The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[tarotx]

Milo Armitage has been around since season 2 even if just in a limited role while the HIVE lady was just in this season in an even limited role. Not that I would include Milo but adding small recurring characters upped the numbers and got people talking when the list was first posted. 

[looptab]

Well he was just name-dropped here and there and actually appeared just this season, though you could be right about the reasoning behind it.

To be clear, I'm not really arguing about it, I brought it over mainly for the WTF factor. :)

[bijoux]

If anyone is interested.

[Morrigan2575]

1 hour ago, looptab said:

Yeah, I was talking about the HIVE lady:)

I mean, it's not like Armitage was that much more prominent than her. (than she? Whatever, than THAT CHICK).

Apologies i misunderstood, i read that as Leading Lady

[looptab]

1 minute ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Apologies i misunderstood, i read that as Leading Lady

No worries :) 

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, looptab said:

Yeah, I was talking about the HIVE lady:)

I mean, it's not like Armitage was that much more prominent than her. (than she? Whatever, than THAT CHICK).

Than her. Or than she is.

[looptab]

20 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Than her. Or than she is.

Thank you :) Pronouns and prepositions are my personal hell :/

[tarotx]

2 hours ago, looptab said:

Well he was just name-dropped here and there and actually appeared just this season, though you could be right about the reasoning behind it.

To be clear, I'm not really arguing about it, I brought it over mainly for the WTF factor. :)

 

I think he was actually in Season 2 Tremors? And then named dropped in an episode last season and then he appeared in the same episodes as the lady member of HIVE this season. 

[bijoux]

Wasn't he also name dropped in Corto Maltese?

[apinknightmare]

Just now, bijoux said:

Wasn't he also name dropped in Corto Maltese?

Yes!

[looptab]

I seem to remember that he didn't appear in Tremors, he was just the one who commissioned the theft of the earthquake machine prototype. But I could be remembering it wrong. 

BTW, in my previous post by "here and there" I meant in previous seasons :)

Edited May 9, 2016 by looptab

[apinknightmare]

4 minutes ago, looptab said:

I seem to remember that he didn't appear in Tremors, he was just the one who commissioned the theft of the earthquake machine prototype. But I could be remembering it wrong. 

BTW, in my previous post by "here and there" I meant in previous seasons :)

I think he was in Tremors - I think he met Bronze Tiger by the docks or something?

[lemotomato]

5 minutes ago, looptab said:

I seem to remember that he didn't appear in Tremors, he was just the one who commissioned the theft of the earthquake machine prototype. But I could be remembering it wrong. 

BTW, in my previous post by "here and there" I meant in previous seasons :)

IMDB says that he was in the episode. I think he arranged for Bronze Tiger to break out of prison and met up with him to give him the job.

[looptab]

Oh, ok then. I thought they had just mentioned him like they did in Corto Maltese. :)

Anyway, he'll be missed. #NoMilonoArrow 

[AyChihuahua]

For whatever reason, I have a really good memory for that episode. And yes, Milo actually physically appeared. He interacted with Bronze Tiger several times, and then set off the prototype machine at the end while he was right there. (Oliver yells something like "if you hit that button we all die," and Milo said something like "if I fail to deliver the prototype I'm dead anyway.")

It's also the episode with an EXTREMELY gaunt and drunk Laurel trying to snag Felicity's job, and the very funny moment of Oliver looking up from the basement when Thea asks if he's around.

[kismet]

#NoMiloNoArrow Haha :)

In all honesty, it is sad that he's gone because he was one of the random suits behind the VOW that I actually remember. I forgot his name, but remembered the important things (rich & connected bad guy). He was a nice recurring speaking extra.

Here's a conspiracy theory for the day - Maybe the woman didn't die? I mean it certainly looked like he snapped her neck/spinal cord... but we never got confirmation that she died.

[apinknightmare]

4 minutes ago, kismet said:

Here's a conspiracy theory for the day - Maybe the woman didn't die? I mean it certainly looked like he snapped her neck/spinal cord... but we never got confirmation that she died.

Yes we did - Felicity had a news feed (or something) with a pic of her dead body on her computer in the lair - HIVE dumped her body somewhere and the cops found her IIRC.

