Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

Grammaeryn

By Grammaeryn
in Arrow

  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

LeighAn

LeighAn

After the Ed Westwick thing and the Allison Mack thing and the Kevin Spacey thing and the Mad Men thing I just knew something gross was going to come out about someone from Arrow.

 

Why are Hollywood so full of creeps? How hard it is it to treat women with a modicum of respect and boundaries? It's surely not that difficult. Ugh I'm so angry and disappointed and feel gross about this.

  • Love 6
  • Replies 16.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Morrigan2575
Morrigan2575

I always find it odd when people blame the writing for LLs failure. I'll give them that for Lauiver because of the whole cheating thing but, let's be honest if SA/KC had the chemistry that SA/EBR had,

lemotomato
lemotomato

Sorry, that argument rings really hollow when the show has had a history of killing off/mistreating other female characters without a peep of protest from those same "concerned" people. Moira Queen, S

ComicFan777
ComicFan777

I know that this is supposed to be Felicity's dark arc, but...Felicity desperately doing whatever she can to save people (damn the consequences down the road) doesn't make me think that she's losing w

Posted Images

calliope1975

calliope1975

Jeez. Reading the article, I'm struck by how specific each story is and how AK denies every one or spins it. Every day, the hits keep coming. I'm so glad people finally are finding their voices, but I'm also terribly sad about everything. Ellen Page's letter hit me hard in that you can't become numb to the many, many allegations, but it's hard.  I also liked Anthony Edwards' letter about how important it is to have support. I just want to simultaneously go to bed forever and burn the world to the ground. 

14 minutes ago, LeighAn said:

How hard it is it to treat women with a modicum of respect and boundaries? It's surely not that difficult.

I don't get it. I manage to not harass the many women and men I come in contact with on a daily basis. 

  • Love 10
LeighAn

LeighAn

(edited)
6 minutes ago, calliope1975 said:

Jeez. Reading the article, I'm struck by how specific each story is and how AK denies every one or spins it. 

I wanted to punch him when he spun the making sex gestures to a male employee into a story about how they 'act out' how they want sex scenes to look like on film. 

Edited by LeighAn
  • Love 5
RinaX

RinaX

1 hour ago, LeighAn said:

After the Ed Westwick thing and the Allison Mack thing and the Kevin Spacey thing and the Mad Men thing I just knew something gross was going to come out about someone from Arrow.

 

Why are Hollywood so full of creeps? How hard it is it to treat women with a modicum of respect and boundaries? It's surely not that difficult. Ugh I'm so angry and disappointed and feel gross about this.

Wait, what, Allison Mack? 

*Googles*

Well, I did NOT see that one coming.

nightwing877

nightwing877

3 minutes ago, RinaX said:

Wait, what, Allison Mack? 

*Googles*

Well, I did NOT see that one coming.

Me either, did not see this coming at all! 

I'm going to have to stay off social media completely, bad news waking up every day now. It's heartbreaking. At this rate, the entire Hollywood industry will be under investigation. 

I'm so glad people are speaking up now, and they are FINALLY doing something and getting rid of the scumbags. So many actresses in the past got fired from roles and never got to speak up and be heard. I'm glad now that is changing.

bijoux

bijoux

2 hours ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

Lexi Alexander mentioned a dude bro culture, if I recall correctly. Not sure if she'd mentioned inappropriate working environment. Entirely possible that she did. I have a feeling she'll be commenting on this.

I'm waiting for her comments as well. And looking forward to them, because she doesn't hold back.

  • Love 1
strikera0

strikera0

(edited)
On 8.11.2017 at 8:35 PM, calliope1975 said:

I saw a pic of her and SM on Twitter, and she looked different there, too. She's a chameleon. 

I'm having a total blank moment right now. Who's SM?

Quote

After the Ed Westwick thing and the Allison Mack thing and the Kevin Spacey thing and the Mad Men thing I just knew something gross was going to come out about someone from Arrow.

Me either. I wouldn't be surprised if we eventually hear something about the producers/showrunners of Lost. They always talked so much crap about women in interviews and loved fridging them on their show. 

Edited by strikera0
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I disagree with two things - one, that Oliver is the smartest guy in the room in 99/100 cases (considering he spends so much time with Felicity); and, two, that Slade regards Oliver as a surrogate son. However, I would agree that Oliver may be the most capable guy in the room in 99/100 cases...

DEATHSTROKE SETS OUT TO FIND HIS SON, BUT FINDS A TWIST INSTEAD, IN THE LATEST ARROW
Trent Moore  November 9, 2017
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/deathstroke-sets-out-to-find-his-son-but-finds-a-twist-instead-in-the-latest-arrow

Quote

As Oliver looks at Slade’s broken relationship with his son, he sees a possible path of what he could become. It’s the reason he handed  over the Green Arrow mantle to Diggle, and the reason he apparently didn’t bring any tactical garb with him on this overseas trip. Oliver really is trying to keep his promise to his son to live a safer life that actually has him home for dinner and video games most nights. Slade has been a quasi-father father (albeit a very, very disturbing one all things considered) to Oliver for most of the series, and we got a nice play on that dynamic this week. In 99/100 cases, Oliver is typically the smartest guy in the room, with a full handle on pretty much any situation.
*  *  *
Of course, they can’t take all the cues from Oliver’s story this season, so Slade’s fatherhood tale gets a fresh twist all its own — Kane hasn’t been kidnapped by the Jackals. He’s their leader. A shady scoundrel who has set out to seemingly make Papa Deathstroke proud. It’s a clever twist, and with the tease for next week setting up a potential face off between a well-meaning Oliver and Kane, Slade may be forced to decide between his surrogate son and his real one. A real Deathstroke’s choice, if you will.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

‘Arrow’ Recap: “Deathstroke Returns” – A Vigilante Unmasked and a Kid in Kasnia
BY DAVE TRUMBORE      NOVEMBER 9, 2017
http://collider.com/arrow-season-6-episode-5-recap/

