The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[EmilyBettFan]

They work well together. He with the rest of the team was grating on my nerves. Felicity talks fast when she's nervous (like in 3x05) when Oliver told her to take a breath. But it wasn't like it was something that got on my nerves. Curtis was almost borderline annoying to me.

[Password]

If the writers interpret Curtis as a season 1 Felicity I have to thank EBR even more.

[dtissagirl]

If I found Echo less engaging, I would be super irritated. I do agree he is too much. I never connected with Ray Palmer partially for that reason. But then, isn't Mr. Terrific, the superhero character, supposed to be awesome at everything?

 

Yup. Mr. Terrific is the ultimate Mary Sue. He can do anything, and he can learn anything he can't do, so he can do EVERYTHING. I'm sort of amazed the main negative thing I keep seeing about Curtis is "annoying". Arrow really got super lucky with Echo Kellum. Any other actor, without his natural "aww, shucks" vibe, and Curtis would be completely insufferable, much like Routh made Palmer last year.

[Chaser]

Echo is Mr. Terrific's saving grace. I think he has great chemistry with the cast and I find him charming. I might have some issues with Curtis, but I really do like having Echo in the cast.

[tv echo]

Neville says some nice things about SA...

 

WWE’s Neville wants another match with ‘Arrow’s’ Stephen Amell
BY CHRIS E. HAYNER AT 02:04 PM ON APR 2, 2016
http://zap2it.com/2016/04/wwe-neville-stephen-amell-tag-team-arrow/

When celebrities get involved in professional wrestling, the outcome isn’t always very good. From Jay Leno to David Arquette to Jeremy Piven, the proof is in the very sad history. Then again, there’s always the exception to the rule and those who watched “WWE SummerSlam” in August 2015 know that exception is none other than “Arrow” star Stephen Amell.
*  *  *
“Honestly, I was shocked by the athleticism and the natural ability Stephen Amell had,” Neville tells Zap2it. Currently on the injured list while healing a fractured ankle, Neville met with Zap2it during WWE’s “WrestleMania” weekend to look back on his “SummerSlam” match with the actor.
*  *  *
“He was certainly an asset to the team which, going into a match with a non-wrestler you really expect to carry the load yourself,” the wrestler continues. “That wasn’t the case. he definitely held his own side of the bargain and we beat two seasoned professional wrestlers.”
*  *  *
“Stephen was awesome and I certainly have very, very fond memories of that night,” he says. “If in the future I ever get to do anything similar, affiliate myself with Stephen again, I’d love to do that.”

[kismet]

Even knowing that this is an Arrow forum ~~ every time I see something like a Felicity spin-off or Felicity & friends, it makes me a little nostalgic for the original WB show Felicity. And I must admit it gives me a little case of the I wants. It usually takes me a few secs to click my brain into remembering that Keri Russell & Scott Foley have moved on to other projects and Scott Speedman has just vanished into thin air. Has anyone heard of a Scott Speedman project lately?

[tv echo]

Scott Speedman is starring in a new TNT show called Animal Kingdom, premiering June 7...

Animal Kingdom is an adrenaline-charged drama starring Emmy and Tony winner Ellen Barkin (Sea of Love, This Boy's Life, Oceans 13) as the matriarch of a Southern California family whose excessive lifestyle is fueled by their criminal activities, with Scott Speedman (The Strangers, The Vow) as her second in command. Shawn Hatosy (Southland, Reckless), Ben Robson (Vikings, Dracula: The Dark Prince), Jake Weary (Pretty Little Liars, It Follows) and Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders, An Inspector Calls) also star.

http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom.html?sr=animal%20kingdom%20television

Edited April 3, 2016 by tv echo

[wonderwall]

OH NO. ARROW IS DOING A SCREENING OF EPISODE 418 O_O This is gonna be a bloodbath.

[Guest]

How to make the Arrow fandom even worse 101: have a screening.

[SmallScreenDiva]

Ugh, this is going to be horrible with all the lousy teases from these entertainment writers after the screening. Maybe it's time to go social media dark.

