Okay, time to fess up...which one of you is actually a paid staff member of the Arrow writers? Because what I saw on my screen this week was like the best kind of fanfiction...and I truly mean that as a compliment. The kind of fanfiction that absolutely nails the characterizations of the characters while giving me some fluff that help with additional character development.
My more detailed rambles are behind the cut...
The Good
SO MUCH GOOD this episode. I have to admit, I’ve been loving this season of Arrow so far. And I’m pretty sure from what I know of upcoming episodes, that love is only gonna deepen. But I’ll try to limit my rambling tonight!
First things first: OLICITY IS BACK, Y’ALL. LET THAT SINK IN.
Not just “oh they shared a kiss in the finale”. Not just “they’re on a path towards each other”. No, they are INDISPUTABLY BACK TOGETHER ON THE SHOW.
Now, I’ve been an Olicity shipper from season 2 on. I never doubted that someday the show would allow them to get back together. But last year was hard. It’s so nice that here we are, three episodes in, and the show isn’t even trying to beat around the bush anymore. I totally respect that they paused their relationship so William could adjust to his new normal. But there comes a time to press “play” again, and Oliver recognized they’d hit that point.
And can I just say how delightful and refreshing it is to see Oliver taking the lead? For him to tell Felicity with utter sincerity that she would make William’s life better, just like she makes Oliver’s life better? That’s relationship goals, my friends!
(Side note: How adorable is it that Oliver not only wrapped the key to his apartment, but took the time to pick out a keychain that’s a smiley face with glasses? He’s such a sap, and I absolutely adore him for it.)
Arrow writers, I’ll sort of forgive you for fading to black, if only because I know that fandom will happily step in to fill that gap. And because there were so many other fabulous scenes we got tonight.
Like...Felicity and William. I’ve been somewhat neutral on William being full-time in Oliver’s life. On the one hand, William--and Oliver submitting to Samantha’s demands he keep William secret--was the whole underlying reason Olicity blew up in season 4. On the other hand, I was excited to see Oliver as a father. And man, did the William storyline deliver tonight. I loved the sense of normalcy that a math test brought to the show. I love that Oliver went seeking advice from a fellow father (Quentin), then Felicity. Her grin when he asked her for help was priceless. And then again when Oliver asked Felicity to tutor William...but all that paled in comparison to the actual scene with Felicity and William. It was everything I could ever hope for. They connected, they were starting to bond, and William was just as enchanted by Felicity as his father was from their first meeting. Give me all the Queen family feels!!
I loved all the nods to Oliver loving to cook this week, from making William breakfast to the nightime snack of Monte Cristos. And gee, Felicity, something tells me that Oliver must have made you a few Monte Cristos late at night during season 3.5 and 4a. Though I’m raising an eyebrow at the waffles. I don’t know realistically how good those would be as the bread for a Monte Cristo. ;) Also, I cracked up at Felicity scrambling to pick up the boxes of take out when Oliver commented on what she’d done with the loft. And the contrast between Oliver making William breakfast, and Felicity eating a bag of chips because she hadn’t had breakfast? Yeah, I see you, show. I’m gonna need lots of scenes of Oliver making both Felicity and William breakfast ;)
LOVED the Diggle and Oliver talk--it was so rewarding to see their roles reversed, I enjoyed Oliver joking about the brooding being a part of the costume. I also appreciated that Diggle’s wife and son were brought up, and addressed. I know that was something that was left hanging in the air last week. The fact that they took the time to address it? Gives me continued hope for the direction of this season.
Also loved that Felicity confronted the team when things went wrong, but also was understanding and supportive of John after he explained. It’s going to be interesting to see the dynamic with Dig leading the team and Oliver staying out of things, to see how Felicity’s role develops.
I like Samandra Watson as a nemesis. It’s a different feel than the typical bad guys, and she’s unpredictable. I think there are elements of what they were trying to do with Dragon Lady’s character last year, but they are a lot more believable coming from Agent Watson’s character. It’s nice to see somebody with some brains piecing together the obvious about Oliver, and his close associates. I mean, someone was gonna figure it out eventually...
