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The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

Grammaeryn

By Grammaeryn
in Arrow

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Mellowyellow

Mellowyellow

I give them a pass because I figure we might admire different things about her or have different reactions to the stuff that she does. 

For instance I am flabbergasted that ANYONE would blame her for walking out on Oliver after what he pulled in S4 but apparently a chunk of people ( I'm talking about shippers because Reddit do not count) did. I personally thought her reaction was mild as I would have set fire to his loft and belongings myself before walking out.

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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

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

The Mystery of Deathstroke’s Mask 
Tom  October 1, 2018
https://www.tvovermind.com/tv-news/the-mystery-of-deathstrokes-mask

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The truth is that Deathstroke and Oliver do have a history and that at some point during that history Oliver took Slade’s eye and the two became rather hostile towards each other. The act of finding his mask seemed random and more happenstance than anything, but the message delivered by placing the mask on a pike and stabbing it through the vacant right eye with an arrow is one that many people can take many, many different ways.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

This chart has Arrow's time incorrectly listed at 9 pm...

HERE'S HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO ADVERTISE IN TV'S BIGGEST SHOWS
By Jeanine Poggi. Published on October 2, 2018.
https://adage.com/article/media/tv-pricing-chart/315120/?CSAuthResp=1538515525354:0:2486576:0:24:success:F33D8C47F1005B3DADF8F71503781B27

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How Much For a 30-Second TV Spot?
Network    Show    Day/Time        2018 Price ($)    2017 Price ($)    % Change
*  *  *
The CW       Arrow    Monday           25,637                  37,453                 -32%
                                   9 p.m.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Rick Gonzalez of The CW Show Arrow
1 week ago   Gabrielle Alexandra Smith
http://atthemoviesonline.com/index.php/spotlight/2018/09/25/rick-gonzalez-of-the-cw-show-arrow/

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ATM: What does the name Wild Dog mean to you?
RG: It is someone who does not care what anyone thinks. They do things when and for whatever purpose they want. They do it with a swag and energy that he can only provide.

ATM: Why do you feel this show is like a fantasy role?
RG: I said this because playing a superhero character is a dream come true. I had never played a superhero before or watched Arrow. I was the kid who collected comic books. I was a big fan of X-Men, Wolverine, and Spiderman. The Marvel Universe was really important to me as a child. I loved it so much. I like playing a character that is a part of the universe. This is what made me feel like it was a dream come true. I would have never imagined as a child that I would play a vigilante in the DC universe.

ATM: What ways can you implement your character or the main character’s values in your personal life?
RG: I am a little more political. I would not hurt people saying how I felt in the moment. He is an awesome character and goes after truth. Wild Dog is very courageous and brave. I was able to give him the energy I grow up in. I grew up as a kid in New York City who liked Hip Hop and embraced this culture. This was me. I am going to make him similar to me in this way. He is going to be a product with Hip Hop, the struggles, and this neighborhood. The writers and producer made clear that they wanted to give him an energy that was unique and authentic.

ATM: How does comic film or television adaptations make you look at comics differently?
RG: It makes me feel excited because it brings what I read as a kid to life. It is everything I saw in the little squares coming to life. Everything I saw on the cover is in my face and on my T.V. They are being done well. The energy and writing of the characters are great. The Christopher Nolan Batman was able to bring the same energy that was in the comic. This crime drama element was so drenched in reality. He did not have superpowers. He was a human being who could do amazing things. It is exciting to see that we have the technology and resources to make these comics come to life.

ATM: What does your character impose about fatherhood?
RG: Rene Ramirez had some much self-pity and insecurities about being a father that he lost this opportunity to be a dad. Now, he realizes being a dad is one of the most important things in life. He will do anything to be in his daughter’s life. Being dad is extremely important to Rene Ramirez. This is his number one priority. Helping others is another priority. These superheroes care about their families but also their well being in this world and keeping people safe. They protect people who cannot protect themselves.

ATM: Do you feel the loss of daughter helped restructure his masculinity?
RG: Yes. I think everything happens for a reason. The lost of his daughter allowed Rene Ramirez to see himself. He saw his flaws, insecure, and weaknesses. He is comfortable with being himself. Rene Ramirez did not know where being a dad fitted in his life. The fifth season showed him learning about himself. Ramirez learned from others and this helped me be a dad.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

Here Are 15 TV Scenes That Ended Terribly For The Actors Involved
Nora Dominick  October 2, 2018
https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/tv-scenes-went-terribly-terribly-wrong-for-actors

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8. During Season 5 of Arrow, Stephen Amell nearly broke his nose when he was kicked in the face.
...
Stephen Amell, who does a majority of his own stunts on Arrow, posted the picture on Facebook with the caption: "My face met a foot. Bad ass fight sequence. Totally worth it. Season 5!!"

