I don’t mind the flirting, but Raylicity went *way* too fast for me. Sorry, just how I feel. Though understandable on both their parts. Ray gets the hot smarty and Felicity gets a much needed stress reliever. Still, not so happy about it. ALSO, I CALLED THAT LAST BIT. I KNEW RA'S WOULD ASK OLIVER TO BE HIS SUCCESSOR. I KNEW IT. JUST SAYING.
That's it? That's the big twist? We all suspected that ever since they announced that Ra's was coming. The only saving grace of this episode was the Dyla scene, the Oliver/Diggle scenes and some of Thea's scenes.
I loved it !!! Oliver becoming ra's !! Hell yeahhhh ! Oliver and Dig best bros ! and Although I'm an olicity kind of girl and like that felicity is getting some ! even if it's with Ray !! She deserves a little something ;) after all Oliver did way worse previous seasons !
Bugs me as well, first off Matts performance as Ra's is REALLY bothering me. I've been trying to play it cool since he never really got a chance to shine but he's in his third episode now and is beyond underwhelming. If he was at least threatening instead of "a guy with a cloak" it might work but it doesen't.
Slade, Merlyn in s1. They worked well. Ra's right now really doesen't. Season 4 better have a REAL antagonist
Right? Ra's asking to be replaced is pretty much the characters entire point in his entire Batman run. So that wasn't a twist, it was expected.
And I do think that I finally see Merlyns end-goal. According to Kreisberg he's the "anti-Bruce Wayne", the one that would have killed the criminal when Ra's asked him to. And while Bruce doesen't want Ra's place Merlyn wants it (I'm just desperately clinging onto the hope that he's still a villain and plays everyone).
I'm seriously annoyed by Nables performance at this point. There's no threat. No personality. It truly just appears like a man wearing a cloak.
I hated this entire episode! I'm mad about soooo much!!!!! I'm just glad I had a lot of beer to get me through this hour!!! Ohhhh ugghhhhhhh!!! I don't even wanna talk about it!! I'm not gonna lash out!! F**k that!! F*CK F*CK F*CK!!!!! WTF????!!!!!!!
(Takes deep breath) I'm good now. I think...I hope. W/e...I only liked Diggle and Oliver scenes. Loved how Diggs asked him to be his best man. It was like my Arrow/Olicity comic book but in reverse! That made me happy. Also liked seeing Lyla, and I liked Nyssa's story about Sara's laugh. The last minute with Ra's and Oliver made me said...WHATTTTTTT?????????
P.S. I also loved Roy. The Family scene might've been my favorite part.
- I was happy to see Diggle do something for a change of pace. - Some of the fan theories played out in a similar fashion.. Fun! I'm now intrigued to see where the LOA arc goes now. It has been a bit ho hum at times to me, but I see the potential now. - Some awesome fights in tonight's episode (Aside from Laurel).. Equally important... another night not seeing Roy do a flip is a good night indeed!
Question #1: Anyone else think Matt Nable (Ra's) looks like the lovechild of Pedro Pascal and Sean Penn?
Question #2: How was everyone surprised even a little that Oliver would attempt to rescue Merlyn? Of course he would go after him. Even if it ends in betrayal he will attempt to rescue Merlyn, It's who he is.
Question #3: Is Diggle asking Oliver to be his best man an omen Diggle is soon to die? Ack!
Question #4: Will someone please teach Laurel how to fight with Tonfa? If she is just going to use it like a billy club give her Sara's old weapons... Please! Tonfa fighting is so awesome and fits a smaller fighter like Laurel. I would love to see her actually kick ass with them using them efficiently and effectively.
Question #5: When will Team Arrow just revoke Laurel's pass to HQ? She continues to make it clear she is not part of the team and will not follow Oliver's lead... Can Laurel suddenly break ARGUS encryption and bypass security that Diggle put in? Take her dam keys already! XD
Exactly...he doesn't have the threatening is he going to rip my head off or give me a hug vibe that I expected from his character. He is very underwhelming. These last few episodes should have been building to something big but I'm unimpressed by the direction it will probably go in.
