tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) ‘Arrow’ Recap: “Checkmate” – Oliver Remains 10 Steps Behind Prometheus BY KAYTI BURT MARCH 15, 2017http://collider.com/arrow-recap-checkmate/ Quote Has Arrow finally figured out its seasons-long villain problem? The superhero show hasn’t had a worthy adversary since Season 3’s Slade Wilson, which has seriously affected its ability to create stakes for Oliver and the rest of Team Arrow. With the introduction of Adrian “Ten Steps Ahead of You” Chase, that may be changing. * * *When Oliver tells Felicity that secrets have never helped, it’s almost like the show is also admitting that it has learned that lesson. Rather than keeping its characters in the dark, Arrow gives them all of the information we have, but makes them powerless to use it. It’s a much more effective way to create stakes and make a villain scary — or at least one Arrow hasn’t done ad nausem. There’s only so much you can do with physical threats. Like Slade Wilson before him, Adrian knows that you can’t control the man simply through fists — at least, not in this fictional universe, where physics isn’t really a thing. You have to find other means of control. For Adrian Chase, that other means of control is politics and public power, and he has been laying the trap for a long while, something he potentially learned at The Slade Wilson School of Villainy. (Seriously, my kingdom for the end-of-season reveal that Slade is Adrian’s mentor.) Who would believe the Green Arrow when Oliver Queen himself has called him out as a villain? And who would believe Oliver Queen, reformed party boy but former party boy nonetheless, over charismatic, smart, and determined District Attorney Adrian Chase? Because that’s the best part of Chase’s villainy: he’s so damn likable. Ra’s al Ghul was a self-serious douche. (Sorry, Talia. Don’t come after me.) Damien Darhk didn’t actually seem to live in the real world. Adrian Chase is the handsome, hardworking boy next door, the family man whose eyes light up when he does a good job. Formerly, that “good job” has been enacting justice on behalf of the city’s government, but he gets that same light in his eyes when he is enacting his plan against Oliver. Man’s got passion. * * * Luckily, Felicity is on the job, accompanied by her totally not sketchy at all new hacker friends. One of the best, quietest moments in the episode came in a conversation between Oliver and Felicity. Felicity thinks Oliver will yell at her for not being at his beck and call (which, let’s be fair, he has totally done in the past). Instead, Oliver says that he is worried about her. The fact that she is keeping whatever she’s into a secret implies that she is uncertain about the entire deal. Which, yeah. Isn’t Felicity smarter than this? I’d like to think that this is the story of how Felicity became a badass hacktivist and erased all student debt, but it feels more like she is about to find out she’s working for a multinational terrorist organization that hires itself out to the highest bidder, Nikita-style. (If Xander Berkeley shows up, I’m out.) With Oliver’s kidnapping, Felicity commits herself fully to Helix, a move that will surely come to haunt her further down the line. * * * The flashbacks were also serviced this week by the introduction of Talia al Ghul in the present-day. Pissed that Oliver killed her father, Talia not only trained Adrian, but helped him kidnap Oliver in the show’s climatic scene, something I wasn’t expecting. I’m not sure if Talia would care enough about dear old dad to seek revenge for his death (he seemed like kind of a terrible father), but I’ll go with it, if only because I am very excited about a Talia/Chase team-up. Oliver is so outmatched right now, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. * * * “You tired or is it actually that you’ve been asleep this whole time?” You just know that Adrian Chase has been writing these little taunts down in a book he keeps on his nightstand, just waiting to use them on Oliver. Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 'Arrow' Recap: Prometheus Sends Oliver to his Breaking Point Derek Stauffer March 15, 2017http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/arrow-recap-prometheus-sends-o-63766.aspx Quote If you thought Prometheus was going to become less impressive now that his identity has been revealed, Arrow has a surprise for you. It doesn't take long into "Checkmate," the first scene really, for Oliver to catch up with us and learn that Prometheus is Adrian Chase. This doesn't start any forward momentum for Oliver in managing to bring down his latest villain. If anything, his identity being out in the open causes Chase/Prometheus to become even more vicious. Prometheus has been solid so far as a threat but "Checkmate" goes even further in making the case that Prometheus is the best Arrow villain yet. * * * Josh Segarra did a fine job in "Fighting Fire with Fire," but it was a simple, "I'm an evil villain" stuff. In "Checkmate," Segarra gets to stretch his acting muscles and he is utterly brilliant as Prometheus. He has the exact right amount of unhinged creepiness to him, but he is completely ruthless and hyper intelligent. Chase doesn't just get to taunt Oliver, like most villains, but everyone he was in contact with as the D.A. It is glorious and not just because it provides our first "You're a sunvabitch," of the season from Quentin; Segarra is terrifying as Chase. It's one of the best performances Arrow has seen from a villain in a while. It certainly trumps Ra's al Ghul and maybe Slade Wilson and is on the level with Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darhk. 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) Arrow Season 5 Episode 16 Review: Checkmate Tyler McCarthy Mar 15, 2017http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/arrow/262921/arrow-season-5-episode-16-review-checkmate Quote At long last, Arrow Season 5 has cut all the foreplay, faffing about ,and stalling to deliver an incredibly satisfying one-on-one bout. As if that wasn’t enough, “Checkmate” rewarded viewers for investing in the mayoral aspect of the show with an impressive and intense political drama. * * *Sadly, the episode didn’t get into specifics about his plan, only revealing that he wants to help Oliver discover who he truly is, whatever that means. Presumably, based on the theme of the Russian flashbacks in this episode, that he’s not more than a dark killing beast - but who knows? * * * It’s time to examine what the prospect of Felicity going too far down this rabbit hole is. Following the death of Laurel last season, Felicity is now the only recurring female lead that hasn’t been bumped down to recurring, spun off, or straight up murdered. That doesn’t mean Felicity is too precious to put through controversy and trials, but it does mean that protecting the integrity of her character is key. I’m not so sure how potentially terroristic acts are doing anything but tarnishing the only still-chipper person on Team Arrow. It’s an interesting road to take the character down, I’m just wondering how many hits fans' perception of Felicity is going to have to take before it reveals its overall point. In any case, “Checkmate” as a whole was far and away the best episode of Arrow this season. It struck a tone of gritty violence and high-society stakes that has fallen by the wayside as the show strives to pivot to a more light tone like that of The Flash. Chase is the most charismatic and scary villain the show has seen since Deathstroke and the fact that his plan is motivated by something personal rather than the usual money and power gestalt is more than enough to get me excited for the hostage/captor dynamic that he and Oliver find themselves in now. Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) Arrow’s “Checkmate” (S5:E16): Oliver and Prometheus Run Through the Show’s Greatest Hits Posted on March 15, 2017 by Kelly Konda https://weminoredinfilm.com/2017/03/15/arrows-checkmate-s5e16-oliver-and-prometheus-run-through-the-shows-greatest-hits/ Quote “Checkmate” finally gave Oliver and Adrian “Prometheus” Chase their long-awaited face-to-face confrontation, but it did so in such a familiar way, reminding us that season 5 is purposefully trading on the legacy of the first four seasons. There’s an Iron Man 3/Dark Knight Rises “the past is coming back to haunt the hero” vibe to it all, but also a sense that had the CW not already decided to renew Arrow for another season then season five could feel like it had brought everything full circle and completed the five-year arc we were promised when the show premiered. * * * In the present, Oliver’s shock at learning the truth about Adrian led him to eventually speechify about darkness and vulnerability and whether or not there are some basic human traits he no longer has a right to due to his life as a vigilante. Diggle was there to lend his ear and words of support, doing his best not to roll his eyes and simply say, “This shit again, Oliver. Really?” For those keeping track at home, Oliver is veering back toward thinking he needs to push everyone away to keep them safe. So, he’s back in season 3 mode, or at least was until Diggle reminded him that he draws his true strength from those around him. This, really, is a point which Arrow AND Flash beats home over and over again, so much so that it’s starting to lose all meaning.... * * * Lesson of the day: when you meet a mysterious woman in Russia who knows everything about you and offers to train you it doesn’t hurt to at some point catch her last name or at least ask for it. If you do you might be able to connect certain dots far sooner and save lives. Flashback Oliver is sure lucky he’s so pretty. You can’t teach an old vigilante superhero show too many new tricks, but “Checkmate” mixed in enough new with the familiar to make this possibly one of the most classically Arrow episodes of the current season, even if that meant yet another female character had to die for no reason. The unfamiliar parts of the episode included Felicity ongoing slide down the slippery slope into possible villainy, heeding her brunette doppelganger’s “we’re going to change the world” call to arms even though that’s the type of thing a supervillain who believes they are the hero would say. Similarly, Oliver’s patient reaction to Felicity’s situation was also a new leaf for him, no barking or hypocritical ordering but instead “please let me help you by helping me understand all of this” bridge building. Lastly, at least for now we have been spared yet another round of “am I killer or not?” soul-searching on Oliver’s part, replacing it with his ongoing confusion over Adrian’s intensions (e.g., “If you don’t want to kill me then what’s this dance we’ve been doing?”). Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) Arrow Season 5 Episode 16 Review: “Checkmate” Chris King+ March 15, 2017http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/arrow-season-5-episode-16-review-checkmate Quote As I’ve stated before in various other reviews throughout this year, Arrow Season 5 has done its best to give fans a more vulnerable, optimistic, and complex Oliver Queen. While the past two seasons of the show have toyed with this idea, most notably Season 3, which forced Oliver to choose between his real identity and his Arrow persona (hell, the title of the finale that year was “My Name Is Oliver Queen), neither of them explored the pain and loss that Oliver struggles with better than this season, and a large part of that is due to Season 5’s villain, Prometheus, who was revealed in Arrow‘s last episode to be Star City D.A. and friend of Oliver’s, Adrian Chase. * * *Similar to Season 2’s Slade Wilson arc, Adrian’s vendetta against Oliver works because his ambitions are more than sheer bloodlust. The worst villains on Arrow (or any of The CW’s superhero shows really) have only wanted to inflect physical damage against our protagonists, but the best, most memorable ones take it one step further and try to strip away what makes these superheroes actual heroes. Slade tried to do it by not only murdering Oliver’s mother in front of him but also by unleashing a super-powered army to destroy Star City; here, in Season 5, Chase has tricked Oliver into shooting and killing Billy and has turned the entire city against the Green Arrow, to the point that there’s no realistic way that the police wouldn’t try to shoot him on site. Furthermore, Chase’s main goal, to destroy the person that Oliver has become, ties in perfectly with Season 5’s overarching theme, again similar to Slade Wilson’s mission in Season 2, which challenged Oliver to break his firmly established no-kill rule and thus regress back from the hero he was becoming into the violent vigilante he used to be. Sure, I can nitpick about how Susan is used as the main motivator here in “Checkmate,” when she hardly feels like a fully developed character, and that truly is the episode’s weakest element. Susan doesn’t possess the same emotional weight that someone like a Moira, Thea, or Laurel does. However, the story being told here is bigger, richer, and more important than any complaints I have about Susan as a character. Her presence is definitely more of a distraction than it should be in “Checkmate,” but it doesn’t rob the episode of so many of its great moments, from the previously mentioned conversation between Oliver and Diggle to Felicity’s continued entanglement with Helix to the pure delight that is snarky, villainous Adrian Chase. Now that Oliver has been taken captive by Adrian, it’s pretty much guaranteed that Felicity will do any amount of illegal things for Helix to help get him back home safely. But what will become of Felicity after she grows more connected to this shady organization, and will she still be able to inspire the light inside of Oliver and other members on the team when she appears to only be letting in the darkness? Could what Felicity has to do in order to save Oliver cost her everything that makes her who she is, that makes her the woman that Oliver loves? When Adrian Chase is done with Oliver, will he or Felicity even be able to recognize each other, or will the darkness win out and the monster that Oliver has buried down deep inside himself return? * * *Oliver and Felicity’s conversation, in which he admits that he’s worried about her, is a nice, small moment in “Checkmate,” particularly because of the respect and patience both characters show each other. Oliver doesn’t lash out at Felicity for not responding to his and the team’s messages, and he also understands why she can’t reveal to him what exactly she’s up to right now. However, Felicity also appreciates Oliver’s concern for her and acknowledges that he’s right about keeping secrets: it never leads to anything good, especially not on these DC shows on The CW. Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
BkWurm1 March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 Quote As I’ve stated before in various other reviews throughout this year, Arrow Season 5 has done its best to give fans a more vulnerable, optimistic, and complex Oliver Queen. While the past two seasons of the show have toyed with this idea, most notably Season 3, which forced Oliver to choose between his real identity and his Arrow persona (hell, the title of the finale that year was “My Name Is Oliver Queen), neither of them explored the pain and loss that Oliver struggles with better than this season, and a large part of that is due to Season 5’s villain, Prometheus, who was revealed in Arrow‘s last episode to be Star City D.A. and friend of Oliver’s, Adrian Chase. Huh? And, what show were they watching? Explored? 1 Link to comment
Popular Post ComicFan777 March 16, 2017 Popular Post Share March 16, 2017 I know that this is supposed to be Felicity's dark arc, but...Felicity desperately doing whatever she can to save people (damn the consequences down the road) doesn't make me think that she's losing who she is, but to me, reinforces just how remarkably Felicity she still is despite everything she's been through. She's such an amazing friend that would do anything for the people she loves. Sometimes, I wonder if the team realizes just how much they ask of her day-in day-out to always have the info they need to go out there and save people - it's a tremendous responsibility, but she pulls through every time. 33 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) "Checkmate" – Arrow S05E16 Review By Gislef Mar. 16, 2017http://www.tv.com/shows/arrow/community/post/checkmate-arrow-s05e16-review-1489644229/ Quote To pull this off, Felicity turns to her new friends at Helix, as represented by the overly chirpy Alena. Alena eventually demands that Felicity repay Helix helping her by her helping them hack some Homeland Security drones for… some reason. I find the fact that Alena says that it's need-to-know kind of ironic given Helix's supposed goal to spread the knowledge. Plus Felicity seems remarkably incurious herself. She also requisitions Curtis to help her for some reason that we're never told. * * * ... So the fact that he's so determined to avenge his father that he'd kill his wife is... kind of out of the blue. Presumably in the next seven episodes we'll get some kind of backstory on Adrian and why he's that devoted to his father. * * * ... Oliver corners Gregor, and Gregor gives one of those "If you kill me, you're really killing yourself" speeches. At least he didn't say, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can imagine." Oliver is as unimpressed by this as I am, and kills Gregor. And the flashbacks are over? No such luck. * * * I did like Anatoly's "What's with the voice" bit to Oliver. Maybe it was in Year -1 that Oliver started using Christian Bale Reverse Lozenges. * * * I also have no idea what Adrian is trying to accomplish with his whole plan. He keeps saying that he wants to keep Oliver alive so that he can suffer. Bu then he says that he figures that one more loss will break Oliver. But... Adrian doesn't kill anyone and inflict that loss. He doesn't kill Susan, he doesn't kill any of Oliver's teammates. Adrian just locks Oliver up and prepares to "show him who he really is." And Talia is putting up with this crapola. So I guess she doesn't want Oliver or his friends dead, either. * * * So we're heading down the path of Oliver being all shirtless and chained up and manfully suffering at Adrian's hands. Which judging from the previews, involves water-dunking and sweatiness. Yay moist Oliver! While Felicity continues embracing the dark side of hacking. It's hard to imagine how the whole Adrian thing will drag on for seven more episodes. Will it be seven episodes of CW torture-porn? Or will Oliver escape and Adrian escapes when Oliver comes after him, and around and around we go until the season finale? * * *And I find myself missing Rory. Ragman, not Heat Wave. Hopefully his rags will get their mojo back in time for him return to help out the team. Speaking of the team, they don't get much to do this week. Mr. Terrific continues tossing his balls around. Wild Dog gets called Lassie. Dinah continues in the traditional of Black Canary by doing pretty much jack-all nothing and the writers thinking we're supposed to be impressed by her. She's a meta: why can't she blast her way out through collapsed walls? Doing so can't be much more dangerous that Mr. Terrific knocking down the walls with his T-Spheres. Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 (edited) Felicity is in over her head on ‘Arrow’ and it’s got us scared CHRIS E. HAYNER MARCH 15, 2017http://screenertv.com/television/arrow-checkmate-felicity-smoak-helix-going-too-far/ Quote Felicity experiencing her own darkness is a nice new space for her story to unfold into. Still, at the end of the day, she's the light of the show. When Oliver delves to deeply into the shadows, it's Felicity and Diggle (David Ramsey) who keep him honest and prevent the team from falling apart. * * * If Felicity goes off the deep end with Helix -- and hacking federal drones should definitely be considered the deep end -- coming back and becoming the light once again is going to be difficult... But not impossible. Is her Helix work to help the team worth the grief it could bring her personally? That's something that the show has yet to figure out, but our fingers are certainly crossed. This world needs Felicity Smoak. Without her acting as the glue holding the team together, it's hard to imagine them going up against most of the villains they encounter and walking away victorious. While it's a near certainty that she'll escape her own personal island, much like Oliver did his, our hopes are that in doing so she won't lose that spark that makes her special. The thing that makes her the Felicity this team needs. Edited March 16, 2017 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
AES13 March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 Thanks again for all the researching, cutting, pasting and bolding that you do, @tv echo! I'm grateful to have the round up every week. 13 Link to comment
tv echo March 16, 2017 Share March 16, 2017 ^^^ You're welcome, @AES13 - love your avatar pic! 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 Kidnappings, twists, and all the cards are on the table in the latest Arrow Trent Moore Thu, Mar 16, 2017 12:42pmhttp://www.blastr.com/2017-3-15/kidnappings-twists-and-all-cards-are-table-latest-arrow Quote This episode laid all the cards on the table in a refreshingly transparent way, with Oliver basically helpless to do anything to Chase as he continues to stroll around city hall and work his day job as the DA. Five seasons in, and this is a dynamic we’ve never really seen, so that was a cool way to approach this story. Oliver really is outmaneuvered at pretty much every turn, eventually ending with his own kidnapping at the hands of Chase and Talia. Sure, Oliver and Chase have a few too many angry, quiet conversations — but it’s still something different. If anything, the MVP of this episode is Josh Segarra, who positively kills it with his terrifying menace and the way he plays a truth sociopath. Stabbing his own wife when she confronts him about his true identity? It was telegraphed, but still positively brutal. Not to mention the guilt in Diggle’s eyes because he’s the one who brought her there. A great scene. * * * We’re finally peeling the layers back in regards to Adrian Chase, and not all of it makes sense. So, the theory that he’s the son of the random bad-ish guy the Arrow killed in Season 1 was right. And Chase sought out Talia two years ago for training to eventually get revenge on Oliver. So, two years of training with Talia makes this guy one of the most formidable warriors the team has ever faced? Oliver Queen has killed Ra’s al Ghul himself, and faced off with everyone from Deathstroke to the Dark Archer. You’d think there’d be some silver bullet to explain why Chase is such a great warrior, but we haven’t really gotten it. Who knows, maybe Talia is just that good of a teacher (though, Oliver mowed through her current crop of students in about five seconds, so maybe not). 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 I wonder if this writer made a mistake in writing that "keeping secrets" sentence... Arrow Season 5 Episode 16 – “Checkmate” Review 17th March 2017 Kevin Perreau http://www.filmoria.co.uk/arrow-season-5-episode-16-checkmate-review/ Quote Oliver has been playing checkers this whole time while Prometheus has been playing chess. Always 10 steps ahead, Oliver confronts Adrian Chase for the first time after last week’s big reveal that Prometheus and Chase are one and the same. No matter how hard Oliver tries, Adrian knows exactly what Oliver wants to do, countering every step he makes. A villain that seems to know Oliver inside out, trying to destroy his life as he knows it. A nemesis finally to rival Slade’s deadly tactics. * * *Josh Segarra’s eerie performance this week has elevated the show to a whole new level. Both parties know exactly who each other are; putting villains and heroes in their everyday lives raises the stakes and drama. The subtlety of hiding his identity is gone, and Segarra’s delivery has been outstanding. As a lawyer, an equally appalling career choice as Star City villain, he knows exactly how to use his words, to play the team and the public. With lines like “I take my job very seriously” and “I’m in mourning”, it’s hard to not be frightened of Chase’s motive and actions. * * * Felicity, also known as Overwatch, goes deeper into her underground hacking world. In the Arrowverse, keeping secrets from each other have always turned out to be the right decision. An intimate moment is shared by Oliver and Felicity, where Oliver is concerned for her, but Felicity decides “I’m an adult, I can do adult things”. Her new Helix buddies help Team Arrow to find out Chase’s real identity, and Adrian Chase was another alter ego he made for himself. But everything comes with a price. Felicity is doing quid pro quo work for hew new team, hacking into government databases for reasons she doesn’t seem to concerned about. Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 (edited) Arrow 5×16 Review: ‘Checkmate’ March 16, 2017 by ALYSSA BARBIERIhttp://fangirlish.com/arrow-5x16-review-checkmate/ Quote Oliver Queen has been virtually unrecognizable this season. For a hero whose heroic journey is supposed to be coming full circle this season the hero has gone missing. But if there’s anything that Oliver Queen has proven over the course of five seasons, it’s that he’s capable of redemption. If there’s a show that has preached the theme of redemption, it’s been Arrow. So it’s entirely possible. * * *Arrow needs to show me that it’s working towards that. Then I might rediscover my belief in this show and be reminded of this redemption that Arrow has always delivered. * * *In a weird way I find myself rooting for Prometheus. Not only because I find him incredibly intriguing (which I do) but because our hero is no longer the hero. Oliver has become the villain of his own story, and at this point I won’t hide the fact that I take great satisfaction in watching Prometheus give it right back to Oliver. I find myself sympathizing with Prometheus than Oliver. * * * Oliver needs a swift kick in the ass. He needs a reminder of the person he used to be. Somewhere along the way – through this Prometheus garbage and mayoral stuff – he’s lost himself. He’s chosen a woman he met five minutes ago over his sister and the love of his life (Felicity.) He made no attempt to protect his Green Arrow identity a secret from this reporter (when red flags should’ve been waving all over the place.) * * * When it comes understanding a person’s motivation you have to understand the person. So while it half annoys me and half joys me that Felicity’s motivation in her involvement with Helix is Oliver, it makes sense because that’s whom Felicity is. Felicity Smoak is a strong, empowering, caring woman who would fight to the ends of the world to protect those that she loves. That’s never been a secret. It’s never something that she should ever apologize for. It’s what makes Felicity, Felicity. * * *What began Felicity’s spiral into Helix? Diggle. What’s continuing Felicity’s spiral with Helix? Oliver. * * * Here’s the thing, I’m having a hard time believing Prometheus is so smart when he likened Susan’s importance in Oliver’s life to that of his deceased mother, best friend, and childhood friend. Susan is in no way as important as Moira, Tommy, and Laurel. She’s not even as important as the ink stain on my jeans. So why has Prometheus gone through all of this trouble to use Susan as leverage? Was it because the writers forced him, much like Oliver, to believe that this useless reporter actually means something? Or was this misdirection on Prometheus’ part as he looks to the future and the more important targets such as Felicity, Diggle, and the off-screen Thea? I’m really praying for the latter because I’d hate for an intelligent villain like Prometheus to be cheapened by some choppy writing on the Susan front. But also because it would make sense. It would show just how good a game of manipulation that Prometheus can play. Edited March 17, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 TETHER: ARROW 5X16 REVIEW (CHECKMATE) jbuffyangel Mar. 16, 2017http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/158474565653/tether-arrow-5x16-review-checkmate Quote Nor can Oliver come after Prometheus as the Green Arrow. Prometheus has Susan, so the Green Arrow can’t kill him. Is Chase dies, then Susan dies. Nobody actually cares Prometheus has Susan, but that’s just details. #TeamPrommy * * * Some may argue romance isn’t part of superhero stories. I argue it’s one of the most fundamental aspects of the genre. First, heroism is an act of love. It is unconditional, selfless, inspiring love. Second, a hero’s journey requires belief. We have to believe in the hero for the story to have value. Therefore, we have to understand who this person is. There is no better way to understand who someone is than to witness how they love. It’s why in almost any iteration of the hero’s journey there is a great love. The heart of the hero is revealed, so we can believe in the hero. * * *“I don’t know what I was thinking dating Susan.” We’ve only been screaming that at you Oliver for 10 episodes, but happy to have you on board. 