[way2interested]

At least a portion of the fandom including many people on this board know what might be the biggest spoiler/"twist" of the episode, so I'm not actually as worried for this one. 

[apinknightmare]

At least a portion of the fandom including many people on this board know what might be the biggest spoiler/"twist" of the episode, so I'm not actually as worried for this one.

I think the general worry will be that the entertainment writers will know about the spoilers, and therefore people will think that "surprise/twist" comments mean that people really will be surprised because it is not the person we think it is and make things messy until the ep airs.

Edited April 4, 2016 by apinknightmare

[BkWurm1]

Hey as long as Laura Hurley gets a copy and isn't freaked out, I'm good. 

[wonderwall]

Hey as long as Laura Hurley gets a copy and isn't freaked out, I'm good. 

She explained she's not going to the screening... IDK if that means she's going to get a copy of the DVD to watch early but I guess we'll find out next week!

[BkWurm1]

Oh, I didn't realize it was that kind of screening. ( I thought they were mailing copies but that is based on nothing)  Still, I think in the end, it's fair that they are doing the screening.  It will give the writers covering the episode extra time to write up a reaction.  Keep things from just being reactionary.  Yes, the teases to the fans for some will be problematic but I feel like I'm in a place where there is nothing they can say to throw me.   

[EmilyBettFan]

I thought Laura Hurley was just a blogger? How does she get these things first?

[wonderwall]

I thought Laura Hurley was just a blogger? How does she get these things first?

She writes reviews for cinemablend, examiner, and whatculture which is why she sometimes gets these things first.

[looptab]

I don't remember her ever having a screener for Arrow, though. Don't know for some other show.

Oh, I didn't realize it was that kind of screening. ( I thought they were mailing copies but that is based on nothing)  Still, I think in the end, it's fair that they are doing the screening.  It will give the writers covering the episode extra time to write up a reaction.  Keep things from just being reactionary.  Yes, the teases to the fans for some will be problematic but I feel like I'm in a place where there is nothing they can say to throw me.   

Looking forward to the reaction of the site that shall not be named. :D

[lemotomato]

Sounds like the screening is going to be the kind where reporters go to the WB lot to watch the episode, and the EPs are there afterwards to answer questions. So only for the LA-based reporters, then. I would ask Chris Hayner, who has been one of the more even-handed reporters this season, if he's going, but he's busy at Wrestlemania.

[BkWurm1]

I don't remember her ever having a screener for Arrow, though. Don't know for some other show.

Looking forward to the reaction of the site that shall not be named. :D

I actually haven't been over there since before Broken Hearts.  At first I was just too busy with real life but then I decided to leave the forums alone until after we all know who is in the grave.  I had been reading a lot of vitriol and misplaced anger that IMO was coming from concern/fear/anger over the direction of the show and while quashing weak arguments was my daily bread, it just seemed kinder to stay away for a bit.  I'm sure I'll find time to revisit after the hiatus though. 

[looptab]

Oh, I don't visit the forums ever, I was just thinking of the reviewers themselves. I'm sure they'll react with quiet, dignity, and grace. :)

[lemotomato]

I think all of us will be more thankful than ever to have this forum on Wednesday. ::clings::

[BkWurm1]

Oh, I don't visit the forums ever, I was just thinking of the reviewers themselves. I'm sure they'll react with quiet, dignity, and grace. :)

Oh, well, yeah, that's true.  Lol.  I'm particularly looking forward to finding out why it's all Felicity's fault.  Well, not all.  It is of course my fault since as a fan I had to be serviced by Uncle Guggie (did anyone actually call him that or is it one of those urban internet legends?)  I look forward to that review when it comes out.  I'll be good as long as they are. 

[looptab]

I think they've refrained from reviews since 413? But I'm not sure. They wouldn't miss this, though. And yeah, I think sometimes I have seen Uncle Guggie in some Tumblr ask.

[bijoux]

I don't remember her ever having a screener for Arrow, though. Don't know for some other show.

 

She definitely had a screener this season. I think it may have been the crossover, but I'm not certain.

