S05.E10: Who Are You?

[insomniadreams88]

Question: Did BS scream more times in this episode than LL used the Canary cry in all her episodes with it? It seems like she did. 

[Chaser]

wrong thread

Edited January 26, 2017 by Chaser

[tennisgurl]

I`ll have real, fully formed thoughts later, but my quick thoughts...

Good to see Star Labs still has about zero security for a top secret super hero lab. They cant get a security system? Guard dog? A string on the floor attached to a bell? Anything?

Katie Cassidy really is so much better at playing a bad guy.

I actually...was alight with Wild Dog this episode? Huh? I didn't want to punch him at any point? What's going on here?

They are still trying to act like Oliver and Felicity aren't in love with each other? Because...all I'm seeing is adorable couple antics right here.

[Primal Slayer]

LOVE!

14 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Question: Did BS scream more times in this episode than LL used the Canary cry in all her episodes with it? It seems like she did. 

Yes. 

[MariaHill]

2 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

So they really didn't notice that Black Siren was gone for three days?  Not even feeding them anymore?  

Maybe they left her one of those auto-feeders with kibble and water. 

Also, her wobbly lurching attempt at a menacing entrance in the warehouse was hilarious. I think she got into the Valium. 

This was the first ep I've watched since the crossover, which was the first I watched since the season premiere. I definitely like this Felicity and am looking forward to her arc. Finally, she gets to train and fight! And ignore/countermand Oliver's orders. 

Curtis finally seems on the right track. They certainly dialed WD's douchiness WAY back, didn't they? 

New BC: *shrug* Too soon to tell, will have to see how it progresses. I did enjoy her mocking the team's costumes in the preview, though. 

Edited January 26, 2017 by MariaHill

[catrox14]

So Ruby showed up in Arrow. Seriously, KC was 100% playing Ruby from SPN. I cackled a silly amount at BS destroying BC's statue. And yes Felicity punching Not!Laurel is the most cathartic moment I've ever experienced in this show.

[wonderwall]

Few things this episode has proven to me:

• KC was fired (seriously - the writing is on the wall here)
• Not even Bamford liked KC - just look at how giddy he was just at the thought of Emily fake punching her
• They haven't forgotten how to write Olicity - in fact it makes sense why they stopped writing for them... It's because if they did, SA/EBR's chemistry would make everyone question why they aren't together
• They still know how to write for Felicity - and maybe her being quiet in 5A was deliberate
• Diggle needs to be out of jail STAT

[bethy]

I quite enjoyed that - I wasn't bored at any point!

I hope at some point they have a conversation between Felicity and Rene like they did between Curtis and Rene, because until he stops calling her Blondie and makes some assertive attempt to be respectful to her, I'm not going to be won over by him.

Loved ALL the Felicity scenes and her standing right up to Oliver about "Laurel." And the punch. And the "I kept my wrist  straight!" And her hair in the ponytail!

I'm growing a little weary of Amell's murmured angsty way of talking about Laurel and her legacy. Also, what's going on with his beard? Is it supposed to be all scruff, did he shave a goatee and then decide to grow it back? He looked pretty unkempt to me.

Nice return, Show!

[BkWurm1]

7 minutes ago, wonderwall said:

Diggle needs to be out of jail STAT

Agreed, I missed him and how he could have been used, not to mention that every time they switched to his story, the momentum just stalled and when the general showed up and Diggle is sure that if he gets taken away, he's a dead man, I kept wondering how the team could just abandon him like that?  Did they just not have a clue?  Did Lyla not have a clue? 

 

45 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Has Oliver got kissy face at Felicity again? Looks like it in the gif *prepares to squee*

After the first BS attack, it was totally not the right moment (sprawled on the ground) but I still for a second thought something was going to happen just from a quick glance between them, lol.  

[Jediknight]

3 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

It only occurred to me when Talia showed up and said she'd been looking for him that at this point, Sara would have been with the LoA for a few years.  Sara actually has more training that Oliver, doesn't she.

*Nanda Parbat years ago*

Talia: "This sucks!  There's going to come a day when he realizes I'm much better than that feline lady."
Nyssa: "Hey Talia, want to help look for Sara's friend?"
Sara: "It should get your mind off whatever is bothering you."
Talia: "I don't know."
Sara: "His name's Oliver Queen."
Talia: "The billionaire playboy?  Can he fight?"
Sara: "Yes to both of those questions."
Talia: "I got this, I'll find him."
Ra's: "See if he likes color!"
Sara: "What's up with that?"
Nyssa: "They both have a type."