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Mary0360

Mary0360

3 hours ago, tv echo said:

Jamie Steinberg is managing editor for StarryMag.com...

I hope she gets flooded with Olicity and Felicity questions and then spends the whole interview asking him questions about characters other then his. 

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kes0704

kes0704

The low number of replies to that tweet say a lot about how little interest people have in anything related to Diaz.  

I just want to know when I might be able to celebrate his departure so I can have all my party drinks and snacks ready :)

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

THE 100, RIVERDALE, SUPERNATURAL, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES… THESE DECISIONS THAT HAVE PROFOUNDLY CHANGED OUR FAVORITE SERIES !
magictr | October 9, 2018
https://koztimes.com/the-100-riverdale-supernatural-the-vampire-diaries-these-decisions-that-have-profoundly-changed-our-favorite-series/2139/

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Felicity, a character flagship, Arrow
d7d3282333aa6db71de05c039a02b446.gif

It has been proven !

Impossible to imagine Team Arrow without Felicity Smoak ? Eh yet, Emily Bett Rickards had auditioned to appear in only two scenes of episode 3 in season 1 of the show. The actress has captivated audiences and convinced the team of the series. It is then returned to full-time ! His relationship with Oliver has added a new dynamic to Arrow and has changed many things for the hero.

Edited by tv echo
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calliope1975

calliope1975

(edited)

How long until the interview where TPTB's express confusion about the audience hating DDDiaz and wondering where Alayna/Rory/that badass lady from last year who could have been a great villain weren't given story lines? It's almost impressive  how often this group of people get it wrong.

Edited by calliope1975
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BkWurm1

BkWurm1

2 hours ago, JamieLynn832002 said:

For the love of God, why?! He's by far the worst villain they've ever had.

Now I'm wondering what dirt HE has on everyone.  

The only other thing I can think of is they went and balanced the end of their whole season on him being around and had to pay to lock him down so they don't have to do last minute scrambling with the plot (but perhaps he doesn't' really have to be around to do much in the meantime).  The other part of me though is afraid they are going to try and "fix" him and prove to the audience what a great character he really is whether we like it or not.  

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kes0704

kes0704

(edited)
2 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

The other part of me though is afraid they are going to try and "fix" him and prove to the audience what a great character he really is whether we like it or not.  

I really think they’re going to try and fix him. In the TV Line article Beth talked about making Dragon more like the comics version and how exciting it would be. 

But at this point, I honestly can’t think of anything that would make me overly excited about more Diaz. 

Edited by kes0704
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Featherhat

Featherhat

4 hours ago, kes0704 said:

I really think they’re going to try and fix him. In the TV Line article Beth talked about making Dragon more like the comics version and how exciting it would be. 

But at this point, I honestly can’t think of anything that would make me overly excited about more Diaz. 

I think they're going to try and fix him too. My big worry is which of the characters i like they'll throw under the bus literally or figuratively to do that. Because you know it won't be NTA.

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I only transcribed a few comments...

The Man Cave Chronicles - #80 Echo Kellum "Arrow"
Update: 2018-10-09
https://castbox.fm/episode/Episode-80-Echo-Kellum-"Arrow"-id1339509-id95370704?country=us

-- EK said that, in addition to Arrow, he's "in the process of working on an indie film."

-- On how he got cast on Arrow, EK said that he had done a pilot for The CW "a few months before" that didn't get picked up, but "they remembered me." The new Arrow role description was "kinda tech nerdy" and he came in and read the dialogue for David Rapaport. In the room, Rapaport said to him, "Man, you and Emily would really - like, I can feel like you guys would have a good rapport with each other." About two days later, he returned and auditioned for the EPs, Marc Guggenheim, Wendy Mericle and a third person who he didn't remember who it was. They "loved" him and thought he was "great." They then told him about Mr. Terrific. But he still didn't know if he had the role yet. A couple days later he got the call that he got the role.