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 (edited) Felicity Explores The Power Of Helix As Prometheus’ Identity Is Revealed In Arrow’s “Checkmate” MARCH 16, 2017 VERENA COTEhttp://www.4ye.co.uk/2017/03/felicity-explores-the-power-of-helix-as-prometheus-identity-is-revealed-in-arrows-checkmate/ Quote Arrow delivers an incredible episode this week. Not only does the showdown between Oliver and Prometheus come to a climax as he finally learns who the man behind the mask is. We also get a greater insight into what Adrian’s plan is. The puzzle pieces slowly come together to form a picture. And at the center of it is Adrian Chase. When Josh Segarra joined as the loyal and moral DA, we never would have believed he would turn out to be such a psychopath. This week, Segarra takes his performance to a whole new level. He makes Adrian more interesting and more compelling. He makes us want to hear more about his side of the story. Adrian continues to be the driving force behind this seasons major story arc, and Arrow could not have chosen someone better to execute that arc than Segarra. Edited March 17, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 (edited) Arrow Review: Everyone Is in Way Over Their Heads BY CRAIG WACK · MARCH 16, 2017http://oohlo.com/2017/03/16/arrow-review-everyone-is-in-way-over-their-heads/ Quote One of the main rules in the superhero TV handbook is that once a season, the hero and his support team must hit rock bottom before pulling themselves together to defeat the enemy that is causing them so much grief. And, if by the end of this tense episode, Oliver and Company aren’t at their absolute nadir, then they are damned close. * * * Chase and his not-so-silent partner, Talia Al-Ghul has Ollie and the team running around in circles first in an effort to rescue Girlfriend/Reporter, Susan, then trying to beat Chase at his own game. The best part of this new dynamic is that Chase does most of his damage in the public arena, where he is by far the superior operator. It’s a shame Ollie doesn’t have an ally with the political skill and ruthless cunning of say, a Moira Queen, on his side in this situation (We miss you, Thea). The only thing that prevents Ollie from getting backed into corner after corner is the information Felicity is getting from Helix. Of course, in order to earn this information, Felicity — in her desire to prove she’s a grown-ass woman — forgets the lessons taught by every after school special (pushers get you hooked by offering a free “taste”), and the Dark Knight (any technology that taps into every cell phone camera is evil, but kudos for being topical; can’t wait for Kellyanne Conway to quote this Arrow episode on this week’s Meet the Press). * * *There are still some questionable decisions surrounding Arrow right now, like was Susan jammed down everyone’s throats for the express purpose that her subsequent kidnapping would drive the plot of the first part of the episode? Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine any of the show’s fans really cared if she was rescued or not (there seems more to her time in captivity too). Also, why did Oliver or Diggs allow Chase’s wife, their lone bargaining chip, to get within arm’s length of a serial killer they know has a lot of knives on him? You’d think at least Diggle would have better tactical sense than that. * * * With a handful of episodes left in the season, it’s difficult to think that this game of cat and mouse between Chase and Ollie can go on too much longer. He’s made his point, ruined the Green Arrow’s reputation, undercut Ollie’s power as mayor, and literally has Oliver as his prisoner. Keeping Oliver alive at this point is total hubris. Chase is an overly elaborate method of execution away from going full Bond villain. Edited March 17, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 (edited) Arrow Review: Checkmate (Season 5 Episode 16) March 16, 2017 Lissete Lanuza Sáenzhttp://www.telltaletv.com/2017/03/arrow-review-checkmate-season-5-episode-16/ Quote The character of Susan Williams – the reporter, the love interest, was brought in for this particular moment, to be dangled in front of Oliver, to be saved by him. We are supposed to feel something for her – anything, really. And the fact that we don’t just underscores what the problem with Arrow Season 5 has been. Not enough Felicity Smoak. Not enough Olicity. Too much of the new, superfluous characters. * * * And I don’t even mean Olicity in the romantic sense – I just mean Oliver and Felicity as two people who used to talk to each other, who used to connect, who brought out the best in each other. When this show was at its best, it had those two at the center. It had Diggle, And yes, there were other characters in the periphery: Roy, Thea, Laurel, but they were better, more interesting characters than the newbies will ever be. Maybe we can’t go back. We have to keep moving forward. But that doesn’t mean the show needs to abandon its heart. Oliver and Felicity are the heart of this show. OTA is the heart of this show. Tonight, in an episode where I was supposed to root for Oliver, worry that his girlfriend was missing and hope he beat Prometheus, I found myself actively rooting for the bad guy to take him. And that is on the writing. They’ve lost track of what’s important. They’ve lost track of what viewers care about. * * * That, and they have to finally settle on a journey for Oliver. This whole flip-flopping on lessons he’d supposedly already learned is getting old, Arrow. Really, really old. Either he’s a hero, or he’s an anti-hero, or he’s just a flawed guy who’s trying his best. It’s time to make up your mind. Because the uncertainty is killing the character. * * * - “I die, she dies” – I really don’t see the problem here. This sounds like a winning scenario. * * *- “Me and my team” translates to Felicity. If Felicity is not around, no one else can find anything. - Susan Williams shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as Tommy, Shado, Oliver’s parents or Laurel. * * *- Oliver trying to push people away for their own good! Now, where have I seen that before? Maybe in …Season 3? * * * - Ra’s honorable? Thanks for the laugh. Edited March 17, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
JJ928 March 17, 2017 Share March 17, 2017 Felicity made the list of 7 underrated comic characters https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/awesome-but-underrated-comic-book-characters-on-tv/ 13 Link to comment
BkWurm1 March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 Eh, her contract probably runs through the end of the season so I figured this was the place to post this still. Like her or not, but this has to suck. http://www.gossipcop.com/katie-cassidy-nude-photos-naked-pictures-leak-hacked/ Link to comment
kismet March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 That does suck. Although it doesn't surprise me, nothing is safe or private these days. If it's digital on a computer, phone or cloud somewhere, people can find it. 2 Link to comment
Belinea March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 (edited) I am somewhat torn on this (which makes me feel so horrible to be honest) On the one hand everyone is and should be free to do whatever they want and take the pictures that they want. You shouldn't have to be afraid that some lowlife hacker might steal your personal photos and invade your privacy. On the other hand, I'd be so paranoid that those pics would get out that I'd never even want to take them with my phone and keep them. I'd be surprised however if that leak were to affect her career. Edited March 18, 2017 by Belinea 1 Link to comment
strikera0 March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 Yeah, that sucks big time for her, but I am continously amazed by the amount of celebs who seem to think it's a good idea to take nude pictures of themselves. In today's digital age where everything (computers, smart phones, online photo accounts, etc.) can and will be hacked, it seems like a very risky endeavour to me. And this goes for regular people as well. I don't want to know how many average joes have had their nude photos and videos plastered all over porn sites without knowing about it. 5 Link to comment
theOAfc March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 7 hours ago, BkWurm1 said: Eh, her contract probably runs through the end of the season so I figured this was the place to post this still. Like her or not, but this has to suck. http://www.gossipcop.com/katie-cassidy-nude-photos-naked-pictures-leak-hacked/ Its awful. Noone deserves to be exposed like this. 3 Link to comment