Quote

Yes, after introducing the vigilante known as … Vigilante in Season 5, the masked mercenary’s identity has at long last been revealed. And it kind of just happened. There was no real build-up to it, no obvious reminder of who this character is and why viewers should remember/care about him … there was even a commercial break baked into the reveal so that viewers could Google, Tweet, and talk amongst themselves to figure it out before Dinah inevitably laid out the exposition needed to put the pieces together. Vigilante fell a little flat (though with an interesting twist going forward), but Manu Bennett‘s Slade/Deathstroke is just getting started.
*  *  *
The flashback wasn’t super effective, but it does its best to establish two things: 1) Slade loves his son, and 2) He was a terrible father who put his mercenary job first, despite the love for his son. This is meant to strengthen the FEELS when we learn that Slade’s son Joe–now going by the totally chill name of Kane Wolfman–has been imprisoned while on assignment working for Australian Intelligence. You know that Slade is going after him, and if things get hairy, Deathstroke is going to come out to handle business, but to keep things from getting to that point, Slade also invites Oliver Queen along merely to provide a diplomatic solution.
*  *  *
... Hopefully the conclusion of this two-parter makes the somewhat slow pacing worth the wait, but will either Slade or Oliver come out of it whole?

tv echo

tv echo

Arrow Season 6 Episode 5 Review: Deathstroke Returns
Delia Harrington   November 10, 2017
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/arrow/268895/arrow-season-6-episode-5-review-deathstroke-returns

Quote

This felt like a classic episode of Arrow: a mix of character-driven substance and great action, building multiple season-long arcs, and a flashback to top it all off. Luckily, no scenes took place on Lian Yu with Ollie's cursed wigs, although the Yao Fe reference was a nice touch.
*  *  *
Dinah was the most prominent member of Team Arrow this week, which was a nice change of pace. We learned that the vigilante in black is really Dinah's partner Vincent Sobel, who she saw shot in the head in the line of duty. Unfortunately that reveal  lacked any real punch since we never knew Dinah's partner (both on the job and off), and it's not like he was recognizable in the moment of the "big reveal." Still, he became more interesting over the course of the episode, taking a bullet for Dinah (which is apparently no big deal for him), and presumably leaving her with a very creepy present: a little paper rose. This obstacle also brought Dig and Dinah even closer, with the tables turning for him to offer her some much-needed council, even if she pretended not to care.
*  *  *
Oliver, of course, tried to take the easy way out. He hoped Felicity would make his decision easy and tell him not to go with Slade, but Felicity has a better idea: honor his commitment to Slade, leave the weapons at home, and have some open, honest, age-appropriate communication with his son. Perhaps the most surprising part of tonight's episode is the fact that Oliver seems to have followed that advice. Might we be finding our way out of the needlessly angst-ridden patterns of Oliver Queen?
*  *  *
Slade Wilson is back, and so are his amazing Deathstroke action sequences, including an amazing one where the bulk of it was done in one-shot, or close to it. I had forgotten how much fun it is to watch Slade (or anyone really) let it rip. There are excellent thematic reasons for most characters on the show giving up murder, but it sure is fun to watch.

  • Love 1
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

‘Arrow’ 6×05 Review: ‘Deathstroke Returns’
November 10, 2017 by ALYSSA BARBIERI
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-6x05-review-deathstroke-returns/

Quote

I have to say, any episode that succeeded last week’s incredible hour was bound to be a letdown anyway. “Reversal” was nearly flawless in its storylines, characters, and execution. But somehow “Deathstroke Returns” just felt like a letdown. For the first time this season, I was a bit bored.

It certainly didn’t help that Arrow ignored a pretty significant plot point in the name of Oliver Queen’s relationship with Slade Wilson. Sure, Oliver owed Slade a favor. But this favor turned into Oliver caring and trusting a man that he should want to murder on the spot.

Slade Wilson brutally murdered Moira Queen in front of her own children. Slade Wilson tortured Thea. Slade Wilson nearly murdered Felicity. Slade Wilson left everyone on Lian Yu to die.
*  *  *
There are some people that, whenever we get a scene between Oliver and Felicity, like to say, “Too much romance!” or “Romance is ruining the show!” or, my personal favorite, “This isn’t a soap opera!”

But, as us intelligent people know, love is essential when it comes to human beings. It’s, as Oliver Queen once said, “The most powerful emotion.” It has the power to lift you up to your highest high and bring you down to your lowest low. It’s why wars are waged, people killed, friendships lost. Love is the driving force behind everything.

So, no, there is no such thing as “romance ruining a show.” If anything, Oliver and Felicity’s dynamic this season has proved that. Yes, last week’s “Reversal” was Olicity-centric, which was fantastic. But that doesn’t mean that every week Olicity is going to be the focus. We saw that in “Deathstroke Returns.” And yet, Oliver and Felicity’s relationship was incredibly important in terms of Oliver’s character.

If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that Oliver will do whatever Felicity asks. Also, Felicity knows Oliver better than himself. So as Oliver internally debated whether or not he was going to join the man that murdered his mother his friend Slade Wilson on his mission to find his son, it was Felicity that offered Oliver the clarity he needed.

Felicity reminded Oliver that, while he’d made a promise to William, he also made a promise to Slade. And this is coming from the woman that despises him — for good reasons. While Oliver was worried about going along and betraying the promise he made to William, Felicity told him that he should tell William what he was going to do — that he was going to help a friend. No lying. Just honesty, which is also a new trait Oliver Queen is trying out this season.

Oliver wanted Felicity to tell him not to go. Because, as we know, if it’s Felicity asking, Oliver will do it. But Felicity reminded Oliver that, if he didn’t go, he’d blame himself if anything were to happen. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for falling through on the promise he made.

And that, right there, is the importance of Oliver and Felicity’s relationship. This isn’t a romance show. This is a drama where the characters define the story. Their relationships with each other are a big part of that. When Arrow made the stupid decision to split Oliver and Felicity up, they lost something that brought clarity to the show.