-- On his "special bond" with EBR, EK: "Yeah, I mean, Emily was the first person I worked with. Uh, I almost worked with her exclusively in Season 4. But, you know, I was coming on a hit show, I'm coming off two cancellations. You know, I was definitely intimidated, thinking, like, 'oh man, I'm going to be recurring on the show and people are, like - they got these huge fanbases, and, you know, they're probably all smug, not - typical Hollywood, 'you're on my set,' you know, or something. But Emily really - I think she's the first person I met that really showed me that they have such a good unit working out there, such a dope, funny, down to earth, um, just professional group of people who work for the show. And so she was the catalyst for me of just showing that light that everyone on the show has and that welcoming spirit of like 'we're all in it together.' Um, so, working with her, it really opened up my eyes to a lot of things. You know, we became fast friends and hang out. I met her friends, she met mine... We love working with each other and have such a great rapport with each other... Man, she's such a good person... What Emily showed, the whole cast is that way. You know, um, everyone's really great people."

-- EK said that his fave Arrow scene of all time was the penultimate scene of S2 when Slade kills Moira.

-- He's also working on some music and hopes to "drop an album in the near future."

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Audio of KL interview from Cincinnati Comic Expo, September 15-16, 2018 - I only transcribed a few comments...

Episode 246: Cincinnati Comic Expo, Pt. 2 - Katrina Law!
http://comicbookcentral.net/episodes/  

-- She talked about how SA loves to and is able to do his own stunts, even though he has a stunt double, and how he insisted on doing the fight with Ra's al Ghul himself.

-- She talked again about how she loves to "troll" Olicity fans, but that most of those fans are great about it. When she shot the Oliver/Nyssa wedding, she knew it would "blow up" both the Olicity fans and the Nyssara fans.

-- She said that she thought Nyssa would not have made a good stepmother to William.

-- She said that she would still like to see the back story between Nyssa and Sara because it was so significant for both their characters.

Edited by tv echo
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Simba122504

Simba122504

On 10/11/2018 at 6:31 PM, JamieLynn832002 said:

For the love of God, why?! He's by far the worst villain they've ever had.

I don't know too much about his comic book character but I do know he has a big history and he's connected to the Longbow Hunters. When he got away in the season finale, it confirmed he was coming back. Then they named dropped TLBH. 

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jay741982

jay741982

On 10/12/2018 at 4:38 AM, Featherhat said:

I think they're going to try and fix him too. My big worry is which of the characters i like they'll throw under the bus literally or figuratively to do that. Because you know it won't be NTA.

Probably Diggle like last year or Roy or even Felicity  cause for some reason this show doubles down on the non popular characters and has the popular charcters at OOC/throws them under the Bus. I just don't get it 

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SmallScreenDiva

SmallScreenDiva

Came across an old article about last year’s crossover and the writer mentions that superhero stories are soap opera in tights. And i remember Berlanti or Kreisberg essentially saying the same thing. Anyone remember their quote? I tried Googling for it and got nada.

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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

3 minutes ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

Came across an old article about last year’s crossover and the writer mentions that superhero stories are soap opera in tights. And i remember Berlanti or Kreisberg essentially saying the same thing. Anyone remember their quote? I tried Googling for it and got nada.

Here's a link:

Quote

“They’re soap operas for boys,” he says of the appeal of superheroes and comic books. And as a gay man, he identifies with the stories. “So many superheroes are of this world—but not. There’s a real hint of melancholy that no matter what you do, you can save this world and you’ll still never totally be a part of it,” he says. “You’ll always be one step removed.”

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KenyaJ

KenyaJ

Also, Kreisberg specifically talked about the soap opera nature of Arrow as compared to The Flash.

Quote

I think one of the great strengths of The Flash is just how close everyone is on the show.  They tend not to have these raging conflicts, like what we keep giving everybody on Arrow.  That show is more of a soap opera, and I don’t say that derogatorily.  I’m one third responsible for that soap opera.  But there, we always think to ourselves, “How can we hurt these people more?  What’s the worst thing we can do to Thea?  What’s the worst thing we can do to Laurel?  What’s the worst thing we can do to Oliver?”  And the drama comes from there.  Part of the strength of The Flash is that the drama comes from how these people who have banded together and love and trust each other, and how they deal with conflicts that come their way.

Source

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

EW reviewer gave 701 a grade of B...

Arrow premiere recap: The struggle is real for Oliver and Felicity
CHANCELLOR AGARD  October 15, 2018 
https://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-7-premiere/

Quote

“Inmate #4587” draws a pretty obvious yet effective parallel between Oliver and Felicity’s situations. Like her imprisoned husband, Felicity is trying to hide who she is; except, in this case, she’s living as a pink-haired barista because she and William are in protective custody since Diaz is still at large. Furthermore, Rickards also does a great job of showing how the isolation for witness protection pains her, especially in the scene when she comes home from work and is reunited with William. You can feel that there’s something missing in her life. But, that’s all about to change because Oliver’s worst nightmare comes to past.

