BkWurm1 January 11, 2019 Share January 11, 2019 7 hours ago, Primal Slayer said: Has CW lost it? They bringing Arrow back for 2 weeks then sending it on another 2 month hiatus just to move it to a later timeslot? https://www.newsarama.com/43421-cw-announces-2019-premiere-dates-for-arrow-dc-s-legends-of-tomorrow-izombie.html I don't think this is correct https://tvline.com/2019/01/10/the-100-season-6-premiere-date-legends-of-tomorrow-season-4/ Arrow moves back an hour to 9 pm starting April 15, following a two-week break. Link to comment
tv echo January 15, 2019 Share January 15, 2019 (edited) Why we love our ‘Arrowverse’ superheroines without a mask Lynsey Neill January 5, 2019https://www.purefandom.com/2019/01/05/why-we-love-our-arrowverse-superheroines-without-a-mask/ Quote Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ass-kicking from a leather-clad superheroine as much as the next girl. But there is no prerequisite to being a superhero. When we become privy to the world of the superheroes we see on screen, it’s natural to make comparisons between who goes out and fights, and who fights in a different way. It’s easy for strength to get lost in translation, and it unknowingly perpetuates the idea that to be a strong woman you need to meet certain criteria. But being strong should just be as simple as how you champion yourself, and what brings you happiness. No matter the career path, or lack thereof. * * *Felicity Smoak, Arrow ... She’s our favorite tech-goddess whose soul can be fed in computer code. This future CEO of Smoak Tech is compassionate, beyond intelligent, and quite skilled in the art of diffusing tension with humor. We would all be lost without her, especially Oliver Queen. Edited January 15, 2019 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
tv echo January 15, 2019 Share January 15, 2019 (edited) Article includes video clips from relevant Olicity scenes mentioned below... ‘Arrow’: A breakdown of Olicity’s tech support scenes Lynsey Neill December 11, 2018https://www.purefandom.com/2018/12/11/arrow-a-breakdown-of-olicitys-tech-support-scenes/ Quote When our beloved sweet bean uttered the immortal words: “Felicity Smoak? Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.” You could feel its rumble, hear its construction, and see the glittery green paint write “S.S. Olicity” on this massive unsinkable ship. Let me tell you something we all already know, but couldn’t hurt to reiterate: Our ship was sturdy even then. * * * If just the simple act of Oliver Queen introducing himself to Felicity Smoak wasn’t enough for you to buy a ticket to their sizzling and unparalleled chemistry, and eventual heart-stopping romance, then it happened sometime when he stopped by for tech support in season 1. The Trust of Olicity ... Oliver and Felicity’s flirty banter, coupled with the subtext of “I know you’re lying, but I see you” and “I know you know I’m lying, but you’re not calling me on it.” Started the foundation of a great partnership and trust between the two. I’m aware that lying and trust contradict, but it was a leap of faith for both of them. For Felicity, she had faith that he was lying for a good reason, or what he thought was a good reason, (see what I did there)? It was also a feeling that she just met someone who would change her life forever, and she truly had. Sometimes you just know, and Felicity Smoak knew. For Oliver, he had faith that Felicity would come through and be of help, and that she wouldn’t see through his facade. Oh, she saw through it buddy, and to your surprise, this sunshine human gave you compassion. And you loved her for it. Love, at its core, is a leap of faith. * * *#1 Felicity Smoak? Hi, I’m Oliver Queen. * * *#2 I thought this was your laptop? * * *#3 Happily… I mean. ... Look! It’s OTA! Oliver is like, “look at this new friend I made, Diggle! Isn’t she great?” and Digg’s like, “right… friend.” #4 Felicity, you’re remarkable. * * *#5 No, but if it works for you, go with it. ... That way he looks at her though. Don’t tell me Oliver Queen wasn’t picturing all of the pretty babies he was going to have with Felicity Smoak. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. * * *#6 You look like something the cat dragged in. * * *#7 You can trust me. * * *#8 Felicity, I do believe in magic. * * * I’m proud to announce that the S.S. Olicity is still sailing, and their King and Queen of DCTV flag will fly forevermore. Edited January 15, 2019 by tv echo 5 Link to comment
tv echo January 15, 2019 Share January 15, 2019 (edited) ‘Arrow’: What we want to see in season 7B Lynsey Neill January 9, 2019https://www.purefandom.com/2019/01/09/arrow-what-we-want-to-see-in-season-7b/ Quote #1 OTA together again ... They are the team. Our people. Let’s get back to that, please. Listen, I realize Diggle is going through a thing. And I’m not requesting that we bulldoze over said thing all in the name of getting back to normal. Because that would be frustrating too. Diggle needs to lay all his cards on the table in front of his best friends, and give them apologies. Everyone needs to say their peace and be stronger for it. Simple conflict resolution. It can happen. These three are too epic together to settle for anything else. #2 Closure with the newbies ... Dinah has had the most screen time of the newbies, and the transition of her filling Quentin’s role has been an interesting one. On the one hand, her police caption status makes sense for her character, and on the other, her flip-flopping stances on vigilantes is feeling a little like Laurel Lance circa season 1. All I want for Dinah, Rene, and Curtis is closure. An acknowledgment of sh*tty behavior, and their role in Oliver’s sacrifice. Rene is the only one that apologized (but still makes the occasional cringey comment), Dinah said “I respect you,” and Curtis has said nothing. I need more for closure, and I need more for their to be even a modicum of a reason why Oliver and Felicity will ever work with them again. * * *#3 Some hope in the future ... Having everything be so dark in both the present and future really puts a damper in morale. You know what will insert some sunshine in this future dystopian Star City? Revealing Maya as Oliver and Felicity’s daughter, and showing us that Felicity is “shockingly” alive and well. * * *#4 Olicity ... I think we have all felt Olicity deprived and I’m not saying I need to hear “love is too small a word” and “you will always be the love of my life” every episode. However, Olicity works extremely well together, and they are the team within the team. I just want to see them together and on the same page. Shower sex also never hurt anybody. #5 Figure out Oliver’s role post-prison ... Being an arrow-for-hire for the SCPD is not going to cut it. But I can go with this for now. #6 Smoak Tech * * *#8 The Diaz of it all ... Just go away. Bring in Stan. Edited January 15, 2019 by tv echo 7 Link to comment
tv echo January 15, 2019 Share January 15, 2019 (edited) Here’s which Olicity moment you are based on your zodiac sign Lynsey Neill January 14, 2019https://www.purefandom.com/2019/01/14/heres-which-olicity-moment-you-are-based-on-your-zodiac-sign/ Quote Aquarius January 20 – February 18“You don’t have to carry that burden any longer” (5×19) ... Aquarius’ are quiet, intellectual, and problem solvers. And this quiet but impactful season 5 Olicity moment encapsulates both Oliver and Felicity’s valid points, as well as all the characteristics of an Aquarius. * * *Pisces February 19 – March 20“We found ourselves in each other” (4×06) ... Pisces are faithful, generous, and selfless. This season 4 moment had all of us swooning for sure, but it also had us reveling in Oliver and Felicity’s ability to communicate and work through their problems. Olicity both checked in with themselves, and then with each other, without judgment. If that’s not a Pisces I don’t know what is. * * *Aries March 21 – April 19“I’m glue, baby” (6×18) ... Aries are energetic, active, and courageous. This season 6 moment featured something we have never seen before: A running Felicity Smoak. Felicity “I’ve got to save my husband” Smoak was racing down the streets of Star City to save Oliver from, well, himself. She’s the only one that could make the smoke clear (pun intended) with the reassuring words “I’m glue, baby.” All the Aries in the audience were proud… but were also crying. * * *Taurus April 20 – May 20“I love you” (3×20) ... Taurus’ are loving, affectionate, and are appreciators of a beautiful aesthetic. What better describes a Taurus then this season 3 moment? Felicity tells Oliver she loves him for the first time, and as a result they were very affectionate with each other (wink wink, nudge nudge). Also the candles, mood-lighting, and Nanda Parbat landscape had a certain aesthetic appeal. * * *Gemini May 21 – June 20“Felicity Smoak? Hi, I’m Oliver Queen” (1×03) ... Gemini’s are expressive, quick-witted, and curious. The very first meeting of our OTP, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, is one for the ages. Like a classic Gemini, their curiosity peaked not just with each other individually, but with how they made each other feel. Gemini’s revel in their iconic flirty banter and surprising, or not-so-surprising smiles. * * *Cancer June 21 – July 22“You will always be the love of my life” (7×09) ... Cancer’s are intuitive, sentimental, and empathetic. This already iconic season 7 scene takes place when Olicity are going through some changes as a couple. Oliver’s love speech to Felicity (when she thinks he’s Barry) is about Oliver recognizing what she needs, while also reiterating this undying and universal truth: Felicity Smoak will always be the love of Oliver Queen’s life. All of us, especially the Cancer’s, rejoiced when we heard him say those words. * * *Leo July 23 – August 22“She’s the one that lights my way” (4×09) ... Leo’s are confident, loyal, and dramatic. Proposing to a crowd full of people definitely takes the confidence of a Leo. And not only did Oliver Queen pop the question, he explained to this very large crowd why Felicity Smoak is the only one for him. No wonder they were crowned Star City’s power couple. * * *Virgo August 23 – September 22“Don’t ask me to say that I don’t love you” (3×01) ... Virgo’s are tender, detail-oriented, and misunderstood. This season 3 moment was a tender confirmation of Oliver’s love for Felicity, even though he felt he had to end it. It’s in the details, he’s not saying “I love you,” but he’s expressing it in every other way he can. It was very heart-breaking and romantic all in one breath. Virgo’s will approve. * * *Libra September 23 – October 22“You are not alone, and I believe in you” (2×22) ... Libra’s are peaceful, fair, and value partnership and justice above all else. Felicity’s “pep talk” to Oliver not only embodies all-things-Libra, but is also a defining moment in the Olicity relationship. They were already crime-fighting partners, but this is the moment they became partners in life, too. * * *Scorpio October 23 – November 21“Your problem is with me, it’s not with her” (2×07) ... Scorpio’s are determined, truthful, and insightful. And no one was ever more determined than Oliver Queen when he rescued Felicity from The Count. Conviction never left Oliver— not when he shot him with arrows, and especially not when he told Felicity she was safe. Scorpio’s everywhere had their hearts melting at this moment. * * *Sagittarius