The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[apinknightmare]

http://ktla.com/2017/04/04/special-presentation-times-for-cw-shows/

Just FYI, 5x20 is being preempted in LA for a Dodgers game (as is the rerun that's on tomorrow night). 

[lemotomato]

Well, that sucks. And I think it's a new development, because I could've sworn the Dodgers were on their own channel before. At least I don't remember any previous preemptions in the LA.

[Guest]

Yikes. Doesn't bode well for 520 ratings. But we all know that'll be Olicity's fault, right? LOL.

[Mellowyellow]

So everyone living in LA sees it on Saturday but the rest of the country sees it on Wednesday?

[apinknightmare]

9 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Well, that sucks. And I think it's a new development, because I could've sworn the Dodgers were on their own channel before. At least I don't remember any previous preemptions in the LA.

There's a article on Deadline about it -seems like these are part of 10 (I think) games being simulcast. 

[tv echo]

No spoilers quoted...

Is an Olicity Reconciliation Around the Corner on 'Arrow'? 
March 21, 2017  Vanessa Frith
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/is-an-olicity-reconciliation-a-63833.aspx

Quote

And change is what Oliver would need to do if he ever wants his soulmate back as more than just a colleague and confidant. After all, Susan was merely an unfortunate interlude and we're beyond ready to see Star City's hero leave the reporter and her nefarious intentions in the dust. William became the focus of Olicity's season 4 breakup (illegitimate children have a tendency to do that), but not because Felicity wasn't ready to accept the youngster into the fold. The problem was that she never even had the chance.

When Oliver chose to ally with Samantha Clayton's maternal wishes, a wedge popped up between him and Felicity. No, that's not quite true. The wedge was already in place, propped up by numerous tiny lies that had accumulated across the years. Hell, the first time Olicity made shippers' hearts explode as they slipped between the sheets, Felicity was hiding her intention to drug her new BF while Ollie was keeping his partnership with Malcolm Merlyn on the down low. That's just a fan-freaking-tastic way to kick off a relationship, is it not? Lies upon lies, no matter how innocent, would certainly make a therapist write off your romance as an impending disaster. William became the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back nevertheless, and Oliver's unilateral decision to send the youngster away hit that wedge with the force of a thousand John Henrys. 

Now it's time to level the playing field. Felicity is developing some mad subterfuge skills of her own, and she's starting to learn the fine art of obfuscating the truth. All that's left is for her to decide if throwing up walls is for the good of others, or just a selfish endeavor. Perhaps both Oliver and Felicity will come out of season 5 with an open book policy -- a change that could spackle the cracks in their fractured foundation and provide fertile ground for Olicity 2.0. 

Edited April 18, 2017 by tv echo

[Soulfire]

[BkWurm1]

7 hours ago, Soulfire said:

Is he joking about an addition to the art department (since I was under the impression that Arrow didn't have one, lol)  There are a lot of good things about it but it would be better had the clip art of Oliver, Diggle and Felicity been from something newer than the second season.  But hey, at least he's trying.  Next time I'd also like him to try to find a pic where the Arrow doesn't look like he's suffering from liver failure.  

[EmilyBettFan]

I don't understand using old and new. Why can't they just use all newer photos? 

[bijoux]

Additionally, I don't much understand the inclusion of Ragman since we haven't seen him in a while. Nor Speedy being Speedy for that matter.

[looptab]

24 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Additionally, I don't much understand the inclusion of Ragman since we haven't seen him in a while.

He is with us always and forever. LOL.

[Morrigan2575]

22 hours ago, Angel12d said:

Yikes. Doesn't bode well for 520 ratings. But we all know that'll be Olicity's fault, right? LOL.

Doesn't matter accept to online fans but, they don't count. Ad rates are set by Sweeps ratings (this is only 1 week of Sweeps) and the rest are used to determine renewal and budget. Already renewed for S6 and any budget cuts will be covered by WB (since they make bank on DCTV in post sales).

Not to mention that (as of right now) Arrow is the #3 show on the network (0.65 vs 0.64 - for LoT) granted Arrow will probably drop to tie or below LoT by end of season but it's not like Arrow is sitting at Reign's numbers.

Finally, the CW/Studio/Berlanti aren't going to look at the ratings for 520 and go OMG Olicity killed Arrow! They know losing the #2 TV Market is going to impact ratings

Same as when Arrow was preempted in NY towards the end of S2 or S3 and LL/KC Stans started tweeting MG about how Olicity killed the ratings, he pointed out the same thing, losing the #1 TV market impacted the ratings NOT anything on the show.

Yeah, I get anti's and Stans will kick up a fuss on twitter but who cares? Their willful denial and ignorance as to what ratings actually mean should just be ignored, IMO. 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Morrigan2575

[Morrigan2575]

Quote

Let them get all the money they can get. 

From what I've read, it's not about money, it's about Health Coverage and getting rid of locking writers in who work in short productions (I.e someone writing for a 10 episode show, not being able to seek other employment opportunities for the rest of the season)

Above brought over from Spoiler Discussion thread about possible WGA Strike.

Hopefully they manage to negotiate a deal without a Strike or if a Strike happens make it a very short deal (nowhere near the 3 months of 2007-2007)

[tv echo]

No spoilers (not really)...