[bijoux]

Clips from SA's interview with Carson Daly. A moment of gratitude to the stylist who put him together.

[catrox14]

Damn, Stephen looks HELLAHOT there. whew

And yes, Arrow JUST BE Arrow. You know the cool fun arrow of s1 and s2 with the good practical effects and fights. That would be awesome

Edited May 10, 2016 by catrox14

[looptab]

What is happening at the very end of the second clip..hahah.

[bijoux]

5 minutes ago, looptab said:

What is happening at the very end of the second clip..hahah.

You mean during some kind of shoot? He's caught either mid-wave or as he's getting ready to shoot an imaginary arrow is my guess. Also in the second clip, Steve repeats himself. Which is something I've caught myself doing recently and now I'm annoying the everliving crap out of myself. I just can't stop! It's a disease.

[lemotomato]

Low res video of the whole interview: (source)

Edited May 10, 2016 by lemotomato

[looptab]

2 minutes ago, bijoux said:

You mean during some kind of shoot? He's caught either mid-wave or as he's getting ready to shoot an imaginary arrow is my guess. Also in the second clip, Steve repeats himself. Which is something I've caught myself doing recently and now I'm annoying the everliving crap out of myself. I just can't stop! It's a disease.

Yes, I assume it was some shoot. Whatever he's doing it made me laugh, I don't even know why :)

As for the repeating, I do it too, mostly when I'm thinking of what to say next - to buy me some time. It can be annoying but also useful ;)

[bijoux]

3 minutes ago, looptab said:

Yes, I assume it was some shoot. Whatever he's doing it made me laugh, I don't even know why :)

As for the repeating, I do it too, mostly when I'm thinking of what to say next - to buy me some time. It can be annoying but also useful ;)

It was a salute. The shot is there towards the end of the video @lemotomato posted. Steve's tired of the show launching other shows as well. Stop making sandwiches, Starbucks! This is a good day for the two of us. I really admire how Daly doesn't push himself to the foreground. The guest is the absolute center of attention. I don't watch his show, but I this really caught my attention.

I blame the repetition thing on my job. 

[catrox14]

Oh Stephen. Surely there is a better actor for you to look up to than Tom Cruise. :/

[thegirlsleuth]

I like how Stephen has all these shiny new leather and suede jackets.  I hope the TMNT marketing machine pushes the baseball hat ban all the way through Comic Con. 

I really liked what he said about the spinoffs diluting the Arrow style and brand--loved his Starbucks analogy. I hope the showrunners are thinking the same way he is.  No more spinoffs!

This is the second or third time he's mentioned the Tom Cruise thing.  I don't know if he genuinely admires Cruise, or if he's trying to position himself as the next Tom Cruise, now with 100 percent less Scientology. 

[kismet]

I think Tom Cruise is a good person for SA to try to be minus the crazy couch jumping & scientology. 

Tom Cruise has a known brand, a successful production company, blend of commercial & arthouse films and has been critically acclaimed for some of his roles.

I know he is not everyone's cup of tea, but he is a mainstream megastar & icon. I think SA has similar acting strengths & physicality as TC. I also think TC has been smart to diversify his money making opportunities, which SA seems to be on his way to doing.

[BkWurm1]

36 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

Oh Stephen. Surely there is a better actor for you to look up to than Tom Cruise. :/

It's got to be that for an action star, Tom Cruise has had a very long run.  His last few moves have actually been pretty good if you can get past it being Tom Cruise doing them, lol.  Random knowledge, the kid that plays Jax on LoT (the young half of Firestorm) was in his last movie, that one where the day kept rewinding.   

[looptab]

Am I the only one who can't hear that video?

[Genki]

2 minutes ago, looptab said:

Am I the only one who can't hear that video?

Yeah the audio is not good, but SA answers seem clear enough later on in the vid.

[bijoux]

Did you try to skip forward? Once the interview starts, the sound is more or less okay.

Edited May 10, 2016 by bijoux

[bijoux]

Carson Daly interview in higher resolution.

http://www.nbc.com/last-call-with-carson-daly/video/stephen-amell/3033268

[kismet]

53 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Carson Daly interview in higher resolution.

http://www.nbc.com/last-call-with-carson-daly/video/stephen-amell/3033268

Thanks for posting that! Was finally able to watch it post-shift...

