The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 5 Episode 22 Review: “Missing”
Chris King  May 17, 2017
http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/arrow-season-5-episode-22-review-missing

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Can we talk about how much fun that was? Tonight’s episode of Arrow is not as character-driven as the past few weeks’ installments have been, and it honestly can’t afford to be given how much it has to set up for next week’s epic Season 5 finale. Due to those restrictions, there’s a table-setting quality to “Missing” that it just can’t shake, no matter how intense each new situation becomes; it’s more of a first chapter rather than a fully completed story like “Underneath” or “Honor Thy Fathers.”

However, that doesn’t stop it from being an exceptionally entertaining hour of television. “Missing” is a pulpy, action-packed, and adventurous episode of Arrow that provides viewers with many goosebump-inducing moments. Aside from some of Oliver’s conversations with Thea, Felicity, Diggle, and (surprisingly) Malcolm, there’s not a ton of meat to the character interactions in tonight’s episode (and I do hope that the show does more with Quentin’s connection with Black Siren in next week’s finale), but what the series lacks in depth this week, it makes up for in jaw-dropping excitement.

And what’s so exciting about this week’s Arrow? Let’s start with John Diggle and Felicity Smoak driving their car right at League of Assassins members. Or we could talk about Chase bringing all of Oliver’s loved ones to Lian Yu. But we also can’t forget the return of the amazing Nyssa al Ghul. Oh yeah, and there’s one other return I wanted to mention: Slade Freaking Wilson!
*  *  *
Arrow showcases this transition for Oliver through small interactions, such as his and Felicity’s conversation at his birthday party (How much fun are the parties scenes in tonight’s episode, by the way?), in which he admits to her that he’s unsure of what to do next now that Chase has been taken down. While Oliver now recognizes that he can have a future that is unburdened by his past, he can’t quite envision it yet. That’s why he and Felicity agreeing to take things one step at a time is such an important moment; it signifies so much more than just the future of their romantic relationship, which looks pretty bright now that they’ve worked through all of their major issues. Those words also represent Oliver’s journey this season and what lies ahead for him after Season 5. We’ve seen Oliver make great strides this year, by conquering his demons and admitting his past sins to not only himself but those he loves; however, he (and we as an audience) can’t expect him to completely change over night. It will be a step-by-step process, one that will be made possible thanks to the love, compassion, and understanding that Oliver has in his connections with Felicity, Diggle, and the rest of the team.
*  *  *
But the Oliver Queen we know now is different. He confronts his past, accepts his sins, and allows himself to be vulnerable. He allows himself to be fully, truly human, instead of hiding his humanity under his hood, under the guise of being “something else.” And that’s because this Oliver Queen knows that his strength doesn’t come from the bow he carries or the arrows he fires. His ability to do good, his ability to be a hero, comes from the people he surrounds himself with, the people he calls his team, the people he calls his family, and his faith, trust, and love of them are what will help him finally defeat Chase in the Season 5 finale. But hey, having Slade Wilson, Nyssa al Ghul, and Malcolm Merlyn by his side doesn’t hurt either, does it?
*  *  *
I’m very glad to see that Oliver and Felicity are taking a more slow-burn approach to their romance this time around, because it makes sense for their characters at this point in time. As I mentioned in my review, Oliver is still trying to adjust to this new lease he has on life, and he and Felicity only just worked out their very serious problems a couple of weeks ago. They know each other better than anyone else, and they have full faith and trust in each other and, most importantly, themselves, which is what was missing before. There’s no need to rush anything.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow 5.22 Review – ‘Missing’
May 17, 2017 | Posted by Michael Haigis
http://411mania.com/movies/arrow-5-22-review-missing/

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‘Missing’ is the most eventful and engrossing episode of Arrow‘s fifth season, an unsurprising fact considering how long the season waited to set in motion the final act of Adrian Chase’s byzantine vengeance storyline. The episode is packed, having to sort out most of Chase’s plan in just an hour after the series spent the few weeks preceding ‘Missing’ clearing its throat. For the most part, the episode gamely handles the task: finally, Chase’s intentions have been made clear, and the stakes for a final confrontation are established. But coherence and satisfaction aren’t necessarily related, and the rapid pace of ‘Missing’ dulled some of the episode’s emotional impact, and gave an anticlimactic air what would otherwise be a compelling endgame.
*  *  *
These cameos are catnip for longtime Arrow fans, and for fans of the DC comics universe, but calling them gimmicky would be an understatement. Like Chase’s self-imprisonment, this is a touch that would have fit earlier in the season; the appearance of Wilson, Merlyn, and Al-Ghul this late in the season is equivalent to deus ex machina by committee. It strains credulity, and makes Oliver’s success feel inevitable, fated by the sprawling universe of frenemies and old ghosts that surround Oliver.

[leopardprint]

@tv echo, thanks, as always, for compiling the reviews. Is the lack of Oliver's child in the snippets poster's discretion on your part or did the reviewers also not care (like most viewers it seems)? AV Club didn't mention it. 

Edited May 18, 2017 by leopardprint

[tv echo]

"Missing" – Arrow S05E22 Review
By Gislef   May 18, 2017
http://www.tv.com/shows/arrow/community/post/missing-arrow-s05e22-review-1495081835/

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Mix this in with flashbacks of Konstantin injecting Oliver with some kind of psychological torment drug. Oliver relives all of his physical and mental pain, and decides to off himself with a little encouragement from a hallucinatory Yao Fei (Byron Mann, coming back as well). But then a hallucinatory Laurel comes in and tells Oliver that if he kills himself, Sara and Robert will have died for nothing. Which makes sense in context, but still seems a bit silly given that Sara didn't really die. Or she died and came back. After not really dying. Or... something. I've lost track.
*  *  *
"Missing" is a kind of strange episode. It almost seems like it should have been the hundredth episode. It's crammed full of Very Special faces: Slade, Yao Fei, Black Siren, Nyssa, Malcolm. Heck, there are more Very Special stars then there were in the hundredth episode. And none of them are CGI.

And yet it's a little low-budget. There's no Rene, no Dinah. We get several mentions of Talia but apparently they couldn't afford Lexa Doig, either. I suppose that means we won't get Ragman back, either. Yes, it would be a crowded episode. But it feels like they're pushing aside the newbies to make room for the old hands. And why wouldn't Adrian have Rory abducted as well? Or Roy? Or Susan? I guess once you're away from Oliver, you just don't count anymore as far as Adrian is concerned.

