The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[AyChihuahua]

1 hour ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

Except when Diggle asked him the reason for the break up he said it was because he lied to her about his kid. That's the reason and he acknowledged it.

I'd like to share your belief but I can't when the writer and producer of the show says that is what happened, also it would make zero sense to refer to the kid as the most important person in Oliver's life if he saw him once. And it's possible MM found out because Oliver visited him that one time but it's way more realistic if he visited him more than once.

Yeah, he was visiting the kid. I get not wanting to believe that because it makes Oliver look like a complete tool, but "back-and-forth" doesn't mean one time to defeat Vandal Savage with everybody else. It means a number of times, often enough that the visits were interfering with his life in SC, specifically interfering with his ability to notice that his little sister was having problems. Obviously having gone to CC ONCE, WITH his little sister wouldn't interfere with his ability to see that she was having problems.

1 hour ago, looptab said:

Now, since it was Laurel talking, he probably wasn't listening. So my headcanon is that either Oliver still hasn't understood why Felicity left him (and the show is weird with this - sometimes they bring up the lying,and he seems to know, sometimes they don't) or he is willfully choosing to ignore the real reason and blames it on being the Green Arrow because, why not. It worked for him before.

He's mentioned the lying a number of times now, to Digg and even to Felicity.

[looptab]

9 minutes ago, AyChihuahua said:

He's mentioned the lying a number of times now, to Digg and even to Felicity.

Yeah, but he was blaming it on the vigilante life during that conversation with Laurel :) Ergo my belief that he knows what he did wrong, but he's choosing (at times) to ignore that. 

Why you all want to interfere with my headcanon when my logic is so flawless!!

[AyChihuahua]

15 minutes ago, looptab said:

Yeah, but he was blaming it on the vigilante life during that conversation with Laurel :) Ergo my belief that he knows what he did wrong, but he's choosing (at times) to ignore that. 

Why you all want to interfere with my headcanon when my logic is so flawless!!

My guess is he was just throwing a bit of a hissy-fit...admitting to himself the real reason she dumped him, that he was a lying ass who shut her out of information she had every right to know, makes him look bad. On the other hand, telling himself she dumped him bc he's the Arrow makes him seem all hero-y and self-sacrificing. The double life being CC Mommy's Friend and SC Felicity's Fiancé (tm morrigan) is also supported by the whole thing with the gross-ass snuggling after he lied the first time: "That was in CC [where I have a moron child and a lying hag baby mama], but now I'm here...with you." Double life.

I think you're a great poster and I'm totally not trying to ruin your day, but that particular headcanon isn't supported in-show. "Back-and-forth" is like "quite a few." It doesn't have a specific numerical meaning, but it doesn't mean "once." He was visiting the kid, while Felicity was in a wheelchair. I am assuming he at least waited until she was out of the hospital (and hey, I'll even assume he waited until she was back at work, etc., which makes him at least not an ABANDONING lying ass...other than leaving her when she was first paralyzed, anyway).

If it helps at all, I hated him for all that bullshit more than almost anybody here, and I'm [mostly] past it now...thanks primarily to Felicity dumping his ass, and giving me some reason to hope he's actually learned his lesson this time. I will say, though, for me, real and permanent damage has been done, and I will probably never again care about Olicity or Oliver as much as I once did. I pretty much like him again, but I don't know that I'll ever really love him again.

[apinknightmare]

13 minutes ago, looptab said:

Yeah, but he was blaming it on the vigilante life during that conversation with Laurel :) Ergo my belief that he knows what he did wrong, but he's choosing (at times) to ignore that. 

I think he did that because Felicity told him that she knew that he'd be faced with having to lie to her again because "That's this life." Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense because he lied to her about something personal, but she drew that correlation when she broke up with him the second time.

[looptab]

6 minutes ago, AyChihuahua said:

My guess is he was just throwing a bit of a hissy-fit...admitting to himself the real reason she dumped him, that he was a lying ass who shut her out of information she had every right to know, makes him look bad. On the other hand, telling himself she dumped him bc he's the Arrow makes him seem all hero-y and self-sacrificing. The double life being CC Mommy's Friend and SC Felicity's Fiancé (tm morrigan) is also supported by the whole thing with the gross-ass snuggling after he lied the first time: "That was in CC [where I have a moron child and a lying hag baby mama], but now I'm here...with you." Double life.

I think you're a great poster and I'm totally not trying to ruin your day, but that particular headcanon isn't supported in-show. "Back-and-forth" is like "quite a few." It doesn't have a specific numerical meaning, but it doesn't mean "once." He was visiting the kid, while Felicity was in a wheelchair. I am assuming he at least waited until she was out of the hospital (and hey, I'll even assume he waited until she was back at work, etc., which makes him at least not an ABANDONING lying ass...other than leaving her when she was first paralyzed, anyway).

 

Aww, thanks <3 I know you don't want to ruin my day:) Sadly, rationally I know all signs point to the double life referring to  his life in CC, but right now I'm basically going "la-la-la I can't hear you" and actively ignoring all that to believe he is still doing the bolded part above :) I have to!

5 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

I think he did that because Felicity told him that she knew that he'd be faced with having to lie to her again because "That's this life." Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense because he lied to her about something personal, but she drew that correlation when she broke up with him the second time.

Yeah, that line didn't make any sense. Unless we should just think that she went from considering that lie to considering all his possible future lies, drawing the conclusion that with their life it was very likely he'd lie to her again. Still, hate that.