I was waiting for Zombie Tommy and I got Oliver being asked to be Ra's sucessor? I really have to lower my expectations on this show. And that Raylicity scene is going to make me wash my eyes with acid. For the first time in I'm not excited for Arrow to return... sigh.
1: a bit but he should've inherited their acting skills rather than their looks because right now I'm on team "unimpressed"
2: I don't think that anyone was really surprised, in reality Oliver just desperately wants Merlyn to play dad to him as well. It's pretty obvious: his little sis now has a new daddy so he seeks his approval too.
3: ever since his childs birth Diggle was marked for death, he's a good man. Good men always die at some point. If they add a "I'm only a day from retirment" to the list Diggle is 100% dead.
Just because I want to use this opportunity to mock those idiots who keep claiming that shippers are forcing the writers to put Olicity together.
Yeah, we're forcing them SO MUCH that Felicity just slept with another guy. Wow, we have all the power. Feel the might of Olicity shippers! Our power is so great that Olicity is in a terrible place right now, and one half of that ship is in a relationship with someone else!
We always knew that this was eventually going to happen. Ra's wanting a successor has always been his main plot and given this arc being perfect for a television series I'm kinda glad they used it.
However, Oliver got beaten. By Ra's, by Merlyn and others. I'm not entirely sure there's much sense behind Ra's wish to have him succeed him
It was great episode love Oliver and Diggle relationship but don't like how Oliver treats Laurel Felicity and Ray what saw it coming but didn't think it happen in this episode
I find Nable a bit underwhelming too, but I think that is by design.
Ra's doesn't need to sound threatening or run his mouth when he can kill anyone at anytime he wants. Plus. as this episode illustrated, he is no longer excited or emotional about things. I think Ra's is tired or bored and wants out.
I think Nable has underplayed it to show he is just not that into his life anymore. *Shrug*
Not saying I love the performance, but I think I understand the reasoning behind it...
Strange episode on several fronts. If Oliver went to Nanda Parbat knowing (even wanting) it to be his last stand, then why take Digg with him? It makes no sense for Oliver to put at risk someone who has become a brother to him. I understand why John made the offer, but it's one Oliver should have never accepted. Thea on the other hand should've have gone with Oliver. She needed to rectify her mistake of handing Malcolm over to the LoA. More importantly, Thea could've provided Oliver with much needed back up. During her talk with Roy, it was apparent to Thea that she regretted her actions, but regret isn't enough. Especially when her brother risks his life to save Thea from the agony of living with those regrets. Speaking of Roy, we need to see more of him because he's not getting the screentime he deserves.
Laurel has got to get a grip ... and then some further training. If she doesn't, it's only a matter of time before she gets herself killed. She was a complete fool to think she could go up against Malcolm.
It was exciting to see Ray take his first steps towards being the Atom. Looking forward to more of his story unfolding. I understand why Felicity has turned to Ray. He listens to what she has to say, respects her opinion even if he doesn't agree, and treats her as an equal. Now, Ray has take the step Oliver never really could with Felicity in that Ray has opened himself emotionally to her. Right now, Oliver isn't capable of any of those things. If Oliver can't change change his ways and the ill-conceived path he has chosen, then this is for the best. However, the writers needs to stop poking the damn bear with the Olicity fans. Either put Oliver and Felicity on the path of being together, or make the decision that it's best if they remain friends and collegues.
Not the point, its that Ra's is even in the show to begin with that I take issue with. he has always been one of Batman's foes, mainly, and he offered Batman, repeatedly, the successorship. In fact Bruce had a kid with one of his daughters Talia. It is just out of place and I wish they would get over it. GA had a lot of other material, characters etc.. to use without having to borrow and whole BM storyline.
I liked it but it wasn't it wasn't what I was hoping for It didn't have that wow factor it has been lacking that lately.....im looking foward to the 100 much more
Jajajajaja I just send Guggenheim a messenge saying "You said it was a huge twist, and ended up being something we theorized even before the season started" xD
Well, Ra's is kind of a GA villain as well. Purely because Merlyn is his archnemisis and he was indeed trained by Ra's (loved the Seven Men of Death reference).