As for the ongoing storyline, Adrian's scheme is still as convoluted and nonsensical as ever. Even he points out that if Oliver isn't going to carry out his threats to kill Adrian, Oliver has no leverage. So now Oliver is saying that he'll kill Adrian (or at least threatening to do it), and Adrian doesn't believe him. But I thought Adrian's belief system was predicated on Oliver being a killer.
*  *  *
Instead, Adrian seems to be back to his "If I make enough of your friends suffer, Oliver, then you'll break." But then... he doesn't kill anyone. He's using his captives as leverage to get Oliver to Lian Yu. Why doesn't Adrian just kill them and watch as Oliver breaks. And breaks. And breaks.

It's a weird juxtaposition of "I want you to realize you're a killer" and "I want you to realize that that your friends suffer for your sins." And "I want to have a really impressive season-finale battle where we can dig out a lot of past guest stars on both sides."
*  *  *
Plus, if Oliver doesn't kill Adrian at the end, either a) Adrian accidentally gets killed somehow, b) he kills himself when he realizes that his plans have failed, or c) he ends up imprisoned with the other Island of Misfit Super-Villain prisoners. But if Oliver does kill him, that seems to throw away the whole redemption arc of the season. The creative team spends 22 episodes telling us that Oliver has moved beyond his old homicidal ways... just to have him kill Adrian. Ugh.
*  *  *
Five years into the show, there's no really bad performances. Stephen Amell and Paul Blackthorne are solid as always. Josh Segarra is as good as he's ever been. John Barrowman is... John Barrowman, with all the snark that Malcolm can muster. I particularly liked his "It takes a special kind of idiot to get dumber" bit to Oliver. Dolph Lundgren struts and preens like a professional wrestler, and makes the classic blunder of giving the hero a gun with one bullet and just figuring he'll shoot himself. But oh well, we already know that Oliver didn't die five years ago.

7 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

@tv echo, thanks, as always, for compiling the reviews. Is the lack of Oliver's child in the snippets poster's discretion on your part or did the reviewers also not care (like most viewers it seems)? AV Club didn't mention it. 

You're welcome!  If the reviewer says something interesting (imo) about William, I'll quote it. But if he's just mentioned as part of an episode recap, I'll skip it. 

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[bethy]

4 minutes ago, tv echo said:

I particularly liked his "It takes a special kind of idiot to get dumber" bit to Oliver.

What I think is interesting about this line is that it's the writers who have made him dumber. They seem to be mocking Oliver and yet they're the ones whose lousy writing has made it necessary for Oliver to act like a moron because ... plot. 

Edited May 18, 2017 by bethy

[tv echo]

'Arrow’ Review: No One Is ‘Missing’ After All Those Dramatic Returns
Kevin Fitzpatrick | May 17,2017
http://screencrush.com/arrow-missing-review/

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It occurred to me last week that the prospect of Arrow Season 6 feels slightly more exciting than these final hours of recent weeks. There’s a great wide world to explore once the series frees itself of Oliver’s five-year past, and hope is a fine color. After all, The Flash is skewing almost as bleak as Oliver Queen these days, and it really accentuates when Arrow has nothing more to offer its characters than another dump truck full of sorrow.

To its credit, “Missing” at least plays with the idea of Team Arrow enjoying last week’s victory over Chase; celebrating Oliver's’ birthday (that we’ve apparently ignored for four years), mulling over summer vacations, and even pivoting Oliver and Felicity back together. It was never going to last – not with a trump card like Chase abducting William in the mix – but there’s still something deeply unsatisfying about a big bad who miraculously plots for every potential outcome. One by one, a captive Chase still manages to undo every ounce of Oliver’s planning; abducting Thea and Quentin from a safehouse, sending the League after Felicity and Diggle, and finally forcing Oliver to free him, lest William suffer the consequences. Chase is more Josh Segarra's compelling performance than actual character at this point, and my biggest concern lies with next week’s finale amounting to “Well, that was my last absurdly thought-out move, I guess you can defeat me now.”
*  *  *
I’m hard-pressed to imagine Arrow undergoing too drastic a reinvention next season, but Merlyn articulated well that Oliver has had five years to get in his head that human connections are a necessary liability – not an excuse to spend another year brooding over his failures. It’s a point I hope the series recognizes as well: Oliver and Arrow overall need something new to rely on beside constant punishment, and “Missing” places a lot of pressure on next week’s finale to make Oliver’s triumph over Chase a profound one.
*  *  *
How many times do Barry and Oliver have to turn on A.R.G.U.S. soldiers before Lyla finally pulls their support for good, you think?
*  *  *
Maybe don’t leave the deadly captive alone in a rusty cell with a very functional firearm.
*  *  *
Granted he’s a drug-induced vision, did Yao Fei forget he has another twin daughter?

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 22 - Missing
Starman  May 17, 2017
http://www.mygeekygeekyways.com/search/label/Arrow Episode Guide

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Influences
The film version of The Princess Bride (Kovar's torture of Oliver, with his request for honest answers at the start and his philosophical talk about pain mirrors the torture scenes with The Machine) and the comic Justice League: Cry for Justice (a villain named Prometheus holds Green Arrow's loved ones and city hostage in order to escape capture.).

Goofs
Given the destruction of John's car, it seems unlikely that he and Felicity could walk away from it as they do here.

If Black Siren is meant to seem honestly sorrowful that she's chaining up her own father, Katie Cassidy is doing a piss-poor job of portraying it.

The hallucination of Laurel that convinces Oliver not to kill himself is wearing an obvious wig that is the wrong color for Laurel at that time.
*  *  *
Artistry
The fight as Malcolm and Oliver move to free Chase is amazingly shot and directed.
*  *  *
It is revealed in this episode that Oliver Queen's birthday is sometime in the month of May.

Depending on the exact day, this would make Oliver either a Taurus (The Bull) or Gemini (The Twins) using Western astrology. Either one might be a good fit for Oliver, as Taurus' have a reputation for stubbornness and Geminis are said to be charming but prone to keeping secrets and living two lives.
*  *  *
Felicity, being teased by Curtis, compares him to a shipper on a soap opera. It's worth mentioning tat the Arrow fandom has an incredibly active shipping community, with fans of the Oliver/Felicity pairing (or Olicity) being the most numerous.
*  *  *
A fantastic episode, curiously, because of how little it has to do with Season Five's on-going plot. It's all because of the other little bits of character business that harken back to the show's glory days. The interactions between Oliver and Malcolm. The chemistry between Oliver and Felicity. The brief scenes of Thea and Quentin together. The flashback sequences that actually tie into the current storyline.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[Primal Slayer]

Wow I'm actually a little shocked that they moved Arrow to Thursday's at 9pm. It's now on a little island by itself instead of being surrounded by the other DC shows. 

Hopefully they take advantage of the timeslot since they can get away with slightly more at 9pm. Though now i dont think that Fridays is that far away though i could see it helping the show if they could keep the current ratings.