[tv echo]

Los Angeles Times' mixed review of 421...

An 'Arrow' villain's plan finally works, and lots of people die as we hurtle to the season finale
James Queally  MAY 12, 2016
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-arrow-monument-point-recap-20160511-snap-story.html

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This is, or should be, a crazy tense moment. Felicity has to essentially play God. People are going to die; she just has to decide how many and where. But instead of the briefest moment of panic as she's forced to weigh that decision, Felicity simply clicks a button, dooms the people of "Havenrock" and then has about 10 more seconds of screen time to be racked with guilt  — all so we can cut to a scene of Oliver about to get his lunch handed to him by Darhk. Again.

This scene certainly accomplishes a lot. Putting Felicity in a situation like this opens up a few dramatic pathways for the series' future, including the chance of a permanent Ollicity breakup. It also gives Darhk even more credibility as a villain: He's the first of the series' big bads to pull off his evil plans since Merlyn in Season 1. 

On the other hand, a moment that should have had enough gravity to pull the sun out of orbit gets all of 60 seconds of screen time. Instead of focusing on the impossibility of Felicity's situation, the time is given to yet another Darhk-Oliver standoff (but hey, Neal McDonough is glowing this time!) and the continually mundane flashbacks. 

Does it ruin the episode? No. But it certainly feels like a wasted opportunity, especially given the sheer ridiculousness of the Darhk storyline. Already burdened by the show's flailing attempts to explain magic, we now get to see the ridiculousness of Argus' creation of the Rubicon ("Arrow"-speak for nuclear launch code MacGuffin). I don't know why such a thing would exist. Neither does Felicity, and when your characters are asking questions that are directly critical of your plot, that strikes me as a problem. 

To enjoy "Arrow" these days is to divorce yourself from the silliness of some of the show's fervor for apocalyptic storylines. It works better stripped down to the slick action sequences that have been crucial to the years-seasoned success....
*  *  *
Outside of the fisticuffs, the interplay of Felicity and Calculator's family issues with their need to function as a hacker duo hit all the right notes, playing on the father's regret over his life choices and Felicity's persistent rejection of those apologies. Calculator taking a bullet for her was beyond predictable, but Emily-Bett Rickards' charm is more than enough to overshadow any headaches associated with her storylines.
*  *  *
Between Felicity questioning the insanity of the existence of Rubicon, Thea noting that Merlyn's motives are overly predictable and Merlyn pointing out the sameness of every villain's plan in this series' history, I'm starting to wonder whether there's someone in the writer's room who shares all of my grievances with this season.

Edited May 12, 2016 by tv echo

[calliope1975]

Thanks so much for always doing the review round up @tv echo! I didn't know Kevin Tancharoen was the director, but now I understand why the fight scenes were so good. He did an excellent job with the Mortal Kombat short and web series. (I also dorkily enjoy that his sister is the showrunner of Agents of SHIELD and he is a DC show director.)

[AyChihuahua]

I think ARGUS making Rubicon makes perfect sense, it just had a ginormous engineering problem. Being able to stop any nuclear launch sounds pretty darn handy to me. Also, why would Havenrock being destroyed lead to a permanent Olicity break? Bc she feels bad about it? That doesn't make sense to me...she'd feel bad about it with any guy, and it's not like it was Oliver's fault. I guess maybe they could associate each other with that failure, maybe?

I pretty much think any reviewer who thinks O/F is really over has never watched tv before, and I'm not even an O/F shipper anymore.

[way2interested]

27 minutes ago, calliope1975 said:

Thanks so much for always doing the review round up @tv echo! I didn't know Kevin Tancharoen was the director, but now I understand why the fight scenes were so good. He did an excellent job with the Mortal Kombat short and web series. (I also dorkily enjoy that his sister is the showrunner of Agents of SHIELD and he is a DC show director.)

I love his episodes of AoS. They really deliver on tension and suspense along with the fight scenes, which I think that he really delivered for last night's Arrow. I admittedly was a bit nervous for him directing Arrow this time around because I wasn't really a fan of his other DC show debuts (specifically 118 of Flash and 104 of Supergirl), but 421 had the style that I recognized from his times on AoS and Mortal Kombat.

Funny note, he had an interview a while ago in which he revealed he directed 421 of Arrow and that he would be directing the season finale of AoS in which he commented about making the rounds on all of the superhero shows (implying a bias towards AoS for obvious reasons). He mentioned how the writers/production keep subtle tabs on the other shows and secretly try to impress/ out-do each other, which I thought was kind of funny.

[tv echo]

I think this is the KT interview you're referring to...
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/06/agents-of-shield-director-kevin-tancharoen-breaks-down-season-3-single-take-fight 

Quote

Tancharoen credits Bennet as being the true reason behind the two one-take fight scenes' successes. "Chloe was a trooper. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't know how to really do it," he said. "On shows like Daredevil or The Flash or Arrow or any of these other superhero shows, they have a mask on and a hood or something that can cover their face. On SHIELD, they don't have that, and it's full out. You have to make sure that the person who is acting the part is actually physically doing it. I give all my props to Chloe for making that work."
*  *  *
"We're all in a very competitive space here right now on television," he explained. "I think that there is a friendly competition to try to compete with each other in a very friendly way and push each other up a bit. I've had the fortune of working on some other superhero shows, and it's always fun to go back and forth and see people say 'let's maybe do a better action sequence than that because it was so cool what they did. Maybe we can do better.' I think it's all a bunch of nerds in a room talking about the cool s--t they watched on TV, like, 'OK, we can do that. We can try to one-up them as much as we can and it will be all fine and dandy and we'll make it work.' It's a bunch of fans sitting in chairs watching a bunch of cool s--t and wanting to make something just as cool, if not cooler."