[Password]

Yes I remember she wasn't positive about episode 8. She didn't give the game away or anything but she sort of...prepared us for the nonsense.

[BkWurm1]

And yeah, I think sometimes I have seen Uncle Guggie in some Tumblr ask.

How very disturbing.  :)

[bijoux]

Christina Radish from Collider is interviewing WM and MG today and she's taking questions on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/christinaradish/status/716854814580191233

[Velocity23]

Guess WM and MG will be doing post-mortem interviews.

[EmilyBettFan]

She writes reviews for cinemablend, examiner, and whatculture which is why she sometimes gets these things first.

Thank you! I didn't know. Are those sites that anyone can write on or has she been on them for a while?

[looptab]

She definitely had a screener this season. I think it may have been the crossover, but I'm not certain.

Oh, okay. I forgot about that :)

[bijoux]

Donna got two mentions on TV Line's Quote of the week list.

 

 

[tv echo]

'Arrow' S04E17: What needs to happen next after 'Beacon of Hope'
Laura Hurley  April 3, 20161:26 PM MST
http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-s04e17-what-needs-to-happen-next-after-beacon-of-hope

... Something needs to actually change with the Malcolm Merlyn plot, and it’s getting ridiculous that nobody will break and just kill the guy. Literally nobody would be upset except maybe Oliver on Thea’s behalf.
 

Curtis’ husband needs to not be killed off for the sake of the Mr. Terrific origin story. Paul is a wonderful character who has made the most of his limited screentime in Season 4, and there have been enough vigilantes whose journeys toward their masks started when they lost a loved one. If Curtis is going to join Team Arrow is a greater capacity, the show needs to find a way to do it without killing Paul.
 

Felicity needs to rejoin the team. She absolutely had valid reasons for leaving Team Arrow and has no obligation to return, but the show needs her on Team Arrow. Curtis in the bunker worked, but only really as a temporary novelty to compensate for her absence on the tech front.
 

When Felicity rejoins the team, Arrow needs to allow her to continue working to help people with spinal cord injuries in addition to her work with Oliver and Co. Her crusade from within Palmer Tech mostly seems to exist in the plot to give her something to do in the interim between her departure and inevitable return, but it’s also a worthwhile crusade that deserves her attention in the long run. She can do both. She's Felicity Smoak.
*  *  *
That said, the death needs to be handled respectfully. The last good guy to really truly die was Sara, and the memory of her being dropped off a roof onto a dumpster before being shoved into cold storage hasn’t faded. Even if Arrow wants to play up the tragedy and not give the person to die a particularly heroic or even cathartic death, the show needs to do better than what it did with Sara. No trash receptacles or refrigeration or masks falling conveniently at the feet of characters about to embark on origin stories.
 

Ambiguously Accented Woman in the flashbacks needs to die, and her death really doesn’t have to be particularly respectful. Oliver is currently on his downswing toward becoming the murderous Hood of Season 1, so he doesn’t need to catch a lot of breaks when it comes to tragedy. Also, Ambiguously Accented Woman is the worst. She’s managed to be both a non-presence and a time suck to the extent that she has yet to warrant having her actual name used in these reviews. Her most defining qualities have been the ambiguity of her accent and the mysteriousness of why everybody in the flashbacks seems to consider her so essential. She needs to be dead by the end of Season 4.
*  *  *
There needs to be more Diggle in general. Just as Ambiguously Accented Woman is the worst, Digg is the best. When he’s not dispensing terrible plot-dictated advice, he makes everything better. David Ramsey is a gem who deserves more time in the spotlight. Assuming his character isn’t the one to die, hopefully the smaller Team Arrow will mean more focus on Digg.

