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‘Arrow’ Recap: “Spectre of the Gun” – A Missed Opportunity to Take a Stand BY ALLISON KEENE 11 HOURS AGO http://collider.com/arrow-recap-spectre-of-the-gun/

Review: A Very Special ‘Arrow’ Tackles ‘Spectre of the Gun’ Control Kevin Fitzpatrick | Feb. 15, 2017 http://screencrush.com/arrow-spectre-of-the-gun-review/

ARROW: "SPECTRE OF THE GUN" REVIEW Jesse Scheeden Feb. 15, 2017 http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/02/16/arrow-spectre-of-the-gun-review

‘Arrow’ Recap: An Afterschool Special Gone Wrong Robert Chan February 16, 2017 https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-an-afterschool-special-gone-wrong-120642696.html

You know an episode's pretty bad, when even the A.V. Club reviewer criticizes it (and this guy's been giving a tongue bath to just about every episode this season)... Arrow gets political in the wake of a mass shooting By Alasdair Wilkins Feb 16, 2017 1:30 AM http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/arrow-gets-political-wake-mass-shooting-250436

‘Arrow’ recap: 'Spectre of the Gun’ SARA NETZLEY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 http://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-5-episode-13/

Interview with LoT cinematographer Mahlon Todd Williams... The Set of 'Legends of Tomorrow' Is a Time Machine February 15, 2017 https://www.inverse.com/article/27541-legends-of-tomorrow-time-travel-cinematographer-todd-williams

At least she has a sense of humor...

FWIW - Carly Pope's IMDb page currently does not list her for 513, but lists her for 514 and 515. According to papp (pursuit23), she's also in 516. FWIW - Juliana Harkavy's IMDb page currently lists her for 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 519, 520, 522 and 523. Curious that 518 and 521 were omitted by whoever edited her page (intentional or mistake?). I believe that JH tweeted pic of herself in Vancouver during the time that 518 would've been shooting. Also, I think that 518 is the episode when Evelyn returns to the show.

I found this video really interesting (it was retweeted by JBam, but don't let that stop you from watching) - and yet we saw Oliver learning very few of these fighting styles in the flashbacks every season... How many fighting styles does Green Arrow know in CW's Arrow? Published on Jan 28, 2017, by Godzillarex

‘Black Lightning’ TV Character Breakdowns Revealed Feb. 15, 2017 http://heroichollywood.com/black-lightning-breakdowns-revealed/

From the Collider article, it sounds like there are no definite plans yet for Rory to come back this season.

Ben Affleck Quitting Batman Might Be Just the Disaster the DC Superhero Movies Need By Abraham Riesman Feb. 14, 2017 http://www.vulture.com/2017/02/ben-affleck-quitting-batman-might-be-better-for-everyone.html

From MG/WM's recent interview comments about 513, it sounds like the team members will be lining up as follows.... Pro-gun: Rene Anti-gun (pro-gun control): Quentin, Curtis Don't Talk About It: Felicity (I wouldn't be surprised if Diggle is on Rene's side. Tinah should also be siding with Rene considering her frequent gun use, but maybe she'll side with fellow cop, Quentin. As for Oliver, who knows? He may be as confused on the gun issue as he is on his kill-no kill policy.)

Sorry, that interview was apparently done back in July and just published today. Probably not worth posting.

Kevin Smith interview: Yoga Hosers, Arrow, Mallrats Rob Leane Feb. 14, 2017 http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/kevin-smith/47245/kevin-smith-interview-yoga-hosers-arrow-mallrats

How many superheroes do we need on TV? Nathan Braun Feb. 14, 2017 http://www.popdust.com/how-many-superheroes-do-we-need-on-tv-2261222014.html

Everyone's confused by the history of Black Canary on Arrow... 'Injustice 2' Characters: New Girls Trailer Reveals Catwoman, Cheetah [Video] Patrick Frye Feb. 14, 2017 http://www.inquisitr.com/3981231/injustice-2-characters-new-girls-trailer-reveals-catwoman-cheetah-video/

Maybe we should count our blessings. If you read the rest of that EW article (not quoted), they could've picked abortion as their issue...

Screenrant spotted this possible easter egg in the Talia/Oliver scene in 512... http://screenrant.com/arrow-cw-green-lantern-easter-eggs/

When the EPs have an agenda (issue or plot), they really don't care about consistency, logic or sense, do they? WM even said that Tinah is a cop who "knows how to handle herself with a gun.” (Jan. 25, 2017 ETonline article, page 52 of Spoilers thread) And former military guy Diggle has used guns since S1. Apparently 513 is not only a vegetable, but it's "broccoli." Way to sell an episode, Marc. ETA: I'm waiting for a fan to put together a video mash-up of past Arrow shoot-em-ups.

