Arrow Season 2 Delayed on Netflix, But Here Are The Top 5 Episodes to Watch!

Fans of the CW's Arrow were quite excited to re-watch Season 2 on Netflix last Sunday, September 14, the date on which the entire second season was supposed to debut on the streaming video service. But when fans logged on, there were no Season 2 episodes to view.

Now, Netflix has announced Season 2's release has been pushed back to October 8^th, the day of the Season 3 premiere. It is not uncommon for shows to release their previous seasons after the new one has begun, but Arrow's earlier release date had fans excited to revisit the Season 2 episodes in anticipation for the third season. It would have also given some more casual fans or newcomers to the show a chance to catch up before the Season 3 premiere.

But alas, we'll all have to wait a few more weeks to stream the episodes directly to our viewing device of choice. And when that time comes, we'll surely watch all the episodes again. But if we only have time for a few, then shouldn't we know the best episodes of the series? With that in mind, here are our picks for the Top 5 episodes of Arrow so far.

5) "Sacrifice" (Season 1 Finale)

The Season 1 finale is so powerful simply because it ends the debut season of the series with a completely soul-crushing defeat for the protagonist. The dark, serious tone of Arrow had been well established by this point, but most fans still assumed Oliver (Stephen Amell) would be victorious over Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) at the end of the season because that's how these things go. Sure, maybe we'd get a cliffhanger, but Oliver's not going to outright lose.

Except he does. Malcolm outsmarts him with a second earthquake device that reduces much of the Glades to crumbing ruins. But on top of the already high death toll and property damage, Oliver loses his best friend, Tommy, who managed to save Laurel (Katie Cassidy). Oliver weeps over his friend's body as he says, "It should have been me."

4) "Unthinkable" (Season 2 Finale)

The Season 2 finale is an all-out war between Oliver and Slade (Manu Bennett) for control of Starling City, and it's especially impressive for a network show. The showdown features two small armies battling in the streets, all while the focus remains on the deeply personal conflict between the two former friends.

The final fight sequence that continually flashes back to Oliver and Slade's fight on the freighter is brilliantly choreographed. The tension and emotions are high throughout this hour and only relax once Team Arrow achieves victory.

3) "Seeing Red" (Season 2, Episode 20)

Slade Wilson had been a brilliant son-of-a-you-know-what ever since the show revealed him as the Big Bad of Season 2. But in this episode, he's just downright evil.

Oliver can't stop him no matter what he does. Slade is 10 moves ahead of him at every turn. And in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show's history, Slade puts a sword through Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson), the morally ambiguous character who, through it all, always loved her children. Oliver slumps to the ground in a near catatonic state as Slade revels in his victory.

2) "Suicide Squad" (Season 2, Episode 16)

"Suicide Squad" showcased one of the best aspects of Arrow: the incorporation of multiple characters from DC Comics. It's just not just Green Arrow villains that show up, either. The show borrows from the broader DC Universe to include characters from multiple other series. The team of Deadshot, Bronze Tiger and Shrapnel pulled together some of the more minor players in DC's world. We even got a brief voice-only cameo from Harley Quinn!

1) "The Promise" (Season 2, Episode 15)

Many Arrow fans highlight "The Promise" as the best episode in the series, and it's hard to argue. The tension throughout the episode hits a fever pitch the second the episode begins with Slade in Oliver's house, and it never lets up for the entire hour. Is he going to kill someone in Ollie's family? The entire family? How could Oliver possibly stop him? And if he does, then how would hide his identity from his mother and sister?

But the real "wow" moment of the episode takes place in the flashbacks on the freighter when Slade learns that Oliver is partly responsible for Shado's death. He then drops this chilling warning on his former friend:

"You cannot die until you have suffered the same way that I have suffered, until you have known complete despair. And you will. I promise."

What was your favorite episode of Arrow? Let us know in the comments section.