Edited January 26, 2017 by Jediknight

[SleepDeprived]

Man, I can't believe it took this long for Arrow S5 to finally hook me back in. It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed an episode of this show as much as I did tonight. I know I'm more than likely setting myself up for disappointment but I'm hopeful the rest of 5B will be similar to what we got in this episode.

Yike at that very first scene between Laurel and Oliver at the lair, though. I was cringing so much at the awful attempts at acting--from both of them. But anyway, KC is good at playing the villain. Further proof for me that she was so very, very miscast in the Laurel role. Hopefully, the fact that the writers had BS, herself, destroy that BC statue means this ends the Saint Laurel retcons from now on and I never have to hear about her again (a girl can dream).

I've skipped a bunch of episodes but when did Rene become palatable? He was surprisingly not annoying at all and I kinda liked his scenes with Curtis. Rory's still the only newbie I wanna keep, though. His friendship with Felicity is great and I love them. Rise Raglicity!

Probably the only thing I wasn't keen on about this episode is the minimal Diggle time. I did like his scenes with Chase. And I know they're setting up his storyline for the rest of the season but I need him out of that jail and back with Team Arrow because I always want more Diggle and I don't like how his story is very much in the periphery right now. They need to tie him into the main arcs and soon.

I'm intrigued by Talia. But only because I like Lexa Doig.

How awesome is Felicity? I love how smart she is. I love that she was proven right about BS. I love that the boobs follow her and trust her decisions, even if it means going against Oliver's orders. I love how well she knows Oliver and I love that Oliver knows that. I love that the show is finally allowing Oliver and Felicity to have their talks again and showcase their bond. I loved that I can see the conflicts going on with her right now and all she's struggling with. Basically, I love Felicity Smoak a lot and this episode made me love her more. I honestly can't wait to see how her arc turns out. Don't let me down on this, Show!

Also, my favorite moment, aside from that pumpkin smash(!) was this:

3 hours ago, Soulfire said:

[Chicago Redshirt]

How do Black Siren or Prometheus know anything about Sara or the Legends of Tomorrow?

[MaisyDaisy]

Furiously trying to remind myself to keep an open mind about Tina, but god that bar scene was cheesy AF, and made me feel second hand embarrassment watching it. I also couldn't stop laughing because on top of all that cheese (and the delicious irony of her calling the guys a cliche in a scene where she was the troupiest troupe to ever female badass anyone in the history of forever) but did anyone else mentally say 'I am batman' when listening to her voice? Cause to me she  totally batmanned those lines.

[Starfish35]

I'm impressed - that was actually pretty good.  Wow.   

And I like this Felicity!  (Not that she wasn't already my favorite.)  Can we keep her for awhile?  

The tag at the end...yeah they're trying too hard.  I want to see more of her before I decide what I think, but it was a cheesy scene.  

[looptab]

Man, Oliver was a complete idiot this episode, haha. But Felicity was awesome from start to end. I really liked it. I even liked Chase and - gasp!- Wild Dong. What is happening??

Plus points for the Oliver/Felicity scenes, and even more for the Raglicity ones, hee.

And, of course, the Picture of Doom. I was Which was the whole point of this episode's flashbacks, I guess. I was kinda missing it. Also when Talia shows up and Oliver sees Laurel? Just plain weird, lol.

[Starfish35]

36 minutes ago, looptab said:

Also when Talia shows up and Oliver sees Laurel? Just plain weird, lol.

Yeah I didn't get that either.

The pic...I thought maybe it made a last appearance because this is the final (final final) goodbye to Laurel.  But that might be simply wishful thinking on my part.  

[looptab]

I'm starting to fear the PoD will be the last shot of the series, haha.

[EmilyBettFan]

10 minutes ago, looptab said:

I'm starting to fear the PoD will be the last shot of the series, haha.

Take that back! Omg what a way to ruin a series. I'd ask for a refund of my life.

