In Season 2, Arrow introduced Task Force X, nicknamed the Suicide Squad, a group of imprisoned criminals that A.R.G.U.S. sends on dangerous black-ops missions. Outside of another brief appearance from Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot, in the Season 2 finale “Unthinkable,” we haven’t seen any of the members resurface. That will change in the coming months when the team of supervillain operatives return this season in Episode 17, titled “Suicidal Tendencies.”
According to ET, the episode will feature the return of Amanda Waller (who has been a recurring character in Season 3’s flashbacks) and Deadshot, as well as new team member Carrie Cutter, a.k.a. Cupid. Carrie first appeared this season at the end of “Guilty,” and viewers got to see her obsession with The Arrow unfold during “Draw Back Your Bow.”
Oliver handed Carrie off to A.R.G.U.S. after capturing her, so it’s no surprise that her skills will be put to use on the Squad. Corrupt politician Senator Cray will also be introduced in this episode, played by Grey’s Anatomy star Steven Culp. In the comics, Cray used the Squad as a means to get re-elected, while the TV version of the character will “be at the center of a rescue operation in the fictional Republic of Kasnia.”
Not every member of the Squad will be returning this time around. Bronze Tiger will be sitting out this mission, while Shrapnel met a messy end when Waller detonated the bomb in his head in “Suicide Squad.” This will be the Squad’s first appearance since Warner Bros. greenlit the Suicide Squad film in October, although the TV iteration of the team has been appearing in the back-up story of the Arrow Season 2.5 comic book. Actor David Ramsey previously stated that the Squad would eventually return, but nevertheless this is a good sign that Warner Bros’ film plans for the team aren’t affecting Arrow being able to use them.
Although DC announced last year that their movie and TV universes would be separate, there hasn’t been a clear set of rules defined regarding who is allowed to appear in what medium. Characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are seemingly limited to the big screen (for now), while other characters like Flash are allowed to be seen in both movies and television. It looks like Suicide Squad falls into the latter category, and while it looks like nothing will ever come of those talks about giving the gang their own series, at least for now the squad will still play a role on Arrow.
You can catch Arrow Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.
