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The Walking Dead - Episode 5.07 - Crossed - Sneak Peeks *Updated* Posted by Nirat Anop at Monday, November 17, 2014 http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/11/the-walking-dead-episode-507-crossed_17.html

You guys make a great point about how Ray with the salmon ladder is yet another anvil-heavy parallel with Oliver. This season is like the 'Clone Wars' season - with the producers having Ray SWM Oliver, and Laurel SWF Sara. I may also be sitting out Eps. 10-12 until after I read the reviews here.

I think Oliver's use of people was different from Laurel's use of Team Arrow. The only person Oliver really used was Felicity before she knew he was the vigilante, by asking her multiple times for help when she was a QC employee and couldn't refuse a request from her employer. This also exposed her to risk. Diggle and Roy both volunteered to help him. The three of them became Oliver's team and, together, they all united in a joint effort to fight the bad guys, with Oliver as their leader. Oliver's mission was originally to fulfill his father's dying wish and right his wrongs, but now it's a broader, more noble goal of protecting the city and people. Now that Laurel knows Oliver's secret and has access to the Arrowcave, she is not interested in joining Team Arrow, letting Oliver be the leader, or fighting for their cause. She's only interested in her own personal agendas (finding a crime witness, killing Sara's murderer/avenging Sara's death). Having access to his team just means that she now has poor Felicity on 'speed-dial' as another underling to boss around, and the rest of Team Arrow as added muscle when she needs it. She doesn't have to abide by their rules or even keep Oliver's secret if she doesn't want to. Anyway, that's my opinion. It might change if there develops more of a natural and equal give-and-take in Laurel's relationship with Oliver and Team Arrow.

I think the show needs to add a new EP - one who doesn't have a comic book background, who will watch every past episode, and who will keep track of all of the story lines and character arcs. He'd be responsible for making sure that future episodes are consistent with past episodes and that the series as a whole makes sense within its own TV universe. GB. MG and AK would still be EPs (with their comic book input) - but they've either been too distracted by The Flash, spread too thin over multiple projects, or just too sloppy in their oversight of Arrow to do this show justice.

I can only take Shaw in small doses and Root in even smaller doses, so this was not one of my favorite episodes. But every POI episode is still a cut above a lot of the crap that's on TV nowadays, so it's still a win.

I thought this review of "Guilty" was interesting... Arrow Season 3 Episode 6 Review by Logan Ludwig | in Reviews | Sat, 15 November 2014 http://sequart.org/magazine/52242/tv-arrow-306-review/

So why wasn't this the Felicity cross-over episode? The Flash Promotional Pictures Tease The Clock King; Arrow Star Stephen Amell Slams Warner Bros For Flash Casting By Ruchinka Upadhyaya November 15, 2014 08:13 GMT http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/flash-promotional-pictures-tease-clock-king-arrow-star-stephen-amell-slams-warner-bros-flash-1474949 Stephen Amell Talks About DC Cinematic Movie And TV Universes By Andrew Steinbeiser 11/14/2014 http://comicbook.com/2014/11/14/stephen-amell-talks-about-dc-cinematic-movie-and-tv-universes/

Inside ‘Arrow’ Stunts: Thea’s Training [VIDEO] Posted on November 16, 2014 by Staff in Arrow http://cwtvsource.com/2014/11/16/inside-arrow-stunts-theas-training/

Here's a trivia question: How many Arrow stars have been in Hallmark Channel movies? 1. Stephen Amell - "When Calls the Heart" (2013) 2. Katrina Law - "Snow Bride" (2013) 3. Brandon Routh - "The Nine Lives of Christmas" (2014) 4. Warren Christie (played Carter Bowen in Arrow Ep. 1x06) - "The Color of Rain" (2014) and "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (2008)

But then she has no problem using his team and their resources.

Like others here, I think this season is partly to test the feasibility of Atom and Birds of Prey spin-offs. With the success of Arrow and The Flash, the EPs have to be riding high in Hollywood, and Warner Bros./DC likely want to expand their TV mini-verse. So they cast well-known Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer and try him out on Arrow. I know Laurel has been an unpopular character, but the EPs are working hard to change that this season - and I've already seen some signs of a change in her reception. I've seen more positive comments about her after the last episode in critics' reviews, and I've seen a lot of positive comments about the new BC costume onine (buckles aside). Once Laurel starts kicking ass out in the field in her cool new costume, we'll likely see a lot more positive comments. While I don't think a Buckle Canary - er, Black Canary spin-off is feasible (I don't think they'll risk basing a show solely on Laurel, no matter what), there's a good possibility that a BOP spin-off would work, esp. if they cast Helena and Barbara really, really well. Personally, if a BOP spin-off means that Laurel leaves Arrow, then I'm all for it. Arrow should be primarily about the Arrow and his team. I'm less certain about a Suicide Squad spin-off. There's going to be a Suicide Squad movie. While I know that the DC movie and TV universes are going to be different, it might be too confusing to launch both a Suicide Squad move and TV show with different casts at about the same time.