The main complaint I always see with Olicity is that “it’s only about Olicity,” when, in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This episode was proof that Oliver and Felicity’s relationship doesn’t need to be “in your face.” This show is perfectly capable of utilizing these characters — going both ways, for Oliver or Felicity — in a way that’s going to help drive the character’s journey while not being the complete focus.

Olicity isn’t going to be the focus in every episode. It wasn’t in “Deathstroke Returns.” But it’s the underlying significance that’s important in Oliver’s — and Felicity’s — journey. We get to see how these two individuals, who are strong individually, are even stronger as a team. They can lean on each other. They can rely on each other. They can protect each other.

Oliver and Felicity’s relationship — whatever it’s been from season 1 through the present — has always been one of the centerpieces of Arrow. It’s been a dynamic that has defined these characters, that have helped them evolve, that have challenged them, and that have sparked conversation in the fandom. Now that Olicity is back —

Spoiler

with wedding bells perhaps on the horizon ;)

— Arrow is recognizing the importance of this relationship in the bigger picture. And it’s those small moments — even when it’s not the focus — that mean so much.
*  *  *
Well, that Vigilante reveal was a complete letdown. So much for Adrian Chase’s twin being Vigilante. (I’m going to need Josh Segarra back, please.)

Edited by tv echo
  • Love 4
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Arrow, ‘Deathstroke Returns’: Everybody’s Dark Past Comes Back to Haunt Them
BY CRAIG WACK · NOVEMBER 10, 2017
http://oohlo.com/2017/11/10/arrow-deathstroke-returns-everybodys-dark-past-comes-back-to-haunt-them/

Quote

Sex and the Olicity: With Ollie on the road the bulk of this episode, makeouts and horizontal tangos were in short supply. We did, however, get a signature “Felicity straightens Oliver’s tie” moments even though Oliver wasn’t even wearing a collared shirt at the time. Aww, they’re so cute.

What about the action: With Oliver out of the hood and Diggle limited, Juliana Harkavy’s Dinah has been carrying the bulk of the fight sequences, the first part of the season. She has pulled off the extra responsibility quite well. Her choreography is pretty fluid, her fights are intense and they incorporate the right mix of martial arts and metahuman powers. Dinah’s old partner has some super healing powers of his own, which make getting shot in the head a temporary obstacle. Even though Vigilante is doing bad things, Canary know there’s still some good in him, and all that Return of the Jedi stuff. Slade goes full Deathstroke and chews through a lair of European mobster thugs. Manu Bennett’s fighting style isn’t as fluid, but it doesn’t need to be. Slade is all about power and its pretty effective, until he learns his son is neither imprisoned, nor dead, nor being held hostage. He’s the leader of the gang, itself.
*  *  *
Last impressions: Even though they might be frustrating, setup episodes do serve a purpose. This week’s Arrow reached into the full bag of tricks — even dusting off the tried and true flashbacks to fill in some of Slade’s backstory. The real verdict for this episode won’t come until the Ollie-Slade and Dinah-Vigilante story arcs pay off. If they are satisfying, then this episode will be folded into the overall success of those stories. If those arcs fall short, then a “I can’t believe they wasted a whole episode for that” reaction won’t be undeserved.

Edited by tv echo
KenyaJ

KenyaJ

(edited)

Matt Mitovich was as unimpressed with the Vigilante reveal as we all were.

http://tvline.com/2017/11/11/arrow-season-6-vigilante-reveal-disappointing/

Quote

That sound you didn’t hear on Thursday night was the collective Arrow fan base not gasping at the reveal of Vigilante’s identity.

I, for one, never let myself get invested in this unmasking, as I never found the character to be terribly interesting but more of a sideshow to the far more engaging events of the Adrian Chase-centric Season 5. Even so, “some” were curious, so I and peers from other sites would ask Arrow showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle the requisite Q during interviews, resulting in teases such as:

  • "The reveal of who is he will take everyone by surprise."
  • "He’ll have a really cool story line, not just in respect to the city, but also with respect to a particular member of the team."
  • "Who he is and what he’s up to is very personal. He’s got a very close connection to one of our series regulars that I really hope will blow the fans’ minds."

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited by KenyaJ
  • Love 1
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 94
11/11/2017  Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

-- Flash 405: Craig said that "there was stuff that was good, but there was stuff that was really, really off." He noted that the Flash has been "made a comedy now." He also noted that this episode focused on Caitlin, although he couldn't remember her name right away because she's been pushed to the back so much. He and Tatiana both noticed the Hulk reference, so Marvel comics apparently exist in the Arrowverse. Craig thought that Felicity was "really good" and "really fun." Tatiana liked that Felicity really is friends with Barry and Iris, and it didn't feel forced that she would show up for Iris' bacherette party. Craig: "Felicity really does make a lot of things better." Tatiana: "She really does, because she's amazing and perfect, and I love her." Craig: "I wouldn't go that far." Tatiana: "I would." Craig: "She certainly brightens up whatever situation she's in."  On the other hand, Craig noted some "head-scratchingly bad stuff" in this episode. Tatiana hated everything having to do with that "stupid" new guy, Ralph Dibney, saying, "He's the worst." Craig agreed that Dibney was "the worst" across the whole Arrowverse. Tatiana wanted Wally back. She thought that everything about the boys' storyline was "problematic and troubling." Craig said that, although he likes Katee Sackhoff, what she did in this episode "was just so weird... like that accent... There was no reason for that character to have an English accent." He noted that Katee was apparently having "the time of her life," but it "didn't exactly translate into something good on the screen." Tatiana thought that the Flash has been "abusing their ability to get these amazing guest stars" (referencing other past guest stars). Tatiana: "I just want to know how long we have to deal with this Ralph guy... Get me f**kin' Slytherin back!"  She did love Harry and Joe being "dad" together. Tatiana thought the story should've just been on the girls only, without the boys' story. Craig thought the girls' story should've been one episode, while the boys' story could've been a separate episode.

