Lilith Luvs TV

Last night, after six long weeks, Arrow returned with the third season’s tenth installment which was titled, ‘Left Behind’. It was written by Marc Guggenheim and Erik Oleson. The director was Glen Winter. We welcomed a pretty awesome guest star into the fold in the form of Vinnie Jones who will be playing Daniel ‘Brick’ Brickwell in a 3-4 episode arc. Jones is the most exciting guest star playing a villain we’ve had in a long time and his performance in last night’s episode certainly didn't disappoint.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Episode Awards
Grade: A-

Character of the Night
• Felicity

Best Character Interactions
• Diggle and Laurel
• Felicity and Ray

Scene of the Night
• Felicity tells Ray that putting on that suit will not bring back his dead fiance.

Best Action
• Opening chase scene.
• Roy fighting Brick's crew in the warehouse with the tunnel in it.

Line of the Night
• Ray: You, you make it sound like an enhanced exoskeleton suit to fight crime and save the city is a loony idea.

Most Memorable Moment
• Laurel gives Diggle a hug.


Please feel free to sound off in the comments section below.

Nyssa returns to Starling City and tells Oliver that her father, Ra's al Ghul has given Oliver 48 hours to find Sara’s killer or The League of Assassins will start killing the citizens of Starling City. Laurel is stunned when her father delivers a very special Christmas gift – her mother, Dinah. Meanwhile, Ray tries to make amends with Felicity and Oliver sets a "meeting" with Ra’s al Ghul. To read more click here.

If you like my reviews, then you'll love my podcast Queen Consolidated. PS: The podcast is available on most podcast apps, not just iTunes.

Episode Awards
Grade: A-

Character of the Night
• Oliver

Best Character Interactions
• Oliver and Ra's al Ghul
• Oliver and Maseo (past and present)

Scene of the Night
• Ra's al Ghul "kills" Oliver

Line of the Night
• Ra's al Ghul (to Oliver): Why, he's just a boy.

Most Memorable Moment
• The look on The Arrow's face after Thea kicks his butt and jumps off her balcony into the night

Screenshot of the Night


Please feel free to sound off in the comments section below.

Oliver, Roy, and Diggle track down the location of a boomerang-wielding killer named Digger Harkness but are surprised when they come face to face with an A.R.G.U.S. team. Diggle asks Lyla why A.R.G.U.S. is involved but she defers until Harkness attacks the building, killing several agents and targeting Lyla. The Arrow joins the fight and gets help from an old friend – The Flash. Harkness manages to get away and Oliver teams up with Barry again to find him before he can get to Lyla. When Harkness plants five bombs in the city that are timed to explode at the same time, both teams must come together to save the city.

To read this review in full, click here.

If you'd like to hear more of my thoughts I have a podcast dedicated to Arrow and it's called Queen Consolidated. Give it a listen, if you like it please be sure to rate, review and subscribe.


Episode Awards
Grade: B-

Character of the Night
• Cisco
• Flashback Oliver

Best Character Interactions
• Diggle and Lyla
• Caitlin and Felicity
• Cisco and Roy

Scene of the Night
• Oliver and Roy go to Diggle's place for a late dinner.

Most Memorable Moment
• Felicity and Ray kissing

Best Action
• Digger Harkness, The Arrow and Arsenal get into a hand to hand fight

Screenshot of the Night

AUSTIN BUTLER (“THE CARRIE DIARIES”) JOINS THE CAST AS CHASE; OLIVER DEALS WITH CARRIE CUTTER — Oliver (Stephen Amell) must stop an Arrow-obsessed serial killer, Carrie Cutter (guest star Amy Gumenick), who is convinced that The Arrow is her one true love and will stop at nothing to get his attention. Unfortunately, her way of getting his attention is to kill people. Meanwhile, Ray (Brandon Routh) asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) to be his date for a work dinner with important clients. Thea (Willa Holland) auditions new DJs for Verdant and meets Chase (Austin Butler), a brash DJ with whom she immediately clashes.

To read more click here.


Episode Awards

Character of the Night
• Oliver

Best Character Interactions
• Oliver and Diggle
• Felicity and Ray

Scene of the Night
• Oliver and Roy go to Diggle's place for a late dinner.

Most Memorable Moment
• Felicity and Ray kissing

Best Action
• Cupid and The Arrow fight

Screenshot of the Night



If you'd like to hear more of my thoughts I have a podcast dedicated to Arrow and it's called Queen Consolidated. Give it a listen, if you like it please be sure to rate, review and subscribe.