[statsgirl]

I'm bummed out about the move to Thursday at 9.  Arrow is a show parents watch with their kids.  I don't understand the logical of having Supernatural at 8, which is a more violent, less kid-friendly show and Arrow at 9. 

Moving a show to a different night always loses audience because people find it hard to change habits.  But worse to me is that a lot of kids watch with their parents and kids don't (shouldn't) stay up so late especially on a school night.

It will also be going up against Colin Donnell's Chicago Med. Hmmmm...

It feels like they don't care about what happens to Arrow after this season. I would have agreed two months ago but I'm really liking the show now.

Edited May 18, 2017 by statsgirl

[Primal Slayer]

Idk, Supernatural has become pretty family friendly i feel like. They are doing a crossover with Scooby Doo, can't get more ff then that. 

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’ Recap: “Missing” – No Man Is an Island
BY KAYTI BURT      MAY 17, 2017
http://collider.com/arrow-recap-missing/

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Though the plot of “Missing” was all-too-familiar to fans who have been watching this show since Season 1, this episode had something special: scope. “Missing” may have hit familiar plot beats, but it brought back some of the best characters of Arrow’s entire run. This isn’t just a season finale. This is the end of an era: the flashback era. (Please let it be the end of the flashback era.)
*  *  *
No, I don’t understand why Chase is doing any of this (past a vague motivation to teach Oliver a lesson in retaliation for his dad’s death). His motives don’t exactly line up with his methods or results. He allowed himself to be arrested just so he could force Oliver to break him free. Why? Why not make Oliver do something worse — something more in line with the “monster” persona Chase thinks Oliver truly encapsulates? I don’t know. I stopped trying to figure out Arrow’s Big Bads a long time ago. (That’s a lie.)
*  *  *
Chase has kidnapped all of Oliver’s loved ones and, yes, that’s sweet and everything, but Oliver has recruited the man who killed his mother, the man whose hand he once chopped off, and the woman who he was forced to marry in a bid to save Star City from the killer virus he once saw unleashed in Hong Kong. Chase thought it might be cute to bring Oliver to Lian Yu, but Lian Yu was where Oliver learned to fight. It’s the place he lost his father, Yao Fei, Sara (kind of), Slade (kind of), Taiana (whatever), and himself. Chase thinks he’s reminding Oliver that he’s a monster, but, really, he’s reminding him of why he never wants to go back to being the monster Lian Yu forced him to be.
*  *  *
Not everything worked in this episode. As much fun as it always is to see Malcolm, it’s an awkward, abrupt reintroduction from a character who has really played out his functions on Arrow. And, as for William, the show has never even tried to make us care about his character, so I really don’t. On a theoretical level, of course I don’t want Oliver’s innocent child to be murdered. On an emotional level, I could not pick this kid out of a CW child actor line-up. (Sorry.)
*  *  *
— I can’t get over how perfectly tragic it is that Oliver’s birthday falls during season finale season, which means he is always dealing with The Worst Crisis Of His Life during his birthday week. This is the most Oliver Queen thing ever. This is how committed he is to his angst.
*  *  *
— ... This brief #Delicity scene could have gone on much longer, in my opinion. I would watch an entire episode of them roadtripping.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[way2interested]

Just now, statsgirl said:

I'm bummed out about the move to Thursday at 9.  Arrow is a show parents watch with their kids.  I don't understand the logical of having Supernatural at 8, which is a more violent, less kid-friendly show and Arrow at 9. 

Moving a show to a different night always loses audience because people find it hard to change habits.  But worse to me is that a lot of kids watch with their parents and kids don't (shouldn't) stay up so late especially on a school night.

It will also be going up against Colin Donnell's Chicago Med. Hmmmm...

It feels like they don't care about what happens to Arrow after this season. I would have agreed two months ago but I'm really liking the show now..

I feel like if kids are watching this show with their parents it's up to the parents' discretion about how/what/when they watch. The network shouldn't have that responsibility. I think this is just a case of them thinking since Arrow is heading into it's 6th year, the audience it has now (along with DVR numbers) might stick around no matter what change and that it's one of the easier shows to move in their schedule, nothing necessarily a blatant disregard for Arrow.

[tv echo]

Video shows SA starting the course, but no spoilers as to how it ends...

Watch Arrow's Stephen Amell Target the American Ninja Warrior Course
By Matt Webb Mitovich / May 17 2017, 11:20 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/05/17/stephen-amell-arrow-american-ninja-warrior-video/

[statsgirl]

I know people PVR and do other timeshifting things these days but I think there is still something special about sitting down with your kids or parents at a certain time to watch a TV show (look at us how excited we are to have a live viewing thread) and 9 - 10 is really too late for anyone under 14 on a school night.

[Primal Slayer]

Supernatural has seen like 5 moves and the audience follows them so balls in Arrows court now.

[tv echo]

Arrow Review: The Chess Board Is Set for an Excellent Season Finale
BY CRAIG WACK · MAY 18, 2017
http://oohlo.com/2017/05/18/arrow-review-the-chess-board-is-set-for-an-excellent-season-finale/

Quote

For a series with a habit of stalling its plot, it’s only fitting that the next-to-last episode of Arrow this season spent a lot of time on setup.

The Arrow writers aren’t dummies, the payoff for all this maneuvering is sure to be explosive and they injected the episode with enough Olicity flirting to disguise the fact that they were moving the furniture around for an hour.
*  *  *
This relaunching of the ship feels a little sudden, but since a huge chunk of the fan base wants Olicity back, there’s not much room or reason to argue.
*  *  *
With so much badassery gathered in one place, next week’s season finale could very well be one of the best episodes in series history. The anticipation of what is to come overshadows the rather workmanlike effort from this episode.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[LeighAn]

2 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Arrow Review: The Chess Board Is Set for an Excellent Season Finale
BY CRAIG WACK · MAY 18, 2017
http://oohlo.com/2017/05/18/arrow-review-the-chess-board-is-set-for-an-excellent-season-finale/

I think Craig is like super excited about Olicity!

[tv echo]

I think that this is the TV Line article that was mentioned in the 522 episode thread...

May Sweeps Scorecard 2017: Deaths, Breakups, Weddings, Firings, Sex, Resurrections, Time Jumps and More!
By Michael Ausiello / March 27 2017, 11:49 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/03/27/may-sweeps-scorecard-2017-spoilers-deaths/

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Number of couples reuniting: 11
1. AIRED April 27: Catherine and Richard/Grey’s Anatomy
2. AIRED April 30: Jeanette and Carson/American Crime
3. AIRED May 10: Jane and Weller/Blindspot
4. AIRED May 15: Rafael and Petra/Jane the Virgin
5. AIRED May 15: Alex and Ryan/Quantico
6. AIRED May 16: Mack and Elena/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
7. AIRED May 16: Michael and Sara/Prison Break
8. AIRED May 17: Oliver and Felicity/Arrow
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Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[TrueMyth]

4 hours ago, Proteus said:

LOT is totally new info though.