TALKING NERDY WITH ARROW’S LEXA DOIG
JORDAN BIORDI    APR 21, 2017
http://www.cgmagonline.com/2017/04/21/talking-nerdy-with-arrows-lexa-doig/

Quote

CGM: So let’s talk a little bit about Arrow. What’s it like playing Talia Al’Ghul?
Doig: Well she’s an important character in the DC Universe, but I’m not sure how integral she is in the Arrow universe yet. The way it’s been set up she trained Green Arrow. She was like the final step of training that Oliver had before he went back to Starling City. She’s a lot of the reason he went back. It’s interesting because I think she’s the final step in the journey, she’s the final piece of the puzzle to help him differentiate himself from this alter-ego that he has. But I don’t really know how important she is yet, because we’ve only seen her in flashbacks.

CGM: Talia’s character is usually portrayed similarly in her interpretations, what do you feel you bring that is unique to you?
Doig: Probably sarcasm, because I’m a snarky bitch. I did a certain amount of research, and I watched as much as I could of previous episodes that feature the Al Ghul family, and it’s stylized in a sense because they’re part of the world but they’re not of the world. There’s a bit of a supernatural element with the Lazarus Pits and the League of Assassins, and they operate on the periphery. I felt it would be far more interesting that the difference with Talia is that she’s of the world. Yes, she can operate on the periphery, that’s where she was born and raised and trained, but she can also put on a business suit and attend a meeting; I thought that would be interesting because that’s kind of what Oliver does. So that was my thought process in creating Talia so that her language and her manner and her cadences are a little more modern, as opposed to that Shakespearean style that you saw with the Al Ghul family.

CGM: My final question is, what’s next for you? Any future projects?
Doig: I do believe I’m going in for another episode of Arrow, and then hopefully a second season of The Arrangement which is the show that I’m doing for E. That’s just kind of it, that and figuring out if my son is going to make my life joyful by going to school on an island.

Edited April 21, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Where EBR was this weekend...

Emily Bett Rickards Steps Out For Rare Appearance at Newport Beach Film Festival
23 APRIL 2017
http://www.justjaredjr.com/2017/04/23/emily-bett-rickards-steps-out-for-rare-appearance-at-newport-beach-film-festival/

Quote

The Arrow actress stepped out for the Honors event which put the spotlight on Aisha Tyler as an Artist of Distinction.

[tv echo]

Code Purple and Gold is "a group of high school students from T.F. North focused on learning to code, critical thinking, and problem solving" who blog and have a facebook page...

Felicity Smoak is The Best Sidekick (Who deserves a show)
By Code Purple Gold, today at 8:10 am
By: Brian Patterson JR
http://www.chicagonow.com/code-purple-gold/2017/04/felicity-smoak-is-the-best-sidekick-who-deserves-a-show/

Quote

Felicity is a big role model on the show even though she is not the main character. She is always looked at as cute, innocent, and just nerdy. The truth is Felicity is just as brave as Oliver; she risks her life multiple times. She even gets her hands dirty in the season 3 episodes out now.

Most importantly, Felicity breaks a lot of stereotypes about people in STEM and women too. She shows that she can be brave, compete as a hacker and help save the day. Felicity Smoak breaks multiple sexist stereotypes. I find Felicity very inspiring. She makes me want to do better plus help uplift women in and out of the field of STEM.

Edited April 24, 2017 by tv echo

[BunsenBurner]

I have directv. The last few episodes have listed SA,DR and now Willa even though she hasn't been in the episodes until the one this Wednesday. Before it was always KC. Methinks that whoever writes the blurbs for the directv or if it's someone at CW they don't like EBR. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by BunsenBurner

[way2interested]

That's just billing order, I would think. EBR's fourth in line this season and usually descriptions only go to the first 2-3 names.

[BunsenBurner]

Thank you for this information.^^^

[insomniadreams88]

I have Spectrum and mine lists SA, DR, WH, EBR and JB. 

[Mellowyellow]

I'm probably in the minority but I love EBR's wavy fluffy hair! 

In my head that's what some of the AU Felicitys look like!

[tv echo]

No spoilers quoted...

Echo Kellum says Arrow's big season 5 cast revamp was a risk: "But I knew fans were going to love it"
BY MORGAN JEFFERY  26 APRIL 2017
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/arrow/news/a826911/echo-kellum-says-arrows-big-season-5-cast-revamp-was-a-risk-but-i-knew-fan-were-going-to-love-it/

Quote

All the same, Kellum acknowledged that it was a risk for Arrow to swap out fan favourites for new characters, including Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez) and Rory Regan / Ragman (Joe Dinicol).

"If a show just continues to do the same things, it gets stale and we get bored. So, it's a catch-22 with fans, where we want things to be the same, but we also want things to change. And I think that's just part of the process.

"Every TV show that runs for more than three or four seasons, you start getting new characters coming in and different dynamics and new stories being told.
*  *  *
"I knew from the jump, just reading the script and knowing where the writers were going – how they were trying to get back to basics, back to that early season one / two vibe of the show – that fans were going to love it.

