The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[bijoux]

I did notice that and thought it was extremely stupid ruining what have to be limited resources like that, and disrespecting Curtis' work. I thought this new team was all about respect and inclusion, yo. 

Don't tell me I was wrong!

[BkWurm1]

8 hours ago, tv echo said:

It’s an episode in which a brilliant woman hacks the records of an offshore bank, but in which that same brilliant woman does not attempt to find where all that money is being kept.

 

To be fair, NotLaurel took the money out in bearer bonds.  That's basically like cash.  You can't track that.  

7 hours ago, tv echo said:

This all comes across as setup for a predictable arc where both teams realize they can only save the city by coming together. I’d just as soon skip to the end at this point.

1

It stopped feeling like that to me a couple episodes ago.  

 

7 hours ago, tv echo said:

Oliver bursts into the new team’s bunker to accuse them of harboring Black Siren; Curtis cripples Diggle to use the chip in his arm to track the team; Rene puts a tracker on Oliver; then they absolutely beat the stew out of one another once both sides converge on Laurel’s location,

 

How is OTA bursting into NTA's lair without permission on the same level as crippling Diggle's arm?  And Oliver didn't beat "the stew" out of Rene because he put a tracker on him, he did it because Rene was wildly swinging a FREAKING AX!  Are we supposed to feel sorry for Rene because we know Oliver is the better fighter and thus forgive him for trying to cleave him into kindling?  

(In case there is any confusion, all of the above quotes are from reviews TV Echo posted, not quotes from her personal opinions)

Edited March 2, 2018 by BkWurm1

[statsgirl]

I thought it was going to be the predictable "they realize they have to work with each other" but given the last three episodes, it's got too personal to be able to come back. Or as Oliver and Diggle said, too many lines have been crossed.

[SmallScreenDiva]

It's not gonna happen but if they do ditch all three NTA characters at the end of this season, I will send the writers room a bouquet of flowers. If they send BS away, I will send separate arrangements to Mericle, Guggenheim and the writers room.

[Mary0360]

16 minutes ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

It's not gonna happen but if they do ditch all three NTA characters at the end of this season, I will send the writers room a bouquet of flowers. If they send BS away, I will send separate arrangements to Mericle, Guggenheim and the writers room.

This reminds me of how Reddit thought Marc and Wendy only demoted and wrote out Katie Cassidy because Olicity fans sent them a fruit basket lol. 

[lemotomato]

2 hours ago, Mary0360 said:

This reminds me of how Reddit thought Marc and Wendy only demoted and wrote out Katie Cassidy because Olicity fans sent them a fruit basket lol. 

They still think that, sort of. They insist that Olicity fans sent one to the writers as a thank you gift for killing off LL. Doesn't matter how often the story gets debunked, they still bring it up to this day.

[tv echo]

Superhero Insider: Black Lightning, The Flash, Arrow finally return
NATALIE ABRAMS and CHANCELLOR AGARD March 02, 2018 AT 02:46 PM EST
http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/02/superhero-insider-march-1/

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Arrow
...
After weeks of growing tension, Team Arrow’s conflict with Not Team Arrow finally turned violent. Unfortunately, Arrow‘s little civil war just doesn’t hit as hard as it should because the conflict is rather undercooked and could easily be solved if the teams just spoke to each other and had even an ounce of self-awareness. Yes, Team Arrow made some mistakes, but Not Team Arrow is far from blameless in this conflict. Curtis literally hacked Diggle’s implant, which crosses a major line. Yet, Curtis and Not Team Arrow still feel they’re in a position to tell Diggle and Felicity that they’re done with them? Like Natalie, I’m definitely done with the new guys after this week’s episode. —C.A.

-- Kyle and Natalie discussed Arrow last on their podcast. Natalie is "having a hard time" with the OTA vs. NTA storyline. Kyle thought that the show was ignoring the characters' back stories and histories in favor of "escalating drama". Natalie thought that Curtis hacking Diggle's arm was a "huge betrayal." Kyle agreed. Natalie: "Who's to say he won't hack Felicity's chip, which is a really scary idea?" She also noted that Rene fired "wildly" at Quentin and Laurel, and could've hit Quentin, a person that he works with, and Rene actually shot Felicity (actually, I think the bullet just hit her coat sleeve). Natalie was outraged at the hospital scene where Curtis had the "nerve" to say, "You lost the right to ask about Rene," even though Curtis hacked Diggle's arm and Rene shot Felicity. Kyle thought that Curtis' "moral high ground was so bizarre." He also thought that this story line "doesn't seem t be servicing any greater narrative." He said that, despite "the over the top escalation of drama," it still felt like they were "treading water." 

-- Kyle and Natalie both liked the ending "switcheroo" where Black Siren pretended to be E1 Laurel Lance.  Natalie does not think Black Siren has the money, but that whoever is working with Ricardo Diaz just faked footage to make it look like Black Siren took the money.  

-- Kyle felt bad for what Paul Blackthorne had to do and say in this episode.

-- Kyle said that "they remain optimistic" because Arrow "has been in rough patches before" and has managed to get out of them.

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

I love this rant review...

'Arrow’ 6×14 Review: Why I’m Officially Done With Not Team Arrow
by ALYSSA BARBIERI    March 2, 2018
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-6x14-review-why-im-officially-done-with-not-team-arrow/

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Not Team Arrow has been pissing me off for quite awhile now. But this was the episode where I am officially done. I am done with all of them. There is no going back. No apologies. No justice. Not Team Arrow is officially dead to me. (In fact, I’ll refrain from mentioning them in my reviews from here on out because, honestly, I don’t give a f**k and I’m not going to waste my precious keyboard strikes on them.)

There’s a special kind of stupid that goes into this so-called storyline where these entitled brats feel like they can bitch and moan about not being treated like grown ups when they’re actually, in fact, children. Always complaining about wrongdoing and betrayal when they’re the cause of this entire mess. These characters have become unrecognizable to the point where I sympathize more with the villains, the Black Sirens of the world, than these babies.

Curtis, Rene, and Dinah aren’t heroes. They’re children playing dress-up in mommy’s closet and crying foul when they get caught in the act. They’re children with no semblance of responsibility, respect, or awareness.

There’s this clear intention by Arrow to try and make Curtis, Rene, and Dinah sympathetic characters. And if you want an example of something crashing and burning by epic proportions, look no further than this storyline. The fact that this show even believed for a second that its audience could be sympathetic with these whining, hypocritical babies is laughable. How stupid do they think we are?

But perhaps the most frustrating part of this entire thing is how Arrow has managed to dumb down the heart and core of its show. Oliver has taken down Slade Wilson, Malcolm Merlyn, Ra’s al Ghul, and Damien Darhk. You trying to tell me Dinah thinks she stands a chance against Oliver? You trying to tell me Oliver isn’t capable of taking out that entire Not Team Arrow without breaking a sweat? Felicity is one of the smartest women in the world capable of hacking anything and everything. You trying to tell me Curtis had to teach her a hack? You trying to tell me Felicity couldn’t destroy them all with just a few keyboard strokes? John Diggle is one of the bravest, badass men on this planet. You trying to tell me these Not Team Arrow assholes think they can outgun him? You trying to tell me these assholes think they’re more honorable than John freaking Diggle?
*  *  *
Not Team Arrow’s heads have gotten so big that they actually believe that Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle are the villains here. I’m sorry, give me a moment (or ten minutes) to laugh until I can’t breathe anymore.
*  *  *
There’s this continued belief by Curtis, Rene, and Dinah that they’re the ones in the right. They’re the only ones that were betrayed. They’re the ones that are seeking justice. They’re the ones that can be trusted. They’re the heroes.

But the beautiful, ironic truth of the matter is that Curtis, Rene, and Dinah are the true villains of Arrow season 6. Nevermind Black Siren or Cayden James or Anatoly or the Dragon guy. Not Team Arrow have quickly morphed into the big bads that our glorious Original Team Arrow will have to defeat in glorious fashion. We got our first glimpse in this “Collision Course” showdown, which was unrealistic in the fact that Not Team Arrow lasted as long as they did against the best superhero team in the world.