Holy Shit, is he f**n hot in that interview!! Yowza & thank goodness for whoever is actively styling him. I'm fanning myself over here and that salute at the end.

Agree with the Starbucks comment, just be ARROW - that's why a good portion of people tuned in and continue to tune in. Also now that I hear him, I want to further add to my thought that I agree with him admiring Tom Cruise, especially his phenomenal work ethic. It seems like SA does value a strong work ethic and is hands-on as much as possible. Actors should know their strengths. And I think SA knows that TC and him share similar attributes & strengths. I love them both but they were never going to be the next Daniel Day-Lewis or even Leo for that matter. That's just not either of their strengthes.

Random thought - the fact that he casually dropped Learning Russian into the interview, do we think that means he will be speaking more Russian next season? Honestly, I'm not sure which I want more now shirtless scenes or SA/OQ speaking Russian. Hopefully the show doesn't mind keeping both trainers on retainer - because there is more than enough time for both.

[tv echo]

Another Den of Geek review of 420 (by a different writer)...

Arrow season 4 episode 20 review: Genesis
Caroline Preece 9 May 2016 - 20:28
http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/arrow/40536/arrow-season-4-episode-20-review-genesis

Quote

I was recently reminded of a statement the Arrow producers made back in those early season one days. Launching their Batman-esque, post-Smallville superhero show in a television landscape not naturally optimistic about such things, they said that they would never ever introduce the more fantastical elements of the DC Comics universe. There would be no superpowers, no metahumans and no magic.
*  *  *
We're now living with a multiverse, and one that has spin-offs for a metahuman speedster, a time-travelling band of antiheroes, an alien from Krypton and, for a time, John Constantine. That's pretty far away from the original mission statement, and that shows in Arrow's difficulty in ever marrying its more serious, grounded elements with the wider universe it has helped create.
*  *  *
As you might have guessed, Oliver's storyline wasn't my favourite. Other than being an excuse for he and Felicity to hang out in a non-angsty capacity (a welcome change), nothing much happens. I've also never been able to stomach Oliver accepting things like magic and superpowers into his life, when he's been largely bemused to hostile about that side of his world before now.

That shift started with last year's dreary Ra's al Ghul arc, and the show has been going further and further in that direction ever since. Oliver comes off as an out-of-touch old man whenever he's dealing with this stuff and, while funny when he's on The Flash talking to Barry, I don't need to watch a whole episode about it.
*  *  *
I say this every time Diggle gets any sort of screen time, but Arrow really does its job laying the groundwork for his stuff. We understand that killing his brother, no matter how far gone he evidently was, would destroy Diggle in new and inventive ways not just from this season 4 storyline, but from what we've seen since the pilot.

... This episode was fun, but I hope it's the last time we see the gang this separated before the break. 

Edited May 10, 2016 by tv echo

[looptab]

Oliver never gave me the impression of being 'bemused' or 'hostile' or of having an old man's approach towards the supernatural. Quite the contrary, he is the one who's seen it all and shrugs about it while people around him freak out.

[Morrigan2575]

25 minutes ago, kismet said:

Random thought - the fact that he casually dropped Learning Russian into the interview, do we think that means he will be speaking more Russian next season? Honestly, I'm not sure which I want more now shirtless scenes or SA/OQ speaking Russian. Hopefully the show doesn't mind keeping both trainers on retainer - because there is more than enough time for both.

The show pretty much all but told us Oliver would be in Russia next year. Why else have Poppy tell Oliver that should she die, he needs to go to Russia and tell her parents what happened to her?  

[tv echo]

TV Fanatic's round table discussion of 420...