In the standout sequence of the episode, Diaz attacks Felicity in her apartment while his men do the same thing to Oliver as he’s taking a shower in prison. The much-touted naked shower fight scene more than lived up to the hype and the trailers. It was brutal, visceral, and reminiscent of the fights on The Punisher, which were more concerned with conveying the toll violence takes than being cool. As Oliver tries to defend himself, one of Diaz’s men eventually emerges and tells him that Diaz found Felicity and killed her.

Another spoiler alert: Felicity and William survive Diaz’s assault. And the Felicity who comes out of the attack has been galvanized to fight back. She pays Oliver a visit in prison and reveals that she plans on sending William to boarding school so that she can leave the witness protection program and focus on capturing Diaz. Obviously, Oliver isn’t too keen on this idea, but he really has no place to say anything since he made this whole deal without consulting her in the first place. However, Felicity isn’t the only one who has had a fire lit under her behind.
*  *  *
After his emotional reunion with Felicity, Oliver decides he’s done trying to keep his head down, too. Once he’s allowed out of his cell, he ventures out to the yard and reminds everyone he’s the Green Arrow goddammit by beating one of Diaz’s men with a weight. The message he’s sending is clear: Don’t mess with me.
*  *  *
As a storytelling device, I’m genuinely curious to see where the flash-forwards go. The reveal was indeed surprising, but I wonder if they can actually make these worthwhile as the season goes along. This isn’t a Lost situation where the show will eventually catch up to the flash-forwards because Arrow’s flash-forwards are so far ahead, and I don’t think the show would just jump 20 years. So, the question remains if and how the flash-forwards will affect the present day storyline.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

A.V. Club reviewer gave 701 a grade of B (they will not be reviewing every Arrow episode this season, but only certain episodes)...

Arrow confidently enters a new era, though it seems a little Lost
Allison Shoemaker  October 16, 2018
https://tv.avclub.com/arrow-confidently-enters-a-new-era-though-it-seems-a-l-1829758163

Quote

With so much built-in repetition, so much ground already covered, there are really only two successful paths forward. One, do something new. Two, dip back into the familiar, but do so in a way that’s unexpected, extremely well done, or, ideally, both. In her first outing as showrunner, Beth Schwartz went for a little from both columns. The result, to put it plainly, ain’t half bad.

“Inmate 4587,” a subdued but appealingly efficient premiere, feels in many ways like the kind of episode you’d get much later in the season. It’s here to set the table, moving all the pieces around to line things up for the future. Given how inconsistent the sixth season was, this seems like a wise choice; the episode, written by Schwartz and Wilmer Balderrama and directed by Arrow stalwart James Bamford, doesn’t exactly hit control-Z on the season 6 finale, but does spend a significant chunk of its runtime rejiggering the dynamics and energy of the series. Yes, there’s the standard time-jump check-in, but the most important information here isn’t, for example, what Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) is up to career-wise, it’s where she’s at emotionally and in her relationships. The same goes for all of them. And beyond that, after the chaos that was the end of season six, the show needed to make these characters recognizably human again. A tall order, but one that’s nevertheless fulfilled.
*  *  *
The revelation that the series of flashbacks seen throughout the episode were actually flash-forwards feels like classic Arrow (and also, of course, like Lost). The fogginess of Oliver’s timeline after the wreck of the Queen’s Gambit but before his proper return to then-Starling City was key to the early seasons of Arrow, considerably adding to the complexity of a character that could too easily go one-note and giving the writers plenty of room to play (for better and worse). But like the best of those decisions, this is a jump focused on characters, not on mythology or some sort of explosive, plot-driven element. William, all grown up, is looking for Roy Harper, who “knew [his] father” (past tense). Roy Harper is alone (maybe) on Lian Yu. How they got there and what happened all matters, but the why is infinitely more interesting.
*  *  *
Welcome back, Arrow! The A.V. Club is discontinuing weekly coverage for now, but I’ll be back for the crossover event, the finale, and maybe an episode or two in between. We’ll see. Always happy to discuss the show on Twitter, and you can also find me covering DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow, which returns next week.
*  *  *
Firmly in favor of Felicity’s pink hair. Firmly on board with conveniently shipping William off to boarding school. Firmly delighted by “Oh, thank god you monologue.”