-- Arrow 605: Craig said that this episode was definitely a big set-up, although it also reminded us about Vigilante. Again, Oliver wasn't involved a lot, except for "one bit of action." Tatiana noted that Dinah has become "one of the strongest side characters... she's great at action, she's good at her job which is unusual for anyone in the Arrowverse, her plots are usually pretty good." So Tatiana was okay with having a Dinah-focused episode and thought that Dinah was "so much better than Laurel." She also thought that William was not as bad as she thought because he was "just there, being taken care of by the babysitter." Craig noted a suspension of disbelief with having "a woman who can knock down a building with her scream." He was extremely skeptical about having a city mayor going to a war-torn country on a diplomatic mission. Tatiana was very skeptical about having a cliffhanger where the audience is supposed to believe that Oliver might die, when we're only on episode 5. Craig noted that they tried to do the "little cliffhangers" with the son (he's dead! he's alive! he's the bad guy!). Ugh! Tatiana eye-rolled the Slade flashbacks. She didn't hate this episode, but she wanted team action episodes again. She wouldn't mind Oliver being Overwatch again. She liked that Oliver & Felicity were happy together and talked like adults. They had no drama and weren't the main focus of the episode, but they were just together. Craig liked their open communication. Bottom line, it was an "okay" set-up episode. He thought that next week's episode will determine whether this episode is good - next week's episode can either make this two-parter worth it, or make it a waste of two episodes. Tatiana was surprised that MB was shorter than SA: "Has he always been shorter than Stephen Amell?"

Edited by tv echo
  • Love 1
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Arrow’s “Wild Dog” 
Dana Hanson-Firestone  November 15, 2017
http://www.tvovermind.com/arrow-2/five-things-didnt-know-arrows-wild-dog

1. This isn’t his first rodeo
2. Wild Dog is a rich boy
3. Wild Dog is the equivalent of DC’s The Punisher*
4. Wild Dog is seeking revenge.
5. He is mortal with no superpowers

(* The writer probably meant Marvel's The Punisher.)

Edited by tv echo
BkWurm1

BkWurm1

10 hours ago, tv echo said:

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Arrow’s “Wild Dog” 
Dana Hanson-Firestone  November 15, 2017
http://www.tvovermind.com/arrow-2/five-things-didnt-know-arrows-wild-dog

1. This isn’t his first rodeo
2. Wild Dog is a rich boy
3. Wild Dog is the equivalent of DC’s The Punisher*
4. Wild Dog is seeking revenge.
5. He is mortal with no superpowers

(* The writer probably meant Marvel's The Punisher.)

Apart from number 5, they don't apply to Arrow.

  • Love 1
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Five Things You Didn’t Know about Emily Bett Rickards 
Wake  November 14, 2017
https://www.tvovermind.com/entertainment-news/five-things-didnt-know-emily-bett-rickards-2

5. She’s played the same character in five different series.
4. She performed in musical theater and dance at a young age. 
3. She believes that becoming romantically involved makes a person miss certain things.
2. She loves a challenge.
1. She has an interesting view on life and death. 

Edited by tv echo
  • Love 3
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

World Champion Cody Rhodes brings Ring of Honor into the limelight
By Wade Sheridan  |  Updated Nov. 16, 2017 
https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2017/11/16/World-Champion-Cody-Rhodes-brings-Ring-of-Honor-into-the-limelight/2861510640541/

Quote

Among ROH's big plans is to feature Arrow star Stephen Amell as the host of an upcoming sold-out show in San Antonio on Nov. 17 that is going head-to-head with a WWE NXT show in the same area.

Amell previously faced off against Cody in WWE at SummerSlam 2015 when the champion was going by Stardust, a space-oriented version of his brother Goldust's character. The pair enjoyed a competitive friendship that segued into Cody appearing on Arrow as villain Derek Sampson.

"I know from having worked with Stephen in WWE and having worked with him on the set of Arrow, Stephen doesn't like to do anything that's not hands on. So I would imagine in San Antonio he will be doing something and he will be getting physical," Cody said of the chances of seeing Amell wrestle again. "He loves wrestling and you feel that coming off Stephen so people respect him right away."

Spoiler

Cody, when asked about possibly returning to the superhero series, stated, "If there is a spot for Derek Sampson to come back, which I've heard there is, then I will come back."

 

Edited by tv echo
KenyaJ

KenyaJ

Greg Berlanti Meets With Casts & Crews Amid Andrew Kreisberg Harassment Claims

Due to the investigation into “The Flash” and “Supergirl” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions have been meeting with the casts and crews of their series in recent days.

. . .  

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Berlanti and Schechter, who head up Berlanti Productions, which produces the shows, held meetings with the casts and crew of all of their series — both in Burbank as well as Vancouver, where many of the superhero shows are filmed. Those meetings, which were mandatory for employees in Burbank, are expected to continue Thursday and Friday.

At the meetings, staffers were encouraged to contact Warner Bros. HR if they had information relevant to Kreisberg’s case or to any other matter relating to safety, inappropriate behavior or harassment. Sources say Berlanti was “apologetic” that employees had not felt empowered to come forward. The purpose of the meetings is to reassure everyone that their jobs were secure, and give them an opportunity to air any grievances without fear of retribution.

“It seems like they’re committed to repairing the damage that’s been done, but in some ways, it feels like too little, too late,” says one source.

. . .

Belinea

Belinea

What makes me question this apology tour is the notion that people threaten to walk out in case he returns. That makes it seem as though they believe he won't be fired. At this point, how toxic would the working environment be if after all this he were to return? Also why is apologetic in quotation marks? Is that calling him out for not doing other things sooner?

  • Love 2
way2interested

way2interested

3 minutes ago, Belinea said:

Also why is apologetic in quotation marks? Is that calling him out for not doing other things sooner?

Because it's the word that the sources used to describe Berlanti's attitude at the meeting (and then added to say that they seem well-meaning but also too little too late).

Velocity23

Velocity23

1 minute ago, Mellowyellow said:

I have a feeling he's just going to return to work and those poor people will have to work beside him again. 

I dont think thats happening. I get people want a quick solution but Netflix proceeded the same way with going on the set of House of Cards to talk with cast & crew. 

