It was inevitable that Arrow would eventually have to cut the ultra-dark and focused Oliver / Diaz arc's for a lighter, more sporadic chapter. "Shifting Allegiances" mostly captured the hot streak that the show has been on in the past three or four episodes. The return of New Team Arrow was admittedly, not bad at all. Diggle (David Ramsey) and his collaboration with Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) and Curtis (Echo Kellum) worked as they sought to take down Diaz's (Kirk Acevedo) operation in Stary City. René's comeback, while better than expected was odd and underwhelming. His current condition showcases early season six Diggle symptoms, which does not make for compelling drama. The spotlight is really on Oliver (Stephen Amell) and David Nykl's Anatoly. The palpable tension between two former friends was either very upsetting or moving and seems to open doors for a potential reunion. I feel that Katie Cassidy and Paul Blackthorne also should be credited, as their own family feud also has plenty of fine moments. The highlight of it all, was the Oliver / Diaz fight, which while a little awkwardly shot, managed to encapsulate the desperation and the brutality both of them felt. Moreover, the season seems to have established a cool new end game which is very different from any other we've seen. "Shifting Allegiances" is not quite as focused as the past few weeks have been, juggling a character too many again, but its grim twists more than compensate and make for great entertainment .