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Also, she’s gonna kinda suck at the fighting, and other characters are gonna call her out on it. There’s sort of some inconsistency where she appears to be a bit better at it in one ep, and not as good at it in the next, then better at it again, (also they seem to disregard the fact that she kicked a couple people’s butts back in S1 because her dad had made her take defense classes, but they kinda wanted her starting from scratch with her S3 fighting), but in every fight you’ll see some of her kicks and punches hitting nothing but air, and she’s gonna get some injuries, because she’s just not experienced at it yet.
I just watched the next two episodes (after Ollie is “killed”) and thank god that Laurel isn’t all PERFECT HERO right off the bat. I’m glad she’s getting her butt handed to her. It’s not that I dislike Laurel Lance and wish her ill, but for her to be able to put on that mask and not have a serious learning curve (even if she did have some self defense classes) would be really inconsistent with what everyone else had to go through. Ollie? 5 years away from home where everyday was like one long training mission. Roy? Trained by Ollie (also Mirakuru….) Sara? League of Assassins training. I would have had a lot of issues had Laurel just gone in gun a’blazing and come out the other side without a scratch on her.
Ollie Ollie Ollie. I could write a long essay here about the heroes journey and how he’s “died” and come back and how this is supposed to make him a bit more enlightened, but something tells me that Ollie’s dark days are here to stay for awhile. I think this entire season is being set up as his walk through the underworld (metaphorically speaking)–and yes, I do know what the final scene of this season is, so don’t applaud my brilliance too hard. However, since I am only spoiled on major events and not the intricate details in between, I do look forward to seeing how death and quasi-rebirth/resurrection affect our dear Mr. Queen. He’s such a troubled soul as it is, that I can’t see a very real brush with death (and really, dying) not phasing him.
Olicity. I’m pretty sure I tweeted Phee in the middle of watching and just wrote, “my heart! it hurts!” I mean ouch. I don’t want to be a woman you love…I get it. I absolutely get it since what sets up that line is a long list of women Ollie loved and what has happened since but man…ouch. And compounding all of this is Felicity and Ray. We’ve had the problematic stalker trope and then he became “sad past” guy and now he’s going to, clearly, be “guy who got the girl” if only briefly. Still problematic. Still not a big Ray fan. Still frowning at the way media constructs interaction between men and women.
Merlyn go away. Ok, no don’t because I really love John Barrowman. But still…go away Merlyn. I don’t want to feel pity for you! The flashback to right after Merlyn’s wife died was really well done, especially the end where he shows up in Nanda Parbat (‘ello little Nyssa!). However, in spite of a few “aww poor guy” moments, I still don’t feel all that bad for Malcolm Merlyn. There is a line that ones does not cross, even when one is in extreme pain. Like, say, and Undertaking to destroy and kill thousands and thousands of people? I get the rage and anger because he’s sad that his wife died and in the fictional world, I can see him going after his wife’s killer as a moving storyline but the Undertaking was so egregiously disgusting and morally wrong that even with John Barrowman’s sad eyes, it just makes me twitchy whenever Merlyn is on screen. Also, can we please get Thea away from him?! Also…no Ollie don’t be trained by Merlyn. This is bad news bears. Bad news. BAAAAAD news.
I love Diggle. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Maseo and Tatsu and the flashbacks. I think I missed something. What exactly does this virus do? And what’s up with the blond lady? China White? Is she just “flashback enemy” who will have no bearing on the present day storyline (cause that’s clearly gone to Ra’s). However, on the whole I think I like Maseo more. His plan to get Tatsu back once she was captured by China White was impressive and I like that family comes first for him (he and Ollie have that in common).