When a body is found strung up in the Wildcat gym, Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez) becomes the main suspect. Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) argue over Ted’s innocence. Meanwhile, Roy (Colton Haynes) becomes convinced he was the one who killed Sara.

To read more click here.

Episode Awards

Character of the Night
Ted Grant

Best Character Interactions
Oliver & Akio

Scene of the Night
Oliver gives Roy the official code name of Arsenal

Line of the Night
Roy: Don't abandon me.
Oliver: Never

Most Memorable Moment
The boxing glove trick arrow finally making its debut.

Best Action
Ted Grant and The Arrow fight

Screenshot of the Night




If you'd like to hear more of my thoughts I have a podcast dedicated to Arrow and it's called Queen Consolidated. Give it a listen, if you like it please be sure to rate, review and subscribe.

A cyber terrorist attacks Starling City. While Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Roy (Colton Haynes) attempt to keep the peace on the streets, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) works to locate the virus that is attacking the city's infrastructure. Felicity quickly realizes that she designed the virus five years earlier, and that it is unstoppable. Felicity's mother Donna (Charlotte Ross) shows up unannounced. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) continues to train with Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez) and reveals to him the real reason that she is learning to fight. Meanwhile, Roy (Colton Haynes) begins having nightmares that he was the one who killed Sara (Caity Lotz).

To read more click here.

This week’s episode of Arrow, 3x04: The Magician was very interesting and what might prove to be a pivotal turning point in the series. Last week, I briefly discussed how at episode three the season finally felt like it was beginning. Well, this week’s episode subtly kicked into high gear and is back on track to being the Arrow that I’ve come to know and love with some slight improvements.

Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law) returns to Starling City. Thea (Willa Holland) begins to rebuild her life and regains control of Verdant. Team Arrow learns that Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) is alive and he becomes strong suspect in the murder of Sara. Meanwhile, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) remains in the dark about his daughter’s death. Also in flashback land Oliver completes his first assassination, and learns that Amanda Waller was behind Edward Fyers' actions on the island

To read more click here.

If you are a die hard DC comics fan like me then Corto Maltese probably rang some bells. Batman is my everything and Frank Miller is king when it comes to telling a tale involving the world’s greatest detective. My first encounter with this mysterious little island was when I was reading a Frank Miller tale, ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ and the island is even featured in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. In DC comic book lore Corto Maltese is an island that is jam packed with adventure, mystery, intrigue and suffering. So in other words Arrow really captured its essence this week.

To read more please follow the link to read it on Voice of TV.

'It's so hard to say goodbye.'

'And I'll take with me the memories, to be my sunshine after the rain.'
- BoyzIIMen, It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday - Cooleyhighharmony (1991)


Prologue
Today's episode technically falls into two categories: Favorites AND Finales. For today's writing exercise, let's just file this under firmly under 'Favorites', OK?

I’m a comic book geek. I’m a lifelong resident of the DC Nation. Green Arrow is my personal top 5 favorite superheroes. I stuck by Smallville for all 10 seasons, mainly for Justin Hartley and his portrayal of Green Arrow after season 6, OK? When Arrow came along and they said it was going to be outside of the Smallville universe I was both annoyed and relieved. I love Justin Hartley to pieces but at the same time, Smallville didn’t allow the character of Green Arrow to be a true representation of the comic book character that I love so much. Green Arrow was a Batman substitute and they never really tried beyond that material wise. Arrow is an origin story that isn’t afraid to both simultaneously take it’s time with background information in the form of island flashbacks as well as plow through a rooster of episodic villains week after week while letting the season long arc simmer in the background.

About the Show
Seasons: 2| No. of Episodes: 40 |Premiere Date: October 10, 2012| End Date: N/A |Status: On-Air
Genre(s): Action, Drama, Fantasy

Story in a nutshell: Arrow is a modern retelling of the DC Comics series Green Arrow. After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for 5 years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he has become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance.