[thuganomics85]

So, it ends up not being Dead Laurel risen from the grave, but Black Siren after Prometheus sprung her from STAR Labs.  Normally, I would call no one finding out about that a plothole, but knowing the STAR Labs crew, I can totally buy that they didn't notice one of their prisoners escaped three days ago.  Again: worst security ever.  And basically she was only let loose, because Prometheus wanted to troll Oliver and the gang and make them think Laurel is alive.  For some reason, that amuses me.  It's just almost petty on some levels.  Plus, apparently he was the one who told Black Siren all of Oliver's history, so I'm just picturing scenes of Prometheus and his badass voice (that really has to be Michael Dorn) gossiping about Oliver and all of the shit that went down.

Katie Cassidy continues to be much better at playing a villain then a good-doer.  Black Siren was a fun antagonist for the episode, but it was still awesome watching her not only get defeated by Curtis' tech, but then getting dropped by Felicity.  Ha!  Felicity is the best!  And not just because Emily Bett Rickards was looking hot during the boxing bag scene.  Hope she improves on her fighting skills.  A lot of great Oliver/Felicity moments: both confrontational and bonding.  Maybe they'll work it out after-all!

Diggle is back in prison which annoys me, but Chase being his lawyer is somewhat interesting.  Still don't fully trust him though, since he's still my pick for Vigilante.

Rene didn't completely suck!  Even showed a slight bit of awareness with his "I'm an acquired taste" line!  Miracles can happen!  Glad Curtis got it together at the end.  Not much Rory in this one, but he still had a few decent lines.  Overall, a good episode for the rookies.

Flashbacks were mainly Oliver getting the shit kicked out of him by Russian Johnny Crowder, only to be saved by... Talia?  As in Talia Al'Ghul?!  And she's played by Lexa Doig?!  Hell yeah!  They better get Katrina Law back for at least one episode, because I want to see both of the sisters together, kicking ass (although, their boring dad isn't needed.)

Cheap Laurel statue is destroyed, so Oliver decides to... well, just get another Black Canary!  And the episode seems to hint that it will be this Tina character.  Hmm...

Overall, not a bad return.  Not a bad return, at all.

[bijoux]

Applause for getting a competent lawyer with Chase. Although the general really gave up easily after Chase got Diggle to stay in the SC lock up. How did the dude manage to become what he is with this little tenacity? I liked Dig's scenes with Chase but I really wished for him to be in on the action, since characters were finally able to connect to each other and it was wonderful. Too bad he wasn't in on it.

I didn't really like Curtis and Rene's scene and it was because of Curtis. EK doesn't really manage to convey frustration and andger IMO.

Who directed the episode? I wish the punch was blocked better and we could have seen more of it.

The funniest moment of the episode was BS's phone call with Thea. Oh, you're back from the dead? I guess it's Wednesday. I'm just gonna chill and catch you whenever.

7 hours ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Did Oliver describe Diggle as his "current friend" or did I mishear? Because that's just weird if so. I did like how Chase handled Diggle's case and the general, so there's that. (I have been vocal about wanting more Chase, and I'm glad we got that here.) 

You didn't mishear. It was in contrast to him being Oliver's former bodyguard. Basically, he used to be my bodyguard, but he's still my friend. Once again the writers manage to bungle something fairly easy.

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

How do Black Siren or Prometheus know anything about Sara or the Legends of Tomorrow?

I can't be even bothered to be bothered about this. Here's my scenario: After the Arrow part of the crossover Evelyn walked into the lair and asked about the rest of the team. And Curtis, Rory and Rene started gabbering about Oliver and Dig apparently being snatched by aliens, and then Felicity went on a time ship, captained by Laurel's sister, the proto Canary.... Next,

[LeighAn]

7 hours ago, Soulfire said:

Feels good to be back. (GIFs not mine, though.)

 

 

 

 

 

Haven't watched yet but based on these I've already decided this ep is my favourite :)

[Midnight Lullaby]

I really, REALLY like the new DA. I cheered when he whispered to Diggle to punch him. I loved Felicity in this episode..it showed even more to me how they held her back during the first half of the season and how great she can be if they allow her. And the newbies listening to her instead of Oliver was hilarious but also can't blame them for finding her more reliable, LOL. Oliver keeps being a dummy but that's no news. I can't wrap my head around the idea that there must be good in a person because she looks exactly like someone they knew, it's such a superficial concept. 

I rolled my eyes at Tina's introduction. They wanted to make it like Sara's but she was trying too hard like Laurel. I guess she is going to rank between Laurel and Sara for me but I can't say I care for yet another new mask on the team.