However I agree that it's a Batman plot that should stay with Batman.
Except Damien, Damien needs to be erased from history...fu**ing brat was annoying as fudge
Don't know what to think, such a messy episode, and on the top of that the "New Ras Al Ghul" plot is a Batman plot ! I'd rather focus on the Flash for now, better show than the Arrow for the moment..,,
PS : RIP Olicity...I know, our Felicity deserves to be loved, still... :(
Personally I expected Thea to admit she killed Sara to Nessa. I did not necessarily think it happen in AHQ like it did, but it is her character to do it.
I would have been shocked had she not and instead went with Ollie. I would have enjoyed watching the fights though! XD
You see if that's his approach to the character it is wrong in terms of acting-direction.
The point of Ra's is that he's always threatening, even when he's giving you ice cream. He's supposed to make you shivver in fear.
If it's a nuanced peformance someone gave Nable the wrong direction.
But especially his scene in 3*09 with kicking Oliver off that cliff showed how unimpressive the performane is. He SHOULD have been threatening there, underplaying wasn't needed in that scene and yet it was there.
Exactly, but that's completely defeating the purpose of a villain. Nice/cuddly doesen't work, And even if they pull a twist with him being dark and evil it will only work to the contrary
I agree, but who can be blames but the "Parents" and by that I mean writers. Also to be honest I could careless about Thea, she is such a non chracter and the season is wrapped around her, that in and of itself is boring.
Not to mention a poorly played Ra's is just not worth the popcorn. If they wre going to flit from BM they could have at least done a spin on Zsasz or something for this seasons villain, which it doesn't have, if you don't count Oliver and his head-up-the-ass bad choices.
So .... is the 5th CW pilot ( "Cordon", "Dead People", "Cheerleader Death Squad" & "Tales from the Darkside" ) this season going to be a "Arrow" ... "The Atom" spin-off ...Yes or No ??
I have 99 problems with Arrow but Ray/Felicity may not be one. Felicity has made a choice to move on from Oliver. Fine and dandy. I'm cool with it as long as from here on out I don't ever hear her bitch about Oliver being not who she thought he was or that she can't believe she had feelings for him etc. etc. You can't bang one guy and bitch about another at the same time. She'd better not start throwing Ray in Oliver's face either. As long as her being with Ray gets Felicity to finally STFU about Oliver then everything is peachy. Moving on...
Just three episodes ago Oliver made a big speech about protecting and not leaving Starling City. Last week he went back to Lian Yu and this week he's in Nanda Parbat. Presumably, he'll still be there when the show returns.
When did this show stop being about saving Starling City and The Glades in particular? Helping the people of this city seems like something Oliver does in his spare time when he's not dealing with ridiculous personal bullsh*t.
This show is spiraling so quickly outward from its original premise that its like the writers have almost completely lost perspective on their own show. This isn't Batman for crissakes.
I almost laughed at Merlyn beggin Ra's for mercy, not because it was a bad scene but because of the fact that even on his feet Merlyns body language was more threatening than Ra's.
That angry "NO" when he was dragged away completely shifted the tension from Ra's being the bad guy to Ra's being the poor guy being screamed at by that evil psycho
OLIVER QUEEN THE NEXT RA'S AL GHUL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAPBALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i did not expect that, i thought he would just join them normal NOT BEING GROOMED TO BE THE FREAKING LEADER OF THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT BIT NYSSA BETTER NOT TOUCH A HAIR ON THEA'S HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Palmer and Felicity together AWESOME!!!! THE ATOM IS FINALLY HERE WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roy and Thea NEED to get BACK TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! Diggle asking Oliver to be his best man and calling him his brother was freaking amazing!!! AWESOME EPISODE!!!