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Craig Wack and Tatiana Torres are no longer doing their Agents of Geek podcast - you can listen to their farewell podcast from last month here...
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/?p=520

-- At around the 50:00 mark, Craig gave me a shout-out: "And thanks to everyone who live-tweeted, listened to the show, gave us feedback... um, tv echo and the folks at the Television Without Pity forums who would post our highlights, uh, talking about Arrow every week. I thought that was great, and that really kept us - I think - I don't know, it kept us honest. And I, you know, followed 'em. Um, you know, Olicity forever, on that one...."

Thank you, Craig and Tatiana for your always entertaining podcast discussions of Arrow episodes every week!

Fortunately, Craig Wack is still writing Arrow reviews for Oohlo...

Arrow, ‘Inmate 4587’: Life in Jail Isn’t All French Novels and Nice Meals
BY CRAIG WACK · OCTOBER 16, 2018
http://oohlo.com/2018/10/16/arrow-inmater-4587-life-in-jail-isnt-all-french-novels-and-nice-meals/

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Sex and the Olicity: It’s hard to have makeouts and sweet moments when one half of the couple is behind bars, and both parties are getting the hell beat out of them. But here we are; when Ollie isn’t sure if his family is dead or alive, a battered Felicity, fresh off her escape from Diaz, pays Ollie a visit. Oliver is both relieved and heartbroken at the sight of her, and the encounter goes downhill from there for him. It’s clear Olicity is still strong, though Felicity announces the aforementioned mama bear attitude, and her intention to take the fight to Diaz.
*  *  *
What about the action: For those who missed shots of Oliver working out, this episode was for you. With nothing much else to do, there’s not a surface in the prison that Ollie won’t push-up or pull-up on. Most of the action was just so-so, but a prison setting doesn’t have the same possibilities as an abandoned warehouse. The mystery Arrow wannabe must have an environmentalist streak in him, because he sure loves to pop lightbulbs. Most of the prison fight scenes were garden variety, but the prison shower battle was pretty inspired, and well-executed. It was also kind of cool to see Ollie go after his tormentors with some hardcover literary references and free weights.
*  *  *
Last impressions:  Like the previous two CW premieres, Arrow‘s season kickoff introduced enough interesting fodder to offer hope for a decent season. I’m still a little wary of the Diaz stuff; he was not an interesting villain when he was a mastermind, so I have my doubts now that he’s merely a psychopath looking to kill a woman and child. However, I do like that he’s being used as a vehicle to allow Felicity to be proactive, rather than relegating her to the sidelines to play the weeping damsel. I will go on the record, like I did with The Flash when Barry was imprisoned — Ollie in jail is going to get old fast. If he’s not sprung from prison by Episode 3, this season will be off on the wrong foot.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Inmate 4587’
Julia Valenti  October 16, 2018
https://fanfest.com/2018/10/16/arrow-recap-inmate-4587/

Quote

I have been a fan of Arrow since the very beginning, and after last night I can say with utmost certainty that the Season 7 premiere was without a doubt, the best season opener in the entire series. I have longed to know what happened to my beloved characters for so long, and last night’s episode was extremely fulfilling. I was so sad to see it end, and I can’t wait to see what happens next week!
*  *  *
I have to say, I’m certainly still confused about the Lian Yu sequence. I’m interested to see how exactly this timeline is going to pan out, but I absolutely loved the episode overall. This season opener contained all the necessary elements for success, and delivered to the fullest extent!

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Arrow': Easter Eggs and Pop Culture References in "Inmate 4587"
By JENNA ANDERSON - October 15, 2018
https://comicbook.com/dc/2018/10/16/arrow-season-7-episode-1-easter-eggs-oliver-felicity/

Quote

SLIDE 2 of 9  PRISONER #4587
...
While this might not be the most obvious of Easter eggs, it serves as an homage to the agent number used by Vinnie Terranova on the late-80s TV series Wiseguy.
*  *  *
SLIDE 5 of 9  HOPE SPRINGS
...
From there, the episode took us to Felicity and William, who have been hiding in Witness Protection for the past several months.

Where were they hiding? Hope Springs, a midwestern town with a weird tie to the comics. Green Lantern and Green Arrow most notably visited the West Virginian town during their "Hard Travelin' Heroes" time in the 1970s, back when the town was called "Desolation".