Edited May 12, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Flashbacks are Dragging 'Arrow' Down and Here's Why 
Derek Stauffer   Thursday, May 12, 2016
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/why-arrow-needs-to-get-rid-of-59955.aspx

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If you've been paying attention to any of my recaps this season for Arrow, you know one thing. The flashbacks are, to put it mildly, my least favorite part of one of my favorite shows. Arrow has rebounded greatly from an OK season 3 in season 4 and it is on track to create a finale that might actually eclipse season 2. The flashbacks still exist and they're awfully boring. Though they've been around since the very first episode it's time to end their miserable existence.
*  *  *
It looks like a similar story is about to unfold with season 4's version of Maseo, Taiana. In season 4 Taiana, has been Oliver's partner and quasi-love interest on the island. Somehow, and I wouldn't have thought it to be possible, Taiana is so much more boring than Maseo. Maseo was a paper-thin character but it was pretty clearly defined. He was driven by a desire to protect his family. Season 4 of Arrow is almost over and I have no idea what drives Taiana besides a generic she's a "good person." 

As of "Monument Point," Taiana has also been consumed by the dark magical idol that is driving the flashbacks. If we're to believe Oliver in the present day, this means that Taiana will become twisted, evil and probably end up having to be mercy-killed. This should be a source of tension and dread for the audience but I feel nothing. Arrow never bothered to give me a reason to care about an alive Taiana, so I have zero investment whether she continues to live or dies. 
*  *  *
Oliver is getting progressively darker and more violent. Stephen Amell, being the talented actor that he is, has done a really good job in playing a meaner Oliver in the flashbacks and more emotionally stable Oliver in the present. That's about the only thing that appears planned. It's ridiculous in season 3 and 4 how Oliver confronted these ridiculous things like magic in his past but doesn't mention them at all in seasons 1 and 2. If Oliver met John Constantine while he was on Lian Yu, he should have called him for help WAY before season 4 or at least mentioned, "Hey, I kind of know a magical detective." The flashbacks are full of plot holes like this one.

Edited May 12, 2016 by tv echo

[Guest]

4 hours ago, tarotx said:

I hope Robert Dougherty gives up the show for his own sanity.

Random point, but I remember him from the Community fandom. He used to go OTT over one of the ships on the show (he loved the ship and thought they were badly treated) and even wrote a scathing article which the show runner, Dan Harmon, actually read and replied to. It was just so embarrassing. So I'd agree, he definitely needs to drop the show just for his own peace of mind but I actually think this is just how he gets invested/watches TV shows. LOL. There's a pattern.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Guest

[kismet]

15 hours ago, tv echo said:

Also worth reading from the above THR interview with Greg Berlanti...

Now I really want to know was there really people writing in from prison about Dawson's Creek or was that story just hyperbole? Does Berlanti get a lot mail from prison still? I could see people in prison getting overly invested in shipping fictional characters. But as a Pacey/Joey fan, I will say people were very invested in their couplings on that show. Heck I got a whole tray of wings on a Pacey/Joey bet - maybe I should send him a thank you note... it won't be on prison paper, but I could find some nice letterhead.

[EmilyBettFan]

I see one glowing constant to these reviews. They almost always praise Emily Bett and my heart is soaring because of it. Amazing. This is how you do it. Same with Stephen and David. The consistently are great.

Edited May 13, 2016 by EmilyBettFan

[Password]

... Felicity and friends. 

[BkWurm1]

I'm also cracking up over the summary of the flashbacks.  Everyone hates them...no, that's way too much emotion, no one cares about them at all.

Remember last year how we all complained how nothing really happened in the flashbacks except for them making you care about the new characters?  Well they fixed that this year!  I don't think anyone could have tried on purpose to make the flashbacks worse than they already are by accident.   

[looptab]

Seriously.  I would trade this year's flashbacks with last year's in a second. Minus the kid, haha.

[tv echo]

We Minored In Film's positive review of 421...

ARROW’S “MONUMENT POINT” (S4:E21): THOUSANDS ARE DEAD
Posted on May 12, 2016  by Kelly Konda    
https://weminoredinfilm.com/2016/05/12/arrows-monument-point-s4e21-thousands-are-dead/

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Am I crazy, or is Arrow actually kind of good again? Not in a return to its gritty roots kind of way. More in a return to a time when season 4 seemed like a huge improvement over season 3. The latest episode, “Monument Point,” is the third in a row which I enjoyed watching with minimal reservation. After “Eleven-Fifty-Nine,” I wasn’t sure Arrow had that type of run in it anymore.
*  *  *
Personally, it took me a minute to process what Arrow just did. Every season has come down to a fight to save Star City. Oliver hasn’t always been successful, such as when Malcolm still managed to blow up part of The Glades. However, much as Daredevil is only ever saving a rather small neighborhood in New York City Oliver Queen is a protector of his city, not of the entire continent let alone planet. Now here we are watching Felicity process the news that thousands of people just died.

