The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[calliope1975]

It brings me great joy that the BMD is resonating with NO ONE. Suck it, MG!

[tv echo]

Here's an Examiner review of 414 by Meredith Jacobs...

 

'Arrow' recap: Lies come to light
February 17, 2016  9:07 PM MST
http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-recap-lies-come-to-light

Moving closer to the parts of the episode that leave the heart heavy, Oliver and Felicity continue to be cute and in love, as they have been thus far this season. When the team brings Felicity the laptop with nails in it, she remembers a different laptop with holes in it from a different weapon. "The first time we met, the first thing you asked me to do was pull data off a damaged laptop. It's kinda romantic." And the two of them look like the lovesick fools they are at that memory. Donna calls them the couple that everyone believes in. Oliver tells her she's the only voter that matters. Unfortunately, in a way, Oliver's lying is tainting these moments because it's hard not to think about that hanging over their heads, yet to be revealed.
*  *  *
But is Felicity's? Here is where "Arrow" is not subtle. There's Donna telling Lance he either respects her enough to tell her the truth or he doesn't. There's Lance telling Oliver he's lucky he's with someone he doesn't need to keep secrets from. There's Donna saying that Felicity and Oliver don't lie to each other. There's Oliver telling Lance that a lie isn't wrong if it's for the good of someone he loves. (And it seems that Lance commenting that Oliver looks "healthy," meaning he's not burdened by secrets, is supposed to suggest that it's okay that Oliver's lying to Felicity?) So, in theory, are these things and comments from previous episodes – marriage is about getting through the hard times, finding the best way out of an impossible situation – meant to foreshadow how Felicity should react?
 

But here's the thing. It has gotten to the point that any attempt to justify Oliver not telling Felicity about William is utterly ridiculous. (Hey, at this point, all of Star City is going to know about William before she does.) Barry knows. Malcolm knows. (Considering Oliver just chopped his hand off, maybe he should be a little bit more concerned than he seems to be that he knows. It's not like Malcolm's a trustworthy guy.) Now, thanks to the check Moira wrote out to Samantha and Thea's work for the campaign to uncover what the opposition finds on Oliver, she knows. When she confronts Oliver about William, he admits that he's his son and tells her Samantha's terms. How can he marry Felicity with this lie between them, he wonders, but Thea argues it's not a lie, but him keeping a promise he made to the mother of his child, someone who only knew him as the rich playboy. His sister is right that anyone in his life becomes a possible target, but she thinks he's doing the right thing for his son by keeping him a secret. For Oliver, that's exactly what he needed to hear.
 

Yet, it makes no sense. There doesn't seem to be any logic in Thea now knowing and telling Oliver he shouldn't tell Felicity because William needs to be a secret. Felicity can obviously keep a secret, just taking into consideration that she's been working with Oliver and Diggle for years. And why is it more important to keep a promise he made to the woman who kept William a secret from him all these years than to not lie to the woman he wants to marry (so badly, he's the one who went to her in the last episode and proposed again because he wants it to happen soon)? Considering Thea knows what it's like to be lied to, it's disappointing to see her take that stance.

[tv echo]

EW mosly just recaps episodes, but here's this bit...

 

Arrow recap: 'Code of Silence'
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD  February 17 2016 — 11:09 PM EST
http://www.ew.com/recap/arrow-season-4-episode-14

Meanwhile, Thea confronts Oliver about Samantha and his son, William. She found out after Oliver’s campaign discovered an uncashed check for $1 million that Moira wrote to Samantha and did some digging. Oliver comes clean to her about her everything and opens up about hating that he has to lie to Thea because of what he promised. However, Thea defends Samantha and says that Oliver is doing the right thing by keeping his promise. This little exchange is rather irritating not because of Oliver’s decision to keep his promise to Samantha (he’s doing it for his son, even though it causes him distress, which is quite admirable), but because of Samantha’s initial demand, which is a thinly veiled way of contriving unnecessary drama.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

From Laura Hurley's instagram...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB6g4blypo4/

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

IGN's generally positive review of 414 (but this episode's inconsistency is noted)...

ARROW: "CODE OF SILENCE" REVIEW
JESSE SCHEDEEN  17 FEB 2016
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/18/arrow-code-of-silence-review

The real conflict this week rested on Ollie and Quentin’s shoulders as both men wrestled with the need to keep secrets from their significant others. It’s interesting to look at where their relationship was a year ago and how similar the two men have become since then. Ollie’s secret son has basically been a ticking time bomb ever since the Flash crossover last December. The first time Felicity learned the truth, she had a meltdown on the spot. Is the inevitable second time going to be any different, especially with Barry’s warning about time always trying to correct itself? Both Stephen Amell and Paul Blackthorne delivered solid, emotionally charged performances as they struggled to reconcile the desire for honesty with the need to keep their loved ones safe.
 

Generally, this show has been pretty pro-honesty when it comes to secret identities and so forth. “If you love someone, be completely honest with them,” is basically the moral. This episode didn’t quite stick to that formula. Quentin opened up to Donna, but Ollie kept his secret buried. What’s more, he made that choice with Thea’s blessing. Maybe it’s not the right choice, but at least he has someone on his side backing him up for a change. Plus, it’s always nice to see the show strengthen the sibling bond between Ollie and Thea.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Vulture review of 414 (the headline says it all)...