  • Love 5
LeighAn

LeighAn

4 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I have a feeling he's just going to return to work and those poor people will have to work beside him again. 

I don't think he'll return to work but I don't think he'll leave disgraced the way he should be either. He'll probably get some sweet financial deal to leave quietly. 

 

Where as as any other old joe who committed the same or minor acts would have gotten the sack and no reference to use for reemployment

  • Love 2
calliope1975

calliope1975

It sucks, but I'm sure he's got a decent contract and lawyer as do the CW/WB/whomever who are dotting i's and crossing t's before he's officially let go. I was about to write I'm surprised he hasn't resigned but that may invalidate whatever payout he's going to get. And I would bet he's going to get one as gross as it is.  

  • Love 4
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

EW reviewer gave 606 a 'B'...

Arrow recap: 'Promises Kept'
Sara Netzley November 17, 2017 
http://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-6-episode-6/

Quote

This week’s Arrow is all about the promises we make and the promises we break.
*  *  *
“I keep my promises,” Slade growls before kissing ghost Shado, which has to look goofy for anybody in the training room watching this all unfold. He sets his sights on the not-yet-Deathstroke armor, and eventually an extremely bloody Slade makes it to Joe, explaining that everybody got in the way of him keeping his promise to Shado. He knocks Joe unconscious and peaces out with the Deathstroke outfit.
*  *  *
The Jackals are all arrested, but Slade’s not willing to give up on his sons — either of them. Oliver, who really is too pure for this Earth, offers to help, but Slade sends him back to William. ...
*  *  *
What a huuuuuuuuuuge relief that they didn’t drag John’s secret out any longer. Now we can focus on a cure or rehab or whatever comes next. Unfortunately, Dinah seems to be picking up the “I’ve got a potentially dangerous secret that I really should share” torch that Team Arrow so loves.

Manu Bennet simply oozes charisma and danger as Slade/Deathstroke, but it’s still slightly uncomfortable for me to see Oliver embrace him so wholly after Slade’s previous acts. In fact, everybody on Team Arrow’s demonstrating an incredible capacity for forgiveness this season.

I mean. Kane’s totally going to kidnap William, right?

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

A.V. Club reviewer gave 606 a 'B-'...

A muted Arrow is light on almost everything but baggage 
Allison Shoemaker   November 17, 2017
https://www.avclub.com/a-muted-arrow-is-light-on-almost-everything-but-baggage-1820535215

Quote

Arrow has always been at its best when it focuses on three things: character development, cool fights, and the salmon ladder. We may only get two of the three here (and if we’re being totally honest, it’s closer to 1.5), but it still makes for a decent episode. ... There’s some good stuff with toward the end there, and a few solid moments with Lyla and the members of Team Arrow, but this is the John Diggle and Slade Wilson variety hour, and that’s not half bad.

It works in part because neither Manu Bennett nor David Ramsey treats it as such. Both actors have been given plenty of opportunities to devour Arrow’s scenery over the years, but here, they resist that temptation, instead opting to play things pretty close to the vest. There’s one exception, of course — Slade’s descent back into the throes of the mirakuru, complete with a ghostly vision of Shado (Celina Jade), lands firmly in Grand Guignol territory — but other than that, both Ramsey and Bennett keep it all low-key. If at times, that makes “Promises Kept” feel a bit subdued, it’s a worthy trade. By trusting in the writing and in their own skills, both performers allow the audience to fill in the blanks. We sense, rather than see, Wilson’s shame before he details it for us; we intuit the depths of Diggle’s fear and self-disgust before he spells it out. They’re good at their jobs, and that helps their stories along, even when the plot feels silly or the dialogue redundant.

The same can’t really be said of Liam Hall’s Joe, and that’s not necessarily the fault of Hall. Bennett and Ramsey both have a huge advantage in that most of those watching will now have spent years with these characters, and that allows for heightened insight as well as interest. There’s no such attachment to Slade Wilson’s son — or, to be precise, one of his sons — and so there’s no way to read too much into his silences or the reasons for his choices. His one big moment, in which he tells his father that he saw him murder someone on their long-ago camping trip, then boasts that he made his first kill not long after, doesn’t pack much of a punch. Nothing we learn about him in this episode, or in the previous one, proves all that compelling, and while his story, that of a young kid seeing his dad murder someone and then choosing to do the same in hopes of gaining his approval, might be gripping and disturbing stuff in another context, here it’s just glorified narration. When you treat a character’s emotional life as though it’s exposition, you’ve basically condemned it to a heap of colorless backstory. A great actor might be able to salvage such a mess. An actor that’s mostly pretty OK doesn’t stand a chance.

That’s what takes what could have been a pretty great Slade Wilson story and renders it merely interesting: the character on which both the plot and the primary character’s emotional life hinge is kind of an empty shell, and not in a good, messed up, dead-inside way. Luckily, Slade’s plus-one is in pretty fine form, and that makes up for the imbalance a bit. Stephen Amell’s Oliver is mostly here as a kind of mobile therapist and mission support system, and while he gets caught doing the latter pretty damn quickly, he manages to stick that first job out until the very end. His efforts earn him something of a happy ending, albeit with a sad story in tow. Olicity fans can find plenty to love in Oliver’s final scenes here, from William and Felicity playing video games to Felicity’s decision to skip the bunker meeting, but the real (and probably short term) win comes in the form of Oliver’s big discovery. He’s glad he’s done being the Green Arrow. Violence isn’t something that suits him at the moment, and he really, really doesn’t want to turn his kid into an amoral murdering nightmare of a human being.

Still, the best scene in the episode belongs to John Diggle and Team Arrow. Frankly, an entire hour could have been devoted to Dig coming to terms with the dangerous position he’s put himself, his family, and the team in, and that final scene could have lasted much longer. Yet it doesn’t feel underdeveloped. ...

That’s the kind of stuff Arrow should be aiming to do, week after week. One benefit of being a television show in its sixth season is that there’s a long history on which to call, echoing major moments from the lives and relationships of its characters with grace. Arrow doesn’t take that advantage very often, and perhaps it should. Until the show is more deliberate, we’ll have to continue to rely on the actors, and luckily, it seems most are up for the challenge.