SUMMARY OF 513 SPOILERS: S5, Episode 13: Spectre of the Gun -- Production code: 513. Shoot Dates: November 29-December 8, 2016. Director: Kristen Windell. Writer: Marc Guggenheim. Airdate: February 15, 2017. (Nov. 29, 2016 MG tweet) -- 513 episode synopsis: "WILD DOG’S HISTORY IS REVEALED — A traumatic attack on City Hall triggers painful memories for Rene (Rick Gonzalez) about his family. Flashbacks reveal how Rene went from simple family man to a hero named Wild Dog. Meanwhile, Oliver (Stephen Amell) must deal with the perpetrator behind the attack and realizes the best way to do so is as Mayor Queen instead of the Green Arrow. Tensions run high in the Arrow bunker. Kristin Windell directed the episode written by Marc Guggenheim (513). Original airdate 2/15/2017." (GreenArrowTV article, page 52 of Spoilers thread) -- 513 promo and extended promo posted. (513 promo and extended promo videos, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- 513 producer's preview posted. (513 producer's preview video in CW_Arrow tweet, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- 513 sneak peek posted. (513 sneak peek video, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- 513 promo pics posted. (AllAboutTVNews and SpoilerTV articles, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "[W]e’re doing that again on 5.13, we’re going to flashback to Renee’s period before he was Wild Dog." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider tweet & article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On 513, MG tweeted: "@officialrickg is show-stopping in this episode." (Jan. 26, 2017 MG tweet, page 52 of Spoilers thread) -- 513 delves into the backstory of Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez), the only member of Team Arrow who actively uses a gun when he goes into the field. MG: “He is a character whose whole superheroics revolve around guns." Thus, Rene is a proponent of the Second Amendment, which won’t necessarily go over well with the rest of Team Arrow. (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "Well, we went into season 5 wanting to do an episode about an issue... I'm old, so what does this mean? It means that I grew up on St. Elsewhere and Picket Fences and LA Law. I grew up in a time where it was commonplace, like literally every week, for a one-hour drama to tackle the issues of the day. Somewhere along the line we got away from that -- like, the whole industry got away from that. And now you've got like Blackish and Carmichael Show, but as far as network dramas are concerned? Really not tackling current events, current issues. So we went into season 5 with the desire to. It's the fifth season; we've hopefully earned the freedom to, in 23 episodes of television, you can have 22 episodes of candy and one episode of vegetables. We sort of felt that gun violence felt like the right topic, because of its topicality but also because of the level of gun violence that's on Arrow. We could have done an episode on abortion, but that's not really where the show lives, so gun violence sort of felt like the right thing to tackle." (Feb. 13, 2017 ComicBook article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “It’s the fifth season... We’ve hopefully earned the freedom to — in 23 episodes of television, you can have 22 pieces of candy and one episode of vegetables. … I would never want people to watch under false pretenses, so I would probably be very upfront about the fact that it’s not a typical Arrow episode. We do explore the issue of gun violence. I would tease it as the best tasting broccoli you’ll ever have.” (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “As you watch the episode [513] — I write chronologically and linearly — and I think you can see that, in the second half, it’s about guns and gun violence, but it’s also about the state of discourse in our country." (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- Though the show is tackling a polarizing subject, per MG, both The CW and Warner Bros. were “unbelievably supportive of this episode from the beginning... At the beginning of the season, we told them we wanted to do a gun violence episode, they were like, ‘Great.’ … We got the usual [Standards and Practices] notes in terms of the amount of gun violence, but nothing was compromised. This was very much the episode we intended to do.” (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: “There was an opportunity also to do an episode where he wasn’t going to get in the Green Arrow costume... From a story perspective, it was really the challenge of figuring out what would an episode look like where we had to solve the issue of the day, or the problem of the week, with Oliver Queen as mayor as opposed to him gearing up as the Green Arrow.” (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "It was an opportunity, too, to do an episode where he [wasn't going to get] in the Green Arrow costume... It was an episode, from a story perspective, it was really the challenge of figuring out, what would an episode look like where we had to solve the issue of the day or the problem of the week with Oliver Queen as mayor as opposed to him gearing up as the Green Arrow. I think the other thing, when Marc and I talked about doing it and we talked about potentially doing more episodes like this going forward, is the idea that we want to start a conversation....It's important to at least talk about this, and at some point we did get away from that as a country, and we like the idea of hearing both sides -- and hearing both sides as fairly as possible." (Feb. 13, 2017 ComicBook article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- Beyond the particular right to bear arms, the EPs wanted to delve into the actual debate surrounding gun control. WM: “It’s important to at least talk about this... At some point, we did get away from that, as a country, and we would like the idea of hearing both sides, and hearing both sides as fairly as possible.” (Feb. 14, 2017 Entertainment Weekly article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- On why it made sense to focus on Rene's story in an episode about gun violence [513], WM: "I think it was that he was someone whose background we really wanted to explore, and I think he's a natural