It’s a sudden elevation in stakes and scale that recalls this stunning moment from the “Flashpoint” episode of Justice League Unlimited when Lex Luthor suddenly took control of the Justice League’s watchtower and used it to fire on a city thus causing massive collateral damage (and blaming the Justice League for the destruction in the process):
*  *  *
Honestly, I don’t know how well it works. Lyla insisted early on that this problem was so far above them it wasn’t even funny, name-checking the Department of Defense and President, but then she came back later and essentially said, “Yeah, I talked to all of those people. They said, ‘Good luck,’ and then made fun of your costumes.” It was like the show recognized that if this were a summer blockbuster there’d need to be a montage of conversations with the highest powers in the land, but since it’s a CW show this end of the world scenario comes down to Oliver and pals. After all, they only have (what was it?) 21 hours. There’s just no time for anything else but saving the world, dangit.
*  *  *
So, now here we are. Thea’s boyfriend is dead, but she oddly got in some daddy-daughter bonding time or at least co-work time. Team Arrow is back to season 1-2 tricks, but also facing higher stakes than ever before. Now, they all have to save Thea, and hope that Oliver’s “just think good thoughts” strategy works to repel Damien’s magic.
*  *  *
1. Weekly Update from Pointless Island: That one guy with the magic came back and kept getting back up no matter how many times Oliver shot him, and that one girl ran away with Oliver but then her eyes turned yellow after touch….wow, I don’t even care enough to finish off this brief recap.

2. Poor Diggle: How messed up must your life be to be taking relationship advice from Oliver Queen?
*  *  *
5. Was It Just Me…: Or were there waaaaaay more parkour flips than usual during the fight scenes?

6. Fashion Nitpick: I am by no means a fashionista. Most of what I know about fashion comes from the movie The Devil Wears Prada. So take the following criticism with a grain of salt, but what the heck was up with this coat Felicity wore for seemingly half the episode?
*  *  *
It’s like a polka-dot design where the polka-dots are all metal buttons. From far away, it was fine, I guess, but in close-ups all I could see were those seemingly endless metal buttons on that dang dollar:
*  *  *
I found it endlessly distracting. It (or at least the collar) was like a more feminine version of something 80s rock stars would have worn in music videos for the various songs in which they pretended they were cowboys.

Edited May 13, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

4YourExcitement's positive review of 421...

THIS WEEK’S ARROW HAS THE TEAM FIGHTING AN ATTACK ON “MONUMENT POINT”
Verena Cote | May 12, 2016 
http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/05/this-weeks-arrow-has-the-team-fighting-an-attack-on-monument-point/

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Arrow is heading straight towards its season finale and evil plans are revealed and have to be dealt with. Episode 21, “Monument Point,” reunites our favorite three people – hopefully for good –  and OTA is working together again and it’s glorious.
*  *  *
One of our personal highlights of the episode was the few (but lovely) Donna and Quentin scenes we were given. Donna, always one to snoop, has found an affidavit that, if signed, would reinstate Quentin as Captain. However, he would also claim to have not known about his deceased daughter’s secret identity. It causes a raft between SmoaknLance, as lovingly dubbed by the fandom, because Donna is not ready to engage in yet another relationship filled with lies. What started as a relationship created out of an enormous fan reaction is slowly but surely on its way to becoming a more serious, possibly permanent connection. It’s beautiful to see how these two unlikely allies have found their way to each other and make each other better.
*  *  *
After several mediocre episodes it seems like Arrow is slowly finding its way back to what we fell in love with in the first place. The focus has shifted from a large assembly of masked crusaders back to the core of it all. Oliver, Felicity and Diggle are back to working together like a well-oiled machine, and we have missed it so very much. Felicity infiltrating Palmer Tech reminded us of the time she and Oliver had broken into Merlyn Global in season one, and we’re loving it. It’s surely one of the episode’s highlights, as it does not only deliver action-packed fighting scenes, but also a little bit of Smoak-Kuttler banter and a whole lot of OTA.

We cannot express how much we love seeing OTA reunited. Most noteworthy, are the scenes between Oliver and Diggle – they had us swooning thanks to their adorable bromance. We have missed their heart-to-hearts dearly. The ending provided yet another shock, because they were not able to save the day. While Diggle is still dealing with guilt over killing his brother, Felicity will surely continue to struggle with hers. She may have saved millions of people, but the thousands of lives that were lost will undoubtedly weigh heavy on her heart.

Edited May 13, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Jessica Breaux's review of 421 (thought it was "a pretty good episode")...

Arrow “Monument Point” Review (Season 4, Episode 21)
Jessica Breaux  May 12, 2016
http://www.tvequals.com/2016/05/12/arrow-monument-point-review-season-4-episode-21/

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... This decision led to Felicity and dear old dad attempting a heist which I’m not entirely sure was necessary. I know they needed that particular piece of equipment in order to be able to stop the launch, but why did they have to infiltrate Palmer Tech to get it? Why not just call Curtis, lay out what’s going on, and have him go get the tech? As far as I know, Curtis hasn’t been fired so they could’ve all saved themselves the trouble. And for that matter, they could’ve asked Curtis to help them with the computer stuff. I don’t know whether he’s as good as Noah and Felicity, but I’m thinking he definitely could’ve been helpful. I know he definitely would’ve been more trustworthy.

