Arrow: Malcolm Merlyn the Revenge

This man must have 9 lives!

          Some narcissistic sociopaths just won't die. A few episodes before the mid-season finale, Malcolm Merlyn rose from the dead and resurfaced to help an "old friend" or more like "one night stand". Moira revealed that she and Malcolm had a very brief affair a while back, but that wasn't the most shocking part (kinda gross seeing how big a jerk Malcolm is). The most shocking part was that Thea is actually Malcolm's biological daughter and now he's back to claim her.

You shot my ride! Now I'll have to drive myself.

"Claim her"? Really, Malcolm? He can't be that egotistical to think that Thea would come and accept this psychopath as her father? Thea is more stubborn than Malcolm. Malcolm wanted to get another chance to be a father; to be there for Thea. However, I doubt he should get a second chance so easily. Malcolm may have faked his death but his son Tommy is still rotting in a grave. Malcolm was a horrible father, driven mad by grief from the death of his saintly wife and how did he honor her? Malcolm abandons his young son who already lost one parent, then he comes back with a plan to commit genocide, and he bullies Tommy most of the time. When Tommy was cut off from his trust because Malcolm called him a waste of space then he tried to make up for it by having Tommy work for him. Bi-polar much, Malcolm? Not what Thea needs. Thankfully Moira is one tough Mamma who will do anything for her children. Malcolm went running (like the coward he was) as soon as Moira did a big name drop: Ra's al Ghul. 

Okay he can catch an arrow, but what about a fly?

Merlyn joined a fraternity that doesn't take kindly to quitters. You leave the League of Assassins, you leave in a body bag. Most people suffering from a loss join a grief counseling group or retreat into a bottle, but joining an elite club of killers is a bit extreme. Just another reason why Moira was right to not tell Thea that Malcolm's her real dad. I doubt Thea ever would have let Malcolm into her life let alone within 10 feet of her. Your father is the one who raises you and so Robert Queen was and always be Thea's father. I think if Thea ever found out (which she will because secrets never stay secret for long, not unless you want to keep drama on the show) then either Moira or Oliver would tell her the same thing. On a side note: Thea crushed on Tommy, her older half-brother. GROSS! Thank God Tommy set Thea straight. 

With friends like Merlyn who needs enemies.

Bottom line is, I hate Malcolm Merlyn and he frustrates me to no end, but I guess that's one of the reasons I think we should keep him around. Malcolm is a sociopath, a narcissist, and a cold-blooded killer and what's a great hero story without a villain who believes he's in the right? Not a very interesting one. Slade's vengeance story can only go so far and Blood's Darth Vador schtick will get old (villains wearing masks is only scary or fun when they are Batman villains), but the wrath of Malcolm Merlyn will keep me watching because he's the cock roach you love to keep smashing until you flush him down the toilet and he climbs back out.

No "World's #1 Dad" mug for you.