Maybe it has something to do with LoT being done for the season whereas Arrow still has an episode to go that they'd rather tease than spoil.

2 hours ago, bethy said:

What I think is interesting about this line is that it's the writers who have made him dumber. They seem to be mocking Oliver and yet they're the ones whose lousy writing has made it necessary for Oliver to act like a moron because ... plot. 

So much THIS.  It is sad that I was first attracted to Arrow for Oliver's hyper competence and tactical skill.  The past couple seasons just smack of him not learning lessons and getting dumber, just like Malcolm said.  Sure, it's funny from a troll yourself point of view, and I laughed, but I honestly don't get the kind of fondness for Oliver's stupidity that I see from some writers. 

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

I know people PVR and do other timeshifting things these days but I think there is still something special about sitting down with your kids or parents at a certain time to watch a TV show (look at us how excited we are to have a live viewing thread) and 9 - 10 is really too late for anyone under 14 on a school night.

I'm with you, @statsgirl.  Of course, I'm a teacher and appreciate being able to geek out for a bit before I need to crash myself.

[tv echo]

'Arrow' and 'Jane the Virgin' move nights as the CW mixes things up for the fall
Meredith Blake and Yvonne Villarreal   MAY 18, 2017, 6:52 A.M.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-may-fellow-musicians-react-to-the-death-of-1495120053-htmlstory.html

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"'Arrow' withstands the NFL," said network president Mark Pedowitz in a conference call with reporters Thursday morning. "We felt it was a very different audience than 'This Is Us.'"

The CW fall schedule: Arrow pitted against toughest foe yet — This Is Us
NATALIE ABRAMS MAY 18, 2017
http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/18/cw-fall-schedule-2017/

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Stephen Amell’s Emerald Archer is about to face his toughest opposition yet as The CW slots Arrow up against NBC’s This Is Us come fall.
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“Next season we have four new scripted series, continuing our mission of adding more original programming to schedule all year long,” said CW Chief Mark Pedowitz. “In the fall, we have the action-packed new military drama Valor, and a new version of the iconic soap Dynasty, giving us two new female-focused series that add more balance to our primetime lineup. For midseason, we have the heartwarming comedy Life Sentence, starring Lucy Hale, a terrific actress; and we have the exciting new series Black Lightning, based on the DC character. Next season, we will have our strongest schedule ever, with a broad range of series to appeal to both women and men, across a wide range of demographics. And we will continue to provide our advertisers new opportunities to reach our audience, the youngest of any broadcaster, on every platform.”

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Yes, this writer mistakenly listed two #5's, so it should really be "12 Things You Didn't Know"...

11 Things You Didn't Know About "Arrow" Star Emily Bett Rickards
BY NOELLE DEVOE   MAY 18, 2017
http://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/movies-tv/news/a47316/emily-bett-rickards-facts/

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1. She's 25 years old. She was born July 24th, 1991 in British Columbia, Canada.

2. She was a theater kid. She did musical theater and dance growing up and ended up studying acting at Vancouver Film School.

3. She has the voice of an angel. Check her cover of Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" with YouTube music star Travis Atreo.
*  *  *
4. Her role as Felicity Smoak on Arrow was her first major acting gig.
*  *  *
5. She was originally only supposed to be in one episode of Arrow. "As far as I knew, I was being signed for two scenes — one day of acting," Emily told Refinery 29 about the casting process. But seeing as it was one of her first roles, she was totally satisfied with her cameo. "I was freaking out because it was so exciting."

5. Her chemistry with Stephen Amell (Oliver) was what landed her a recurring role on Arrow.
*  *  *
Clearly there was just something about Emily. The Arrow's viewers loved her so much that she was promoted to a series regular in season two. And her undeniable chemistry with Stephen didn't go away — now she's Oliver's main love interest on the show!

6. She's starred in three of the CW's superhero shows. Apart from Arrow, Felicity Smoak has left her mark on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. This role really was the role of a lifetime!
*  *  *
7. She doesn't want Felicity to become a superhero.
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8. She has a dog named Ophi who she's obsessed with.
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9. She's super close with her former Arrow costar Colton Haynes.
*  *  *
10. She had a role in the Oscar-nominated film Brooklyn.
*  *  *
11. She really wanted to be an astronaut as a kid. "There was a point in my life where I either wanted to be an astronaut, an actor, a veterinarian, or a pirate," Emily told Refinery 29. "I just thought being in space would be really cool, but then you have to have 20/20 vision, which I don't have, so there." Yup. Emily needs those Felicity Smoak glasses IRL too!

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Brings Everything Full Circle in “Missing”
Posted on May 18, 2017 by Kelly Konda
https://weminoredinfilm.com/2017/05/18/arrow-brings-everything-full-circle-in-missing/

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Forget about “Missing”’s endless hand-wringing over whether or not Oliver will finally accept the power/responsibility of maintaining close relationships and not pushing people away. Blah, blah, blah…that’s kind of Arrow’s bag, but don’t we all get it by now?

Forget about the increasing improbability of Adrian always being a million steps ahead of Oliver, this time pulling a Dark Knight/Skyfall the-villain-gets-caught-on-purpose-and-then-escapes-in-an-epic-action-scene move. He’s a Joker-in-The-Dark-Knight-level schemer and manipulator, but man does Oliver never seem to learn.
*  *  *
Forget about Felicity having to buy a Green Arrow birthday cake meant for a 5-year-old because no Star City bakery would understand a request to make one for a grown man in his 30s.

Forget about Quentin and Black Siren’s conflict, or how it turns out not only had no one actually told him about Black Siren they hadn’t even explained the whole multiverse concept to him. Poor Quentin.

Forget about the tease of Oliver and Felicity maybe getting back together, or Curtis zinging her for wearing that cocktail dress to look nice for the birthday boy.
*  *  *
Forget about Yao Fei’s cameo, or the “time to start wrapping up this whole island flashback thing” device of forcing past-Oliver to remember all the bad things that happened to him on the island.
*  *  *
Just ignore “Missing.” Not necessarily because it was all bad or forgettable. In fact, it was a perfectly solid table-setting penultimate episode of a season, albeit one dragged down by some groanworthy “let’s just spell everything out for the audience” dialogue. But, hey, that birthday cake joke was hilarious.

No, ignore the majority “Missing” because the only thing that truly matters at this very moment is the ending:

Slade Wilson is back!

