tv echo March 28, 2017 Share March 28, 2017 (edited) ‘Arrow’ Review: “Kapiushon” Nora Dominick Mar. 28, 2017http://emertainmentmonthly.com/index.php/arrow-review-kapiushon/ Quote Arrow’s fifth season has had its ups and downs. By bombarding fans with new characters in 5A, our favorite character got lost in the background. Character development seemingly didn’t mattered. It appeared to be a season about one upping the other DCTV shows. Flashy stunts were more important than learning more about characters. Oliver became the shell of the character we loved, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) was pushed to the background and Diggle’s (David Ramsey) army storyline held promise, but fell flat. All of these small elements have combined for one of Arrow’s most disappointing seasons. We’ve said it before, but without strong characters, there’s no reason for fans to tune in week after week. Yes, explosions and stunts are amazing, but audiences want characters they can relate to. They want to see their favorite characters adapt and grow. Arrow lost its way in terms of characters, but with this latest episode, it manages to find its way back to the show we love. With one episode, Arrow takes some of its biggest risks, creatively. There’s some brutal stuff, but there aren’t many action scenes. A rarity with a show that thrives off action sequences. The episode also mostly feature two characters. That’s it. After a season of pushing character after character on us, this episode thrives because there are few characters. In an unconventional episode, Arrow manages to find its footing and deliver one of its best hours. * * * Finally, Adrian seemingly snaps Evelyn’s neck, killing her. Oliver drops to his knees, completely heartbroken that he caused this. Amell triumphs in a simple scene that packs one of the greatest punches. He’s an actor that has gotten better with every season of Arrow and this episode is his biggest triumph. We haven’t been given this raw of a performance from Amell since Moira was killed in season two. Both moments will surely be the hallmark moments of Amell’s time on Arrow. Both simply stunning and emotional. * * * The next moment exceptional moment for Amell is a moment featuring a nod to Oliver’s relationship with Felicity. The entire season, Arrow has been avoiding talking about Olicity. For a relationship that has become intricate to the show, it’s been non existent, even in the form of a friendship. This week, Adrian knows one way to break Oliver is to bring up Felicity and Diggle. In a gut wrenching moment, Adrian reveals he has a pair of Felicity’s glasses. He’s been to her apartment and knows how to get to her. Oliver tenses, vowing he’ll hurt Adrian if he even looks in Felicity’s direction. Another small moment in the grand scheme of the episode, Amell gives us a breathtaking and raw moment. We can try to hid Olicity under mountains of other storylines and relationships, but deep down Oliver will still take an arrow for the woman he loves. This episode further proves that Arrow can try to bombard us with stuns, but deep down characters drive this show. * * * The flip side the amazing Arrow episode is Josh Segarra. In just two episodes, Segarra has become possibly the best villain this show has ever seen. Segarra’s ability to be not only psychologically intimidating, but also physically intimidating is impressive to say the least. He’s charming, yet ruthless all at the same time. Prometheus is a villain that knows Oliver better than he knows himself. The psychological torment that Adrian puts Oliver through makes him the most terrifying. He can bring Oliver down by hitting on the perfect memory. Segarra astonishes and he cements himself amongst the great villains in DCTV history. His individual performance alone is astonishing as he manages to bring Arrow to new heights. Edited March 29, 2017 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
Belinea March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 Jump to 27.56... For those who don't want to be spoiled...There is a spoiler warning right at the beginning. 2 Link to comment
GHScorpiosRule March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 21 hours ago, tv echo said: Character development seemingly didn’t mattered 21 hours ago, tv echo said: We can try to hid Olicity under mountains of other storylines and relationships, If the writer of this piece wants me to take him/her seriously, then he/she needs to either proof read the copy, or get a fucking copy editor who knows proper grammar. Using tablets, phones, twitter/twatter, whatthefuckever, is not an excuse for laziness and not bothering to write complete, grammatically correct sentences. 21 hours ago, tv echo said: He’s an actor that has gotten better with every season of Arrow and this episode is his biggest triumph. We haven’t been given this raw of a performance from Amell since Moira was killed in season two. Uh, no. I would add the scene at the end of season one, when Tommy died in his arms. For me That's when Amell convinced me of his talent. He absolutely killed it (pardon the pun) in that scene. 1 Link to comment
catrox14 March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 (edited) From the article. 22 hours ago, tv echo said: Prometheus is a villain that knows Oliver better than he knows himself. The psychological torment that Adrian puts Oliver through makes him the most terrifying. He can bring Oliver down by hitting on the perfect memory Ermm. No, writer. This is not necessarily true at all. I think the show is doing a big retcon with Oliver. OR it's going to show us that Prometheus is NOTHING like Oliver in the end and that he is only the same on the surface. Prometheus only knows FACTS about Oliver's life and those facts do not illuminate the man under the facts. So, no there is no evidence, that Prometheus knows Oliver better than Oliver knows himself. And to the Collider podcast dudes. Nah, not every viewer already knew that about Oliver. If they did there would be no debate in fandom over this being a retcon. Word to podcasters, just speak for yourselves. You won't be any less of an effective podcast if you don't speak for all viewers. Edited March 29, 2017 by catrox14 4 Link to comment
looptab March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 I stopped watching the collider reviews last season because I can't stand them, but that guy freaking out over the lawyer thing made me LMFAO. 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 (edited) MG retweeted this tweet by Nora Dominick. He must not have read her linked review (posted upthread), which - although praising 517 - is very critical of S5 in general, calling it "one of Arrow's most disappointing seasons"... Edited March 29, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
EmilyBettFan March 29, 2017 Share March 29, 2017 17 minutes ago, tv echo said: MG retweeted this tweet by Nora Dominick. He must not have read her linked review (posted upthread), which - although praising 517 - is very critical of S5 in general, calling it "one of Arrow's most disappointing seasons"... LMAO I agree about Chase but hahaha at MG not reading the whole thing and just that tweet itself most likely. 4 Link to comment
kismet March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 7 hours ago, tv echo said: MG retweeted this tweet by Nora Dominick. He must not have read her linked review (posted upthread), which - although praising 517 - is very critical of S5 in general, calling it "one of Arrow's most disappointing seasons"... Chase has really nailed it this season. I loved him when he was good and when he has been so deliciously bad the last 2 episodes. But I have to agree with Nora's assessment that it is ""one of Arrow's most disappointing seasons"..." 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 Arrow recap: 'Disbanded’ SARA NETZLEY MARCH 29, 2017 http://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-5-episode-18/ Quote Then Oliver tells Susan, “I can’t be with you. My apologies if that’s presumptuous.” Ha! What a great breakup line. Susan pouts and leaves, and if we’re very lucky, this is the last we’ll see of her. Again, imagine how much more powerful this whole story line would’ve been if Susan had been a love interest that anyone in the audience was rooting for. * * * Since Oliver’s taken his toys and gone home, the rest of the team’s forced to don black hoodies and itchy masks to patrol the city without their usual tech or Overwatch in their ears. They respond to a break-in at a medical warehouse, where they find a group of Russians stealing diabetes drugs. No, they’re not Wilford Brimley’s personal drug delivery team; Anatoly pops up to call John his favorite American and explain that they’re there with Oliver’s blessing. * * * John takes this badly and crashes into Oliver’s office to announce, “We don’t hire criminals and pay them with diabetes drugs.” So true, Mr. Diggle. So true. But Oliver’s angry to hear that his team didn’t actually disband; he’s willing to sell his soul all day long to see Chase dead, but he won’t let his team dirty their own hands. John’s horrified by the brainwashing job Chase did on Oliver, who insists it’s not PTSD. He says he’s finally faced the truth, and the team is done. * * * Meanwhile, Curtis takes on Chase, who asks, “How’s that husband of yours?” Scariest line of the night, by far. Curtis takes a boot to the ribs, but in the end, he walks away with the tech Felicity and Helix need. Good guy, that Curtis. * * * He delivers the tech to Helix HQ, having fed Felicity nanites in her blueberry pancakes to track her (creepy, and a violation of the sacred trust of breakfast). Naturally, the scrambler’s encrypted, and to break it quickly, a Helix hacker suggests that Overwatch and Mr. Terrific break into Kord Industries, the company Chase originally stole it from. When Felicity and Curtis are boggled that Helix knows their secret identities, the hacker says it was child’s play. “It took me eight minutes, three for this guy.” Curtis understates, “These hackers are mean.” * * * Anatoly says he became what he had to become. Without Oliver’s presence, Anatoly slipped into corruption and self-interest, while Oliver sans Anatoly tried to atone for his actions over the past five years. It’s an interesting parallel, and between Kovar’s survival last week and Anatoly’s new enmity, it has the potential for a fascinating future payoff. * * * In Oliver’s absence, if John’s the new Oliver and Curtis is the new Felicity, do you agree that Dinah’s the new John? Or is she more obviously the new Laurel? And can we all agree that Rene is and always will be Rene? 