As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow, a vigilante archer, to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree, and careless philanderer he used to be flanked by his devoted chauffeur and bodyguard, John Diggle, while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under the cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest Arrow operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

Best Reason to Watch: If you are looking for a show that is jam packed with action and full of eye candy then this is the show for you. The side characters of Felicity and Diggle are really great as well. If you are a shipper, there are plenty of couples to root for. Even you are a comic book fan this show will still keep you guessing as they turn a lot of things on their head and go in directions you wouldn’t expect. If you are watching or tried Agents of SHIELD and it was a tad bit to shiny and campy, give Arrow a try. I have to say, it only gets better during season 2. For me personally, the pilot had me hooked and left me on pins and needles with anticipation. My two most favorite things about the show are the stunt coordinator, James Bamford and the composer, Blake Neely because the action and the scoring of the show really adds that ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the show.

Best Thing about This Episode: The writers went out of the way to make sure every single actor got a moment to shine. They also gave every single character some great character development and plenty to build on for the next season. They also managed to craft a bittersweet ending with a shock that most of the fans did not see coming. It was one of the best season finales of the 2012-2013 TV season in my personal opinion. It had it all, highs, lows, triumph, defeat, gains and losses. The episode managed to leave every single character in a place where you were absolutely dying to know what would come next. It generated a lot of buzz and set up season 2 to start off in a strong place with plenty of new viewers.
====================================================================
Story by: Greg Berlanti/Teleplay:Marc Guggenheim & Andrew Kreisberg|Director: David Barrett
Episode Summary: Malcolm imprisons Oliver and leaves him to die, but he manages to escape and return home with Diggle's help, due to a tracker in his boot. In a flashback, Edward fires a missile at an approaching airliner, but Oliver and Shado manage to override the coordinates and destroy the missile. Afterward, Oliver kills Edward. In the present, Oliver confronts his mother about the Undertaking, which prompts her to hold a press conference and reveal to the city her involvement with Malcolm and the plan to destroy the Glades. When Tommy confronts Oliver about his night with Laurel, Oliver tries to explain what's going on with his father and the Glades. Tommy doesn't believe him and tells his father, who reveals it's all true. Tommy sees the press conference, and Malcolm reveals that he is The Dark Archer, to the dismay of his son. Meanwhile, Felicity has been brought in for questioning because of the all of the tasks Oliver asked her to do before he revealed he was the vigilante. She hadn't covered her tracks because she didn't realize (at the time) what she was doing was aiding and abetting. Detective Lance starts to question her, but Oliver calls as the vigilante to explain about the Undertaking and how it's going to happen tonight. Felicity hears the call and asks the Detective, if he really wants her there since it sounds like he's got something a lot bigger on his plate. Lance releases her with a warning not to leave town. Before she leaves (even though it will almost certainly confirm to Lance that she's helping the Hood) she tells him that she thought the vigilante was a bad person too, but then she realized all he was sacrificing to help the city. She posits the question, "Doesn't that make him kind of a hero?"

Lance tries to go to his boss to tell him what's going on, but it's revealed that he's had almost constant contact with the vigilante, so he's suspended. It isn't until Moira's press conference that the police get involved.

Oliver decides to go after Malcolm again, even though he knows it means he'll probably die, because he hasn't beaten him once. Diggle offers to go with him and Felicity says that leaves the bomb dismantling to her. Oliver refuses and she points out, he doesn't have any other option. He then calls Detective Lance again as a compromise. Felicity will work from the Foundry, staying in the Glades but in better shelter, Lance will deactivate the device with her help and Oliver and Diggle will go after Malcolm.

Detective Lance, with help from Felicity, is able to dismantle the earthquake device. John and Oliver (Oliver sticks an arrow through his shoulder to hit Malcolm's heart) disable Malcolm, who gloats that there is a second device shortly before he loses consciousness. The device activates and begins to level the east side of the Glades. Thea goes into the Glades to save Roy, who works to help others who are trying to escape the earthquake. He refuses to leave the Glades when he sees a busload of people stuck because of a car accident and sends Thea away because he can't help those people if he's worried about her being caught in the Undertaking. Laurel who went to CNRI despite warnings from both Oliver and her father, is trapped in her office when the quake starts and gets stuck under a slab of concrete but Tommy arrives to rescue her. Laurel escapes, but Tommy is caught by falling debris. Oliver arrives too late to help him, Tommy is fatally wounded and dies after apologizing and making amends to Oliver for fighting and being angry and jealous. Tommy asks if Oliver killed his father and Oliver lies to him, spending Tommy's last moments holding his hand, insisting it should have been him who died instead of Tommy.
====================================================================
Awards
Character of the Night
• Oliver

Best Character Interactions
•Oliver and Tommy

Best Line
•Malcolm Merlyn: You can’t beat me Oliver. Yes, you’re younger. You’re faster. Yet, you always seem to come up short against me. Want to know why? Because you don’t know in your heart what you’re fighting for. What you’re willing to sacrifice and I do.