 

Deleted Scenes from “Arrow S04E17: What worked, what didn’t, and what needs to happen next”
Laura Hurley  April 3, 2016
http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/post/142194990031/deleted-scenes-from-arrow-s04e17-what-worked

…Oliver being a jerk to Curtis during his first mission helping Team Arrow was an entertaining note of consistency. Oliver’s never particularly welcoming to uninvited faces once the stress levels start to rise. Curtis did need to hear that the danger to friends, family, and loved ones is very real, and he did need to prioritize focus over high-fives, so Oliver’s rant was both appropriate and exaggerated. It’s also always fun to see somebody realize for the first time that Oliver in vigilante mode can be super scary to people who only knew Oliver in civilian mode.
*  *  *
…The pop culture references in “Beacon of Hope” were too many and too often. Arrow is not The Flash. Even the Flash halves of both of the Flarrow crossover extravaganzas felt more like episodes of Arrow than “Beacon of Hope.” The Flash is an entertaining show that more or less works with caricatured characters and pop culture references galore; Arrow needs to be tonally different, and fewer nods to pop culture would have helped.

*  *  *
…If Arrow does kill off Ambiguously Accented Woman sooner rather than later, I vow to actually call her by her name in the review for that particular episode. I’ll look up the proper spelling and everything.

Edited April 4, 2016 by tv echo

[bijoux]

What, you didn't quote the part about the suit? I cracked up at the gun show.

[tv echo]

Here ya go ;) ...

Oliver needs a new suit as the Green Arrow. It’s just silly that the hero’s crime-fighting duds are more impractical than Digg’s Helmet Of Zero Peripheral Vision and Laurel’s buckle-tastic outfit with fingerless gloves. Given that Oliver’s catchphrase is “You have failed this city!” with a glare and not “Welcome to the gun show!” with a flex, he needs sleeves. Just…please give him sleeves.

[Sakura12]

Future Oliver's GA suit had sleeves. They could be coming back. 

[Password]

Future Oliver's GA suit had sleeves. They could be coming back. 

 

Hopefully.

[bijoux]

I won't lie. If anyone utters the words gun show, I'll be more forgiving towards the suit.

[kismet]

I feel like a screening sorta takes all the wind out of the sails of their big reveal. It we have successfully pieced together the spoilers including a mounting list of evidence, I will personally not be upset with the outcome Weds night. But if I had to wait all season for the big reveal, the show should do me and the actors the courtesy of having the big plot reveal happen live on Weds and not in some screening room with a roomful of reporters and WIFI. If they were gonna spoil their biggest EPIC game-changing twisty "ending of an era" just do it live... no need for a screening. A screening is just lame at this point for 418 after they spent all season building it up.

 

PS - Laura Hurley never change!!!! And GA's suit needs sleeves perhaps they can round up the reporters for that press release and do a reveal of his stealthily covered guns.

[Sakura12]

I think they are worried about the reactions and want the media to soften the blow for the internet crowd. They won't reveal who died but they will say if the death was respectful or not, or if  it meant something. This is a big episode for them. Hopefully they do better with it then The Walking Dead did last night. 

[Genki]

I think they are worried about the reactions and want the media to soften the blow for the internet crowd. They won't reveal who died but they will say if the death was respectful or not, or if  it meant something. This is a big episode for them. Hopefully they do better with it then The Walking Dead did last night. 

 

Also it might produce some hype for the episode, since heavens know that CW PR are not going to do it.

[kismet]

It did not work do the Constantine episode... in fact I think the early screening just gave writers/critics/fans more time to dissect the resurrection story and find all of it's flaws. But whatever, I guess they will go full speed ahead with bad choices ~ can't stop them now.

[Sakura12]

The Constantine episode got leaked online as well. I think that hurt them more than just the media getting a hold of it. Although I did love them trying to get fans to not watch it by saying it wasn't finished. Yet the episode special effects looked exactly the same as the finished one. 

Edited April 4, 2016 by Sakura12

[Chaser]

The big thing I'm taking away is that the episode probably doesn't end on a cliffhanger if they are going out now and screening the episode. That makes me happy.

I wonder if the party leaving is doing any interviews. I don't remember CH doing any.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Chaser

[dtissagirl]

Also it might produce some hype for the episode, since heavens know that CW PR are not going to do it.

 

Far be it from me to defend the CW PR, but this screening IS the CW PR doing something -- they set up this press screening to get the attending journos to produce content prior to the episode.

