S03.E22: This Is Your Sword

[formerlyfreedom]

Oliver/Al Sah-him finishes his training and is left with two final tasks to become the next Ra's al Ghul. Ra's threatens Nyssa and delivers some shocking news. Meanwhile, Malcolm makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow and Thea goes to see Roy.

 

 

[apinknightmare]

Well, that was gross in every way.

 

ETA: I mean the wedding, not the ep as a whole

Edited May 7, 2015 by apinknightmare

[janeta]

"This issue, everybody dies!!" --old Xmen cover. :-)

[Delphi]

Ugh, I hate this show while at the same time I love this show. That's hella conflicting.

Maseo, you're a dick. But now you're dead. I feel more sorry for Tatsu than I do you though...despite your hotness.

Felicity, I love you when you're you. Don't ever change again.

Omg, Ray Palmer, you are the most honorable, adorable stand up dude. Guess Ray just wanted the suit.

When did Laurel suddenly become prized MMA fighter Shelby Marx, that was out of the blue but I guess I'd rather have her competent than...jumPing off skyscrapers.

Ra's. You need to die...in fire I just hate you.

Thea, you're so cute, Willa has stepped up her acting game.

Katana is so Fucking awesome...I wanna keep her. Forever.

Live thought interrupting: Nyssa you better not kill yourself!! I needed you alive!! I wanted you take over the league and actually make it honorable. The league needs you!

Malcolm, if I generated all the hate I had towards you to the internet Laurel Lance would look like Batman by comparison.

[KenyaJ]

LoA weddings are conducted in English? Whatever. I want that hour of my life back.

 

Between Felicity’s first scene and the scene with Tatsu, did the writers forget whether she believed Oliver was still Oliver? Do the writers actually read the scripts they write? It’s one thing to have the characters act differently from episode to episode because the story demands it. But having them act differently from scene to scene is more than I can take.

 

There’s no way in hell I will let this shitty writing affect my love for Diggle, but dear god. This “Oliver and Diggle are at odds” storyline whatever is so try-hard! After everything that they’ve been through, the writers expect us to believe Oliver’s fake, half-assed kidnapping is the kind of unforgivable sin Diggle can’t forgive? I call so much bullshit. Sooooo much bullshit.

 

I’m excited for Felicity to be in control of QC PI Smoak Enterprises. Almost as excited as I am for this season to end and never be spoken of again.

[Guest]

Diggle and Felicity saying goodbye to each other. LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE.

[apinknightmare]

So...that's a fake virus, or...they're all inoculated. Or...wtf

Diggle and Felicity saying goodbye to each other. LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE.

 

Like Oliver left them there to die?

 

LMAO

Edited May 7, 2015 by apinknightmare

[Guest]

So...that's a fake virus? 

 

I think so. I thought it just might have been something to knock them out because they didn't have the same symptoms as Akio and everyone in the flashbacks.

[Tallis]

OK, so all of that happened - but can we take a shallow moment to ponder how Roy suddenly got so hot? I mean like wowza.

[redsox7819]

WOW. How fraking stupid do they think we are?!?!

[apinknightmare]

OK, so all of that happened - but can we take a shallow moment to ponder how Roy suddenly got so hot? I mean like wowza.

 

A little facial hair and motor grease and yasssssss

[SonofaBiscuit]

Apparently Maseo is the one who gave Ra's the Alpha/Omega virus, and we can see on Al Sah-him's face that he's surprised by this fact.

 

More Canary Cry action when Diggle and Laurel are beating up some random thugs, and Diggle brought ear plugs this time.

 
Gross.  Ra's informs Nyssa that she will bear a child after she and Al Sah-him are married.  So much gross.  Al Sah-him heads outside in the dark where he comes upon Malcolm.  "You're late" he says to Malcolm, who responds with some quip about Nanda Parbat not being the easiest place to infiltrate.  So Oliver isn't brainwashed after all, I guess.  Ra's plans to unleash the virus on Starling City, and Malcolm is surprised that things are happening so quickly because he thought that Oliver would have months to dismantle the League from the inside.  Oliver knows someone who can help.