SLIDE 6 of 9  RADU'S COFFEE
...
Arrow's time in Hope Springs also brought another pretty sly reference -- this time to Radu's Coffee, the place where Felicity works.

The locale most prominently factors into the '90s runs of Green Lantern, as a "trendy" coffee shop that Kyle Rayner frequented, and once lived above.
*  *  *
SLIDE 8 of 9  HOZEN
...
Towards the end of the episode, Felicity gave William a parting gift before sending him off to boarding school -- one that will surely tug on the heartstrings of Arrow fans.

In the early episodes of Arrow, Oliver gave Thea Queen (Willa Holland) a Hozen, a Japanese arrowhead that he had found on one of the bodies of Lian Yu. The rock contained coordinates that helped Oliver and company against Professor Ivo, and it also proved as a catalyst for Oliver, Thea, and Roy's various dynamics over the years.

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

‘ARROW’ 7×01 REVIEW: “INMATE 4587” AKA HOLY S**T
Posted on October 16, 2018 By Alyssa Barbieri
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-7x01-review-inmate-4587-aka-holy-st/

Quote

That is how you do a season premiere. There was action, emotion, suspense, intrigue, good writing, great acting, and a genuine sense of respect. Much like Arrow’s season 6 finale felt like the close of one chapter, this season 7 premiere felt like a new beginning. A new beginning with shades of the past, but there’s definitely a new spark that I haven’t felt in quite some time watching this show. It’s weird. But I’m so freaking here for it.
*  *  *
As far as season premieres go, “Inmate 4587” did a fantastic job of setting the tone for the start of the season. Arrow continues to be the model for dark DCTV while setting up some interesting character dynamics — even with characters I do not like — and brought the emotion to a new level with Oliver and Felicity. Not that I’m surprised. Oliver and Felicity have been the heart of this show and have provided some of the strongest and some of the more emotional moments of this series. It was good to see this show hasn’t forgotten what got it here.
*  *  *
Also, yes honey, you’ve still got it. You never lost it. Sorry to that guy at the coffee shop, but her husband would squash you if he even saw you talking to her.

Perhaps the highlight of Felicity continuing to be a badass (because she’s always been one) was when Diaz broke into their house armed with the only thing he can do something with: A gun. Real villains don’t need a gun to do damage. And we know Diaz isn’t a real villain. He’s not scary in the slightest.

But there was Felicity — staring down the barrel of a gun — looking at William behind Diaz and thinking of a way to save them both. And she did. She screamed for William to run and took down Diaz with a pot of coffee and a fireplace poker long enough for ARGUS to get there. Once a badass, always a badass. Bow down to Felicity Smoak-Queen.
*  *  *
Speaking of that badass fight scene — the way Arrow paralleled Oliver and Felicity’s fight scenes was a sheer thing of beauty. Both were incredibly satisfying and thrilling and had me fist pumping (especially when Felicity was beating up that stupid lizard.) There were so many callbacks to Oliver and Felicity. Reminders that Oliver and Felicity are one. That your comic book canon means nothing to them. That this is what true love looks like.
*  *  *
If there’s one constant in the Arrow world, it’s that Oliver and Felicity are pure magic and Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards will find a way to make you feel everything these characters are feeling when together. We’ve surpassed just chemistry. This is more than chemistry. It’s a connection.

Every time these two are on screen, you sit up a little straighter because you know something magical is about to happen. Here we had a scene — THE SCENE — where Oliver and Felicity are seeing each other for the first time since Oliver was taken away to prison. Here we had a scene — THE SCENE — where Oliver was agonizing over whether Felicity was still alive. Here we had a scene — THE SCENE — where even glass wasn’t enough to shield our eyes from the fire that was their chemistry. All it took was a look. And another look. And a touch to the glass. And the tears. Their tears. My tears. Your tears. Angels’ tears. All without words.
*  *  *
Anyway, back to Olicity. It’s pure magic when they’re together. Even when they’re separated by glass. And that scene was everything it was hyped to be and more. And knowing that this might be the last time we get an interaction between them for six weeks is excruciatingly torturous. But it’s again a reminder that we’re getting something we’ve wanted for so long: Married Olicity facing the world. This is no doubt the hardest challenge they’ve faced, but they’ve already proven their love can survive anything. Even a prison storyline.
*  *  *
-Dinah is now the police captain (how the hell did that happen?)
-Black Siren is now the District Attorney (how the hell did that happen?)
-Curtis is working with ARGUS (how did Diggle let that happen?)
*  *  *
This is Arrow’s best flash forward since that season 4 grave scene where we were all flipping our shit.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

Arrow Review: Inmate 4587 (Season 7 Episode 1)
October 16, 2018  Brianna Martinez
https://www.telltaletv.com/2018/10/arrow-review-inmate-4587-season-7-episode-1/

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Of course, it takes a fight scene – that is phenomenally paralleled—and an emotional conversation with Felicity to get him to realize what he has to do…fight back.

Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards are already kicking off the season with tremendous, heartbreaking performances and it’s highlighted in the fight scene and their reunion scene.
*  *  *
That parallel fight scene is phenomenal as it intercuts nicely between Oliver taking on multiple prisoners that are sent after him and Felicity taking on Diaz. There’s a desperate need to survive on both of their ends, and it somehow ends in similar ways as Felicity eventually gets overpowered, and Oliver gets knocked to the floor and told that Felicity is dead.

Seeing the fight go out of Oliver as the prisoner tells him that Felicity is just gut-wrenching.

Meanwhile, that reunion scene plays to one of my favorite kinds of moments between the pair, the open and highly emotional scenes.

It’s not any big moments, just a combination of small, heartbreaking ones as Oliver pleads with Felicity to keep her and William safe and away and Felicity being entirely done with it all and ready to fight back.
*  *  *
Felicity’s never been one to back down from a fight especially when it comes to people she loves or what she believes is right. From Ra’s al Ghul to standing up to Nazi Oliver, she doesn’t shy away from danger.

So, it’s a fantastic moment when she tells Oliver she’s not leaving, he doesn’t get to decide for her this time, and that she’s fighting back.
*  *  *
While the Queen-Smoak family’s obstacles utterly outshine everything else in the present, we also get treated to something potentially compelling in establishing a flash-forward arc.

The way it’s introduced adds a level of mystery that the ultimate reveal of a future William looking to an older Roy for help doesn’t deflate. If anything, it launches a host of questions about why he is asking Roy for help, how did Roy end up on Lian Yu, when is this all happening, and where are Oliver and Felicity.
*  *  *
I’m not going to lie, I’m still kind of mad at the newbies for their choices during the back half of Arrow Season 6, so it’s interesting to see them thriving out there as Dinah makes Captain, Curtis is at ARGUS and Rene is out there doing community outreach. Honestly, I’m still waiting for some remorse or something.

Edited by tv echo
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SmallScreenDiva

SmallScreenDiva

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

Craig Wack and Tatiana Torres are no longer doing their Agents of Geek podcast - you can listen to their farewell podcast from last month here...
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/?p=520

-- At around the 50:00 mark, Craig gave me a shout-out: "And thanks to everyone who live-tweeted, listened to the show, gave us feedback... um, tv echo and the folks at the Television Without Pity forums who would post our highlights, uh, talking about Arrow every week. I thought that was great, and that really kept us - I think - I don't know, it kept us honest. And I, you know, followed 'em. Um, you know, Olicity forever, on that one...."

Awww, that's pretty cool @tv echo! It sounds like they checked out the forum. 

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Trisha

Trisha

10 hours ago, tv echo said:

A.V. Club reviewer gave 701 a grade of B (they will not be reviewing every Arrow episode this season, but only certain episodes)...

This bums me out; I always felt they had the most sophisticated reviews. I wonder why they stopped since the Arrow ones always seems popular. (Despite what the article’s comment thread suggests, I don’t actually believe that networks pay for reviews.) 

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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

6 minutes ago, Trisha said:

This bums me out; I always felt they had the most sophisticated reviews. I wonder why they stopped since the Arrow ones always seems popular. (Despite what the article’s comment thread suggests, I don’t actually believe that networks pay for reviews.) 

I was bummed to read that too - I always liked discussing the show over there. Allison mentioned in the comments that she'd be reviewing episodes from time to time, so I guess maybe she didn't want to do it anymore and they couldn't find someone else to pick it up. I don't blame them, haha. Someone else mentioned starting a discussion thread, so that might be happening even if there aren't any recaps. 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

ARROW: INMATE 4587 REVIEW
BY JESSE SCHEDEEN   OCT. 16, 2018
https://in.ign.com/inmate-4587/129113/review/arrow-season-7-premiere-inmate-4587-review