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) A.V. Club reviewer is really loving this season... Arrow is great once more, with a little help from his friends Make that a lot of help, actually By Alasdair Wilkins Mar 30, 2017 1:45 AMhttp://www.avclub.com/tvclub/arrow-great-once-more-little-help-his-friends-252946 Quote Whatever concerns I might have had about Arrow’s ability to stick the landing after “Kapiushon” is now gone in the wake of tonight’s episode. Last week’s review suggested a reason we had never really seen Oliver’s most monstrous aspects during his time in Star City is that he had John Diggle and all his subsequent allies to pull him back from the brink. And right on cue, tonight’s episode is about Diggle refusing to let Oliver lay down after his ordeal—or, worse, take an action for which there can be no forgiveness, like calling out a Bratva hit on Adrian Chase. David Ramsey is only occasionally asked to play something more complex than the team’s sardonic steadying presence, and he turns in a series-best performance here, bristling with intensity as he tells Oliver they aren’t done and will never be done. Crucially, though, Diggle’s stated motivations in keeping the team together extend beyond just looking out for Oliver. Sure, he wants to save Oliver’s soul, but he also recognizes there’s a whole city out there that still needs saving. Diggle absolutely cares about Oliver as a friend and brother, but he retains his sense of mission. And here’s a point: The title Arrow has only truly made sense for about a two-year period in the show’s run. Not that I’m suggesting the show should constantly rename itself—I realize how marketing and (shudder) branding work—but if there were any demand for accuracy, the first season would have been The Hood, the second and third seasons would indeed have been Arrow, and last year would have been Green Arrow. This year, though? Tonight underlines how the only appropriate name is Team Arrow. (Or, if we feel like actively courting a lawsuit, there’s always Oliver And Company.) The season has been gradually setting the terms of engagement, and “Disbanded” underlines it: Oliver is not the person he wants to be without his friends. It’s almost odd to think that it’s this year the show has become a true ensemble, considering Rene, Curtis, Dinah, the erstwhile Rory, and the traitorous Evelyn hardly bring the star power of a Roy Harper or a Laurel Lance—hell, even Thea has spent most of this year on the periphery. But Oliver’s commitment to building up his new team as worthy allies has helped reveal just how much he depends on them. * * * Speaking of someone who has been both friend and enemy, since when did Arrow master how to do its flashbacks? ... In “Disbanded,” the resonance between storylines creeps up on the viewer, growing deeper than a superficial comparison between Oliver and Anatoly’s relationship in 2017 and in 2012. ... At this point, Anatoly’s story plays as a minor-key version of Oliver’s own struggles, as another once good man reveals how corrupt he has become. It’s only then, once Arrow has shown us the difference between past and present Anatoly that the former punches the audience in the gut, as he admits to Oliver that he worries what will happen to him once his American friend leaves. The tragic fall becomes explicit, tying back into the importance of the company one keeps. Oliver wouldn’t have found his moral footing without Diggle beside him. With Oliver gone, Anatoly lost his, as he was forced to make ever more terrible decisions to maintain his position as leader of the Bratva. This is storytelling perfection, with David Nykl beautifully delineating his performances as the two versions of Anatoly.... ... The point Prometheus has made again and again is that Oliver’s mere presence corrupts those closest to him. Anatoly’s story doesn’t exactly disprove that, but it does prove the converse: He became corrupt because of Oliver’s absence.... Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) ‘Arrow’ Recap: “Disbanded” – Who Will Save Your Soul? BY KAYTI BURT MARCH 29, 2017http://collider.com/arrow-recap-disbanded/ Quote How many times can Arrow place Oliver’s soul above the city’s safety? How many times can Oliver take up so much of the space on Team Arrow that he assumes the group is nothing without him and that his motivations are their motivations? At least one more time, apparently. After last week’s stellar episode, which saw Oliver admitting that perhaps, just maybe, he has a killing problem, our hero took his first step as a newly self-aware man by breaking up Team Arrow and making a deal with the Bratva to kill someone for him. It’s always one step forward, two steps back with this guy! * * *Arrow worked overtime this week to pit the disbanded members of Team Arrow against Oliver and his Bratva allies and it really didn’t stick. Rather than just letting the Bratva kill Chase, Diggle led a crusade to “save Oliver’s soul.” It’s particularly frustrating to see Arrow make such a redundant narrative decision after what has been such a strong string of episodes. Watching Diggle try to convince Oliver for the umpteenth time that he isn’t a terrible person was not particularly riveting. (Especially considering Arrow went to great and effective lengths in last week’s episode to insist that Oliver kind of is a terrible person — or at least has been.) * * *The idea that Oliver corrupts everyone he comes into contact with in some way is an arrogant way to be a “hero.” It’s an unlikeable way to be a protagonist. It presumes that these characters only exist in relation to Oliver Queen, that they don’t make their own decisions. It robs them of their agency. Oliver robs them of their agency. Arrow has occasionally called Oliver on this presumption before, but not nearly enough and not in this instance, which felt like a major step backwards for the show. ... Team Arrow probably should have let the Bratva take him down when they had the chance (though, preferably, without shooting the cop who was guarding him). Instead, they stopped it all to make a point, to save Oliver’s soul one more time because, in the world of Arrow, that is their chief concern. Not their own safety, the safety of their loved ones, or the safety of the city. Gotta save the dudebro’s soul, even and especially when he is doing everything in his power to self-destructively damn himself, with a very limited understanding of how that self-destruction affects the people in his life. ... Oliver is the one who comes off looking like a jerk. He asked Anatoly to come kill someone for him, then changed his mind, getting Anatoly’s men thrown in Star City jail, then got mad at Anatoly for being a bad guy. Sorry, Oliver. Did you think the guy you hired to kill someone for you was going to be a pillar of morality? * * * — “Everyone who’s down here or around me, they either suffer or they die.” — Oliver “Broken Record” Queen — Do we really believe that Oliver could effectively lock Felicity and Curtis out of the lair? No. * * * — “Doris’ death has been difficult.” “Yeah, well maybe you shouldn’t have killed her.” Lance was the only character acting like a sane person in this episode. Bless him. * * * — “This is not how I wanted my life to touch yours. I should have known better.” — Oliver breaks up with Susan, which, I guess was supposed to make us feel something? * * *— “I said that’s impossible. My team no longer exists.” — Oliver assumes that because he told his friends to stop fighting crime they would stop fighting crime. Maybe they fight crime not because you tell them to, Oliver, but because they think it is important? * * * — “I’m not going to keep having the same conversation.” — Oliver, to Diggle. Wait, does he know this episode has basically happened before, too? * * *— “I won’t sit by and watch all of your participate in my murder spree.” I thought Team Arrow stopped killing people a few seasons ago? * * * – Arrow really missed an opportunity not getting Jewel’s “Who Will Save Your Soul” for this episode’s soundtrack. Edited March 31, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 ARROW: "DISBANDED" REVIEW Jesse Scheeden Mar. 29, 2017http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/30/arrow-disbanded-review?abthid=58dc70fd425512db71000026 Quote The show has really been hinging on Stephen Amell’s ability to play a more tortured and desperate Oliver Queen these past two weeks. Amell’s performance wasn’t quite as showy this time around. Instead, he was quiet and withdrawn. Amell painted a very believable portrait of a man drained of his will to resist and resigned to the fact that he’s every bit the villain Chase claims. It’s one more reminder that Amell excels at showcasing different sides to his character. Compare this Ollie to early Season 4 Ollie and they might as well be two completely different people. * * * Once again, the show set out to explore how crucial Ollie’s team to his own long-term survival and psychological health. Diggle managed to pull his friend back from the brink and prevent him from would likely have been the worst mistake of his vigilante career. Amell and David Ramsey shared several strong scenes this week, each of which capitalized on the brotherly bond Ollie and Diggle have built up over five years. It really does feel like the show is coming full circle the closer we get to the end of Season 5. * * * I won’t necessarily mind if the flashbacks take a more subdued approach for the remainder of the season however. This week’s Russian scenes worked well because they offered stark contrast between the relatively good, honorable man Anatoly was and the amoral gangster he’s become since. There’s a certain sadness at seeing him become the very thing Ollie helped him overthrow five years ago, and that sadness was reflected in the final conversation between the two. Anatoly claims to be happy, yet he seems anything but. 3 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) Arrow Review 5.18 – ‘Disbanded’ March 29, 2017 | Posted by Michael Haigishttp://411mania.com/movies/arrow-review-5-18-disbanded/ Quote Remarkably, this episode capably moved the proceedings forward. Of course, “Disbanded” was characterized by much of the overwrought emotional exposition that often plagues the show, but the events of the episode were mostly sensible, and importantly, interesting. * * *Here, the episode gets somewhat messy, in classic handwringing Arrow fashion. In short, Diggle and Oliver clash repeatedly over the presence of Bratva, and Oliver’s plan to use the Russian syndicate in removing Chase. By most measures, this plan actually makes sense. Star City has a never ending criminal presence, and in this case, Oliver would have a line of open communication (and, ostensibly, mutual respect – at least until a line was crossed) with the criminals. In exchange, the criminals (Bratva, here) would capably Dispatch Chase for Oliver and Team Arrow. Drug thefts and whatever other crimes of vice Bratva would go to commit could be handled after. But Arrow, never content to simply show audiences difficult decisions in action, must make the choice a battle for Oliver’s soul, prosecuted with long-winded arguing by Diggle and Oliver. Interestingly, the role of moral absolutism seems to shift in Arrow, to wherever is most convenient in a given week. In one episode, it is Oliver who reprimands Felicity and Thea when they compromise their ethics for a greater good. In another, its Oliver who argues plainly for Diggle to wash away past misdeeds with moral deeds in the present. In “Disbanded”, the parts are swapped, as Diggle attempts to sway Oliver from ethical compromise. * * * This seems actually pretty straightforward – Team Arrow is a group of friends and peers doing a difficult job, and occasionally they each serve as the voice of reason in the room. Nothing hard to understand about that. Arrow falls into a trap, though, when it begins plotting to illustrate those moral arguments, rather than allowing those moral arguments to shape the plot. Those sound the same, but they aren’t – and it’s important. In “Disbanded”, Oliver invited Bratva to Star City, which compromises his morality. Diggle objects. Fine. Superheroes should at least attempt to be incorruptible, surely. But after that argument, when Bratva is set to ambush and kill Chase, Diggle and the team – operating without consent from Oliver – sabotage the operation, effectively saving Chase. This type of plot development is senseless, serving only that argument between Diggle and Oliver. In this instance, Arrow Team could simply let Bratva kill Chase, then apprehend the Bratva; or, they could just kill Chase themselves, and apprehend Bratva. Or they could just kill Chase and address Bratva later. It’s inane, and not worth thinking about, because the entire sequence is meant only to reflect a literal battle for Oliver’s “soul” (Diggle’s words). ... Arrow’s characters can’t help but romanticize absolute morality, and insist that how a problem is solved is more important than if it solved. But Anatoly – and the show – seem to disagree; that the most important thing a man in Oliver or Anatoly’s position can have is capable friends who are also willing to dirty their hands. Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 Review: ‘Arrow’ Gets a Little ‘Disbanded’ Figuring Out Season 5’s Endgame Kevin Fitzpatrick | March 29, 2017http://screencrush.com/arrow-disbanded-review/ Quote As much respect as last week’s punishing “Kapiushon” deserved, I think Arrow writers were cognizant that Oliver shutting down the team’s vigilante crusade was something of a narrative dead-end. Likewise, there were only so many avenues through which “Disbanded” could undo that, beyond another team-building hour to remind Oliver he no longer has to go it alone. After all, it isn’t as if Chase was suddenly going to stop his own criminal activities because Oliver backed down, and neither Talia nor Evelyn were present to offer said master plan any additional dimension. * * **If there’s one thing about Season 5 that seems continuity-breaking in retrospect, it’s how hellbent Season 1 Oliver was on following his father’s list. The way these Russian flashbacks are concluding, all sense of urgency to Oliver returning to Star City (by way of staging a trip back to Lian Yu) feels completely lost. * * *“Disbanded” is primarily Diggle’s hour, and a heavy one for David Ramsey to carry, given that Felicity too has been morally compromised into ignoring Oliver’s backslide. The Arrow writers are good at picking up parallels with story elements no longer in play, and it was smart to compare Oliver’s willingness to seek redemption to the same lessons he imparted to Diggle in prison earlier this season. Granted, it seemed more like “Kapiushon” wanted to re-frame Oliver as a stone-cold serial killer, which isn’t necessarily a debt that can be worked off, but Arrow leaning on Oliver’s need to learn and re-learn how to redeem himself through others is a default setting at this point. * * * There are still more than a few plates still spinning in Season 5, between the Bratva, Kovar, Helix and whatever Prometheus’ ultimate plan with Talia is; it just didn’t seem like “Disbanded” had a sense of which story should be most important to Oliver going forward. * * * Curtis managed to get into the bunker later, so I can’t imagine Oliver capable of locking it in any way that would keep Felicity out. * * * Hey, Susan’s still around. Were we planning to define that character as something more than “love interest,” or … ? Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) Arrow Season 5 Episode 18 Review: “Disbanded” Chris King March 29, 2017http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/arrow-season-5-episode-18-review-disbanded Quote My only real problem with “Disbanded” is the pacing of the episode, particularly the pacing of Oliver’s journey, as he goes from being dead-eyed and hopeless to delivering inspiring speeches to the reunited team in less than 40 minutes. Now, the Arrow writers smartly show that Oliver has not fully returned to his former self; he won’t put the Green Arrow suit on when he goes out with the team to stop the Bratva near the end of the episode, and his reasoning for doing so has nothing to do with the “shoot on sight” order that the SCPD is supposed to follow. Oliver clearly no longer believes in himself as a hero, and it will seemingly take a long time before he can regain that confidence and strength, the fortitude he must have in order to truly be the beacon of hope that his city so desperately needs. However, it still seems a little too fast and convenient that Oliver would reassemble the team as quickly as he does, that he would be willing to put his friends in harm’s way again after enduring nearly a week of torture in which Chase constantly reminded him of the loved ones that he failed. Despite how moving and downright powerful each of Diggle’s speeches to Oliver are, I just can’t buy into the fact that he would buckle that easily and bring back Team Arrow that soon; Oliver appeared to be way too traumatized to do anything like that at the beginning of “Disbanded.” Plus, Oliver is also way too stubborn of a person to almost instantly buy into Diggle’s words of redemption and justice. Think of all the stupid actions that Oliver has taken because of his stubbornness: disbanding the team wouldn’t even crack the top five. With all that being said, though, it’s still great to see Arrow shine a spotlight on the Oliver/Diggle friendship, which is one of the two most important relationships on the series. As I mentioned in my review of last week’s episode, Oliver would never be able to pull himself out his darkness and despair without the help of Dig and Felicity, who not only know Oliver better than anyone else but also inspire him more than anyone else.... * * *Maybe Felicity will be the one to help Oliver deal with those feelings of self-doubt and self-hatred when Arrow returns on April 26, but she’s not around to deliver any words of hope or love in tonight’s episode. Instead, Felicity provides assistance to Oliver and the team in a different, perhaps even more important way, as she and Curtis work together and use Helix’s resources to obtain clear, non-pixelated footage of Adrian Chase showing his face as Prometheus. With this video clip, the team is able to turn the tables on Chase for once this season, as they expose his true identity to the SCPD, and even though he escapes from the Marshals that had been protecting him by viciously murdering them both (there’s five episodes left in the season—of course, Chase was going to get away), it’s clear that Chase feels rattled now that he no longer has the upper hand. It will be very interesting to see just how dangerous and desperate Chase will be now that he’s on the run and can no longer freely move in and out of City Hall; with five episodes remaining in Season 5, I’m sure we haven’t seen the worst of what he can do yet. * * *Oliver and Felicity don’t have many scenes together tonight, but the short exchange between the two of them, when he tells her that she’s the one thing that Chase couldn’t plan for, stands out as a strong emotional moment in an episode that’s full of them. Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo 6 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) ‘Arrow’: Oliver fatal flaw isn’t his lust for killing, it’s his trust issues CHRIS E. HAYNER MARCH 29, 2017http://screenertv.com/television/arrow-disbanded-oliver-queen-trust-issues/ Quote The problem is, killing isn't Oliver's fatal flaw: It's who he chooses to trust, and his decision-making abilities. Oliver decided to believe what Prometheus was saying about him, accepting that he was a cold-blooded murderer, rather than believing in the team that has been with him since the very beginning. That includes Diggle (David Ramsey), who Oliver actually came to blows with before realizing how terrible an idea it was to bring Bratva to Star City. * * * Oliver's habit of acting rashly first and asking questions later is what ends up doing so much damage in his life and this is just another instance. Given everything he's been through, which we've seen play out in endless flashbacks over five years, it's understandable that he would have trust issues. Things haven't really come easy for Oliver since he got stranded on that Island. That said, it doesn't excuse him and the choices he makes -- or the damage they do. And it's not just his vigilante life that winds up in trouble because of these trust issues. Look back at his failed engagement to Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), who ended their relationship because he lied to her for so long about something as major as having a child. Oliver is reckless with who he chooses to trust and what he chooses to do, and eventually it's going to catch up to him. Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 ‘Arrow’ Recap: Bratva Move in on Star City Robert Clarke-Chan March 30, 2017https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-bratva-move-in-on-star-city-145132901.html Quote Once again, Oliver’s strength proves to be the team around him. While Diggle pulls him out of his funk, Curtis and Felicity find (read: hack) the proof necessary to expose Adrian Chase as Prometheus. They’re not fast enough to keep Oliver from bringing the Bratva back to Star City, however, and they’ll have to deal with the consequences of that soon enough. * * * Will this be the last we see of the self-satisfied, smarmy Adrian Chase we all know and hate? Josh Segarra did a great job of establishing the character as a tough, competent district attorney with a secret, but he is truly masterful as the puppetmaster slowly destroying Oliver Queen’s life. Damien Darhk and Malcolm Merlyn both have a rakish charm to them that make them fun to watch, but you want to punch post-Prometheus Adrian in the face every moment he’s on screen. Seeing him taunt Oliver with that knife — begging him to stab him in the mayor’s office — is as psychologically torturous as the physical pain of last episode. * * * We all knew that Susan Williams was a fling and wouldn’t be around long, but it’s still terrible to see her kidnapped, tortured, and then dumped by Oliver just to add insult to injury. It’s a classic superhero move: I can’t be with you because being close to you puts you in danger. Which is fine, but he kind of treats his old Bratva buddy, Anatoly, the same way. He gets into a (shady business) relationship with him — knowing full well that it won’t work out — then dumps him after they’ve flown from Russia to *ahem* consummate the relationship. As Felicity will certainly tell you, Oliver is a terrible person to be in a couple with, but you’d think maybe he’d have learned after five years how to be a better boyfriend/organized crime partner. * * * Line of the Night: “These hackers are mean!” Well, of course it only took Helix eight minutes to figure out who Green Arrow is. The surprise is that so many people still haven’t. Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) Oliver Gets By With a Little Help From His Friends in Arrow’s “Disbanded” Posted on March 30, 2017 by Kelly Konda https://weminoredinfilm.com/2017/03/30/oliver-gets-by-with-a-little-help-from-his-friends-in-arrows-disbanded/ Quote At least once in every season of Arrow or The Flash there seems to be an episode where the titular hero has to again be reminded of the power of teamwork and perils of going it alone. This is usually framed as Oliver or Barry suddenly turning mournful about the danger they inherently, but inadvertently bring to all of their friends. Plus, sometimes Oliver is just stubborn. Correction: a lot of the time he is stubborn. * * *Classic Oliver, really, not so much that he would give up like that, but more that he would unilaterally decide such a thing for the team with no input and next to zero details shared about what specifically Chase did to him to drive him to such an extreme decision. It’s also adorably naïve, but also believable given his past behavior, that Oliver would seriously believe Diggle and the rest would simply fall in line and follow his orders. Sure, he pulled that dick move by cutting off access to Arrow headquarters, but they’re all just a wee bit too invested at this point to call it good just because Oliver says so and cuts them off from their supplies. Heck, Curtis, Rene, and Dina have all lost significant others along the way, and being a part of Team Arrow helped them move on and find a renewed purpose in life (although, obviously, it was exactly his membership in Team Arrow which cost Curtis his significant other). * * *But the heavy lifting fell to Diggle, as well it should. Felicity is still going down the Helix rabbit hole, and speedwalks about as if her mind is someplace else and she so doesn’t have the time or patience anymore for Oliver/Diggle’s pesky moral quandaries. File that away for “will be dealt with in future episode.” That left it to Diggle to be the patient, not-giving-up-on-you-even-if-you’ve-give-up-on-yourself brother Oliver needed, with the former scolding the latter for hiring Anatoli and the Bratva to kill Chase. It’s a familiar character dynamic, but one which Amell and Ramsey always play well, even if the script tries a little too hard to spell it out for us (as here when Diggle connects the line between Oliver’s current despair and his own back when he was in prison as explanation for why won’t give up on him). * * * As Stephen Amell told HeroicHollywood last week, “The interesting thing is that what Prometheus has done is base his plan off of Oliver’s pattern of behavior. Oliver’s pattern of behavior has been, ‘I’m going solo.’ When the chips are really down, he retreats and it’s just him. So, the fact that Oliver now has a team might be the one thing that Chase can’t plan for.” * * * 2. Thea’s not around because Willa Holland wanted this to be a part-time job this season, which is perfectly fine. Still, “brother was tortured and has completely changed his worldview” would seem like reason enough for Thea to re-emerge from wherever she’s at now. * * *5. Felicity and her Helix doppleganger should absolutely go undercover exactly like she described. Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 Arrow Season 5 Episode 18 Review: Disbanded Tyler McCarthy March 29, 2017http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/arrow/263296/arrow-season-5-episode-18-review-disbanded Quote It’s worth mentioning what a terrific chess board the show has laid out for itself right now. Chase is able to walk in and out of the character’s lives, torturing them with knowing insults and taunts, with utter impunity. The team can’t get close to him in costume, and he’s legally untouchable as the Star City District Attorney. The door is open for Chase to give some spooky monologues and he doesn’t waste the opportunity. Sadly, his dark revenge plot is no match for a “can-do” team of super hackers, but more on that later. * * * Meanwhile, the team is dealing with the news that Oliver is no longer going to be their leader, locks them out of the lair and explains that he wants to see the team disband. That’s when Diggle steps up to become the new Oliver, which prompts Curtis to assign roles to everyone else, dubbing himself the new Felicity and leaving Rene and Dinah to argue over who is the new Diggle. My vote is for Rene, since Dinah was specifically brought on as the new Laurel, but the show, apparently, disagrees. * * * Finding out that they can now bust Chase in the eyes of the legal system is welcomed news to everyone… except the unfortunate two federal agents that were guarding him in a hotel room at the time. Call it an uneasy feeling, but when one of their phones rings, Chase sprang into action and brutally killed them both. The episode ended on a chilling note as the already-established psychopath killed calmly drove back to, presumably, wreak havoc on Star City. Unhinged for the first time, it’s safe to say that it’s worth getting genuinely excited about what’s to come next because, odds are good it’ll be violent. Link to comment
tv echo March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) I thought this review was kinda hilarious... "Disbanded" – Arrow S05E18 Review By Gislef March 30, 2017http://www.tv.com/shows/arrow/community/post/disbanded-arrow-s05e18-review-1490850275/ Quote What a dumbass. With this week's "Disbanded", that goes for Oliver and Adrian. Oliver because he gets everyone worked up about a retirement that even he doesn't seem too serious about. Diggle talks him out of it by the third commercial break. And Oliver's plan to shut down the team is pretty dumb anyway. So he tells them to disband and they're just going to wander off on their own. Rene and Dinah were busting criminals before they joined Team Arrow: why would they stop just because the team was no longer there? * * * In fact it was kind of funny seeing them complain that they didn't have gear. Umm, what gear does Dinah have? And Rene has... guns. They get locked out of the bunker and suddenly they're helpless. What a bunch of maroons. (Maybe that anti-gun legislation kept Rene from getting guns. Remember that? Don’t worry, neither do the writers.) * * * I'm down with Adrian being a psycho that nothing Oliver does will ever be good enough for him, but no one else seems to notice the flaws in Adrian's plans. Oliver goes on and on about how he's a killer... but he doesn't kill Adrian when Adrian apparently gives him the chance. That not only fails to cause Adrian to rethink his MO, but it fails to cause Oliver to consider the contradiction between insisting that he likes killing, and refusing to kill. * * * I also don’t get why Adrian has been selectively attacking and (for the most part) not attacking Oliver's teammates. He threw a few knives at Curtis a while back, remember that? And he killed Billy when he should have nabbed Felicity, put her in a padded Prometheus suit, hooked up a speaker, and let Arrow kill her. Not only would that have been more hurtful, but it would have eliminated the person most likely to blow his cover. He wants to make Oliver think people close to him suffer, and then he primarily goes after people we haven't met until this season: Susan and Billy. Adrian's plan appears to be attack a couple of people Oliver has known for less than a year, force Oliver to admit that he likes killing, and then... let him walk out and continue being mayor. Does this make sense to anyone? Adrian is a psycho, but that shouldn't make him stupid. * * *The problem is that Ramsey keeps getting stuck with a character whose main purpose is to save Oliver's soul. Again. And again. And again. The whole thing makes Oliver seem (a lot) egotistical. The team will go home because Oliver tells them to. The team will reunite not to take down bad guys but to save Oliver's soul. Ramsey will make several big speeches about Oliver's soul because Oliver is good enough, he's smart enough, and doggone it, people like him. Over. And over. And over again. You begin to wonder how Oliver earned all this loyalty given what an egotistical "everything revolves around me" jerk he often is. He won over Rene, for pete's sake. For once I'd like to see someone walk away from him because he's such an overbearing jerkwad. It's like they must have off-camera "whose soul will we fight for this storyarc" arguments. "I'll save your soul, Oliver." "No, it's my turn to save your soul because you killed your brother." "Nah, you already did that. Now it's time for me and Felicity to save your soul." "Maybe Oliver's right about hiring the Bratva." "Oh, I guess we have to save Felicity's soul." "What about Anatoly?" "He's just a secondary up-front guest star: we don't need to save his soul." And then they have Grant Gustin come in once or twice a season as Special Guest Star to save Oliver's soul or vice versa. They've saved enough souls to start a shoe factory. Echo Kellum, Rick Gonzalez, and Juliana Harkavy make a cute subteam. I liked their bickering over which of them was Felicity, and which of them was Diggle. Although since Dinah was specifically recruited to replace Black Canary, wouldn't that make her... umm, Black Canary? Edited March 30, 2017 by tv echo 5 Link to comment
kismet March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 The musical chairs of "Save Your Soul" is pretty hysterical when you look at how often they have focused on that this season. I half expect a cameo from Jewel. 2 Link to comment
BkWurm1 March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 On 3/29/2017 at 0:13 PM, GHScorpiosRule said: If the writer of this piece wants me to take him/her seriously, then he/she needs to either proof read the copy, or get a fucking copy editor who knows proper grammar. Using tablets, phones, twitter/twatter, whatthefuckever, is not an excuse for laziness and not bothering to write complete, grammatically correct sentences. Uh, no. I would add the scene at the end of season one, when Tommy died in his arms. For me That's when Amell convinced me of his talent. He absolutely killed it (pardon the pun) in that scene. The scene with Tommy was great, no disputes, but Moira's death came more recently. Though season two isn't all that recent, lol. But that reminds me, would the show please stop letting Oliver or anyone else blame him for Tommy's death! Knowing Oliver had nothing to do with his death. Now knowing Laurel on the other hand... 3 Link to comment
kismet March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 There is one person directly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Malcolm. There is one person that is indirectly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Laurel. There is one person innocent of all responsibility for Tommy's death, and that is Oliver. And Oliver is the only one of the those three that actually tried to honor Tommy and keep his memory alive beyond his funeral. 15 Link to comment
catrox14 March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 15 minutes ago, kismet said: There is one person directly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Malcolm. There is one person that is indirectly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Laurel. There is one person innocent of all responsibility for Tommy's death, and that is Oliver. And Oliver is the only one of the those three that actually tried to honor Tommy and keep his memory alive beyond his funeral. IMO, Malcolm is the sole person responsible for pretty much EVERY shitty thing that has ever happened to Oliver or anyone around him. If Malcolm doesn't arrange for the Queen's Gambit to be sunk, NONE of these other things ever happen to him nor anyone else close to him. That's the main reason, I want Malcolm to be shown to be working with Chase. He would be the ONE person who can actually give Adrian ALL the deets on Oliver's life and maybe even give him some tips on how mess with someone's head. 8 Link to comment
tennisgurl March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 5 minutes ago, catrox14 said: If Malcolm doesn't arrange for the Queen's Gambit to be sunk, NONE of these other things ever happen to him nor anyone else close to him. I blame just about everything on Malcolm. Now that he can time travel, I'm pretty sure he moved the ice burg in front of the Titanic, and killed Leo DiCaprio. And between what he's gotten up to on this show, and the crap he's pulled over on LoT this season, the line of people waiting to punch Malcolm in the face probably stretches around the Earth twice. 14 Link to comment
catrox14 March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 Just now, tennisgurl said: I blame just about everything on Malcolm. Now that he can time travel, I'm pretty sure he moved the ice burg in front of the Titanic, and killed Leo DiCaprio. And between what he's gotten up to on this show, and the crap he's pulled over on LoT this season, the line of people waiting to punch Malcolm in the face probably stretches around the Earth twice. And this is exactly why Malcolm is still my favorite villain on the show with Chase a very close 2nd right now. 1 Link to comment
GHScorpiosRule March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 29 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said: The scene with Tommy was great, no disputes, but Moira's death came more recently. Though season two isn't all that recent, lol. But that reminds me, would the show please stop letting Oliver or anyone else blame him for Tommy's death! Knowing Oliver had nothing to do with his death. Now knowing Laurel on the other hand... But the author was giving examples of when Stephen showed how much of a talented actor he was, and for someone who initially bailed on this show after three episodes because I thought his acting was too wooden and didn't realize it was a deliberate choice to show Oliver's PTSD, and then deciding to watch again, that scene where Tommy lay dying and telling Oliver he forgave him? Should also have been referenced. Do NOT get me started on how that selfish, self-absorbed twit blame shifted who was responsible for his death because she didn't listen to Oliver or her Dad about getting out of the Glades.??? Even when Quentin pointed out that a man with a bow and arrow couldn't stop a building from falling down on Tommy. 16 minutes ago, kismet said: There is one person directly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Malcolm. There is one person that is indirectly responsible for Tommy's death and that is Laurel. There is one person innocent of all responsibility for Tommy's death, and that is Oliver. And Oliver is the only one of the those three that actually tried to honor Tommy and keep his memory alive beyond his funeral. WORDY WORDY McWORD!!!! And that she got the epiphany that she was responsible only AFTER Oliver as Arrow saved her worthless ass from the Doll Maker, just made me ????because how was that any different from the other times he saved her? Oh, wait-he saved her after she set him up to be arrested.??? But to stay on topic, if a writer is going to provide examples of when an actor or actress shows how talented they really are and the emotional depth and gravitas portrayed, then they better use the most emotional ones and not limit it to just one if they do go back to the early seasons. And like you said, @BkWurm1, since the scene with Moira's death was back in season two, Nora D. Should have gone back to the first season finale!? But that's just me. 9 Link to comment