Loved seeing Oliver succeed at mayor-ing this week...though Star City’s political structure baffles me (especially after I went through nine weeks of classes about my local city government...that’s where I’ve been Thursday nights ;) Really, though, would it kill the writers to out a tiny bit more effort into the city government structure??)
And I could keep rambling on about all the wonderful things in this week’s episode, but I’ll limit myself to two three more: I really enjoyed the fight in and around the limo with Green Arrow and Onyx; I love that Oliver did end up taking William to a Rockets game; and I really appreciated that Felicity is the one who is going to name her new company (including the nod to Oracle once again).
The Bad
This week’s villain felt like a filler. We know that Michael Emerson is out there, and that there are multiple villains this year, but this felt much more like an old school villain of the week than either Black Siren or Anatoly--probably because we didn’t have the history with Onyx that we have with the other two. She was effective enough for New Team Arrow to grow and develop, but that’s really all she was...fairly unremarkable. And did they ever address why she and her team weren’t bothered by the flash bangs?
I like Dinah...I really do. But the idea that she’s the only one who noticed something was wrong with Diggle, when Felicity was the one who was there when it happened and also happened to be in the bunker when they were arguing--you’re trying to sell me that she didn’t know something was up too? Yeah, right.
WHY THE FADE TO BLACK, Arrow? Take advantage of your 9 pm slot already!!
The Ugly
JOHN WHY ARE YOU SHOOTING UP?!?!?! This is SO going to bite you in the butt in a few weeks when Oliver finds out. UGH. (Though...,my amazing friend @mrsd923 is working on a very interesting theory about Dig and how what’s going on may be part of a bigger storyline...)
The anti flash bang glasses just reminded me of eclipse glasses and I may have laughed a little too much at them.
Also, totally giggled at Dinah’s Canary Cry containing the nerve gas. But hey, this is still a show based on comic books, so I’ll go with it.
Next Up and Last Thoughts
More Black Siren....I’m underwhelmed. But I did see that lovely shot of Felicity and Oliver in the bunker, and I’m intrigued by the article that hints at Felicity’s personal storyline heating up, with regards to something personally connected to her that she doesn’t lean on the team about. Michael Emerson’s debut, perhaps? :)
Also, the promo didn’t show it, but the lovely promo pictures did: Olicity is going on a date next week. And it looks like a beautiful revamp of their very first date, only minus the explosions. I AM SO EXCITED.
You could see hints of the supposed “Civil War” alignments to come...Rene going Team Oliver, Dinah going Team Diggle. It’ll be very interesting to see how it all shakes out!
Am I the only one absolutely not missing flashbacks this year? I think they’re a handy storytelling device when they make sense, but I already think this season is stronger without being tied to flashbacks.
Felicity’s comment that the loft is only six blocks from City Hall only serves to confirm that the loft and Oliver’s apartment are either in the same building, or in the same complex/block.
That’s all I’ve got! Looking forward to seeing all the fantastic fics that pick up where the show left off with a very rude fade to black. And as always, you can find me on Twitter or message me on Tumblr. Until next time!
...and we’re back! I’m so excited that after five months of playing the “let’s pretend everyone is dead” game, that we finally have new Arrow on our screens.
I know I’m late to the party this week, so let me dive right in!
The Good
I haven’t had much chance to dive into other people’s reviews of the episode, but from the little I’ve seen on my dashboard, my Twitter TL, and texts from friends seems to indicate that people either were excited by the episode and the direction it set for the season, or disappointed in the episode. I happen to fall into the first category. I thought the episode set up several storylines to help carry us through the first part of the season. It did it a bit clumsily--and I’ll touch on that below--but the foundation is there. And I am excited for new Arrow to be on my screen again.