Not that I believe Arrow realized that they made Not Team Arrow the villains. I’m sure they’ll find some way to “redeem” them, once again compromising the beliefs and intelligence of Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle in the process. Not Team Arrow has crossed a line. They’ve gone so far past the line that the line is a dot. There are just some things that cannot be forgiven.
*  *  *
John Diggle is an honorable man. John Diggle is a kind man. John Diggle is a moral compass. John Diggle is a hero. And yet these assholes from Not Team Arrow decided to put his life in jeopardy by messing with the chip that’s implanted in his arm because they wanted to gain an advantage over OTA.

That’s what villains do. Villains do whatever it takes to get what they want. Villains don’t do it for the well-being of civilians. Villains do it for their own selfish purposes. While OTA was trying to retrieve the money that would keep Star City’s programs running, including hospitals, schools, fire departments, and police districts, NTA was trying to kill someone for so-called “justice.”
*  *  *
Yet Not Team Arrow continues to claim that they are the heroes here. That the people that are fighting to get the money back to save the city are the ones in the wrong.

You’re not a hero because she say you are. You’re not a hero because you have a costume. You’re not a hero because you have a cool name. You’re not a hero when you can’t tell the difference between right and wrong.
*  *  *
If I had a dime for every time I’ve used the word “hypocrite” or “hypocritical” when describing Not Team Arrow, I could take that much-needed vacation to a place without cowards playing hero while real heroes have to go to war every day in a classroom.

Where to begin with these hypocritical assholes…
*  *  *
All I want is for this show to be true to its characters. The characters that started it all. Oliver. Felicity. Diggle. Thea. Quentin. Roy. Hell, even Laurel. The characters, after all, are the reason we even care.
*  *  *
Because I don’t want to drown in anger and hatred in this review, I want to honor the real heroes of this show. The reason that I’m still watching this show. Original Team Arrow remains the heart and soul of this show.

The beauty of OTA isn’t that they’re perfect (although they are perfectly imperfect.) It’s that their imperfections make them endearing rather than infuriating. The difference, ladies and gentlemen, between OTA and NTA.

Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle have been the best part of this show since the beginning and will be the best part of this show right up to the end. It’s their sense of honor, humility, genuineness, and pure heroism that has resonated with audiences. ...
(Read more)

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[Mellowyellow]

7 hours ago, lemotomato said:

They still think that, sort of. They insist that Olicity fans sent one to the writers as a thank you gift for killing off LL. Doesn't matter how often the story gets debunked, they still bring it up to this day.

You know the comment Oliver made this week about not wanting to see BS's face ever again? Hehe someone still thinks he's lying when he said that and basically implied there is still hope for BS+Ollie 4eva! Talk about a lesson in optimism!

Makes me feel ashamed that I carried on like a banshee almost every week last season about how Olicity were over even though Oliver said to Felicity "I care about you and I will always care about you. It's a mortal lock" (something like that, not a precise quote!).

[tv echo]

'Arrow’ Review: ‘Collision Course’ (Season 6 Episode 14)
MARCH 2ND, 2018 BY NICHOLAS GRAFF
http://sciencefiction.com/2018/03/02/tv-review-arrow-collision-course/

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Jumping right in, this was undoubtedly one of the most tense and action packed episodes of the season, and also one of the most uncomfortable for anyone who is a fan of the characters and the team. The divide between Team Arrow and their former members is growing ever wider, the Laurel of it all continues to be an ever-expanding problem, and and lines were crossed that are going to be hard to come back from, though I fear the show might still try to give us that “happy ending” by the season finale, which will be hard to earn after an episode like this.
*  *  *
Are people really going to buy that Laurel is “the” Laurel Lance, the one they made a shrine to after they all saw her funeral?
*  *  *
What is the point of any of the “security” systems they put on their bases if they are always so easily compromised?
*  *  *
Lots of action and angst this week, and it suited the show fairly well, though I will say a lot of lines were crossed rather quickly, but I enjoyed the fact that they continually brought up how a lot of the character decisions were based on the fact that Black Canary looks like the Laurel they lost, which meant they might be going easy on her unnecessarily. Oliver seems to have regressed a bit on his “forgiveness” of Rene, but it could have just been a show they were putting on, but it also seemed strange that the two teams were so stand-offish at the beginning of the episode when things were not as tense last week. Ah well, still an enjoyable episode, and I look forward to seeing what next week brings.

[tv echo]

Arrow Review: Collision Course (Season 6 Episode 14)
March 2, 2018  Brianna Martinez
https://www.telltaletv.com/2018/03/arrow-review-collision-course-season-6-episode-14/

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There was a time I remembered liking the newbies and was curious about how this civil war arc would fare, and how they would get back to OTA. That curiosity is long gone and in its place is the annoyance and never-ending questions about why this is happening, and what’s the endgame for Rene, Dinah, and Curtis.
*  *  *
Was the plan to get the newbies to be petulant, hypocritical, and stubborn in a way that can’t be walked back? Because if that’s the case, it’s a success!

It’s one thing to hear them repeat on a weekly basis since the team break-up that their trust was betrayed by OTA. It’s a whole other thing to see what they do to Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle. The way Dinah, Curtis, and Rene use OTA’s weaknesses goes against what their goal presumptively is — to save the city.
*  *  *
When you mess with the beloved and core characters of the show on such a deep and personal or physical level, there’s no way to take their actions back. Their justifications feel flimsy and so unclear that it doesn’t help their case or gain them any sympathy.
*  *  *
The hour provides plenty of evidence of the newbies’ hypocrisy and arrogance when it comes to how they view themselves against OTA. That’s amplified to an annoying point when Curtis tries to talk Dinah off the ledge by saying that if she kills Black Siren, she’ll be “just as bad Oliver.”

It’s something Arrow often does, and it’s stunning considering that Oliver has grown so much. These characters try so hard to shortchange that growth that we’ve seen through the years in a way that ultimately just makes them look bad.
*  *  *
There’s also that wonderful treat in the form of a quick Queen-Smoak family moment as Felicity teaches William about thermodynamics while baking cookies. It’s a cute little dose of calm and domesticity in the middle of Oliver and Felicity’s increasingly chaotic life outside of their home.
*  *  *
“I don’t wanna hear your name or see your face ever again.” Honestly, same.

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[Mary0360]

24 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

You know the comment Oliver made this week about not wanting to see BS's face ever again? Hehe someone still thinks he's lying when he said that and basically implied there is still hope for BS+Ollie 4eva! Talk about a lesson in optimism!

Makes me feel ashamed that I carried on like a banshee almost every week last season about how Olicity were over even though Oliver said to Felicity "I care about you and I will always care about you. It's a mortal lock" (something like that, not a precise quote!).

I felt the Black Siren Green Arrow moment was very meta. Because the scene began very fanfic like, in a way I'm sure many BS GA shipper fans have hoped would happen, with the heroine, thanking the brave hero for saving her only to lead to this: 

[tv echo]

Arrow, ‘Collision Course’: Clashing Arrow Teams Could Really Use a Couples Counselor
BY CRAIG WACK · MARCH 2, 2018
http://oohlo.com/2018/03/02/arrow-collision-course-clashing-arrow-teams-could-really-use-a-couples-counselor/

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Meanwhile in B-plot land: This week’s Quentin/Black Siren storyline felt lifted right out of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, with Quentin playing the part of the nervous kid trying to hide the being from another world. I’ve been on the record as being anti-Laurel redemption, and this episode took things to creepy new heights. Quentin has pretty much lost his goddamned mind, which Black Siren plans to take full advantage of.

Sex and the Olicity: Other than a cute scene of domestic tranquility that involved Making Cookies for Science!, it was all business with our favorite power couple.