leopardprint March 30, 2017 Share March 30, 2017 (edited) Honestly, having her go back for PAPERS!?!!! was the deathknell for her character. (Seriously, papers!) (you got me started) 24 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said: But to stay on topic, if a writer is going to provide examples of when an actor or actress shows how talented they really are and the emotional depth and gravitas portrayed, then they better use the most emotional ones and not limit it to just one if they do go back to the early seasons. This is an interesting comment to me because we started getting all the death "do-overs" after S2 so it seems like we've lost those moments because there is a Lazarus Pit, another Earth or time etc... The comic book version of death not "real" tv death like Moira and Tommy. Also the quality of the early non OTA actors was, imo, better and pulled better performances from Oliver. Edited March 30, 2017 by leopardprint 4 Link to comment
Chaser March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 Question. I feel like I'm missing something. The IGN used a picture of Felicity and her name in the headline in their tweet for the review. Great except she is never mentioned in the review. I'm seeing a lot of people on twitter say don't click on the link cause it's just bait. But the average person wouldn't know what is in the article and clicks equal interest. So wouldn't it be better to click on the link and leave a comment about Felicity to show your interest? Link to comment
lemotomato March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 2 minutes ago, Chaser said: Question. I feel like I'm missing something. The IGN used a picture of Felicity and her name in the headline in their tweet for the review. Great except she is never mentioned in the review. I'm seeing a lot of people on twitter say don't click on the link cause it's just bait. But the average person wouldn't know what is in the article and clicks equal interest. So wouldn't it be better to click on the link and leave a comment about Felicity to show your interest? How about leaving comment on the tweet about Felicity but not click on the article? 1 Link to comment
Chaser March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 Yeah, I could understand that. I didn't see that mentioned just a lot of Don't Click! and I didn't get it. Link to comment
SmallScreenDiva March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 I noticed that last night right shortly after the review was posted and pointed it out but Goldman and Schedeen have been mum about it even as more people point out. Whatever. Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 (edited) I disagree with the writer's statement that Diggle is the heart of Team Arrow. I think he is the soul of Team Arrow and Felicity is the heart. I also disagree with the writer's criticism of Felicity below in that, I think she does see the warning signs, but, one, she needs Helix's resources, two, she's fallen into Oliver's gray area of morality where the ends justify the means, and, three, she's getting great results this way (found Susan, exposed Chase, helped Oliver). And yes, she is a great hacker but she is deliberately ignoring stuff in order to achieve her goals. She didn't have the resources that Helix does in terms of surveillance footage. Plus, her great hacking skills are why Helix recruited her in the first place. My head canon is, just like how she chose not to hack Oliver's reprogrammed security protocols for the lair, she chose not to hack into Helix's server and risk getting thrown out.. Oliver calls it quits and the Bratva takes on Prometheus in the latest Arrow Trent Moore Mar 30, 2017http://www.blastr.com/2017-3-30/dc-arrow-disbanded-episode-recap Quote Diggle has always been the heart of Team Arrow and he continued to be the only grown-up in the room in this episode. Almost as a surrogate for the viewer, Diggle points out that Oliver is just going through something and will get over this whole "quitting" thing (maybe Diggle also knows Season 6 is already on the way?) and gives him a rousing speech to get his head back on straight. If David Ramsey didn't play it so darn earnestly, it'd almost be cheesy ... but you just want to give the dude a high five. One other note: When Oliver tried to deck him, Diggle didn't go down. Even when Oliver literally tries to punch him away, Diggle is still his brother. * * * Having Oliver come to terms with the fact that, in a way, he really is a serial killer is one heck of an interesting story. But it doesn't really seem to be the story this season wants to tell. That's a shame, because it could've made for one heck of a good character study if they'd approached it in a different way. Instead, we get the same old "Oliver quits, then comes back" story we've seen a half-dozen times at this point. Heck, this time his retirement barely lasted half an episode. They're pulling at some interesting threads but seem content to just bat them around kitten-style instead of ripping into one of these stories. Felicity continues to go down the rabbit hole with her new hacker pals at Helix, and after five seasons, she should really be smarter than this, right? In exchange for information, Felicity is blindly hacking whatever Helix points her at like a blunt instrument. And Felicity is just going along with it all, no questions asked? C'mon, man. Felicity has been around this business long enough to know there's almost certainly something a bit more nefarious when it comes to Helix, and she has no inkling to ask a few questions? Yes, she's gotten hooked on their resources to figure stuff out quickly, but it's hard to believe Felicity would dive so deep without even seeing the warning signs. Plus, if Felicity is such a great hacker, couldn't she figure out what they have her doing fairly easily? Edited March 31, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 (edited) Arrow 5×18 Review: ‘Disbanded’ March 30, 2017 by ALYSSA BARBIERIhttp://fangirlish.com/arrow-5x18-review-disbanded/ Quote I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Arrow hasn’t been great this season. It hasn’t even been good. For the longest time it felt like it was a lost puppy trying to find its way home. And it finally has. Following what had been one of season five’s strongest episodes to date in “Kapiushon,” Arrow followed with perhaps the best episode of the season with “Disbanded” that set to deal with the effects of Oliver’s being tortured by Adrian and reinforced the heart and soul of Arrow: Original Team Arrow. * * * But it did. In fact, it exceeded my expectations despite the regurgitated storyline involving Oliver pushing people away to keep them safe (that’s so season 3.) But given the fresh take on the matter – how Adrian Chase getting inside of Oliver’s head was so much more believable than Ra’s al Ghul – it was executed to near perfection in an episode that has reminded me of the Arrow that I fell in love with. * * * If you asked me if I’d miss Arrow for four weeks just a few episodes ago, I would’ve told you know. But this is the most excited I’ve been about Arrow in a long, freaking time. Not that it erases what the producers have done earlier this season (it doesn’t and nothing will erase it), but it shows that perhaps Arrow isn’t completely beyond redemption. Much like its heroes. * * * Chase was so adamant about convincing Oliver that he’s this monster that more resembles Adrian than Oliver. But this episode proved why Oliver isn’t that monster Adrian tried so hard to convince him of. Oliver has never killed because he sought it out. He’s usually tried to find another way. And that’s exactly what he did tonight. He didn’t give in to Adrian’s voice in his head. The voice that whispers words like “monster,” “killer,” “liar,” “villain.” Instead, he chose to listen to a voice that he’s trusted for five years. The voice of a person that has known all the good, bad, and ugly. The voice of a friend. The voice of someone who will always stand by his side. The voice of someone who makes him stronger. The voice of John Diggle. * * * Their love and brotherhood, which was the emotional driving force of this episode, was ultimately the reason why Oliver was able to find his way back to the team. Because Diggle never gave up on him. Just like Oliver has never given up on Diggle. * * * It feels like everyone and their mother – namely Diggle, Curtis, Rory, and even Dinah – have noticed that something is off with Felicity. And they’ve showed concern for what she’s getting into. But the one person that hasn’t noticed nearly enough is Oliver. Sure, he’s had his own stuff to deal with. But he’s typically perceptive when it comes to Felicity of all people, which is going to shock him when he learns the truth. But it looks like in the next episode (airing April 26) that Felicity is truly going to go rogue. Felicity’s island might be different than Oliver’s or Diggle’s, but it’s still an island that brings out the worst in you and where you must fight back in order to come out on the other side. But also, you have to be open to redemption and willing to accept help from others. Given that Felicity has saved Oliver so many times, if there’s anyone that can save Felicity, it’s Oliver. * * *2. I’d like to reiterate that this crusade hasn’t been just Oliver’s for a long time. Oliver was demanding Diggle call off the team. But he fails to forget that this crusade is not HIS, it’s THEIRS. When they signed on, they signed on for themselves. That’s what makes them a team. That’s what gives them something worth fighting for. 3. So can we all agree that Felicity is pushing this hard at Prometheus because of Oliver? Sure, Billy’s death might’ve jumpstarted it. But after seeing what Prometheus had done to Oliver both physically and psychologically, there was this ferociousness that guided her. She loves him so much. God, my heart. 4. Prometheus is the greatest villain that Arrow has ever had. Okay so I’ve been thinking it for the past two weeks, but this episode really cemented it for me. There’s this psychological threat that he poses that is beyond terrifying to comprehend. Even when it looks like he’s about to lose, he finds a way to pull through and remain eerily calm that is beyond chilling. Josh Segarra has been simply incredible. (And we’ve still got five more episodes with him!) Edited March 31, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