... He also wanted to make her understand that there were two sides of him and if she would only give him a chance and blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is, he was just a horrible father who abandoned Felicity and Donna when things got difficult. Besides, the middle of a heist isn’t the best time to have the ‘give me a chance and you’ll see I’m actually a great guy and I’ll make it all up to you’ conversation. Granted, with it possibly being the end of the world, he might not have another opportunity, but still. It seems like Noah should’ve been a bit more focused on helping Felicity save the world instead of attempting to justify his failures as a father.
*  *  *
My primary issue with this episode was the lack of gravity given to Havenbrook’s destruction. Yes. Felicity was forced to make a snap decision. People were going to die, and she was given all of about half a second to decide whether it would be thousands of people or millions of people. It was certainly a no win situation, and it was not something that should be given the brush off. Other than Felicity having a moment of panic when she wasn’t sure her attempt worked and then Lila telling Felicity that she did the best she could in a no-win situation, there were no consequences to the decision Felicity made. I get that the show wanted to thrill us with a glowy version of Damien Darhk (that’s about to hand Oliver his rear end again), but that really could’ve waited until the next episode. The fact that A NUCLEAR WEAPON WAS DETONATED ON AN AMERICAN TOWN should have been given more than a minute or so of screen time.

Edited May 13, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Tell-Tale TV's positive review of 421...

Arrow Review: Monument Point (Season 4 Episode 21)
May 12, 2016Lissete Lanuza Saenz
http://telltaletv.com/2016/05/arrow-review-monument-point-season-4-episode-21/

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Okay, Arrow, you’ve got my attention. You’ve got my interest too. And, okay, my excitement.
*  *  *
“Monument Point” clicks on all cylinders. The stakes have never been higher, the “original team” has never been more united, and oh, yes, the special guests have never made more sense.
*  *  *
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, can we make Audrey Marie Anderson a series regular? Or at least a recurring character? I live in constant fear that she’ll get another show and we won’t be able to just have Lyla back when we need her.
*  *  *
-Did anyone really care all that much about what happened to Alex? Sure, guy is hot, but he’s not Roy, and I, for one, just can’t get into the ship. He’s a placeholder.
-Having two less people on the field really helps showcase how good Diggle, and especially Oliver, really are at hand-to-hand combat.
-Give me all the Oliver-in-plainclothes missions. All of them.
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-May the show take this opportunity to actually explore the ramifications of Felicity’s choice, please. I’m not even asking for a whole season of it, just a few conversations. We deserve that much.

Edited May 13, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Some hilarious #laurawritesDC tweets by Laura Hurley (in honor of Supergirl's renewal)...

[tv echo]

I enjoyed reading Laura Hurley's comments on why she doesn't like magic on Arrow (in response to the following question)...

slowcookedvig asks:
As a Harry Potter fan, you're probably OK with magic in stories in general. What do you think about magic in Arrow? In particular, how does its use of magic work with character development (which you also love)? (I'm trying to think through how I feel about magic as a shortcut to telling about the "light" in Oliver. Was there enough character development, including the conversations with Felicity & Digg in the last two episodes?)
Laura Hurley May 11, 2016 6:46 pm
http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/post/144219623741/as-a-harry-potter-fan-youre-probably-ok-with

[tv echo]

Stephen Amell Talks WWE Summerslam, Calls It A ‘Terrifying’ Experience, Jay Briscoe Demands His ROH Title Rematch (Videos)
Bill Pritchard  May 12, 2016
http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/708323-stephen-amell-talks-wwe-summerslam-calls-it-a-terrifying-experience-jay-briscoe-demands-his-roh-title-rematch-videos

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WSVN-7’s Chris Van Vliet recently spoke with Arrow star Stephen Amell about the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows film, and also spoke about Amell’s appearances for WWE.

Amell says his Summerslam match was one of the most terrifying things he’s ever done, but he does want to have another match sometime and would like to explore wrestling more. Amell also said he doesn’t remember anything from his match, but liked what he saw after watching the replays. 

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by tv echo

[AES13]

If I could vote for "the poster I'm most grateful for", @tv echo, it would be you.  I appreciate all the time and energy you put in to keeping us updated on the media.  Thank you!

[Guest]

Quote

My primary issue with this episode was the lack of gravity given to Havenbrook’s destruction. Yes. Felicity was forced to make a snap decision. People were going to die, and she was given all of about half a second to decide whether it would be thousands of people or millions of people. It was certainly a no win situation, and it was not something that should be given the brush off. Other than Felicity having a moment of panic when she wasn’t sure her attempt worked and then Lila telling Felicity that she did the best she could in a no-win situation, there were no consequences to the decision Felicity made. I get that the show wanted to thrill us with a glowy version of Damien Darhk (that’s about to hand Oliver his rear end again), but that really could’ve waited until the next episode. The fact that A NUCLEAR WEAPON WAS DETONATED ON AN AMERICAN TOWN should have been given more than a minute or so of screen time.

I don't understand how much gravity they could have given this in a minute or so of screen time. It happened near the very end of the episode. What did they want to happen? For Felicity to have a nervous breakdown or something? A moment of silence? 

I'm pretty sure we'll see some of the repercussions in the next two episodes. Like, chill. Haha.

[wonderwall]

The problem I'm seeing with a lot of critics is that they want everything to happen in this episode. They're not even taking into account that there are 2 more episodes to deal with this sort of loss.