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Review: Missing (Season 5 Episode 22)
May 18, 2017   Lissete Lanuza Sáenz
http://www.telltaletv.com/2017/05/arrow-review-missing-season-5-episode-22/

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There’s a lot I liked about Arrow Season 5 Episode 22, “Missing” – just as there’s a lot that I’ve liked about the last few episodes. Sure, I’ve been wary, for obvious reasons, but I have no problem saying that this Arrow is the one I enjoyed, the one I hope continues.

But I can’t focus on the good things. I can’t focus on the way the show seems to suddenly remember about continuity, or on how good it is to see Oliver and Felicity being themselves again, or even on the unexpected feels the Black Siren/Quentin conversation brought on.

I can’t focus on any of that, because there are plot-holes the size of Planet Earth and every time I try to swerve to avoid them, I fall into another one.

Let’s start with the glaringly obvious – Oliver Queen himself.
*  *  *
That is, until he realizes that Chase has William.

And, don’t get me wrong, that’s understandable. It really is. My issue isn’t that Oliver would give up his newfound convictions for his son, no, my issue is that he apparently wasn’t ready to do it for his sister, for his ex-fiancee and sorta girlfriend, for his best friend or for the rest of his team.

Wait, no, that isn’t even my issue. Or at least, not my bigger issue. The bigger issue here is that the Oliver I’ve known for five seasons would have done anything – and by anything I mean join the League of Assasins, break out of jail, murder and a whole host of other morally dubious things for the people he loves, and now, suddenly …he just won’t?

Except, maybe he will? If there’s like, enough people he loves in the balance? Just one won’t do it but stack them all up and it’s worth the risk? Is that how it works?
*  *  *
Yes, there’s always a level of writing that has to do with fan reception, with what people want to see. And yet, the more I watch this show the more I see desperate attempts to appease one side of the fandom or the other, and no actual interest in telling a cohesive story, regardless of the reaction.

And hey – I’m not here to say showrunners and writers shouldn’t listen to fans. They should. But they shouldn’t listen to all fans all the time.

Like Oliver, it’s time for the Arrow writers to pick a side. Any side, really. Just stick to one and let the fans that are not happy go on to better things.
*  *  *
“We can take it one step at a time.” “I would like that very much.” Is code for OLICITY IS BACK ON!

To which I have to say yay and …what? Is that it?
*  *  *
Worse than a shipper on a soap opera? This shows what you know, Felicity. Comic book shippers are WAY worse.
*  *  *
I would like to take this moment to thank the Arrow writers for finally perusing those DVDs of past seasons. Isn’t continuity nice?

“Friends are one thing, but family is family.” Spoken like a man with no friends.
*  *  *
Oliver calling William my boy would have much more of a resonance if we knew anything about William.

Felicity couldn’t find him, but Chase could. YEAH, RIGHT.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’ Recap: Birthday at Lian Yu
Robert Clarke-Chan   May 18, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-birthday-lian-yu-151044979.html

Quote

Lot of fan shout-outs this week. First to the “soap opera shippers,” without which the show probably wouldn’t still be on the air. Say what you will about people who’ve posted about #Olicity for almost five years straight now, but none of us would be here without their fervor.

Edited May 18, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

6 hours ago, statsgirl said:

I know people PVR and do other timeshifting things these days but I think there is still something special about sitting down with your kids or parents at a certain time to watch a TV show (look at us how excited we are to have a live viewing thread) and 9 - 10 is really too late for anyone under 14 on a school night.

For people in Central time the show only got bumped to 8pm.  Plenty early for kids to watch.  

I'd always assumed 9pm on the East coast was thought of like 8 was here.  I mean, 11 pm news and don't most offices not even open til 9am? (versus Central time businesses opening at 8am and news at 10) 

[apinknightmare]

10 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

I'd always assumed 9pm on the East coast was thought of like 8 was here.  I mean, 11 pm news and don't most offices not even open til 9am? (versus Central time businesses opening at 8am and news at 10) 

I live on the east coast, and I've always had an 8 or earlier start time for work. 

[ohjoy]

I love so many things from Sara Netzley May's EW review a page back, but especially this:

Quote

Anyway, Chase knows that Oliver gets his strength from his team, which is why he’s taking them away one by one. Oliver tries to outsmart him by sending John and Felicity out of state, instead of keeping them close. They reluctantly leave, although they also worry that Chase has predicted that Oliver will act against his instincts. It’s all very “I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you, but I also cannot choose the wine in front of me.”

 

Also, I didn't really catch this mini-revelation from Kayti Burt's review until now --

Quote

— I can’t get over how perfectly tragic it is that Oliver’s birthday falls during season finale season, which means he is always dealing with The Worst Crisis Of His Life during his birthday week. This is the most Oliver Queen thing ever. This is how committed he is to his angst.

But yup. So totally Oliver Queen.

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, apinknightmare said:

I live on the east coast, and I've always had an 8 or earlier start time for work. 

Lol, another illusion shattered. 

[Kymmi]

9 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

Supernatural has seen like 5 moves and the audience follows them so balls in Arrows court now.

Yes - they even got shipped off to no man's land (Friday) and made it out alive.  

TBH I wouldn't mind if Arrow switched to a half season show.  23 episodes has proven to be too much for a long arc, as long as they don't pepper in some monster of the week episodes like Supernatural does.  I skipped over half of this season because I stopped caring.  But I'm a soap opera shipper, so what do I know?

[BkWurm1]

I don't want less episodes of the shows I like, I just want the 23 we get to be better.  I swear if they'd just send the scripts to us to look over once before they are finalized them, we could easily doctor them up to make them all worth watching.  So they should be able to find their own people to point out the pitfalls as well.  This shouldn't be so hard, lol. 

[Morrigan2575]

MG said 8 changes and for the life of me I only get 7.

Thursdays, Fridays, Wednesdays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays @9 and Thursdays @8.

6 changes, 7 timeslots in 12 seasons. Curious if I missed any.

As it is, I really don't think it's a big deal that older shows get moved to allow new shows to premiere. That's just the nature of the beast.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Morrigan2575

[tv echo]

Oliver assembles his own Suicide Squad in the penultimate Arrow
Trent Moore May 18, 2017 
http://www.blastr.com/2017-5-18/arrow-season-5-episode-22-missing-recap

Quote

But … asking Slade Wilson to suit up and fight alongside him? That should generate some legit fireworks in the season finale. Slade Wilson is one of the best villains this show has ever had, and after his lackluster return a reason or two ago, it'd be great if they could pull off something worthy of Deathstroke here. But, umm, why not reach out to Flash? Or the Legends? Oliver knows more heroes than the ones on his direct team, ya know.
*  *  *
There's also the way Oliver reacted when faced with the reality that Chase's forces have literally kidnapped everyone he loves. He seemed phased, sure, but he wasn't even remotely considering letting Chase go to buy more time. Then, three seconds of William footage and he's staging an arrow-fueled jailbreak. This has obviously been a season about family and fatherhood, but having his sister, best friend, and the love of his life kidnapped weren't enough?