November 22 – December 21“I’ve had a lot to drink” (5×20) ... Sagittarius’ are extroverted, enthusiastic, and optimistic. This spur-of-the-moment hook-up between Olicity completely embodies a quintessential Sagittarius. They didn’t over think it, they just did what felt right in the moment. And boy, was it hot! * * *Capricorn December 22 – January 19“At last” (6×09) ... Capricorn’s are traditional, independent, and responsible. And Olicity’s first dance, or rather their entire wedding reception, symbolizes how they’ve grown into two people ready for marriage. There wasn’t a dry Capricorn eye in the house. Edited January 15, 2019 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo January 18, 2019 Share January 18, 2019 (edited) Considering it's TV Fanatic, I actually agreed with some of their points (like, for example, regarding Diaz), but I still have to give a major eye-roll to Felicity and Black Siren becoming BFFs (their relationship started out as enemies and, no, they don't have that much in common); also, jeers to TV Fanatic for blaming only Felicity for Olicity's temporary break-up... Arrow Season 7 Midseason Report Card: Best Action Sequence, Biggest WTF? Moment & More! Brandon Vieira at January 16, 2019https://www.tvfanatic.com/slideshows/arrow-season-7-midseason-report-card-best-action-sequence-bigges/ Quote 7. #FriendshipGoals - Laurel and Felicity ... Talk about a pairing we never knew we needed. Laurel and Felicity have been working together throughout Season 7 in an attempt to free Oliver from Slabside. Despite their relationship starting out as strictly professional, the two have quickly formed a bond and their friendship has been a major highlight of Season 7. They share undeniable chemistry and have way more in common than anyone would like to admit. They both struggle with the darkness inside them, and Laurel has been the key to keeping Felicity's newfound darkness in check. Hopefully, these #Besties will continue to pal around despite Oliver being released. These two solving crimes together breathed new life into the show, and Arrow Fanatics are living for it! * * *13. Most Romantic Moment - "I Will Always, Always Love You" ... Sometimes all it takes is one look to make millions of people's hearts swoon, and that's exactly what Oliver did in this extremely tender and emotional moment. Oliver hadn't seen Felicity in months after being sent to prison and when he heard from one of Diaz's goons that Diaz killed Felicity, Oliver was in a panic. However, that turns into pure relief and gratitude when he sees her, pink hair and all, walk through the door. That one look would've been enough, but then Felicity managed to melt Arrow Fanatics' hearts, even more, when she told Oliver that she will always love him and always wait for him. It was a moment filled with romance and sadness, not knowing when these two soulmates would get to have another moment like this again. 14. Best Action Sequence - The Shower Fight ... Season 7 has provided Arrow Fanatics with some of the best action sequences of 2018, but none were able to outshine the very first of the season. It was what every fight scene should be. The sequence flashed back and forth between Oliver fighting off goons in the shower and Felicity fighting Diaz. Felicity deserves a round of applause for her kick-ass abilities, but lets' face it, Oliver stole the show here. Kicking a bunch of people's asses while wet and naked, what can't this man do. Oliver Queen truly is a hero to us all. 15. Sexiest Scene - Reunited and It Feels So Good ... Olicity was put through the wringer on the first half of Season 7, and Arrow Fanatics were eager to see the two reunite. They got their wish and then some when the two shared a post-shower love scene just a few weeks after Oliver's release. Olicity have had plenty of steamy moments in seasons past, but they didn't get to share a lot of screentime together on the first half of Season 7, so this reunion sex scene made up for the lack of Olicity before this. The pair may have had issues that they needed to deal with because both Oliver and Felicity had become different people during their separation, but one thing they didn't have to worry about was the physical chemistry they had in the sack. That's hot no matter where they stand in their relationship. 16. Biggest WTF? Moment - Olicity Breakup ... Talk about a 180! Olicity began Oliver's return to Star City with some sensual love and ended it with a breakup! It came completely out of left field and was a huge blow to Olicity fans who eagerly anticipated their long-awaited reunion. It was obvious that Oliver returning to normal life was going to cause some issues for the pair, and adjustment to this new life was going to take some time. Perhaps if the show held off on this break up until later in the season, when the problems between the two escalated more, it would make more sense. Yet, Felicity telling Oliver she needs space almost as soon as he returned felt like a huge slap in the face to both him and Arrow Fanatics everywhere. The worst part was that the couple reunited on Arrow Season 7 Episode 10, rendering this whole break up pointless. * * *18. Overall Grade - B+ ... If this grade was solely based on Season 7's action sequences alone, it would've gotten an A+. The show's been stellar on that front. Oliver's story has also been stellar, and Slabside managed to be one of the most compelling stories told in 2018. Stephen Amell deserves a standing ovation for the exceptional work, both physically and emotionally, he delivered. The partnership of Felicity and Laurel also can't be praised enough. The pairing's quickly become a cornerstone of the show that hopefully will continue. The flashforwards started out great and were told at a solid pace, but the introduction of Dinah added a confusing layer that wasn't needed. And while Dinah's been pushed to the forefront, Diggle, Lyla, Rene, and Curtis didn't get nearly enough screentime. Let's hope that changes in the second half of Season 7. 1. Best Character - Oliver Queen 2. Most Improved Character - Laurel Lance 3. Worst Character - Dinah Drake 4. Most Intriguing New Character - Blackstar 5. Best Twist - Oliver’s Long Lost Sister aka The New Green Arrow 6. Worst Twist - Diaz Is Still Alive 7. #FriendshipGoals - Laurel and Felicity 8. #2019FitnessGoals - Oliver Queen 9. Villian We're Most Excited About - Stanley 10. Villian We Need To Get Rid Of - Ricardo Diaz 11. Best Episode - "The Slabside Redemption" 12. Worst Episode - "Level Two" 13. Most Romantic Moment - "I Will Always, Always Love You" 14. Best Action Sequence - The Shower Fight 15. Sexiest Scene - Reunited and It Feels So Good 16. Biggest WTF? Moment - Olicity Breakup 17. Biggest LOL Moment - Oliver & Barry in "Elseworlds" 18. Overall Grade - B+ Edited January 18, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
Chaser January 18, 2019 Share January 18, 2019 They didn’t even break up so invalid opinion. 16 Link to comment
lemotomato January 18, 2019 Share January 18, 2019 He also got the quote wrong for #13. It's "I love you, and I will always always wait for you." 6 Link to comment
bijoux January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 17 hours ago, Chaser said: They didn’t even break up so invalid opinion. I was baffled by that and thought that they were talking about S4 at first. 3 Link to comment
Mary0360 January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 "Laurel is the key to keeping Felicity new found darkness in check" 14 Link to comment
JamieLynn832002 January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 58 minutes ago, Mary0360 said: "Laurel is the key to keeping Felicity new found darkness in check" I somehow missed that but doesn't everyone know gleeful serial murderers are the key to keeping good people from going dark, especially if they've repeatedly tried to murder the person in question? I want some of whatever this guy is smoking. I actually liked Felicity and Laurel's interactions but that entire paragraph is just bananas. 7 Link to comment
Mary0360 January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 20 minutes ago, JamieLynn832002 said: I somehow missed that but doesn't everyone know gleeful serial murderers are the key to keeping good people from going dark, especially if they've repeatedly tried to murder the person in question? I want some of whatever this guy is smoking. I actually liked Felicity and Laurel's interactions but that entire paragraph is just bananas. Yeah I mean wasn't Laurel all excited over how "ruthless" Felicity was and was saying that Felicity was more interesting to her now that she's going to extremes. 2 Link to comment
BkWurm1 January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 Stopping Felicity from killing DIaz was only a timing thing. It's not like she had to convince Felicity it was better to trade Diaz for Oliver's freedom than kill DIaz. Felicity would have stopped no matter who delivered the message. 2 Link to comment
tv echo January 20, 2019 Share January 20, 2019 (edited) ‘Arrow’: What ships do we want to see sailing? Lynsey Neill January 18, 2019https://www.purefandom.com/2019/01/18/arrow-what-ships-do-we-want-to-see-sailing/ Quote When Diggle and Lyla catch our attentions as the Mr. and Mrs. Smith of Arrow, I am an extremely happy camper. When babies are erased (forever bitter) and Lyla disappears into an ARGUS blackhole, I become less happy to be camping. My crankiness especially doesn’t subdue when whenever we do see Dyla together they continue to have the same fight about morality. The point is, I love Diggle and Lyla, and hope we see more of them. I hope for more badass Mr. and Mrs. Smith moments, and some tranquil domesticity. And even though I want to see these things for Dyla, I think it still couldn’t hurt if Arrow experimented with some new romances. Before you say it, Olicity need not apply. They are perfect and untouchable. In fact, part of the reason why Arrow should spice it up in the new romance department is because of how untouchable they are. Because, A) who will fill the will-they-won’t-they gap? (The two ships we have on this show are married), B) I want Oliver and Felicity to gossip about any potential romance happenings while simultaneously giving their hottest takes, and C) I want people going to them for advice. * * *I think our best bet in present day is Emiko Queen and Dinah Drake ... Listen, I realize we haven’t actually seen any scenes between them, and have no idea if they have any chemistry. But just the idea of their potential ship has me excited. We also cannot ignore the fact that it will check off a Green Arrow and Black Canary romance. THIS IS THE GREEN ARROW AND BLACK CANARY I WANT TO SEE! Two women, fighting crime together, and in love. (Reminds me of another ship that should happen *cough*Supercorp*cough*) It would be so good. Don’t deny your intrigued. * * *In the future, Maya (Queen) and JJ Diggle ... Assumption 1: That Maya is Oliver and Felicity’s daughter in the future Assumption 2: JJ Diggle and will appear in the flash forwards But the daughter of Olicity and the son of Dyla… together? Come on. That union is like two royal families merging a kingdom. Priceless. William with… anybody ... We have present day William and future William, and personally, I would like to see a romance with present day William. Young love, it’s so pure. Selfishly, I want Olicity talk to him about his sexuality and work together in this parenting moment. I want Oliver and Felicity to parent, okay? Edited January 20, 2019 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