[bijoux]

3 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

I really, REALLY like the new DA. I cheered when he whispered to Diggle to punch him. I loved Felicity in this episode..it showed even more to me how they held her back during the first half of the season and how great she can be if they allow her. And the newbies listening to her instead of Oliver was hilarious but also can't blame them for finding her more reliable, LOL. Oliver keeps being a dummy but that's no news. I can't wrap my head around the idea that there must be good in a person because she looks exactly like someone they knew, it's such a superficial concept. 

I rolled my eyes at Tina's introduction. They wanted to make it like Sara's but she was trying too hard like Laurel. I guess she is going to rank between Laurel and Sara for me but I can't say I care for yet another new mask on the team.

Especially when you take into consideration that BS used her likeness to Laurel against her friends.  She basically took a dump on Laurel's memory.

As for Tina, I'm neither here not there with her. There was a lot of trying too hard in that scene, but there was one close up that gave me hope that the actress can emote.

No wonder BS looked drunk in the warehouse. These are the boots they gave her. That's just cracy.

[Midnight Lullaby]

11 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Especially when you take into consideration that BS used her likeness to Laurel against her friends.  She basically took a dump on Laurel's memory.

As for Tina, I'm neither here not there with her. There was a lot of trying too hard in that scene, but there was one close up that gave me hope that the actress can emote.

I understand it can be hard to see a villain looking exactly like a friend of yours but physical appearance isn't the main thing that makes us who we are so Oliver's attitude made no sense to me.

I have little doubt the actress can do better than her predecessors because she only has to show a little emotion in comparison to none to do it but I'm uninterested in another mask on the team. It's like offering me a salad after I've been eating salad the whole week. I've had more than enough already, LOL.

[Mellowyellow]

Just watched it!!!!!

OMG My beloved Felicity was brilliant in this episode!!! Loved her not putting up with Oliver’s dumb shit and taking matters into her own hands. She got to show emotions tonight! I love her so I give her a pass even when she's written as BotFelicity but she was so awesome today. They let her be a real girl!

Oliver...he's really stupid! Like really really really dimwitted! I know that are aiming for hope and light for him but he's just stupid! When Felicity used to give him the hope and light speeches back in the day she wasn't a dumbass! She still had brains and did what needed to be done. Now he's stumbling around with Barry levels of stupidity. I'm rethinking my wish for Olicity babies! They might be as thick as mince!

Olicity are too cute together!!!! I don't even like Oliver, I think he's too dumb for her but man they have great chemistry and look so pretty together. My favourite scene was the one where Felicity said they had to deal with his ex who wasn't even his ex.

Loved the BS and Felicity jail scene! Loved that she called her pumpkin!!!!! I've always wondered if Cannon Felicity would say stuff like that and she did!!!!!! It's silly but I feel like I learned something new about my favourite character today. And her face after she punched BS was freaking adorable!!!!! 

On a completely shallow note Lexa Doig is a very very very beautiful woman. I don't watch flashbacks but I'm going to for a perve if she's in them. 

[bijoux]

I just remembered something. In one of his talks with Felicity Oliver mentioned something about BS losing her family as part of the circumstances that shaped her. I don't remember that being mentioned earlier on in the episode? Because all I remember her saying was that E2 Oliver died, she moved to Central City and then became a meta.

[Cleanqueen]

Oliver got punched so hard, a picture came out of his nose. No seriously, that was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

Otherwise a pretty solid episode. Two times that I screamed 1)Seeing Felicity training 2) That punch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also Glad to see there is so much sexual tension between mom and dad that even WD wants them to go 12 rounds upstairs.

[Bats27]

So yeah, I really didn't like this episode.  I mean sure there have been far worse-written episodes of this show.  But this, this felt like a giant troll job to the audience.  First they kill off Laurel in such a pathetic way last season, for no good reason.  Then they tease like they might fix that mistake, only for it to be a cheap gimmick cliffhanger.  Then they make Black Siren look like a useless idiot, Team Flash look like useless idiots, and the of course let their pet character punch BS out.  So basically garbage all the way through.

 

Oh and don't care about the new girl at all.  Not after how the show treated the last two.

[dtissagirl]

I watched this one, which I'm glad I did because it was a really good episode imo. And I don't have much to say about the plot, but I do have some thoughts on format + emotional anchors, which is ultimately what made this episode work for me.