What about the action:  With James out of the way and the teams at each other’s throats, there was plenty of opportunity for extended fight sequences. Both teams came off as unlikable this episode, as they seemed to go out of their way to press each others’ buttons. It didn’t help that Dinah was a leather-clad rage monster for most of the time. But, I guess desperation makes people act out of character, and there was plenty of desperation to go around as Ollie and his supporters were frantic to get the city’s money back, Dinah and her boys are anxious to get justice for Vinny, and Quentin needed to make a connection with his resurrected daughter from another Earth. It all climaxes in a big battle at Quentin’s cabin. Ollie kicks the crap out of Rene, sending him to the hospital. Curtis fries Diggle’s arm implant. Felicity is nearly shot. Dinah seemed primed to snap Laurel’s neck, but she’s talked off the ledge by Curtis, which gives Laurel just enough of an opening to escape.
*  *  *
Last impressions:  One of the greatest weaknesses of any series is when characters behave a particular way because the plot demands it. This episode was rife with these kinds of moments. It could be explained that desperation makes people do some crazy stuff, but that only works to a point. Let’s just say that Arrow didn’t do itself any favors by making Thea the most responsible adult in the room. You throw that in with Juliana Harkavy’s choice to say most of her lines in this episode without separating her teeth, and you get an episode that was tough to watch on a lot of levels. What makes things worse is that it feels like there’s going to be more of this exact same storytelling through the home stretch of the season.

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

DC TV Watch: 'Black Lightning' Goes Head-to-Head With Thunder
MARCH 02, 2018 8:15am PT by Sydney Bucksbaum
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dc-tv-watch-black-lightning-thunder-1089972

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Arrow

Time to move on | It's time for Arrow to retire the Original Team Arrow vs. New Team Arrow storyline. It's becoming redundant to listen to the new recruits complain about OTA not treating them as equals. No matter how much training Oliver (Stephen Amell), Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) gave them over the past year, Rene (Rick Gonzalez), Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) and Curtis (Echo Kellum) will never be equal to the people who have saved the city (and world) several times over. Their actions and attitude during the past few episodes prove that. Oliver and company already apologized for breaking their trust and tried to extend an olive branch of peace and they shot it down, only leading to more violence and injuries on both sides. Rene even wound up in the hospital in this week's episode, so there's no telling how they're going to retaliate now. Honestly, it's getting repetitive and boring rehashing the same issue. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Why Star City May Be Doomed In Arrow Season 6
BY LAURA HURLEY   March 2, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2381682/why-star-city-may-be-doomed-in-arrow-season-6

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On the one hand, Arrow seemed to want viewers to sympathize with Team Arrow-less. After all, Dinah was heartbroken at Vigilante's death, the whole trio had their lair invaded by OTA, and Rene had the stuffing beaten out of him by the Green Arrow himself. On the other hand, Team Arrow-less really made most of their own mess in "Collision Course." Oliver is the expert on why revenge is a terrible idea, OTA was focused on the greater good rather than hitting back at one baddie, and Team Arrow-less are the ones who started the fight. Rene's injuries are tragic, but as far as I'm concerned, Team Arrow-less shouldn't blame Oliver because he won the fight they started.
*  *  *
Frankly, if Team Arrow-less was simply going to retire after the failure of this particular mission, Star City might be better off entirely. Their intention to keep functioning and have absolutely nothing to do with Original Team Arrow could mean that the two groups will do more harm than good for Star City. After all the trouble in "Collision Course," Black Siren got away and Star City didn't get its money back. Team Arrow-less are driven by emotion at this point, and they likely don't have enough experience to handle what's to come courtesy of Ricardo Diaz.

Star City may be doomed to continue suffering if the two teams continue to get in each other's way. After all, Diaz already has city employees in his pocket. Either the two teams need to get back together or Team Arrow-less needs to learn some key lessons if Star City is going to survive Ricardo Diaz with minimal losses moving forward. Original Team Arrow isn't perfect, but at least they have experience and perspective at this point in Season 6.

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Progress! Felicity finally gets mentioned in this BuddyTV/Laurel Brown poll (current poll results below)...

Who Was the Biggest 'Arrow' Hero in 'Collision Course'? 
March 02, 2018  Laurel Brown
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/who-was-the-biggest-arrow-hero-67841.aspx

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Felicity 

If you're looking for a real hero in this episode, Felicity may be your best bet. She starts off the episode by finding out who stole all of Star City's money. Later, the tech genius figures out that the NTA losers bugged Oliver when they couldn't find Laurel on their own. Felicity even stands in the way of a freaking bullet to stop Rene's advance. 

Also, Felicity makes cookies! In an episode like "Collision Course," cookies may just be the deciding factor. 
*  *  *
WHO IS THE BIGGEST HERO IN THE "COLLISION COURSE" EPISODE OF ARROW?
Felicity  53%
Oliver  28%
Someone else  16%
Lance  3%
Curtis  0%
Total Votes: 32

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Why Felicity Should Be the One to End Her and Curtis' Business Partnership on 'Arrow' 
Meredith Jacobs   March 02, 2018
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/why-felicity-should-be-the-one-67846.aspx

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But that has to be over now. In "Collision Course," when OTA found the tracker NTA was using to follow them to Black Siren, Curtis proposed another way of finding them: hacking the chip in Diggle's arm. (Yes, the guy who was just angry about Felicity hacking the newbies' system and against torturing Black Siren for the location of the money had no problem hacking a chip inside a person's body and causing him pain by doing so.) Dinah told him to do it and Rene didn't protest, but if Curtis hadn't brought it up, they never would have known it was possible.

Felicity can never trust Curtis with that kind of technology again if he's already shown he'll use it to hurt people. (I'd like to think if Diggle didn't have the chip that Curtis wouldn't have suggested hacking Felicity's, but that doesn't excuse his actions.) 

This left Diggle weakened and feeling his post-injury symptoms while NTA was ready to fight -- and wasn't holding back. And while Curtis did eventually ask Diggle if he was still in pain, he never apologized and when Felicity pointed out that he could have seriously hurt Diggle, only responded that they were going to hurt the city if they let Black Siren go. We never got any sign that Curtis regretted what he had done. 
*  *  *
When Felicity and Diggle went to the hospital to check on Rene, Curtis told them, "We're done with the three of you, period. No more cooperation. No more communication. Forever." I don't want Curtis to have the last word, especially considering how the newbies have been acting. 

I am perfectly happy with the two teams severing all ties from each other -- after Felicity sits Curtis down, tells him what he did wrong and makes him take responsibility (and apologize.) 
*  *  *
Just because this has to be the end of Felicity and Curtis as business partners doesn't mean that Felicity can't still start her own company. She doesn't need him to do it. She has some experience on the business front with her work at Palmer Tech in season 4, and back in season 1, Felicity mentioned that she'd been building computers since she was 7. 

She's smart enough that she should be able to come up with another project for her company if the chip isn't a possibility without Curtis' involvement. (And don't forget, there is a future in some timeline where Smoak Tech exists. Let's assume that anything Felicity came up with in that timeline is something this Felicity can do too.)

This is the perfect opportunity to return to a time when Felicity didn't need Curtis' help doing things she would have done on her own before; we've seen him helping her with algorithms and in "Collision Course," he mentioned a hack he taught her. Let's let something good come out of this and allow Felicity's genius to shine, both in her work as Overwatch and at her own company. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 6 Episode 14 Review – ‘Collision Course’
MARCH 4, 2018 BY JESSIE ROBERTSON 
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/03/arrow-season-6-episode-14-review-collision-course/

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Dinah has turned into an illogical mess; Rene is back to being just a disagreeable prick and Curtis goes along with it all. The trust issue was well documented, we understand their reasoning for wanting to be able to trust and believe in their leader, but the death of Vigilante hitting them so hard (esp. Rene and Curtis) makes no logical sense as they barely knew the guy! Dinah, I get, to a degree; but even then, it seemed more lustful than real love as they were lying to each other for so long anyways.

Before we end on that little tirade, there’s also the matter of Curtis hacking John’s newly built arm; this again, is completely out of character and a pretty low blow to the man’s friend. Collision Course seemed like an idea someone came up with and then they had to figure out how to make it happen. All for a fight scene that does not rank amongst the show’s (hell, even the season’s) best, even if this had a bit of a darker Civil War stigma to it.