 

Thea shows up to visit Roy, er "Jason", and later they have a nice reunion with some making out and sexytimes.

 

Ray transfers ownership of Palmer Tech over to Felicity, but she doesn't know this because she didn't bother to read the paperwork that he had her sign! 

 

Malcolm shows up to inform Felicity, Diggle, and Laurel that it's all a charade and Oliver is just pretending with Ra's.  There's some truly awful dialogue here...who wrote this episode?  Someone is here to help, says Malcolm, and then Tatsu walks in.  We are informed that Akio died from the virus.

 

More gross as Ra's tells Nyssa a lovely story about her mother and how she was his concubine.  He will kill Nyssa if she doesn't marry Al Sah-him. 

 

Tatsu tells Felicity that she needs to fight for him (Oliver), and Felicity is like "there is no him anymore."  I'm confused since Malcolm just told them all it was a charade.  Felicity decides to go to Nanda Parbat with Malcolm, Diggle, Tatsu, and Laurel.  She tells Malcolm that if he betrays them, she'll make sure that the whole world knows that he's alive.  Felicity plans to remote ground the plane that Ra's will use to unleash the virus, and a bunch of League members show up.  Lots of glimpses of the stunt doubles' faces here.  Felicity is working on disabling the airplane when an arrow shoots into her tablet.  She flings the tablet at the LoA guy and thinks that it takes him down, but then she realizes that Malcolm is actually the one who took him out.  "Oh, not me for once" she says.  Haha!  The plane takes off, but Ray flies into it, takes it down, and bounces off the ground like a stone skipping on water.  He's alive though, just in case you were worried.

 

Tatsu/Katana and Maseo fight and she stabs him and kills him!  O..kay.  I'm not sure why she did that, hmm.  Ra's and Oliver show up and expanded Team Arrow is taken away in chains.  Oliver spills the beans that he's betrothed to Nyssa, and he shares a look with Felicity.  Diggle and Oliver speak privately, and Oliver says that he had to do something to prove his loyalty to Ra's, but Diggle is pissed that Oliver kidnapped Lyla and left baby Sara all alone without her mother.  Malcolm and Ra's are alone, and Ra's has a dagger in Malcolm's face when Malcolm kindly informs Ra's that Oliver is playing him.

 

Thea wakes up, and Roy is gone.  He left her a note and took off.  Bye Roy!  That seemed kind of pointless.

 

Ra's breaks a vile of the virus in the cell that Team Arrow is chained up in.  They plead for Oliver to do something, but he just locks the door and walks away.

 

We see Team Arrow in their cell passing out or dying or something as Nyssa and Oliver marry.  Nyssa tries to stab Oliver, but he blocks the knife.  The ceremony finishes, and all of Team Arrow are knocked out 

(apparently since we see them alive in the preview for next week).

[Jediknight]

Well, that was gross in every way.

Dude, Tatsu was awesome.  Decked out in full Katana gear, kicking major ass, Tatsu was amazing.

 

I can buy a lot of things show, and I know she's trained with Nyssa, but I can't buy Laurel facing off with 3 members of the League.  I also couldn't buy Felicity's tablet throw.  Diggle holding his own, yeah I can buy, the guy is highly decorated special forces, has worked with ARGUS, and trains with Oliver.  Malcolm and Tatsu both are obvious, but the others, nope.

 

I was hoping Roy was going to mention getting some friends together.  Now they just have to fill out the rest of the Teen Titans cast.

 

One last thing, Jason is his alias?  Really?  So we've got the sidekick of a billionaire vigilante, who's fond of red, who died but really isn't dead, I wonder what the Jason alias was a shoutout to.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Jediknight

[Soulfire]

So much better than I thought. 

 

Tatsu looked AWESOME as Katana. Wish we could see more of her! 

 

I’m probably horrible or something but I don’t feel what Oliver’s done is unforgivable/irredeemable. He's had damn good reason to do everything he's done.