[adrotate group="5"]"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Next up in “RG Gets Caught Up on Arrow S3” I watched episodes 313 (Canaries); 314 (The Return); 315 (Nanda Parbat) and 316 (The Offer)
General thoughts 313:
–I really enjoyed Laurel’s struggle with her identity as the new Canary and how Sarah’s “ghost” was more or less spelling out Laurel’s greatest fears. The final scene between Laurel and Papa Lance was heartbreaking (though, I got some issues with Papa Lance in future episodes…)
–Thea knows! And is…thankful? Okay, well first…Ollie’s face when Thea thanked him was just so much “cinnamon roll!” He was genuinely happy that Thea didn’t freak out or hate him. Thea continues to be the thing nearest and dearest to Oliver’s heart so this last and final break of innocence for Thea was not an easy task for Ollie. I am worried about Thea, though. Obviously. She does say later on this season that, like Merlyn, there is something broken inside of her and that’s why they are alike. Is Thea broken (perhaps after her mom died and everything Slade did) but Thea has always dangled over the razor’s edge, no?
–Is it okay to hate Amanda Waller?
–ADORED the conversation between Felicity and Laurel about not being Sara, but just being her (Laurel) self. Way to pass the Bechdel test!
General Thoughts 314
–OMG I LOVED THIS EPISODE
–“Arrow” has always been really great at paralleling Ollie’s time away from the city with his present but never so much as in this flashback episode where we see Ollie return home–in the present to Lian Yu and in the past to Sterling City, both times in which Thea became front and center.
–As much as I loved this episode, though, I did think Slade was a bit wasted. And, this is going to sound rough, but…at some point I do think you have to accept that ending Slade is the better option. I’m actually very against the death penalty in general, but Slade isn’t just another death row inmate. He is…an ubermench (super man). If he ever got out (like he did) then there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he wouldn’t create chaos in every direction. How many sleepless nights can Ollie have wondering if Slade will figure a way out.
–Merlyn needs to die. Really?! You let an insane killer out because “it’s a test, daughter mine!” Dude. You are EVIL. (I really hate him, but god I love John Barrowman and his performance)
–Thea learning she killed Sara. 🙁
General thoughts 315
–A really fantastic episode, but again…I worry for Thea
–Diggle asking Ollie to be his best man. EXCUSE THESE DYING WHALE NOISES BUT I HAVE SOME FEELINGS, OKAY.
–Uhhhhhhhhh. Ollie. Don’t join the League. I mean….bad idea, dude. Just. Bad idea.
–I’m going to ignore Ray and Felicity because ANGER. Okay, yes. I am an Olicity shipper but my anger over Raylicity doesn’t stem from being an Olicity shipper but rather my view that Ray was your typical overly attached, stalkery, troubling male who was given a sad backstory which invariably led to the female leading falling for him because “he’s such a nice guy! his previous actions don’t bother me! nice guy! so sad! so cute! let’s have sex!” (also, there is something super disturbing about the image that just after sex with Felicity, Ray suddenly figured out how to fix his suit and took off in flight for the first time. Like Felicity’s vagina holds the secrets of the universe.)
General thoughts 316
–Go way Ra’s.
–Nyssa and Laurel? I like this idea!
–Go away Ra’s
–Papa Lance, I get that you’re in pain but so is Laurel. Please do not hold this against her. Also, I get your anger toward the Arrow but please don’t be stupid.
–Go away Ra’s
–“As long as you’re in my life, I’m happy.” OUCH. IT HURTS
–Go away Ra’s
–Thea and Roy!!! I love Roy. Like a lot.
–Go away Ra’s.
–Uh. Shado?
–Go. Away. Ra’s.
Random general thoughts:
–I think it’s really significant that Ollie is at this crossroads after his “rebirth.” He is facing an identity crisis now more than ever. The hero dies and is reborn, it’s a cliche for a reason but I don’t think Ollie has really been reborn, not yet anyway. His rebirth at the hands of Tatsu was more like a jolt into a liminal space where he has to decide who he is and what is he fighting for (Felicity told him to figure out why he does “this” in 316). Something tells me that Ollie is actually going to move into the darkness before he can reach a new stage. His aptheosis might not “godhood” (that would be odd anyway) but rather a new identity, a more solid one where he doesn’t have to struggle with being Oliver Queen OR the Arrow.