The biggest storyline/change for the new season: Oliver Queen has been thrust into being a full time a father to William, a kid who wants very little to do with him right now (for some very understandable reasons). I was somebody who was excited to see what Stephen would do with this storyline and was irritated at how it was handed in Season 4, so I was very curious how it would play out this season. And I generally like what was there. I winced every time William rebuffed Oliver, but every time I told my friend I was watching the episode with, “Okay, but I get why he’s reacting like that. But poor Oliver.” I loved Oliver trying to woo him with Rockets tickets. Bringing Raisa back to help out with William. Wanting to try helping William through his nightmare instead of letting Raisa handle it. And then I adored that whole scene at the end, where Oliver came in and told William point blank that he was not going anywhere and like it or not, he was his father. I was already emotional at that point, and then when Oliver asked William to watch the game with him the next night and William accepted? Oliver’s reaction damn near killed me. I am really looking forward to how their relationship develops over the first part of this season.
Let’s talk about Team Arrow for a moment. I love that they’re feeling like a well oiled machine now. We had all the growing pains of the new team last season; they’ve earned their places and it’s fantastic to see them working well together in the field, both in hero suits and out of them. I feel like that is a wonderful payoff from last season, and I’m glad they’re going that route.
Speaking of payoff from previous seasons...Allow me to be emotional for a moment. Oliver Queen has finally learned a lesson that stuck! I was extremely impressed at several Oliver moments that showed his growth from the last five years. One was the moment when he was telling Lance he shouldn’t have hid the facts about shooting Black Siren, and Lance asked him about when he would stop taking on other people’s sins. Oliver actually smiled as he replied “not any time soon”. He’s aware he does it, but he’s doing it not for self flagellation purposes but to start helping out the people around him. That is so refreshing!
Another moment that had me shouting for joy was when Felicity asked him if he wanted to talk about what was going on with William. With no hesitation, he replied yes. What a lovely change from what would have happened before!
While I’m on the topic of Olicity....through the summer, my assumption based on previous years was that by the time season six picked up, Olicity would have gotten back together and possibly be in a down-low marriage or something of that sort. The whole “here’s how their relationship progressed offscreen” thing had already happened three times, after all: Season 2.5 (moving from the “I love you” to “fool Slade” to the full on flirty flirt in 3x01), Season 3.5 (running away together and jumping full bore into a relationship where Oliver was actually going to propose five months into it), and Season 4.5 (going from broken up with lots of issues to the strange tension in 5x01--which thankfully they helped address with 5x20 onscreen). I had resigned myself to it and thought, okay, but at least we’re finally just getting on with their relationship without all the ridiculous reasons why they’re keeping them apart.
I...have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at where they’re actually at right now. They’re rebuilding Olicity onscreen. There’s a semi-logical reason why they’re not further along in their reunion (Oliver working on his relationship with William), but the thing is, you can feel it coming. It’s got a certain inevitability about it. But this time, it’s being done on a very solid foundation. This was demonstrated in the little ways--from Oliver making very clear to Felicity that he was asking her over for dinner because he wanted her company, to Oliver saying yes he wanted to talk to her about the thing that was bothering him, to the end scene when it seemed clear that talking on the phone to each other at night is a very regular thing for them. They’re on the path back, and honestly, it’s not going to take long for it to go to the next level. They’re both ready this time. And I’m 99% sure with Oliver needing to step away from being Green Arrow for a while, that it’ll help Olicity get to that place--because Oliver is going to have time to work on things more with his son, and that’ll propel things along for his relationship with the woman he wants to marry.
A couple more things I loved: Rene being Oliver’s new Chief of Staff and having kick ass speech writing skills. The Rene and Oliver hug (and Oliver getting Rene a second chance with Zoey-- @redpensandgreenarrows, your question to Rick about Zoey at HVFF must have been really hard for him not to answer too much on ;) Loved that Dinah was promoted at SCPD and also loved that her bond with Quentin has strengthened to the point that she’s looking out for him--felt like payoff to him giving her the title Black Canary at the end of season 5. And oh my heart, John stopping to make sure Felicity was okay on the exploding island...gah. Also, David’s reactions this episode are making me practically foam at the mouth for all the juicy Diggle storylines I can feel are on their way shortly.