Edited March 4, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 107
Posted on 03/04/2018   Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

-- Arrow 614: Craig started off with, "Wow, is this show frustrating." Tatiana said that she's been more of an "apologist" for Arrow than Craig in the past, but recently she's come closer to Craig's position. Craig said that the newbies have gone "from bad to worse." Craig and Tatiana also didn't like that OTA "crashed" NTA's bunker and then "smoked them out." They both thought that Curtis was the only newbie with "legit" anger up until now, so it was the "most painful" to see the end of the Curtis-Felicity relationship. Tatiana said that Rene is a "traitor" and Dinah "has gone off the deep end" and "is psycho now."

-- Craig and Tatiana still disagreed on whether this episode supported or rebutted a redemption arc for Black Siren. Tatiana thought that this Laurel now just has all that money to do more evil, while Craig thought that she might now use that money for good and redeem herself.

-- They both have no idea how the newbies can be brought back in after in this episode, especially after that big fight between the two teams. Craig said that Oliver was "justified in kicking the ever-lovin' shit out of Rene." At first, Craig thought Rene was okay but then he went after Oliver with an axe. Craig: "Okay. He's just as crazy as ever." Tatiana said that if a "bridge" has to be built, it won't be Curtis because that would be "too easy" and it won't be Dinah because she's "f**kin' nuts", so it has to be Rene. 

-- Tatiana lamented what the show has done with Dinah because first she was "Temporary Canary" and then she was "way better than Laurel" and then she was shown to be competent and doing her job, but now her character has just been "dragged through the dirt." Craig noted that they took this "love back story" for Dinah from "out of nowhere" or based on one line of dialogue. Tatiana wondered if these Arrowverse shows just don't know how to handle their female characters (she mentioned examples from the other shows as well). She noted that even Felicity had a season where she went from being this "cool hacker chick" to "only worrying about what was happening with her love life." Craig: "And they never knew what the hell to do with Laurel." He also noted that the only female character that they knew what to do with was Sara and then they killed her off.

-- Craig said that, in this episode, "people behaved in ways that were not true to character [only because] the plot demanded it." He wondered how this season was going to end up because there aren't many episodes left to develop this "drug dealer guy."

-- Tatiana thought that they were "only treading water at this point" because they "didn't really generate a good villain." Craig said that "it doesn't feel like there's much direction" this season.

Edited March 5, 2018 by tv echo

[strikera0]

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Craig said that, in this episode, "people behaved in ways that were not true to character [only because] the plot demanded it."

No offense, but he's only noticing it now? This has been one of Arrow's biggest problems since the start of season 3 if not longer. 

[tv echo]

Huh? RG played Jesus in Lady Gaga's 2011 "Judas" video (Norman Reedus played Judas in an uncredited appearance)...

Rick Gonzalez’s Guide to Barcelona
Written by Samuel Anderson   March 1, 2018
http://dujour.com/culture/rick-gonzalez-arrow-barcelona/

Quote

The days of purely fictional, flying object-like superheroes are gone. From inclusive casts like Black Panther’s to neurotic leads (Jessica Jones, future Marvel star Venom), the contemporary superhero genre depends as much on healthy doses of realism as it does on fantasy. And while the CW’s long-running Arrow, in which a rich playboy-turned-Robin Hood-like vigilante fights crime with a bow and arrow, may not be dark and gritty, cast member Rick Gonzalez says it presaged the realism trend.

“[It was] the first of its kind,” Gonzalez says. “It’s grounded in a character that doesn’t have superpowers. He’s a human being that has certain tools to save the city, but he’s not superman. [That’s] what drew me to the show.”

While he joined the series for its fifth season in 2016, Gonzalez has long been a fan of flawed, humanistic superheroes. “I think me and every kid in my neighborhood were Wolverine and Punisher fans,” says the New York native. “I love the antihero.”

Gonzalez plays Wild Dog, a relative newcomer to the Gotham-esque Starling City. And though he technically belongs to the Team Arrow squad, Wild Dog, says Gonzalez, transcends the good vs. evil binary. “The response to [my character] has been kind of mixed, which I expected,” he says. “Because you don’t exactly respect where he’s coming from—it doesn’t make sense. But like in real life, both sides can be wrong.”
*  *  *
Albeit controversial, Wild Dog’s presence on the show represents an overall force for good, according to Gonzalez. “I think the idea that [the character] started out as Jack Wheeler and is now Rene Ramirez points in the direction of inclusive casting,” he says of the decision to rewrite the role as a Latino man.

In his over two decades in Hollywood, Gonzalez has appeared in films like Biker Boyz and Coach Carter and even played Jesus in Lady Gaga’s “Judas” video. Reflecting on his career, Gonzalez says that, until recently, the superhero genre representing people of color was an un-reality. “I think possibilities are opening up,” he says. “And it would be ignoring the truth not to include people of color. Our president Barack Obama set the tone for a lot of things. And more and more of that happening is a beautiful thing.”

He also acknowledges that, while the political divides that have emerged in the post-Obama era may bear an unfortunate resemblance to the gridlocked turmoil of the Arrow-verse, the show is ultimately meant to be escapist television. “I think it’s impossible to not see the parallels. The writers take small slices of what’s happening in the real world and inject it,” he says. “While at the same time giving the audience a chance to escape. But I think the parallels are there for you to cherry-pick if you want to.”

Edited March 5, 2018 by tv echo

[Primal Slayer]

Oh wow I didn't even notice that he was Jesus. Now I have to rewatch the music video. 

[tv echo]

I'm sorry - I know ymmv, but this just made me laugh outright...

Scene Of The Week - March 4, 2018 + POLL
Posted by Justyna Kubica at March 04, 2018
https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/03/scene-of-week-march-4-2018-poll.html

Quote

ARROW, "Collision Course", March 1, 2018, Actors: Katie Cassidy and more, The Scene: Ending scene
Samantha: Katie Cassidy is an acting legend. Black Siren is so convincing pretending to be Laurel Lance. The panic, looking so scared, struggling to even speak and quivering as she does so. It takes a special kind of actress to pull a scene like this off & Katie nails it effortlessly.

Edited March 5, 2018 by tv echo

[Primal Slayer]

Acting legend? It's a leap to say the least. But she did kill it and was totally the MVP of the episode imo. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Primal Slayer

[Angel12d]

Acting legend? Good one. ???

[calliope1975]

4 hours ago, Angel12d said:

Acting legend? Good one. ???

Right? Has this person never seen any other movies or TV shows or any other actor ever?

[Angel12d]

23 minutes ago, calliope1975 said:

Right? Has this person never seen any other movies or TV shows or any other actor ever?

The bias on that site always kills me but this is another level. No one on these shows is an acting legend, let's be honest. ??

[BkWurm1]

5 hours ago, Angel12d said:

Acting legend? Good one. ???

Well, she might be, just not for any of the right reasons.  Beware the legend of Katie Cassidy!

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

The Return Of ‘Gotham’ Tops This Week’s Geeky TV
DAN SEITZ  SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR 03.05.18
https://uproxx.com/hitfix/gotham-season-4-return-geeky-tv-this-week/

Quote

Arrow, Thursday, March 8th, 9 pm ET, The CW: Is anybody else wondering why these two rival teams of superheroes don’t just, like, hire an arbitrator at this point?

[tv echo]

Another 614 review (I can't believe this writer actually thinks that the ending means that it's really been E1 Laurel all along - uh, where did she get her meta scream?)...

Arrow: When Friends Fight
By Matt Ross   March 1st, 2018
https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/03/01/arrow-when-friends-fight 

Quote

Look, I’m glad the teams finally clashed. Sometimes things need to boil over so that it’s all out there and you can move on, whether that means patching things up or going your separate ways. I’m happy it went down the way it did because I was getting a little nervous we were going to see the he-said-she-said, finger-pointing stuff from both sides accusing the other of this and that and everything in between.

BTW—I’m still Team Ollie.