Agreed. I'm leaning towards Thea being Sara's killer as well. Sara put her mask back on right before she was killed, so Thea wouldn't have recognized her as Sara Lance. But Sara would've recognized Thea and been surprised to see her there. Motive? Sara was in Starling City to track down Malcolm, who's wanted by the LOA. Malcolm could've fed Thea a BS story about a masked female assassin trying to kill him - or maybe lied to Thea and said this assassin was after Oliver. If he gets Thea to kill, then he has more hold over her. Thea being the killer would create more tension and conflict among the other characters. And your theory about why Oliver goes to Ra's would also work.

More spoilers for Episode 6-"Consumed"... http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/572738/20141114/walking-dead-5x06-major-spoilers-daryl-noah.htm#.VGd3JfnF8uQ http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/572864/20141116/walking-dead-5x06-spoilers-daryl-missing-crossbow.htm#.VGd4p_nF8uQ http://www.wetpaint.com/walking-dead/articles/2014-11-07-season5-what-happens-episode6-consumed

So Oliver's going to disappear for a few episodes? Maybe the ratings will too. Incidentally, where are the costumes for Oliver, Roy and Laurel coming from? I guess we're to assume that Cisco at Star Labs is the one making them - at the lab's cost? If that's the case, then wouldn't Cisco be too smart to realize how impractical and inconvenient all those buckles will be on the new BC costume? And does that mean the Star Labs team knows the secret identities of the costumed Arrow "superheroes"? Also, the show needs to include at least one line or reference to Diggle refusing to have his own costume made. As it stands now, when they're out fighting in the field, you're going to have Oliver, Roy and, ugh, Laurel wearing these expensive, fitted leather outfits - I mean, the cost of the buckles alone would probably feed a child in a Third World country for a year - while Diggle is still dressed in something that looks thrown together. I mean, he looks like the hired help (unnamed Henchman #1) rather than an equal member of the team. At least indicate that he was offered a new costume and rejected it for the comfort of his own clothes. Maybe I'm being too nitpicky, but if the EPs are going to pat themselves on the back for the realism of this show (without superpowers), then be real.

I'm really sick of the sloppiness and lack of thought on the part of the Arrow EPs, writers and production team this season. Just a few examples (I'm sure there's more): You've got sloppy story tracking where Sara's death and burial under her old grave headstone (still standing!) has to be this big secret, which would only make sense if everyone in the city still thought that Sara had died 7 years ago - the EPs apparently forgot about the big welcome home party thrown for Sara last season. You've got the Arrowcave still located in the basement of Verdant even though Oliver no longer owns the foundry, thereby exposing them all to the risk of discovery. You've got Laurel being made the Acting DA even though she's only been with the DA's Office about a year. Either all of the more senior ADAs were killed by Deathstroke's army last season, or Quentin used his pull as Police Captain to move Laurel to the head of the line. If the former, then the DA's Office would consist of exactly two lawyers - the DA and Laurel - and Laurel would be way too busy to act as a vigilante or interact with Team Arrow. If the latter, that doesn't say much for Quentin. You've got sloppy dialogue like "We used to date" which would greatly narrow the pool of possible identities for the Arrow. There's also the line "My sister's dead, and I'm the only one who knows", which - in this alternate universe of Season 3 where people still thought Sara had died 7 years ago - should've led to Ted saying something like "Wait, I thought your sister died awhile ago? Everyone knows that." You've got Ted Grant who apparently doesn't recognize Laurel when he meets her - even though he's lived in Starling City a long time, would've heard or seen the news about the Queen/Lance deaths and Oliver's televised return, used to be a vigilante in the Glades and likely knew a lot of people who died there, and would've followed Moira Queen's trial closely. You've got out-of-character dialogue about abandoning Roy coming out of the mouth of military vet Diggle. You've got Roy suddenly super proficient with a bow and arrow after only six or so months of training. And now there's going to be