 

Arrow Recap: Handsome Little Liars
By Jenny Raftery  February 18, 2016 9:05 a.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/arrow-recap-season-4-episode-14.html

... Although, by the end of “Code of Silence,” Oliver is looking pretty bad himself.
*  *  *
Arrow’s stunt coordinator, James Bamford, directed “Code of Silence,” and it shows. The episode’s stunts were creative (a slick slide under a table) and daring (an Evel Knievel–like giant motorcycle leap over an intersection). There was also an impressive variety of stunts. There were not only scenes with hand-to-hand combat and knife fights, but also threatening mallet-and-nail-gun attacks. The Demolition Team story line also allowed Bamford to play around with falling boulders and collapsing walls, which created a claustrophobic fun-house atmosphere at times. (Thankfully, Bamford relied less on shaky camerawork this time around.)
*  *  *
After taking in the news, Thea almost immediately defends Oliver’s choice to lie. This is dubious for a few reasons, including the fact that, of all people, Thea would not be onboard with more lies. (She even glosses over the fact that Oliver lied to her earlier about the check.) Thea’s also too quick to defend Samantha’s shaky reasoning — that Samantha doesn’t want William to have a father who was once a famous playboy — and shows little concern for how the lie will affect the one good thing her brother has in his life (i.e., Felicity). I more easily buy the logic that the lie is somewhat justified because Oliver’s status as the Green Arrow will make William a target, but then again, isn’t that undermined by the fact that Thea now knows? What’s the harm in letting Felicity in on the secret as well? Despite the logic headache this scene gave me, from an acting standpoint, Willa Holland and Stephen Amell knocked it out of the park. (Ol’ Teary-Eyed Amell actually made me feel bad for Oliver and this lie subplot.)

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[Primal Slayer]

Arrow has a problem that basically no one can die. Everyone but 2 people that were part of the cast have been faked or brought back.

[tv echo]

Robert Dougherty's scathing review of 414 (gave it a score of 5/10)...

 

Arrow S4: E14 -- 'Code of Silence'
By Robert Dougherty February 18, 2016 08:55AM EST
http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-s4-e14-code-silence

An obvious sign that the script isn't the central point of the episode is that stunt coordinator James Bamford is back behind the director's chair. After his impressively filmed fight scenes in Brotherhood, Bamford uses practical pyrotechnics -- for the most part -- for his visually striking action moments this time. Given that Damien's latest master plan involves a literal demolition team blowing up buildings with Lance and Team Arrow in them, he gives himself more than a few chances to show off.
*  *  *
This comes through another unfortunate development, in which Donna Smoak is literally copied and pasted onto her daughter's various "you have to be pushed away for your own good" plotlines from years past, while Quentin is copied and pasted into Oliver's part. After many fans pushed for the 'SmoakinLance' pairing online in the first place, and after they only had one flirty scene and were used for punchlines twice since they actually met, it is all the sadder that this is their first real extended plotline together
*  *  *
The anvil falls even faster from the tree, and onto our collective heads, when Lance admires Olicity's supposedly lie-free policy as well. Still, Oliver does get to show guilt over keeping his son a pointless secret for the first time since the lie's unholy birth, although a day with a guilty Oliver is just another one that ends in y.
*  *  *
But then just when it starts to become too much for Oliver, the superhero genre gods channel Thea as their vessel to set him straight -- and by extension, the rest of us who dare to think maybe the genre would be better off letting these 'lying to protect our loved ones' cliches die a joyous death already.
*  *  *
This is all too painfully obvious again when Thea's own research leads her to Samantha Clayton, Moira Queen's bribe nine years ago and eventually to Oliver's son -- and leads her to give Oliver the courage he needs to keep lying. And apparently, Thea arguing for secrecy and lies after she loathed them enough to go to Malcolm and set up her entire last year-and-a-half of misery qualifies as character development, it would seem. So in that way as well, the genre has successfully assimilated those who dare to question its grand mistaken tenets.

*  *  *
If they are trying to make us relieved that there's still one week left until disaster -- or to make us actually anxious to rip the band aid off and get it over with by now -- then this reviewer still has to say thanks but no thanks. It would be nice to say they get an A for effort, but the script and dialogue gets a C at best. What's more, since the usually much more reliable Wendy Mericle co-wrote it with Oscar Balderrama, the blame really can't be laid onto Marc Guggenheim, at least for this particular episode.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

Arrow has a problem that basically no one can die. Everyone but 2 people that were part of the cast have been faked or brought back.

Isn't that the problem this flash-forward death is supposed to solve, though? Bringing back "stakes" or whatever in the hell MG said about it.

[tv echo]

ScreenCrush reviewer thought 414 was a "pleasantly surprising hour overall" but still thought that Oliver's "deception" made little sense...

 

Review: ‘Arrow’ Hits Another Stunt High Breaking its ‘Code of Silence’
Kevin Fitzpatrick | 7 hours ago
http://screencrush.com/arrow-code-of-silence-review/

However dubious Malcolm’s betrayal*, the indiscretion of Oliver’s son also returned to the forefront this week, albeit to some mixed results. On the one hand, it was smart to have Thea unravel her brother’s deception organically through the campaign trail, even if it was decidedly odd to land on her brother’s side as an effort to keep his loved ones safe. I get that “Code of Silence” wanted to connect the idea to Quentin’s choice to keep Donna in the dark for protection (which itself plays far better in context between two parental figures), but Oliver’s deception** in particular still makes little sense. He wants to protect his son (a moot point now anyway), but why on Earth couldn’t he tell his loved ones, and simply ask them to play along for Samantha’s sake? It isn’t as if they know her.
*  *  *
**The camera-work in particular seems to present tonight’s hour at least somewhat through Oliver’s gaze, both literally and figuratively, which could well accommodate some of his more self-involved decisions.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Just About Write's scathing review of 414 (it's very lengthy so I only quoted portions, but I recommend you read the entire article)...