The Bad
Dear Arrow writers: if you are bringing a kid on board the cast, please spend time with a kid that age so you understand how to write dialogue for said kid. I cringed when I heard it in the trailer and I cringed each time it was said in the episode; “bad man” just really struck out as out of place to me for a kid William’s age to be saying.
After all the official account’s focus on BS leading up to the premiere, I was already done with her storyline before she’d finished one scene. And I was probably one of the few willing to give it a chance. But I really think they could have promoted the episode in a LOT better ways. Par for the course, I know. I have a feeling as the additional villains get added over the next few weeks (like--who was the villain that had the helicopter that picked up BS??), her storyline won’t be that major of a focus anymore and it won’t feel so awkwardly forced as it did this episode.
If they were going to reveal that the majority of the team was A-Okay like five minutes into the episode, was it really necessary to drag out the stupid question of who survived all summer? If you’re going to torture us like that, MAKE IT A BIGGER DEAL ON THE PREMIERE.
I get that Quentin has a legitimate reason for trauma on the island what with shooting someone who looked like his daughter, but can we please show it a different way than him staring at drinks again? Maybe, I don’t know, a short temper, or being more involved in helping Rene get his daughter back. We’ve been here before, and while I’m glad Quentin is getting a storyline too, let’s try being a little more creative with showing his emotional pain.
Thea being in a coma...ugh. I figured it was coming, and I know it’s pretty much because Willa asked for less work this year, but...really? You couldn’t have just nicely sent Thea out of town on a Theroy retreat because she’s sick of being blown up? (Okay, fine, I’ll admit she would have stuck around to get to know her nephew. But again, we’ve been here before...though it’s nice to see Oliver handling it okay-ish.)
STOP BLOWING HOLES IN THE BUNKER. Also, a little explanation on how the hell BS and her minions knew where the bunker was would be nice. You’d think they’d learn someday to up the security on their secret lair. This better be the last time that somebody breaks in this year.
Considering that my friend and I spent a couple of minutes after the episode debating whether or not Nyssa lived, it would have been great if they could have thrown it into the episode. (Conclusion: Yes, she did, because she went with the group to the plane “for shelter” and we’ve seen all the other people that ran that way are all unscathed. Thank you, Stephen Amell, for confirming that Nyssa is alive in an interview.)
I alluded to feeling like the episode was clumsily put together above...and it really was. I felt like the flashbacks were very disjointed and focused on giving the obvious answers to the big puzzle, but at the cost of some great emotional moments, like finding out if all of the team was okay, John’s injury (and how he’s been hiding it), and the pretty obvious Olicity reunion. I’m giving them a temporary pass on this with the possibility that they may do some more flashbacks showing these key moments with corresponding episodes (ie, showing John’s injury as we delve more into his issues, etc). Other clumsy moments including the BS storyline this week (though I did like that a villain was more focused on someone other than Oliver) and how that was woven throughout the episode. And just...pacing was a bit off. But that’s an Arrow problem now and again, and I have faith that it’s not going to be a problem for the whole season.
The Ugly
It grossed me out when that bad guy spit the bomb out of his mouth. Blech.
I get William’s backpack was a connection to his former home of Central City and a little in-universe nod, but am I alone in thinking it’s a little juvenile for his age? Maybe a sleek backpack with a single Flash logo would have made more sense? Am I overthinking this??
I get that Juliana and David have natural actor chemistry, and I get that some people see romantic chemistry (even the friend I was watching with--and she adored Diggle and Lyla but asked me, “Um, is their some kind of romantic thing going on with Digg and Dinah?”). I personally see two people who are cut from the same cloth and get each other and see through each other in ways that other people can’t--and I friendship the hell out of it. But it still makes it a little awkward when yeah, I can admit that they have chemistry. Just...don’t go there, show.