I never explained the reasons for my superhero tv show rankings, so here goes: 1. Arrow (but slipping downwards) - Maybe it's because I've watched this show the longest, but I've gotten emotionally invested in the characters. I care about what happens to Oliver, Felicity, Diggle and even Thea. Yes, it's got a ton of flaws (and I've been bitching about it quite a lot this season), but the show still has heart. Part of what puts this show first for me - at least for now - is that it doesn't have superpowers and therefore seems more grounded in reality, so the people seem more like real people. Overall, I think the acting and production are quite good (I'm not going to get into exceptions here). It mostly fails in its story consistency, pacing and editing. It's also getting too unrelentingly dark, and needs to lighten up. But compared to a lot of other shows on TV (esp. on the CW), this show is still a cut above. That's why it breaks my heart to see what's happening to it. 2. Gotham - I didn't expect to like this show that much because it was so dark and seemed so villain-heavy, but now I really enjoy it. The acting is really quite good all around (with one glaring exception) from heroes like Jim Gordon (Ben Mackenzie) to villains like Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor). There's a bizarrely beautiful visual style to the production that's unlike the other superhero shows, and the villains' quirks somehow fit that setting. Although I enjoy the Bruce & Alfred scenes, this isn't really a Batman prequel story to me. It's mainly a story about Jim Gordon, a decent cop in a city filled with corruption, and how he manages to stay a decent human being despite everything being against him. I can root for him. But he's not a goody two-shoes (that would be annoying), he's got depths and layers - maybe it's just good casting. 3. The Flash - I enjoy this show because it's fun to watch. The characters are all very likeable, and the episodes go by quickly (which is good). But the existence of superpowers does make the show more like a comic book fantasy, so that makes the dangers less real to me (it's hard to defeat someone that fast) and I can't get as invested in the characters - at least not yet (it's only been a few episodes). The biggest drawback for me is that sometimes everyone is just so likeable that it's hard to take seriously. It has the opposite problem of Arrow; this show is too light. What keeps it from drifting into marshmallow fluff is the presence of Dr. Harrison Wells, who injects the needed element of mystery and dark ruthlessness. I also hope it doesn't become Smallville 2.0. 4. Agents of SHIELD - I really, really wanted to love this show because I'm a Joss Whedon fan and because I've generally preferred the Marvel superhero movies over the Warner Bros./DC superhero movies. But Season 1 was a huge disappointment and, although Season 2 is a big improvement, I just can't get into storylines that revolve around Coulson and that treat Skye like a special snowflake. I like Clark Gregg just fine as a supporting or recurring character, but he's just not a leading man or someone who a show can revolve around. That said, I still enjoy watching this show. I also appreciate the fact that this show has the difficult task of having to be cognizant of what's happening in the Marvel movies on the big screen and timing its episodes accordingly. TBD - Agent Carter has the advantage of taking place in the past, so it doesn't have the burden of fitting its stories into the Marvel movie-verse's modern timeline. It also stars the compelling Hayley Atwell. This show could be great. It features a strong woman during a period in American history when women were not treated equally. We'll get to see the origin and beginnings of SHIELD. And we'll get to see what happened to Peggy Carter. (FYI, I've never read any comic books. What I know about the comic book history of any of these characters, I've learned from reading fan forums and, on occasion, Googling a character's name.)

Good point. The EPs would probably have to change the name to Ed Something Else and make him a young reporter.

I don't know who Donald Trump's kids are dating, but if they made headline news, I'd read or hear about it, and then I would know. So if Donald Trump and his son were killed on a boating trip, along with a woman who was identified as the sister of his son's girlfriend, also identified, then it would be headline news and, yes, I'd then know their names and relationship to the Trumps. If Trump's wife was put on trial for conspiracy and murder, and the prosecution team included their son's ex-girlfriend, then it would be big news and, yes, I'd also then know her name and relationship to the Trumps. Ted seems like someone who's involved with people and cares about the city. So I'd think that he would keep up with the news, what's going on around town, and what's happened to a prominent family like the Queens, esp. since Moira's trial involved the destruction of the Glades.