 

Arrow 4x14 Review: "Code of Silence" (Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire)
6:41 PM
http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2016/02/arrow-4x14-review-code-of-silence-liar.html

Here's a novel concept: if television writers spent time figuring out what made their characters interesting and then wrote THAT, we would have no need for this ill-conceived baby mama drama between Oliver and Felicity, and we certainly wouldn't need to fear a stupid "curse."
*  *  *
Oliver and Felicity wax poetic about trusting one another and being upfront. One of their major stumbling blocks pre-relationship was the fact that Oliver kept everything to himself and wouldn't let anyone help him deal with his pain. That changed when he began to embrace his humanity and a "new way" of doing things. And it's changed for Felicity this season. She's become more vulnerable and willing to communicate than before. She tells Oliver pretty much everything — all she is feeling and thinking — and believes he is reciprocating. And the thing that kills me is that Oliver could and SHOULD be at least telling Felicity what is happening internally. He doesn't need to tell her details. He can tell her in time that he has a son. Because that would be the thing to progress characterization, right? That is the thing that would be consistent with what we know to be true of Oliver Queen in the fourth season. This is the guy who believes in teamwork and partnership. He's the one who is supposed to value honesty and "finding another way." And yet, for the sake of some contrived drama that serves no purpose but to regress a character who has made a world of progress since last season and punish a woman who was already paralyzed for the sake of... errr, I'm not sure. Character development? Sure. We'll go with that.
*  *  *

The thing that I hate most about this Arrow storyline (besides everything, because it's regressing Oliver's character and making Felicity a punching bag in a way that she doesn't even remotely deserve in any planet or universe) is that Oliver is, in my opinion, no way justified for how he lies to Felicity and he emerges from this episode not just looking like the bad guy, but the stupid bad guy who magically poofed in from season three. Which leads us to...
*  *  *
I think that I need a new word to describe exactly how heavy-handed and appalling this episode was. "Code of Silence" spent 95% of its time force-feeding lines of dialogue into its characters that addressed the huge elephant in the room of Oliver's lying. Between Quentin telling Oliver that he's changed and is no longer the person who spends his time in the darkness to ANOTHER conversation where Quentin literally says how grateful Oliver should be that he has a partner he doesn't have to lie to anymore. And then, don't forget, there is the conversation between Oliver and Thea where Thea: a) figures out Oliver's secret in a RECORD amount of time, and b) tells Oliver to keep lying to Felicity.
 

No, I'm not making this up. Thea tells Oliver that he isn't doing anything wrong — he's really just keeping a promise and hey, lies keep people safe! Funny, Thea, but I don't remember you being okay with Roy lying a few years ago to keep you safe or Oliver lying to you to keep you safe or... well, everyone lying to you to keep you safe. That's because YOU WERE NOT OKAY WITH IT. Not telling someone because you think you're protecting them is wrong. And I'm glad that — at the very least — Arrow showed this to us by having Quentin tell Donna the truth about H.I.V.E. this episode.
*  *  *
I'm mad because the writers used the Donna/Felicity scene as a way to write themselves out of conflict resolution. They made Felicity empathetic to LYING TO PROTECT SOMEONE WHO IS VULNERABLE AND YOU LOVE. Do you see what that does? That undercuts her eventual anger. That makes us believe that she is — on some level — okay with Oliver lying. Now, do I expect Oliver/Felicity fallout? Yes. Do I expect anger and bitterness and a break-up? Yes. But the most maddening thing to me is that the writers slid this scene into the episode as a reference point for them that should never have needed to exist in the first place. Now, when things hit the fan down the line, they can point to "Code of Silence" and say: "See, this is why Felicity forgave him! Remember when she said she understood why someone wold lie and thought it was okay?"
 

Lying is lying, and generally if you're not okay with it in one instance (like your dad lying to you an episode ago) you won't be keen on it the next (like this episode). I'm not saying Felicity cannot or shouldn't forgive Oliver. I'm only saying that I'm severely disappointed that the writers manipulated Felicity as a character to deliver this shoddy dialogue so that somewhere — down the line — their jobs will be easier in messily wrapping up a story that should have never existed in the first place.

[tv echo]

Yahoo reviewer doesn't understand Thea's stance either...

 

'Arrow' Recap: Buildings Fall, Felicity Stands Tall
Robert Chan   February 18, 2016
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-buildings-fall-felicity-stands-120948341.html

Demolition Team, one of the sillier characters pulled from the original DC comics, provided a decent amount of action on this week’s Arrow, but it’s the heartfelt moments between Quentin Lance and Donna Smoak that really anchor the episode.
*  *  *
The Arrowverse has a real weak spot when it comes to secrets. Everybody’s protecting everybody else by keeping secrets, which inevitably turn out to hurt more than help. Quentin breaks that trend by — after an entire episode of hemming and hawing — being honest with Donna about why he’s pushing her away. Oliver doesn’t get the point and still thinks hiding his son from Felicity is a good idea. And Thea, inexplicably, agrees with him despite having “secret daddy” issues of her own. The only way this gets resolved satisfactorily is if Felicity reveals that she’s known about William all along. If Thea, who has zero detecting skills whatsoever, can find out about William, how can Felicity — master hacker and queen of a thousand surveillance cameras — not?
*  *  *
H.I.V.E. thought the best way to make Captain Lance’s death look like an accident was to have an entire building coincidentally collapse on him as he investigates a false call? It’d be ridiculous, except that who doesn’t love to watch buildings get demolished, right? Those videos of Vegas buildings crumbling speaks to the 8-year old boy inside all of us and this episode did it twice!