Morrigan2575 March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Belinea said: I'd be surprised however if that leak were to affect her career. Meanwhile, I'm over here wondering if she deliberately leaked them for publicity. It's not unheard of or even unusual for struggling celebs to do this for attention. Hell, let's not forget that many people (wrongly) assumed Kanye/Kim faked that whole Paris robbery for media attention . I've known for awhile and, the Paps just confirmed that KC and her peeps notify them of her whereabouts for media attention. So, I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that this was a deliberate leak. After all, sex tapes worked for Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton. And no, I'm not accusing her of it, just wondering if she was desperate enough to try and jump start her career with a scandal. If this was a hack then I feel sorry for her and no one should be subject to that. If this was deliberate, I hope the gamble pays off, for her sake. Edited March 18, 2017 by Morrigan2575 4 Link to comment
theOAfc March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 2 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said: Meanwhile, I'm over here wondering if she deliberately leaked them for publicity. Highly doubt. Not that i dont think celebs would do such a thing. Most of the times,celebs who are suspected to leak photos on their own for attention or extra buzz around their soon to be released movie or whatever, have pics of their naked body released. Katie's pics were an intimate moment between her and a partner. Very privy. 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 (edited) Agents of GEEK Podcast Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres 03/17/2017http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/ -- Craig admitted that he has been "very down" on Arrow, which has had a lot of problems over the past couple months (especially after the break), but he thought that the show "found its footing" in 516. He said that Chase "is way more dangerous in the political arena than he is wielding swords and knives as Prometheus" because he backed Oliver into a lot of corners "seemingly at will." Craig thought it was a "very tense" episode because "no matter what Oliver tried to do, it didn't work... Chase had an answer for it." -- Craig and Tatiana noted that Oliver never asked Talia for her last name 5 years ago when he was working with her. Tatiana: "When they were retconning his origin story." They joked about present day Oliver finding Talia in a location even more remote than Nanda Parbat - "Nanda Parbat North." Tatiana: "'But your sister still likes me. So, I mean, does that not get me anything?'" -- Craig: "Is it just me, or is there something missing with the Susan storyline?" Tatiana: "It's because she's gonna be a bad guy. Oh, I hope she's gonna be a bad guy - although, is that too predictable? Is that too many people close to Ollie turning? 'Cause I feel like - like it's a ruse, you know? I mean, she was searching into Oliver at the beginning of this season and I really need to know - are there people out there that like Susan? I mean, you don't have to hate her. She's nothing, she's nothing. She's not hate-able because she's dumb - (Craig interjects, "She's insignificant.") Not dumb, she's insignificant. Yeah, like, does she matter? I don't know. Like, last week, I said like, 'cool, she's kidnapped, whatever, let's move on.' ... It'd be one thing if Chase had kidnapped the son, and they even mentioned the son, so it's not like the son has ceased to exist in this timeline." Craig: "Or, say, kidnapped Thea.... Her disappearance from the show is very coincidental." Tatiana: "Is she filming something else? I really want to know." Craig: "I think she only signed on for, like, 14 episodes this year, is what I've read on, um, some different sites... But I just think it's hilarious that, like, two episodes after she decides like, 'oh, hey, I gotta peace out for a little while,' like, Ollie's in a situation where he needs a skilled political operative... 'Cause the way they've established Thea is that she would, like, you know, tear Chase up a little bit politically. And, so it's like, oh, it's convenient that she's, you know, missing in action and isn't able to help Ollie out." Tatiana agreed that Thea could've done some "damage control" at City Hall. Craig said that he hasn't read any review or any fan who likes Susan or thinks that she and Oliver have any kind of chemistry, so her kidnapping "had no weight." Therefore, Craig and Tatiana both thought that there must be "something more there." Craig noted that "any time you have a live kidnapping feed on a television show, there's a ruse element there." Tatiana said that, if there's not more to Susan, then "don't make me deal with her much longer." -- Tatiana liked the rest of the team (the newbies), even "New Canary." Craig thought that the show had done a good job of showing their competence now, although with New Canary, he thought giving her the staff was "overkill." Craig: "Why is she carrying a pool cue? ... Oh no, it's just a bo staff." Tatiana: "Everyone needs something to hold, because Curtis now has his T-spheres and Wild Dog has a gun and everyone else has a thing to do with their hands." Craig: "So that's it. Everyone needs to have something akin to the male genitalia to handle during the show. That's great." Tatiana: "I wouldn't go that far. They just need stuff so they're not just standing." Craig: "C'mon. Curtis has balls and they've actively joked... and people talk about guns like -" Tatiana: "I'm not actively supporting this... This is all Craig... Just stop it." -- Tatiana asked, "What happened to the bird girl? She was pissed at Ollie and then she just went away? ... Artemis?" Craig said that we haven't seen her since her betrayal. -- Craig noted that the only person who doesn't seem bothered by Chase is Diggle, who's "so zen." He found it frustrating that the show has developed everyone else, but Diggle is "just there." Tatiana disagreed and thought during the episode that, "if Barry had someone like Diggle, then he wouldn't be the worst" because Diggle is like Oliver's "bro." Tatiana: "Yeah, he's kinda been put on the back burner this season 'cause we've got a million other cast members, which is kinda lame, but I like that he can be that, 'No, Ollie, we're not your f**king weakness. Calm the f**k down. We're a family. Stop it. Or I'm going to hit you over the head in a second. So stop.'" Craig: "Yeah, he's definitely more the voice of reason through this thing... 'Yeah, let's take a breath, count to five, and fix this thing.'" -- Tatiana thought that Helix will definitely ask Felicity to do something bad soon and that she'll get in over her head. Tatiana also mentioned that she had read somewhere that they were trying to get Tom Amandes back on the show and suggested that maybe he'll come save her. Craig: "The one thing that bothers me, and it's just because it's - you know, I've seen this mentioned in a couple of other spots, of just sort of like, at times, ... particularly these shows, like, tend to - ... and it's a problem with the CW shows in general - um, that they really don't know how to handle their female characters very well. And so... having Felicity go down this path to ruin, but she's thinking that she's doing it because she's a grown-ass woman who can make her own decisions and -" Tatiana interrupted, "I don't think that's why she's doing it. I think that's just what she told Curtis because she's starting to have all these people question her, you know? So that's just her, like, irrational response. But I think it's less that and more, like, her trying to - like, it's what she was saying earlier in the season - 'What is my place in this world now?' - Because she's not working at Palmer Tech or, you know, doing anything that's outside of the team. You know what I mean? And, you know, her mom is gone. She finally met her dad and found out that this hacking thing is part of her. So I think she's just trying to find out who she is outside of the team, outside of, you know, always being hung up on Ollie, outside of all these other things, trying to make her own thing. And then everyone's kinda like getting on her case about it. And so she raps like, 'oh, I'm doing this because I'm a grown-ass woman, and I can do whatever the f**k I want.' But it's more that, like, 'I'm trying to figure this out myself, leave me alone while I try to figure this out, this is my journey to take.' You know what I mean?" Tatiana also said that she thinks Felicity's "already realizing [that she's in too deep], but she's in too far to back out... especially now that Ollie's kidnapped." Tatiana also thought that, when Curtis called her out, Felicity already realized that she was in over her head and that it was a bad choice and that, if Oliver hadn't been kidnapped, "it would be a different conversation... Ollie, for all intents and purposes, is the closest person in her life, whether or not they're in a relationship... I mean, her mom's gone, Laurel was her friend and she's gone, Thea's gone... It's not like she has any other family or any other friends outside of this group. And Ollie and Diggle are the people that she would sacrifice most for because they are her family. And trying to save Diggle was the gateway to all of this. And then the jumping off