When everything was hitting the fan, it was Ollie and John (especially) that made the most sense to me. The bottom line is that they believed Laurel was the key to the missing money and the person who pulled the strings to set the frame-up in motion, and they needed to act fast. I don’t blame them for going in to Curtis’ hideout guns blazing—we all know Dinah wouldn’t have turned Laurel over if they had her—so it had to be a surprise entrance. 
*  *  *
I backed Ollie’s decision to agree to help Laurel get to safety, too. It’s obviously not ideal, but sometimes you have to play the game to get what you want—something that Curtis, Rene and the rage-blinded Dinah don’t understand. (Clearly, they don’t watch Game of Thrones.) The three of them never thought that maybe Ollie had a backup plan in place and that maybe he was agreeing to help her just to get what he needed, and then he’d flip the script. Curtis and team see everything as black and white/cut and dry, despite the fact that they operate in a very gray world. Gotta admit, it drives me nuts at times!
*  *  *
I told myself I wouldn’t go down this path, nor would I dedicate a lot of time to the whole Quentin-Laurel thing (insert eyeroll)…but that ending was odd. So, I guess it has been her the whole time? What are you guys thinking? Mind control? Some kind of disorder that affects her brain? Dual personalities? I said it last week and I stick by it: regardless of what it is and if it’s really “good” Laurel, she has an awful lot to atone for and she should not be let off the hook. Honestly, if Quentin helps her escape, hide or whatever, he should be held accountable, too. He probably already should be with his behavior in this whole thing.  

Edited March 7, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Collision Course - Arrow Music Notes 6x14
Austencello   March 6, 2018
https://austencello.tumblr.com/post/171610020944/collision-course-arrow-music-notes-6x14

Quote

Oliver discovers that the money Cayden was going to return had been stolen and asks Felicity (in the midst of making cookies with William) to do a little hacking and find out who was responsible.  As they discuss this, “Centrafuge stolen” (2x08) plays.  The alternating electronic beat is also reminiscent of the Merlyn Job in 1x22.  In all three instances, they try to solve the problem of something stolen but also part of a much bigger problem, whether a missing Earthquake machine, a centrafuge stolen by mirakuru soldiers, or here trying to locate the mastermind behind Cayden James.
 

Meanwhile, Lance is keeping injured Laurel in a cabin trying to protect her from Dinah and from herself.  As Laurel wakes up to this, the music “She was my rock” (4x19) plays in the piano.  This also occurred in the previous episode (6x13) when he took her away in the car, leading up to this moment.  Lance is determined to be the rock for this Laurel that his daughter had been for him.
*  *  *
Later on, he offers to be the father figure he believes she was looking for in Zoom, Chase, and James.  He wants to give her the time and space to think about her choices and decide if she wants to change.  During this speech, the harp subtly plays the Laurel and Lance theme from 1x02 “Working together but alone.”  This four note theme returns later when he offers to go with her out of the country, her deal for returning the money to the city.  He truly believes that she doesn’t have to be a criminal and is willing to put his life on the line for her.  It returns a final time at the end as Thea tells Lance that this Laurel is his daughter in his eyes, which is the only thing that matters.

The Black Siren theme returns in this episode as Thea discovers Quentin’s secret hideout and Laurel goads them smirking that they should probably call Oliver if they wanted information instead of going with Lance’s idea of slowly connecting and trust.  It also plays slowly in the violins as she appears at the end shot and bleeding, pretending to be this earth’s Laurel escaping from a kidnapping.  As she reveals the name Laurel Lance, this earth’s Black Canary theme plays in the horn.
*  *  *
When Oliver (and Team) arrived to make a deal for the money, Curtis hurt John through his bio-chip to find them.  Despite this, John asks Oliver if they are willing to fight their former teammates as this is a line they can’t come back from.  As they prepare to go against Dinah’s team and begin to fight, “Building a Team” from Season 2 plays. At that point, they were bringing Roy into the team, building it from the Original Team Arrow of Oliver, John, and Felicity.  The team went through many versions, building this new team in Season 5.  It is a tragic scenario that after spending so much time investing and building this team that it comes to them fighting each other over Black Siren’s life. 

As Dinah closes in on Laurel and Lance, the horns play strong dissonant chords timed with her bow-staff hitting Lance in the face, matching her grief and rage. Meanwhile, Rene and Oliver are fighting to music that resembled “On the Line” and Wild Dog’s repeating electronic note in “Time to hang up the Hockey mask” from 5x02 when Oliver fought Rene before inviting him to the team.

Edited March 7, 2018 by tv echo

[JamieLynn832002]

9 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Another 614 review (I can't believe this writer actually thinks that the ending means that it's really been E1 Laurel all along - uh, where did she get her meta scream?)...

That is actually somewhat disturbing. There are so many indications it's not E1 Laurel but E2 Laurel manipulating people like she's done several times already. The meta scream, Oliver/Lance seeing Laurel's body the next day and the fact we've seen her be totally not kidnapped for two years. I don't even think anybody (in the audience) was supposed to believe she was really Laurel.

[BkWurm1]

Quote

I told myself I wouldn’t go down this path, nor would I dedicate a lot of time to the whole Quentin-Laurel thing (insert eyeroll)…but that ending was odd. So, I guess it has been her the whole time? What are you guys thinking? Mind control? Some kind of disorder that affects her brain? Dual personalities? I said it last week and I stick by it: regardless of what it is and if it’s really “good” Laurel, she has an awful lot to atone for and she should not be let off the hook. Honestly, if Quentin helps her escape, hide or whatever, he should be held accountable, too. He probably already should be with his behavior in this whole thing. 

This conclusion makes no sense.  Did he just forget about parallel worlds? That BS had been working for Zoom for a long time on E2 before she got caught in Central City?  Or the fact that the E1 version DIED?  And was BURIED?  

I have to think the reviewer was sleep deprived, drunk, stoned or has not watched this show very long.  

[Featherhat]

Or just wishful thinking maybe?

[BkWurm1]

5 hours ago, Featherhat said:

Or just wishful thinking maybe?

Lol, but he doesn't even sound that happy about the twist.  

[tv echo]

Why OTA Can Never Accept the Newbies Back on 'Arrow' After 'Collision Course' 
Meredith Jacobs   March 07, 2018
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/why-ota-can-never-accept-the-n-67864.aspx

Quote

Since the split, we've seen OTA prioritize saving the city over the newbies' hurt feelings (while NTA has been more concerned about blaming Oliver for everything, it seems), and the newbies refuse to take any responsibility themselves, even going so far as to blame OTA (specifically Oliver) for pretty much everything they can. 
*  *  *
Though Dinah may have stated that she wanted to get the money back and she thought the only way they would was a more aggressive approach, it was clear that for her, getting "justice" for Vince was the number one priority. The money came second, almost an afterthought. And Rene and Curtis backed her play, but then Curtis had to talk her out of murder, giving Black Siren the chance to escape. 

OTA's focus had to switch from getting the money to stopping NTA from preventing them from getting the money, and because of that, Black Siren, despite her injuries, escaped. 

Sure, it's impossible to say if OTA would have gotten the money from Black Siren if NTA hadn't interfered, but they would've had a greater chance in succeeding in their mission if they hadn't had to deal with their former teammates. How can they work with people who continue to prove that they don't really seem to care about the city? 
*  *  *
In the same episode that the newbies were upset when OTA broke into their base and Curtis was mad that Felicity hacked their system, the newbies tracked OTA and Curtis hacked Diggle's arm, disabling his implant to find their location. Let's not forget that Curtis was against inflicting pain on Black Siren to get her to give up the money, but he had no problem hurting Diggle to find OTA's location. (And if he hadn't mentioned that he could do that, Rene and Dinah would have had no idea he could.) 

It seems like NTA thinks they can do no wrong and have an answer for everything OTA throws at them. Rene betrayed Oliver? He's been punished already, according to Dinah, even though he's presumably still planning to testify. Rene taunts Oliver by bringing up William? No big deal because it was all to plant an audio bug on him. 

Curtis "really" hurts Diggle to find them? Doesn't matter because according to Curtis, OTA's mission to get the money would really hurt the city if they let Black Siren go because that's not justice, not for Dinah at least. The city doesn't seem to factor into their thinking.  

