The latter plot point could have likely been an episode in and of itself, but it is relegated to something of an afterthought. Grodd is bested rather quickly by the team and Obama himself plays a small role in the grand scheme of things. I guess the writers didn't want to get too heavy with the political stuff, which makes some degree of sense.
The closest it gets is Sara saying that she misses him after the two have a solid heart to heart about Sara's issues. The episode earns it, though, I think.
Conversely, "Make America Grodd Again"? That doesn't even make sense. It doesn't rhyme with the usual mantra and it isn't like Grodd had the country under his thrall at any point. And since when does Grodd care about American politics? He's a big, angry, telepathic gorilla. Of all the Arrowverse antagonists, he's the last one who would logically make any sort of comment or reference on that sort of thing.
Anyway, once Obama is saved, the plot focuses to trying to save Nora. Damien offers his services, but Sara is skeptical to say the least (see the aforementioned issues). I noted before that he would likely join the heroes and it seems like that's where its going. Ray even vouches for Damien's sincerity when it comes to his love for his daughter.
It's kind of nice to see this more reflective Darhk. It seems like fatherhood has changed him for the better. He even apologizes to Sara about killing Laurel and says that he'd take it back if he could. I was skeptical about Darhk's return and critical of some of his appearances this season, but overall, it seems like it was the right move, especially since Mcdonough nails the material and makes it pack that much more of a punch..
Even when Darhk turns on the team, it isn't the typical "ha ha, fooled you! I'm still evil, suckers!" reveal that the Damien of old would have basked in. His end goal is still the same, save his daughter and stop the demon from getting loose. Its just that he changes his mind on how to go about doing that. It was an interesting twist on what could have been a predictable....twist.
Speaking of interesting twists, poor Ava gets put through the ringer. The reveal that she was a clone was earth-shattering enough, but her big talk with Rip only makes it worse. It turns out that she's not the first Ava, 11 have come before her.
While you can see some degree of remorse on Rip's face, his responses don't help. He really could have come up with something to soften the blow. Ava's constant assertions that she was "picked 12th" don't make sense. Maybe bring up the idea that this isn't like picking out a puppy or a kitten. Granted, the idea that he just bought a new Ava when the prior died has it's problems, but there are ways around that too. While each "Ava" may start off as a blank slate, they each go through different experiences that help form them as individuals. Does Rip bring this idea up? Nope, just silence. Well, he tells her that she's special, but having something to back that up would have been nice.
All in all, though, this was a solid episode. There was a lot of great character growth, the episode was well paced, and it ended on one heck of a wham note, as the demon is now free. Admittedly, the CGI is TV budget, but the look of fear on the heroes' faces as he flew off really helped sell the dread of the moment. It'll be interesting to see how they deal with this new development.
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