Way back in episode 2 the thing that really sets Oliver off is when he’s being swarmed by paparazzi. He’s typically very good at hiding his reactions to things but when the paparazzi come in that’s when he gets visibly tense and uncomfortable, almost to the point of freak out (like when he steals the car and leaves both Diggle and Tommy behind).
And then, fast forward six years, when he comes back from prison, its crowds of paparazzi that are shown causing him to shut down again. And it kind of makes me think that maybe that’s something he never got okay with, the crowds like that just stopped happening as much. Sure maybe he got better at hiding his reaction, but I bet those kinds of crowds swarming him for attention always set him off. Being crowded without escape routes, having all that attention on him when hiding in the shadows is how he’s protected himself, people touching him when he’s had so many people hurt him, being trapped and exposed all at once. I bet it always sets off his sense of danger and makes him uncomfortable.
It’s time to go back to the beginning! You’d think we’d get tired of talking about Arrow, but nooope! There’s still so much ranting about L*uriver/LL & gushing about Olicity/Felicity Smoak to be done.
K, maybe it’s because the end is nigh but I found this episode so upsetting. My heart hurt for Oliver trying to fit into his old life and the only person noticing the struggle was Diggle. Diggle is the only person noticing anything. Laurel never did cut him any slack. Yes, her sister died but that doesn’t mean that can’t admit being stuck on an island FOR FIVE YEARS wouldn’t suck. Add the the dedication ceremony I think Oliver thinks he’s unworthy and it breaks my heart. I’m so so glad he meets Felicity in the next episode but he is a big ball of sadness and he needs his happy.
Arrowverse Re-Watch: Arrow season 1, episode 2 “Honorr Thy Father”
***Disclaimer: I recommend you read the tags before digging in to this review.
So I’m doing my annual Arrowverse re-watch (where I go back and watch all the Arrowverse shows in chronological order) and this year, I decided I would make these reviews/commentaries about each episode as I re-watch them.
So here goes… WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Yeah I’m already bored of L*uriver. Zero chemistry. Terrible backstory. Can we move on already?
Okay I didn’t mention this before but I love Joanna de la Vega so much. Can we bring her back in season 7? I don’t know how Jo and LL ever became friends because Jo is way too good for LL.
LL: Oliver just got back from five years on an uncharted island. Before that he was cheating on me with my sister and last week he told me to stay away from him. It was really good advice.
Okay first of all, when you ran into him just now you could’ve just walked away but instead you chose to engage him in conversation. Secondly, seriously?! She told this to one of her clients. Way to dump your problems on strangers. Oliver was trying to be polite and cordial to this woman and LL was like “nah I want everyone to know how butthurt I am”. Grow up, LL, jfc.
Okay so let’s just take a moment to talk about this extra and the little moment Oliver has with this extra.
Does this extra remind you of anyone?
...
Okay so think about it this way...
Two years prior, this happened
So Oliver briefly returns to Starling, goes to QC, and (sorta) runs into this blonde girl with a ponytail and glasses. And this girl makes him smile (an extremely rare occursnce). And then, two years later, he comes back and runs into a woman that looks very similar to that blonde girl that made him smile. Now, don’t tell me that Oliver didn’t remember her. I’m not saying that he thought about her every day during the rest of his time away or anything, but for Oliver who had so few things to smile about during that time, I’m sure he wouldn’t just forget about her.
Of course, it’s even better when you realize that this was just some random extra they hired and how could they have possibly known at the time right? (Felicity doesn’t even make her first appearance until the next episode).
I just think it’s kinda great that Oliver has this little moment with that girl that looks like Felicity because in his head he’s probably thinking “is that her?”
Okay I’m sure I’ll probably talk about this again later, but this scene between John and Oliver in the car is so great.
I’ve always felt like the reason Oliver chose John and Felicity as his first teammates and the first people he really opened up to is because they didn’t know him before the island (the same goes for Helena, but I’ll go into more depth about her later).
When Oliver came back, everyone in his life (Moira, Thea, Tommy, LL) expected him to be the same person that he was before the island. And the reason there was so much tension between Oliver and his family and friends was because they couldn’t see the person he’d become.
With John and Felicity there were no expectations. Oliver didn’t have to pretend to be Ollie around them, he could just be completely himself. They never expected him to act like the guy he was because they didn’t know that guy. It’s yet another reason why the relationships Oliver has with John and Felicity are so great and so important. I think John says it best...
John: Back home everyone is trying to get you. Get you to open up, be somebody you’re not sure you are anymore.
John and Felicity didn’t try to “get” Oliver. They just unconditionally accepted the man that was right in front of them.
No wonder he loves them both so much (in different ways obviously).
China White: Then we kill Miss Lance.
Yes, please do that. And could you also get rid of all of her doppelgängers while you’re at it so we don’t have to fucking deal with any version of her anymore?
Thea: Wait, how did you get those?
Oliver: Don’t you knock?
Okay, Oliver bb, I love you, but your door was open. If you were gonna walk around your room shirtless and you don’t want people to see your scars, you should’ve shut your door.
Oliver: My sister pointed out that I have been distant since I got back and she thought it would be a good idea if I let somebody in.
LL: So you thought you’d start with the first person you pushed away.
For once, I have to agree with LL.
But, you know what, it doesn’t matter. Because I know that Oliver is only still carrying a torch for LL mostly out of guilt...and once he meets wifey he’ll realize that he deserves better than LL. He’ll realize what real love is and all will be well and right in the world.
So this scene where Oliver and LL are having ice cream and China White breaks in and Oliver pulls a knife off the coffee table. I just have one question about this scene.
Why did they get a knife out to eat ice cream?
I miss the days when the action sequences were there to further the plot and not just for the sake of having action sequences.
On another note, can we talk about LL in this scene. She’s supposed to be this strong, independent character but look at the way she runs into Oliver’s arms at the end of the scene.
Yeah she’s such a strong, independent woman. That’s why she needs her big, strong man to hold her and make the bad people go away.
Who wrote this episode?
...oh. Kreisberg and Guggenheim. Okay LL’s behavior makes so much more sense now.
LL: If you think I’m just gonna abandon Emily Nocenti then you don’t know me all that well.
So I’m confused...is LL the strong, independent woman who isn’t afraid to stand up to bad people and fight for what’s right or is she the damsel in distress who needs a man to save her?
This is one of those examples of “as the Lances turn”.
Fun fact about the List: Isabel Rochev is on the list. So tell me? If Oliver knew the List so well, why did he trust Isabel when she came along in season 2?
Looks like the writers forgot about Isabel’s name bring on the List. Continuity error...
Okay so I noticed that the flashbacks in this episode have a little more of a shaky, grainly kinda look to them that isn’t present in any of the other flashbacks. I guess that must’ve been a directional choice? Or maybe, since it’s so early in the season they were like still trying to figure out what they wanted the flashbacks to look/feel like.
Ugh anyway, this is such an insignificant thing and I’m probably the only one that’s ever noticed.
Moira meeting with a mysterious person in the back of a car. I wonder who it could be...
YAO FEI!!! Yay!!!!!
Alright well, that’s it for episode 2. I’ll see you next time for episode 3. (AND GUESS WHOSE GONNA BE THERE?!?!)