the deep end is going to be in order to save Ollie." Craig agreed and said that Felicity was "doing the wrong thing for the right reasons." -- Craig pointed out some "eye-rolling moments," including "Ollie chastising Felicity about keeping secrets." Tatiana actually thought that was "cute... because it was like, 'oh, look, he's learned a lesson.' Let's see if he remembers it in two weeks... He's kinda growing." Craig: "But he said it with no irony. That's the thing." Another such eye-rolling moment was letting "their one bargaining chip get within knife's reach of the knife-wielding maniac." Craig: "The moment [Doris] went to hug him, it's like, 'He's going to stab her. Why don't you two separate them? He's going to stab her!'" Tatiana thought that "the twist there was going to be that she knew all along, that she was also evil." -- Tatiana thought that this was "such a psychological f**k" by Chase because everyone felt "so helpless" in this episode. Craig agreed and said that Chase is thinking steps ahead. However, Craig was concerned because he didn't know "how long they can keep this up" because Chase is this close to being a "Bond villain" (in terms of drawing out Oliver's execution). Tatiana brought up Kovar/Bratva as maybe something "ramping up" in the flashbacks. Craig suggested that maybe Prometheus would be wrapped up before the end of the season and that Helix would be set up at the end of this season as the Big Bad for next season. Edited March 18, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
Chaser March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 Her 'Wolves at the Door' movie was released yesterday to theaters in the UK. The first reference to the photos I saw were from Paps who implied they thought she could have leaked them. Its a really sad commentary on Hollywood society that I'm torn. I think the chances her camp leaked them is just as good as the chances of her being a victim of a horrible crime. 4 Link to comment
looptab March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 Soo, Craig definitely reads us. :) When was it that Felicity asked herself what was her place in the world? I honestly can't remember. About KC, I'm torn as well. *sigh* Link to comment
kismet March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 At first it did cross my mind that there was possibly an intentional leak; but then I read the nature of the photos and realized that was probably very unlikely. It does seem like her photos were more intimate than one would intentionally leak. I think its sad either way that a leak occurred. 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 (edited) Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent analyze 'Arrow' season 5, episode 16, 'Checkmate': We love a good psychopath By: Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent | March 17, 2017 4:53 pmhttp://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/03/17/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-arrow-recap-season-5-episode-16-checkmate/ Quote AB: Checkmate made a much-needed turn in the right direction, bringing back everything I love about Arrow. I have a few minor quibbles, but finally I feel we’re on track with not only the main story, but with the tone of the show, and I for one am very happy. Lavinia? LK: I completely agree! This was the episode restored my faith that the writers really have a plan and are working to tie things together. I am still unconvinced by a few small things, but overall thought that most of what’s been bothering me has been fixed. * * *AB: ... Shortly after Oliver confronts Adrian Chase as the mayor, he puts on the suit and confronts him as the Green Arrow in the parking garage and learns that Chase has Susan Williams held hostage and if he dies, she dies. While I still don’t buy that Oliver has real feelings for the reporter and think that whole storyline has been blah, I completely buy into this dilemma — even if Susan wasn’t important to Oliver, he wouldn’t risk an innocent life for vengeance. Chase goes through everyone important to Oliver who has died … but I don’t know how he knows about Shado. Both my son and I think that’s a hint … maybe about his real motivation (because I’m thinking that just killing his corrupt father isn’t quite motivating enough), but maybe I’m wrong. Thoughts? * * *LK: ... The Susan Williams’ relationship was probably my biggest problem, mostly because I think it would have been so easy for the writers to fix it early on if they’d only given us some reason to believe that the two of them belonged together — a little screen time showing that their affection and chemistry were more important than the reasons for them not to be together. It’s very possible that the writers wanted us to have doubts, to wonder if there was a secret plan, but if that is what they were doing, for me, it fell flat. (There’s a moment later in the episode when Oliver says, “I don’t know why I got involved with her (Susan Williams),” and my brain is yelling, “We don’t either.” * * * I don’t mind her actions as much as the carefree way she seems to be pursuing them. This is what I am trying to reconcile with past Felicity. She doesn’t seem to have any worries about where Helix is leading her — and I am not sure this rings true — but she always has been a character who pursues what she thinks is right — but does she really thing Helix is right? Ahh, the circles my brain can pursue. * * *AB: Felicity is fast passing the point of no return. * * *AB: We saw this coming, that Felicity would find herself in a position where she went from the gray area to the black. Everything she’s done before with the information yielded by Pandora was illegal, but she controlled the information she retrieved and how it was used. She could convince herself that it was for a greater good. Now, she’s working on projects (hacking) where she doesn’t know how they are using the information or why she’s doing it — like hacking into drones. She’s obviously concerned, but has convinced herself that her need to save Susan (and later to save Oliver) justifies anything that Helix has her do. She could have turned away after Helix refused to help unless she gave them a “quid pro quo,” but she didn’t. Now? Well, this will be interesting. LK: Does she justify it to herself? I think that’s what has me questioning. We’re not being shown much doubt, just her actions. I could completely believe her actions, but she doesn’t seem to be thinking deeply about them — and for somebody I always found to be the conscience of the show, I find this troubling. It’s clear this role has been completely handed over to Diggle this season, but I want a reason for her change. As I’ve said in the past, I can believe that Havenrock could have changed her in this way, but I’d like to have seen a little evidence. * * *AB: This is one of my minor quibbles. Not the trashing the equipment part, but going back to the self-pity. The melancholy. The “no one is safe around me” — we’ve been there, done that. I get that this is the black moment, the dark moment, in his journey, but Oliver’s spent just a little too much time in this introspective moment. * * *AB: I loved it — I was surprised, and I like being surprised. Because it also shows that Chase can’t defeat Oliver alone. With all his games and manipulations and training, Oliver is still better or at least an equal — and Chase needed someone to assist. * * *LK: I am curious to see how far Felicity will be pushed and what Helix’s real goal is. We know it’s not going to be good. I hope that the writers show us more of Felicity’s inner conflict in the coming weeks, let us begin to see the careful mental balancing act she is managing. * * *AB: By the end of the show, Oliver redeemed himself for his self-pity earlier when he confronted Talia. Even though chained and hurting and in a jail cell, he told her that her father was honorable and she isn’t. Which is totally true because Ra’s Al Ghul went to his death knowing that this was the way of the League. He didn’t curse Oliver or anything. I’m wondering if Talia has another reason for going after Oliver … though I have no idea what it is. I hope there’s another reason, because avenging her estranged father’s death doesn’t quite work for me. Just like I think Chase has another reason for going after Oliver. (Though he’s also clearly a psychopath. I love a good psychopath!) Edited March 18, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
Mrs. de Winter March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 (edited) 30 minutes ago, tv echo said: Even though chained and hurting and in a jail cell, he told her that her father was honorable and she isn’t. Which is totally true because Ra’s Al Ghul went to his death knowing that this was the way of the League. Huh, I would not have guessed someone would buy the "honorable" argument when it came to Ra's Al Ghul. Guess I should have known better. Edited March 18, 2017 by Mrs. de Winter spelling matters 1 Link to comment
Belinea March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 I don't know how many pictures there are but I doubt that she leaked them herself because I saw one picture by accident on twitter and I doubt anyone would want pictures like that to float around on the internet. The one I saw was quite explicit. Whoever hacks these peoples phones should have to go to jail for that. 4 Link to comment