And the weird part it's that it's not that bad that either. The character of Ray was introduced as a love interest for her and just because the guy she loves is an idiot doesn't mean she needs to stop having sex xD
Did you see dat ass? Palmer is a noob for not grabbing the hell out of it Jajaja
First of all told you Malcolm isn't going anywhere. I'm hoping his next evil plan is to take over the league. They have to stop trying to redeem him. When Oliver said "Merlyn loves Thea" I rolled my eyes so hard then I started laughing. Do they even read what they write anymore????? Seriously Ra's is so adorable and honourable right now it's a shame they want to kill him lol The whole episode was so messed up.
OH I agree.... I don't think his performance has been great.... or even good.... I just think that the direction he was given was to down play the character. Even given that direction I think there was a lot of room for improvement!
It does not bother me as much though since I am not a comics fan and have no opinion of how Ra's "should" be portrayed.
Likewise I am not bothered in the least by Arrow co-opting the Batman/ Bruce Wayne arc and giving it to Ollie. I think it could have been handled better, but I don't mind that they went there.
The problem with Ra's is really the acting I guess, I keep remembering that Ra's/Merlyn scene. Merlyn still felt like the bigger evil in that room (doesen't speak for Barrowman at all)
Zsasz would actually be a great Arrow villain. We need a psychotic bad guy.
I would've loved the Riddler to appear (being a part time GA villain) but thanks to Gotham (wich for the record: I dislike because it only manages to be interesting through easter eggs) we won't get him
Aww thanks ! :) i've added the comment about the obsession because I'am on Twitter, I've seen some comments coming from Olicity shippers and boy...it's scary lol
PS : English is not my language. My apologies for any grammatical mistake.
I'm with you 100 % ! If Ray was to get his own show I would bet my last dollar Felicity would go with him as his partner in crime, hacker, and girlfriend.
Zsasz is one of my favorite very underused villains. i think his chaotic psycho would be a great mixer on the show. but we have to suffer along the trudged path of stale Ra's.
Ra's didn't approve of his daughter being lesbian...wich is odd for the character. I thought of all the characters he would be pretty un touched by sexuality.
My best guess for the season: Merlyn wants Ra's place and all is leading up to Oliver taking Ra's place and being "killed" by Merlyn who then takes his place. Malcolm was taken down WAY too easy
Just a quick question: Am I the only one who thinks they are using the Ray/Felicity thing to eventually get Oliver/Felicity together? I'm not a shipper (I don't care what port you plant your flag) just wondering if it is as obvious to others as it is me.
I don't think they intended for him to be the big threatening evil of the season. They haven't shown anything to indicate that. His role mostly will be about Oliver identity and if he's a man or a symbol. Oliver Queen or Arrow/Ra's Al Ghul.
That has got to be the worst episode Arrow has ever done. What a dumb cliffhanger. Ollie being the next Ra's al Ghul? I love Ollie and all but give me a break. Why not Nyssa? Your own freaking daughter? And all the Raylicity stuff that happened was so damn rushed. Overall, what an overhyped mess.
Tip my hat to Nyssas cleavage Feel the beat right in my chest At Nanda Parbat a second time Make the Ra's act like a teddy It's a pound of burnt Merlyn flesh but it's really a ton 99 problems and Raylicity ain't one
I get it, at this point I don't care if Olicity doesn't happen (I still think it will, though), but the only thing she has to do right now is this stupid ATOM suit. The fact that they're using her to prop a absolutely useless character is even worse! I honestly thought she would get a storyline but this writers are not able to have three characters functioning simultaneously, someone is aways going to be terribly written (Laurel S02, Thea 3A, Felicity 3B) or just simply neglected (Roy 3A, Diggle until this episode)...
is that definite thing that has been stated? or only because she slept with someone? then why do it to begin with and make it seem like a end-game type relationship?
I think the long game set up as a way to keep Merlyn alive as the LOA head...
That said, I understand why Ra's would not want Nessa to succeed him. In some ways Oliver has shown more bravery and heart than Nessa has shown. He brings something to the table that Nessa does not.