–Maseo and Tatsu…*sigh* I feel bad for saying this but I’m not overly impressed with their storyline. I like Maseo but I find that the whole White China, Alpha drug, story is a bit *eh* for me.
–More on Ray. He wants to save the city after the death of Anna. That’s great. That’s a noble mission. But really, putting on a suit and fighting crime is a really dumb and naive conclusion to come to. You are a billionaire and a genius. Try a different route before you resort to this. I mean…any route. Fund the police. Give everyone in the Glades 500,000 and new housing. I mean….his idea that he single-handedly has to save the city is…maddening. Okay, okay. I know. It’s what Ollie does. But Ollie’s family was also responsible for wanting to destroy the city in the first place. Ray was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and there is a definitive lack of guilt in Ray that Ollie has by the spades. It’s…egotistical (that’s the word!) for Ray to think that he alone should be safeguarding the city because he lost someone he cared about. And yeah it’s egotistical of Ollie too. Okay, I’m talking in circles. I guess this is the thing for me: whereas Ray thinks it would be SO NEAT to be a superhero, Ollie actually refers to it as a job. If he could, I don’t think he’d be the Arrow. But he has to because “job.” That’s the difference in their missions and thus the differences in their characters.
–Just in case anyone thinks that I flat out hate Ray, I do find his comic relief to be necessary. He would fit in well on Flash (and did when he guested over there) and I think he’ll be great on Legends. But…he’s out of place in Arrow. We have comic relief in Felicity but she also brings something else to the table besides some lightness and humor: her computer skills and more importantly her empathy. Dig is the loyalty, but Felicity is the heart of Team Arrow. She keeps Ollie human when he starts to go a bit too Tortured! Ollie.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Next up in “RG Gets Caught Up on Arrow S3” I watched 317 (Suicidal Tendencies) and 318 (Public Enemy)
General Thoughts on 317
–FLOYD 🙁 (moment of silence for @Phee’s boy)
–Ok, going more in depth. Floyd’s story was really heartbreaking. The one thing he was good at (killing) was the thing that he didn’t want to be good at and it cost him everything. His final moment, looking at his family, was just so sad.
–I liked the Diggle/Lyla/Cupid/Deadshot storyline but I had some issues with what was going on back inside Sterling City, especially with Ray. Oh Ray. It seems like every time I sit down to give my reactions to this show, you make the list of things I want to yell about. In this episode, Ray learned that Ollie was the Arrow and was pretty angry about it. That’s fine. I can understand his anger since he currently thinks that the Arrow is going around killing people. What I cannot stand–simply cannot–is his anger toward Felicity and the revisionist history he spews to justify his anger. As he’s yelling at Felicity he says something like, “Why did you tell me? I’ve been upfront with you since the beginning!” OH RLY?! So you told her exactly who you were, why you were in Sterling? You told Felicity exactly what you were planning with Oliver’s former company, you told her all about your super suit and you told her about Anna immediately? HINT: NO. See, this is what bothers me about not just Ray about character in media like Ray. His history and character narrative is being re-written or forgotten in order to make him look like the put upon victim and make Felicity look like the bad person in this relationship because she doesn’t trust him the same way that he trusts her. BUT NO. First off, it’s not her secret to tell. Why would she tell Ray about Ollie anyway?? Second, except for a brief moment, Felicity has been super supportive of his secret mission and she’s been a better team player than Ray has. So yeah, I got some more issues with how Ray is being written.
–Oh, so Not! Shado. Okay.
General thoughts on 318
–Ray loves Felicity but she doesn’t love him. Once again, I don’t like how this was written because Felicity looks like the woman who is stringing a guy along even though she knows she’s not fully emotionally available and she’s going to be the one to hurt a guy.