 

However, the arranged wedding between a female gay character to the straight male hero is disgusting, show. No excuses.

 

Oh this stupid show. I despise myself for being hooked, but I’m emotionally invested in the character (Oliver, Felicity and Diggle) so I am. Damn you, show.

 

Oliver (to Ra's in 3x23): "My name is Oliver Queen." YAAAAS.

I actually am looking forward to the finale now.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Soulfire

[apinknightmare]

Dude, Tatsu was awesome.  Decked out in full Katana gear, kicking major ass, Tatsu was amazing.

 

Yeah, she was awesome. The plot, however, was not.

[statsgirl]

My daughter told me this afternoon that she wasn't going to come home until after I calmed down after the episode.  She was right.

 

That was just awful.  It's like a Russian tragedy,

[Guest]

Is it weird that I actually enjoyed most of that episode? Or maybe enjoyed is the wrong word but it flew by. It didn't drag like a lot of episodes this season. The gross wedding is inexcusable but aside from that there was some good individual moments.

 

I continue to love how much Felicity hates Malcolm and the snark between them is kind of great to watch. Also, let it be known that FELICITY SMOAK WAS PROVEN RIGHT ABOUT HIM ALL ALONG.

 

Also that moment where Felicity threw her tablet at one of the assassins and thought she killed him, only to realize it was Malcolm had me laughing so much. OMG I love her.

 

KATANA was perfection. I knew Maseo was going to die and parallel Akio's death in flashbacks but I didn't expect her to kill him. It was a really poignant moment actually. 

Edited May 7, 2015 by Guest

[apinknightmare]

I thought Felicity flinging that tablet at Random League Member and getting so excited that she knocked him out was so adorable and then it got even more adorable when she realized that Malcolm shot him, haha.

Is it weird that I actually enjoyed most of that episode? Or maybe enjoyed is the wrong word but it flew by. The gross wedding is inexcusable but aside from that there was some good individual moments.

 

Yeah, I actually really liked it for the most part. Apart from the wedding. I even liked Ray, although I thought for sure they'd go into some explanation about why he was signing the company over to Felicity.

[Lady Calypso]

Yeah, the whole 'Oliver kidnapped Lyla and left our daughter alone, now he will never be trusted' is stupid and makes no sense. The whole 'I'm gonna kill you with a fake virus and make you think that you're dying'? That makes a bit more sense to Diggle/Oliver's friendship being broken. Obviously Ra's smashed a fake virus and everyone thinks they're dying, but the question becomes who made Oliver the fake virus? That's going to be the question of next week for me, especially when they all just seemed to pass out.

 

Oh Malcolm, trying to get yourself free by turning Oliver in. My, my, I bet Oliver predicted that from a mile away. 

 

So, Oliver and Nyssa are married. They better get some alone time...to talk about how to take down Ra's and get an annulment. Because that wedding vow? Creepy and violent. 

 

Well, Oliver's definitely lost everyone now, but I can see why he had no choice. If he had come clean right then and there, everyone would be dead. This way, Oliver can at least try to save them all. Hopefully someone eventually understands that. 

 

Thea/Roy? Hot. I'm gonna miss Roy so much. If the showrunners don't get Colton Haynes an iron clad contract to come back, I'm gonna be so mad. He and Thea are perfect and nobody can tell me otherwise.

 

The flashbacks were good. And...that's about all I have right now.

[jay741982]

Diggle and Felicity saying goodbye to each other. LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE.

I Know!! SOB I'm thinking Oliver sent Barry to save them

[Chaos Theory]

And everybody dies.

The end.

[nksarmi]

I think so. I thought it just might have been something to knock them out because they didn't have the same symptoms as Akio and everyone in the flashbacks.

I kept looking for bloody noses.  There were none so I guess somehow at the end of next week's Flash, Oliver sends Barry to let them out.

 

Tatsu/Katana is pure awesomeness.  I thought she might have to kill Maseo but I was hoping they could avoid that.

 

I loved me some Thea and Roy and I want more damn it.  He's being all honorable and stuff, but I really could watch a show of the two of them fighting crime and having sexy times.