At one point in the episode, Curtis complains that OTA never treated NTA like equals, and if he ever said that to Oliver, Diggle and Felicity, they'd have a valid list of reasons -- just since the split -- as to why the newbies aren't their equals when it comes to the work they do trying to protect the city. (Just look at the supposed "cooperation" and "communication" between the two teams in the last few episodes. NTA's version of that is them being told everything and only sharing what they want to.) 

Curtis hacking Diggle's chip and the others having no problem with it hurting John showed that they didn't care about inflicting pain on the members of OTA. But it just got worse. Before the two teams' fight, Dinah warned her teammates that they couldn't hold their punches or they'd get hurt. 
*  *  *
During the fight, Rene went after Oliver with an axe even after Oliver told him to stay down. (What was Rene thinking? And that's not even mentioning that while he was shooting at Black Siren to stop her from getting away, he was shooting at Lance and Thea as well, not caring about their safety.) When Oliver fought back and Rene ended up in the hospital, the newbies blamed Oliver. What was Oliver supposed to do? Not defend himself when Rene swung an axe at him? 
*  *  *
Furthermore, Curtis and Dinah wouldn't even give Felicity and Diggle an update on Rene's condition, which says a lot about the kind of people they are. Hey, newbies, take some responsibility. Curtis and Dinah seem to refuse to acknowledge the kind of person they know Rene is -- they still don't seem to get that he's the one who betrayed Oliver and could betray them next -- and while lashing out can be understandable, they need to stop acting like they did nothing wrong.  

The newbies are not people that OTA can trust in the field, not after their actions in "Collision Course." Hacking an implant that helps someone in a way that hurts them? Going after someone with an axe? Blaming someone else for others' actions? Caring more about someone's "justice" than what's best for an entire city? Not really showing anything that suggests that any of that will change in the near future? Those aren't the actions of heroes. 

Edited March 8, 2018 by tv echo

[Soulfire]

Felicity Smoak made the list at number 15. :)

Quote

Felicity was supposed to be a minor character, but her chemistry with Oliver Queen made her a fan favorite. By season two of The CW's adaptation of the DC comic, she was a regular player. "Felicity has developed over the course of the series," says Rickards. "She's from a regular world. She's relatable, honest and grounded. But she's not boring."

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Soulfire

[calliope1975]

6 minutes ago, Soulfire said:

Felicity Smoak made the list at number 15. :)

This makes me so happy!

[KenyaJ]

2 hours ago, Soulfire said:

Felicity Smoak made the list at number 15. :)

Even cooler than that, she was in the top 5 when they broke down the votes by gender.

[SmallScreenDiva]

3 hours ago, KenyaJ said:

Even cooler than that, she was in the top 5 when they broke down the votes by gender.

That's just one of the coolest things ever. I remember when the survey came out last year. This list is even more important, IMO, in that industry professionals were surveyed. These are not random fans. These are people in the biz and for Felicity Smoak to rank up there? Awesome!

[tv echo]

A.V. Club reviewer gave 615 a grade of B-...

Roy Harper returns in a perfectly acceptable Arrow
Allison Shoemaker  March 8, 2018
https://www.avclub.com/roy-harper-returns-in-a-perfectly-acceptable-arrow-1823631659

Quote

“Doppelganger” isn’t a top-tier episode of Arrow, but after a few misfires, it’s a relief to simply watch an hour of this series that makes sense. The narrative traces multiple storylines, but they link together in a way that’s logical. One: Not-Laurel announces that she’s Real-Laurel in front of cameras, forcing Team Arrow to play along, before she’s swiped from the hospital from right under Dinah and Quentin’s noses by another cop. Two: Diaz has the District Attorney and most of the police department in his pocket, so when the D.A. wants to further cement his case against Oliver by bringing in Roy Harper (Colton Haynes), the S.C.P.D. pitches in a helping hand by holding (and beating the hold crap out of) Roy. Three: The confluence of those events leads Felicity and company to discover that a significant percentage of the police department is in Diaz’s employ, which prompts Oliver to direct Quentin and Dinah to set the Laurel business to the side so they can figure out what the hell is going on.

It all ties together, but none of it’s particularly flimsy on its own. The main story, Thea’s determination to save Roy and her realization of exactly how much she misses him, is actually the most unsatisfying. We’ve seen so little of Thea (and of Willa Holland) this season, so when she’s actually a part of the main action — to say nothing of getting back in the Speedy suit — the fact that she’s still not given much to do is frustrating, to say the least. It’s still better than nothing, but the arc can be described thus: she worries, she acts, she’s pissed, she acts, she saves him. What’s more promising is what’s headed Thea’s way (and our way) next, with the possibility, however remote, of an honest-to-god happy ending for Thea Queen on the horizon.

It’s not complicated, and it’s not the showcase for Thea (and Holland) that one might want, but Roy’s return serves as a reminder that it’s possible for Oliver to earn and maintain trust. It isn’t as though there weren’t ups and downs with Roy — there were, and plenty of them — but none of the characters even consider the possibility that he’s willingly flipped and is informing on Oliver. I can’t speak for everyone else watching, but I never considered it, either. This one element of certainty makes it possible for the rest of the story to function, and it may not be the most interesting way to tell a story, but it’s a hell of a relief.
*  *  *
In several ways, “Doppelganger” feels like an episode designed to set up the rest of the season. From here, one can see several avenues for a possible exit for Thea, for the eventual reunion of Team Arrow and Team Not-Arrow, for the passing of the hood from Oliver to John, and for whatever battle for the soul of Not-Laurel Lance is likely to be waged between Quentin Lance and Ricardo Diaz. It comes off as both a return to basics and a course correction, a stabilizing story in what’s been a turbulent season. There’s not one moment here as good as Felicity’s speech from “We Fall,” but there are very few moments one could call bad, either.

Few isn’t none, though. Kirk Acevedo is admirably game as Diaz, but the character remains so poorly defined that it’s hard to find him anything but watchable. His fight with a recruit on the glowing platform thing — what is that, a dance floor? — is engaging enough, but it plays as nothing more than a spotlight for a few gifted stunt performers. And the Not-Laurel rehabilitation tour continues to fall flat, despite the evident enjoyment Katie Cassidy takes from lines like “Fun fact.” None of her reversals are as surprising or enjoyably twisty as the show seems to think, because at this point she’s been nothing but reversals and twists; when the show seems to hint she’s lying, she will inevitably be telling the truth, and when the show suggest she’s being truthful, she’s sure to be lying.
*  *  *
TAMVP: It’s a silly scene, and I don’t buy for one moment that Oliver would actually believe her — to the point where I think there’s a chance it’s all a put-on — but Stephen Amell sold the honest-to-god hell out of his final scene with Katie Cassidy.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

EW reviewer gave 615 a grade of B+...

Arrow recap: 'Doppelganger'
CHANCELLOR AGARD March 08, 2018 AT 11:13 PM EST
http://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-6-episode-15/

Quote

Welcome back, Roy Harper! It’s been two year since Colton Haynes last graced our screen as Oliver Queen’s former sidekick, and I didn’t realize how much I missed him until his first scene in tonight’s episode, which reunited him with Thea Queen. Just based on the fan service alone, I think this might be my favorite episode of the season because it draws on some of the show’s strongest and oldest relationships (and also sidelines most of the new recruits).
*  *  *
... As they observe the hotel, Oliver brings up how guilty he feels for Roy being in this position, and Diggle uses that opening as a way to bring up the fact that Oliver still hasn’t relinquished the Green Arrow mantle back to him. This conversation doesn’t go anywhere beyond this point because, as Oliver later tells Felicity, he’s honestly not sure why he hasn’t given Diggle the hood back yet. (Alas, if only Oliver were self-aware, he could simply say “Because I’m the main character of the TV show.”)