Best Scene
•Tommy dies in arms Oliver’s arms.

That Awkward Moment
• That awkward moment when another show that comes on right after you decides to name their season finale ‘Sacrifice’ as well. Supernatural’s season 8 finale episode was also titled ‘Sacrifice. During the 2012-2013 TV, Arrow was Supernatural’s lead-in on The CW.

The ‘Gone but Not Forgotten’ Award
• Tommy Merlyn, beloved son and friend. He made Laurel softer and dropped truth bombs on Oliver when he needed them most. It was only right that the second season has pretty much been dedicated to the character.
• Colin Donnell who played Tommy Merlyn. He was a joy and delight to watch every week.

Highlights

Memorable Moments
• Oliver climbs up a chain to escape.
• Diggle and Oliver begin making plans together to save the city.
• Tommy tries to punch Oliver and ends falling to the ground

Notable & Quotable

•Quentin: You’re not exactly a hardened criminal are you?
Felicity: I’m not any kind of criminal.
Quentin: Then what do you call computer hacking?
Felicity: A hobby… that I do not engage in.

•Felicity: I use to think that the vigilante was a criminal too but it seems to me whoever he is, he is willing to sacrifice to help the people of this city. That kind of makes him a hero… doesn’t it?

•Tommy: I wished you would have died on that island.

•Quentin’s Boss: What?! You swore to me you would catch him. You swore you would bring him (the vigilante) in.
Quentin: I know. I swore to uphold the law. The laws are steady. The law is unchanging. The law needed to be protected. But what are laws, rules if they don’t protect people? Now listen, I know I’m throwing away my career by telling you this but I’m willing to sacrifice catching this guy if it means saving people’s lives. Please.
Quentin’s Boss: You’re suspended.

Superb Scenes
• Malcolm Merlyn monologues about the differences between himself and Oliver.
• Quentin interrogates Felicity about hacking into
• A drunken Tommy confronts Oliver about sleeping with Laurel.
• Quentin goes to his boss to ask for help based on the information
• Oliver confronts his mother about ‘the undertaking’.

Lowlights
• The Oliver and Laurel scenes really sapped the momentum out of the episode.
• I could have done without the flashback scenes during this episode; they cut the momentum of the episode as well. But I will say they were the source of most of the action, tons of explosions and fight scenes and a shocking character development for Oliver.

Miscellaneous

WTF Moments
1. Tommy is the one who dies.
2. Yao Fei dies.
3. Moira holds a press conference and announces that she was in cohoots with Malcolm Merlyn to blow up The Glades.

Burning Questions
1. Who is the lady in the red shoes?
2. Is Malcolm Merlyn really dead?
3. What’s next for the character of Moira?

Fun Fact: Originally the episode was titled "52 Wells Street".

Tasty Tidbit: The abandoned subway Detective Quentin enters, Puckett Station, is a reference to Kelley Puckett, one of the co-creators of Connor Hawke, who in the comics is Oliver's son and the second Green Arrow.

Side Notes: Ferris can be seen written on the side of the airliner that Fyers is planning to shoot down. This is a reference to Ferris Airfield in the DC Comics where Hal Jordan, the alter ego of Green Lantern works.
====================================================================
Grade: A+
====================================================================
Comparable Shows
If you like shows based on the superhero genre, I suggest that you check out one, some or all of the following TV shows: Smallville, The Flash (1990) and/or Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up Next: If you are looking for a new show about werewolves, be sure to check out my blog tomorrow because I will be writing about Bitten.

‘It’s a complicated world, Johnny.’
‘We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.’
- William James

Prologue
Well, Arrowheads, they finally gave us what we wanted, an episode that was truly Diggle centric, I mean even the flashbacks revolved around him. While I enjoyed episode 2x06: Keep Your Enemies Closer, which was another Diggle centric episode, it really only served to whet my appetite whereas this one satisfied me fully at the end of the hour. Do you know what an episode that is character centric is supposed to do? It’s supposed to make all the other storylines feel secondary and boy was that the case this week, more so than usual.