Primal Slayer March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 If your going to leak nude photos of yourself, it would probably make more sense to leak them around a time where all the spotlight would be on you and not just be part of a group of celebs, many of whom are bigger, getting hacked. The pap game is old in Hollywood nowadays, even celebrities as big as Brangelina do it to control the narrative. Link to comment
statsgirl March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 I think that it really was a hack because there are a number of bigger names who were hacked and I feel sorry that there are those photos of her on the web. (I hate to admit though, I don't understand why someone would take photos of themselves doing intimate acts like that.) 3 hours ago, tv echo said: Craig thought that the show had done a good job of showing their competence now, although with New Canary, he thought giving her the staff was "overkill." Craig: "Why is she carrying a pool cue? ... Oh no, it's just a bo staff." Tatiana: "Everyone needs something to hold, because Curtis now has his T-spheres and Wild Dog has a gun and everyone else has a thing to do with their hands." Craig: "So that's it. Everyone needs to have something akin to the male genitalia to handle during the show. That's great." Tatiana: "I wouldn't go that far. They just need stuff so they're not just standing." Craig: "C'mon. Curtis has balls and they've actively joked... and people talk about guns like -" Tatiana: "I'm not actively supporting this... This is all Craig... Just stop it." That's so funny Was Craig an English major? I like Tatiana's explanation of Felicity, that's she's trying to find her place in the world and that while she knows Helix are not good guys, she'll do anything to save her family. It's the most charitable explanation of her behaviour yet and is far more like Felicity than AB and LK wondering if she's really this stupid to ignore the danger signs around Helix.. 4 Link to comment
theOAfc March 18, 2017 Share March 18, 2017 5 hours ago, Chaser said: I saw were from Paps who implied Question: by paps do you mean Canadagraphs and his pal? Cause if so,they are irrelevant nasty men looking for attention,i wouldnt value their views about female celebs at all. 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 19, 2017 Share March 19, 2017 Laura Hurley is Deputy TV Editor for CinemaBlend... 9 Link to comment
tv echo March 21, 2017 Share March 21, 2017 (edited) Arrow Round Table: What Is Talia's Plan? Paul Dailly at March 21, 2017https://www.tvfanatic.com/2017/03/arrow-round-table-what-is-talias-plan/ Quote What's next for Susan?Steve: I'm not sure. She survived her initial encounter with Adrian, but something tells me she won't survive the season. Adrian was willing to kill his own wife because she found out who he really was. So, what's to prevent Adrien to tying up any and all his loose ends? Kathleen: The fact that she's not dead yet is practically miraculous. I'm still on the fence whether to agree with Steve that she's toast or to read her survival thus far as a sign that she might actually come out of the season alive. Whatever happens, I can virtually guarantee that she's not going to have a fun and easy time of it. Jim: I'm going the happy route and say she joins Team Arrow to help clean up his public image and that we will find next season they need a resource in the news a lot. Robin: Meh. They haven't really given us any reason to care about Susan other than the fact that Oliver cares for her. Maybe she'll actually do something useful or interesting, like write an expose on Chase or a retcon of the whole "Green-Arrow-is-the-worst" fiasco the Mayor started. * * *Do you trust Helix?Steve: It's too early to tell. She seems to have this "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" type of mindset, but to what end? Yes, she has been very helpful to Felicity and team Arrow, but something has to give. Felicity could end up getting in too deep with the hackers, which makes me think that Helix could end up being set up to be one of the main villains of next season. Kathleen: I don't trust Helix as far as I could throw them. I do, however, like Steve's idea of Helix being set up as next season's villain. They claim to have good intentions, but then again, the road to hell and all. Plus, the idea of their capabilities makes me want to leap up and down and scream "Slippery slope!" How long before they use their skills for personal gain? Jim: I agree with Steve and Kathleen on this one. They both pretty much said what I was thinking, so I'm just going with "ditto" for this one :) Robin: Not even slightly. First of all, I don't trust any character played by Kacey Rohl (Abigail Hobbs, anyone?). I find it interesting that she explained WHAT they do, but was all kinds of vague on the WHY they do it. "Power to the people!" is not a sufficient explanation. Second, of all, they seem a little too eager to exploit Felicity's desperation, and they're already turning her into the kind of person she chastised Oliver for being. Helix is going to be trouble. Edited March 21, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo March 21, 2017 Share March 21, 2017 ‘Arrow’ Review: “Checkmate” Nora Dominick Mar. 21, 2017http://emertainmentmonthly.com/index.php/arrow-review-checkmate/ Quote The big elephant in the Arrow room this week is Susan Williams (Carly Pope). The entire season, Arrow has been shoving the Susan/Oliver relationship down our throats. We understand that Felicity and Oliver weren’t going to be together this season, but is it necessary to have Oliver in a relationship with someone we don’t care about? Similar to Felicity dating Billy Malone (Tyler Ritter), there’s no storylines built into this season that allows us to learn and care for these significant others. It just seems like Arrow shoved Felicity and Oliver with other people, so the audience wouldn’t question why Olicity wasn’t together. It’s downgraded a lot of the relationships in season five. * * * Even in the beginning of the season, Susan seemed to be a fleeting love interest, but it’s only been in these latest episodes that Arrow wants us to now believe she’s very important to Oliver. Green Arrow manages to save Susan in this episode, but for us, the stakes weren’t that high. If she lived or if she died, we didn’t feel much concern. * * * While Segarra may rule the episode with his bow and arrow, Rickards makes quite an impression as Felicity retreats deeper into Helix. After sitting on the sidelines training Team Arrow 2.0 for the beginning of the season, Felicity finally gets a storyline worthy of her character’s stature. For once, she’s not attached to Oliver and gets to shine on her own. While this may lead to a darker version of Felicity, we’re excited to see where this leads not only the character, but also Rickards. A key component in Arrow’s success, Rickards has always given us some of the best moments, so there’s no surprise her work with Helix will give us even more. * * * Oliver’s kidnapping also plays into Felicity’s Helix storyline. Helix is Felicity’s darkness. It’s an organization that gives Felicity all the power she needs to help her friends and family. It’s the perfect organization that plays to Felicity’s strengths and weaknesses. In this episode, we see that she’ll do anything for Helix, especially if it means protecting those she loves. Now, Oliver’s kidnapped and they don’t have a single lead as to where he is. Felicity is going to do everything in her power, even if she has to cross some moral lines, to find him. Felicity and Oliver look to be getting closer and closer and we hope this gives us some hope for some semblance of the characters we loved in the previous seasons. 3 Link to comment
statsgirl March 21, 2017 Share March 21, 2017 Thanks @tv echo, and thanks from saving me from going to TV Fanatic. I can't understand why they are so determined to make Susan happen. No one else seems to care. 4 Link to comment
kismet March 21, 2017 Share March 21, 2017 (edited) Wait, Susan is not dead? That's a real shocker, no kidding. Looks like they fridged the male stand-in for the big winter finale, but kept the female alive for sweeps - that is really different. Although they do need a big end of season kill, so at least Susan might still have her big moment. They are crap storytellers this season, but at least they are gender balanced. Edited March 21, 2017 by kismet Link to comment
lemotomato March 21, 2017 Share March 21, 2017 2 hours ago, tv echo said: Arrow Round Table: What Is Talia's Plan? Paul Dailly at March 21, 2017https://www.tvfanatic.com/2017/03/arrow-round-table-what-is-talias-plan/ Jim: I'm going the happy route and say she joins Team Arrow to help clean up his public image and that we will find next season they need a resource in the news a lot. Shut up, Jim! 11 Link to comment
BkWurm1 March 22, 2017 Share March 22, 2017 I wonder if Jim actually thinks this or is just trolling. Though the idea of the GA having a PR person is hilarious. Maybe we found Thea's next job. 2 Link to comment
wonderwall March 22, 2017 Share March 22, 2017 On 1/29/2017 at 9:29 PM, statsgirl said: Link to comment