way2interested March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 9 minutes ago, tv echo said: I disagree with the writer's statement that Diggle is the heart of Team Arrow. I think he is the soul of Team Arrow and Felicity is the heart. I also disagree with the writer's criticism of Felicity below in that, I think she does see the warning signs, but, one, she needs Helix's resources, two, she's fallen into Oliver's gray area of morality where the ends justify the means, and, three, she's getting great results this way (found Susan, exposed Chase, helped Oliver). And yes, she is a great hacker but she is deliberately ignoring stuff in order to achieve her goals. She didn't have the resources that Helix does in terms of surveillance footage. Plus, her great hacking skills are why Helix recruited her in the first place. My head canon is, just like how she chose not to hack Oliver's reprogrammed security protocols for the lair, she chose not to hack into Helix's server and risk getting thrown out.. Yeah, and I think 516 implied that she does get that Helix is sketchy at best and that she probably should get out (even though she told Curtis to but out, she still knew what they were doing wasn't exactly ok even for the situation), but Oliver getting kidnapped at the end of the episode pushed her passed that point and made her resign herself to using/helping Helix no matter what because the circumstance was big enough to call for it. Then going into 518 it was more of still riding that wave after seeing what Chase did to Oliver. At this point it comes down to what consequences come forward from resigning herself to using Helix rather than necessarily what evil nefarious thing is going to take Felicity by complete surprise. 2 Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 I agree with Jen that this episode showed that Felicity was more proficient than Curtis out in the field - and yet MG has no problem putting Curtis in a mask but thinks putting Felicity in a mask would be too many masks and amount to silly superheroics?... Timshel: Arrow 5x18 Review (Disbanded) jbuffyangel Mar. 30, 2017http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/159014149713/timshel-arrow-5x18-review-disbanded Quote The word “timshel” was in the back of my mind as I watched “Disbanded.” John Steinbeck built his entire novel “East of Eden” around it. “Timshel” is referenced in the story of Cain and Abel. It’s a Hebrew word that means “Thou mayest.” It has a variety of definitions, even in Hebrew, but Steinbeck settled on “Thou mayest” because of the meaning behind it. The character Lee, a Chinese servant, explains in “East of Eden”:“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—'Thou mayest'—that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if "Thou mayest'—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’” (24.2.73)Ultimately, it is free will Steinbeck is exploring. “Thou mayest” means mankind is neither compelled to be good nor doomed to evil. We have a choice. Mumford and Sons is exploring the same theme in their song- all we have are our choices. And that is how John Diggle reaches Oliver Queen tonight. * * * As I said last week, there’s a difference between Oliver liking killing and believing he likes killing. It’s the belief that has a choke hold on Oliver right now. It’s the belief that is driving this shame. Oliver believes he has nothing to lose because he was lost a long time ago. * * * First, he’s put in five years with Oliver Queen. That’s earned John the right to decide when he’s done crusading and whether or not he needs protection. Hmm… THAT LINE SOUNDS FAMILIAR. * * * Prometheus is created from Oliver’s killing. Prometheus is the unforeseen consequence. Every time Oliver releases an arrow he will wonder where this death leads. He will wonder what price will be paid. What is the unforeseen consequence? Oliver will also ask these questions if he doesn’t kill. * * *Felicity can’t help Oliver because she is lost herself and vice versus. The distance between them this season is a catalyst for both their dark arcs. However, each needs to go through these arcs to learn the lessons necessary for their reunion. Their distance may be a factor of their spirals, but I don’t know if they’d find their way back together without the spirals. * * * Oliver dumps Susan rather unceremoniously, which is fine. He doesn’t love her. He never did and I beyond thrilled Arrow finally stopped pretending this relationship has a shot in hell. Prometheus ended Oliver’s relationship with Snoozan. So, he’s officially my favorite villain. * * *Felicity being more proficient in the field than Curtis is the most accurate thing they’ve done with his character all year long. 3 Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 Arrow 5x18 Review: “Disbanded” (Speak Life) Just About Write Mar. 30, 2017http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2017/03/arrow-5x18-review-disbanded-speak-life.html Quote This week’s episode, ultimately, was about the power of friendship. And though that sounds like a cheesy after-school special, friendships are really fundamental to us existing as human beings. Friends are there to pick you up when you’ve fallen, but are also there to deliver hard truths even when you don’t want to hear them. But more than just that, friendship is — at its core — incredibly powerful. The best friends are the ones who stick by you and won’t give up. Even when you’ve given up on yourself. * * * And that’s the key difference, really, this time around. It’s not that Oliver doesn’t want to pick up that mantle; it’s that he doesn’t think he even should. He’s bought into the lie that all he is, at his core, is a liar and a murderer. It’s kind of painful when you really think about it, because Oliver already has self-sabotaging “the world is on my shoulders” tendencies to begin with. Couple those with intense self-doubt and you’ve got the makings of a shell of a person, rather than a whole one. It seems as if Oliver is just done — done with feeling, done with people, done with touching anyone else’s life. He mentions something to Susan which I thought was interesting, in spite of the fact that their whole relationship made no sense to me whatsoever: he tells her that this wasn’t how he wanted his life to touch hers. * * * That’s what I loved about “Disbanded” and tweeted last night — Team Arrow will ALWAYS be Team Arrow, with or without Oliver. That’s what they’re all about: fighting against injustices and righting wrongs. Oliver set up a legacy in that regard. Whether he’s present or not, he’s inspired and influenced so many people to fight for the good guys. So Diggle takes up the mantle of team leader, and fights for Oliver’s soul when Oliver cannot anymore. Which brings us to our second explored friendship of the night: Anatoly and Oliver. Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 (edited) Arrow Review: Team Arrow Shows Strength as Ollie Sorts His Feelings BY CRAIG WACK · MARCH 30, 2017http://oohlo.com/2017/03/30/arrow-review-team-arrow-shows-strength-as-ollie-sorts-his-feelings/ Quote Despite Oliver Queen’s realization that he’s a murder-loving monster and that his entire crusade has been a vehicle to satisfy his darkest desires, his reaction to this new situation was predictable as the sunrise – cut out his team and go it alone. Thankfully, the writers remembered they had the character of John Diggle in their toolkit or this episode may have been a total loss. * * * More troubling is his treatment of Susan. Please don’t see this statement as an endorsement of Susan as a character or a love interest, just remember this was a woman he was moving heaven and Earth for in order to get back together. While it’s true Ollie doesn’t think much of himself in this episode, there’s a commonality of experience, since they were both held captive by Chase. Wouldn’t you think that shared experience would draw them together? But, Ollie is still Ollie, so when the chips are down he calls a meeting in his office, and cuts her loose. * * *As one of the core three members of Team Arrow, Diggle has always been the moral compass of the group (and the best strategist). Diggle has the authority to not only lead the team during its brief exile, he has the ability call Oliver on his poor choices. * * * Team Arrow (with bonus Field Felicity) does just that when it intercepts a clumsy Bratva ambush that saves Chase’s life, but it also puts him in federal protection, disconnected from the outside world. * * * While it didn’t totally abandon Ollie’s crisis of conscience, “Disbanded” was a little disappointing since it spent so little time with Oliver working through his feelings. It’s odd, because this series (and the other CW superhero shows) can spend so many episodes spinning its wheels uselessly, but can glaze over an important opportunity for the main character to grow and change, because there’s suddenly a lot of need for plot to be moved. However, Diggle’s reemergence as a meaningful character, and some good work from Felicity and the rest of the team balanced the episode out. Edited March 31, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
kismet March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 (edited) When has Curtis ever been proficient in the field?? His arc is even worse than LL's because at least her I understood. She was reckless & careless from the beginning and had lost a lot of people tragically. So the hurt & injustice probably compelled her. Curtis simply chose a rough city to live in and one day woke up wanting to make it a better place by vigilantism without any skills or natural ability. FS wasn't shown to be more proficient in the field, the reality is that she always was more proficient. Her in the field missions have for the most part been a success from the moment she stepped out in s1. As for Jbuffy's "timshel" theory, I do think that is an interesting one. I wish the writers did more to play it out. Because so much of this is about free will & choices. Look at Anatoly this season. People in general are not innately good or evil. And life sometimes forces peoples' hands. The show has gone out its way to try to paint the world into those dichotomies for the last few seasons, but it's just not true. And, I don't believe that Prometheus is a consequence of OQ's actions in s1. He chose a dark path because he wanted to. He could have channeled his grief into something good, he chose differently. He was not created by OQ or OQ's choices. Even if his loved one had not died, I'm sure something else might have triggered his turn. He has free will and choice, he chooses to pursue the darker choices and use OQ as his excuse. We all make life choices that are inspired or triggered by life events, but to blame them as a sole consequence of another's actions is almost universally inaccurate. Very few choices are the direct result of another person's actions. Per usual, I think JBuffy brings up some good ideas & analyses, but I believe she puts way too much effort & faith into the writers. Some of what she talks about it obvious. But a lot of it, if just her spinning or putting way more into the show than what the writers wrote. Edited March 31, 2017 by kismet 6 Link to comment
tv echo March 31, 2017 Share March 31, 2017 (edited) Arrow Review: Disbanded (Season 5 Episode 18) March 30, 2017 Lissete Lanuza Sáenzhttp://www.telltaletv.com/2017/03/arrow-review-disbanded-season-5-episode-18/ Quote Arrow Season 5 Episode 18, “Disbanded,” sort of gets the show back on message, though, considering it’s episode 18 of season 5, it feels a tad like the course-correction is too little and far too late. There’s no way to save this season. However, with some luck and better writing than we’ve seen in the past year or so, it might be possible to salvage something for the future. * * * “Disbanded” is still a bit slow, the flashbacks are anything but interesting and the narrative of Oliver taking the blame for everything that has ever gone wrong is more than a tad familiar. * * *And that’s the main issue with Arrow Season 5, it seems like it’s re-treading on old ground, and doing a worst job than they themselves did the first time with just about every issue. Couple that with the lack of Olicity/OTA scenes, and the show has lost its spark. * * * It regains a little bit on “Disbanded,” on the strength of one Oliver/Diggle scene. * * *We don’t care enough about the newbies yet, Diggle and Felicity barely interact, Oliver and Felicity barely interact, and, till this episode, we’d even gone a fair amount of episodes without any real Diggle and Oliver interactions. Our level of caring is at an all-time low. David Ramsey and Stephen Amell make us care, though. They make us care for two guys who went through hell, and who found family in each other. They make us care about Team Arrow. Question is – do we care enough to forget all that’s come before? Do we care enough to forgive Oliver for basically being the guy who has to learn the same lesson every season? * * *Arrow loves it’s symbolism, so, of course, Oliver’s gonna end up killing Prommy with that particular knife. * * * The break-up scene with Susan is absurd and unnecessary. I could have just filled in the blanks. Because that was uncomfortable AF. They barely looked at each other. Then again, eye contact