Kudos all around, we’ve finally got a good head start on fixing the Diggle conundrum. But now, I’m ready to see a true partnership between Diggle and Ollie as well as some more screen time between Diggle and Felicity. Felicity doesn’t really seem to have anyone outside the Arrow Cave and even if she did she doesn’t have anyone she can talk to about the vigilante stuff, so that should naturally fall to Diggle.

Well, enough squawking, time to get to the meat and potatoes of this review….
====================================================================
Title: Suicide Squad |Writers: Bryan Q. Miller & Keto Shimizu| Director: Larry Teng
Synopsis: AMANDA WALLER SENDS THE SUICIDE SQUAD OUT ON THEIR FIRST MISSION — Following Slade’s (Manu Bennett) return and his promise to make good on his threat to destroy Oliver’s loved ones, Oliver focuses all his energy on preparing for battle with his former friend. Sarah tries to help but, fearing for her safety, Oliver pushes her away. Meanwhile, Diggle is recruited by Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. to stop a warlord he knew from his time in Afghanistan. Always the solider, Diggle agrees to help. However, he’s not prepared when Amanda introduces him to the rest of the team – Deadshot (guest star Michael Rowe), Bronze Tiger (guest star Michael Jai White) and Shrapnel (guest star Sean Maher), all criminals he and Arrow helped put away. Lyla defends the team and explains the world is a complicated place, but Diggle isn’t sure he agrees. When the mission takes a dangerous turn, Diggle is forced to make a difficult decision. =====================================================================
My thoughts about the writers behind this episode…
I like this writing duo. I want them to be the go to team when it comes to writing for the character of Diggle. Please make it so, Andrew, Greg and Marc. This episode had it all, action, comedy, relationship check-ins, trauma and drama. I liked all of unexpected the positive character interactions that were featured in this episode. I also like the trend of streamlining the story down to an A and B story with glimpses of the other stories in very small doses simmering in the background. I loved that the flashbacks belonged to Diggle. But at the same time I want the writers to know that it’s OK to not have flashbacks in an episode. I think for a lot of fans it would be a welcome relief. I know it would be for me. Just going to throw that thought out there…

My thoughts about the director of this episode…
All I have to say is welcome aboard, Larry Teng. I really loved this guy’s directorial aesthetic. He had a long list of interesting and unexpected shots. The scenes actually had time to breathe. This episode had really good transitions as well. The tracking shots were seamless and smooth. He pulled fantastic performances from everyone involved. Can’t wait to have the guy back.
=====================================================================
Yeah, for me! I said it was all connected when we got a flash of Amanda Waller’s shoes in episode 2x12: Tremors, when she offered Bronze Tiger an out and I was right. Amanda Waller is the woman in the red shoes from the last flashback scene of season 1. And Amanda and Oliver seem to have past partnership of some sort. I’m guessing Diggle doesn’t know that just yet. Also, Diggle hasn’t told Oliver that someone he doesn’t believe Oliver is aware knows about his secret, he’s been sitting on that for months. Turns out, that doesn’t matter much.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character Contemplations
Amanda Waller – Are we sure she wasn’t suppose the villain of this week’s episode? For a ‘good guy’ she sure was making some questionable choices. You know the old saying, ‘Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger – I guess he was just an ace in the hole to have. I hope they invite Michael Jai White back for some solo action one of these days because he is a fantastic martial artist and we have yet to see him unleashed. He does gets bonus points for saving Lyla though.

Floyd Lawton/Deadshot – Anti-heroes make the best heroes, especially when the world is becoming more grey by the day. Deadshot is honest, sassy and as Diggle mentioned showed more honor than a woman who is in charge of the saving the world. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?

John Diggle – Poor Diggle! His super cool code name is not so cool or so super, it’s just Freelancer. But I love how the writers managed to give me all of things that I have been missing about Diggle, such as him being a moral compass, a strategic and tactical planner and an honorable man who still struggles with hard choices every day. I also liked that they allowed him to be funny, soft and charismatic. I really hope this character development doesn’t cease or get lost in a barrage of big action sequences and empty gestures that are sure to come during the spiral of insanity that they are pushing all the way up until the season 2 finale.

Felicity Smoak – Felicity is almost back to her old, spunky, competent self. We haven’t really been seeing a lot of her since Sara showed up and let’s not even go there with how out of character they been having Felicity acting since Sara showed up. But I must say whenever Emily Bett is called on to bring out the adorkable charm, she delivers. Though her screen time was minimal, her impact in the episode was definitely maximized.