 

ETA: Incidentally, the answer to the Yahoo reviewer's question?  Felicity loves and trusts Oliver and would not violate Oliver's privacy that way by electronically tracking him.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[Morrigan2575]

I love that professional reviewers are calling out MG/WM on the stupid/contrived BMD plotline.  Love it.  Not that it will matter or that MG will even listen, to him it's all just stupid shippers being mean.

[Chaser]

The thing is Felicity wouldn't have to be cyber stalking Oliver to find out. I have a hard time believing she wouldn't have some type of monitoring system to alert them when Oliver's name comes up in the public eye. Some type of filtering system to safe guard his secret identity, esp during the political race. You can't tell me someone hasn't spotted Oliver in CC with the kid. I'm sure some neighbor has put it on Facebook or IG.

[tv echo]

Even Matt Carter is on Felicity's side and not Oliver's...

 

‘Arrow’ season 4, episode 14 review: Felicity’s (potentially) big news; William’s clear and present danger
February 18, 2016
http://cartermatt.com/195720/arrow-season-4-episode-14-review-william-questions/

Now, the question you have to wonder is this: Should Felicity be angry about this if and when she finds out? Our feeling is definitely, if for no other reason than that there was ultimately no reason for Oliver to keep it a secret from her. This has been a long sore subject for us, mostly because of the fact that he could’ve just went to Felicity, told her the truth, and then told her that it needed to remain a secret. Why not do that? Has she not earned his trust at this point? The same goes for Diggle and almost everyone else. Maybe you don’t tell Campaign Manager Alex (conspicuously absent) or Curtis Holt, but if you’ve been around from season 1 onward, you’ve earned that opportunity.

[looptab]

 

he emerges from this episode not just looking like the bad guy, but the stupid bad guy who magically poofed in from season three.

I'm not even sure Oliver emerges as the bad guy. Quite the contrary, the show put Thea on his side, so he has at least one person in his corner, as of now. He is the victim in all this, poor guy had no choice! 

 

ETA: I failed to quote what I was referring to - BTW, not even sure means Definitely not, here. :)

Edited February 18, 2016 by looptab

[dtissagirl]

I'm not even sure Oliver emerges as the bad guy. Quite the contrary, the show put Thea on his side, so he has at least one person in his corner, as of now. He is the victim in all this, poor guy had no choice! 

 

This is the part that makes me cackle with hysterical LOLs. Poor Oliver's UNBEARABLE DILEMMA that could be solved by their resident lawyer going, "uh, Oliver, this chick can't do that, you have parental rights by law."

[tv echo]

Here's another Examiner review of 414 - this time by Allison Nichols (rated it 2 out of 5 stars)...

 

'Arrow' 4x14 'Code of Silence' Review: A breathtaking gift
Allison Nichols  February 17, 2016 8:10 PM MST
http://www.examiner.com/review/arrow-4x14-code-of-silence-review-a-breathtaking-gift

It sort of made sense that Thea would want to protect William. The answer isn’t as simple as Thea made it out to be. Did she forget that she was super upset that everyone was lying to her? Thea has this huge issue with lying, mainly because her family kept so many secrets from her, but now she said it was okay to lie William.
 

There should have been more of a discussion with Thea recognizing the pros and cons of lying to William or at least Oliver asking her about it since he knows that Thea’s been in that position. Like Oliver said, she told him what he needed to hear, but it wasn’t the full truth. We could have had this amazing honest discussion, but sadly, that's not what we got.
*  *  *
It was overwhelming. Yes, we get it. Oliver is lying to Felicity. The secret comes out super soon (next week) - stop trying to ramp up the drama. It would have been fine if one of those lines was still in there, but geez, so much of the hour was about how perfect Oliver and Felicity’s relationship is when it’s not.
 

Oliver at least knows it, but he only ever shows how it’s affecting him when he chats with Thea. We really needed to hear what Oliver thought of his situation and how he felt, but other than that conversation, Oliver never appears to have any problem with lying to Felicity.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[bijoux]

The thing is Felicity wouldn't have to be cyber stalking Oliver to find out. I have a hard time believing she wouldn't have some type of monitoring system to alert them when Oliver's name comes up in the public eye. Some type of filtering system to safe guard his secret identity, esp during the political race. You can't tell me someone hasn't spotted Oliver in CC with the kid. I'm sure some neighbor has put it on Facebook or IG.

 

Maybe they just play in William's room. Which is NOT AT ALL weird givevn it's a grown up William has never met.

[looptab]

This is the part that makes me cackle with hysterical LOLs. Poor Oliver's UNBEARABLE DILEMMA that could be solved by their resident lawyer going, "uh, Oliver, this chick can't do that, you have parental rights by law."

"Our conflicted hero struggling with his decision to keep being honorable, even at a personal cost" It's what they dubbed this storyline.

 

I mean, even leaving lawyers out of this, they have simply made a mess of motivations, because what's valid for one character it isn't for another:

 

-They make the argument that is right to keep the kid's parentage a secret because Oliver's life is dangerous. Cool, it is. Except Samantha doesn't know that, yet everyone keeps acting as if that's the reason she made that request.

-Because it must be kept a secret for the kid's safety, Felicity must be kept in the dark. Except, Felicty wouldn't be a threat for the kid.

 

Agreeing that revealing William to the world would be bad is one thing (one legitimate, understandable thing). But giving that same reasoning for Felicity is another. That doesn't hold for Felicity, and everyone with half a brain knows that.

 They are so deep in their own omniscient vision of the show as writers, that they have forgotten (or simply chosen to ignore) personal character motivation and have given one unified justification that's only laughable.

 

Which makes me wonder, don't they have a beta? Someone, anybody, who isn't that deep in the story who would be able to see the giant hole? What is Greg Berlanti doing? 