Next Up and Last Thoughts
Back in July, I attended HVFF Nashville and had the best time with the loveliest fandom friends. I also was the first person to ask Stephen Amell a question at his panel. I asked the standard “two truths and a lie” about 6x01. Stephen joked about needing to think about it for a minute since he’s known for giving good answers to that question, then slowly gave out the following responses: “Oliver and Slade have a scene together in the present day; Diggle deploys his gun and it doesn’t work; Thea is in a present day scene where [Oliver and Thea] speak to each other.”
He was so careful with his wording about Diggle and the gun that I was 99% sure that was a truth. At the time, the way he added the words “speak to each other” regarding Oliver and Thea made me suspicious that was the lie. Turns out, I was right on both counts. Yay! (And on a side note, I will never get over the fact that at SDCC Stephen revealed he’d gotten in trouble for answering my question like he did.)
Next up: Diggle is totally taking on the Green Arrow mantle to help out his “best friend” (I loved that he said that in the preview) and Oliver will be dodging questions from the FBI. Fun times! Also, let’s hope that villain #2 shows up...perhaps Michael Emerson with Helix? :)
Share thoughts, comments, etc with me anytime - my inbox is open, and I’m over on Twitter as well!
After you’re done writing some notes and you go over them only to realize that you could’ve formatted everything in a way that your notes would’ve been more helpful and understandable
I wasn’t overly eager about tonight. I figured it would be a “filler” episode, moving towards the last two episodes which I’m greatly anticipating, and I’d figured it’d be a bit light on Olicity after that glorious episode last week. The summary didn’t really impress me. I mean, a giant cement block shows up for Oliver. Woohoo. Let’s get to the end of season showdown stuff.
Boy, was I ever wrong about this episode. And oh, did I ever enjoy it.
The Good
I can’t believe how many little Easter eggs were in this episode! You can really feel the drive to tie the end of Season 5 to the beginning of Season 1, both in the flashbacks and the present day. I really enjoyed the flashbacks tonight. Maybe it’s because I love getting the background on things, but something about Oliver wandering around the island and reminiscing with Anatoly just got me in a warm fuzzy nostalgic place. We finally got the answers to: why was Slade’s mask on the beach like it was; when Oliver learned to fly (and I am a sucker for more information on Oliver and Robert’s relationship); how that fishing boat “happened by” Oliver and Lian Yu; Stephen’s grand plan to get Oliver’s hair and beard to how they were in the pilot. I teared up when Anatoly and Oliver said goodbye. I’m not gonna lie.
The callbacks to Season 1 in the present day were something I didn’t know I needed. Circling back to the fact that Oliver started the crusade because of his father, and now is confronting just what sorts of things his father did in the past--there was something that just really struck me of how Oliver is finally coming to terms with all of that. I loved that he rewatched the video from his father. And finally--FINALLY--Thea got that last message from her father. As irritating as it is for Oliver to have kept it from her, I can’t help but feel that she got it at the exact right time in her life.
Speaking of Oliver and his father’s video...I just about died when Oliver was watching the video, Felicity came up, asked about the video, and then Olicity had their heart to heart. In a lot of ways, this episode felt like a “finale” -- Felicity giving Oliver a hero talk, then Oliver taking that and going and “defeating” the villain. And of course, it’s meant to feel like a finale...but the truth is, Prometheus still has a few more checks left in his chess game before checkmate.