proponent—and in my mind, he just is that—he carries a gun, he's a natural spokesman for that point of view." MG: "Rene felt like the right recruit at the right time for all the reasons Wendy was saying... He is a character whose whole superheroics revolve around guns." (Feb. 15, 2017 Eonline article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- On what made Rene the right person to do the flashbacks with, for 513, WM: "I think it was that he was someone whose background we really wanted to explore, and he carries a gun and is a natural spokesman for that point of view." MG: "We could have done it through any number of our characters. I think there was a real appetite for us and the writing staff to do flashbacks from the perspective of one of our recruits, so that we get to learn more about them. We know a lot about Curtis, obviously. Rory left the team in Episode 512. Evelyn had betrayed the team, and we already knew her backstory from Season 4. Rene felt like the right recruit at the right time. He’s a character whose whole superheroics revolve around guns." (Feb. 15, 2017 Collider article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether it was also a testing ground for when Oliver’s flashbacks run out, MG: "We’ve been doing the non-island flashbacks since Season 1, so we feel like we’ve done the testing ground, and we love those flashbacks." WM: "It was more of a testing ground for the recruits and whether we would be able to generate enough story and be interested in those stories, from the perspective of those characters. And going forward, given that we won’t have the island to go to and the flashbacks for Oliver, we know we can use it for other characters. It’s a device that’s well-established on this show, and we know we can go to that well when we need to." (Feb. 15, 2017 Collider article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- Since it was obvious to have Rene be the character that’s pro-gun, on whether it was just as obvious to have Curtis be the other viewpoint to that, WM: "I feel like the clearest person who would be opposed is Lance. Police, as a rule, tend to not want criminals to have guns. They’re all for minimizing things. They’re a little more for gun control, as a cohesive group in society." MG: "Felicity being the one to say, 'Stop talking about this,' came out in the writing. In the first half, before Trump got elected, it was me trying to keep the show from descending into this back-and-forth debate. As a writer, it was helpful to have a character going, 'Stop debating!' But then, once Trump got elected, I realized that her saying, 'Stop debating!,' was speaking for another segment of the population, which is the segment that considers talking about politics to be impolitic. It’s not something you’re supposed to discuss in polite company. When did that happen? The thesis statement of that scene she has with Curtis is that, whether you voted for Trump or not, the only thing we can agree on, as Americans, is that the country is as fractured now as it’s ever been, since the Civil War. My point of view and suggestion, as a writer, is that it happened because we stopped talking to each other." (Feb. 15, 2017 Collider article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, when Felicity at one point begs her friends to stop debating (in 513), she was speaking for “the segment of the population who considers talking about politics to be impolitic, something you’re not supposed to [do] in polite company. When did that happen?... Whether you voted for Trump or not, I think maybe the only thing we can agree on as Americans is that the country is as fractured now as it’s ever been since the Civil War... And my point of view and suggestion as a writer is it happened because we all stopped talking to each other.” (Feb. 14, 2017 TVLine article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- DC All-Access' Hector: "And, on an all-new episode Arrow Wednesday night - let me be real with you guys right up front, this is my favorite episode of Arrow of the entire series. I'm not even kidding. I thought it was fantastic. After a traumatic attack at City Hall triggers a bunch of painful memories from Wild Dog, a/k/a Rene Ramirez, and causes Team Arrow to launch into a gun control debate, of all things, Oliver Queen has to figure out how to solve this problem. And he decides, he might have to do it as Mayor Queen, instead of the Green Arrow. Plus, in the flashbacks, we're getting all Rene Ramirez, a/k/a Wild Dog. It's awesome. We're getting his family life. We're learning how he became this family man that turned into this vigilante known as Wild Dog that we know today. It was stellar. It was so, so superbly done. I am not kidding you guys. I loved this episode. It was fantastic. And, in fact, I can say, without a doubt - I haven't checked in with him - this is Jason Inman's favorite new episode of Arrow. Plus, we've got a brand new Black Canary running around. Dinah Drake. What do we know about her? Can we trust her? Is she going to be able to step up to this mantle and be the Black Canary? Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that I've got an awesome comic book connection for you right now. Guys, if you want to read some more Black Canary kickass stuff, check out Birds of Prey, the storyline that's called Sensei and Student, issues numbered 62 to 67 from 2004, written by the legendary Gail Simone. It is about Black Canary traveling to China to see her sensei who trained her, but he's fallen ill and he's dying, and she's there to pay her respects. But when she's there, she meets who? Lady Shiva. And then she's got no choice but to have to team up with Lady Shiva for this awesome adventure. It is a fantastic character piece. You guys are not going to regret reading it. You guys are not going to regret watching Arrow Wednesday night." (Feb. 13, 2017 DC All Acess video, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- Matt Mitovich: "And here's some news that probably not quite many people wanted. We're getting a Rene flashback episode. Episode 13. We're going to have flashbacks for Wild Dog, who's not exactly been the most popular new team recruit." (Jan. 23, 2017 TVLine's Ask Ausiello Live facebook video, page 52 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to