"I also knew it'd be a process. I knew people might initially be taken aback by it and be like, "What the heck?" - but I really have faith in our crew, our writers, our producers, the network, that if the fans stuck with the show, they'd be along for a great ride."
*  *  *
Kellum told us that he went through a physical transformation of his own as his character evolved: "I'm going through the process as Curtis goes through the process too, which is very cool. I'm in the gym on a regular basis now. I'm boxing. I'm doing Krav Maga, a little Wing Chun as well."

He's even close to conquering Arrow's famed salmon ladder – a challenge that Oliver Queen is able to meet without breaking a sweat, but one that's defeated Curtis time and time and again.

"I am definitely closer than I have ever been," he laughed. "My goal, personally, is to have it wrapped up by the end of the season!"

Edited April 26, 2017 by tv echo

[Delphi]

Quote

But the superhero series has won over fans and critics with a grittier fifth season, which saw Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) assemble a new rag-tag team of heroes.

Has it?  Has it really!?  I miss Thea and Roy.   They got rid of the only newbie I enjoyed.  What fans are enjoying this?  Where are these fans...

Olicity fans are in mourning.   Laurel Lance fans,  well yeah.   OTA fans have barely had anything. 

The only thing keeping me going is hope and Talia. 

[tv echo]

I'm cutting back on quantity of media reviews for the rest of this season in order to enjoy the remaining episodes. Here's A.V. Club's review of 519 (not as bad as the headline suggests)...

Arrow has failed Felicity Smoak, at least a little
By Alasdair Wilkins  Apr 26, 2017  9:05 PM
http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/arrow-has-failed-felicity-smoak-least-little-254365

Quote

Here’s the fundamental problem: I still don’t really get why Felicity has allied with Helix to bring down Chase at any cost....
*  *  *
Felicity is a better character than Laurel, but here we come to the difference between a primary and a supporting character. Laurel worked best as a supporting character, specifically during her Team Arrow run in season four, but it was possible to understand her motivations, even when they were risible or poorly executed, when the show thrust her into the spotlight. Felicity, by contrast, hasn’t had that time away from Oliver. Here again I’m sure some of you are ready to helpfully point out that she did spend a lot of time by herself at Helix this year. But her Helix tenure was not materially different from her work as Overwatch, except now she was faintly opposed to Oliver instead of working with him. The Helix stuff has been primarily plot-driven, with Felicity making a series of more questionable deals with the group to track down Chase. And that’s potentially really good storytelling! The descent of Felicity Smoak is unquestionably an intriguing path for the show to explore. But her subplots have been so busy showing us the things she is willing to do that there has been no time for her to pause and tell someone why she is doing them. It doesn’t help that she lacks an obvious person to talk to. If only she could have shared a side story with Lance.

This fuzziness around Felicity and her motivations necessarily puts the focus back on Oliver, and that has some less than ideal knock-on effects. I’ve touched on this in previous reviews, but it’s still not amazing subtext to have Oliver and Diggle spend the whole episode sitting in judgment of their former and present significant others for shit they have absolutely done themselves. (Or is imprisoning Andy cool because John never got government authorization for his black site?) As Felicity points out at the end, she has always been willing to back Oliver’s play, yet he couldn’t bring himself to do the same for her. I go back and forth on how rigorously this episode is really trying to explore the gendered aspects of its setup, which are basically unavoidable when you consider we’re seeing an explicit role reversal in how couples (again, one former, one current) typically interact. This is complicated by the fact that Arrow remains so committed to maintaining Oliver’s newfound emotional clarity, even as Felicity struggles. I think “Dangerous Liaisons” wants us to judge Oliver in the wrong, at least in his failure to support Felicity like she would him, but that’s hard to buy into emotionally when we see him so often at his best, and he remains so obviously the show’s hero.

... Arrow can sometimes attain greatness, when everything clicks together just right. But that takes a storytelling discipline that this season, as good as it is, hasn’t always had, and that’s clearest with Felicity. Her story cries out for depth and specificity of motivation, and this episode, along with those before it, haven’t quite been able to provide them. That isn’t a fatal flaw, as these things go. It’s just a reminder that there’s daylight between “good” and “great.” This episode is more than entertaining enough to attain the former, but it falls decidedly short of the latter.
*  *  *
Next week, though, well… I smell a formula-breaking episode. Could be real great, that one. Arrow has once again earned this viewer’s optimism.

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow recap: 'Dangerous Liaisons’
SARA NETZLEY APRIL 26, 2017 AT 11:11PM EDT
http://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-5-episode-19/

Quote

Arrow’s back, guys! And people are crossing lines tonight. So many lines are crossed, you have no idea. These lines are beautiful, just the best lines, and they get crossed left and right. So let’s recap.
*  *  *
A fight ensues until Felicity contacts John and asks them to let the mercs escape with the security key. John immediately relays the request to Oliver (who’s in a plain black mask, with no green or arrows in sight), and he orders the team to stand down. The no-questions-asked nature of this scene is a powerful reminder of just how much these three trust each other.
*  *  *
When Felicity looks to Oliver and John for support, Oliver tells her she might be crossing a line. She… doesn’t take this very well. “You’re the last person on Earth who gets to give that lecture, Oliver. Or second to last,” she amends, looking pointedly at Lyla. When Felicity says she’s sticking with the Helix plan, John questions whether they’re on the same side anymore. Apparently not; Felicity’s on Team Let’s Locate Chase Now, while everyone else seems to be on Team Let’s Chase Our Tails Some More.
*  *  *
Oliver, naturally, blames himself for letting Felicity get in too deep with this group, and John suggests that as her former fiancé, Oliver might be the only one she’ll listen to. “I’m not sure how much credibility I have with her,” Oliver admits. (Also, let’s ignore the idea that Oliver and John “let” Felicity, a grown woman, do anything.)