Edited by tv echo
  • Love 1
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

ARROW: "PROMISES KEPT" REVIEW
JESSE SCHEEDEN   16 NOV 2017
http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/11/17/arrow-promises-kept-review

Quote

As with last week’s “Deathstroke Returns,” the Ollie/Slade material in “Promises Kept” far outpaced the scenes set in Star City. Though in truth, Stephen Amell mostly took a backseat this week, literally hiding in the shadows and letting Manu Bennett and Liam Hall do most of the heavy lifting. As usual, Bennett didn’t disappoint. Slade’s fearsome edge has been tempered since his return at the end of Season 5. He’s now less a hardened killer and more an aging soldier coming to terms with the life he could have had and may still be able to achieve. Honestly, Bennett’s Slade Wilson may be my favorite interpretation of the character in any medium, because there’s so much pathos and sadness to this version.
*  *  *
Hall’s Joe Wilson isn’t bad, either. There’s a real menace to the character despite his fresh-faced demeanor. It does seem like these two episodes could have done a little more to flesh out his transition from dutiful son and soldier to world-class mercenary. But with the open-ended way this episode left Joe’s story, and the reveal that Grant Wilson is somewhere out there in the Arrowverse, it’s pretty clear the writers have plans in mind for the Wilson clan.
*  *  *
One thing this episode shared in common with “Deathstroke Returns” is the very disappointing handling of a major villain. This week marked the debut of Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz/Richard Dragon. But ignoring the casting announcements and the emphasis on Diaz as a big presence this season, was there anything about his role in this episode that suggested he’s supposed to be a significant character? He came across as little more than a soft-spoken, moderately intelligent drug dealer. Certainly not someone who’s feared enough in the Star City underworld to become known as “The Dragon.”

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

DEATHSTROKE, DIGGLE’S SECRET AND THE BIG BAD IS REVEALED IN LATEST ARROW
Trent Moore   November 17, 2017
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/deathstroke-diggle’s-secret-and-the-big-bad-is-revealed-in-latest-arrow

Quote

It was a compelling dilemma to put on Diggle’s plate, and watching him stare into the flames as the drug goes up in smoke is the sight of a man faced with losing something he never realized he actually wanted. He might’ve been apprehensive at first, but Diggle loves being the Green Arrow. And not surprisingly, he’s pretty good at it. Having Oliver pass the mantle to Diggle continues to be one of the best stories of this season, and thankfully, it looks to be one they’re committed to letting play out over the course of the season — or at least several episodes. With the show in its sixth year, it’s not just a catalyst to shake things up. It’s an arc that’s been earned over the 100+ episodes that preceded it.

As for the OG Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, he actually took a backseat in his own story this week. And it was actually kind of wonderful. “Promises Kept” is the second part of a story that set Oliver and Slade Wilson on the road to track down Slade’s estranged son. Slade’s role has always been equal parts father figure and cautionary tale for Oliver, and that was never more clear than here. Slade’s son has followed in his father’s footsteps and become a ruthless killer only trying to make Papa Deathstroke proud. Slade, who has worked hard to put that life behind him, is horrified to see what his son has become.
*  *  *
It really makes you wonder how they’ll handle the story that eventually puts Oliver back under the hood. They’ve laid a lot of groundwork and character growth getting him off the streets, and assuming he suits up again, it better be a darn good story that gets him there.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

‘Arrow’ Recap: “Promises Kept” – Like Father, Like Son
BY KAYTI BURT      NOVEMBER 16, 2017
http://collider.com/arrow-season-6-episode-6-recap/

Quote

... It turns out that the mirakuru gave Slade a brief respite for about a year following his escape from Lian Yu, allowing him to reconnect with his son and promise he will never leave him again. (Promises, promises…)

It’s a set-up that works on the purely emotional level, but starts to get a bit wooly when you start asking questions about how mirakuru works exactly, or how no one noticed Slade was off his rocker before he slaughtered a whole room of Australian Intelligence agents.

Slade thinks this broken promise is the reason why Joe has turned into a heartless killer, but Joe informs Slade that the homicidal lessons he learned from his father started much before that. As anyone who watched last week’s episode might have suspected, Joe saw his father kill the Chinese intelligence agent during their father/son camping trip. It was the moment that inspired Joe into committing his first murder, a reveal that tips this episode into slightly surreal territory. “Promises Kept” leans hard into the logic that being a bad father will turn your kid into a bad person, and the argument that, if you’re a killer, then your kid will be a killer. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for personal accountability.

This is the kind of simplistic logic the episode has to lean into because it simply doesn’t have enough time to explore Joe’s character in any real way. Instead, he comes off like the kind of person who may have killed kittens as a kid? It’s an unfortunate narrative looseness for a plotline that, again, is emotionally strong, as it rests on the rock solid emotional foundation that will always be the Oliver/Slade relationship. The audience, or at least this audience member, will always care about the dynamic between these two because it hails from a different, simpler time in Arrow history when flashbacks served a narrative purpose. It remains one of the most fascinating, well-constructed dynamics on the show.
*  *  *
Drug addiction can affect anyone, and has nothing to do with someone’s moral fiber. This would have be a good chance for Arrow to explore a serious, often misrepresented subject in a way that also would have fit in with John’s characterization better. Who knows? Maybe Arrow will go further into this in future episodes. For now, John has come clean to most of Team Arrow. They’ve agreed not to keep any more secrets from one another, a promise that I’m confident will last at least seven days.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Arrow Season 6 Episode 6 Review: Promises Kept
Delia Harrington   November 16, 2017
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/arrow/269067/arrow-season-6-episode-6-review-promises-kept

Quote

Tonight’s episode of Arrow felt a bit perfunctory and low-stakes all around since Slade has stepped right into Malcolm Merlyn's story beats as the deadly dad whose motives you can never 100 percent trust. (Albeit a less murder-y one.) With the flashbacks to a post-Lian Yu Slade, many mentions of Mirakuru, and the generic Eastern European setting, this all feels a bit like retreading old ground.