his fave episode shot so far in second half of S5, SA tweeted: "Maybe 513. In the old days, it'd be called a 'Very Special Episode of Arrow'." (Jan. 25, 2017 SA tweet, page 52 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "And, you know, coming up pretty soon - probably a spoiler alert here - we do get to explore one of the new character's back story through flashbacks, which I always enjoy because I get days off." (HVFF-Atlanta, Nov. 20, 2016: Video of full SA panel in BeautifulBallad article, periscope livestream link of full SA panel in smoaksqueen tweet and Video clip in kalichica12 tweet, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- DR: "He came to know somewhat the new team members when he was in hiding, he served as a kind of mentor to Rene (Rick Gonzalez) and I think you’ll see him serve in that same capacity with Dinah. Dinah is just now understanding how to put her powers to good use. She’s just been through a major trauma of having lost her lover/partner, she’s been tortured by a new meta. Diggle is really the one who rolls out the welcome mat for her and that’s a part of Diggle’s strength too... Diggle is the one who reminds everyone of their humanity and you’ll see that with Dinah in the first few episodes. He helps the new team make adjustments." (Feb. 8, 2017 Watchtivist article, page 53 of Spoilers thread) -- YonkouProductions tweeted: "Thea returns to Arrow in 5x13. They didn't forget about her." (Feb. 7, 2017 YonkouProd tweet, page 52 of Spoilers thread, and YonkouProdutiona post, page 1341 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Per IMDB, 513 lists among cast Parveen Dosanjh as "Doris Chase" and 12-year-old Eliza Faria as "Zoe." (Arrow 513 IMDB link in Lily-n11 post, page 1277 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Twitter rumors: Dinah and Diggle bond in 513. The Russia photos resurface in 513. (Feb. 4, 2017 LeighAn and Chaser posts, page 1336 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Fan tweeted: "5x13 -The Bratva photos resurface and 5x14 Team knows about Susan. But does Oliver know the team knows since he's not there for the convo??." (Feb. 2, 2017 LuLuLemonLime83 tweet, page 1336 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Nov. 29, 2016, Tyler Ritter tweeted pic of Detective Billy Malone's Star City Police Department business card with his contact info. (TR tweet, page 512 of Social Media thread) -- On Nov. 30, 2017, EK took over DC Comics instagram account and posted pic of himself with EBR, SA, RG (in a suit), PB and WH in the Arrow Bunker. He also posted pic of EBR, SA and DR sitting around the table in the Arrow Bunker. He also posted pic of EBR and SA holding up their ringless hands. (dccomics instagram pics, page 1334 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 2, 2016, SA tweeted pic of Oliver and Quentin in the Mayor's office, but something on the front of the mayor's desk and something on the couch are covered by doodles. Bamford posted an undoodled version of the same pic. Some speculation that it's Susan Williams sleeping on the couch. Other speculation that it's Oliver's son, William, sleeping on the couch. However, papp tweeted that neither the actress playing Samantha nor the child actor playing William have been on set. Also speculation that there's bullet holes in the desk. (SA, hotsforolicity and pursuit23 tweets, page 1241 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 2, 2016, PB tweeted pic of SA as Mayor Oliver Queen working on a laptop in the mayor's office, with the comment: "#GreenArrow by night #MayorHandsome by day." (PB tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 3, 2016, it was reported that Carly Pope "was in once in the last week or so." (Chaser post, page1242 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 4, 2016, JH and Thomas Taylor of T3 Athletics both posted same pic of JH training at T3 Athletics, alongside RG, Jeremy Jordan and David Harewood. (JH and t3athletics instagram posts, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 4, 2016, JH posted pic of her on-set chair with her name on it. (JH instagram post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 5, 2016, PB posted b-t-s pic of himself with EK during Arrow shooting in snowy weather. (PB instagram post, page 512 of Social Media thread) -- On Dec. 7, 2016, papp tweeted: "#Arrow shooitng 1 scene tonight in New West : Stephen, Will, Paul, Josh & Rick Gonzalez working." (pursuit23 tweet, page 40 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 7, 2016, SA said that they're finishing up 513 and going into 514 "now." (Dec. 7, 2016 SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 8, 2016, Arrow female crew member posted pic of framed photo of herself with stuffed teddy bear in some sort of candle-lit memorial on stairs with comment:"R.i.p Nicole. Made my Arrow cameo tonight ??." (nicoleycoleyoley instagram pic, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 8, 2016, papps tweeted (about EBR): "Arrow is at VFS studio today & downtown studio tomorrow. Emily hasn't filmed in over a week for those asking" and "I think she's filmed once since mid last week. Know she for sure hasnt worked the last few days." (lemon_buzz and pursuit 23 tweets, page 1252 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 9, 2016, SA tweeted: "That's a wrap on 513 with the lovely Kristin Windell at the controls!" (SA tweet, page 1252 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 9, 2016, JH posted: "This is the best I've ever felt, and it's not because I'm at my thinnest, it's because I'm at my current strongest. Working with @t3athletics and @james2bambamford the past two months has been both physically and mentally transformative." (JH facebook post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Feb. 6, 2017, fan tweeted: "something will happen with AC, he'll be at starling general on 513." (alwaysbett tweets, page 1340 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Feb. 13, 2017, Chris E. Hayner tweeted: "This week's #Arrow is a really interesting one. It's a 'very special episode' installment, which they rarely do." and "I enjoyed it and like what they're trying to do." (ChrisHayner tweets, page 1355 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