I could gush for paragraphs about Olicity. THEY ARE BACK Y’ALL. Felicity is rocking the red dress and lips and Oliver immediately got back in her personal space. THERE WAS A SHOULDER TOUCH AND A HEY. And that was just in their first scene together ;) But in all seriousness, it felt so good to have them back in sync and confiding in each other. They are back as a team, stronger than ever, and when they finally do pull the trigger on being together all the way...oh, I am so looking forward to them being the power couple of the show next year. :)
Oliver put the Green Arrow hood back on because of what Felicity talked to him about, and he acknowledged it to Diggle and the team. He faced down Chase with humor and a steely resolve and a knowledge that he was going to win. He spoke to Thea and admitted her was wrong to keep the video from her, then encouraged her to live her own life just as Felicity encouraged Oliver to live his own life. I can’t even express how much I enjoyed that. But you get the idea ;)
I have missed Thea badly, and Queen sibling interactions even more. I really enjoyed all their moments together, though at one point I was yelling at the screen, “Ask Thea back to the bunker, you idiot! Don’t just make her feel left out by sitting in your chair by herself!” I’m disappointed that the writers flat out debunked my theory of where Thea has been (come on, can’t you let Theroy be happy even if it’s just offscreen????) but they earned some of my forgiveness by letting Thea go on her own emotional journey tonight and not regress into the child that wanted nothing to do with her father and her family’s lies.
Rene and Lance were awesome this episode. I continue to like seeing the two of them on my screen. My heart sank when Rene didn’t show up and I was expecting him to bust in the door at the last second, but the preview mentioning that Rene is “missing” made me feel a little better. But dang it he better get a second chance post end of the season crisis!
I love Dinah. I don’t think there’s much I can say to expand on that, except I’m really happy she’s here to stay for next season. I think they finally achieved what they’ve been after for the Black Canary, and it’s enjoyable to see on screen.
Curtis and Felicity geeking out over Witness and their love of movies made me extremely happy. Their shock at Dinah not knowing that movie makes me think Team Arrow Movie Nights will be a thing this summer.
Diggle is the best for buying the first round of celebratory drinks for Team Arrow. And being snarky with Oliver in the cement room. And giving his best “WTF” face when Felicity started babbling science. Actually, Diggle is just the best ;)
The Bad
How did Oliver believe that Chase was just “giving up”? Felicity’s proud comments about Chase just dropping like a marionette at Oliver’s words were fun, but seriously, Oliver. The man had his grand chess game all planned out and if you thought it was unlikely he’d have it end with the cement room, why would you think he’d end up with a surrender? UGH. I know I know. We need drama for the last two episodes and hey, it means we’re going to finally get a lighthearted team party on Arrow next week. BUT STILL. BE SMARTER OLIVER.
Rene’s daughter’s face broke my heart. That was horrible. STUPID PROMETHEUS AND HIS EVIL PLANS.
How dare Arrow leaves us last week with Chase absconding with William and this week we don’t get to see his face to know he’s still alive. I’m just saying. I get Chase has his evil endgame plans but let us know the kid is alive at least!
The Ugly
I will not be sad to see Oliver’s flashback hair go. It looked particularly limp tonight.
I...am not that interested in how undead evil Russian guy got on the island and is intent on beating up Oliver. I wanted more Anatoly and Oliver tour Lian Yu and Talk About Things.
The ARGUS yellow jump suit is its own form of torture for prisoners. Gross.
Next Up and Last Thoughts
I notice that the preview for next week did not include any “Happy birthdays” for Oliver and instead focused on the actual “missing” people. Pfft. Just because the episode is called Missing doesn’t mean we don’t want the fun stuff in the promo too ;)
But in all seriousness..I’m rubbing my hands together in evil anticipation of next week. It looks awesome.
Who do you think Chase’s “friends” are that are helping with the kidnapping? Talia and her cohorts, perhaps? Does Felicity get to at least wish Oliver a happy birthday first? Does Chase know to save OTA for last with the kidnapping? Will ARGUS run out of products for his hair? All good questions that may be answered next week!
I LOVED Felicity’s dress tonight. She looked gorgeous. And I loved seeing all of Team Arrow’s strengths on my screen. It was a fast paced episode that allowed for a few introspective moments. I really think these last few episodes have 1000% been hitting their stride.
What was your favorite moment of the night? What do you think will happen next? On a scale from 1 to 10, how awful are the ARGUS yellow jumpsuits?