Edited May 7, 2015 by nksarmi

[Jediknight]

So, Oliver and Nyssa are married. They better get some alone time...to talk about how to take down Ra's and get an annulment. Because that wedding vow? Creepy and violent.

Who's to say they haven't already done that prior to the wedding?  Oliver seemed awfully quick to be able to stop an al Ghul hellbent on killing him, and she didn't try anything else after that.

[KenyaJ]

Also that moment where Felicity threw her tablet at one of the assassins and thought she killed him, only to realize it was Malcolm had me laughing so much. OMG I love her.

 

I thought most of this episode was garbage, but I did love that. I'm giggling right now, just remembering it.

[apinknightmare]

So, does Ra's know that's not the real virus? I'm guessing no, but then...does he have another? If not, then WTF is he going to do in Starling? 

[SonofaBiscuit]

I also couldn't buy Felicity's tablet throw.

 

 

Well, I mean, it doesn't take any special skills to chuck something like a frisbee.  

[ottoDbusdriver]

Now boarding the Delta Shuttle from Starling City to Nando Parbat, departing every 30 minutes 7 days a week.  Seriously, how did Malcolm get back to Starling City so quickly from his fireside chat with Oliver that the same fire was still burning when Maseo showed up and Malcolm was already meeting Team Arrow ?

 

Where did Ra's get a F-22 Raptor with VTOL capability ?  I'm sure the LoA stole it Because those aren't cheap to buy just to use as a loyalty test.  And did he also have an airborne tanker available -- because that fighter couldn't make it from the Hindu Kush all the way back to Starling City on one tank of gas.

 

I liked Tatsu's outfit, but I didn't like her facemask or the ridiculous amount of eyeshadow she was wearing.

 

In a whispered voice: "we've secretly replaced the alpha and omega with a potent combination of an anaesthesia and an aphrodisiac, let's see if anyone notices the difference when they wake up."   And let the erotic fan fiction begin.

 

Watching Laurel kill numerous LoA members who have trained for years when she has only had a few weeks of training is just ridiculous.

 

It's weird that Ray and Thea have more chemistry than Oliver and Felicity ever will.

 

More Canary Cry action when Diggle and Laurel are beating up some random thugs, and Diggle brought ear plugs this time.

 

So, does Laurel also put in ear plugs ?

 

Ray transfers ownership of Palmer Tech over to Felicity, but she doesn't know this because she didn't bother to read the paperwork that he had her sign!

 

Who does that ?  You always read legal shit you have to sign-off on, especially as VP of a company.  Or at least ask "what am I signing ?".

Edited May 7, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[apinknightmare]

Well, I mean, it doesn't take any special skills to chuck something like a frisbee.  

 

Seriously. And she seemed really surprised to have hit him at all. I thought it was really cute considering it had no effect on the league member whatsoever.

[NumberCruncher]

WTF is this show anymore? Make it stopppppppp. That's an hour of my life I'll never get back. How the hell are they supposed to clean that disaster up in one more episode?

[Jediknight]

So, does Ra's know that's not the real virus? I'm guessing no, but then...does he have another? If not, then WTF is he going to do in Starling? 

"You will all live, but you will be forced to watched Batman & Robin, Superman IV, listen to Jon Peters talk about Superman and his eyes of a killer, read the script for Superman Lives, and to top it off Catwoman."

[nksarmi]

Two more thoughts....

 

The jumping back between NP and SC was fast enough this episode that I was expecting to find out Malcolm Merlyn had a secret twin.

 

And Ray Palmer signing over the company to Felicity because he wants to play vigilante or some other billionaire nonsense is exactly the kind of thing I expect him to do. Frankly, I thought he was going to just up and give Oliver's company back to him by the end of the season, but I think I actually like this version better since Felicity Smoak is a CEO in the comics from what I understand.

[Guest]

Oh yeah. I forgot about Ray signing over the company. So Felicity Smoak, CEO. Has a nice ring to it.

[mybabyaidan]

Well, I guess money is tight on this show since they just killed off 90% of the main cast.....