In the old DC comics,

Much has been made of Oliver's controlling personality - but Oliver wasn't always this way. Flashbacks show that pre-island Oliver was pretty lazy and weak. He had a strong, controlling mother, Moira, who took care of him and cleaned up his messes (like getting a girl pregnant). He had a girlfriend, Laurel, who turned a blind eye to his infidelity. Laurel is also a strong, controlling woman, who had their life together all planned out. Most likely, if he had not gone on that fateful trip, he would've married Laurel and passed from the control of his mother to the control of his wife. And if he ever resented that control, he would get back in passive-aggressive ways, like cheating on her with other women. Then during his five years away, he had no control over his life or himself. Things were done to him - on the island, on the freighter, in Hong Kong, etc. - that he couldn't control and that he could only react to. Things happened to people he cared about that he couldn't control - his father, Shado, Sara, even Slade. I suspect we'll find out that he returned to the island alone so that he wouldn't have to watch anyone else he cared about die. So Oliver in the present day understandably wants to control everything and everyone in his life, is reluctant to surrender control to anyone else, and is overprotective of those he loves - hence, his domineering attitude to Thea, Laurel, Diggle and Felicity. It makes his willingness to use Felicity as bait last season to stop Slade even more "unthinkable". And it makes the notion of Oliver and Laurel having any romantic compatibility now even more unbelievable because they are now both controlling personalities. However, I think Oliver is struggling with his tendency to control. By working with Diggle and Felicity, then Sara and Roy, he's learned to trust other people, to delegate some, and to give up a little bit of control. But it's a real struggle for him.

Regarding the "We used to date" statement (for which I blame the writers), I read somewhere a defense argument that Ted Grant would not have known the identity of Laurel's exes and would be too respectful of her to investigate her background. However, that argument would only work if Laurel's exes were all nobodies (as Shanna noted above). The Queens are or were the most prominent family in Starling City. The life, exploits and loves of Oliver Queen would've been all over the media, much like George Clooney or JFK Jr. (Even Felicity's mother knew that Oliver Queen was a millionaire.) Pics of him and his date - likely Laurel - at various events would've been posted in all the society pages. Even if Ted was not up on celebrity or society news, seven years ago the deaths of Robert and Oliver Queen would've been front page headlines in local, national and world news. The death of their passenger, Sara Lance, would also have been reported and, since she was a relative nobody, she would've been described by her relationship to the Queens - as the sister of Oliver Queen's girlfriend, Laurel Lance. People would've speculated as to why she was on that trip with the Queens. It would've been the talk of Starling City. In addition, two years ago, the trial of Moira Queen also would've been front page headlines. The prosecution team and defense lawyers would've been identified and I'm sure some intrepid reporter would've recognized that one of the prosecutors, Laurel Lance, was the ex-girlfriend of the defendant's son. So unless Ted was living under a rock all his life, he would know that one of Laurel's exes was Oliver Queen. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that he would immediately interpret Laurel's statement to refer to Oliver because she could have other exes. But if he wanted to, it wouldn't be that hard to identify all of Laurel's exes or to connect the dots to Oliver's return. Therefore, yes, it was a stupid statement for her to make. Though not as egregious a misstep as keeping Sara's death a secret for no reason, this statement by Laurel is another example of sloppy writing this season. The writers probably thought it was just a clever quip to throw into the dialogue. And clever quips, cool stunts and cute Easter eggs are enough to keep fans happy, right? Forget about story consistency or character development... Regarding Oliver's hypocrisy, I think it's a case of "do as I say and not as I do". He knows he has acted wrongly in the past. He thinks he's on a path that ends in death, so he doesn't want anyone else to take that same path. Picking up from bethy's comment above, I'm going to address Oliver's controlling personality in the Oliver thread.

Regarding Laurel's "am I me or am I my sister" journey, I think the EPs want to have their cake and eat it too. Laurel could have a crisis moment after she puts on the costume of wondering "am I just trying to be my sister?" Then Sara's ghost or hallucination or dream vision will appear to Laurel and tell her that putting on the costume is not being her (Sara), but that Laurel can be her own version of the Canary and still be herself - she can be the Black Canary. Then Laurel will stride forth as her own superhero. I will be shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you - if Laurel gives up her suit. They'd have to peel it off her cold, dead body. Thea could be the one who decides not to become a superhero. She could decide not to become like either Malcolm or Oliver, but remain a normal person with a normal life (a former vigilante like Ted Grant).

Regarding The Flash comparisons to Arrow and Smallville... How The Flash Is a Good Show Despite a Gaping Hole Where the Plot Should Be By Paul on Nov 13, 2014 http://www.tvovermind.com/the-flash/flash-good-show-despite-gaping-hole-plot-244612

So I guess they're going to show Laurel learning to use that weapon at some point? And that she'll become an expert at it in only a few months? I think I've finally figured out why there are so many buckles on Laurel's costume (esp. on her legs), when it would take so long to don the outfit and buckle up. KC has really skinny legs, so without the buckles, she'd look like a stiff wind could knock her over. Putting her in thick pants would impede her movement and look unflattering. By bulking up her legs with those buckles, she looks sturdier and still cool. Then the rest of the outfit has to have matching buckles or it would look too strange. Anyway, that's my theory.