1. Format. This episode proved to me once again that Arrow can ONLY do A-plot + B-plot + flashbacks. It's when they try to add C- and sometimes D- plots on top of that structure that the pacing goes haywire and there's no time for scenes to breathe. Sure we can maybe consider Curtis + Wild Dong's scenes as C-plotty, but those scenes were deeply tied to the A-plot in which Curtis' realization that his role on the team should be to build tech instead of getting punched in the face played the pivotal role of him taking down Black Siren.

1.a. The downside here is that this realization that Arrow only gives good pacing when they stick to limiting themselves to A-plot + B-plot + flashbacks is tied to the fact that they had to get rid of two regular characters -- Thea and Lance -- for it to work. Which means THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY CHARACTERS ON THIS SHOW, and these too many characters are a hindrance when it comes to writing scripts with good pacing. Which means America's Next Black Canary there in the final scene is a format hindrance. WHEEE.

2. Emotional anchors: the only way a narrative works is when the writing figures out where to place the proper emotional beats -- be it presenting the central conflict, or ending the story in a climatic catharsis, or whatever. Arrow has been sucking at this since the baby mama drama because these fools have been avoiding placing the burden of carrying the emotional aspect of the story on the shoulders of the one relationship they've established as strong enough to bear it: Oliver/Felicity.

This episode anchors ALL of the feelings surrounding the circumstances of fake!Laurel [+ Prometheus + dead Mayo -- since it's all related] in the few Oliver/Felicity conversations, and THAT makes the episode work because, well, duh.

This is writing 101: you use your strongest established relationship to set up the main conflict -- mom and dad are fighting over how to deal with an evil woman wearing their friend's face -- and then after you finish the plotty plot part of your story, you GIVE IT THE CATHARTIC ENDING -- mom and dad talk over what happened, and end on a positive note, which gives the audience a cathartic moment of connecting with these characters through their emotions, which is the cornerstone of tv writing, hello. Why is this so difficult for these writers to do consistently, I do not know, but it's good to know they are able to figure it out once every dozen episodes or so? Yay.

[Morrigan2575]

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent, KC can't act for shit. She can't emote at all, so any attempt to play sad, wounded or a victim of fate fell totally flat, IMO. Her idea of being a badass hero (BC) was to do a runway walk (look at me, I'm tough!). Now, her idea of being a tough villain is to strut around like she's in an 80s music video. Seriously! I was getting flashbacks to Thriller with the chick strutting down the street while Michael Jackson danced/sang around her. 

The only time she was decent was during the BS/Felicity scene where she got to play a bitch. No surprise there, bitchy characters are her forte

The plot was dumb just to get to this point but they actually had good character interaction and allowed the characters/emotions to breathe even if I thought Oliver was a total dumbass the entire episode.  

I've always liked Wild Dog, so I'm happy to see people complementing him. I know it won't last so I'll take it while I can. ?

I'm very happy that we got that Felicity knocking out BS scene. That was hilarious and so freaking meta.

[apinknightmare]

39 minutes ago, Bats27 said:

Team Flash look like useless idiots,

Team Flash are useless idiots, led by the most useless idiot around. 

Edited January 26, 2017 by apinknightmare

[Mellowyellow]

All this yammering about E2 makes me want to see E2 Felicity!!!! Why won't they give us E2 Felicity??? Imagine the excitement!!!!!

[Angel12d]

Just finished watching. I really enjoyed this episode. What happened? LOL.

First things first, Laurel. This was further proof that Laurel should've become a villain. I know that goes against some Dinah Laurel Lance code but KC is better at playing a bitchy villain. Aside from a few odd moments (that scene with Oliver at the start was especially bad, yikes), and the really terrible way she fell to the ground and took the punch, which I feel is more stunt related than anything, I actually enjoyed her scenes. Shocker.

I loved the Felicity of it all. Seriously, she was on fire here. Loved seeing her boxing and Oliver giving her tips. And of course I loved the punch, though I thought it was filmed really badly. I don't rate this director very much tbh. Confession time: I actually didn't want Felicity to punch Laurel originally because I thought she'd get a ton of hate for it but after seeing celebration that BS would use her canary cry on 'Fefe' I changed my mind and was like, it's fair game. Go for it! Haha.