 

 

That was the cliffhanger?  Really?  Are we truly supposed to think they are all dead?  We weren't born yesterday.   And the

preview was literally 2 seconds later where everyone was shown fine and dandy.

 

 

I am still holding out hope that Diggle was in on everything...and he inoculated everyone.  His rage at Oliver is kind of dumb.  I get being a little peeved, but Lyla is fine and so is Sara.  And Sara is not even a year, she won't remember her mom being kidnapped.  I promise she won't.

 

Poor Tatsu. 

Edited May 7, 2015 by mybabyaidan

[Delphi]

Have to add, I missed Roy. In fact I miss Roy. I don't tHink he'd leave Thea a Dear John. I hate that he didn't take his suit.

The fact that he didn't take it makes me think that Colton is not coming back to this she ala Susanna Thompson. Which sucks. But leads hi the Thea may be Speedy next year. Again conflicted, first one direction are fighting on Twitter and now Arrow shit. Dumb Wednesday.

[statsgirl]

Every single storyline was depressing, including Thea's. Why would they put something like that on the show, especially in sweeps month?

Akia dies in Tatsu's arms, Maseo tries to kill Tatsu and dies himself, Oliver walks away as everyone he said he loved dies.  No wonder the wedding didn't matter, it was minor compared to all the pain .

 

I really think it was irresponsible of MG to put something so hopeless on TV.  I spent months clawing my way out of a depression but he's opened that door again wide.

[wonderwall]

I think for me it was an okay episode. I loved the character moments, but the plot was just really nonsensical. 

 

Character moments I loved:

• Malcolm being evil (hallelujah)
• Felicity getting the company (but girl has to read contracts before she signs them from now on)
• Felicity hitting the LoA accidentally with the Tablet
• The sass between Felicity and Malcolm
• Maseo and Tatsu's fight
• Tatsu singing the lullaby she sang to Akio to Maseo right before he died (this actually made me tear up)
• Roy giving Thea his mask (totally called it)
• Roy/Thea just being awesome together
• Felicity and Diggle saying goodbye to one another

Character moments I didn't love:

• Oliver really trusted Malcolm over his team? Really?
• I didn't really like Oliver in this episode. Let your team in on the god damn plan! They deserve to know!
• At the beginning I didn't understand John's rage at Oliver. Still don't. I didn't really believe that rage was justifiable... But after that end John Diggle has every right to punch Oliver now
• Laurel fighting the LoA competently even though she's only been training for 4 weeks? No. Also pls let the canary cry die. It's embarrassing. 

Plot reasons why I didn't like it:

• Just... None of it makes sense
• I'm not pissed off about the wedding as everyone else is... But I just don't really understand the point of it?

Edited May 7, 2015 by wonderwall

[Guest]

Yeah, putting all of the main cast in a room to die simply means there are no stakes because we automatically know that they're not going to kill off the whole cast so it was kind of ridiculous. I actually thought Ra's might bring out Felicity and threaten her life to break Oliver or something. That would have raised the stakes a little. But yeah. That wasn't a cliffhanger. That was a waste of time really.

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, that's a wrap for everyone but Stephen Amell and Willa Holland!  Everyone else is dead and it's time for a reboot!  Hope everyone moves on to better and bigger things!!

 

Kidding.  Obviously, I'm sure that is just one big fake-out.  Oliver probably somehow switched out the virus for a fake on (have no idea how he made it, but whatever), and they're just getting knocked out.  No way they are killing off Laurel, Felicity, Diggle, Ray, and Malcolm.  This is Arrow, not Spartacus or Game of Thrones.  That said, at the rate he's pissing everyone off, he won't have any friends.  I honestly think Diggle is about done with him, and I can't see them automatically make-up again. Even if this was part of his "plan", I have to think Diggle will be holding a grudge.