Edited February 18, 2016 by looptab

[tv echo]

"Our conflicted hero struggling with his decision to keep being honorable, even at a personal cost" It's what they dubbed this storyline.

 

Except he's not being honorable.  He can't.  Either he has to lie to Samantha or he has to lie to his loved ones... and he chooses to lie to his loved ones.  He outright lied to Thea last night - and who knows how many times he's lied to Felicity, as well as the rest of Team Arrow, about his trips to Central City.

Edited February 18, 2016 by tv echo

[Password]

Or option c) He tells baby mama to shove her lie and tells everyone that matters.

What a hero.

[Ann Mack]

Just About Write's scathing review of 414 (it's very lengthy so I only quoted portions, but I recommend you read the entire article)...

 

Arrow 4x14 Review: "Code of Silence" (Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire)

6:41 PM

http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2016/02/arrow-4x14-review-code-of-silence-liar.html

I love that they pointed out that scene about Felicity saying in some instance if you love someone its okay to lie because its BS. I hate how this show is robbing her of her RIGHT to be royally pissed and NOT be okay by setting in motion there back door defense to shut down Felicity's earned rage from his lying. My goodness they destroyed Thea whole morale stance on lying with one scene and are doing the same with Felicity in order to try and salvage Oliver's regression and lying of which they themselves created. Now I loved the adorable Olicity moments but I really had NO sympathy for a teary eyed Oliver at all. As soon as Thea sided with willingness to continue to lie to Felicity to keep a "promise" to a woman who lied to him for 9 years, he jumped out that chair and went back to business as usual without a care in the world.

 

I really hope Felicity gets to express her pain since the show has robbed of her right to mad and not so forgiving of Oliver's lies by giving her some of the worst dialogue and using Donna and Lance to be a blurry mirror at best of trying to represent what is happening between Oliver and Felicity. Oh and BTW Lance my have lied but in the end he "respected" Donna enough to be honest (and he isn't even planning on marrying her anytime soon). I'll say it once more I despise how unimaginative and creative the writers of this show are. When they produce anvil written dialogue and character assassinating words to drive home that point I think I despise them even more (if that is possible).

 

I'll take the cutesy scenes of this episode but they pretty much could  have kept everything else.

[dtissagirl]

Which makes me wonder, don't they have a beta? Someone, anybody, who isn't that deep in the story who would be able to see the giant hole? What is Greg Berlanti doing? 

 

They do, that's the story editor's job. In past seasons that has been either Keto or Beth, but I have NO IDEA who's story editing this season.

[Delphi]

https://twitter.com/lah9891/status/700173776898695172

That's a odd quote from the producer of Gotham considering they have been killing one character an episode this whole season.

[looptab]

They do, that's the story editor's job. In past seasons that has been either Keto or Beth, but I have NO IDEA who's story editing this season.

Oh, so that's what the story editor is for! Thank you, I have always wondered, haha. However, I think it's still Beth. But I'm not faulting her, it's all TIIC's fault!

[Ann Mack]

I might be mistaken but didn't last week on the Thursday following the show TVLine posted photo stills for the next week episode? Curious if they are going to do that early this week or wait until it gets closer to airing the episode? I think the show knows most fans are already somewhat dreading the upcoming episode.

 

I want the baby mama drama resolved I just don't have faith in these writers to provide good dialogue. Plus the whole 3-1/2 to 4 minutes of montage dedicated to Oliver do dwell on his own stupidity and losses (I'm guessing) I'm really not looking forward to it I'd rather since the show will be taking a hiatus it dedicate some time to Felicity to provide her POV. Wonder if they will even bother to let Felicity express her pain (if they give that opportunity to Oliver she should get it as well they were in this engagement together).  Oh well guess I'll wait to see if any photo stills will be released today or not.

[Morrigan2575]

Promotional stills are usually the week before the episode. It all depends on CW PR peeps not getting lazy.

[Ann Mack]

Thanks.

[lemotomato]

I think the stills got posted earlier last week because of the 3-day weekend.

[dtissagirl]

Also -- while video promotion is all about fandom, stills aren't. They're released so that the press can have images to illustrate their talk about the show.

[Velocity23]

EXCLUSIVE: Geoff Johns Details "Rebirth" Plan, Seeks to Restore Legacy to DC Universe

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/exclusive-geoff-johns-details-rebirth-plan-seeks-to-restore-legacy-to-dc-universe

 

Given the amount of success DC has had with film and TV, there seem to be an opportunity there -- not to make the comics like the TV shows and movies, but to capitalize on that popularity more than has happened. Does that seem fair?

I know people have been talking about, "They're going to make the comics like the TV shows or the films!" Why would we do that? These aren't licensed comics. That's boring. We already have TV and the films. And those are great. But comics are their own thing. We talked about "Green Arrow' with the writer; all we talked about were comics. We talked about "Longbow Hunters," Neal Adams' work, all the great "Green Arrow'" runs that have happened -- there have been a lot of them. If there's something interesting that we see in film or TV that we want to nod to or bring over, we do it, but it's really much more focused on the comic books.

[tv echo]

L.A. Times' very negative review of 414 (but strangely, not much criticism about Oliver's lying and secret-keeping)...