Laurel Lance – Funny, likable and being the bigger person. I like this Laurel. Can this be the Laurel we keep? I’m not so sure that alcoholism was the culprit or root of her problems but I suppose the tenets of AA might help Laurel get a fresh perspective and cope with the crazy situation that is her life. I’ll take it if this gives me a more in control Laurel who has finally seemed to come across as relatable and likable to her haters.

Lyla Michaels – I don’t know what to make of Lyla. It seems as though she was almost a bit of honey pot to lure John into mission. I like the chemistry between Aubrey and David. I also like that Lyla and Diggle have a mature love as well as a relationship that is honest and open. But it is very obvious that they see things from two drastically different points of view and would probably best be suited for a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship over any other kind, as the line ‘when we talk we tend to get divorced’ was clearly shown to indicate. Lyla isn’t the one’, or ‘the one that got away’’, she is just a detour, a lovely, fun detour but a detour nonetheless in Diggle’s love life.

Mark Scheffer/Shrapnel – He was about as useless as his first appearance. I’m glad he’s dead and we never have to see him again. He will definitely go down in Arrow history as one of the most useless and lackluster villains in the Rogue’s Gallery.

Oliver Queen – Angry, impulsive and on a rampage. I see Oliver is regressing back to all his old ways that I absolutely hate. Not only was he pushing away the people that love him the most he was burning bridges with dangerous (but more importantly, interesting) people. Oliver has a thick skull and doesn’t appear to be learning from past mistakes. I’m losing my patient with Oliver. I want to root for him and just when I think I can do it he goes off and does something that I can’t get behind. I need Oliver to grow up and soon. I thought Oliver has learned, on more than one occasion that love is THE most powerful weapon in a hero’s arsenal so just embrace it, let it wash over you and let it make you invincible already.

Sara Lance – I’m interested and invested in Sara and Laurel reconciling. I’m not really interested in the love saga of Sara and Ollie. I’m barely interested in the crime fighting partnership between Black Canary and The Arrow. When is the last time Sara even suited up and took it to the streets and kicked a little butt? I like Sara best when she’s trying to be a hero, I don’t care much for the interpersonal mingling between her and Team Arrow. If anything she and her father and her sister should be in counseling together. She should not be in a romantic relationship with Oliver; if not out of respect for her sister then out of respect for herself. Sara is starting to look suspiciously like a user and an abuser and it’s a shame…

Awards

Character of the Night
• Diggle (like duh, how could it not be?)

Most Improved Aspect
• The writing of Deadshot as well as Michael Rowe now having something to sink his teeth into and really help audience connect and care and root for him.

Best Character Interactions
• 1st place – Diggle and Deadshot
• 2nd place – Diggle and Felicity
• 3rd place – Laurel and Oliver

Scene of the Night
• Diggle saves Deadshot

Line of the Night
• Harley Quinn: Do you two cuties need some counseling? I’m a trained therapist.

Most Memorable Moment of the Night
• Felicity in her PJ’s

The Stalker of the Week
• Slade Wilson/Deathstroke

The ‘Wait, Why Are We Supposed to Care?’Award – Any and all scenes Oliver was involved, they fell super flat for me this week. I don’t like ‘on the rampage’ Ollie or when he acts before thinking.

That awkward moment when the online fandom begins to turn on you… – This one goes to Sara Lance/Caity Lotz. Shippers going to ship and no one likes Sara and Ollie together, apparently.

Fan Girl Squee of the Night – The Harley Quinn cameo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Basics

Villain – Another underwhelming, under developed baddie. If I hadn’t read the tie-in comic books I would have completely disengaged on this front. Let’s just be honest, it was basically the only way to tie Diggle into the Suicide Squad’s mission and we all just went with it.

Theme – Dangerous liaisons in a grey world.

Recurring Elements
• Oliver pushing people away.
• Oliver making not so smart decisions.
• The Moira/Oliver feud.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highlights

Memorable Moments
1. Deadshot blows a kiss at Diggle.
2. Deathstroke stalking an oblivious Oliver.
3. Laurel looking for a job in retail.

Notable & Quotable
1. Felicity: We are still in the
2. Deadshot: Give me a break. This ain’t no taskforce. Let’s just call it what it is. Welcome to the Suicide Squad.
3. Laurel (Filling out an application): Do you have previous experience in retail? Does shopping count?