However, I can understand why they might be impatient, they don't know that the next 2 episodes are going to happen in the same night like we do. They might think that next week's episode will follow real time and skip over Felicity's reaction etc. 

Anyways, I DO Hope the show deals with this. I'm actually worried we won't see Felicity react to her decision. 

[apinknightmare]

I have hope that the show will deal with it, because in the finale there are

Spoiler

newspapers (from at least 2 cities, maybe more) where the blast is front page news. 

[Guest]

I hope we see Felicity's reaction too. I'm not expecting much though, purely because it looks like there will be so much happening. But I see this more as something she'll feel guilty about even into next season. Not everything has to be dealt with straight away. Some things are just set-up for down the line.

And I know this is Arrow and there's plenty they've done and do wrong but there's no way they'd drop a nuke and not show the repercussions. We even saw the consequences of the earthquake machine destroying the Glades well into s2. 

Edited May 14, 2016 by Guest

[way2interested]

10 minutes ago, Angel12d said:

And I know this is Arrow and there's plenty they've done and do wrong but there's no way they'd drop a nuke and not show the repercussions. We even saw the consequences of the earthquake machine destroying the Glades well into s2. 

Agreed. I've seen some reviews that comment that they wouldn't believe that Arrow would show the repercussions because "Arrow never does it," even though Arrow, to some extent, has shown significant repercussions to certain events in the plot. A majority of s2a was in reaction to 123, Laurel's drug plot in s2 were reactions to events that happened in 123 and s2, 302 was a reaction to 301, 310 and 311 were reactions to 309, Diggle's mistrust of Oliver from 321-323 lasted through 403, Thea's bloodlust was a repercussion of coming back to life in 320, 404 and 405 were both reactions/repercussions of bringing Sara back to life in 403, Felicity's paralysis arc was the repercussion of almost dying in 409, 416 was a reaction to 415 (even if people didn't like it), and 419 was a reaction to 418, along with Oliver and Felicity's renewed determination to kill Darhk. They may not execute the plots fully or correctly (or may sometimes gloss over important aspects of the repercussions/reactions), but to automatically assume that the show wouldn't have repercussions or reactions to this would kind of be negating all of the times when Arrow does show them.    

[lemotomato]

6 minutes ago, way2interested said:

Agreed. I've seen some reviews that comment that they wouldn't believe that Arrow would show the repercussions because "Arrow never does it," even though Arrow, to some extent, has shown significant repercussions to certain events in the plot.

Those reviewers are confusing "Arrow" with "Flash".

[Genki]

I agree, I think Arrow was still showing the repercussions of the Earthquake and Moira's/Bloods executions through early season 4. The city changed it name because the council was trying to save it and stop citizen leaving, (They gave Ray Palmer way more kudos than he deserved). Star City is always being painted as this terrible place to now live in and this actually confuses me because Central City is full of Meta Humans causing mass amounts of killings/crime sprees/property damage yet it is never painted as an undesirable location or place to live.

37 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Those reviewers are confusing "Arrow" with "Flash".

I will also never get over how Barry got a "Flash Day" after causing the events that put CC in danger, then taking credit for saving it and he was teasing Oliver about saving his city so he can get a coffee named after him. Grrr...

[bijoux]

4 hours ago, wonderwall said:

The problem I'm seeing with a lot of critics is that they want everything to happen in this episode. They're not even taking into account that there are 2 more episodes to deal with this sort of loss.

However, I can understand why they might be impatient, they don't know that the next 2 episodes are going to happen in the same night like we do. They might think that next week's episode will follow real time and skip over Felicity's reaction etc. 

Anyways, I DO Hope the show deals with this. I'm actually worried we won't see Felicity react to her decision. 

Noah and Felicity only got a somewhat bigger window to disarm the other nukes. Going by the episode itself, if there was a real time jump, the team and the world would be dealing with the consequence of a worldwide nuclear disaster. Or hanging at Big Belly Burger all, gee wiz, that was a doozy, taking care of all those bombs in off-screensville. Reviewers really ought to pay more attention to these things.

[looptab]

You know, on some level I understand the complaint and some thinking it would have been more impactful had the episode ended on the bomb going off. Still, the ultimate task was stopping DD from acquiring the power, it made sense that they showed that. I'm sure we'll pick up on Oliver's, Dig's and everyone else's reaction starting next episode. I mean, seeing DD like that, they must have realized what happened.

[tv echo]

15 hours ago, AES13 said:

If I could vote for "the poster I'm most grateful for", @tv echo, it would be you.  I appreciate all the time and energy you put in to keeping us updated on the media.  Thank you!

You're welcome.  But I appreciate all the spoilers, info and insights provided by everyone here.  I originally started visiting this forum for the spoilers (yes, I'm the kind of person who likes to read the end of the book first) and then got interested in the different perspectives given on shows I watch.  I also appreciate having a safe place to share my love for Arrow, Oliver, Felicity, Olicity, Diggle and OTA.  So my thanks to you all and to the mods.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Craig Wack and Tatiana Torres discussed Arrow 421 beginning at 1:00:37 (they also mourned the cancellation of Agent Carter)...