Cut to Felicity leaving her loft in all black and her “infiltrating a secret government facility” smoky eye makeup. Oliver arrives to ask her not to go. They agree that it’s ironic that Felicity’s willing to do whatever it takes to stop Chase, who was created because Oliver was willing to do whatever it took to keep the city safe.
*  *  *
In the end, the Helix mercs used rubber bullets, so there were no A.R.G.U.S. injuries, and Curtis is glad their identities were masked because otherwise, Cayden’s revenge would be swift and tech-heavy. Meanwhile, Oliver doesn’t know what to say to Felicity now that she sided with a different team, so Curtis and Dinah leave him to do some solo drinking.
*  *  *
Their argument is put on hold when the tracker reveals that Chase is right there, in the Arrow Cave, and before you can say, “The call is coming from inside the house,” everything explodes.

Well, how’s that for a character-driven episode that benefits from years of relationship-building between these characters? Sure, Oliver’s a wee bit sanctimonious for not wanting Felicity to do the very same thing he’s done over and over — that is, the right thing via questionable methods — but he’s acting out of love. And Felicity’s end game — catching Prometheus — was solid, but she did let loose the most fearsome hacker the world has ever known, which probably ain’t good. Still, watching those two stare sadly at each other from opposite sides of a 30-kilowatt spectral beam laser was legitimately affecting. Sounds like we need to buckle up for next week’s episode …
*  *  *
Tonight’s Arrow was a world of darkness and despair and lines being crossed. Now, more than ever, we need the salmon ladder.

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow 5.19 Review – ‘Dangerous Liaisons’
April 26, 2017 | Posted by Michael Haigis
http://411mania.com/movies/arrow-5-19-review-dangerous-liaisons/

Quote

Oliver disagrees with Felicity, framing her actions with Helix as a bridge too far; insert moral platitudes here. It seems every episode burns time with one character looking deeply into the eyes of another, begging that person not to “sell their soul”, or somehow otherwise compromise their ethics. It’s a weekly occurrence, one I’ve written about ad nauseum in this very space. “Dangerous Liaisons” was different though, because the tired conflict about preserving Felicity’s wholesomeness (as if any of these characters is uncorrupted) was laced with a more compelling subtext. Every week, Oliver and his team argue over whose methods are most defensible, or over who should eat a given sin. But in this episode, Felicity is acting with clear eyes: assisting Helix is, as far as she (and the audience) can tell, the only chance Oliver will have to defeat Prometheus. It’s as cut and dry as any contrived argument, but Oliver can’t seem the acknowledge one truth: it’s exactly the type of thing he would do.
*  *  *
The conversation feels like reheated Arrow leftovers, but it’s revelatory in that Oliver consistently seems to be having a different discussion than his partners in palaver. For him, Felicity’s gambit was unattractive because it threatened her innocence. What seems lost on Oliver, though, is that Felicity understands as much; she simply sees no other choice. Oliver protests, not because he is genuinely concerned for Felicity, but because he views the fate of his partners as a reflection of him. The truth is, Oliver is concerned with being able to live with himself more than he’s concerned with Felicity being able to live with herself. That’s why, when all is said and done, when Felicity has her Chase-Locator, those protests cease. The characters move on. For Oliver, the lecturing isn’t a means to and end, it is the end. With Felicity standing before him, key to their success in hand, Oliver – and all his moralizing pretense – still gets to be right, even though he was wrong.

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’ Recap: Felicity 1, Oliver 0
Robert Clarke-Chan     April 27, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-felicity-1-oliver-0-120610334.html

Quote

Felicity decides to compromise her morals for the greater good, which doesn’t sit well with Oliver, who has spent the last four years compromising his morals for the greater good. Arrow‘s Helix arc threatens to upset the delicate balance of the show, which has always had Felicity dragging Oliver kicking and screaming back into the light. Is Diggle the only moral compass left on the team?
*  *  *
Felicity’s moral quandary is the kind of a broad, philosophical one: Does the end justify the means? It’s essentially the moral struggle Oliver deals with every day and he still hasn’t arrived at an answer. Lyla’s issue is similar, but it’s political rather than personal. She is violating the Constitution by incarcerating Cayden James without a trial. Does the end justify the means? Both Felicity and Lyla feel like they do; Oliver does too and he’s a hypocrite for expecting others to be better. Only Diggle has the moral authority to question all of their decisions, but he’s clearly being outvoted. Lyla says it’s more complicated when you’re sitting on the other side of the desk, but at some point someone should remember that Adrian Chase is a direct consequence of those means.
*  *  *
*We never get to see the face of Cayden James as Helix spirits him away. That’s likely a signal that they plan to cast the role in between seasons and bring him in as a major villain, possibly the Big Bad, next year.