I was shocked by the amount of Olicity scenes but I enjoyed them all. First time in ages that I connected to them emotionally because they were allowed to act like they had a history. And I don't understand what they're doing because SA and EBR just can't play platonic anymore. There's just this lingering tension/chemistry in everything they do. I felt like they were really trying to hold it back in the first couple of episodes of the season and it was still kind of restrained here but seriously. The tension. No wonder they have to keep them in separate scenes most of the time.

Not enough Diggle but I liked his scene with Chase. They have potential. And this was the first time that Rene and Curtis didn't bug me this season so that's also a bonus.

As for Tina. Eh. I'm not sure? I thought the dialogue was awkward and I didn't like her smugness or the smirk. IDK. It felt so heavy handed. It's not enough for me to fully judge her character yet but if that's just a small example of what's coming, they can keep it. Sorry!

Edited January 26, 2017 by Angel12d

[Chicago Redshirt]

So for Prometheus's plan to have worked, the following things would have to have happened:
1. Prometheus would have had to found out about Black Siren ("BS")and realized that she was a doppelganger of Laurel Lance.

2. Prometheus would have had to figure out that Laurel Lance was being held at STAR Labs.

3. Prometheus would have had to be able to break in to STAR Labs and rescue BS. (OK, so that's plausible)

4. Prometheus would have had to thought that it was a good idea to troll Ollie with BS.

5. Prometheus would have had to find out about Sara and the Legends to give a plausible cover story about real Laurel being alive.

6. Prometheus would have to count on Team Flash apparently either not discovering that BS was freed or not bothering to tell Team Arrow

7. Prometheus would have to count on Ollie thinking with his li'l arrow and not realizing that BS was not Laurel and that she shouldn't be treated as though she was Laurel.

8. Prometheus would have to give BS some reason to go along with this scheme. Physical threats shouldn't be enough as BS seemed to be able to single-handedly mop the floor with Team Arrow when the plot depended on it. Also, there would be nothing to stop her from disappearing after he made whatever threats and she fake-complied.

On top of that, I have no idea what Prometheus's end game was supposed to be. Suppose somehow Ollie never found out who BS really was, or found out later. So what? What was BS actually supposed to be doing in this campaign to mess with Ollie's head?

[Angel12d]

Oh, I forgot to mention Oliver. Um. Did they have to make him so dumb? Has he learned nothing? It's getting so frustrating watching him be an idiot all the time just because of plot. Ugh. Enough already. 

[SmallScreenDiva]

Man, that first scene between Oliver and Laurel was so bad I almost turned off the TV. The acting was bad and awkward — for both. I think Stephen was going for a combo of happy, confused, relief, disbelief, etc. but just ended up looking like he was constipated.

KC is a much better villain than she was a good gal. This ep just proved once again how utterly miscast she was as good Laurel. Good scene with Emily in the cell. 

Felicity is the boss! Laughed at how the noobies followed her command without much hesitation, even if it meant disobeying Oliver. I liked what they set up here, you could see her starting to be a bit more ruthless, definitely one-track in her pursuit of Prometheus. Loved seeing her training, and you can tell Emily has form from that brief shot with her stance, foot placement, etc. I did like the little hesitation and awkwardness Oliver showed in that scene. If they'd been together, he probably would have showed her instead of just telling her how to straighten her wrist. Instead, he had to put his hands behind to stop himself from touching her (that's what I'm going with, leave me alone.)

But I can't fully swoon over Olicity because Oliver is still a big dumb idiot. But Arrow really works better when it lets Olicity be Olicity, because those two are just magic on screen. The conversations between them felt like actual conversations instead of speeches said to one another. There was conflict, even if Oliver's side was overdone. I mean, Jesus Christ on stilts, that whole need to find Laurel in the murderous BS is just so forced, moronic, inorganic. Again, it's one of those Oliver has to feel this because he has to for plot kind of things that drive me nuts about Arrow. Even when it doesn't fully make sense. BS just tried to kill the woman you almost married. I say toss BS in a deep hole and forget about the bitch. Also, after ARGUS completely fucked up the whole nuclear stuff last season, I wouldn't trust them to guard a paper clip. 

Thank you @dtissagirl for pointing out the need for cathartic endings in TV shows. This is one of the many things that frustrates about the writing on Arrow. And this is why I think I'm still harboring anger and resentment over that horrible BMD, because that was never wrapped in a cathartic manner. Felicity telling Oliver she thinks he's changed is not enough for the whole mess to be resolved. Unfortunately, I don't think they're gonna touch that whole thing again even with a 10-foot pole. 