BkWurm1 January 20, 2019 Share January 20, 2019 Quote ...I think our best bet in present day is Emiko Queen and Dinah Drake Listen, I realize we haven’t actually seen any scenes between them, and have no idea if they have any chemistry. But just the idea of their potential ship has me excited. We also cannot ignore the fact that it will check off a Green Arrow and Black Canary romance. THIS IS THE GREEN ARROW AND BLACK CANARY I WANT TO SEE! Two women, fighting crime together, and in love. (Reminds me of another ship that should happen *cough*Supercorp*cough*) It would be so good. Don’t deny your intrigued. This is brilliant. Lol 3 Link to comment
jay741982 January 20, 2019 Share January 20, 2019 1 hour ago, BkWurm1 said: This is brilliant. Lol I'm so down for Maya and JJ Together in the future but then wouldnt JJ consider Oliver and Felicity his Aunt and Uncle non blood related and Maya consider Dig and Lyla Uncle John and Aunt Lyla? Unless they go with a sad story for Maya like she was separated from a Young age from Oliver and Felicity and her and JJ meet and fall in love after Maya and Felicity reconnect Link to comment
way2interested January 20, 2019 Share January 20, 2019 WestAllen both see the same man as a dad, so I don't think anything like that would be a problem. That article is so entertaining. 4 Link to comment
jay741982 January 20, 2019 Share January 20, 2019 59 minutes ago, way2interested said: WestAllen both see the same man as a dad, so I don't think anything like that would be a problem. That article is so entertaining. Haha good point. I'm wondering if that's how they reintroduce Adult JJ. We see Blackstar/Maya meet up with him and maybe that's when we hear her be called Maya. Link to comment
tv echo January 21, 2019 Share January 21, 2019 (edited) Welcome back, Arrow Allison Shoemaker January 21, 2019https://tv.avclub.com/welcome-back-arrow-1831881386 Quote Top pick Arrow (The CW, 8 p.m.): When Arrow finished its sixth season last year, it felt as though its best days were behind it. The villains were all starting to sound the same. Oliver had the same revelations over and over again. The new members of Team Arrow became the founders of Not Team Arrow in a storyline that, shall we say, failed to inspire confidence. But a new showrunner and some time away seem to have done the denizens of Star City some good, because in season seven, Arrow seems to have entered a whole new era. (Arr-a? Anybody? No? Okay.) * * * Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) operating as the Green Arrow openly—that’s new. A second Green Arrow who isn’t a villain or a misdirection—also new. Felicity, smiling and seeming to enjoy life—not new, per se, but overdue. Spoiler Hell, it seems that there’s even a new member of the family, as the title (“My Name Is Emiko Queen”) and the midseason cliffhanger would imply. In short, Arrow is back, in more ways than one. And what do you know, TV Club coverage of Arrow is back, too! Look for Allison Shoemaker’s recap this evening. Edited January 21, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) A.V. Club reviewer gave 710 a grade of B+... Emiko introduces herself on a universe-expanding Arrow Allison Shoemaker January 21, 2019https://tv.avclub.com/emiko-introduces-herself-on-a-universe-expanding-arrow-1831940804 Quote What’s most impressive about “My Name Is Emiko Queen” is that it finds a way to still keep Oliver at or near the center of this hour, contending with a major revelation and (briefly) adjusting to his new role at the SCPD, but he is neither the driving force nor the target of that force. His role is to react, but largely internally. What’s more, while we see every current member of Team Arrow at least briefly (nice cameo, Curtis), the team itself has little to do with the proceedings. Instead, everyone adjusts to their new realities, either in the present or in the future, and Arrow establishes a whole new set of allegiances, mysteries, conflicts, and character shifts to explore. All without letting the balls tossed in the air in 2018 fall. It all continues, and it’s all changed. The biggest shift arrives in the forms of the new Green Arrow’s new Team Arrow, and the Queen family drama that ensues. This first exploration into the life of Emiko Queen (Sea Shimooka) feels like a series-shaking paradigm shift, and yet, it’s all classic Arrow. Emiko’s got her list, her bunker, and her training montage. She’s got her “rahhhhh I have to do it all myself grahhhhh” mindset. She’s got loads of Robert Queen-related baggage, a tenuous partnership begun in part because of an unexpected injury, and a fanatical drive to take down bad guys directly linked to the death of a parent. Sound like anyone we know? Yet it still feels new, because after this introduction, the show will never be the same again. Oliver has his own baggage to contend with, and like Emiko’s story, it feels simultaneously new and comfortably familiar, because the show has, at long last, found a way to reintroduce Queen family drama again. And if you’re going to do it, why not go big? Off-shore bank accounts. A secret family, a letter to Walter, Moira’s name attached, a secret family, a promise unfulfilled, reminder that by the way Thea was actually Malcolm Merlyn’s biological daughter, a secret family, and a secret family. Felicity is no stranger to skeletons in the family closet, and even she’s totally floored. * * *This storyline is exactly the sort that suits Stephen Amell the actor (not Stephen Amell the stage combatant) perfectly: It asks him to dig deep, but to simultaneously show precisely how exhausted Oliver is by the constant river of shit that flows his way, and that exhaustion often asserts itself in the form of wry amusement. There are only hints of it here, but it’s a quality that’s been more present in this season that any previous, and it’s always welcome. * * * Look, Kirk Acevedo is a damn good actor, and I will gladly eat my words if this latest attempt at making Diaz happen actually works. But it often feels as though Arrow is a lot more interested in keeping Diaz (and Acevedo) around than it is in keeping up its momentum. At a certain point, you’ve got to cut your losses and find a new story to tell. The rest of Arrow seems brand new, even as it feels original recipe. It’s only the Diaz storylike that feels like it’s well past its expiration date. * * * Welcome back to Arrow coverage! These are running on a trial basis, so if you want more on the continuing adventures of Emiko Queen and her merry men, read, share, and come back next week. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) Arrow recap: Winter premiere answers several Emiko Queen-related questions CHANCELLOR AGARD January 21, 2019https://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-7-episode-10/ Quote Felicity runs the sample through her computer and quickly discover that it matches Robert Queen’s and the new Green Arrow is Oliver’s sister. Look, I’ve never been in a situation like this, but I imagine this is not the way someone would want to find something like this out. By this point, Oliver has made peace with the fact that his father is a man of many secrets. Stephen Amell strikes the right balance between being shocked and resigned to the fact that his family is pretty messed up. Unfortunately, Oliver definitely isn’t prepared to learn just how messed up the present situation is. Through some more computer stuff, Felicity finds an old storage unit paid for by Moira. They have all of the items delivered to their apartment and find a letter Robert wrote to Walter. In the letter, Robert confesses that he loved a woman named Kazumi Adachi and had a daughter with her, but he was forced to abandon them (because of Moira); he also asks Walter to take care of them in the event of his death. That obviously didn’t happen because Moira kept all of this stuff locked in a storage unit. So not only did Oliver just learn that his father had a secret second family, but that the Queens essentially abandoned them. This is a lot to take in for Oliver, who has a natural penchant for feeling guilty for other people’s actions. To be fair, it makes sense that he would feel this way because he returned from Lian Yu intent on righting his father’s wrongs, and it’s obvious he missed out on a big one. The script makes a really smart decision of drawing on the show’s history, particularly where Oliver started out, to handle this revelation. * * * The episode sets up a very interesting distinction between Oliver and Emiko. Whereas he became the Green Arrow to right his father’s mistakes and wrongs, Emiko took up the hood in order to avenge her mother’s death. In other words, we’re dealing with a redemption vs. revenge dichotomy here. Even though their goals are different, they do share some similarities. For one, Emiko, like Oliver believed at the beginning of his career, has embraced the darkness in order to achieve her goal. If there’s one thing we’ve seen over the past few seasons, it’s that that’s not a sustainable method of doing this job. And we can expect Oliver will probably impart this wisdom to her when he, in his quest to redeem the Queen family once again, eventually teams up with her. (The episode ends with him approaching her while she’s visiting her mother’s grave). * * * The other similarity is in their personalities. Both the script and direction suggest that grumpiness is a Queen family trait because Emiko is just as stern as Oliver was when he came home/is. One of the funniest moments of the episode is when she initially tries to get Rene to leave her alone by threatening to put an arrow through his leg, which is exactly what her brother did in season 5 when he met Rene for the first time. * * * Of course, there’s more going on than meets the eye. After his meeting with Dinah, in which he finds out that Felicity was murdered, Old Man Rene meets with a mysterious man who happens to be behind the plan to bomb Star City. Apparently, this mysterious man believes Star City is a cancer that needs to be removed so that the Glades can reach its full potential, and Rene has been working with him. In other words, Rene is involved in the Undertaking 2.0, because history repeats itself. The script does a fairly good job of setting up how desperate Rene is to help the Glades so it isn’t surprising that an older version of himself would agree to do this. I mean, we’ve seen this kind of moral compromise for some twisted version of the greater good before. Not only with Robert Queen, but also with Detective/Captain Lance teaming up with Damien Darhk at the beginning of season 4. I’m actually pretty interested in seeing how this shakes out. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) Arrow Season 7 Episode 10 Review: “My Name Is Emiko Queen” Chris King January 21, 2019https://www.tvovermind.com/arrow-season-7-episode-10-review-my-name-emiko-queen/ Quote After a month-plus hiatus, Arrow returned tonight with its first new episode of 2019, and it was…fine, I guess. To be honest, there’s nothing truly horrible about “My Name Is Emiko Queen” (well, aside from the Diaz scenes, but that’s to be expected at this point); however, nothing throughout the hour really pops either. It all feels routine and moves rather slowly, especially for a mid-season premiere, and for an episode that features Oliver discovering that he has a long-lost half-sister, it should have provided viewers with, well, more Oliver. * * * Because before Oliver Queen was encouraged by friendship and love, he was fueled by revenge, much like his sister is now. As Emiko explains in her closing monologue, the last words spoken in the episode before Oliver confronts her at their father’s grave, revenge is what is currently driving her mission: revenge for her mother, revenge for the Glades, revenge for those who have been mistreated and forgotten. But as Oliver has learned throughout the past seven years, the best way to honor the dead isn’t to kill without mercy and hesitation; it’s not embracing burying yourself in pain and hatred to defeat your enemies. No, it’s about turning to the light instead of trapping yourself in the darkness, it’s fighting for and protecting the living instead of trying to resurrect the dead through violence and murder. This is a lesson that Robert never taught Oliver; he had to learn it through the help of Felicity and Diggle and all the others in his life that he holds most dear. It’s a lesson that he has done his best to pass down to William, and now, hopefully, he’ll be able to share this lesson with his sister so that she can be the hero the Glades needs and deserves, the hero her mother, her father, and now her brother want her to be. * * *My favorite small moment from this episode: Felicity celebrating the new security system she installed at her and Oliver’s apartment. A fun, simple way of acknowledging the new circumstances of this season (Felicity taking more control after what happened with Diaz, Oliver’s Green Arrow identity no longer being secret, which mean more enemies may be coming for them) while also showing that Oliver and Felicity are back in a good place after the events of the “Elseworlds” crossover. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) ARROW SEASON 7, EPISODE 10: "MY NAME IS EMIKO QUEEN" REVIEW BY JESSE SCHEEDEN 21 JAN 2019https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/01/22/arrow-season-7-episode-10-my-name-is-emiko-queen-review Quote This episode is the first to give us a truly in-depth look at Sea Shimooka as Emiko. So far, she’s fine in what’s turned out to be a fairly straightforward role. Shimooka has the necessarily physicality and brooding darkness, but the series isn’t calling for much else just yet. Hopefully that’ll change as Emi and Ollie come face-to-face for the first time next week. * * * This episode did find some success in building up the partnership between Emi and Rene. It’s a constant struggle these days to keep the former members of team Arrow relevant, and this seems like a good status quo shift for Rene. Plus, it’s great seeing the classic Wild Dog costume back in play. There’s a lot of potential for this Green Arrow/Wild Dog partnership to channel the Ollie/Emi relationship form the comics, only with Emi serving as the grumpy, humorless half of the equation. * * * One weird quirk needs to be addressed here, however. The tone of the Ollie/Felicity relationship has taken such a drastic shift from the previous couple episodes. “Unmasked” made it seem as though the two were basically broken up. And even with the crossover cooling things off a bit, it’s bizarre to see the two act as though there’s no tension between them. * * * Sadly, I do find myself rapidly losing interest in the flash-forward scenes at this point. What started out as a compelling glimpse of the Arrowverse’s future has pretty well lost its momentum in recent episodes. The more characters that get added to this storyline and the more it drifts from its focus on William and Roy, the less weight it carries. Do we really need to hop a couple decades in the future just to watch these characters trying to prevent Star City from being blown up again? Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) Arrow Episode Guide: Season 7, Episode 10 - My Name Is Emiko Queen Starman January 22, 2019http://www.mygeekygeekyways.com/search/label/Arrow Episode Guide Quote Why is Curtis willing to help Rene and Emiko? Everything we've seen in previous episodes suggests he was glad to get vigilantism behind him and was scared of being arrested. * * * Sea Shimooka has an impressive first turn as Emiko Queen, immediately making her into a sympathetic protagonist. * * * Two names on Emiko's list of people who were involved in her mother's death are shout-outs to characters from the Green Arrow comics. The first, Nicholas Kotero, was a serial killer who was the first villain Green Arrow fought in the post-Zero Hour timeline in Green Arrow Annual #7 in January 1995. The second, Scott Notting, was a corrupt Seattle police officer, who led the villainous gang known as The Vice Squad in Green Arrow #12 in February 2017. The name William Glenmorgan may ring a bell with some comic fans. It is the full name of Congo Bill - a DC comics Great White Hunter jungle comics hero in the Golden Age, who was revamped into the superhero Congorilla after William Glenmorgan was given a ring that allowed him to swap minds with The Great Golden Gorilla. When Emiko confronts Glenmorgan about why she hunted him, he says he couldn't have killed her mother because he spent the last two years on an undercover mission in Santa Prisca. In the DC Universe, Santa Prisca is an island nation, home to an infamous prison where the Batman villain Bane was born. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 Arrow, ‘My Name is Emiko Queen’: Arrow’s Origin Story Retold Through the Eyes of Oliver’s Newfound Sister BY CRAIG WACK · JANUARY 22, 2019http://oohlo.com/2019/01/22/arrow-my-name-is-emiko-queen-arrows-origin-story-retold-through-the-eyes-of-olivers-newfound-sister/ Quote On the island of the future: The Glades isn’t a dump, and Rene and his terrible wig are the mayor. The script has completely flipped. Rene’s daughter pleads with him to get the access codes to The Glades’ security system, which is a big reason why the former rough neighborhood has experienced a turnaround. It looks like Rene isn’t his own man, because a smug real estate developer type confirms the plan to blow up Star City — and Felicity’s murder — to Rene. * * *Sex and the Olicity: The happy couple were more romantic than sexy this week, with Felicity charged with talking Ollie off the ledge when the cruel actions of both of his parents reopen some old wounds. There’s a lot of reassuring words and face stroking. She suggests that Ollie reach out to Emiko to fix what his parents broke. Luckily for Ollie, Emiko visits Robert’s grave on the regular. * * *Last impressions: This was a rather talky episode by Arrow standards, but it did what it needed to do to establish Emiko as a legitimate part of the big picture. Rene was featured in this episode quite a bit ,and it’s interesting to get a gauge on how much he’s changed. The former loner went out of his way to form a partnership with the new Arrow. This episode didn’t blow us away with wall-to-wall fight scenes, but finally unraveling the mystery of Emiko Queen was captivating enough to keep from the episode from bogging down in a tidal wave of exposition. Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) Arrow Season 7: 10 Biggest Questions After The Midseason Premiere BY MATT MORRISON – ON JAN 22, 2019 https://screenrant.com/arrow-season-7-episode-10-midseason-premiere-questions/ Quote 5. WHY IS CURTIS WILLING TO HELP RENE AND EMIKO? ... Given Curtis' character arc over the course of Arrow season 7, it seems oddly out of character for him to agree to help Rene and Emiko out. Curtis has seemed quite content in his new role in Research and Development at ARGUS and had been decidedly outspoken about his fears about being arrested for doing anything that might even come close to violating Star City's new anti-vigilante laws. So why is he so eager to help Rene and a total stranger now? * * *2. WHO IS RENE'S MYSTERIOUS ALLY IN 2038? ... When we first see Rene Ramirez in Arrow's flashforwards, he is being introduced by a sharp-dressed man at a fundraising breakfast for his reelection campaign. Later, Rene is seen talking with this man, telling him that the Canaries have somehow learned about the plot to blow up Star City. The sharp-dressed man is undeterred by this news and, when Rene asks if he had something to do with Felicity Smoak's death, the man admits that she became a liability and asks if Felicity dying was a problem. Rene says that it is not and the man says he is relieved, because he would hate for Rene to be getting cold feet at this point. It's clear that this man is involved in the bombing plot but we don't know his name, who he's working for or what they have on Rene to ensure his compliance with their schemes. 10. WHO IS EMIKO QUEEN? 9. WHERE DID EMIKO QUEEN GET HER TRAINING? 8. WHO IS IN EMIKO'S BOOK? 7. WHO KILLED KAZUMI ADACHI? 6. WHO IS WILLIAM GLENMORGAN? 5. WHY IS CURTIS WILLING TO HELP RENE AND EMIKO? 4. WHY CAN'T THEY CALL THE GHOST INITIATIVE THE SUICIDE SQUAD? 3. WHAT HAPPENS TO CHANGE RENE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS? 2. WHO IS RENE'S MYSTERIOUS ALLY IN 2038? 1. IS ARROW INTRODUCING THE NINTH CIRCLE INTO ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE? Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
bijoux January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 I abdolutely agree about Curtis' puzzling enthusiasm. I tuned out for a lot of that scene, even missing some blathering about cake posters have mentioned, but he practically whooped when Emiko told him and Rene (just Rene?) to suit up. 2 Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) EMIKO QUEEN UNMASKED AND A NEW SUICIDE SQUAD(?!) IN THE LATEST ARROW Trent Moore January 21, 2019https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/emiko-queen-unmasked-and-a-new-suicide-squad-in-the-latest-arrow Quote Emiko takes center stage this week, in an episode that really feels like a throwback to Season 1 (for better and worse). We get to know young Emiko Queen, a secret and largely forgotten daughter of Robert Queen. Thanks to a secret storage locker that is suddenly uncovered (gotta love those secret storage lockers), Oliver and Felicity learn that Robert had fallen in love with Emiko’s mother and asked his dear friend Walter (early season throwback there) to look out for them in the event of his death. We don’t actually know what happened for that not to happen (the theory seems to be that Moira may have frozen this second family out and hidden the proof). Oliver is largely sidelined this week, with his only scenes essentially spent fretting over whether or not to introduce himself to Emiko (thanks to a quick DNA test of her blood, Oliver puts the pieces together to realize the new Green Arrow is his half-sister). He finally decides to reach out, after coming to terms with the fact that Emiko was apparently left behind by their father. That’s the cliffhanger the episode ends on, as well, with Oliver introducing himself to Emiko. So did this all work, though? It was a mixed bag. Teaming Emiko up with Rene felt like a natural progression, and finally gave her a more tangible connection to the main cast. That honestly probably could’ve happened a bit sooner. But there are still a whole lot of questions. Why did Emiko decide to become an archer? That seems like such a random skill to take on, with no further context. Did she already know Oliver was the Green Arrow before he went public? If so, how? Who trained her? Did she get this good in just the short while since her mother’s death? Looking deeper at her origin story itself, who would go to so much trouble to kill her mother in the first place? Are there really this many high-profile murder-for-hires in the Arrowverse? There’s a lot of balls in the air here, and there needs to be some air tight explanations to make it all make sense. * * * The juxtaposition between Rene and Future Rene is clear. A few decades down the line, Rene has found real power through politics — and has forgotten and given up on the street-level battle he used to wage. We still don’t know exactly what leads Rene to such a startling about face, but it must be something big. We still don’t know everything about these flash forwards (is this future malleable?), but if this really is where Rene ends up, it’s disappointing. Rene is a hero with a true moral compass, something that’s been proven time and time again. For him to become this entitled jerk in the future, there must be a major, major twist to earn it. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 (edited) Arrow Review: My Name Is Emiko Queen (Season 7 Episode 10) January 22, 2019 Brianna Martinezhttps://www.telltaletv.com/2019/01/arrow-review-my-name-is-emiko-queen-season-7-episode-10/ Quote Emiko’s opening scene, from the voice over to the montage in her own version of a lair, reminds me so much of the Oliver Queen we saw back in Arrow Season 1. It’s very reminiscent of where he was in terms of mindset as well, believing that he could continue his mission on his own, set on revenge, and very reluctant to accept any help. It’s interesting that she even has a moment where she officially reveals herself to Rene in a way that immediately takes me back to one of Oliver and Felicity’s iconic moments on Arrow Season 1 Episode 14, “The Odyssey.” * * * Though Oliver continues to be unable to catch a break when it comes to his family’s secrets and lies, it offers him the chance to take stock of what’s essential in his own family and with Felicity’s support and help, he sees what he has to do. * * * It’s nice that after the tumult the pair dealt with after Oliver returns from Slabside, they can come together and offer that bit of support. Their moments together also show precisely what they prioritize in a way that brings up questions about what we’ve been told in the flashforwards. The utter disbelief and pain in Oliver’s voice at finding out that his father abandoned a child and Felicity’s complete agreement with that disbelief leads me to believe that neither of them would willingly just leave William behind like he’s mentioned in the flashforward. * * * I just wish that we are able to get more of this emotional aspect throughout the hour and have it directly interwoven with Emiko’s story. Though, that final scene has my interest piqued about how their official first meeting and relationship will develop going forward. * * * -Just the mention of Moira Queen and her shady plans, plots, and lies coming back like we all knew they inevitably would, makes me miss the woman and what she brought to Arrow. I know it must sound strange, but there was always just something about her that brought this feeling out.-What they’ve done to Rene’s hair in the flashforwards is…definitely something. It’s up there with Oliver’s flashback hair. -I don’t know what’s going on with Diggle, but I’m gonna need some fleshed out explanation soon. The fact that he just went and offered Diaz that deal without talking to Lyla and without regard to what that man’s done to him and his closest friends is something that needs to be touched on. Edited January 22, 2019 by tv echo 6 Link to comment
BkWurm1 January 22, 2019 Share January 22, 2019 Quote One weird quirk needs to be addressed here, however. The tone of the Ollie/Felicity relationship has taken such a drastic shift from the previous couple episodes. “Unmasked” made it seem as though the two were basically broken up. And even with the crossover cooling things off a bit, it’s bizarre to see the two act as though there’s no tension between them. I love that IGN enthusiastically and mistakenly jumping on the "Olicity has broken up" train back when all they had were words, fears, and concerns makes them making up in the crossover and now being more than fine somehow the show's problem rather than their reviewer's own biases. 17 Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) TV Review: ‘Arrow: My Name Is Emiko Queen’ JANUARY 22ND, 2019 BY DARRYL JASPERhttp://sciencefiction.com/2019/01/22/arrow-review-name-emiko-queen/ Quote As the title suggests, “My Name is Emiko Queen” puts Oliver’s until now unknown half-sister in the spotlight. From her own ledger of names to her quest for justice—though some would call it vengeance—Emiko’s story plays out with many of the same beats as Oliver’s initial introduction. She’s even forced, after taking a bullet wound, to reach out to Rene (as Oliver did with Felicity) to patch her up. There’s nothing really new about Emiko’s journey or the angry violence and ‘I can do it on my own’ attitude that fuels her as she tracks down the man that killed her mother. But unlike with Oliver, we don’t get to see Emiko prior to her mother’s death so are only presented with the vengeful cloak she adorns as Star City’s newest vigilante. Despite commanding most of the screen time, other than a good scene or two with Rene, there was no real captivating moment for the character. It sounds harsh but, as this was her true introduction, there’s still a lot of time to flesh out Emiko’s personality. Again, this was the same issue that plagued Oliver upon his return from Lian Yu; that type of experience changes a person, hardens them. Emiko is no different. Her partnership with Rene notwithstanding, her true persona will most likely be peeled back during her interactions with Oliver. * * * The two remaining plot points involve the flash-forwards to the future Glades/Star City (with Rene as mayor!) and the much more interesting developments at A.R.G.U.S. The former storyline, catching up with the adult William and Zoe, has been one of the season’s weaker aspects. This week’s reveal that Rene is working with the people who plan to level Star City (as well as murdered Felicity) does peak my interest but it’s Diggle’s mention of the Ghost Initiative—once known as the Suicide Squad (before the movie deep-sixed that particular Arrow storyline—that creates a more compelling narrative in future episodes. With Diaz being the first member of the Initiative, his intel on the mysterious Dante, as well as Oliver and Felicity’s soon-to-be nuclear reaction when they discover the deal Diggle’s made with Diaz, this is setting up to be the surgical strike that may permanently sever Team Arrow’s original three’s relationship. Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) ‘Arrow’ recap: 7×10 “My Name is Emiko Queen” Lynsey Neill January 22, 2019https://www.purefandom.com/2019/01/22/arrow-recap-7x10-my-name-is-emiko-queen/ Quote You almost believe that Robert Queen is that Emo Peter Parker meme from Spider Man 3. Remember the scene where Peter is walking down the street, and all the ladies are positively swooning over his straightened black greasy hair and subtle guyliner? Yeah, me too. But back to the important questions: Is Robert Queen the Emo Peter Parker of Arrow? Just no f*cks to give, living his best life… then all the sudden a rush of self-loathing and regret washes over him when after bedding his fiftieth mistress and making some unethical business decisions he decides, “I know! I’ll lay an impossible burden on my children, permanently scarring them no less, and subsequently not have to deal with any of my sh*t!” Ah, got to love the unrelenting logic and privilege of the 1%. * * * Emiko Queen has a strategically placed voice over, an abandoned hideaway, a book of names, a bow with arrows, and a parent to do right by. And quite honestly I’m here for it. Keep your gasps below a whisper, we all fell in love with season 1 Oliver Queen, and I’m prepared to love Emiko almost as much. Here’s to hoping she doesn’t disappoint. * * * Felicity is helping Oliver deal with this news, while being her usual delight. I love how throughout the episode she is noting all the ways in which she is awesome. She’s all like “I’m a genius” and “look at me figure out this super complicated security system, I rock!” We stan. But amongst Felicity’s delight over her personal accomplishments, she’s there for Oliver while he has his “my parents are dead lying liars” feelings. She encourages him to be better than his father, because he is better, and try to develop a relationship with Emiko. Side note: Also, got to give a shout out to that earnest “what do you want to do?” My OTP never fails me. It’s episodes like these that really capture the essence of Olicity. It’s quiet, and not in your face, but it’s always there. The yin and the yang. * * * WTF, JOHN! Seriously? I smell BETRAYAL! Letting Diaz out for this Dante painting I still don’t understand? Luckily, Lyla was there being super salty and calling him out, love her. I just don’t know what to say to you, Diggle. Truly. Go to time out. * * * P.S.: Do you think Moira and Robert used to lay in bed at night and one of them would turn over, stone-faced, and say “I’m having an affair” and the other will respond, “so am I,” and rest of the night is spent in an intense staring contest that they both win? Because me neither. Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo 2 Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) Someone didn't get the memo about the change in episode title... ARROW 7.10 Review “Shattered Lives” By AMELIA EMBERWING Jan. 22, 2019 https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2019/01/22/arrow-7.10-review-shattered-lives Quote Emiko has all of Oliver’s skills from the beginning of his journey, but she has all of his flaws as well. Can’t begrudge her that, but we already know this arc. Hopefully the younger Queen will get a little more interesting as her story progresses. If the show can make Rene Ramirez a compelling and empathetic character, it can do anything. * * * There are a million problems with what John did in “Shattered Lives” but Lyla might have been a little bit more receptive had she not just had to explain herself to a lower-rank creep with delusions of grandeur. All the same, it wouldn’t have bought him much. Amanda Waller was a complicated woman who had Lyla Diggle’s respect, but Lyla swore never to resurrect the Suicide Squad again for obvious reasons. Though, after all that, the biggest problem here is that we’ll continue to be forced to deal with the mediocrity of Ricardo Diaz. Things wrap up with Felicity convincing her husband to go see his sister. We don’t get any conversation between the two of them, but he does arrive in frame right as Emiko tells her mother’s grave that no one will stop her revenge. At the very least, it’ll be interesting to see how Emiko ties into the flash forwards. She’s not mentioned in the pact made between Team Arrow, so we can expect things either don’t go well between the family, or she doesn’t make it very long. Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) Emiko's Mission in 'Arrow' Season 7 Feels Familiar in the Worst Way Possible By Meredith Jacobs on January 22, 2019https://www.inverse.com/article/52636-arrow-season-7-spoilers-episode-10-recap-emiko-queen-mission-big-bad-connection Quote So much about the episode that tells us Emiko’s origin story is reminiscent of Oliver in Season 1, but what does that mean for Season 7? It’s possible that by revisiting Season 1 we can predict where Emiko’s new plotline is headed. Just like Oliver was crossing off names from his father’s list, Emiko, too, is working off a list in a small notebook. Just like Oliver used a voiceover when he was alone suiting up and in his lair, Emiko uses one as well. Just like Oliver, Emiko starts off working alone but gains partners. In Season 1, Oliver worked alone until Diggle and Felicity joined his cause. Now, Rene signs on as Emiko’s partner and they even get Curtis to provide technical support when they go after Glenmorgan. Emiko even turns to Rene for help after she’s shot while hooded up, just like Oliver went to Felicity after his mother shot him when he was the Hood in Season 1. * * *To right his father’s wrong, he’ll become part of Emiko’s mission, as it appears in the promo for Season 7 Episode 11 “Past Sins” (above). It would therefore make sense that Emiko’s mission will lead to this season’s Big Bad since it would connect Oliver to him or her, as has to be the case. * * * The list led Oliver to Malcolm Merlyn and the Undertaking in Season 1. * * * Presumably, Dante is a big enough threat that Diggle feels he has no choice but to risk Diaz being free (even with a bomb in his head) and going after and trying to kill Oliver, Felicity, and William again. That would make sense if Dante and his organization end up being the Big Bad of Season 7. Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) Quote Arrow kicks off their mid season with a slumpy snoozer of an episode, but there are a few golden nuggets to chat about. * * * Anyway, Dinah is a little know-it-all about the crime scene when she tells Oliver, “Try not to screw it up.” * * * By screw it up do you mean solve all the cases the SCPD can’t? Because that’s what Oliver has been doing the last six years. He was casing crime scenes while you were in cleaning toilets in the police academy, Dinah. Actually, I don’t know if that’s true. Oliver and Dinah are pretty close in age, but I’m feeling punchy today so I’m standing by my analogy. * * *They are throwing shade at Oliver and instructing him to not screw up a crime scene, but if they did their jobs in the first place the city wouldn’t need the Green Arrow. Are we really blown away by the SCPD’s accomplishments over the last seven years? They can’t arrest anyone unless Oliver delivers them with a bow.... * * * They were incapable of handling Malcolm Merlyn, Slade Wilson and Ra’s Al Ghul’s attacks. The citizens of Star City fought back with Oliver against Damien Darhk. Oh and the entire police department was corrupted by Diaz. Not to mention crime is back on the rise and the citizens are bemoaning the lack of Green Arrow assistance. Not exactly a stunning endorsement of the SCPD, so cool it with the uppity comments. You’d be dead ten times over if it weren’t for Oliver Queen. * * *These two fell in love over a bullet ridden computer, so analyzing DNA is their idea of Netflix and chill. * * * Felicity is remarkably calm which, let’s be honest, is probably because she’s relieved Emiko is just Oliver’s sister and not another spawn from a one night stand. No offense William. Mama Jen loves you pumpkin. * * * Oliver wants whatever answers he can find before he introduces himself to new little sister. As Felicity said, Robert Queen did love a good paper trail. It seems he handed those books out as stocking stuffers. Is it the same book? Or maybe Emiko made her own book and this is some truly bizarre Queen genetic characteristic. * * * The reason why Oliver is falling to pieces is because he knows Felicity will be there to pick them up. Oliver doesn’t need to be on top of things because Felicity is, and even better, he is letting her take care of him. Oliver no longer chooses to go it alone. We’ve come light years with Oliver Queen. * * * Not that I’m putting this all at Moira’s feet. These are Robert’s choices too. Moira can demand all she wants, but it was Robert who ultimately made the call. He walked away from Kazumi and Emiko. He abandoned them. * * *If you’ve sensed some sarcasm coming from me you’d be right. I know the Arrow writers love a good parallel. It’s their crack cocaine, but pulling major beats from Oliver’s storyline and making Emiko Oliver 2.0 felt like lazy writing to me. It’s a quick way to imbed Emiko in the story without doing seven years of character building. Oliver did all the heavy lifting and Emiko is cashing in. * * * @callistawolf mentioned this in our 7x10 podcast but it is so bang on I have to mention it here. Emiko is like Will Scarlet from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. * * * We finally see the inside of the Glades in the flash forwards and it looks exactly like the Capitol from The Hunger Games. * * * Everything is bright, shiny and everyone feels evil. As we predicted, Rene is a mayor. * * * A man who looks exactly like Seneca Crane hails Rene as the person who single handedly cleaned up the Glades. Uhhhh okay? * * *Back on the other show called “The Stupid Thing Diggle Did This Week,” John offers Diaz his freedom if he hands over the terrorist financier Dante. WHAAAAAAAT? * * * Hey! Who gave Emiko her mask? *side eyeing Barry Allen* At some point they will need to tell us who makes the suits. This is like waiting for the identity of Gossip Girl. * * * I’d also like to know where Emiko learned to fight and shoot. Just details. No biggie. * * * The aging makeup is extremely bad in high definition. Has anyone Arrow actually met a 50 year old? They don’t look like Rene and Dinah. Moira Queen was 50 when she died. Robert Queen was almost 50 when he died. Did they look like they’ve been left out baking in the sun for twenty years? No. Do they not have hair dye in the future? This is ridiculous. People are living until their eighties and nineties. Fifty is not that old. Get a grip makeup department. “One of the canaries.” OMG are there more in the future? Canary, LL Bl*ck Canary, White Canary, Bl*ck Siren, DD Bl*ck Canary, ZR Bl*ck Canary. That’s at least six, but sure Jan she’s an original character. Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
tv echo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 (edited) Why Arrow's Flash-Forwards Were A Big Mistake BY LAURA HURLEY JANUARY 23, 2019https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2465568/why-arrows-flash-forwards-were-a-big-mistake Quote After ten episodes of the season, the flash-forwards have been less delightfully twisty and more (debatably) tedious. Flash-forwards in and of themselves could have worked; the Season 7 flash-forwards aren't what they could be. Here's why. Arrow has never been the brightest and jolliest show in primetime, but the flashes forward to a not-so-distant future in which everything Oliver fought for has gone to hell have been grim to the point that the mystery just isn't all that much fun to consider. Legends of Tomorrow did introduce a future Star City back in its first season, and it was a hellscape for reasons beyond Oliver's awful goatee. Legends of Tomorrow came with the hope that it was a future that could be changed, however, and there was every reason to believe that the future in which a new Green Arrow took over after Oliver lost an arm (and grew that goatee) would be changed, with Deathstroke's son never taking over. For all that the Arrow-verse has gotten more fantastical with The Flash, Legends, and even Supergirl over on Earth-38, what happens on Arrow outside of crossovers tends to be permanent. Even if Arrow finds a way to change the future without going too Flash-y or Legend-ary, the flash-forwards don't have that light at the end that the flashbacks did. Even when Oliver was battling Slade on Lian Yu and going full Bratva, we knew that he was going to get better. The flash-forwards have given us no reason to hope for anything less than something slightly less awful than the current status quo. That leads me to a second issue that I've found with the flash-forwards: the stars of the scenes set in the future aren't ones that fans have tons of reasons to be utterly attached to. * * * In the present timeline, William has mostly served to be kidnapped, endangered, and/shipped off-screen out of danger. For her part, Zoe is Rene's daughter who supports vigilantes and likes boxing classes. While the latter does set her up to become Black Canary by Arrow standards, as those of us who are still haunted by how quickly Laurel won superhero status after starting her boxing lessons, we don't really have reasons to care about her as more than a child who doesn't deserve to be kidnapped or endangered. While Arrow is likely going to continue exploring William and Zoe's characters in the present, more reasons to care about them would have been helpful before they were introduced as the anchors of the flash-forwards. I'm not sure that retroactive reasons to deeply care about them will be terribly impactful. Diggle at least has been mentioned as alive in the flash-forward timeline; why couldn't we have the very first member of Team Arrow other than Oliver himself in the flash-forwards from the beginning? Speaking of Diggle as alive and well, we have to contemplate the death of Felicity. The reveal of Felicity's "death" felt too major and came too early in the season to feel like it was really going to stick. For those of us who don't really buy that Felicity is dead, her death as motivation in the flash-forwards doesn't feel too pressing. Would Arrow really have casually killed the female lead of the series, off-screen and in an episode other than a premiere or finally? Now, if you're like me, you never entirely got over how Dinah, Rene, and Curtis turned on Oliver and blamed him for absolutely everything back in Season 6. In my book, they never really made amends for their less-than-heroic behavior last year, so it's difficult for me to root for them in the flash-forwards. ... Edited January 23, 2019 by tv echo 10 Link to comment
thegirlsleuth January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 I think Allison Shoemaker from AV Club is the only unabashed NTA fan in the world. She REALLY likes Dinah. Link to comment
BkWurm1 January 24, 2019 Share January 24, 2019 (edited) Quote With Diaz being the first member of the Initiative, his intel on the mysterious Dante, as well as Oliver and Felicity’s soon-to-be nuclear reaction when they discover the deal Diggle’s made with Diaz, this is setting up to be the surgical strike that may permanently sever Team Arrow’s original three’s relationship. Or maybe the show will just ignore that there should be a conflict. I buy they would permanently sever the OTA as much as I think Felicity is dead. Edited January 24, 2019 by BkWurm1 1 Link to comment