*Will we be seeing Felicity’s “weaponized tablet” again? Is Emily Bett Rickards tired of sitting behind a computer and pushing to get her character out into the field more often?

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow’s “Dangerous Liasons”: Not Judging
Posted on April 27, 2017 by Kelly Konda 
https://weminoredinfilm.com/2017/04/27/arrows-dangerous-liasons-not-judging/

Quote

Arrow is down to just two regular female characters right now – Felicity and Dinah. However, even if Thea, Laurel, Moira and Sara were all still around on a regular basis (or Nyssa, Shado, Katana, and Evelyn on an irregular basis) the themes of Arrow would likely remain unchanged. Like Angel before it, Arrow is and always has been a show about masculinity. “Dangerous Liasons,” the show’s first new episode in a month, really hit us over the head with that, charting Oliver and Diggle’s struggles to adjust to their significant other’s pursuing their own path and Quentin and Rene bonding over the joys and responsibilities of being a parent to a daughter.
*  *  *
Felicity and Lyla made their decisions and refused to apologize for them, but this episode wasn’t really about them or their specific decisions; it was about Oliver and Diggle (and, to a lesser extent, Quentin and Rene). That’s because even though Arrow currently has a female showrunner (Wendy Mericle) it remains a show which is directly informed by the actions and viewpoints of its male hero. Thus, Felicity going dark isn’t so much about her as it is about a writer’s room choosing to tie her arc into the overall theme of the season: Oliver’s legacy.

This is the season where everything comes full circle, and Oliver is forced to grapple with everything he’s done on the show to this point. Felicity’s embrace of pragmatism over idealism, of choosing to do whatever it takes regardless of the cost inevitably links up to Oliver’s legacy because here she is behaving more like Oliver than ever before. It’s a real “look what I’ve done to her” moment, not a “look what she’s become completely of her own volition.” Predictably, regardless of how much of a hypocrite he knows he’s being Oliver doesn’t like Felicity going down that path and refuses to support her.
*  *  *
Stephen Amell has repeatedly promised actual adult conversations were in the offing for Oliver and Felicity, and their conversation in her apartment was an early start before next week’s bottle episode trapping them together in the Arrowcave. Here, while Oliver could not bring himself to support Felicity he also didn’t bark orders at her. This was him trying his best to be respectful and patient, illustrating his growth as a character. For her part, she was allowed to explain her motivations and plea for the same kind of trust he’s always been able to rely on from her. Yet even here the conversation was still mostly about Oliver. For example:
*  *  *
Instead, Felicity’s motivations were framed almost as if they were a tribute to Oliver, her attempt to replicate his admirable dedication to always doing the right thing. And regardless of how open-minded Oliver thought he was being he kept making the conversation about himself, about what he can and cannot allow and his guilt over having created this entire situation with Chase. It was the result of a show attempting to seem vaguely feminist (Felicity is doing her own thing no matter what) when in fact its point of view is inherently masculine.
*  *  *
3. That guy Helix saved is totally going to be the Big Bad next season or at least one of them, right?

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

I'm cutting back on quantity of media reviews for the rest of this season in order to enjoy the remaining episodes.

Curious about what you mean.  Is it just the chore of having to weed through so many or that some reviews are going to be nitpicky and rip on the episode even if it's good?  

[tv echo]

^^^ Reviews almost by definition are critical. Too much negativity will dull any optimism I might have for the rest of the season. This forum is my happy Arrow place. So I'm just going to be more selective about what I post here in terms of media reviews. (However, I may change my mind depending on what actually does happen!)

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

9 minutes ago, tv echo said:

^^^ Reviews almost by definition are critical. Too much negativity will dull any optimism I might have for the rest of the season. This forum is my happy Arrow place. So I'm just going to be more selective about what I post here in terms of media reviews. (However, I may change my mind depending on what actually does happen!)

I feel kind of horrible sending you out into the world to read lot of reviews in a season that for too long really didn't need any outside help to dull one's optimism.  You do so very much for this forum, but I completely support you if you want/need to cut back on some/all of the obligations you've acquired.  You deserve to enjoy watching the show.     

Edited April 27, 2017 by BkWurm1

[tv echo]

No worries. :)  I do get curious as to what the media reaction is to each episode, so a lot of what I do is for my own benefit!

What I do avoid are comments sections and other online forums/sites where stuff can get very nasty - places some of you brave souls venture.

[BkWurm1]

7 minutes ago, tv echo said:

No worries. :)  I do get curious as to what the media reaction is to each episode, so a lot of what I do is for my own benefit!

What I do avoid are comments sections and other online forums/sites where stuff can get very nasty - places some of you brave souls venture.

What's your general impression of reviews this week?  (I always seem to find just the recap ones that offer little opinion)

Edited April 27, 2017 by BkWurm1

[tv echo]

I haven't had a chance to read a lot of them yet. A few that I did read but didn't post were negative because they felt it was a filler episode that didn't advance the Prometheus plot (in other words, slowed down the momentum from the end of 518).

Edited April 27, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

I haven't had a chance to read a lot of them yet. A few that I did read but didn't post were negative because they felt it was a filler episode that didn't advance the Prometheus plot (in other words, slowed down the momentum from the end of 518).

Then they will love next week. lol.