wasn’t a big thing in their relationship. Oliver broke up with her to protect her, how cute. And he didn’t know, at the beginning of the season how bad it was going to be. HOW. CUTE.I mean, it’s not like he’s the GA and this is Star City and something bad happens every year. * * * I was legit waiting for someone to tell Oliver: Stand down OR WHAT? * * *It’s nice of you to believe the best of Oliver, Diggle, but it’s a bit hypocritical to worry about his soul now when he’s been killing all season long. Edited March 31, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo April 1, 2017 Share April 1, 2017 (edited) The bolded portion of the quote below is partly wrong and partly right. IIRC, before the current lair, there was a temporary Arrow lair in the basement of Palmer Tech. However, with respect to the current Arrow Bunker, it was Oliver's idea to build this new lair beneath his mayoral campaign office (403 - Oliver: "I've been working on something." Diggle: "Really?" Oliver: "Yeah." Diggle: "I thought you would learn your lesson about keeping secrets from friends." Oliver: "It's not a secret. It's a surprise."). However, Felicity bought the property and provided design input, and Oliver also had help from Cisco and Star Labs (404 - Oliver: "There's a reason we had Felicity buy Blood's campaign office." Felicity: "Blood also needed his own lair. Don't - don't worry, I - I burned a lot of incense." Diggle: "Oliver, how did you -" Laurel: "How did you do this all by yourself?" Oliver: "Oh, I had help." Felicity: "He had a lot of help. Cisco and S.T.A.R. Labs." Oliver: "Four polycarbonate cases, each keyed to your individual biometrics." Thea: "Ha! God, I didn't even think you could pronounce 'biometrics.'" Felicity: "I had some design input."). In addition, since they've had the new lair, Felicity and Curtis have upgraded the tech part of it, and the entire team kept their personal gear and property there. All around, Oliver had no right to lock his team, and especially Felicity, out of this lair... Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent analyze 'Arrow' season 5, episode 18, 'Disbanded': Team spirit By: Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent | March 31, 2017 5:05 pmhttp://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/03/31/allison-brennan-and-lavinia-kent-analyze-arrow-season-5-episode-18-disbanded-team-spirit/ Quote AB: Disbanded was one of those episodes that ended stronger than it started. There were so many things I liked about it … and some things that bugged me. But as I pondered the overall episode, I think what bothered me the most was that it was too predictable in a series where I enjoy the unpredictable. The writing was solid — but a little too smooth; the storyline was exactly as I saw it unfold from the opening scene. A big thank-you to the writers for not drawing out Oliver’s angst at being broken by Adrian Chase/Prometheus, however. That was my one great fear, and at least we ended on a strong note. Especially since we have to wait four weeks for the next episode! LK: I definitely agree about it ending stronger than it started. I kept getting distracted during the first half of this episode — and then halfway through it pulled me in completely. Watching Oliver wallow in “Chase is right, everyone that is around me — well, they either suffer or the die,” left me dreading the rest of the episode, and then the writers fixed it just enough and the story took shape and moved forward. * * * The Team meets back up in Felicity’s apartment and determines to stay together even though Oliver has locked them out of the Arrow Cave. (Had a few tiny problems with this: Could Felicity not overcome Oliver’s security? And didn’t she actually build the Cave when she was running Palmer Tech? Shouldn’t it actually be hers?) Diggle remarks that there are a lot of people in the city who need protecting from things other than Prometheus — and that Lyla and ARGUS can lend them any equipment they need. The Team still stands united, sure that Oliver will come around — he always does. * * *AB: Diggle was such a great character in this episode. He really stepped up and filled Oliver’s shoes, both as a leader and a strong moral center. Throughout the episode, I kept thinking what Bratva really means — brotherhood — and how Diggle has proven he’s truly Oliver’s brother over and beyond friendship. This was one of the highlights of the episode for me. Well, I’ve always loved Diggle as a character — but this episode let him shine. * * *LK: I completely agree about Diggle. I used to think that Felicity was the center of the show, its conscience, but season by season, Diggle has moved into that role, becoming the rock that serves as the Team’s foundation. * * *LK: I actually think this is one of the few times that Curtis belonged in the field. I think he let himself get beaten by Chase on purpose so that he could collect needed information with his T-sphere. * * *AB: While I haven’t been keen on the Felicity/Helix scenes up to now, I’ll admit I really loved these scenes in Disbanded. Felicity has clearly moved up in the ranks, and while she doesn’t know everything she’s doing for them, she has gone from suspicious and concerned to laissez faire in her attitude. Ticktock, this is definitely going to bite her in the butt later. When Curtis showed up at the Helix lair — that was also fun. * * *AB: I really enjoyed Felicity and Curtis breaking into Kord Industries — it was fun and they did a great job. I wondered why Felicity takes off her glasses and wears her hair down when she’s going undercover? LOL. She was cute and looked so much younger. * * *LK: Again, I agree — and not. I am sooo glad that they didn’t drag it out, but even with Oliver not being completely fixed it all seemed a little too easy. As I said last week, I feel like we’ve already been here. I know it’s different with Oliver admitting that he enjoyed killing, but it doesn’t feel that different to me. Which doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the episode, particularly the second half. I actually thought it was very strong and I am ready for more. * * *LK: I think that covers everything except perhaps Susan Williams (who I am almost tempted to leave out). We do see her briefly early in the episode. Oliver explains, and apologizes, that he is not ready to be involved with her because he does not want to put her in further danger — and I just didn’t care. I still maintain that the writers’ failure to make us believe in their relationship is one of the greatest faults of the season. It removes a layer of motivation that would have made things even better and more believable. Edited April 1, 2017 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo April 1, 2017 Share April 1, 2017 (edited) Arrow Season 5 Episode 18 – “Disbanded” Review 30th March 2017 Kevin Perreau http://www.filmoria.co.uk/arrow-season-5-episode-18-disbanded-review/ Quote After confessing about his one true love, Oliver decides to disband Team Arrow in hopes he keeps that love all for himself. In a very emotionally distraught Oliver, Team Bratva have been summoned to replace Team Arrow. He’s so lost that Oliver decides to call Anatoly to do his dirty work, seemingly hypocritical because hiring someone else to kill is better than killing yourself. However, the Bratva also have their own agenda by stealing drugs. In his disillusioned state Oliver makes a deal to let them take the drugs, and once a deal is made in Bratva, it stays in Bratva. * * * It was a lost opportunity for the show to feature another emotionally heavy scene, to battle two different morals. Whilst the Bratva aren’t exactly a team of Justice, season 5 made it very clear through the flashbacks that Anatoly is a stand up guy and he was set on a path with Oliver to make things right with the Bratva. Even though the flashbacks might not have featured any Oliver, we also see a very broken down Anatoly. A person who had to go through hell to remain where he was and to keep the Bratva together. This episode failed to showcase the struggle of Anatoly that ultimately made him not relatable. It also made arguments between Anatoly and Oliver very unnatural. The two factions were there to exemplify Oliver’s inner struggle, one that just wants his problem to end, and the other to make things right and become the man he needs to be. The lack of presence and contact between the two sides failed to showcase any sort of simultaneous emotional turmoil Oliver was going through. Besides a few fight sequences, the separation between the two sides did not feature anything we didn’t already know about Oliver. As Diggle tried to set Oliver back on his feet and Anatoly insists on stealing drugs, Felicity, and now also Curtis, are using their technological knowledge with Helix to take Chase down. It is very hard to believe, while all the action is going on, nobody seemed to care to figure out what Felicity and Curtis were busy doing, potentially letting the Bratva kill a bunch of hostages.... ... We still don’t know if Team Helix are good or bad, and with Chase on the run, they are literally chasing Chase. In a death of superman-esque costume party, Oliver’s soul might have died, so does this mean he is embracing his darker side? Is the Bratva going to stay and help Oliver? Where is Talia and Evelyn? Did everyone get a new costume? What is there left for Prometheus to do? Edited April 1, 2017 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo April 1, 2017 Share April 1, 2017 (edited) Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 67 Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres 03/31/2017http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/ -- LoT 216: Craig said that "they made such a big deal of Felicity being a superhero and she's on for, like, 10 seconds!" Tatiana: "She's on screen for 35 seconds." Craig: "Okay then." They both really enjoy LoT this season and said that it was so much better than its first season. -- Arrow 518: Craig noted that he's been really down on Arrow and Flash this season but said it's because he just wants them to be better. He also said that both shows have gotten away from what made them great in the first place. Tatiana interjected that Arrow was good this week. -- Craig was dissatisfied that Oliver had a "pretty big character change," but the show didn't take the time to explore it. He noted that Oliver was again in some type of costume pretty quickly in this episode. Craig was also dissatisfied that Oliver was again doing what he's done a hundred other times, namely, to break up with the team when things go really bad and go it alone, instead of leaning on his team. So Craig was thankful that the writers remembered that "John Diggle was a character on this show again. Craig: "If Felicity is the heart, then certainly Diggle is the soul of Team Arrow." -- Tatiana agreed that this season "was planned badly" and that they needed at least one more episode "to talk about the aftermath of what happened" in 517. However, she disagreed with Craig about Oliver doing the same thing again. She thought that he has learned from mistakes in the past, but that Oliver's habit of reverting to his worst tendencies was his "comfort blanket... 