tv echo January 24, 2019 Share January 24, 2019 (edited) ‘ARROW’ 7×10 REVIEW: ‘MY NAME IS EMIKO QUEEN’ Posted on January 24, 2019 By Alyssa Barbierihttp://fangirlish.com/arrow-7x10-review-my-name-is-emiko-queen/ Quote But somewhere along the way the show I fell in love with has become a shell of itself. Not to say that this season isn’t better than some of the ridiculousness we got last season. But with a crowded cast of characters and 40 minutes to tell a story — which you’d think would be centered around Oliver Queen — it can sometimes be incredibly frustrating. Now, I don’t find myself needing to watch Arrow live. Unless it’s a big Olicity episode. Because, let’s be honest, the only reason I feel I’m still watching are because of Oliver and Felicity and even Diggle. If those characters ever went away, so would I. * * * There was way too much Rene for my liking — though it’s nice to know that these writers understand Rene’s character to the point where he’s still betraying his friends in the future. The flash forwards have become a literal nightmare. And why is it that the only way John Diggle can be relevant is through other characters? Especially Diaz? Emiko Queen is intriguing, but I guess I’m just not super confident in the development of her character — nor am I excited about more airtime being taken from my favorites. * * * This episode served as an introduction to Emiko Queen, who for someone that grew up in the Glades seems to have learned some impressive combat training. Our now-unmasked Green Arrow has her own list and own mission that — shocker — involves revenge. * * * Here’s the thing, Emiko is certainly an intriguing character. But I don’t know Emiko so I can’t really care about her. The way that this show appears to be putting her centerstage above others. That takes time. And perhaps I’d be more content to give time to get to know her if this show was anything other than Arrow and one that continues to ignore its titular character. * * * What sort of satisfaction are we supposed to get out of this knowing that our heroes will fail? That darkness will take over Star City and push friends and family apart? I’m sorry, but I don’t see the point of these flash forwards. Unless this whole thing is some elaborate hoax. Oh, how I yearn for Barry’s ability to go back in time and fix this mess. But let’s discuss this week’s flash forwards, which were the worst of the flash forwards so far. And that’s mostly because it involved Rene. Look, I love Zoey. But the over abundance of Rene in this episode made it feel like I was gagging for the entire hour. Shocker, Rene betrays everyone in the future. Some things never change. Not only has he turned his back on Dinah (who isn’t exactly on my favorites list) and Felicity and everyone else, but he appears to be in cahoots with the man that appears to have “murdered” Felicity. * * * As Diaz is getting his bomb implanted into his spine, he starts his incomprehensible mumbling trying to come off as sinister and threatening. Naturally, it comes off as laughable instead. And Lyla is basically all of us as she’s smirking at his nonthreatening mumbles and stifling a laugh. Edited January 24, 2019 by tv echo 6 Link to comment
tv echo January 26, 2019 Share January 26, 2019 (edited) The Hollywood Reporter's review of 710...https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dc-tv-watch-supergirl-alex-loses-memory-kara-1178977 Quote Arrow The big news: Felicity's (Emily Bett Rickards) murderer was maybe kind of revealed. But only maybe and only kind of. In this week's flash forwards, the future Rene (Rick Ramirez) was revealed to be the corrupt mayor of The Glades, and his right-hand man Kevin Dale (Raj Paul) seemed to admit to "taking care of" Felicity and her plans to bomb the city. What it means: Rene did not seem all that shocked at Kevin's casual reveal, and he also didn't seem all that upset either. And knowing Felicity, she probably figured out a way to fake her death (still not convinced she's actually dead). Is Rene in on Felicity's plan? Or is he so far gone and estranged from Team Arrow that he truly wouldn't care about Felicity's murder as long as it didn't affect his status and his precious city? Other noteworthy moments: In the present-day storyline, Rene couldn't be any further from his future self, playing Diggle (David Ramsey) to Emiko Queen's (Sea Shimooka) Oliver (Stephen Amell). When Emiko was injured during a mission, she was forced to finally accept Rene's help just like Oliver did back in season one. It took some time, but she eventually let Rene in, allowing viewers to finally learn her story. Turns out she was the product of an actual love relationship between her mother and Oliver's father, but they were abandoned and forgotten. When her mother was murdered a year back, her mission became to find the person responsible. She's even got a little list of names just like her older brother! And Arrow isn't holding back on when that explosive confrontation between the former and new Green Arrows is going to happen, as Oliver found Emiko at their father's grave at the very end of the episode. Who wants to bet that Emiko isn't going to be so accepting of her brother as he was of her? No matter what happens next, it's clear that Arrow is setting up an entirely new era for the show and fast. Edited January 26, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 26, 2019 Share January 26, 2019 (edited) No spoilers... Arrow's David Ramsey on a Potential Green Lantern Storyline for Diggle By Lindsay MacDonald | Jan 25, 2019 https://www.tvguide.com/news/arrow-david-ramsey-interview-green-lantern-storyline-diggle/ Quote Ever since the 2018 Arrowverse crossover threw us a major hint thatJohn Diggle's (David Ramsey) Earth 90 counterpart on Arrow was the Green Lantern (aka John Stewart), it's been hard not to wonder whether we'll ever see Diggle put on that special ring. * * * "We've been talking about that ring since Season 1," Ramsey said. "I always loved the idea of being able to jump into the John Stewart mythos, obviously, but I also loved the idea that we were creating something that didn't exist before. John Diggle never existed before. We created this character, Spartan, that never existed in the comics or in any other universe, and now it's part of the comics. So that was always something and continues to be something I'm really proud of. But who can resist playing the Green Lantern? So yeah, was I excited when I saw that? Without a doubt. Will it ever happen? Who knows. I don't have the answer to that — it's way above my paygrade — but it's something would love to do." * * * Whatever happens, Ramsey is happy with the way his character worked out, superpowers or not, largely due to the amazing dynamic between what is commonly known as the "Original Team Arrow." "Even without [the Green Lantern], I think that John Diggle, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) work. If John Stewart fits within that realm some type of way or another, great. If not, I couldn't have picked a better role to have played in my life," Ramsey said. Edited January 26, 2019 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo January 26, 2019 Share January 26, 2019 Is Supergirl's Red Daughter a Tease? Where Did Million Things' Bench Go? Arrow Wig-tervention? And More Qs! By Vlada Gelman, Matt Webb Mitovich, Michael Ausiello, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz and Charlie Mason / January 25 2019, 10:38 AM PSThttps://tvline.com/2019/01/25/supergirl-red-daughter-season-4-tv-questions-answers/ Quote 6 | Is it well past time for an intervention with the Arrowverse to discuss the wig situation? And be honest: Did you kinda forget about Curtis until he popped up at Rene’s place? (And isn’t it kinda strange how he’s not mentioned when Team Arrow is discussed in the flash forwards? Link to comment
tv echo January 26, 2019 Share January 26, 2019 Superhero Insider: Arrow, Supergirl return with major shake-ups to the status quo SHIRLEY LI, CHANCELLOR AGARD, CHRISTIAN HOLUB January 25, 2019 https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/25/superhero-insider-arrow-supergirl-return-with-major-shake-ups-to-the-status-quo/ Quote Arrow ... As the episode’s title suggested, “My Name is Emiko Queen” was all about the newest addition to the Queen family, and Arrow didn’t disappoint. Sea Shimooka, who plays Emiko, felt like she was channeling season 1 Oliver in her performance and had an interesting dynamic with Rick Gonzalez, who plays Rene. Furthermore, the episode did a fine job of answering all our immediate questions about Emiko and her mission and backstory. However, the award for best performance of the hour definitely goes to Stephen Amell, who made Oliver’s exasperation and guilt over the discovery of Emiko’s existence very palpable and engaging. I’m looking forward to seeing how Emiko and Oliver’s first conversation goes. —Chancellor Agard Link to comment
tv echo January 27, 2019 Share January 27, 2019 (edited) Arrow - My Name is Emiko Queen - Review Posted by Lisa Macklem at January 26, 2019https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/01/arrow-my-name-is-emiko-queen-review.html Quote ... The episode was hugely disappointing to someone who has watched this show from the first episode. I do NOT want Emiko Queen – I want Oliver Queen. I don’t need the entire series as a do over with a female protagonist. The fact that Sea Shimooka is a terrible actor doesn’t help. Even worse? We get maybe five minutes of screen time with Stephen Amell? What. Has. Happened. To. This. Show? Beth Swartz? You have failed this series. The entire Emiko storyline is simply a retelling of Oliver’s story – with Rene (Rick Gonzalez) subbing in for Diggle (David Ramsey) as side-kick and Curtis (Echo Kellum) subbing in for Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards). She even has to get shot before she’ll reach out to get help! Shimooka has the physical ability for the stunts and work out shots – but that’s it. And the plot holes associated with this storyline??? Her mother was killed a year ago – Emiko grew up in the glades and started down her path of revenge with her mother’s death. So in one year, she has learned super-sleuthing abilities and the fighting techniques it took Oliver five years to master. At least in the comics, her abilities made sense because her mother was Shado! * * * I did like the scene between Oliver and Felicity on the balcony as Felicity tries to convince an overwhelmed Oliver to reach out to his new half-sister. Rickards had even less to do in this episode than Amell! Rickards and Amell are both excellent in the scene – which only makes the more lackluster performances worse – and underscores why these two are the stars. In the end, Felicity convinces him that Emiko running around pretending to be him is a cry for help if ever there was one, and the episode ends with him confronting her at their father’s grave. The future storyline continues to annoy – but the plot and the absolutely dreadful aging makeup. ... Finally, Diggle continues to be completely out of character. ... Edited January 27, 2019 by tv echo 4 Link to comment