This season has had a really bad habit of making Chase an unstoppable, evil mastermind — and that frustrating trend continued in this one. Look, Chase has obviously been planning this out for a long time. But, to get yourself captured by surrendering to be beheaded, just so you can try and leverage the Green Arrow into breaking you back out of jail? It gets to a point where there are just a few too many moving pieces to this thing. First, his grand plan is to set off a chemical weapon over the city, but now it's about luring Oliver back to Lian Yu?

Edited May 19, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’ 5×22 Review: ‘Missing’
May 18, 2017 by ALYSSA BARBIERI
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-5x22-review-missing/

Quote

After watching Arrow’s penultimate episode, I feel like I’ve been through a war. An emotional assault that felt so intense yet so good. There was a point where I had to remind myself to breathe because it was so intense.
*  *  *
This is the Arrow I miss. The Arrow that makes me feel as if this is more than just some superhero show on The CW. The Arrow that makes me feel as if I’m a part of this story. And damn, it’s good to be back.
*  *  *
He started from the bottom and worked his way off, picking off Rene, Dinah, and Curtis before hitting home with Thea and Quentin, then getting even more personal with Felicity and Diggle, and finally delivering the final blow with William. It was a progression that wore on Oliver’s emotional state. It wasn’t something that happened all at once. It happened a bit at a time slowly gnawing on Oliver’s mentality until he was left alone and fuming.
*  *  *
With Chase abducting Oliver’s loved ones – Felicity, Diggle, Thea, Quentin, Curtis, Dinah, and Rene – he set forth into motion a plan to gnaw at Oliver from an emotional standpoint. He knew that he had to take away the driving force behind Oliver’s fight. So he decided to take his strength. Only he didn’t realize that strength comes from within, it comes from what those loved ones represent, it comes from honoring those people. So, while Chase might’ve taken Oliver’s loved ones, he didn’t take his strength. If anything, Chase lit a fire under Oliver that’ll make him more dangerous than ever.
*  *  *
And that’s the difference between Oliver and Adrian. Adrian is a monster. Oliver is human.
*  *  *
But the final straw in pushing Oliver off the edge was Chase kidnapping William. That’s when Oliver lost it. Look, I’m not the biggest fan of William, but I’ll admit that Oliver’s reaction to seeing William being held by Chase broke me. “My boy.” God. Ugly tears. Oliver cares about William, and I care about Oliver’s story. Thus, I should care somewhat about William. But this episode I really felt it. For once.
*  *  *
While Arrow was channeling its inner Flash – with Felicity throwing Oliver a surprise birthday party – we got to see something that we haven’t seen in a while: calm. It allowed for Oliver and Felicity to share that moment where Felicity opened up about them taking their relationship a step at a time so that they might ultimately get back to where they used to be – or even better.

You can see it in their body language and in their words. They’re ready to start rebuilding. But alas this is season finale time, which means that it’s not exactly the best time, as we saw.
*  *  *
But the important thing here is that they’re both in a position where they’re ready to try again. They haven’t exactly been on the same page for most of this season, which was part of the problem. Now they’re finding that they’re getting back to that.

And one of the most beautiful things is that they’re not trying to hide it. There’s transparency here. They’re not trying to hide their feelings or their desire to rekindle their romance. They’re not hiding their fear of losing one another. They’re all in.

Say what you will about Olicity (because I know the haters like to read), but it’s easily the most talked about aspect of the show. Whether that’s good or bad. No one can ever stop talking about it. That’s one of the reasons why it’s never going away.

But it’s not only about the hype. It’s about the organic and raw chemistry that Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards cannot help but put on display week after week. Whether they’re broken up or together, it’s there. It’s not something you can turn off. And that’s not something that you throw away. Hell no.

Case in point, the birthday party scene where, to quote Curtis, “You could cut that sexual tension with a knife.” It was nice to see Stephen and Emily just be allowed to let their characters exist within the context of being in the same scene. It’s literal magic. The characters know it. The fans know it. The writers know it. Even the haters know it.
*  *  *
1. This is easily the best penultimate episode of Arrow since season 2’s “Streets of Fire.” Like I cannot believe my eyes and ears. To think about where this show started in season 5 and to see where it’s now coming to a close, we are truly blessed. I felt like I was holding my breath for most of this episode, and that’s something that hasn’t happened in quite a long time on this show.

2. Oliver and Felicity are going to take it “a step at a time.” OLICITY IS RISING. Suck it, haters. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I love that now that Oliver and Felicity had that talk that she’s finally open to giving it another go with Oliver. But I’m even more glad that they’re not rushing into it. They’re going to take it step by step and get to an even better place than they were before. (And holy hell, that sexual tension at Oliver’s birthday party. Forever not over it.)
*  *  *
5. DID I MENTION SLADE WILSON IS BACK?! While I might not be the biggest fan of a certain actor, I am a huge fan of the character he portrays. Slade Wilson was my favorite Big Bad up until this season where Adrian Chase surpassed him with his charisma and deadly nature that has made for some of the best scenes that we’ve had on this show. Now, getting to see Oliver and Slade work together after being mortal enemies…I don’t know if my heart can handle it. But I’m ready. You bet your ass I am.

Edited May 19, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 5 Episode Episode 22 – “Missing” Review
18th May 2017 Kevin Perreau
http://www.filmoria.co.uk/arrow-season-5-episode-episode-22-missing-review/

Quote

Chase latest antics are to kidnap literally everyone. Last week’s episode ended with Rene not showing up to his daughter’s trial. This week picked up almost immediately, after a not so happy birthday party for Oliver. Oliver and Felicity share an intimate moment to express their somewhat dating, take one step at a time, future together, but is entirely ruined when Curtis and Dinah go missing. Thea and Quentin are confronted by Laurel Lance and Artemis. In a desperate move, Oliver sends Diggle and Felicity to leave, who then get kidnapped by an assassin who tips their car with a sweet sword move.
*  *  *
Missing was filled with a reminiscent tone, with equal action and drama heavy sequences. Getting to see beloved characters like Yao Fei, Malcolm and Laurel solidified the exemplary run and theme of the season. In addition, it was further cemented with the introduction of Nyssa and Slade Wilson. In what can only be described as the ultimate archery contest, episode 22 fantastically set up an season finale that is now brimming with potential. Furthermore, the showdown is set to be staged on the island that truly started it all, Lian Yu. As Chase lines up all who Oliver loves, greatly resembling the scene of Moira Queen’s death, fans have to wait another week for the resolution of arguably Oliver’s greatest villain yet.