[tv echo]

In this Bleeding Cool interview, comic book artist Neal Adams responded to his name-dropping in Arrow 417 (he also responded to the criticism of BvS)...

 

Neal Adams Talks “Dumb” Variant Covers, Getting Namedropped On Arrow, BvS And What Happened At The End Of Batman: Odyssey
Posted April 4, 2016 by Rich Johnston (article by Jonathan Rich)
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/04/04/neal-adams-talks-dumb-variant-covers-getting-namedropped-on-arrow-bvs-and-what-happened-at-the-end-of-batman-odyssey/

Another recent item of Adams interest was when he was mentioned by name by a character on the CW TV series Arrow, though not a direct connection with the Oliver Queen the artist drew during his iconic run drawing the emerald archer and his power-ring wielding partner.
 

“I get name dropped all the time,” Adams laughed. “The thing is in comic books, we earned our way with a lot of hard work for a long time. If someone calls us ‘legends,’ we are able to wear it better than movie stars because we come to the conventions and are treated very well. I talk to the actors all the time at these things and I tell them they have it great but I have it a little better. I get to go to a comic convention and be treated just as well as you, but then I can walk out on the street and nobody knows who I am. Nobody will follow me into the bathroom or bother me at a restaurant because the average person doesn’t know who the hell I am. It’s the perfect life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Maybe Stan doesn’t get that, I bet people probably have followed him into the bathroom, so in that respect, I have it better than Stan.”
*  *  *
While Adams may not be ready to switch places with Marvel’s esteemed editor emeritus just yet, he did share a distinct perspective on the criticism leveled at DC Comics regarding Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
 

“My friends have seen it. I haven’t seen it, but everybody says it is terrific even though it has shortcomings,” Adams admitted. “But honestly, we don’t expect more from DC than that, do we? The fact of the matter is DC Comics is trying to climb up to where Marvel is at the movies. They have set the standard and right now it seems Marvel just can’t miss with one hit after another. DC has to climb that ladder, and so far, they just haven’t gotten there yet. But, considering the action, they have made a step forward, certainly better than the last Superman movie. We’re looking at an advance, and certainly the film people are starting to pay more attention to the comic books a little more and that certainly is the way to go, isn’t it? If you pay attention to the comic books, you’re likely able to do a good movie. The next Green Lantern movie will probably have John Stewart in it, because everyone knows John Stewart is Green Lantern right? What the hell was that about?”

Edited April 4, 2016 by tv echo

[NumberCruncher]

Interview with MG re:  the death of superheros:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/04/arrow-superhero-death-marc-guggenheim

 

How do you keep the suspense going or subvert expectations about your main characters if they’re always in jeopardy and audiences know they’re ultimately going to be OK?

I guess that’s the thing, I don’t accept the premise that they ultimately are going to be OK, because I don’t accept the premise that superheroes can’t die. Hopefully the audience knows that everyone is up for grabs. The only one who’s probably not up for grabs on Arrow is Oliver Queen, but everyone else is fair game.

Edited April 4, 2016 by NumberCruncher

[mtlchick]

I guess it was inevitable since Curtis found the Arrow...Cave?  http://tvline.com/2016/04/04/arrow-season-5-echo-kellum-series-regular-curtis/

[looptab]

I feel like a screening sorta takes all the wind out of the sails of their big reveal. It we have successfully pieced together the spoilers including a mounting list of evidence, I will personally not be upset with the outcome Weds night. But if I had to wait all season for the big reveal, the show should do me and the actors the courtesy of having the big plot reveal happen live on Weds and not in some screening room with a roomful of reporters and WIFI. If they were gonna spoil their biggest EPIC game-changing twisty "ending of an era" just do it live... no need for a screening. A screening is just lame at this point for 418 after they spent all season building it up.

 

PS - Laura Hurley never change!!!! And GA's suit needs sleeves perhaps they can round up the reporters for that press release and do a reveal of his stealthily covered guns.

I don't understand where's the issue..? people can avoid to read spoilers. But. it's not like these journalists will spoil the death, so..?

[Password]

Yep just go dark for a day or two and you're golden.