd much rather have her around than Laurel.
So much going on this week its hard to know where to start. Waller, Argus, Deadshot, H.I.V.E., the island, Slade, Roy, oh my! We even advanced the Barry Allen storyline and dealt with Felicities not so hidden love of Oliver. Of course Ollies new dont kill policy doesnt apply to blowing up innocent Russian guards, which I thought was the only lame section in another very good episode.
So all the business with Ivo and the Japanese "miracle" that increases strength -- are they seeding the Hourman stuff already?
- So now Thea's boyfriend is working for the Arrow and Officer Lance still can't put it together. - With the big three hogging all the action, it looks like they're having trouble giving the other characters something to do. - Diggle slept with his ex, then he picked up his phone and typed in "H.I.V." That got my attention until I saw him finish and type H.I.V.E.
No more Bloodrush. Please. ETA: WOOHOOO! http://io9.com/nightwing-joins-the-growing-dc-tv-universe-of-arrow-1464019694
Communism isn't forgiven. The slogan is, Death to the Stalinist peoples! Burt Reynold slaughtering Russians on Burn Notice, Natasha Romanoff's murderous career, the trainer on The Americans raping his own trainee, Hollywood knows some people are just bad.
When Ivo talked about "Mirakuru," it sounded to me like the Super Soldier serum. I thought I was watching Agents of Shield for a moment. Amanda Waller didn't look like Waller. She was much skinnier, younger, did I mention skinnier? Ollie got it on with Isabel, albeit a quickie. Says Felicity, "What happens in Russia stays in Russia." I think that could've been done better. I always knew beneath that bitchy exterior was a woman who got the hots for Oliver.
Yeah, there was another weird Marvel crossover moment with something Felicity said during the episode, though it escapes my memory as to what it was now.