'the only thing I know how to do, I'm going to do this.'" -- Tatiana agreed with Craig that it was "stupid" for the show to wait this long to get back to Diggle. Tatiana: "One of the best things about Arrow is this relationship that Ollie and Diggle have... I'm an Olicity shipper, but clearly the Ollie and Diggle relationship is true love, in that they both care about each other so f**king much that when they have to call each other out, like, it resonates. And while they don't necessarily react immediately, like, they are always able to get to each other because they've been through so much... and they have this deep bond, you know." Tatiana agreed that the show "mismanaged their time," but she was willing to accept Oliver's "quick turnaround for his recovery" because "he's clearly still dealing with it or he wouldn't have punched Diggle" and, even though he put on a black hoodie, he "acknowledged at the end of the episode... that he was super not ready to be the Arrow again." -- Craig noted that there have been episodes, especially in this back half, where the show has "kinda just spun their wheels." While he thought that "Temporary Canary" was a great addition to the team, he noted that they spent a few episodes "bringing her into the fold" and "getting her up to speed." Instead, he thought they should've condensed her story, moved up Oliver's "big revelation" and then give Oliver at least one episode to deal with it. Craig suggested that Oliver could've gone back to Lian Yu, "to the beginning... when Oliver was just a big, dumb playboy," and maybe bring back Manu Bennett for one scene where he and Oliver argue/discuss "how did Oliver get to the place where he's at." Tatiana disagreed and thought that, "because there's still four episodes, that's still a possibility." Therefore, Tatiana "can't fully write it off until the end of the season." (In contrast, with The Flash, she "can write some things off because there's not even a potential to go back and fix some of these errors they've made, they're already too far deep into the nonsense they've been doing.") Craig still thought that they could've spent one episode with Oliver off alone, while the team tried to hold their own against Chase without Oliver. Then Oliver bringing in the Bratva could've been the next episode after that episode. Tatiana argued that, if they had done that, Craig would've complained that Oliver was "moping for a week." Craig argued that he wouldn't be moping, but trying to figure out how he got to this point. -- Tatiana thought that Adrian Chase was "f**ckin' terrifying." Craig thought that he was "the best Arrow villain in years." Tatiana: "Since Deathstroke." Craig said that it "almost makes up for the fact that he was missing for, like, five episodes there." -- Craig asked Tatiana what she thought of the "whole Susan thing." Tatiana replied, "Susan? Susan nothing. Susan's stupid... I guess we have to talk about it... I could only accept the completely written character because I didn't like her to begin with. But if it was anyone else, I'd be, like, 'what the f**k?' So all that and then she's just going to disappear? Via breakup? I mean, okay... It seems like we wasted a lot of time on an annoying person." Craig noted that, in a previous episode, Oliver was trying to get Felicity to clear Susan's name so that they could get together, and "he was, like, moving heaven and earth for this woman, and suddenly..." Craig thought that their shared experience would bond Oliver and Susan, and make Susan more interesting. Tatiana didn't care about making Susan more interesting. She thought it would've made more sense, and she would've preferred that, if it had been Susan who broke up with Oliver. Craig agreed that it would've been more logical for Susan to request a work transfer to another city, instead of (again) giving Oliver a "sense of martyrdom." Tatiana said that is what Oliver does best, besides salmon ladders and being shirtless: "He loves it [being a martyr] so much!" -- Craig said that he's now calling Dinah "Temporary Canary" instead of "New Canary" because of the news that KC is coming back as Black Siren as an Arrow series regular next season. Tatiana: "Does she have something on Greg Berlanti? Do you think? Like, some super scandalous, like, information? Because... no offense, I'm sure she's a nice human, but why? Why?!" Craig: "It can't be any more scandalous than the stuff that came out about her recently." Tatiana: "Well, I just can't - I'm sorry... I just don't think she's a strong enough performer to be upgraded." Craig noted that the question is whether Black Siren is going to be a S6 Big Bad or as part of the team. He also noted that this news "does not bode well for Dinah... 'cuz I doubt that you're going to try to have multiple Canaries running around." Tatiana: "Plus... I love Curtis. I love Wild Dog. They've both grown on me, but - OTA, you guys. OTA. I just miss when it was the three of them." Craig referred back to when Black Siren returned (in 510) and they were discussing the possibility that they would do a Black Siren redemption arc: "Katie Cassidy coming back just opens that Pandora's Box all over again." Craig referred to "rumblings" that next season might be Arrow's last season and vocalized the fear that the show could go in some "scary" directions - Olicity somehow goes away, Oliver is still hung up on Laurel, BS has this redemption arc, and Oliver ends up with this "Laurel stand-in" - which is then "set in stone" if it's the last season. Tatiana said that she hoped they wouldn't go there. Craig said that it would give them "something to yell at." Edited April 1, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo April 2, 2017 Share April 2, 2017 (edited) Top Showrunners Give Their Take on a Writers Strike and the Influence of Trump on TV — IndieWire’s WonderCon 2017 Panel Hanh Nguyen April 2, 2017http://www.indiewire.com/2017/04/wondercon-showrunners-writers-strike-trump-bojack-horseman-arrow-mst3k-1201799656/ Quote Put six showrunners from some of TV’s most innovative shows on stage, and right now the talk will eventually turn to the possibility of a writers strike. And indeed, the question of a strike came up midway through IndieWire’s first-ever Fan Favorites Panel, held Saturday during WonderCon 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center. “It’s a complicated situation,” said “BoJack Horseman” executive producer Raphael Bob-Waksberg. “Nobody wants a strike… but also the writers would like to be paid fairly for the work that we’re doing. The business has changed a lot.” Bob-Waksberg and “Arrow”/”DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” executive producer Marc Guggenheim pointed out that many shows now produce only 10 episodes – yet writers are held exclusively to those jobs, which means they may get fewer paychecks in a year. Writers Guild of America members will vote later this month on whether to give its board authorization to call a strike. Even then, a vote in favor won’t guarantee a strike, but will allow the WGA to call one if necessary. “No one wants to strike, but that is our one negotiating leverage,” Guggenheim said of the vote. * * * One of the issues is that shorter seasons of shows means that some writers have to hop from show to show in order to make a living wage, but Guggenheim pointed out that “contractually, some are being prohibited from working more than six months” because they’re paid per episode, but sometimes episodes take weeks to be made. He also noted that in the age of Peak TV, making these shows aren’t as profitable for the day-to-day creatives, but “corporate profits have gone monstrously up.” * * * Bob-Waksberg and Guggenheim joined four other showrunners on stage to share secrets of the craft – from negotiating with their networks over what swear words are acceptable, to how much fans on social media might impact a storyline. Also on the dais: Jessica Goldberg (“The Path”), Jonah Ray (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”), Sera Gamble (“The Magicians”), and Aline Brosh McKenna (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”). * * * – Musicals could be contagious. On the heels of “The Flash” holding a musical crossover episode with “Supergirl,” the tribute to “Les Miserables” in “The Magicians,” and the acclaim of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” one fan asked if some of the DC series stars could be heading to West Covina. Edited April 2, 2017 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
statsgirl April 2, 2017 Share April 2, 2017 Nice to see an article that didn't quote the stupid Olicity remark. I seem to recall that last time there was a WGA strike, Joss Whedon spent his time creating a musical -- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. 2 Link to comment
kismet April 3, 2017 Share April 3, 2017 Not that I want the writers to strike, but not sure I would be to effected this tv season - especially if they air what has already been written & filmed. Link to comment
BkWurm1 April 3, 2017 Share April 3, 2017 19 hours ago, statsgirl said: Nice to see an article that didn't quote the stupid Olicity remark. I seem to recall that last time there was a WGA strike, Joss Whedon spent his time creating a musical -- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The only good thing to come out of it (well, the writers probably got better terms as well) Ugh. The strike was horrible. It ruined a lot of good first year shows and I suspect that other shows really suffered plot wise from the abruptly shortened seasons. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time around since people are accustomed to watching series with shorter runs and then waiting a year for it to come back but I don't think any of the new buzz worthy shows that were introduced the year of the writers strike survived past their second season. The momentum was lost both on the viewers and the writers side. And all the fricken reality TV that showed up. Just YUCK. Just pay them better and smarter! Don't make me suffer! 5 Link to comment
tv echo April 4, 2017 Share April 4, 2017 (edited) Arrowverse ‘ships: A look at Raylicity (Ray / Felicity), Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow APRIL 3, 2017http://cartermatt.com/248918/arrowverse-ships-ray-felicity-raylicity-arrow-legends-of-tomorrow/ Quote Mrs. Carter: If there is one extended universe that is stuffed full of various ‘ships, it’s the Arrowverse over on The CW. With that in mind, what we’re going to do over the coming days / weeks of the month is spotlight some of the various ‘ships that are out there with this show, the origins of them, and whether or not they could actually happen.... * * * This now brings us to Raylicity, the couple at the center of this article.... What worked for the two – Out of all of the various ‘ships we’ve seen Felicity involved with since the start of Arrow, this is probably the one that worked the most on paper. They have similar intellects, similar passions, and even similar outlooks on life. Maybe you can argue that they were too similar, but they were able to do some work together and it was clear that there was a level of affection there. What went wrong? – Well, it really just stemmed from the fact that Felicity was still in love with Oliver, and being second fiddle romantically is something that Ray should be rather used to at this point after what happened with Kendra Saunders on Legends of Tomorrow. We do think that he was also still somewhat in mourning, and the two were never able to open up to each other as much as they could. Chances of a reunion – Unlikely. While they may care about each other — and we’d love to see them have some more scenes in the future — their biggest issue remains that Felicity and Oliver have such a history, and they do continue to work together. It doesn’t help that feasibly, they don’t have any way to actually spend some time together. Lessons to be learned – Through Raylicity, we saw that a pairing of two fun, lighthearted people can make for good entertainment for a while, but it’s hard to introduce conflict between people so similar. They both probably learned to be true to their feelings through this, and also that it’s okay to step out of your comfort zone to pursue something different. Edited April 4, 2017 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
Mellowyellow April 5, 2017 Share April 5, 2017 Thanks for finding that article @tv echo My Raylicity heart lives on and no season will ever be as good as season 3. 1 Link to comment
Starfish35 April 5, 2017 Share April 5, 2017 (edited) American Ninja Warrior Celeb Edition: Stephen Amell, Erika Christensen and Derek Hough Among Competitors Quote Arrow is targeting the Warped Wall. Stephen Amell, the well-trained, well-sculpted star of the CW superhero series, is among the nine famous faces who will brave the American Ninja Warrior course in the series’ first-ever celebrity edition, airing Thursday, May 25 at 8/7c on NBC. Edited April 5, 2017 by Starfish35 7 Link to comment
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