–So you mean to tell me that Ray has magical technology that is a medical marvel that can cure brain bleeds (with yes, risk) and he hasn’t….I don’t know…patoned this and got it out into the real world to SAVE LIVES. YOU KNOW THE THING HE WANTS TO DO IN HIS SUPER SUIT. GAAAAAAH. He’s aggravating. It goes back to what I said a page ago. He doesn’t get it. There are so many ways to save this city that don’t involve putting on a super suit. He actually has a fantastic way to save lives in the form of these nano-things. But he chooses to not share them and instead hoard them so he can have his toys in order to become ATOM
–Roy what are you doing?! 🙁
–Papa Lance. Look, I get it. Once again Ollie Queen is responsible for your daughter’s death and general upset. But the Arrow has helped you countless time in the past. COUNTLESS. And you were trusting him! Now your emotional judgement is clouding everything. Please start listening to Laurel.
–Go away Ra’s.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Ok, going more in depth. Floyd’s story was really heartbreaking. The one thing he was good at (killing) was the thing that he didn’t want to be good at and it cost him everything. His final moment, looking at his family, was just so sad.
I’m gonna do some proper replies to all the stuff you’ve been posting once I get the time to sit down and collect my thoughts. But one thing…because I heart Floyd so…sometimes I think how “no body no death”, so even if they’re not allowed to use him again “for the nonce”, he totally survived that explosion, and he’s still out there somewhere, and I find some solace in that. Then I think how even though he totally survived the fireball, the photo of his family totally didn’t, it got burned to ash, so now he’s gotta go on existing without that photo in his pocket, without the reminder of his girls, who he still loved, even though he’d never admit it, and now he can’t take out that photo and see their faces whenever he needs to…and then I get really sad. And I just had to get that off my chest.
we interrupt this re-watch to bring you RG’s gross crying over Tatsu and Maseo which is weird because all season I’ve been 100% “meh” on them and then she’s holding him and he’s thanking her and it’s about their son and I’m suddenly like WHY DO I FEEL ALL THE THINGS.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"we interrupt this re-watch to bring you RG’s gross crying over Tatsu and Maseo which is weird because all season I’ve been 100% “meh” on them and then she’s holding him and he’s thanking her and it’s about their son and I’m suddenly like WHY DO I FEEL ALL THE THINGS.
I swear….THAT SCENE DID ME IN!!!!!! Between their son’s death, and that scene! I was all over the place!
Oh and by the way….this is a thing!!! WWE SUMMERSLAM STEPHEN AMELL VS STARDUST!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQZ4mUVUSfk
"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor
Oh and by the way….this is a thing!!! WWE SUMMERSLAM STEPHEN AMELL VS STARDUST!
I really don’t understand the appeal of WWE. Watched the few clips of stuff that led up to this, (from the first time Stephen was there in the front row and the “feud” started, several weeks before the smackdown happened), and spent the whole time cringing from secondhand embarrassment. But LOTS of people are REALLY into WWE, so what do I know. I admit that the back and forth tweets where they’ve been sassing each other have made me chuckle. And I know Stephen’s a MASSIVE fan and must be in fanboy HEAVEN with this stuff happening, so I’m excited for him to do it, even if I don’t personally get it.
I finished S3. I’ll give my thoughts on the rest of the episodes soon but *man* that was a very good, but very dark, season. I’m really curious where Arrow is going from here. If I didn’t know it had been renewed, I’d think this was a series finale.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"If anyone wants to watch Stephen’s fight at SummerSlam, you can see it here.
I had to watch it because shirtless, sweaty Stephen Amell. *HEARTEYES*
I had to watch it with the sound off because I can’t with how ridiculous WWE is. *HEADDESK*
New heroes. New city. New season. #Arrow premieres Wednesday, October 7 at 8/7c!https://t.co/UfFbZRkktz
— Arrow (@CW_Arrow) September 4, 2015
*inhuman screams*
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"
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