[statsgirl]

5 hours ago, tv echo said:

 (in other words, slowed down the momentum from the end of 518).

As opposed to the four weeks the show was off?

[Delphi]

7 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

What's your general impression of reviews this week?  (I always seem to find just the recap ones that offer little opinion)

I do a pretty in depth search for the latest episode, which by the way @tv echo was harder this week when you're not doing all the work for me, so thanks again for all your work. 

Reaction is pretty mid level.   Good character moments,  nonsensical plot lines addressed, mostly filler.   Not too different than how the general forum feels. 

But I discovered those fans that Echo knew would love the season!  It's IGN and Reddit.   Avoid the comments at all costs. 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Delphi

[wonderwall]

Good god... DO they expect every episode to advance the plot? THese are actual people who review shows right? Do they not understand that character/relationship building moments are just as (if not more important) than plot building moments?

Morons.

[apinknightmare]

This episode did advance plots-just not Chase's. Although we did find out that he had an inside man in ARGUS (and maybe has more?). So that's something for the main story. 

[Delphi]

6 minutes ago, wonderwall said:

Good god... DO they expect every episode to advance the plot? THese are actual people who review shows right? Do they not understand that character/relationship building moments are just as (if not more important) than plot building moments?

Morons.

I think those of us who enjoy  those kind of bottle episodes reside here.

To be fair,  despite their wrong  opinions, mostly everything I've seen has been like 4 out of five stars in the general scaling. 

[wonderwall]

30 minutes ago, Delphi said:

I think those of us who enjoy  those kind of bottle episodes reside here.

I just don't understand why it has to be plot plot plot! all the time. It's a 23 episode season. Obviously they should expect some bottle episodes and it can't be full on intense every episodes. And what better way to spend the less intense/plot heavy episodes than working on character development?

They're idiots who have bad taste lol. 

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, apinknightmare said:

This episode did advance plots-just not Chase's. Although we did find out that he had an inside man in ARGUS (and maybe has more?). So that's something for the main story. 

I'm not sure about this.  At first they thought they'd found an inside man, but after he was dead (oops) Felicity was looking for connection to Chase and said she couldn't find any.  So does that mean that it turned out he wasn't an inside man?  

Edited April 28, 2017 by BkWurm1

[apinknightmare]

5 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

I'm not sure about this.  At first they thought they'd found an inside man, but after he was dead (oops) Felicity was looking for connection to Chase and said she couldn't find any.  So does that mean that it turned out he wasn't an inside man?  

I don't know. Felicity's the one who found the info about the pinged cellphone, so that had to be real unless Alena planted it and really could hack into ARGUS and just lied about it - was that indicated and I missed it? 

[tv echo]

I'll post more 519 reviews shortly (it's like an addiction)...

FYI, here is my S5 media list for Arrow episode reviews (some reviews are posted within a day or so, other reviews are not posted until several days after the episode airs):

Agents of Geek Podcast (Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres)
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

A.V. Club (Alasdair Wilkins)
http://www.avclub.com/tv/

Blastr (Trent Moore)
http://www.blastr.com/tags/arrow

BuddyTV (Derek Stauffer)
http://www.buddytv.com/arrow.aspx

Collider (Kayti Burt, Dave Trumbore, Allison Keene)
http://collider.com/tag/arrow/

Cuturess (Amy Woolsey, I.A. Melton)
http://culturess.com/?s=arrow

Den of Geek (Mike Cecchini, Tyler McCarthy)
http://www.denofgeek.us/search/us/arrow

Emertainment Monthly (Nora Dominick)
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/?s=arrow

Entertainment Weekly (Sara Netzley)
http://ew.com/author/sara-netzley/
http://ew.com/tag/arrow/

fangirlish (Alyssa Barbieri)
http://fangirlish.com/?s=arrow

Filmoria (Kevin Perreau)
http://www.filmoria.co.uk/?s=arrow

411mania.com (Michael Haigis)
http://411mania.com/search/?k=arrow

4YourExcitement (Verena Cote)
http://www.4ye.co.uk/category/television/recaps/arrow-recaps/

Heroes and Heartbreakers (Marilyn Porter)
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/search?searchword=arrow&ordering=newest&searchphrase=all&limit=20&areas[0]=stories&areas[1]=blogs

IGN (Jesse Schedeen)
http://www.ign.com/tv

jbuffyangel
http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/

Just About Write
http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/search?q=arrow&max-results=20&by-date=true

Laura Hurley 
https://twitter.com/lah9891
http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/

Oohlo (Craig Wack)
http://oohlo.com/?s=arrow

ScreenCrush (Kevin Fitzpatrick) 
http://screencrush.com/arrow

Tell-Tale TV (Lissete Lanuza Saenz)
http://telltaletv.com/?s=arrow
http://telltaletv.com/author/lissete-lanuza-saenz/

TV.com (Gislef)
http://www.tv.com/users/Gislef/posts/

TV Equals (Jessica Breaux)
http://www.tvequals.com/?s=arrow

TV Fanatic Round Tables
https://www.tvfanatic.com/tags/round-tables/

TV Overmind (Chris King, Araceli Aviles)
http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/

USA Today (Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent)
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/author/allison-brennan-and-lavinia-kent/

We Minored In Film (Kelly Konda)
http://weminoredinfilm.com/?s=arrow

Yahoo! (Robert Clarke-Chan)
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/tagged/arrow 

ETA: Some media sites that I used to check no longer review Arrow episodes (Los Angeles Times, The Movie Network, Vulture).