Following up on my position that audience reaction to Arrow is reflected quickly in weekly ratings changes and not delayed until after an entire season has aired, I'd refer you to another genre show with a passionate fandom (by way of comparison)... The Walking Dead has had a very problematic first half of this season. But, instead of sticking it out for the entire season hoping for things to get better, a lot of unhappy viewers immediately began dropping out - as reflected in the steady decline in ratings over the first eight episodes of this season, dropping from 8.36 to 5.09 in the key demo. However, the 8th episode ended on a hopeful note, with Rick Grimes finally deciding to fight back and create a resistance coalition against the Big Bad of that show. After the winter break, The Walking Dead returned with its 9th episode this week and that episode garnered ratings of 5.72 (demo) and 12.00 (viewers). This was a 12% increase in the key demo from the 8th episode. Per Deadline: "That’s the first time a midseason return of TWD has been up from the winter finale since Season 4 came back from its two-month and one-week break on February 9, 2014. After a season that so far has seen double-digit declines for the still highest rated series on TV following a near record-breaking start last fall, any upward movement is a move in the right direction for TWD and AMC." However, this S7 return's ratings were still lower than last year's S6 return's ratings for that show. Sources: http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/walking-dead-season-seven-ratings/ http://deadline.com/2017/02/the-walking-dead-ratings-season-7-winter-return-grammys-andrew-lincoln-amc-1201911193/

Hope rose - and so did the ratings... Ratings for this week's TWD episode (7x09-Rock In the Road) were 5.72 demo and 12.00 total viewers: http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/walking-dead-season-seven-ratings/ ‘The Walking Dead’ Ratings Rise From Midseason Finale In Winter Break Return Dominic Patten February 14, 2017 6:30am http://deadline.com/2017/02/the-walking-dead-ratings-season-7-winter-return-grammys-andrew-lincoln-amc-1201911193/

It's unclear as to when Diggle will call Felicity out. In the context of the quote, it sounded like this would happen in 512, but I don't believe we saw that happen last week. So it's possible that it happens in 513 (this article was posted on page 53 of the Spoilers thread)... Arrow's David Ramsey Previews the End of 'Sad Diggle,' Return of OTA Moments and Spartan vs. Prometheus By Matt Webb Mitovich / February 8 2017, 9:13 AM PST http://tvline.com/2017/02/08/arrow-season-5-preview-david-ramsey-diggle-felicity-dinah/