looptab March 22, 2017 Share March 22, 2017 I don't think this was posted - Josh Segarra got an honorable mention in TvLine's "Performer of the Week" column: Quote HONORABLE MENTION | We here had known for a while that Josh Segarra‘s Arrow character would be revealed as Prometheus — and it always seemed an odd fit. But wow. As if with the flip of a switch, Segarra transformed mild-mannered D.A. Adrian Chase into not just a worthy adversary for Star City’s mayor and hero, but a really mean one. In his first “unmasked” scenes already, he has clearly, chillingly put Oliver on notice that he is neither a foe to be trifled with nor scared easily. Whether suggesting Oliver has been “asleep this whole time,” dismissing his threats as the words of an “impotent” man, deflecting a seething Lance and Rene with “shop talk” or gutting his plaintive wife, Segarra has convinced us that Chase is one stone-cold seeker of vengeance. Link to comment
Trisha March 23, 2017 Share March 23, 2017 I'm still having a hard time with the "I liked it" revelation but I really like this take: http://hollywoodlife.com/2017/03/22/arrow-chase-tortures-oliver-season-5-episode-17-recap/ Quote Oliver is strong. He can withstand injury, torture, combat, the works. What Oliver can’t withstand? A verbal attack on his character. Why? Because he believes whatever bad thing is said about him so easily. No one thinks Oliver is as bad as he himself thinks, even if he’s supposedly become “more optimistic." ... I’ve had a difficult time accepting the fact that Oliver let Felicity go so easily last year, but it just hit me. While I knew that Oliver didn’t think he deserved her, it’s so clear now just how far that belief goes– he was always waiting for her to leave him. It was an inevitability. He believed that his happiness was fleeting because she’d eventually come to find out that he is the monster he’s told people he was. It’s why he reverted back to the island, it’s why he went it alone, it’s why he made the dumb ass decision to keep his son a secret. Oliver self-sabotaged. He never thought he deserved Felicity and so he made that self-fulfilling prophecy come true. This doesn’t count just for Felicity. It’s why he let his son go, it’s why he has such a hard time accepting people and good things. His feelings of unworthiness overwhelm him, more than I think the audience was ever let to realize. 15 Link to comment
tv echo March 23, 2017 Share March 23, 2017 'Arrow' recap: 'Kapiushon' SARA NETZLEY MARCH 22, 2017 AT 11:54PM EDThttp://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-5-episode-17/ Quote Now this was an episode of Arrow. Bravo to Stephen Amell for tonight’s fearless, haunting performance of Oliver at his darkest, most shocking low. * * * Oliver whispers, “Because I wanted to. I want to.” Then he’s screaming it: “I wanted to. And I liked it.” (Note: These are the tenses as I heard them through all the emotional whisper/yells: past, present, past, past. Closed captioning indicates all present tense “want” and a past tense “liked.” In my mind, this makes a big difference, and I’d love to know what you heard in this scene.) * * * Highest, highest praise for Stephen Amell’s performance this week. He swings from rage and despair to broken and hollow, and it’s effortless and effective and harrowing. Why is Oliver Queen consumed with guilt and blame and shame? Because the desires in his heart are dark — or they were, anyway. Has he worked through that darkness to defeat the monster? Does the growth that we’ve seen over the past five years represent his path out of the shadows? .... 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 23, 2017 Share March 23, 2017 (edited) Arrow goes to its dark place, but a flicker of hope remains By Alasdair Wilkins Mar 23, 2017http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/arrow-goes-its-dark-place-flicker-hope-remains-252579 Quote At various points tonight, I was convinced I was watching either the best or the worst episode in Arrow history. If absolutely nothing else, that’s proof of audacity, as a show doesn’t flirt with such dizzying heights or such self-destructive lows by playing it safe. “Kapiushon” ends up somewhere between those two extremes, though I would place it closer to all-time best than all-time worst... The ultimate success of tonight’s episode likely rests on how the season’s remaining episodes—and there’s still a half-dozen left, somehow!—build on what we learn tonight, determining whether “Kapiushon” really has something powerful to say about Oliver Queen or is ultimately just so much luridly gritty (possibly grittily lurid) trash. * * * This is where Arrow has the chance to do something truly clever with its storytelling, and all the pieces are there this season to think that’s where the show is going. Let’s first assume that Adrian Chase isn’t entirely right in his assessment of Oliver—after all, if our hero can’t on some level prove the villain wrong, then that’s kind of a crap villain. (This, admittedly, is a debatable point. But in the relatively straightforward narrative realm of superhero television, I think it’s fair to say audiences ought to want to see the hero triumph over the villain in a way that’s more than just simply exacting revenge.) And here’s the thing: As violent as Oliver could be during his time as the Hood, I don’t recall him ever reaching the level of brutality, even bloodlust we saw on display in the flashbacks tonight. It’s been a while since I watched the first season, but skinning people alive was never really his style. So what changed between tonight’s flashbacks and Oliver’s time as the Hood? Simple: He met Diggle and Felicity. John joined his crusade within the first few episodes, and it’s now possible to argue his presence steered Oliver away from his worst impulses, ones we couldn’t even know Oliver possessed because we didn’t know what he had been up to in the preceding year in Russia. Felicity’s presence further allowed Oliver to reconnect with his dormant conscience, and Tommy’s death led him to embrace the no-kill rule, albeit not permanently. To understand how Oliver got from tonight’s flashback savagery to the man we have known for most of Arrow’s run, look no further than the point Oliver himself has made repeatedly this season. His friends are his strength. They make him better. And, on the flip side, consider just who led Oliver down the path that Anatoli warns him against. For most of his missing five years, Oliver gradually hardened into a killer, but his actions generally made sense in context. He found himself in a succession of impossible, inherently violent situations, and he responded accordingly. There are moments where he crossed the line, but it’s possible to invoke the fog of war as a reason, if not an excuse—which also fits with how Diggle would later bring a soldier’s perspective to their crime-fighting. It’s only when Oliver met Talia al Ghul that he harnessed all his trauma and pain and anger in service of unleashing this monster. Previously, Anatoli pointed out the ridiculousness of Talia’s teachings. It’s not that Talia is wholly responsible for unleashing all Oliver’s worst aspects—he was a willing pupil, after all—but it adds another, deeply satisfying layer to the construction of this season to have Talia be so fundamental to the formation of the Hood persona. It also positions her to be a hell of a final big bad, in case Arrow wants to pull the old Dark Knight Rises twist. * * * Dolph Lundgren’s size makes him a fantastic fighting partner for Oliver. He towers over Stephen Amell (and any stuntmen), adding a different dimension to their face-off. Edited March 23, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo March 23, 2017 Share March 23, 2017 ‘Arrow’ Recap: “Kapiushon” — Of Monsters and Men BY KAYTI BURT MARCH 22, 2017http://collider.com/arrow-recap-kapiushon/ Quote If you had told me at this time last year that the best episode of Arrow Season 5 would be a flashback-heavy one, I would have laughed in your face. “Kapishuon” proved me wrong by giving us a thematically-resonant episode that made Oliver — and the audience — face the stark darkness in his crusade without the rose-tinted glasses. * * * It’s not exactly a hard jump to make, given how much we’ve seen Oliver do it. (Guys, Oliver has killed so, so many people). But there’s a difference between knowing that Oliver probably has a killing problem in some abstract way, and hearing the main character admit it to himself while seeing the show shape an entire episode and season around that fact. It not only makes Season 5 stronger, it makes all of the story that has come before stronger, too. Because, like Adrian, we have been waiting for Arrow to admit this truth to itself for a long, long time. Without it, it’s been increasingly hard to take Arrow seriously as a show — especially the gritty one it so tried to be in Seasons 3 and 4. This feels like a real turning point for this veteran superhero drama. * * * Oliver should have listened, but he didn’t want to. He couldn’t then. Now, after years working towards creating a team and family, after Adrian’s psychological and physical torture, Anatoly’s words finally seem to be sinking in. They provide some emotional distance to Oliver’s confession. The protagonist of the show is allowed to admit his murder addiction because he is in recovery. He still has issues, but, man was he messed up when he first came back from his five years away. In this way, the flashbacks give us a chance to have our cake and eat it, too. * * * Here, there is no line between the past and the present. There is no priority between the flashback and the present-day storylines. They are one in the same. They are the tragic, layered story of Oliver Queen, the man and the monster. * * *— Where’s our subplot of Felicity wandering around Star City, bumping into things because she can’t find her glasses? 2 Link to comment
Recommended Posts