 

'Arrow's' aptly named 'Code of Silence' leaves little to talk about
James Queally  FEBRUARY 18, 2016, 12:45 PM
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-arrow-code-of-silence-20160217-story.html

"Code of Silence" is about as forgettable an episode of "Arrow" as you will find. It succeeds at advancing plot lines that have stalled in recent weeks (the Donna-Quentin romance, the Star City mayoral campaign and the existence of Oliver's son), but outside of maybe two scenes, this chapter isn't worth much more than a shrug. The episode's functional, but not terribly entertaining.
*  *  *
Enter the "Demolition Crew," a bunch of Z-list DC villains who serve as a low-rent version of their Marvel cousins the "Wrecking Crew." Both are construction-themed baddies that seem to have walked out of a Saturday morning cartoon, but at least the "Avengers" nemeses have some super powers and a few achievements on their ledger: The Marvel goon squad has knocked out Thor and broken Captain America's jaw ... these guys shoot nail guns and look outclassed by Laurel. Yick.
*  *  *
"Code of Silence" does have some bright spots in the background, most of which focus on young William Queen. The son born of Oliver's youthful infidelity brings us one of the best Thea-Ollie scenes we've had in a while, with little sister getting to play the role of advisor for once. Thea's heartfelt advice about how and why Ollie should keep the boy a secret from Felicity marks a nice character moment for "Speedy," who has been understandably too bogged down by her Lazarus Pit-related struggles to have time for character development this year.
 

This advice, of course, is going to come back to bite Oliver next week, but in a vacuum, the scene works.
*  *  *
So I guess Merlyn joined H.I.V.E. after his defeat last week.? Speaking of last week, sorry for the lack of recap but I was on vacation. It's probably better, unless you wanted to read 2,000 words of me whining about how the Oliver-Merlyn rivalry climaxed in a 30-second slap fight and how nothing about the entire episode made sense. Deus Ex Dismemberment is almost as bad as Deus Ex Barry from last season, but at least Nyssa dissolved the League. The legions at Ra's Al Ghul's command are truly interesting in the comics, but "Arrow" has never seemed to know what to do with plots involving the Head of the Demon.
 

OK, seriously, we're 15 episodes in and I still have no idea how Damien Darhk's powers work. If he can kill people with his brain through a television screen then why is he wasting his time trying to kill Oliver by employing lesser hit men? This has gone from typical villain hubris to plain stupid. I need some of his powers' limits explained so the plot makes sense.

Edited February 19, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

414 reviews by fangirlish and jbuffyangel...

 

‘Arrow’ 4×14 Recap: ‘Code of Silence’
fangirlish  FEBRUARY 18, 2016
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-4x14-recap-code-of-silence/

Arrow has definitely been the best of the DC television shows this season — with The Flash not fully living up to its sensational freshman run — but it goes to show you how one terrible storyline can change things. There are so many questions that come with this plot point: How will everyone react? How will this affect things moving forward? Can this unforgivable storyline eventually be remedied? Hopefully Arrow can redeem itself this season as they move past the baby mama drama and into the heart of the show.

 

TELL ME LIES: CODE OF SILENCE 4X14 REVIEW

jbuffyangel FEBRUARY 19, 2016 @ 00:46
http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/139588134058/tell-me-lies-code-of-silence-4x14-review

Mid season slump is always a rough time of year for Arrow. The plots become more contrived and what can be resolved in three episodes is stretched to eight episodes. The 23 episode season is not always conducive to good storytelling. Maybe this mid season feels slumpier than last year’s because Season 4 has been so incredibly strong over all. Or maybe it’s because the episode made absolutely no sense, but that’s what happens when the writers are selling a bullshit storyline.

[tv echo]

ITA...

 

Why Felicity Smoak is a True Hero of ‘Arrow’
fangirlish  FEBRUARY 19, 2016
http://fangirlish.com/why-felicity-smoak-is-a-true-hero-of-arrow/

For me the true hero of Arrow doesn’t wear a costume and isn’t physically superior. She wears stilettos and is intellectually superior and the ultimate representation of heroic in our world where ordinary people are heroes in their own right. And that is one Felicity Smoak, played by the brilliant Emily Bett Rickards.

When it comes to the most empowering and inspiring women in this DCTV universe Felicity Smoak is at the top of my list. Every. Time. She defies expectations for what a hero is perceived to be. She isn’t out on the front lines taking and delivering hits in a flashy costume, and yet she’s the important person on Team Arrow. Like Oliver said, “She’s stronger than all of us.”
*  *  *
But Felicity is the one constant that has never needed a superhero suit to define the hero that she is. She is such an incredibly strong, intelligent, passionate woman that is a role model for women everywhere. She has shown that true strength and courage comes not from physical superiority but from the fire within.

[tv echo]

WeMinoredInFilm's mixed review of 414...

 

ARROW’S “CODE OF SILENCE” (S4,EP14): THEY LEFT OUT THE BEST PART
Posted on February 18, 2016 by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2016/02/18/arrows-code-of-silence-s4ep14-they-left-out-the-best-part/

Here I am, some 14 hours removed from watching Arrow‘s “Code of Silence,” and I’ve already forgotten the primary plot...
*  *  *
“Code of Silence” was their clearing of the air. They spent an entire scene feeding lines to Thea which might as well have been them talking directly to the audience, taking a second stab at explaining why William’s mom reacted the way she did. “You have to look at it from her point of view,” Thea says. Of course, it was a little surprising to see her go straight from “I have a nephew that I can never see, and you can’t tell Felicity about him? Wow, that is rough” to “She’s totally right,” but in the weird, wacky, soap opera world of Arrow the logic she was throwing down for Oliver made sense. Just as importantly, Oliver was given a moment to reveal his deep misgivings about lying to Felicity, a continuation of the on-going maturation process unique to season 4 Oliver.
 