... Even though her first outing as Speedy in over a year doesn’t go well, I’ll admit it was great seeing Willa Holland under the hood again. She’s my favorite character on the show, and I love that she got an opportunity to play a more active role in the main action....
*  *  *
By this point, Team Arrow has figured out that Diaz is behind all of this because they realized the cops who were guarding Roy are on his payroll. This episode is the first time we really get a sense of what kind of villain Diaz is — and he’s okay, I guess. Diaz’s plan to take over the city seems very convoluted, but it looks like Kirk Acevedo is having a good time chewing the hell out of the scenery in front of him as he delivers a grandiose speech about family after he has his men and Anatoly bring Laurel to him. He’s pissed that Laurel betrayed “the family” by stealing the money, but he’s willing to give her another chance to make it up to him.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 6 Episode 15 Review: “Doppelganger” 
Chris King  March 8, 2018
http://www.tvovermind.com/the-cw/arrow/arrow-season-6-episode-15-review-doppelganger

Quote

Can Roy Harper be back on Arrow every week again? While “Doppelganger” is by no means a perfect episode, it’s a vast improvement over last week’s low point, and much of the hour’s strengths have to deal with Roy’s return and how it affects the members of Team Arrow. Although Colton Haynes himself doesn’t get to do too much in tonight’s installment, the presence of his character provides Thea with her best story of Season 6 so far while also causing Oliver and Diggle to confront some issues that they have kept to themselves for a while. Sure, everything involving Black Siren remains a mess (even though we do get a quick reprieve from the drama when Quentin and Dinah are forced to work together to weed out the corrupt cops on Diaz’s payroll in the SCPD) and Diaz is still a lackluster villain, but it’s hard to be too critical of those disappointing elements when everything else happening is so damn enjoyable. I’m a simple man: if you give me Thea Queen back in the field as Speedy, solid (if too quick) Felicity/Oliver and Felicity/Diggle scenes, and quality Queen sibling bonding time, I’m going to leave pretty happy, and “Doppelganger” delivers on all three counts.

For much of Arrow Season 6, Thea has been sidelined, whether she’s been in an actual coma or tied up in a going-nowhere storyline. Part of that may be the writers’ fault, part of that may also just be because Willa Holland’s contract is only for 13 episodes per season instead of all 23. Whatever the reason, though, Season 6 has been lacking when it comes to great Thea Queen moments; fortunately, “Doppelganger” is filled with plenty of them, from her instantly joining Oliver and Diggle in the field as soon as she learns about Roy (“Where are you guys keeping my suit?”) to her and Roy’s back-and-forth banter when she initially tries to rescue him to her nearly taking down Diaz, this season’s big bad, all by herself near the end of the hour. As I tweeted out earlier tonight, “Doppelganger” serves as a reminder that there’s no one stronger and fiercer than a motivated Thea Queen. She knows what she needs to do and she gets it done, and after spending way too much time over the past couple of weeks with the Newbies and their unfounded convictions, it’s a refreshing change of pace to see a supporting character with real depth and substance take center stage. Thea receives the spotlight in tonight’s episode because she deserves it.
*  *  *
But just because Thea’s the focus of this week’s Arrow doesn’t mean that other characters are short-changed. Oliver falls victim to his usual guilt-ridden demons and begins to blame himself for everything that has happened to Roy since he sacrificed his freedom and identity to protect him three years ago. Of course, Felicity is there to remind him that Roy made his own choice, a decision that she and everyone else on the team still believes was the right one. She jokes that if he’s looking for certainty when it comes to his decisions, she can go ask Cisco to find a parallel universe where he does the opposite, but ultimately, she encourages him to trust his gut and have faith in himself because every action he’s taken over the past six years has kept him and most of his loved ones safe and alive, every choice he’s made has led to them to where they are now.

This conversation with Felicity not only assuages Oliver of his guilt but instills in him the strength and confidence to talk with Thea about Roy and how he believes that, after they rescue him, Thea should go with him, wherever Roy decides to go next. Oliver doesn’t hide anything from Thea when he supplies her with his “big brother advice”; he admits that he doesn’t want her to go and that he’ll miss her like crazy. But he also understands that this situation isn’t about what he wants; it’s about what Thea needs in her life, and after hearing Thea talk about how much she still cares for and misses Roy, Oliver knows that what his sister truly needs is the love of her life. Oliver also comes to this realization because he sees so much of what Thea shares with Roy reflected in his own relationship with Felicity. “You’ve seen what having Felicity in my life has done for me,” he says to Thea. “You deserve that same kind of happiness, Speedy. Wherever that is.” It’s another selfless, caring act from this new and improved version of Oliver Queen, which proves that his evolution over the past season-plus hasn’t just made him a better father and husband but also a better brother.
*  *  *
And hey, if this whole Diggle storyline ends up disappointing us all, I at least hope that the Arrow writers will gift us with more hilarious one-liners from him like his response to Thea’s impatience in tonight’s episode. “If it takes longer than an hour, I’m going to start breaking fingers,” she says to Felicity, who searches through license plates trying to find Roy. “There’s that Queen temper,” Diggle jokes. That’s the Arrow I want. Fun, emotional, and real, with characters who believably care about each other as family. Not the forced, manufactured, unnecessary drama that we were dealt last week. Here’s hoping the series can keep delivering the former instead of the latter when it returns with new episodes later this month.
*  *  *
Yeah, so this Black Siren storyline is still happening, and honestly, I have no problem with her character sticking around. I really enjoy her as an antagonist. You know what I don’t enjoy, though? Quentin having the “She could be my Laurel” conversation with a character for the thousandth time. Or Oliver being so stupid and naive as to believe that Black Siren is turning over a new leaf. How many times does she have to show her true colors before these characters realize that she needs to be jailed or killed? I mean, come on. Just last week, Oliver told her to leave Star City and that he never wanted to see or hear from her ever again. Now he’s giving her a second chance? That makes him look weak and foolish and dumb. It’s bad writing, plain and simple.

You know what the writers should have done? Made Black Siren the main antagonist for the back half of Season 6, because dear God, how underwhelming is Diaz as a villain? He’s a dull, one-note criminal that really shouldn’t pose this much of a threat to Team Arrow. Not after they’ve dealt with Slade Wilson and Ra’s al Ghul and Damien Darhk and, of course, Adrian Chase. No matter how the writers wrap up the big-bad story this season, it’s guaranteed to be unfulfilling because of Diaz.

“No. You don’t trust me. I don’t trust you. So I’d rather be in the field short-handed.” Just how satisfying was it watching Oliver shut Dinah down after all the BS she and the Newbies have been pulling over the past few weeks? It was SO damn satisfying, you guys. I mean, I pretty much did this after Oliver said that to her.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ARROW: "DOPPELGANGER" REVIEW
BY JESSE SCHEEDEN   8 MAR 2018
http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/09/arrow-doppelganger-review

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Mind you, I was thrilled when it was announced that Haynes would be returning as Roy Harper this season. Haynes’ presence has been missed on the show in recent years, both because he was a memorable part of the Team Arrow dynamic in Seasons 2 and 3 and because Thea never really made for a satisfying replacement in the vigilante sidekick department. Much of what went wrong with “Doppelganger” boils down to the fact that the writers chose to emphasize Thea’s return to the costumed life over Roy’s return.
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Seriously, did Roy actually have more than five minutes of screen time in the entire episode? It’s hard to figure why Haynes was even brought back in the first place if all he was being asked to do was get beat up for a while and then have a very brief (and surprisingly flat) reunion with the Team Arrow crew. From what I can tell, there’s no indication that Roy is actually appearing in the next episode, despite it springing directly from the League of Assassins cliffhanger this week. So again, what was the point of bringing Haynes back for such a brief, thankless role?

Granted, Thea’s arc was handled well enough, with all the expected sibling tension as she and Ollie butted heads over how best to handle Roy’s rescue. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Willa Holland being given the chance to play a more central role after her character has spent most of this season in a coma or recovering from said coma. But again, putting Thea in the costume in the first place never felt like the best move for her. Arrow, like its sister series, is a little too fond of the old “make every single supporting character a superhero or villain” trope. The best that can be said for Thea’s return as Speedy and the League of Assassins tease is that the writers may be setting the stage for her big swan song on the series. As much as Thea has turned into a redundant character over the past couple years, that may be for the best.