Super Scenes
1. Laurel gives Oliver some helpful advice.
2. Diggle confronts Lyla about the team A.R.G.U.S. has put together.
3. Felicity brings Diggle some hot cocoa (without marshmallows,)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous

Fun Facts: The Ostrander Suite is named for John Ostrander who is an original and well known writer for the Suicide Squad title.

Tasty Tidbits: We got our first Captain Marvel/Shazam reference of the series in the form of Khandaq. Khandaq is a fictional Middle Eastern country ruled by the Captain Marvel/Shazam villain Black Adam. Black Adam was born in Khandaq and first gained his powers while a prince of the country in ancient times.

Style Spotlight: Lyla’s blue dress (to quote Diggle: Well, damn…)

Side Notes: Don’t expect to see Harley Quinn again. The voice was provided by Tara Strong and the silhouette was provided by model/actress Cassidy Alexa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plugs & Shameless Self-Promotion
ArrowCast on iTunes
ArrowCast on Facebook
ArrowCast on Twitter
=====================================================================
Well, that’s all she wrote! I look forward to reading the comments and learning what my lovely readers thought about this week’s episode of Arrow.
I’m always open to making new internet friends so don’t be shy, go ahead and contact me.

ps: If you like this article, please be sure to share it on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and any other social media you might be on (Reddit, TV Tag, etc).

The Outsiders War – Part 2

Summary: Green Arrow fights for his life against the head of the Shield Clan, the deadly Kodiak. Plus, learn the tragic secret that turned Oliver Queen into Green Arrow.

Story: Jeff Lemire
Cover: Andrea Sorrentino
Artwork: Andrea Sorrentino
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterist: Rob Leigh
Page Count: 20 Pages
Print Release Date: Jan 8th 2014
Digital Release Date: Jan 8th 2014

Grade: A+

Reason: It always surprises people that I’m such a huge comic book geek, considering my favorite author is Fyodor Dostoevsky. Literary snobs just never seem to really get it; neither do a lot of my highfalutin art world friends. This issue is a perfect example I would use to illustrate just what the comic book art form is all about. Jeff Lemire’s storytelling run on Green Arrow in the New 52 universe is genius. He really understands the ebb and flow of a serialized story and certainly isn’t afraid to drop bombshells early on.

Last month’s issue was a setup issue but I became thoroughly engrossed and enthralled by it nonetheless. That does not happen often, most setup issues lull and become tedious. This month’s issue was mind blowingly good. It packed a jaw dropping twist in its final pages that punched me in the gut and has me super stoked for issue #28.

Can we just clap it out for Jeff? So thankful for him not glossing over how super convenient it was for the arrow totem to be on the same island that Green Arrow was stranded on years ago? Not to mention throwing Katana in the mix, adding another strong kick butt female is always a good choice. However, I must say that Shado was more than enough on that front in the previous issue. I find myself absolutely in love with Ollie and Shado interactions. Not to mention that the big reveal was a bold move. A lesser storyteller might have saved that for the very last issue, so now I can only imagine what waits for us at the end of this arc.

OK, let’s move on to talk about the artwork. There is no denying that Andrea Sorrentino is masterful when it comes to crafting fresh and exciting panels, which can be hard in a format that is all about sequencing. My favorite pages happen to be 8-9. I love the decision to do something bold and different by not opting to do a big two page splash. Instead, they give us 6 horizontal rows that lends an air of frenzy to the situation. Another good executive decision was to give Ollie and Shado their own colors so you don’t get confused as to who’s doing what. Lots of interesting art choices were made in this issue and the variety was very much appreciated.

This was a perfect issue in my mind and my heart. I have yet to find someone who didn’t like the issue and in the new 52 universe for a title to have near universal approval speaks volumes. Hats off to all involved in this wonderful issue. Keep up the good work!

'Get Your Head in the Game'

Summary

Title: Blast Radius | Writer(s): Jake Coburn & Keto Shimizu | Directed by: Rob Hardy

Synopsis: Oliver must tackle a new threat to the city when bombs start to go off in Starling City. Felicity discovers the person setting them off is Mark Scheffer, a man who goes by the nickname Shrapnel. The Arrow discovers Shrapnel's next target is Sebastian Blood's "Unity Rally" and tries to talk the alderman out of hosting it, but he refuses. The Arrow sets off to stop the bombing, but Shrapnel tricks him and traps him in a bomb-laced antique store where he is unable to move without setting off the device. While Felicity helps Oliver, Diggle races to the plaza to find the bomb before it goes off. Meanwhile, Roy continues to hide his new strength from Thea but, after she witnesses his super strength in action at the rally, she demands answers. Laurel's suspicions about Sebastian grow stronger once she learns that he grew up with Cyrus Gold, the man who killed Lance's partner.