Just as the Demolition Team exists to chip at the foundations of buildings to bring them crashing down, William exists as the third act plot complication in the love story that is Olicity. “Code of Silence” explained the internal logic of it and revealed that Oliver kind of hates himself for lying to his fiance. The next step will be to see how Felicity reacts, which should happen in the next episode, based on the trailer.
*  *  *
Latest “Who’s In That Grave?” Candidates
Donna and Quentin both moved up the list this week, and so did William and his mother.

Edited February 19, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

WhatCulture review of 414...

 

Arrow Season 4: 12 Questions We’re Asking After ‘Code Of Silence’
James Hunt  18 FEB 2016
http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-12-questions-were-asking-after-code-of-silence.php

The Oliver and Ruvé storyline was also interesting, as she begins to attack him in the light, but the whole ‘superhero keeping a secret’ thing has been done to death over both this show and its sibling, The Flash, and it’s starting to wear thin. Thankfully, we’re promised a resolution to that one way or another, with a twist at the end that leaves all sorts of questions in need of being answered.
*  *  *
That pays off this week, but the interesting thing is that Merlyn hasn’t told Darhk the other secret he knows about Oliver: namely, that he is the Green Arrow. Darhk is (somehow) still clueless about this, but knowing it would give him a huge advantage. Given Merlyn wants to do that, why hasn’t he told him?
*  *  *
“Curtis, you’re…terrific.”
Line of the episode? I’d say so, both because it was incredibly cheesy, and a ridiculously on-the-nose reference to Holt’s comic book alter-ego, Mr Terrific.
*  *  *
There were some good moments in here, such as the conversation between Thea and Oliver (it worked in terms of sibling bonding, even if it didn’t make an awful lot of sense for Thea as a character), and some that basically screamed Oliver needed to come clean – Felicity talking to her mother about Quentin having a good reason to keep a secret, the detective telling Oliver that it was good he had a woman he didn’t need to keep secrets from.
*  *  *
So, if Darhk has William, then what has happened to Samantha? She was his sole guardian, and given how incredibly protective she is of her son, it seems highly unlikely that she would just agree to him spending time at the house of this mysterious stranger, no matter how charming Darhk can be.

 

ETA:  And yet Samantha has been letting William spend time alone with a "mysterious stranger" (Oliver).

Edited February 19, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

FilmSchoolRejects' review of 414 (I totally agree with his comments about Oliver's secret son subplot)...

 

ARROW STRUGGLES WITH THE CODE OF SILENCE
By Neil Miller   February 18, 2016
http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/last-night-on-tv-february-18.php

There’s something funky about this subplot about Oliver’s secret son. For some reason, the show couldn’t walk away from the situation, which has existed since season one in the deep recesses of background. If we remember back to “Seeing Red,” the entire conceit of the Samantha pregnancy was part of run that explored Moira Queen’s propensity for keeping secrets. The show, and Oliver, have come a long way since then. Which is why the notion of Samantha wanting him to keep William’s existence secret so puzzling. Bringing Samantha and William back into the fold was puzzling on its own, let alone her insistence that this version of Oliver — the stable, mayoral candidate — can’t have a relationship with his son unless he keeps it secret. Perhaps the Arrow Writers Room is trying to carry on the Queen family legacy of keeping secrets, but that doesn’t really jive with the show’s new “Green Arrow” direction. In one scene, Oliver waxes poetic about being inspired to fight Damien Darhk out in the open. In the next, he’s explaining to his sister how he absolutely must keep his secret child from everyone.
*  *  *
The biggest problem is that the episode is very interested in they dynamics of trust. The entire subplot between Donna and Lance is about trust. To the extent that Felicity insists that Donna should be more trusting of Lance. Will she be more trusting of Oliver when she figures out that he’s been hiding a son? The show made no bones about how easy this is to figure out. In a two minute span, Thea figured it out. What’s to say that Felicity won’t do the same at some point? Or more simply, what happens when Darhk reveals that he’s got William in his sights? Oliver could try to go it alone, but Team Arrow isn’t stupid. They will figure it out. The narrative juggling act of this whole William storyline not only feels tacked on to create tension, it feels like it’s headed for a real mess. Hopefully they can pull off a clever zag, but thus far it’s hard to be enamored with the zig.

[tv echo]

I don't think this Emertainment Monthly reviewer has ever said anything negative about any Arrow episode, actor, director or producer, and this week is no exception (I rolled my eyes reading parts of this review)...

 

‘Arrow’ Review: “Code of Silence”
February 19, 2016   Nora Dominick ’17
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/2016/02/19/arrow-review-code-of-silence/

Arrow featured all the makings of a soon-to-be classic episode. The latest episode perfectly balanced the right amount of comedy, drama and action as Team Arrow focuses on taking down Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough). Directed by James “Bam-Bam” Bamford, Arrow’s resident stunt specialist, the episode moved through each story very well and created one of the best episodes this season...
*  *  *
... Amell and Holland continue to play the brother-sister dynamic flawlessly as their relationship expands even more. Thea puts her detective skills to the test and finds out about William and puts everything together. In an emotional revelation, Oliver tells Thea about Samantha’s wishes to not tell anyone about William being his son. Holland shines in this moment opposite Amell as she showcases once again how far she has come as a young actress. Thea tells Ollie that staying away from William, “Is the right thing to do. I know you want to tell Felicity. And trust me, I would love to be an Aunt. But you have got to do the right thing for your son here.” Holland and Amell knock this scene out of the park and it’s one of Holland’s stronger moments.

Edited February 19, 2016 by tv echo

[bijoux]

Willa is a good actress, but that was certainly not one of her strongest moments. Her acting was fine, but she definitely had many better scenes.

[Chaser]

I can't even make it through an EntertainmentMonthly review. I can't take them seriously.