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 28
Posted on 05/13/2016
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

-- Surprisingly, they were not that positive about this episode.  Craig said it was "average" and Tatiana said it was "not good." Craig did give the show credit for the "messy ending" and Tatiana conceded that the flashbacks had a point for once (when Poppy's eyes turned yellow from holding the idol).
-- They thought the Palmer Tech heist didn't make sense since they could've just called Curtis (it was his lab).
-- They did like the "IT girl, the criminal and the two guys in Halloween costume" line, and they also liked the guy who plays Felicity's dad.
-- Craig commented that Oliver's curse has gone to Thea, meaning that people they kiss get killed.
-- They thought the Quentin & Donna scene was "just another way to prove... that Laurel is not dead."  Craig noted that this was another episode since the funeral that the show spent "a significant amount of time" on Laurel.
-- Craig thought that Felicity's conversation with Donna about Ravenspur could've been handled with a phone call. 
-- Tatiana wanted "like, five seconds" of conversation between Felicity and Noah where Felicity would realize that Oliver "is still your dude."
-- Craig thought they wasted too much time tracking down Noah.
-- Tatiana wondered if they had "money to burn on John Barrowman" because he just keeps coming back for short scenes and it's "never organic."  Craig noted that he's always the No. 1 bad guy, first to Ra's al Ghul and now to Darhk.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, tv echo said:

-- They thought the Quentin & Donna scene was "just another way to prove... that Laurel is not dead."
 

How? I don't understand this at all.

[tv echo]

I don't agree with Craig on this point, but if I understand him correctly, he's giving special significance to the fact that Laurel keeps getting brought up in every episode since her death - like, the Q/D scene where the affidavit issue is about Laurel being the BC.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

Of course they're going to keep bringing Laurel up. How weird would it be if she died and no one ever mentioned it again?

[tv echo]

Emertainment Monthly's usual rave review...

‘Arrow’ Review: “Monument Point”
May 13, 2016 Nora Dominick ‘17/
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/2016/05/13/arrow-review-monument-point/

Quote

With only three episodes left this season, Arrow delivers an episode that reminds fans what made them fall in love with the show in the first place. As Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) sets his plan in motion, Team Arrow needs all the help they can get in order to stop an all out nuclear war. With a standout performance from Emily Bett Rickards and the best stunt work this season, Arrow hurdles towards its finale with the latest episode entitled “Monument Point.”

[tv echo]

Heroesdirect's generally positive review of 421...

Arrow: “Monument Point”
by EAMMON JACOBS on MAY 12, 2016 
http://heroes.direct/tv/arrow-s4e21/

Quote

The latest episode of Arrow got very tense, very quickly. And not everyone got out alive. There were a couple of moments that were a little weak, but overall the episode was substantially better than the series has been over the past few weeks. We also got to see the return of The Calculator, which made for some interesting character chemistry between Felicity and her usually absent father.

Whilst the entire episode can basically summarised into “We need to steal this thing, so we can stop another thing, so we can stop Damien Darhk” – it still made for an entertaining episode. Whilst the previous few episodes have been filled with melodrama and soap opera style deaths in the family – ‘Monument Point’ is mainly action orientated. We get some excellent fight scenes with Oliver out of costume for once as he goes all industrial espionage spy.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, tv echo said:

I don't agree with Craig on this point, but if I understand him correctly, he's giving special significance to the fact that Laurel keeps getting brought up in every episode since her death - like, the Q/D scene where the affidavit issue is about Laurel being the BC.

Whaaaa....Of course they're gonna mention her though. There should be fallout and emotions and discussion about her death. If no one mentioned it, it would be weird. LOL. Someone that was in the show for 4 seasons dies and then you never mention them again? Naw, son. Haha.

 

14 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Emertainment Monthly's usual rave review...

‘Arrow’ Review: “Monument Point”
May 13, 2016 Nora Dominick ‘17/
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/2016/05/13/arrow-review-monument-point/

I feel like this person is a unicorn because they never think anything is bad or wrong with the show. LOL.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Guest

[tv echo]

USA Today's positive review of 421 (I really don't want an Evil Felicity, not unless it's her Earth-2 doppelganger)...

Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent on ‘Arrow’ episode ‘Monument Point’: Will we see Evil Felicity at some point?
By: Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent    | May 13, 2016 6:00 pm
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2016/05/13/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-arrow-recap-monument-point/

Quote

LK: From the very first moments, when the Russians lose control of one of their nuclear missile silos, Monument Point is one of the most tension-filled and action-packed episodes of the season (love those high, spinny kicks). It sped by so quickly that I almost didn’t form an opinion. I was just too busy watching.
*  *  *
AB: On the heels of last week’s Genesis, Monument Point was fabulous. They have been building up the tension to almost unbearable levels, and I love it!

I thought that this was a very well-paced episode, for the most part. Yes, action-packed with little downtime, but that was OK because (except for the super-brief flashbacks that seemed out of place in their brevity) the steady action that continued to build until the finale worked. My only complaint was that there was SO much that it felt a bit rushed, especially at the end … more on that.
*  *  *
LK: I do love watching the relationship between Felicity and her father. She can want nothing to do with him and yet you can see how similarly they think within the tech world. I am curious if there is something in his story that will help to redeem him — or convert her to the dark side.
*  *  *
LK: Wow. I have to admit that I was shocked that they nuked a town — even if it was the “right thing” to do. (Hmmm, maybe that’s more reason for the Lance/Donna scenes.) Felicity’s flat face, as she asked how many casualties there were, said so much. You could feel the pain she felt from that decision. It does make me keep wondering about the possibility of Evil Felicity next year. I could so easily see this becoming her motivation for changing the world — and not necessarily in a kind, gentle way. Her father spent much of the episode wanting to explain his choices to her, why he did some of the bad things he did, and I can only wonder if now she will listen and understand — but not necessarily in the way we would like. This would also fit with her losing control of PalmerTech. She doesn’t have Oliver. She doesn’t have the job she loved. She’s not sure she wants to be part of the team. She’s killed tens of thousands of people (even if she saved millions). It all sounds like a good backstory to a villain to me!
*   *  *
AB: I agree — I don’t know if I want evil Felicity, but maybe a temporarily evil Felicity … it would be a lot of fun, and then she and Oliver can find a new balance. Felicity is his light. She IS the light of the show, so I don’t think she can be evil for too long without it messing with the balance. But for a season? Yes, it would totally work.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Three If By Space's generally positive review of 421...