Still don't care much for the newbies, although yeah Wild Dong wasn't as annoying. And not a good introduction for Tina, IMO. Too smirky. Clunky line reading. I'll give her a pass because it's one short scene. We'll see next week if she gets better. And yeah, that means they kinda hooked me back. I was thinking if this ep sucked eggs, I was going to wait until the end of season to watch again.

[Chaser]

38 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent, KC can't act for shit. She can't emote at all, so any attempt to play sad, wounded or a victim of fate fell totally flat, IMO. Her idea of being a badass hero (BC) was to do a runway walk (look at me, I'm tough!). Now, her idea of being a tough villain is to strut around like she's in an 80s music video. Seriously! I was getting flashbacks to Thriller with the chick strutting down the street while Michael Jackson danced/sang around her. 

The only time she was decent was during the BS/Felicity scene where she got to play a bitch. No surprise there, bitchy characters are her forte

The plot was dumb just to get to this point but they actually had good character interaction and allowed the characters/emotions to breathe even if I thought Oliver was a total dumbass the entire episode.  

I've always liked Wild Dog, so I'm happy to see people complementing him. I know it won't last so I'll take it while I can. ?

I'm very happy that we got that Felicity knocking out BS scene. That was hilarious and so freaking meta.

See I agree that KC was terrible, but she embraced it and was so over the top I was actually entertained. The scene with Felicity was IMO her best scene. The change of expression when Felicity told her she should get used to cages was great. It was bitchy pouty.

Im shocked I liked WD. I think they need to pair off WD and Felicity for an episode. 

Between BS trashing Laurel and Felicity punching her (hell even Curtis telling her to shut her mouth and them mentioning the sister swapping), the whole thing was hilarious.

[Cleanqueen]

I don't know what happened to her face but KC looks like she's in her mid 40's, sorry but the make up did nothing to help her. 

[Chaser]

1 minute ago, Cleanqueen said:

I don't know what happened to her face but KC looks like she's in her mid 40's, sorry but the make up did nothing to help her. 

It was horrendous as BS! It looked like an 80s throwback and it looked 4 inches thick. And the lipstick! Way too dark and it gave her lips a weird shape. I was so distracted during some scenes.

[Starfish35]

5 minutes ago, Cleanqueen said:

I don't know what happened to her face but KC looks like she's in her mid 40's, sorry but the make up did nothing to help her. 

No, the BS makeup (the black lipstick in particular) is not at all flattering to KC in my opinion.  I remember thinking that it aged her terribly when BS showed up on Flash last season. 

[Angel12d]

Felicity's proper form when she was boxing made me think of that scene in s2 when Sara gave her some tips to correct her form. Aw. She remembered!

[mtlchick]

Quote

Good to see Star Labs still has about zero security for a top secret super hero lab.

Their security system is as strict as they are with telling people that Barry is the Flash.  As in, non existent!

While I had pinged that LL was really BS since the break, at least they were pretty quick in saying "Yeah, it's BS, let's not drag it out" which I appreciate.  But Oliver hoping that some part of this LL was "our" LL was eye rolling.  They may share physical traits, but it ends there.  Why keep wishing otherwise?

[Hiveminder]

39 minutes ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

Still don't care much for the newbies, although yeah Wild Dong wasn't as annoying. And not a good introduction for Tina, IMO. Too smirky. Clunky line reading. I'll give her a pass because it's one short scene. We'll see next week if she gets better. And yeah, that means they kinda hooked me back. I was thinking if this ep sucked eggs, I was going to wait until the end of season to watch again.

The acting in that last scene wasn't the greatest, but it could just be an adjustment period. The last time I rewatched the pilot I thought that Tommy in particular was a little awkward. He felt too much like an actor doing acting, but obviously he got better. 

[JenMD]

10 hours ago, ladylaw99 said:

Is it me or did Curtis not have face paint on in the van with Felicity but then had face paint on when he was on the field?

Not just you.  He did indeed have no facepaint on when he left the van with Felicity but was fully painted when he fought off the BS with the dampener.  This show.

Whoever was responsible for the framing of Felicity punching the BS and/or how it ultimately came out (director Gregory Smith? camera person? editors?) did a terrible job.