Timeline: 5 weeks after the events of the mid-season finale, 2x09: Three Ghosts.

Grade: C+

Reason: This was an average episode of Arrow. I was disappointed to learn that Arrow writers and executives didn’t learn from their mistakes from last season. I know that writers’ room is brilliant when it comes to premieres and finales, so what’s so hard about applying those same principals for the mid-season equivalents? This episode recycled quite a few things and not in a good way. Example 1: This time last year Ollie was also in a burning building trying to save lives. Example 2: We just had a car flip action sequence less than three episodes ago. Example 3: The Arrow shooting through the bomb’s cord was very reminiscent of a shot he took in the episode that featured The Dodger.

There were also some very blatant filler scenes, which shocked me because Arrow doesn’t do filler scenes (unless you are of the opinion that indeed is what the island flashbacks are). 33 episodes in and we still have the villains not being built enough to be even remotely interesting. There was very little action, which what little we got of it was also very repetitive; we’ve seen the Arrow bike numerous times chasing someone through Starling City now.
Upside with Dr. Ivo not making a physical appearance, the flashbacks were almost tolerable. They are working on the character of Laurel and I think this cool, proactive, heroic subplot just might be here to stay. Fingers crossed. We also got some solo Quiggle time, for however brief that was. Of course, I should mention that Ollie is now learning how to apologize after he’s been a douche. So, there’s that.


Awards

Character of the Night

Laurel wins this category hands down. It’s amazing how such a few small proactive actions can make a huge difference. My hope is that the audience likes this turn of events and can begin to root for her.

Best Character Interactions

Roy and Thea - How the heck did a teen romance become the best relationship by leaps and bounds on a “serious” and “grounded” TV show about a guy running around with a bow and arrow fighting crime? I have no idea. But Colton and Willa have major chemistry and it sizzles. They genuinely care about each other and the only time the fight is when is being a major pain in the butt about something and needs a good old fashioned Gibb slap. Thea is worried about Roy and Roy hates to make Thea worry. But when they work together it’s magic.

Blood and Ollie – Every story needs a compelling villain. We have yet to have one on Arrow in my opinion. One of the most interesting comic book villains out there, especially in DC comics, is Lex Luthor and his relationship with Clark Kent. Sebastian Blood has the potential to be that kind of epic level foil for Ollie (since Tommy isn’t around, and truth be told, I didn’t want to see an evil Tommy anyway). I like how Ollie and The Arrow got pulled in by his charm. I also like Slade is the one pulling the strings of Sebastian makes it even more intense, wouldn’t you say?

Favorite Moments

1. Slade smelling Shado’s hood, he officially oozing creepiness.
2. The Arrow gets caught in Shrapnel’s trap.
3. A box falls on Roy and Thea interrupting their make out session.

Favorite Lines

1. Felicity: Were you apologizing to me or talking to your quiver?
2. Diggle: Hey, is this it’s going to be with you two from now on?
3. Felicity: The whackadoo in question goes by the user name ‘Shrapnel’.

Favorite Scenes

1. Laurel comes into the station to ask Quentin for a favor.
2. Laurel discovers the truth about Blood.
3. Quentin and The Arrow on the rooftop while another bombing takes place.

Creeper Award

Slade Wilson, for smelling Shado's hood after it's been taken off her dead body.

Glaring Mistakes

Papa Queen's grave marker.

The Get It Together Awards

3rd Place - Blood being associated with the Queens in any way, shape or fashion while running for political office. I guess everyone has a short term memory in Starling City.

Runner Up - Blood’s campaign slogan is ‘Sebastian for Starling’.

1st Place - Thea not noticing Roy’s knee has miraculously healed. They live together, they work together and umm, they see each other naked, so how has she not noticed?

Worst Product Placement Award

Quentin: Because Aunt Maya is nuttier than a Snickers bar.


Shameless Plugs & Self Promotion

Twitter
Facebook
iTunes