As for Diaz, this is where the show is finally starting to build some momentum again. I’ve never had an issue with Kirk Acevedo’s casting, only that the first half of Season 6 gave him so little to do. That’s finally beginning to change. Acevedo’s performance is beginning to stand out more as a result. It’s a nice change of pace to see an Arrow villain who’s so quiet and unassuming 90% of the time, only for that dark, sadistic side to surface the other 10%. Diaz is clearly a man who prefers not to be noticed unless he’s making a statement, and Acevedo plays into that.

It was also nice seeing Diaz actually demonstrate his martial arts prowess for a change. In the comics, Richard Dragon is one of a small handful of post-Batman-level martial artists, and it’s about time we started to get a sense of the physical powerhouse he can be. Hopefully we’ll see some good Diaz/Ollie fisticuffs in the near future.
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I wish the same could be said for Black Siren’s latest power play. In general, I’m on board for the idea of Earth-2 Laurel slowly finding redemption and learning to embrace the second chance being offered her on Earth-1. But at this point, her story has become cyclical and repetitive. How many times can we see her flirt with the idea of turning over a new leaf, only to stab her father or Team Arrow in the back all over again? How many times will Team Arrow be gullible enough to fall for her shtick? The last-minute reveal that she’s still working for Diaz isn’t shocking so much as eye-rollingly predictable. After all these months, we need more tangible signs that Laurel is growing as a character.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ROY HARPER RESURFACES AND ‘LAUREL’ IS BACK FROM THE DEAD IN THE LATEST ARROW
Trent Moore March 8, 2018
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/roy-harper-resurfaces-and-laurel-is-back-from-the-dead-in-the-latest-arrow

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This one had a lot of moving parts, though the headline was almost certainly the return of Colton Haynes’ Roy Harper, who basically pops in for a few scenes to get beaten to a bloody pulp. Diaz is proving to be a weirdly omniscient crime boss, having pieced together the identities of Team Arrow and even tracked down Roy, who had been living incognito across the country. It’s easy to forget just how much this show has changed and evolved over the past few years, but tossing Roy back into the ensemble really drove the point home. Oliver has recruited and trained an entirely new team (and subsequently seen them go rogue) in the time since Roy left. It’s great to have him back in the fold, but awkward all the same.
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Along with Roy’s reemergence, Black Siren has gone public and taken the late Laurel Lance’s name and identity — taking the “hide in plain sight” approach to try and protect herself from Dinah’s quest for revenge. Katie Cassidy has been a part of this cast from the jump, and having her evil Earth-2 counterpart join the series full-time has been a clever way to keep her in the fold. But, the character needs to move the needle at some point. Quentin has been trying to rehabilitate her most of the season, an effort that has seen fits and false starts. Now, after helping Team Arrow rescue Roy, it seems she might be working with Diaz anyway. There are only so many times you can dip back into that well and keep it interesting. Here’s hoping its headed somewhere clever.

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*Oliver gets to grapple with some big ethical questions this episode, but they didn’t really get the attention they deserved. He questions if he really learned anything from letting Roy take the fall for him as the Green Arrow a few years ago (he really hasn’t), and brushes off Diggle when he tells him he wants to take up the Arrow mantle again. The show has really written itself into a corner here, evolving Oliver to the point he’d want to retire as a vigilante to be a better father, while simultaneously grappling with the fact that you can’t really do that and still have a show. It’ll be interesting to see how those opposing forces collide.

*An ethical question: We see Oliver and Diggle shoot and seemingly kill at least some of Diaz’s goons (including some who don’t even see it coming), yet Oliver won’t pull the trigger when he has Diaz dead to rights. Yes, this show has dealt with the ethics of killing in the Damien Darhk story a few years back, but the conviction and seriousness of that oath seems to weirdly come and go as-needed.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 6, Episode 15 - Doppelgänger
Starman   March 8, 2018
http://www.mygeekygeekyways.com/2018/03/arrow-episode-guide-season-6-episode-15.html

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Katie Cassidy's ham-fisted over-acting as Black Siren tries to play what she thinks Laurel was like is almost as painful as her previous under-acted attempts to play Laurel seriously.

Zoe says her babysitter left her two hours earlier when Curtis comes over to tell her that her dad is in the hospital. What the hell kind of babysitter abandons their charge?  (A very bad one, clearly.)
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The police officers in Diaz' employ say they can torture Roy without leaving a mark, yet Roy already has a bloody nose and clear bruises on his forehead.

Black Siren says that all she ever wanted was to go somewhere she wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. If that's the case, as was asked last week, why did she come back to Star City after withdrawing the money from the bank in Corto Maltese?
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Willa Holland steals the show as Thea this time.

The only thing lending the Black Siren storyline any credibility at this point is Paul Blackthorne's gravitas.
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Roy says that he was living in St. Roche when the Star City police found him. St. Roche was the hometown of Hawkman during the James Robinson/Geoff Johns run on the book.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow: Enter the Dragon
Matt Ross   March 8, 2018
https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/03/08/arrow-enter-the-dragon

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First off, seeing Diaz and the new recruit sparring totally reminded me of Wayne’s World when Wayne and Garth open the random door to show a bunch of guys training and Wayne says, “I just always wanted to open a door to a room where people are being trained like in James Bond movies.” HA!

Seriously, though…I’m really liking where this Diaz stuff looks like it’s going. The main reason is because he seems to be a complete villain to me. Compare him to someone like Cayden and you can see what I’m saying. Cayden was very smart and could play the cat-and-mouse psychological game, but he couldn’t walk the walk when it came to the physicality. He had to have others around him take care of the fighting.
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I guess it was too much to hope that we would get a week off from the Laurel drama, huh? I know I harp on this a lot, but let’s really examine what’s going on here…

Setting aside the fact that everyone seems to be completely content with giving her a total pass on all the horrible things she’s done, as long as she “remembers” who she is, or starts acting like the Laurel they know, there is something else going on that bothers me. No, it’s not the acting, the dialogue or even the annoying Quentin stuff. It’s the creators’ choice to overuse a storytelling technique that when used properly can be very effective:

The swerve.
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If you’ve been watching this past season, it seems like the writers have a Laurel swerve in every episode—sometimes multiple times in a night! Tonight was a great example of that. It seemed like anything she did would be followed up by an evil smirk, or a friendly smile. Depending on the action she took, you were guaranteed to get something that would negate the behavior she just demonstrated a second before. In fact, after she helped Ollie and the team, she received a text from Diaz that said “good work,” to which she cracked a sinister grin.

The swerve can be a really great tool and great way to twist a character or story and throw the audience for a loop. However, when it’s used over and over (especially with the same character) it loses its effectiveness and charm. Less is always more with these things. At this point, because we’ve seen SO much of it with Laurel, I don’t even care anymore if she’s “good” or “bad.” Not sure how other folks feel about it, but that’s where I am right now.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow season 6 episode 15 review: Doppelganger
Marc Buxton   March 9, 2018
http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/arrow/55869/arrow-season-6-episode-15-review-doppelganger

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The sniping between Team Arrow and Team Not Arrow has been all sorts of artificial and forced this season. I mean, Mister Terrific, Wild Dog, and Dinah Drake have come across as petulant while all the drama between the two squads of vigilantes has seemed forced. This has all been at the expense of some other character bits that would be more welcome.

For example, can we get a bit more backstory on Richard Diaz if he is indeed going to be the season’s big bad? Can we see more of Diggle’s home life now that he is healthy and back in action as Spartan? Can we get more Thea, because the younger Queen sibling has barely left the boardroom all season? All these directions have been truncated or ignored with countless scenes of Terrific, Neo-Canary, and Wild Dog pouting like someone stole their juice boxes. Well, things take a step in the right direction this week as Roy Harper returns. After so many weeks of angst it is so good to see the original Team Arrow back together and risking it all to save Roy Harper.  
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That’s not to say that Team Whiny isn’t active this week. We see Dinah Drake trying to find a way to prove Laurel is a fake as her obsession continues. But obsessed cop Dinah Drake is much more interesting than obsessed vigilante Dinah Drak. Even Curtis has an effective scene this week, informing Wild Dog’s daughter that her hockey masked vigilante father has been hurt. I forgot that I dig Curtis so much because of all the other nonsense. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by tv echo