Not to be a totally Negative Nellie, I did enjoy all the Oliver and Felicity interaction; getting an episode where they can actually have some meaningful interaction is a nice treat.  Too bad it's surrounded by such terribly illogical storytelling.

Edited January 26, 2017 by JenMD

[Primetimer]

After a couple months off, is Arrow even the same show it used to be?

View the full article

[Hiveminder]

10 hours ago, ladylaw99 said:

Is it me or did Curtis not have face paint on in the van with Felicity but then had face paint on when he was on the field?

On a related note, I've often wondered how Oliver gets in and out of his suit so damn fast. Like, does he have some kind of time warping powers that can only be used when he's in the process of putting on or taking off leather pants? Is Oliver Queen the lamest meta ever? Is that the real reason he's always so grumpy? He's upset that he didn't get cooler powers?

[tangerine95]

That was actually a good episode, the show was finally entertaining again and characters were allowed to express some emotion.

Felicity was so amazing, one of her best episodes imo. They did a good job setting up her darker storyline in a way that makes sense and feels true to her character.I loved how the newbies listened to her and she liked it, good forshadowing for her getting her own team and being a leader in her own right.  I was totally agreeing with her the whole time and she was basically the only one allowed to be smart about the whole BS thing in contrast to Oliver being unbelievably dumb. 

And he seriously was so stupid, I mean I get they want to show him optimistic and contrast it with Felicity being more cynical there's a balance there he hasn't found.His optimism and belief felt forced and almost like desperate. It reminded me of season 1 and 2 and his insistance that if he could just save or redeem Sara or Helena it means he can be saved too.I get him being someone who was given a chance by Felicity and Digg but there's a limit and when someone continuously tries to kill him and everyone he knows and enjoys it then you don't try to save that person.

The olicity scenes were great, they finally allowed them to have tension and conflict but also show their history and how much they know and care about each other.Despite Oliver's stupidity, it was really interesting to see a role reversal for them. Shows how the temps made no sense, they have enough chemistry and potential for conflict on their own even while apart. I wouldn't have minded waiting longer for a reunion if we continously got meaningful scenes like these.

I also didn't mind WD in this episode, I guess because they didn't push him too hard and he was trying to be nicer.I think he could work if he was a type of character who was kind of a jerk but was aware of it and tried to be better instead of being arogant like he has been so far.I still don't get Curtis, it's good that he will focus more on tech but I don't get him letting his marriage fail just to do something he's been doing a few months and he isn't all that  necessary for.Rory remains the best newbie, I liked his scenes with Felicity. 

Not impressed with Tina tbh, it's too early to tell I guess but she comes off smug and a new canary is totally unnecessary. I don't get adding someone to the team not because they're needed but because Laurel wanted a symbol of her legacy to always follow Oliver around. That's such a dumb reason to include someone. 

[SmallScreenDiva]

BTW, did I miss something with the "Hey pumpkin" line? Did BS call Felicity pumpkin at some point? It seemed to have come out of nowhere. 

I also like Chase here. Boy showed some smarts, plus he's helping Digg so I'm happy. I still find his pants weird. Or maybe it's the way he walks. I don't know, something is off. 

So, what was the point of Black Siren in this ep, other than to make Oliver an idiot again? Prometheus said something about her failing, but at what?

[looptab]

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent, KC can't act for shit. She can't emote at all, so any attempt to play sad, wounded or a victim of fate fell totally flat, IMO. Her idea of being a badass hero (BC) was to do a runway walk (look at me, I'm tough!). Now, her idea of being a tough villain is to strut around like she's in an 80s music video. Seriously! I was getting flashbacks to Thriller with the chick strutting down the street while Michael Jackson danced/sang around her. 

The only time she was decent was during the BS/Felicity scene where she got to play a bitch. No surprise there, bitchy characters are her forte

.

Not alone, ITA. :)

By the way, at what point did they learn about Black Siren? Felicity had the light bulb moment about Laurel's evil twin, but I don't remember if they actually showed or mentioned the Flash crew telling them about her.

[Chaser]

5 minutes ago, looptab said:

Not alone, ITA. :)

By the way, at what point did they learn about Black Siren? Felicity had the light bulb moment about Laurel's evil twin, but I don't remember if they actually showed or mentioned the Flash crew telling them about her.

They didn't but the fact that Felicity and the Team knew brings up another point. Oliver knew about her and didn't bother with her at all.