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Felicity goes rogue as Helix takes on Argus in the latest Arrow
Trent Moore  Thu, Apr 27, 2017 10:00am
http://www.blastr.com/2017-4-27/dc-arrow-dangerous-liaisons-episode-recap

Quote

The Helix story has been brewing in the background for a while, but it finally came to a head this week. With the hacking group promising a magic tracking algorithm that can find Prometheus anywhere, Felicity goes all in to help Helix break into Argus and rescue the group's founder — literally stepping between a gun-toting Oliver as he tries to apprehend Helix's team. It was a bold move for Felicity, and though they only really scratched the surface of it here, it's a story of how she's grown into someone capable of making tough (and brutal) decisions all on her own. Now? She's going toe to toe with Oliver, and actually getting the upper-hand.

Dating back to her pulling the trigger to reroute the nuke that destroyed Monument Point (speaking of which, is Ragman ever coming back? That guy was cool), Felicity has been learning a whole lot from Oliver's moral ambiguity over the years. In "Dangerous Liaisons," she finally owns the person she's become (for better or worse) but literally working against the team to do things the way she thinks is right. Even better, they never actually answer the question. Did Felicity go too far, or simply do what's needed to find Chase? Everyone else can blur the line to do what they believe is right, so why not Felicity?

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Lots of great gifs in jbuffyangel's 519 review...

Crossing Lines: Arrow 5x19 Review (Dangerous Liaisons)
April 27, 2017
http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/160047997138/crossing-lines-arrow-5x19-review-dangerous

Quote

Felicity may not like all of Oliver & Diggle’s choices, but she realizes she cannot control them. Oliver and Diggle are given a wide birth to be their own men and make their own decisions. Felicity wants the same freedom. She’s no more immune to making the tough calls than Oliver and John. They can’t protect her from this life, and what’s more, she doesn’t want them to. This is the life she’s chosen.

Nor do John and Oliver have the corner market on protecting those they love. Yes, they make morally questionable choices so Felicity doesn’t have to, but when does the coin flip? Why can’t she make morally questionable choices so John and Oliver don’t have to? Why can’t she cross the line to protect them? Why is her soul more important than theirs? Why can’t she protect those she loves too?

It’s a double standard that comes from a good place on Oliver and Diggle’s part, but is patronizing as hell and kind of sexist. 
*  *  *
The need to categorize, box and label a woman can be powerful even in the men who love us best. It’s not our responsibility to fit the mold. It’s their responsibility to expand it. While Oliver and Diggle may view Lyla and Felicity as their better halves it doesn’t eliminate the common thread they all share - Lyla and Felicity are human. It’s the common thread we all share. We are human. No more. No less. This thread should make Lyla and Felicity’s choices a lot less baffling since the motivations behind their decisions are the same as ones Oliver and Diggle have made.

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

After 519, I am reminded of a line from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, when Merry is not allowed to fight because he is a small hobbit, just like Eowyn is not allowed to fight because she is a woman.  So Eowyn says to her brother Eomer (talking about Merry but meaning herself as well): 

"He has just as much reason to go to war as you do. Why can he not fight for those he loves?"

Then Eowyn takes matters into her own hands by disguising herself as a male soldier, scooping up Merry, and joining the other Rohan soldiers riding to battle.

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

'Arrow' Recap: Team Arrow Has To Fight ... Felicity? 
Wednesday, April 26, 2017  Derek Stauffer
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/arrow-recap-team-arrow-has-to-64376.aspx

Quote

The conflict isn't as simple as Felicity. Her people want James and ARGUS is just being big ole meanies about it. Through a couple scenes of conversation, Arrow makes this conflict not only feel it was where Felicity's story was heading this entire season but for the whole series. Felicity argues to Oliver that she has seen him over the years doing whatever is necessary to save the city. Now, Felicity is willing to do the same and she wants Oliver to let her. Oliver knows the consequences for those actions and wants Felicity to stop. These arguments between Felicity and Oliver are excellent as they combine all of the characters' messy, complicated (and sometimes romantic) history into some brilliantly acted exchanges. It's also the perfect conflict as it easy to see both character's point of view and neither of them is exactly right.  
*  *  *
Felicity might not be willing to kill but she is fully committed to Helix and freeing James. When Team Arrow arrives, Felicity ends up putting herself in front of Oliver's gun to allow her Helix cohorts to escape with James. Arrow might have proven in season 5 that Felicity and Oliver are better as platonic partners than romantic ones. The show did squander their relationship in season 4 and have done nothing romantic with them in season 5. Yet, there is so much pain and tension in Oliver being forced to point a gun at Felicity and her standing up to him. It's not super clear if the two need to fight or make out to work out their problems, but it is something. I'm not sure which one I want to see as a viewer. I'm leaning toward both. The spark between them looked to be dead but it might be still be there.