Team Arrow mostly rides the bench yet again, the cost of a still-large cast, even after some pruning. The villain of the week is forgettable aside from making John Diggle's secrets finally catch up to him. Unfortunately, the emotional fallout is practically negligible.
*  *  *
Diggle finally tells his goddamn wife about the enormous, dangerous lie he's been keeping and has the nerve to try to downplay it while assuming she'll just make ARGUS cook him up a brand new drug. Lyla's return is a good reminder that it's wicked weird for Dinah to be the only one who knows this secret. Man, I really hope she and John don't get together.

... Shouldn't everyone be more upset that he has been lying for the whole season thus far, almost got at least Rene killed, contemplated delaying catching a perp, and wanted to run into an explosion to obtain more drugs? I hope the show isn't done with John and this plotline just yet—what are the odds that he's not in some way addicted to this drug, beyond the need for it to treat his tremor?
*  *  *
Because this is a superhero show, father-son stories abound, and they are laid on thick. Shots of Slade training his son are intercut with training his metaphorical son Oliver, just in case anyone missed the connection. There's plenty of bitterness and love in both relationships, and Slade rather neatly fills the Malcolm Merlyn-sized hole within Oliver's world, if not the John Barrowman-sized one in the Flarrowverse and our hearts.
*  *  *
Slade's son vows to ruin Oliver's kid's life, which is also rather cold considering William is a child, even if Joe doesn't necessarily know that at the time. Still, Joe coming to Star City in an attempt to harm William, or perhaps his own newly unveiled mystery brother, will force Slade's hand and really hammer home this whole "Cat's in the Cradle" theme they have going on.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 6, Episode 6 - Promises Kept
Starman  November 16, 2017
http://www.mygeekygeekyways.com/2017/11/arrow-episode-guide-season-6-episode-6.html

Quote

Why doesn't Nylander recognize Oliver as the friend who was with Slade at their meeting in the last episode?

Why was the A.S.I.S. training room in Australia getting the Channel 52 news feed?

The whole "Diggle turning to mystery drugs" subplot doesn't make sense and both Lyla and Curtis point out why. Lyla rightly calls John the most moral man she knows and Digg's desire not to burden people would never outweigh his sense of duty to the team. Curtis points out that given that he was able to crate a microchip that could cure paralysis, John should have come to him first about his nerve problems instead of trusting a strange drug dealer.
*  *  *
Manu Bennett delivers his best performance yet as Slade Wilson. If this is his final appearance, he's ending on a high note. That still won't stop me from hoping for a Deathstroke series in 2018. Make it happen, CW!

Despite how random it was in starting and how quickly it's resolved here, David Ramsey sells the hell out of his performance here as John Diggle coping with drug abuse.
*  *  *
The final shot of Slade walking away through a steam-cloud is like something George Perez would have drawn, brought to life.
*  *  *
The first business the tech thieves try to rob in this episode is Cadmus Tech. Cadmus, in the original comics, is a scientific concern involved in genetic engineering. In the New 52 universe, they are tied to a business called Cadmus Industries. In the DC Animated Universe, Project Cadmus was an association of scientific, military and government agents who were concerned about the threat posed by The Justice League.

In the DCTVU, on Earth 38 - the world where Supergirl is from - Cadmus is the name of Lillian Luthor's anti-alien group.

Lyla makes a reference to the nation of Vlatava. In the original comics, Vlatava was a small eastern-European nation and home to the villain Count Vertigo.
*  *  *
The video game Felicity and William are playing when Oliver returns home is Injustice 2 - a game which features, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Firestorm, The Atom, Supergirl, The Flash, Vixen, Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd and Deadshot as playable characters. None of these characters are seen, however, with Felicity playing as Blue Beetle and William playing as Sub Zero.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Arrow, ‘Promises Kept’: Ollie Gets a Parenting Lesson from an Assassin
BY CRAIG WACK · NOVEMBER 17, 2017
http://oohlo.com/2017/11/17/arrow-promises-kept-ollie-gets-parenting-lesson-from-an-assassin/

Quote

We continued Slade’s family reunion from last week, and kicked some of the Diggle storyline down the road a bit. Nothing too earth-shattering happened but it was at least more satisfying than its sister shows, Supergirl and The Flash this week. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest episode of Arrow:
*  *  *
Sex and the Olicity: Ollie made it back to town in the final few scenes to see William and Felicity being adorable together and to give his girlfriend a patented South Park “I learned something today” speech. Ollie’s lesson: after seeing the twisted mess that Slade’s son became, thanks to the example set by Deathstroke, the choice to pass the mantel of Green Arrow to someone else was confirmed to be a good one for himself and William.
*  *  *
What about the action:  There were a lot more tense situations than big action set pieces this time around. There was some decent team action, which was nice to see. Oliver and Slade had to fight their way of the gang’s lair and we got a nice, big fireball at the conclusion of a team fight against the drug dealers. Diggle came clean about his tremors and his illicit solution to the problem fist to Lilah and later to the entire team. With no one really hurt and Diggle genuinely apologetic about keeping a secret from everybody, Team Arrow is supportive rather than angry. While his secret is out, the problem remains. Pair that development with Temporary Canary keeping her own secrets about Vigilante, and my crackpot theory about a Laurel redemption arc at the expense of Dinah Drake is still very much in play.
*  *  *
Last impressions:  Last week I reserved judgement on Arrow with a stern “this better be leading to something big” warning. While that something big didn’t exactly materialize, it did take character relationships to interesting places, which given the lack of quality episodes this week from other outposts in superhero TV land, it felt like a win.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Arrow' Gets an 'Injustice 2' Easter Egg Into "Promises Kept"
By RUSS BURLINGAME - November 16, 2017
http://comicbook.com/2017/11/17/arrow-gets-an-injustice-2-easter-egg-into-promises-kept/

Quote

Tonight's episode of Arrow featured a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by Injustice 2, the fan-favorite fighting game that uses DC Comics superheroes and supervillains.