Arrow 421 Review: Nukes and Old Foes Abound in “Monument Point”
By: Alisha Bjorklund    May 13, 2016
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2016/05/arrow-421-review-nukes-old-foes-abound-monument-point/

Quote

This week’s Arrow episode was action-packed and featured a surprising number of former foes who returned to make life extremely difficult for Team Arrow. From Murmur and Brick to Anarky and The Calculator, this episode had high doses of villainy. As expected with such an wide array of enemies, “Monument Point” featured a lot of excellent fight scenes and races against the clock. Let’s dive-bomb into the thick of it with…
*  *  *
Between their silly banter and the high-energy situation, Felicity and Noah were very enjoyable to watch in this episode. Even in the end, when tens of thousands of lives were lost, it was still enjoyable to watch because of the stirring performances these characters gave (particularly Felicity).
*  *  *
From the get-go, I haven’t been a fan of the Thea/Alex romance. I feel that Alex is a flat character who has no chemistry with Thea. Unfortunately, made Thea’s valiant effort to save him seem hokey. Her fight with Anarky was cool, but it was stilted towards the end with her incessantly telling Alex to run and him doing nothing. Granted, he didn’t really have an opportunity to dodge Anarky’s attacks, but it still seemed overly forced. I felt much too aware of the acting. We’re led to believe he died (too bad, not so sad), and time will tell how much this affects Thea.

And this week’s episode continued to fall flat in the love department with the Donna and Quentin subplot.  It seemed out of place in an episode that focusing almost entirely of fight sequences and the end of the world crisis. Having the two of them argue over the subject of lying once again seemed unnecessary, especially so late in the season.
*  *  *
I give this episode 8.5 out of 10. It featured a lot of really great action and high stakes that make the conflict that much more engaging and tense. I also appreciated how this episode further showcased the high stakes by having a high number of casualties. Arrow is doing a classic Arrow thing: victory, but at a cost. Felicity may have moved the bomb away from Monument Point, but she wasn’t able to stop it completely and a lot of people died. The heroes can’t always be perfect, and that falls in line with quality Arrow story. But I had to dock points for the romantic subplot misses. Neither of them fit well and neither of them were engaging enough to make me care. Despite this, the episode really kicked everything into high gear and sets things up nicely as we move into the big finale.

Edited May 14, 2016 by tv echo

[thegirlsleuth]

I haven't done a close analysis, but Arrow always (or almost always) puts the responses and reactions to the big events in the episode after the event occurs.  Even looking at this season, you have Sara's revival,  Felicity's shooting, the breakup, and Laurel's death where the big event happened and it was the episode after that was about the emotional response.  I get the reviewers' point, but I don't think they are going to gloss over this.

[Ceylon5]

This article based on Emily's panel yesterday at COH2 is interesting.  It does contain some slight spoilers, so be warned.

Regarding the breakup:

Quote

Calling it a “milky moment,” she said it was less a case of the one lie about Oliver's son, William, but the final lie that broke the camel's back.

“She knows she loves him,” she said. “But it's realising there's all these lies he's told and then there's this lie.

“Relationships are complicated! She just needs time to come to terms with the lies. It may take her time...quite a bit of time.”

Edited May 15, 2016 by Ceylon5

[bijoux]

I've seen this on Twitter yesterday as well and I still don't get what "milky" is supposed to mean in this context.

[tv echo]

TV Upfronts: Power Plays, Surprises and Status Checks from the 5 Networks
MAY 15, 2016 6:30am PT by Michael O'Connell
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-upfronts-2016-power-plays-894105

Quote

The CW

Where it Stands: Things are strictly status quo at the fifth broadcast network, where an increasingly comic book reliant lineup -- thanks, Greg Berlanti! -- has kept the network dead even. And we all know steady is the new up. With a mere 10 hours to program each week, and all but one series returning next year, real estate on this schedule is virtually nonexistent.

What's New: Possibly more than they need. In addition to that Supergirl save, Mark Pedowitz has also added three more hour-longs in Archie comics spin Riverdale, comedic-skewing No Tomorrow and Frequency — which is said to have gone over especially well. 

Surprise Move: The network's reliance on comic book IP (and Berlanti) is flirting with the saturation point. Six shows on the new lineup, five of them from the super-producer, are TV takes on existing properties.

Edited May 15, 2016 by tv echo

[Carrie Ann]

9 hours ago, bijoux said:

I've seen this on Twitter yesterday as well and I still don't get what "milky" is supposed to mean in this context.

I think she probably meant "murky," not milky. (She makes little malapropisms like that pretty regularly.)

[bijoux]