[tv echo]

Thea tells Ollie that staying away from William, “Is the right thing to do. I know you want to tell Felicity. And trust me, I would love to be an Aunt. But you have got to do the right thing for your son here.”

 

How is keeping William a secret from Felicity the right thing to do for your son?

Oliver: "If I didn't keep it a secret from her, then Samantha wouldn't let me see William."

 

Why couldn't you just tell Felicity and not tell Samantha that you told Felicity?

Oliver: "But then I would be lying to Samantha. I'm trying to be honorable and honor my promise to Samantha."

 

But aren't you lying to Felicity and all of your friends now?  How is that honorable?

Oliver: "--- (pause) --- I have to keep my son safe."

 

How does telling Felicity make your son unsafe?

Oliver: "---"

Edited February 19, 2016 by tv echo

[looptab]

 

you have got to do the right thing for your son here.

[tv echo]

Do I detect snark?...

 

TV Recap: ‘Arrow: Code of Silence’
Posted about 20 hours ago by Nicholas Graff
http://sciencefiction.com/2016/02/18/tv-recap-arrow-code-of-silence/

... Oliver explains why he cannot tell anyone about William, and Thea seems to understand Samantha’s desire for Oliver to keep William their secret, despite the known history on the show for how damaging any and all secrets can be. Of course, Thea might just be stoked that for once she is the first one to know a secret on the team, and she agrees to not tell anyone about William and support Oliver’s difficult decision to abide by Samantha’s demands.
*  *  *
- I like that the arc of the season has a lot more to do with cunning and brains and less with brawn, as Seasons 1 -3 were all about who was the strongest/ best fighter, and this season it really is a kind of chess-match between Darhk and Oliver, especially with the political side of things.

[AyChihuahua]

You guys are unfair. Oliver is a Queen. William is therefore a Queen. Queens lie. Oliver is simply teaching his child that lying is TOTES ALWAYS THE BEST!!!, as a proper Queen knows. Especially when it's unnecessary.

 

Seriously, everyone in that family lies like rugs. I know we all loved Moira, but holy crap that woman lied as often as she breathed. Robert lied as often as his heart beat. Ollie lied every time he told Laurel he was studying rather than banging some new ho. I'm pretty sure their great-great-great-great-grandparents Queene of the Hampton Queenes lied about whether or not Bessie had been milked yet. Like every single day. The whole family is pathological. William needs to be taught early, since so far he hasn't seemed AT ALL bright enough either to pick up on their family motto OR to do it at all well without lots of coaching.

[tv echo]

Surprisingly, this article both praises and criticizes Felicity...

 

‘Arrow’: Haters to the left, a Felicity Smoak love story
Jen Stayrook  February 18, 2016
http://www.theworkprint.com/arrow-haters-left-felicity-smoak-love-story/123

[Delphi]

It's odd. Moira's many, many lies never bothered me the way Oliver's do. But then again, Moira is smarter than Oliver. I understand why she didn't tell Thea about Malcolm. The dude was a lunatic and Thea had both Robert and Walter as parental figures.

I get why she lied about the undertaking. She didn't want her kids murdered by Malcolm.

Oliver's lies are nonsensical to me.

[Chaser]

Surprisingly, this article both praises and criticizes Felicity...

‘Arrow’: Haters to the left, a Felicity Smoak love story

Jen Stayrook February 18, 2016

http://www.theworkprint.com/arrow-haters-left-felicity-smoak-love-story/123

I don't understand this article. She's a loser and the show is ruining her, but hey I still love her!

[tv echo]

Here's how the EPs probably want you to view the Oliver/Thea conversation...

 

‘Arrow’ recap: ‘Code of Silence’
February 19, 2016  by Rachel Rivera
http://thecelebritycafe.com/2016/02/arrow-recap-code-silence/

Oliver’s having a family moment of his own when Thea finally confronts him about his connection to Samantha. He spills that William is his son and that he’s still not happy about having to keep the secret from Felicity, especially with their wedding and his desire to always be honest with her. In a surprising moment of extreme maturity, Thea actually sides with Samantha, reminding Oliver that anyone in his life automatically has a target on their back. Keeping everyone in the dark keeps William safe. It’s moments like these that you see just how far she’s come from the party girl with an attitude problem in season one and get to truly appreciate the character development.

[tv echo]

ThreeIfBySpace's generous review of 414...

 

Arrow 414 Review: Secrets and Explosives Aplenty In “Code of Silence”
By: Alisha Bjorklund February 18, 2016
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2016/02/arrow-414-review-secrets-and-explosives-aplenty-in-code-of-silence/#.Vsdb3fkrLIU

He still hasn’t told Felicity about his son, and it’s making him doubt whether he can truly go through with marrying Felicity if this huge secret is still between them. For better or worse, Thea finds out about William and encouragements her brother to keep the kid a secret. The scene they shared in Oliver’s campaign office was very touching, and Thea was incredibly supportive. But I for one wish she would have told him the opposite. Despite his promise to Samantha, Oliver knows how powerful secrets are and how often secret-keeping has bit him in the ass in the past. His excuses are becoming hard to believe at this point.
*   *  *
I give this episode 8 out of 10. It was a decent episode that advanced the plot and gave us some fun material to work with. Unfortunately, all the delaying on Oliver’s part has reached unsympathetic levels. Arrow is doing its best to make Oliver’s secret-keeping okay, despite sending the message in previous seasons that secret-keeping is bad. What made me dock it points was how ridiculous some of Oliver’s (and Lance’s) choices have become at this point, all for the sake of more drama. And speaking of Lance, his decision to go to that (obviously a trap) building because of SCPD being shorthanded was dumb. Overall, though, it was a decent episode.