Quote

It’s great to see Arrow making some sweeping changes after the mess that was Season 6. Sure, that season ended on a pretty strong note (once it decided to finally start giving Ricardo Diaz the attention he deserved), but that hardly made up for the months of plodding, formulaic storytelling leading up to that point. This new approach feels like just the adrenaline boost Arrow needed. Though, predictably, the revamped status quo isn’t without its problems in the premiere.
*  *  *
Ollie’s prison ordeal is easily the most compelling aspect of the new season so far. Stephen Amell is doing a great job of playing Ollie as a man living inside himself, afraid to rock the boat even slightly for fear of adding more time onto his sentence. He’s a man full of repressed fury, and it doesn’t help that his desire for freedom is already clashing against his innate sense of heroism.
*  *  *
Unfortunately, the storylines set outside the prison don’t quite measure up. Even though pretty much every member of the former Team Arrow is in a very different place this year, these changes generally don’t hold the same weight as Ollie’s incarceration. This episode has me questioning whether some of these characters even need to remain in play any longer. What purpose does Curtis serve now? Why should we even buy the notion of Black Siren becoming Star City’s DA? The newfound tension between Rene and Dinah also seems forced, especially considering it’s coming right on the heels of the Team Arrow civil war from last season. The time may have come to trim the fat when it comes to the ensemble cast. Too many of those scenes served only to derail the momentum of Ollie's story.

As for Felicity and William, their subplot started out well enough but ended on a really strange note. Felicity’s current character arc has the right blend of humor (genius hacker stuck working a thankless coffee shop job) and drama (a wife separated from her husband and caring for her adopted child). All of that took a bizarre turn once Diaz unexpectedly reared his head. Given that that scene unfolded right after one of Ollie’s nightmares, it was tough to tell at first whether what we were seeing was actually real. And then to transition directly from Diaz threatening to torture Felicity to her returning to Star City and reuniting with Ollie seemed a very wonky storytelling choice. It definitely feels like there’s a missing chunk of story there. Maybe that’s intentional, but the whole thing felt very awkwardly handled.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

As usual, jbuffyangel's review includes a lot of great animated gifs...

Fight Back: Arrow 7x01 Review (Inmate 4587)
October 17, 2018
http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/179141261398/fight-back-arrow-7x01-review-inmate-4587

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WOW.  Arrow’s Season 7 premiere came out swinging! This took me way longer to write than my typical season premiere because there is so much to unpack. “Inmate 4587” is in my top 3 of Arrow premieres. Not too shabby for seven seasons in. Way to bring your A game, Arrow.
*  *  *
It’s tricky to separate your main couple for long periods of time on a television show.  The central love story can be easily lost if you don’t keep the characters connected even when they are physically or emotionally separated. Arrow is always at its best when Felicity and Oliver are united as a team. The show flounders when this couple is separated for long periods of time or not allowed to emotionally connect.

“Inmate 4587” plays it smart. Oliver and Felicity may be separated by walls, but they’ve never been more connected. They are both on an island. Felicity is struggling to adjust to her new environment as well. Her name is Erin. She’s living in Hope Springs and is the cutest pink haired barista to ever live.
*  *  *
But nobody fucks with her cub. Felicity goes full Mama Bear on Diaz and it is spectacular. 
*  *  *
She takes advantage of Diaz’s need to monologue (Of course he monologues. All arrogant pricks monologue) and gets William out. Felicity didn’t hesitate to put her body between William and danger. That’s love. That’s being a mother.  It makes me emotional even thinking of it now and Imma need a tissue. Just a second.
*  *  *
Okay I’m good. Just when we thought there was nothing better than Oliver fighting naked in a shower they give us Felicity kicking Diaz’s ass. Can we take a moment to appreciate how little Felicity Smoak, all of 5’ 5” and less than 100 pounds, beat the crap out of the big bad, super ninja Dragon with a coffee pot and a poker? AMAAAAAAAZING. 
*  *  *
Sure, he flips her into a table like a rag doll, but that’s like being impressed if Goliath beat David. Diaz doesn’t get points for putting a woman HALF HIS SIZE through a table.
*  *  *
It is like watching Oliver be reborn. He was dead inside. All hope vanished from his eyes. The will to live was gone. Then that beautiful, but battered vision of pink and flannel flies through the door and Oliver remembers how to breathe again. He comes back to life.
*  *  *
They may be separated by walls and glass, but they are connected in their suffering. They are connected in the way they deal with that suffering.  They are connected by vows.
*  *  *
I also know some were bothered the grave sites were still in tact, but I’m fine with it. First, it’s Arrow. They play fast and loose with accuracy at times. BS is a DA. If you want to cry foul she’s the bigger fish to fry.

Edited by tv echo
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