 

They really are just making Ra's the biggest asshole in the world.  Even Harrison Wells from The Flash has good qualities (he loves animals!  Especially telepathic gorillas!)  Ra's though, is just a creep.  He really was like "You're getting pregnant wherever you like it or not, you ungrateful woman!" to poor Nyssa.  Dude just hates that she won't start liking men, and hope aboard to Oliver train.  Dude needs to go down.  Not captured like Slade or especially not allowed to roam free like Malcolm: dude better be dead by the end of this.

 

Tatsu is forced to kill Maseo.  Would have been sadder if it wasn't revealed that Maseo was the one who gave Ra's the damn virus.  He really let his son's death get the better of him.  Feel bad for Tatsu though.  Hope she pulls through.

 

Ray totally sold the company to Felicity, right?  That has to be what he had her sign, right?

 

Thea and Roy reunite, but then Roy takes off again, because he doesn't want her to be in hiding/on the run with him, so he bails again.  But leaves her his suit.  A sign she's going to be dawning an outfit soon?

 

OK, I usually try to be lenient about hand-waving logistics, but at this point, Nando Pabart really is just only a short drive from Starling City, right?  They are jumping back and forth way too easily.  They don't even care about trying to make it realistic, do they?

 

This season is going to be over next week.  Man, this has been a depressing ride.  Everyone is yelling, bickering, crying, and, oh look: Starling City is in danger... again.

[AyChihuahua]

Every single storyline was depressing, including Thea's. Why would they put something like that on the show, especially in sweeps month?

Akia dies in Tatsu's arms, Maseo tries to kill Tatsu and dies himself, Oliver walks away as everyone he said he loved dies.  No wonder the wedding didn't matter, it was minor compared to all the pain .

 

I really think it was irresponsible of MG to put something so hopeless on TV.  I spent months clawing my way out of a depression but he's opened that door again wide.

I was sincerely having rage-induced insomnia and stomachaches over this show.  I still post and read here, and read some of the really good (and non-hopeless) fanfic, but yeah, this show is really really depressing.  I'd say, out of everything (such as the burning stupidity), the angst and misery drove me away the most.

 

I hope you feel better!  

[Actionmage]

I wish the writing would make up it's mind.  Either no one believes that Oliver is salvageable or he isn't. Your living and healthy wife is enough to destroy how you feel about your "brother".  No one knows Tatsu, except Diggle knows about Akio, Maseo's son.  TA is told that Oliver didn't let any of them in on the plan because they'd probably blow it. Then, after getting surrounded, they demand that Oliver drop all pretenses right now , in Nanda Parbat, in front of flipping Ra's. Because Reasons? Gah!

 

Also, provisionally trust Malcolm. As I learned from The Amazing Race, alliances are meant to be temporary and mutually beneficial. They can leave Malcolm to rot now. No one would blame them.

 

Roy and Thea! So adorable and hot and sweet and ... I gonna miss Roy so much. Still, Thea now has a "legacy" to carry on, if she chooses. ( She's going to choose it, right? *g*)

 

Oh, Nyssa, It was a decent plan, but your dad is a super-douchenozzle. I am sorry. Come sit by me and I'll bring you a Frosty and some fries. It won't make things better, but you might be able to think better. And you'd be sitting next to me. *g* (She's super gorgeous. I don't care.)

 

I hope the Bratva save Ollie from the Red Dots of Death.

 

I hate that Felicity, the woman raised by pragmatic though fun-loving Donna, would sign any business papers without asking. She asked the perfunctory question, but it was so Ray could show us what was up. Plotplotplot strikes again.

 

It went by quickly and I think I mostly liked it.

[SonofaBiscuit]

Ray totally sold the company to Felicity, right?  That has to be what he had her sign, right?

 

 

They were "Transfer of Ownership" papers, so I guess he just gave her the company.

[apinknightmare]

Yeah, putting all of the main cast in a room to die simply means there are no stakes because we automatically know that they're not going to kill off the whole cast so it was kind of ridiculous. I actually thought Ra's might bring out Felicity and threaten her life to break Oliver or something. That would have raised the stakes a little. But yeah. That wasn't a cliffhanger. That was a waste of time really.