The game appeared in a scene from "Promises Kept," following Oliver Queen's trip to help Slade Wilson find his son Joe; he returned home to find his own son, William, playing Injustice 2 with Felicity Smoak.

The only visible character onscreen was Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, who has a role in the Injustice franchise alongside other non-DC characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The game also features Green Arrow, The Flash, and Black Canary -- although none of DC's heroes showed up onscreen as far as we could see. The locale of the fight, though, was Gorilla City -- a setting that exists, as far as we know, only on Earth-2 in The CW's DC Universe.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Arrow Season 6 Episode 6 Review: “Promises Kept” 
Chris King  November 17, 2017
http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/arrow-season-6-episode-6-review-promises-kept

Quote

If there’s anything these past episodes of Arrow Season 6 have proven, it’s that a little bit of Slade Wilson goes a long way. When the series first announced that it was going to be doing a Deathstroke-centric two-parter, I was excited because of how much I have enjoyed the character in the past. Despite how much I love Adrian Chase, Slade Wilson remains my favorite Arrow villain of all-time, so getting the chance to spend more time with him on screen sounded like an enticing offer. Unfortunately, though, neither “Deathstroke Returns” or “Promises Kept” lived up to the hype I had created around them; even with some terrific action scenes (I particularly loved watching Oliver taking down all the members of the Jackals while Slade and Joe had their confrontation) and major reveals (Vigilante is actually Dinah’s partner, Slade has another son, Diggle is getting drugss from one of Star City’s biggest criminals), both of these episodes failed to capture the magic of the best installments of Arrow and ended up being, overall, quite lackluster.

Easily the biggest problem with “Promises Kept,” though, is just how sidelined Oliver Queen feels in his own show. Some Arrow fans joke about Oliver being their least favorite character because of how much of an idiot he can be, but no one really wants to watch a show about the Green Arrow without Oliver Queen being front and center. Even though Oliver has passed the bow and quiver on to Diggle for the time being, even though he’s not suiting up as the Emerald Archer to fight crime with the rest of the team, it doesn’t mean he should become a supporting character, and yet, through much of “Promises Kept,” it’s easy to forget that he’s there.

Arrow becomes the Slade Wilson show, as the episode even treats Diggle and the rest of the team as afterthoughts, and maybe, somehow, that could work if this newer, kinder version of Slade had received more development before this two-episode arc. However, because we were only really introduced to him again back in the Season 5 finale, it’s difficult to care about Slade’s conflict throughout “Promises Kept,” as he struggles with the impossible decision of what to do to stop Joe. The only real reason we connect with Slade’s storyline in the first place is because of how it mirrors Oliver’s relationship with William, but even that detail is mostly ignored throughout “Promises Kept,” until, in one of the episode’s best scenes, Oliver convinces Slade that killing Joe is not the only choice he has, reminding him that they came together to save their sons.
*  *  *
While I don’t completely buy the conflict that Diggle goes through in this episode (I just don’t believe someone like John Diggle would EVER consider letting a drug dealer go free for any reason), I am relieved that he tells the truth to Team Arrow. He’s been keeping this secret since the Season 6 premiere, and as we’ve seen before on these DC TV shows, secrets being kept for too long does nothing but create cheap, manufactured drama that no one enjoys.
*  *  *
Oliver, Felicity, and William only share one scene together in “Promises Kept,” but it’s easily one of the best moments of the entire episode for many reasons. First, Felicity and William bonding by playing video games and eating ice cream for dinner is awesome in its own right, but Oliver’s joyful response to it only makes it better. Second, the pride and happiness on Oliver’s face when William tells him he got an “A” on his science project is genuine and powerful; Stephen Amell has been playing all these small father-son moments beautifully. And lastly, Oliver’s words to Felicity, “I made the right decision to not be the Green Arrow, not just for William but for me,” are such a loaded statement, and they contextualize everything that happened between Slade and Joe and apply it to Oliver and William. Oliver has just seen how a father’s sins, his violent actions, can transform a son into a dark, twisted individual; he never wants to risk that happening to William, and he never wants to risk having to feel the same guilt that Slade now carries.
*  *  *
“There will be no more secrets between you and me.” “No more secrets.” Sigh. Dinah, can you please come clean about Vincent before the mid-season finale? Please and thank you.

Edited by tv echo
tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

‘Arrow’ 6×06 Review: ‘Promises Kept’
November 17, 2017  by ALYSSA BARBIERI
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-6x06-review-promises-kept/

Quote

If there’s anything I dislike on television it’s when shows sometimes forget who their characters are. Where their thoughts, actions, and feelings don’t match the overall character. This was an issue in last week’s episode of Arrow, “Deathstroke Returns,” and it was an issue once again in “Promises Kept.”

While I thought that the second part of the Slade Wilson arc was much better than its predecessor, it still managed to fall into the hole of forgetting the relationship between Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson.

Yes, they’ve both done each other wrong. Yes, Slade killed Oliver’s mother when he was on Mirakuru. But Slade has since done two wrongs that couldn’t be excused by Mirakuru. Just selfish tendencies. In no world would Oliver trust a man like that.

A promise is one thing. Trusting and caring is something else entirely.
*  *  *
While “Promises Kept” ultimately failed with the Oliver/Slade dynamic — apart from maintaining the sense of honor with both men — the hour really shined when the spotlight was on John Diggle.
*  *  *
I was impressed with how Arrow handled Diggle’s confession to the team — well, part of the team, Dinah, Curtis, and Rene. Diggle explained everything from the tremor to the drug and took complete responsibility. He was prepared for the team to lose their trust in him.

But I was even more impressed with how Arrow handled the team’s reaction to Diggle’s confession. It was mature, acceptable, and grown-up. They didn’t judge Diggle for his wrongdoings, as they all have done their share of wrong. They didn’t question his leadership. They accepted that, while he messed up and had been keeping this secret that put them in danger, that he’d saved their lives more often than he’d put them in danger. And their forgiveness was a significant step in Diggle’s recovery.

Edited by tv echo
  • Love 2
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...