tv echo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 (edited) A.V. Club reviewer gave 711 a grade of B... An efficient Arrow establishes a new status quo Allison Shoemaker January 29, 2019https://tv.avclub.com/an-efficient-arrow-establishes-a-new-status-quo-1832144691 Quote There are bones one could pick with “Past Sins,” a tight to-do list of an hour that manages to get shit done and be entertaining all at once. A partial list: Why doesn’t anyone in Star City care about warrants? Why can the police use crazy satellite technology for one problem and not another? Wouldn’t it just have been easier to make Sam Hackett (Luke Camilleri) a meta, instead of an electrical genius? Why did it take so long for Felicity to think to check whether or not Not-Laurel’s stalker was the Earth-1 version, why didn’t she just say, “Hey, Not-Laurel, he’s probably just the Earth-1 guy,” and why did all three of those very smart women just assume that it was that particular creep without a confession? These are things worth wondering. * * *“Past Sins”—David Ramsey’s (a.k.a. John Diggle) directing debut for the series (and if IMDb is to be believed, his debut, period)—certainly has that to-do list feel, but it just as certainly manages to keep its feet planted firmly in storytelling, first and foremost. It does so, because that’s the job of this—of almost all—narrative television episodes. It’s the kind of hour you call “workmanlike,” and it’s not a dig in the slightest. Hindsight often shows you what you what to see, so take this with a grain of salt, but I didn’t catch Ramsey’s credit until after the episode aired, and when I did, it made perfect sense. “Past Sins” feels like something put together with care; there are some awkward moments (the stunt doubles are pretty obvious) but for the most part, it’s carefully composed, without a shot wasted. * * * It’s all setup for Curtis’ new status quo, which is in itself extremely welcome—Arrow has seemed at a bit of a loss with poor Curtis for some time now. That status quo seems to be, in short, “I need you more than you need me.” This story could have just as easily have ended with Curtis quitting. Instead, he says he’s taking control of his own little corner of the narrative, and in doing so, he may be able to help ARGUS avoid some of their own sins of the past. Yeah, it’s a little on the nose. But overall, an efficient, well-made hour that more than gets the job done. * * *That wine night scene, brief though it was, was charming. It still blows my mind how much better Katie Cassidy is as Not-Laurel. Edited January 29, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 Arrow recap: The past haunts Oliver and Laurel CHANCELLOR AGARD January 28, 2019 https://ew.com/recap/arrow-season-7-episode-11/ Quote Of course, Oliver feels loads of guilt after this discovery. Yes, he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger; however, by not telling Samuel what actually happened to his father, he prevented him from getting closure. Oliver does bare some of the responsibility in this instance, and he acknowledges that. And I definitely understand why the writers wanted to go down this route given the season’s theme and I applaud them for still finding unexplored nuggets from the pilot so many years later. That being said, I think this storyline would’ve carried a bit more weight had it occurred earlier in the show’s run. Like, we’re so far removed from what was depicted in the pilot that relitigating this tiny detail feels insignificant compared to the Emiko Queen of it all. * * * Curtis also receives a blast from the past in this episode courtesy of the Suicide Squad Ghost Initiative, which consists of Diaz, Cupid, China White, and Lil Slade. Our favorite techy that isn’t Felicity is far from happy when he finds out that Diggle and Lyla revived the program to find Dante and need his help to make it work. Diggle maintains that this is what they have to do in order to take down Dante, but Curtis hates the idea of compromising like this. So, he finds another way around it and creates this virtual simulation that he uses on Diaz in order to trick him into giving them Dante’s location. And it works. Unfortunately, the success of the virtual simulation only convinces Diggle that they need this program more, which is fairly disappointing. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but I do appreciate the fact that Arrow makes a pretty good case that security organizations like A.R.G.U.S. are morally bankrupt and the worst. * * * What I found most interesting about this perfectly fine episode, though, is how it fits into the season. Let’s be honest, season 7 is a pretty odd one. Usually, at this point in a season of Arrow, we know who the big bad is and have at least a tiny inkling of where the season is heading. That’s not the case this time around. We’re on episode 11 and I have no idea what this season is building to in the present or future storylines, which is an unusual place to be. At this point, I’m not sure how I feel about this no man’s land, but I’m not mad at it. 1 Link to comment
tv echo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 ARROW SEASON 7, EPISODE 11: "PAST SINS" REVIEW BY JESSE SCHEEDEN 28 JAN 2019https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/01/29/arrow-season-7-episode-11-past-sins-review Quote Don’t you hate it when one Arrowverse episode tees up a compelling storyline, only for the next to veer off in a completely different direction? That’s basically what we got with “Past Sins.” In lieu of the much-hyped first meeting between Oliver and Emiko Queen, this episode focused on Ollie and Laurel confronting other demons from their pasts. The result was still a decently enjoyable episode, but again, not one that really focused on the most interesting story at hand. * * * But in terms of harboring a legitimate, understandable grudge against Ollie, Sam fit the bill. He felt like more than just a throwaway character, and he played nicely into Ollie’s ongoing struggle to be a more honest, transparent hero. This whole conflict hinted at a larger tension at play between Ollie and the SCPD, something that could be worth exploring as the season continues to play out. * * * It does seem as though this episode would have been better off if the writers had picked either the Ollie or Laurel storylines to focus on and left it at that. Laurel’s own struggle with a ghost from her past had a comparatively underdeveloped quality. For the most part, it played like an unnecessary attempt to further humanize the former Black Siren. Do we really need a sob story about how she only went down the path of evil because she was mean to her father before he died? Is it not enough to have a character who used to be rotten before finding redemption on another world? It’s not as though this retroactive fine-tuning of her back-story addresses any of the problems the series had with her arc in Season 6. * * * The other half of this episode was easily its strongest suit. Here we got what is apparently the closest thing we’re going to see the return of the Suicide Squad on Arrow. The fact that Curtis was stopped short from even saying the name “Suicide Squad” shows just how weird WB still is about these things. Regardless, I’ll take the Ghost Initiative over no Suicide Squad any day. * * * This episode’s strongest suit is the way it subverted expectations on the Ghost Initiative front. Initially it seemed like we were due for a rehash of Season 2’s “Suicide Squad,” with another team of familiar villains carrying out a dangerous mission and proving they aren’t all bad. But instead, the conflict shifted in a very different direction with the focus on Curtis butting heads with Diggle and using virtual reality in place of neck bombs. Even though it was obvious right away that Diaz didn’t actually murder, seeing that imaginary scenario play out was pretty neat. Not to mention the growing darkness around Diggle and Lyla and the fact that they seem to be losing their souls in their pursuit of this mysterious “Dante.” Link to comment
tv echo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 So - is Felicity bringing E2 Laurel up, or is E2 Laurel dragging Felicity down? ... Arrow Season 7 Episode 11 Review – ‘Past Sins’ JANUARY 29, 2019 BY JESSIE ROBERTSON https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2019/01/arrow-season-7-episode-11-review-past-sins/ Quote Past Sins is about as stuffed as a regular human person’s head when you stick a bomb in it….. * * *Arrow feels like it’s on the cusp of grabbing some great threads and keeping another really good coherent season together, but it’s not quite there yet. I feel like Curtis has been missing. He’s back here and in a big way. Curtis really focuses showing outrageous storylines through the lens of a regular dude, I mean a genius regular dude. When he finds out about the “Ghost Initiative”, as he nearly name drops the “Suicide Squad” in a funny bit, he reacts as anyone would: why the hell are you putting bombs in people’s heads?? I groaned audibly during the VR section of Diaz’ escape (in fact, killing Curtis which killed some of my drive for this show momentarily) but loved when he used Diaz against himself and outed Dante, and of course, walked off like a boss as he said “ARGUS thanks you for your cooperation.” * * *Then we have Laurel….I’m sorry, but her melodramatic story of her father dying in Earth 2 was so clichéd, I feel like The CW has aired at least 3 other shows in it’s history that have had that exact same scene. And to top it all off, of course the last thing she said to him was “I hate you.” Could it have been anything else? Everything to do with her back story this week was lazy writing and her performance didn’t elevate it at all. Felicity helping her only denigrates her further this season when she’s falling way down on the list of my favorite characters (I never wanted to join her haters but I’m starting to.) * * * Rating – I’m going 6.5/10 on this one. Link to comment
tv echo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 (edited) OLIVER PAYS FOR HIS FATHER’S SINS AND A NEW SUICIDE SQUAD ASSEMBLES IN THE LATEST ARROW Trent Moore January 29, 2019https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/oliver-pays-for-his-fathers-sins-and-a-new-suicide-squad-assembles-in-the-latest-arrow Quote As tends to happen when a show has been on for seven years, the latest episode of Arrow had a whole lot of moving parts — and some worked better than others. That said, Oliver’s story deftly paid off a plot point that had been years in the making. * * *It’s interesting to see this theme of the sins of the father circle back, as it was the entire concept that launched Oliver’s mission all the way back in Season 1. It’s also, to a degree, inspired Emiko to take up the mantle of the New Green Arrow, after being abandoned by Robert and having her mother murdered mysteriously (yeah, that one still doesn’t make a ton of sense in context just yet). We’ve seen Oliver grapple with these emotions before, but perhaps introducing Emiko will provide a fresh lens to explore this story. Here’s hoping, at least. * * *Laurel: This episode also spent a bit of time on Laurel, who is still fighting the good fight to make Quentin proud. We learn a good bit more about exactly what drove her to become a villain instead of a hero back on Earth-2, as she has a run-in with the Earth 1 counterpart of the man who killer her Quentin while driving drunk. She also reveals she had asked Quentin to get back on the road, and still blames herself for his death. It certainly provides some humanity to a character who has struggled to convey it, so that’s a good thing. We also get more of the Felicity-Laurel friendship that’s been brewing, and it’s at least starting to feel less forced. Though, with things finally looking up for Laurel, we can probably expect her to backslide sometime soon. Edited January 29, 2019 by tv echo Link to comment
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