 

Yeah, I thought for sure after he mentioned having Maseo's beloved locked up that he was going to go for Felicity. I wonder what he did to Tatsu?

[Guest]

I have to admit when Ray was flying through the air trying to destroy that jet, I had a thought of 'I'm not watching Arrow anymore' so the sooner Ray flies off to his own show, the better. Aside from that, I actually didn't mind him tonight. No one faint from the shock.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Guest

[SonofaBiscuit]

I was sincerely having rage-induced insomnia and stomachaches over this show.  I still post and read here, and read some of the really good (and non-hopeless) fanfic, but yeah, this show is really really depressing.  I'd say, out of everything (such as the burning stupidity), the angst and misery drove me away the most.

 

I've been watching Bates Motel to cheer myself up.  Seriously, a show about psycho killer Norman Bates has more happiness than Arrow at the moment.  There's even a very cute couple to ship and everything.  

[Guest]

Yeah, I thought for sure after he mentioned having Maseo's beloved locked up that he was going to go for Felicity. I wonder what he did to Tatsu?

 

Me too. When Oliver said he'd have no one to go home to, I thought 'Uh oh!' but it didn't pan out that way. I think it would have been more of a cliffhanger actually. The one we got was pointless because we know they're not dead. 

 

I think Tatsu was just locked in another cell.

[opus]

 

 

That was the cliffhanger?  Really?  Are we truly supposed to think they are all dead?  We weren't born yesterday.  

They're obviously not going to kill 80% of the cast, but still fun for a week.

[kismet]

Initial thoughts ~ I don't even know how to feel about that epidode... Not sad or happy, Not surprised or shocked. Not numb or excited. Just Meh. Finale looks worthwhile, but still looking forward more to s4.

Looking fwd to the I am Oliver Queen showdown. That looks good. OQ has on his sexy power voice on, so that will be worthwhile to tune in for ;)

 

Positive - Tatsu/Katana kicked ass!! Can we please keep her? Pretty Pretty Please!!! Enjoyed Felicity this episode for all the range of emotions & reactions shown. The Frisbee was classic. Only complaint is who signs paperwork & doesn't read it? Ray was actually good in this episode. If only they had written him that way for most of his arc, things could have been so much better. The Action sequences were good. The show did not drag, even if the plot sucked & was in shambles for most of it. They were able to successfully land a twist by having Tatsu kill Maseo. Enjoyed Thea/Roy. Was anyone else hearing "And I will Always Love you" playing in their head during the Roy voice-over letter read. Roy looked good with a little scruff.

 

Negative - OQ/MM pairing predictable; MM double cross predictable. Akio/Maseo death predictable. Flashbacks felt like a waste of time. Diggle is letting his emotions cloud his judgment. Can the writers ever write a realistic amount of angst/tension between characters. Either the smallest things are blown out of proportion or the biggest things are swept under the rug? I know OQ is no longer brainwashed, but seriously why can't the audience know any of his plans. The wedding happened, with not one word of someone being disgusted that it has to happen. I know not everything can be a political statement, but they could do a better job of making it seem like they are not condoning the actions of Ras. We know he's evil, but can't they just have a little more sensitivity in how they handle the criticism of the plotline?

[AyChihuahua]

I've been watching Bates Motel to cheer myself up.  Seriously, a show about psycho killer Norman Bates has more happiness than Arrow at the moment.  There's even a very cute couple to ship and everything.  

There's a very well-written fanfic about Felicity having Stage 4 leukemia that I swear is less depressing, hopeless, and miserable than the show is now (from what I hear, I haven't watched an episode since they stunt-killed Oliver).

[InsertWordHere]

So, this season, they've faked out the deaths of Oliver, Roy, and Thea. It's really only fair that they do the rest of the cast as well, I guess.

 

But it kind of ruins the suspense, now doesn't it?

 

Here's hoping Sara's death has been a fake out all along. 

[formerlyfreedom]

A reminder please -- as a courtesy, please spoiler tag stuff from the previews. It's not required, but it's nice for the spoiler conscious. And thanks to those who have done it!