Arrow Round Table: Magical Mystery Tour
Lisa Babick at May 10, 2016 9:00 am
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/05/arrow-round-table-magical-mystery-tour/

Quote

Lyla played a big part in "Genesis." Do you think she should become part of Team Arrow? Why or why not?
Kathleen: I'm going to say no. Being a full-time Team Arrow member would put her even more in the line of fire than she already is, and little Sara needs at least one parent to raise her. Family is the most important, and it's not like there's no one out there who could fit in on Team Arrow. Sara, meanwhile, has only one mom.
Jim: Well said Kathleen. I agree with "no". While it is great to see them using Argus as a resource so we get to see Lyla, she doesn't need to be part of team Arrow.
Kelly: I would only want Lyla to join Team Arrow because that would mean more Lyla. Diggle and her relationship has been great for this show. I get what the others say that it would be dangerous, but it's not like Lyla doesn't already have a dangerous job
Lisa: I agree with Kelly. Lyla is already playing dangerous, so her joining Team Arrow wouldn't be that much of a stretch.
*  *  *
Oliver was able to find the light and repel Darhk's magic after just one short training session with Esrin Fortuna. Do you think he'll be able to summon it again or was this a one-time deal?
Kathleen: It would be cool if he could summon the light again, but I am hesitant to suggest he should make it a habit from a viewer's perspective. Otherwise it could devolve into a Deus ex Machina – "Oh, big bad? No problem! I've got awesome magic to protect me from him!"
Jim: I really wanted to see Esrin Fortuna point out that Felicity was the one who could/should wield the light magic. I think Felicity having access to it, but not a lot of control would avoid the problem Kathleen mentioned while giving Felicity a unique ability beyond nerdy-hacker.
Kelly: He'll summon it again but it will probably only be one more time to defeat Darhk or the entire team will have to summon it to defeat Darhk. I don't think it will become habit though.
Lisa: I like Kelly's idea of the whole team summoning the light to defeat Darhk. I don't think it's going to be a regular crutch for him or the team.

Edited May 10, 2016 by tv echo

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, kismet said:

Holy Shit, is he f**n hot in that interview!! Yowza & thank goodness for whoever is actively styling him. I'm fanning myself over here and that salute at the end.

Yeah, I'm usually the first one to say SA doesn't do it for me, but it's because he doesn't present himself like he does here. Jesus, Steve, just do us mortals a favor and dress normally so we can enjoy you! It reminded me of a friend who had the biggest beef with Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt during his homeless man phase. She was like, it takes me an hour in the morning to make myself presentable, you got that face and can't wash?! 

[looptab]

Finally got around to watch the interview. I never got what's the deal about the shirtlessness, I mean, those guys are obviously in good shape, does it really make that much of a difference if they don't train intensively before shooting one shirtless scene?

[Carrie Ann]

I used to think the same thing! But I think that they're mostly training for general strength, and sometimes that can include times when you're "bulking" which means eating a lot more to put on more muscle, etc., but initially you're not going to be looking all that "cut" at that time (and just in general, they probably don't want to maintain that super low body fat/water weight look 100% of the time). So I think basically Stephen wants a trainer so he can say, okay, shirtless scene in three weeks, adjust the program to gear toward that rather than just trying to guess at how to do it himself or stay super lean all the time. I don't blame him, and I definitely think the show should pay for his training.

[tv echo]

Naluda interview with ER...

Elysia Rotaru
May 9, 2016
http://naluda.com/interviews/elysia-rotaru/

Quote

Hi Elysia, please tell us a little about you?
I was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. My parents are Romanian and from that, I am bilingual (hurrah, thanks mom and dad). I had a versatile upbringing that allowed me to explore various avenues, which helped get me to where I am now. I was a competitive pianist from a young age until I was 19 years old. I also modelled professionally, was in army cadets for five years and I graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. I am a certified reflexologist and studied traditional Chinese medicine for a couple years. Now, aside from my life resume, I think I am a pretty curious fun human being, with a big heart and a skewed but great sense of crass humor.
*  *  *
Tell us about your role as Taiana Venediktov in hit CW’s series “The Arrow”?
Taiana is a determined, strong woman, who has gone through a few life-altering events like…being kidnapped, being forced to harvest heroine, losing her brother at the hand of the only person she trusted and fighting for her survival. Taiana is one tough pechen’ye. She really harnessed her Russian resilience and teamed up with Oliver Queen after a few minor set backs involving her level of trust and forgiveness, but that’s water under the bridge now. She’s a caring, driven force and someone who encourages and helps Oliver Queen through his journey of self-discovery.

How did you get selected for the character?
I was requested for an audition, went in, did the read and got the call a couple of weeks later that I booked it. I have no idea how things went down on the other side of the table but I am beyond happy they gave me this opportunity to give’r.