Hell, who knows!? Maybe Ra's al Ghul is a Sons of Anarchy fan and has delusions about changing what the SOA is all about... Erm I mean LOA. My bad. XD
I was also stunned when Oliver said that Malcolm loves Thea. How ... HOW could Oliver say, let alone believe, such a thing when Malcolm violated Thea by drugging her and forced her to kill Sara knowing it would put Thea's life in extreme danger. Malcolm did all of that to save his own arse from the LoA. That's not love and Oliver knows better. Who is writing that terrible dialogue?
Oliver is pretty damn delusional if it comes to Malcolm, like I wrote somewhere else...maybe it's a daddy complex. Thea has a new daddy in Malcolm, maybe Oliver wants to be accepted into that circle as well. It's not going to happen but if I was a psychiatrist I would probably say something similar :P
He is, he might be an adorable old man but he's still a bit of a biggot (not having Nyssa as his successor because she's a lesbian? Dick move). Oliver got beat by so many people in the past...
yeah, I seen the clear trope/standard setup but most people are saying its over and they she is getting her own show etc... I just started watching so I was/am confused as the stuff I was picking on nobody else seemed to be.
the whole dying and coming back thing I kind of doubtfull (but since they showed ATOM take a IM flight sequence I guess everythings on the table) and yeah it's the last thing that makes me have hope for the season.
A hero is nothing without his villain...to bad he doesen't have one this year
lol Damn Brandon Routh will now be hated for messing with 2 good relationships, first on Chuck, now on Arrow. I knew from the start when they brought him in, it was going be another Chuck like situation.
But I've been prepared about them the whole time since I knew it was coming, It didn't make me mad like it did in Chuck.
But forget about that! next episode is what I want now!
And my point is, the relationship wasn't even needed... Oliver and Felicity were already apart because of the Oliver/Felicity/Malcom triangle(wich was quite innovative and unexpected, tbh). I just want Ray to have his own show so the character can be used properly... One thing i hate is a "Gossip Girl relationship in a show that isn't a teen drama" and Ray is turning into that...
Since everyone above as pretty much already typed out my issues, why was Oliver so sure he wasn't going to get killed this time? Just at the beginning of this episode Malcolm beat him TWICE.
I'm really going to need Oliver to stop being so damned stupid.
"Ay you, boy. I know I killed you, my daughter kicked your butt a few times and the guy I'm currently roasting on a grill beat you more than once but I want you to be my successor. No biggie, I'm sure you'll make a great Ra's"
Emily Bett Rickards, the actress is staying in Arrow for Season 4... Brandon Routh(Ray) is most likely getting his own show.
It's just a standard love triangle to drag the relationship of Oliver and Felicity till May... And it's possible something happens in the finale that will drag that to Season 4...
Honestly, I have just never understood why they introduced the ATOM unless they were spinning him off into his own show.
Not one ATOM storyline has enhanced an Arrow storyline in any meaningful way. Complete waste of time to spend so much time on another hero that takes away from Team Arrow instead of enhancing it like Arsenal and Canary..
Oliver/Felicity/Malcolm triangle...let's not go there after I've been served with a "Merlycity" shipper a few days ago (I was creeped out to say the least).
The problem is he's thrown into a romance while he should be given a plot.
As someone who doesn't care about ships on this show i couldn't give a flying frick about anything Oliver/Felicity/Ray related. Ollie annoyed me this episode. Same with Felicity really, i don't know why. Really glad with how the Thea and Laurel situation was handled and that Thea turned in Malcolm. Also loved seeing Roy and Thea bond over them unwillingly killing someone.
Actually Oliver consistently beats or ties Nyssa. Makes some sense. He respects Oliver as a warrior, he's young, not an asshole traitor like Merlyn and he has a dick (which Nyssa does not).
They nned to be spinning him off, otherwise his presence makes absolutely no sense.
They could've introduced him in one Flash episode if he was just a random side character but the fact that they tied Routh down for 16 episodes means something.
The problem with "Team Arrow" is that the characters are at the threatening point of being "explored". Let me explain: when you only scratch the surface of a character and don't go too deep into their characterization (like Roy/Felicity/Diggle) they're likable because there's not too much to dislike. But when you dig into them (like they did with Laurel in season 2) they become unlikable because eventually some personality traits will stick out as negative.
if i recall correct ra's told that his first kill was to save his family. after seeing the same intentions from oliver he kinda sees himself in oliver. maybe thats why he asked to be his succesor. but if he is gonna be next ra's he needs expeience from ra's himself.