[tv echo]

Here's the link to jbuffyangel's review of 522. I'm having trouble loading her tumblr page, so I couldn't read it...

Arrow 5x22 Review: "Missing" (Heroes and Villains)
Just About Write   May 18, 2017
http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2017/05/arrow-5x22-review-missing-heroes-and.html

Quote

I really loved the penultimate episode of this season because it pretty naturally explores this idea that life is messy and so are our legacies. Relationships are an essential part of life, and trying to exist without them because you believe you're protecting people is actually doing more harm than good. Team Arrow is kidnapped because Chase believes Oliver infects everyone he loves; the innocents (or mostly-innocents) have to pay for the sins Oliver has committed. And when they do, Chase can prove once and for all that Oliver is just a killer — that he is not the kind of man worthy of the title of hero or the mantle of the Green Arrow.

So when you bring villains into the fold whose legacies are now marred by the heinous things they've done, you set up a really interesting parallel in regards to redemption. Maybe one act of heroism can sustain a legacy, even if it's been riddled with terrible things. "Missing" doesn't dive too deeply into these questions but they're still there, bubbling just below the surface. So let's talk about why I really enjoyed this episode and what I'm looking forward to in next week's finale.
*  *  *
And the two people relaxing the most into their natural patterns? Oliver and Felicity. I've said before that recently I'm starting to warm back up to the idea of Olicity returning. This episode didn't drive the needle much in terms of story, but "Missing" did remind me exactly how adorable and adorably awkward those two can be. Felicity's ruse for Oliver's surprise party is asking him to dinner. Alone. When Thea gets wind of this, she mercilessly teases Oliver about dating Felicity again. It's a cute moment of sibling banter that reminds me why Thea is sorely missed on this show.
*  *  *
At the birthday party, Oliver and Felicity are conveniently (and purposefully) left alone by the rest of the group (they all ship it) to make heart eyes at one another and whisper for a minute or two. Besides the obvious eye flirting and smiles and tie-touching, Felicity tries to get Oliver to open up and relax. For the first time in forever, the team has defeated evil and there's a promise of happiness on the horizon. That happiness also includes a potential reunion between the two, as Felicity hints that they could take things slow but that she's open to returning to their relationship — one step at a time. This seems to ignite hope in Oliver, and that's something he still desperately needs. Even though it seems like Oliver has put the past and Chase's words behind him, there's still a part of Oliver that remembers what it feels like to lose. And so of course, he clings to the little wins.
*  *  *
It's one thing to threaten the lives of the people he loves. Felicity and Diggle and Thea in particular mean more to Oliver than he probably could ever explain. But to take a CHILD? To take HIS child? Oliver cannot let that go. The boy is innocent, and William's abduction brings a whole different layer of complexity to this moral dilemma than before.
*  *  *
Because when you think about it, the show constantly opens with: "My name is Oliver Queen." Oliver always introduces his name, but not really who he is; he only talks about what has happened to and around him. He must become someone and something else, but who was he originally? Who is the core of this person? It's something he has struggled for years to determine, but I like the fact that it's taken a huge villain and an alignment with some former foes in order to get Oliver to think about that question and its answer.

Edited May 19, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Oliver Seeks Out Unlikely Allies As Team Arrow Starts To Go “Missing” On This Week’s Episode
MAY 18, 2017 VERENA COTE 
http://www.4ye.co.uk/2017/05/oliver-seeks-out-unlikely-allies-as-team-arrow-starts-to-go-missing-on-this-weeks-episode/

Quote

As always it was nice to see the team united in the opening sequences of the episode. We would love for them to have more of these quiet, serene moments of peace and happiness, but if you ask the creators of TV everywhere, those don’t make for good programming. We still enjoy to see them because we care for those characters and their well-being, and are particularly interested when new dynamics arise (especially Thea and Quentin make quite the intriguing duo). Maybe, in the not-too-distant future we will see Team Arrow happy and well … if we don’t have to suffer through a couple of casualties first.

[tv echo]

Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent analyze 'Arrow' season 5, episode 22, ‘Missing’: Perfect lead-in to season finale
May 19, 2017
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/05/19/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-arrow-recap-season-5-episode-22-missing/

Quote

LK: I won’t be sure how I feel about this week’s episode until I see next week’s. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but either this week is the first part of a fabulous two-episode finale, or it’s an episode that starts out slow and then starts to build up steam, but doesn’t quite get there. I know (spoiler) that sounds strange for an episode in which almost the entire team and Oliver’s son gets kidnapped, we get back a bunch of our favorite villains (some temporarily switching teams) and Oliver heads for a dramatic showdown on Lian Yu, but the writers put so many balls in the air this week that they’re going to need to do some fancy juggling to bring them all back down in the proper order. I do, actually, have great faith that they’ll succeed and look forward to next week being one of my favorite episodes ever.
*  *  *
AB: I actually loved this episode. It was the perfect lead-in to the finale. Maybe it would have been better to have a two-hour finale … but I’m OK with that. This reminded me a bit of the setup from season two (Deathstroke) where we had three episodes that were the finale, each building on the other until the climax.
*  *  *
The mood is lively because everyone thinks that it’s over — Adrian Chase is in an ARGUS prison, they stopped his evil plan, and all is well. Oliver and Felicity have a moment where they basically agree to take things one step at a time. My son is not an Olicity fan; I’m kind of neutral. I love Felicity; I love Oliver. I haven’t decided if they’re best together. As long as the writers do it right this time, I’ll be OK with it.
*  *  *
LK: I said last week that the episode almost felt like a season finale and the writers were clearly playing with that in this beginning. It would have been a perfect season-ending epilogue or the very beginning of a new season. It was cute, but it did go on a little long for me. And while I enjoyed the Olicity flirtation, I wasn’t sure I needed it here. I think I want Oliver and Felicity to spend a little longer reaching the point of looking at each other romantically again. I know they’ve recently gone through the “we’re going to die together” episode, but it still felt a little premature to me.
*  *  *
AB: First — I don’t want a prolonged romance with Oliver and Felicity. But I agree, we didn’t need the connection here. It could wait.

[Chaser]

I'm genuinely confused as to why they talk Arrow.

[tv echo]

Arrow’ Review: “Missing”
Nora Dominick   May 19, 2017
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/index.php/arrow-review-missing/

Quote

If one thing is certain, Arrow’s penultimate episodes are always the series strongest hours. No matter the state of the season, the show knows how to bring fans back for iconic season finales. While season five has been the weakest season to date, this week we get a penultimate episode that has every great aspect of the show. From amazing character moments to killer stunt sequences, Arrow’s latest episode “Missing” is the episode we’ve been waiting all season for.