And now about working on other very popular series like “Supernatural” and “iZombie”?
I had the pleasure to work on “Supernatural” twice throughout my career, and each time was a different character. I first played alongside Jared and Jensen as a ghost, a ‘fancy lady’ from the 1800’s named Victoria Dodd. She was a joy to bring to life, but not… but you know what I mean. The costume was custom made for me, and man was it beautiful. I was then invited back in season 10 as an escort and got to work a little more intimately with Jensen, of course, not forgetting I got to slay a demon. Jared and Jensen were a joy to work with. They have such a good groove and it’s inspiring to be around. iZombie, was a fun experience for a few reasons. It was a pilot, it was about zombies (yum), I got to go back to my euro Romanian roots, work that dialect, bust out the language and I played an escort once again (easy peasey LOL).

Edited May 10, 2016 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

7 minutes ago, looptab said:

Finally got around to watch the interview. I never got what's the deal about the shirtlessness, I mean, those guys are obviously in good shape, does it really make that much of a difference if they don't train intensively before shooting one shirtless scene?

I think for him it does - a couple of years ago a pap took picks of him on vacation over the hiatus, and it was pretty clear it had been a while since he'd worked out. I think he's just the type to get a little...doughy (probably not the best word, but I didn't want to use "soft") if he doesn't keep at it, but everything seems to...um...firm up pretty quickly.

[Velocity23]

For having Romanian roots her Slavic accent is so bad :(.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Velocity23

[Belinea]

21 minutes ago, looptab said:

Finally got around to watch the interview. I never got what's the deal about the shirtlessness, I mean, those guys are obviously in good shape, does it really make that much of a difference if they don't train intensively before shooting one shirtless scene?

I think it is also a bit of an ego thing with him. I think he wants to look as best as he can in front of the camera. Which nobody can blame him for I guess.

[Midnight Lullaby]

I have a friend who works as a fitness model occasionally and she says she can keep the top shape required for the shooting for a limited period of time. She trains and keeps a diet the whole year but not as intensely as during that time or it would be too much to handle with her day job too.

There's to say though that on TV they use make up to create abs, boobs, cheekbones out of thin air so I think with that all the guys would look great in shirtless scenes the whole year since they train and all. Maybe though they would have to avoid drinking alcohol during the time they shoot and that's no fun ;D

[looptab]

Oh, I'm not contesting him requesting a trainer from the show. Nor am I complaining if he wants to look his best - hey, it's for MY benefit :) I was genuinely curious about the approach, I mean, had they refused him, I don't think he would have stopped training and started eating Big Macs. I guess I can't imagine he'd be less camera ready with 3 days at the gym instead of 5 (talking out of my ass here, I've really no idea about his schedule), but I guess it's for the reasons @Carrie Ann and @apinknightmare said. Yeah, I remember those  photos, he was sporting a nice little beer gut :)

[AyChihuahua]

Can we please not talk about the beer gut/double gold necklace/pornstache pics. Y'all are triggering me!

I think the dude likes to eat and drink beer, so when he's not required to stay cut, he lets go. As long as he keeps that off the show, I guess I don't care, since SA doesn't do it for me anyway. And I'm not body-shaming him...but he plays a non-superpowered superhero, so looking like he can do what his character does helps with suspension of disbelief. It'd be different if he had physical superpowers. As an aside,  I always used to wonder why, e.g., all the X-Men were superhot, when their powers did the work, so they could've been portly and it wouldn't have mattered. Some of them probably have the bods because of their powers, for example Wolverine and Beast, but why does Storm have to be built? Jean Grey? 

I totally think the show should pay for his trainer, and probably a nutritionist. The rest of the actors, maybe, but absolutely him. I am betting this hiatus he'll keep it up a bit more, though, bc he'll be promoting TMNT2, and will probably want to avoid a beer gut during international interviews.

[NumberCruncher]

The shade in that interview is glorious.  The best part is that it wasn't even all that subtle.  Dude clearly was as frustrated as we were at them using Arrow to launch other shows and trying to make the team a mini Justice League. Heh.

[Velocity23]

There is an upcoming interview with Tom Amandes

[wonderwall]

Oooooh. Interviews with Tom Amandes! That makes me really really hopeful about his arc :')