Ra's is incredibly sexist. It's a big thing in the comics. Yeah that Ray and Felicity stuff was weird. So she goes from freaking out at him kissing her, to having sex with him.
God I hope it was more based on frustration over Oliver and difficulty coping with his decisions and joy that someone she cares for isn't making the same mistakes, because Felicity suddenly developing strong romantic feelings for Palmer is pretty bullshity. And annoying. I hate love triangles.
Plus I think Nessa's blind faith in her father and how things could play against her. I could be wrong... Maybe he sees himself in Oliver more than Nessa.
Also maybe Ra's has grown tired of his life or lifestyle and want something more or something different for Nessa?
I agree I really like character of Ray outside of the Arrow spehere. He is such a wonderfully goofy, fun guy and I can see how he could have his own show. He doesn't particularly fit in Arrow, and like Nick said is really only a relationship drama prop.
If the writers weren't so intent on focusing on The League of Assassins and Malcolm Merlyn instead of defending Starling City (which is what the show is supposed to be about) then Felicity would have some worthwhile stuff to do. Instead, we're stuck with this crap. This show desperately needs to go back to basics.
Ahhh, now that makes sense. Still out of all people he chose Oliver? Ollie hasn't even been himself this whole season. He keeps on making the dumbest decisions left and right. As for Raylicity, I was honestly cringing at their scenes. As you said it, it was weird.
Very solid episode. I gotta say, I did not expect Ra's to ask Oliver to become the new "Demon's Head"(as well as mentioning how, while Ra's seems to be immortal, there are still a line of "Ra's al Ghul"'s).
I can't wait to see how what happens between Nyssa and Thea.
If the showrunners wanted to use Ra's that would then offer Ollie leadership for the League of Assassins, then I think it's for the best that Ra's hasn't been shown as a straight-up enemy/villain. Nyssa has been shown to be more of a villain, which is fine, tbh. If you make Ra's this evil rat bastard, then there's no way Ollie would even think about becoming the next Ra's. Now, the storyline of whether being The Arrow or Oliver Queen(or how Ollie is slowly losing his humanity and his own identity) makes sense with this season. Everything is finally making sense, imo.
He plans on training Oliver then probably die from age. It's to ensure that when the pits stop working,etc. that someone will carry on his work. Nah he's just sexist. I'm curious if this will lead to conflict between father and daughter given their comic animosity.
Only because of a drug, though. We've only seen one episode and one other scene where he's not being controlled by a drug. Even that doesn't make him the Slade Wilson that people love in the comics.
Plus the writers do not understand how to handle conflict without turning into melodrama. I'm growing quite bored of so many character's overreacting when given half a chance. Part of what I dislike about so many shows on CW. Even if the plots start of great they eventually devolve into love triangles and melodrama it seems.
Really? I didn't expect it and I was expecting literally everything from Nyssa bringing Sara back from the dead(her other reason of being back in Starling, now having some of the Lazarus Pit in her own necklace) to Tommy being revealed as alive and a member of the League. I think this is such a "Batman route" that I wasn't expecting it, which is fine. People can push up their metaphorical glasses all they want and complain about this being "Batman-lite" or whatever, but I am loving this show for what it is and it still catches me off guard at times. These have been some great cliffhangers involving Ra's al Ghul.
Also, i know i'm getting old with this: BUT CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE OLIVER/LAUREL FIGHTING EVERY TWO SECONDS? THIS EPISODE WAS DEPRESSING... (I'm Team Laurel in all their arguments, btw)
I think it mostly has to do with Ollie's heart and courage for why Ra's wants him to be the successor. And as for having been beaten by other people...that's where the Lazarus Pit comes into use, lol.