For most of the season, we’ve been praying Arrow returns to the glory days of the show. When Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver (Stephen Amell) worked together, character development came before flashy plot lines and the characters we love are front and center. This season, Arrow fell flat because of a reboot of sorts. As old characters were killed or left, the show needed to revitalize its cast. While we always welcome new characters, it’s when they come before our main characters that we get confused. This is exactly what happened to Arrow.
*  *  *
Is there any pair of actors that have more chemistry than Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell? The answer is probably, no. Now that Felicity and Oliver have been sharing scenes together, Arrow falls back into place. This week’s episode is the perfect callback to the early days of their relationship. When Felicity and Oliver work hand in hand and the sexual tension is palpable. While Rickards and Amell thrive on their own, it’s the quiet moments together that showcase their characters true strength. We’ve enjoyed our fair share of Oliver being “dead,” Felicity in near fatal car crashes and the dio [sic] clinging to life at every turn, but it’s the genuine moments between the two of them that make us love them.

Felicity throwing Oliver a birthday party is the perfect grand gesture to get their relationship back on track. After this, the small moments between the pair make our heart sing. From Oliver clutching his chest when he realizes Felicity is safe to Felicity wanting to turn back and help Oliver. It’s hard to not enjoy these two on screen together. Whether it’s romantic or platonic, Felicity and Oliver are the essential ingredient Arrow has been missing. Even their quiet reunion and understanding to take their relationship one step at a time is the perfect moment Arrow needed for these two. We don’t always need an outlandish affair, sometimes just reassurance that the person you love will be there is enough, especially for Oliver Queen. 

Each DCTV show has their strengths and Oliver and Felicity are Arrow’s. It may have taken an entire season to realize pushing them away from each other was the wrong move, but we’re making up for lost time. Rickards is electric as Felicity, there’s no denying that. The breakout star of Arrow has only gotten more talented with time. And we didn’t think that was possible. Amell has honed his craft and become the leading male character we always knew he could be. When you put them together, sparks fly and it makes for an incredible penultimate episode.
*  *  *
Several familiar faces return to Arrow this week (Evelyn, Slade, Shado, Yao Fei, Nyssa, Malcolm to name a few), but our favorite return is Katie Cassidy as Black Siren. While we miss Laurel and the dynamic she had with Team Arrow, Black Siren is our new favorite character. Cassidy returns to Arrow and it’s like returning home again. She fits right back into place, even if she’s playing an evil version of her fallen character. Watching Cassidy and Paul Blackthorne share scenes together is the eeriest part of Arrow this week.
*  *  *
A simple sentence: “He’s my boy.” That’s all Amell has to tearfully utter for us to melt. It’s a small moment, but it speaks volumes for Oliver’s character development. Last season he didn’t even want to acknowledge his son, let alone speak about him. Now, after months of trying to distance himself from the killer within, Oliver opens up about William to Felicity and pleads for Chase to let him go. Oliver even tells Felicity that William is the purest part of himself. These small moments finally allow us to appreciate William. Amell gives us a heartbreaking performance in these small moments. For the first time we get to see Oliver as a father. It’s a powerful character arc and we’re so happy how it has turned out. Amell shows his full range as he proves the quiet moments between characters are when he can truly shine.

Edited May 20, 2017 by tv echo

[SmallScreenDiva]

32 minutes ago, Chaser said:

I'm genuinely confused as to why they talk Arrow.

I'm genuinely confused as to why two storytellers don't talk about story structure, technique, etc., and sound just like regular fans with no professional expertise talking about a show they like.

[LeighAn]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent analyze 'Arrow' season 5, episode 22, ‘Missing’: Perfect lead-in to season finale
May 19, 2017
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/05/19/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-arrow-recap-season-5-episode-22-missing/

Please go back to writing crappy OTT romance novels that get sold in the discount table at obsolete book stores or supermarkets and leave our show in peace , because nobody cares, please and thank you ?

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

I'm genuinely confused as to why two storytellers don't talk about story structure, technique, etc., and sound just like regular fans with no professional expertise talking about a show they like.

Also confusing how romance writers can seem to dislike romance so much.  And the party scenes went on too long?   

I guess I shouldn't be that surprised by how off their view points seem.  Years ago before Arrow, I tried reading Allison Brennan's books but I just could never get into the characters. Soooo much plot.

Edited May 20, 2017 by BkWurm1

[leopardprint]

Quote

Arrow’ Review: “Missing”
Nora Dominick   May 19, 2017

These small moments finally allow us to appreciate William.

Do they, Nora? Do they? 

[looptab]

It's funny they take this approach now. DIdn't they start reviewing it because of the romance in the first place? Or am I misremembering?

[EmilyBettFan]

Oh Nora... You're review was going good but then you had to ruin it. I know people have their tastes but all I saw from KC was "no movement." - David Ramsey.

Edited May 20, 2017 by EmilyBettFan

[Trisha]

5 hours ago, Chaser said:

I'm genuinely confused as to why they talk Arrow.

I remember earlier this season they dismissed the possibility of Olicity reuniting and they kept trying to figure out his relationship with Susan instead of recognizing her as a temporary LI/ship stall. I can't believe they write romance for a living. 

I wish this romance author was still writing about the show. Her analysis was always so spot on: http://arghink.com/2014/01/writing-the-first-meet-scene-arrow/

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, Trisha said:

I remember earlier this season they dismissed the possibility of Olicity reuniting and they kept trying to figure out his relationship with Susan instead of recognizing her as a temporary LI/ship stall. I can't believe they write romance for a living. 

I wish this romance author was still writing about the show. Her analysis was always so spot on: http://arghink.com/2014/01/writing-the-first-meet-scene-arrow/

Ha! I thought it would be Jennifer Crusie before I clicked on the link.

[BkWurm1]

Sadly, Jennifer Crusie had too high of standards to keep watching, lol.  

[apinknightmare]

Didn't someone send one of her posts (it had to be a dissatisfied one toward the end of her viewership) to SA (or maybe MG? - but I think it was SA) and he was basically like she doesn't know what she's talking about? 

I used to love her posts so much. I was sad when she quit watching (beer me your strength, Jennifer Crusie). 

[SmallScreenDiva]

2 hours ago, Trisha said:

I remember earlier this season they dismissed the possibility of Olicity reuniting and they kept trying to figure out his relationship with Susan instead of recognizing her as a temporary LI/ship stall. I can't believe they write romance for a living. 

I wish this romance author was still writing about the show. Her analysis was always so spot on: http://arghink.com/2014/01/writing-the-first-meet-scene-arrow/

It's like you read my thoughts, @Trisha! I was about to point out how Crusie's reviews looked at the actual storytelling, as befits someone who does it for a living.