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’ 5×19 Review: ‘Dangerous Liaisons’
April 27, 2017 by ALYSSA BARBIERI
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-5x19-review-dangerous-liaisons/

Quote

"Dangerous Liaisons” managed to do what an episode of Arrow hasn’t done in quite some time: engage me. I’ve felt like I’ve been listening to a teacher drone on and on in a boring ass lecture rather than engage students with hands-on activities that pique interest. And that’s really been the comparison between Arrow in the first half of season 5 versus the present, which has managed to bring out an excitement in me that I thought was long gone.

At the heart of that engagement were the emotional connections, which brought the relationships of Oliver & Felicity and Diggle & Lyla to the forefront in a not-so-subtle way as to remind the audience the true heart of this show. It’s not the action (which was completely badass, btw), but it’s these characters and their feelings and how they make us feel. Hell, even Rene’s reunion with his daughter ignited an emotional reaction from me.

Arrow is great when it makes you care. Arrow makes you care when it brings the core relationships to the forefront. Sure, you’ve heard and will continue to hear people hate on Olicity because they’re threatened by the romance on a superhero show (even though comic books are soap operas.)
*  *  *
It wasn’t romance (although those were always nice.) These were scenes where there were real conversations going on about important issues that define their relationship – and most relationships, although the details are different for everyone. But when you put Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards into a scene together – yet alone an emotional one – the only thing you can expect is greatness. Anything less would be downright ignorant.
*  *  *
Arrow has finally realized what works on this show. They’ve weeded out the bad and the ugly and gone “back to basics” – and I mean actual “back to basics” and not this fake news version of “back to basics” the show had been preaching early on. Arrow is capitalizing on the aspects that work, including Olicity, Original Team Arrow, Dyla, and emotional storylines that has finally given it some credibility at the end of this season.
*  *  *
But trust goes much deeper than knowing someone has your back when you’re out in the field or when your life is on the line. Trust is about being open about even the most difficult of circumstances. Trust is about having faith in someone else that what they’re telling you is what’s right for them. Trust is about acceptance.
*  *  *
And that’s all Felicity wants in return. She wants Oliver to do the same for her. She wants that unconditional support. The unconditional support that Original Team Arrow has shared with each other through the years. She wants Oliver to believe in her the same way she has and will always believe in him.

But the trust goes both ways here. While Oliver doesn’t trust Felicity’s decision to ally with Helix in order to find Adrian Chase, Felicity isn’t too trusting when it comes to Oliver laying it out there that there is another way for them to take down Chase; that this is something that could be avoided. But mostly, this episode served to point out Oliver’s trust issues when it comes to certain things that he feels like he needs to be in complete control of.
*  *  *
1. I can’t remember the last time I’ve cared so much or loved Arrow this much. That pisses me off. But at the same time, this is the show that I’ve been waiting for this season. Arrow managed to bring emotions to the forefront that I hadn’t felt in a while. It brought purpose to the show, it brought promise, and it proved that redemption is possible even in the most epic of fails.
2. Oliver & Felicity scenes truly are next-level type of scenes. Arrow has a great cast and great character dynamics. But there’s just something that you can’t explain when it comes to the significance of Oliver and Felicity moments. Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards bring this incredible chemistry, knowledge, and emotion to their scenes together in a way that you don’t usually see. And this episode brought us a couple of those moments that just cannot be explained, only admired.
3. Oliver & Felicity and Diggle & Lyla’s issues are paralleling each other. At the core of both of these couple’s issues is trust. Although their situations are difference, Felicity and Diggle find themselves questioning their partner’s trust in the other. It’s ironic because Arrow has always said that Diggle is Oliver a couple years in the future, and we’ve taken that to mean the same thing with Diggle and Lyla’s relationship and Oliver and Felicity’s.

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Review: Felicity Forced to Pay Helix’s Price
BY CRAIG WACK · APRIL 27, 2017
http://oohlo.com/2017/04/27/arrow-review-felicity-forced-to-pay-helixs-price/

Quote

The Helix story line has produced mix results for Felicity. It’s demonstrated her value as a strategist and her own heroic nature, through her relentless drive to use any means at her disposal to track Chase down. However, in the process she’s fallen into the same “keeping secrets from those closest to her trap”, and in with a group that it is obvious to everyone with working eyes and ears, they’re manipulating Felicity every step of the way.

All of this comes home to roost for Felicity, and creates a one-episode version of Captain America: Civil War. Felicity has to pay her debt to Helix by helping bust their leader out of Argus’ custody (and in the process receive a gizmo that will help locate Chase more quickly), but she has to run against her own team, given that Diggle’s wife is the head of Argus.
*  *  *
The high point of the episode is another classic heart-to-heart between Felicity and Ollie, where their past (and persisting) love is invoked, and Felicity pretty much says she is following Oliver’s example of doing the right thing, no matter the personal cost. The show does take much of the sacrifice away from the situation by giving Felicity plenty of high ground, hammering home that Argus is holding the Helix member illegally, then having Diggle struggle with the idea that an organization like Argus (that exists in a morally gray area) would do something morally gray like hold a suspected terrorist without due process.

In the end, Felicity accomplishes Helix’s mission, despite the fact that it puts her at odds with the team. It doesn’t hurt that Felicity’s move does ultimately benefit the team, and that Helix dumps her immediately after, so any sense of betrayal fizzles out quickly.

Edited April 28, 2017 by tv echo