Exactly. I want someone 100% evil too. Honestly, I've felt more hatred towards Merlyn and see him as more threatening than Ra's at this point and that's not really how they said the season was going to go at the very beginning. Of course, they can change things and whatnot and what the writers/producers say while promoting the show is not set in stone. But it's also a disservice to the character of Ra's al Ghul to bring him into the story, have us think he's going to be this huge and evil threat, only to end up giving us the kind of Ra's that we've seen so far.
I mean, seriously, I've been more afraid of the BS Merlyn has pulled so far than Ra's al Ghul. And you're right...they do seem to be walking that line of will we or will we not redeem Merlyn? It seems at times like they're working towards that (the last thing I want to see), but then we have all these characters (rightfully) telling Oliver that he's being an idiot for siding with him and angry over any association with Merlyn, which makes me think that they're not heading towards redemption. So I don't know what to think about MM anymore. All I ask the Arrow gods is that they keep him evil.
Well this isn't the first time Merlyn has been in "leagues" with the League of Assassins. He's a known member in the comics as well, so using Ra's al Ghul shouldn't be all too surprising. I would rather say Talia al Ghul is more of a Batman "thing" and I'm glad that character isn't being used. As well as I enjoy this fresh take of Nyssa who was such a boring character in the comics.
Yes, I liked Nyssa and Sara but since they flushed that all down the toilet for whatever this mess is I'm kind of done with this storyline and John Barrowman.
Oliver turns into an a**hole when they talk and it's worst when he then speaks to Felicity and explains her all softy... and then Laurel says something and he goes "why the hell are you here?"...
I get that they are not the main couple anymore, but at this rate i don't see how they can even work together...
also given the fact that shouldn't get into Ray's bed without first hashing out her Oliver issues. Its a clear case of if you can't be with the one you love, f*ck the one your with.
How could anyone be done of John Barrowman? The guy's amazing.
And it wasn't just Nyssa/Sara that I enjoy. I am still liking Nyssa's arc because it makes her seem like an actual, legit villain this season, but you can also understand her point of view which makes me think of Merlyn's arc in S1 where it was understandable because of his own pain.
the creators are basically confirming that they're leaving clues that there IS in fact a Lazarus Pit in this universe. They said that this Ra's Al Ghul is more close to the comic character than any of the other Ra's Al Ghul that have been portrayed in live-action or etc.
Newsflash that antagonism and fighting has always been how they interacted. It's also how Laurel interacts with Lance. She' s a fighter. They don't seem to be changing it.
I have hopes that the wirters have seen the error of their Season 3 ways and can trim the show back. Back to something more simple and in line with Arrow's origins. Oliver protecting his city.
They fell into the trap of too many hero type shows where they feel the need to up the ante every season and get carried away. At least Ra's is not a god or something silly, but they had a great game plan in Season 1... even for Season 2. I don'y get why so much of Season 3 has been away from Starling City.
Oliver needs to look at his suit as it hangs in its locker and hear ti say, "Oliver Queen, you have failed this city! Quit collecting frequent flier miles and stay home!"
As far as I'm concerned, "Why are you here?" is a valid question. No one formally or informally invited Laurel to be part of the team. She just started showing up and insists on being included in everything. Maddeningly enough, everyone else in the cave doesn't seem to give a sh*t.
okay, maybe not him per-say, well a bit, but the character storyline. maybe if it something more then "poor bay bay Thea" then yeah, I would be more interest. right now my eyes are glazed over just waiting for something interesting to happen.
Wait are they going to see the error of their ways, in season 4? Cause I was absolutely floored that in a season which Thea becomes a ninja, Black Canary takes a mask, and Ray finds is inner ironman, they are adding another original story to mix and giving us the history of the LOA.
Merlyn's storyline is not even "poor baby Thea". Merlyn continues to be a sick and twisted soul, even using his so-called "love" and "affection" for why he's the best thing to ever happen to her life.
Every time Laurel steps into AHQ the first thing said to her by anyone should be "Why are you here?!"
She does not want to be part of the team and has made that clear numerous times. She goes there only to peruse her own agenda and ignores the plans and/or needs of Team Arrow altogether most of the time.
The bouncers at Verdant should be under orders to turn her away...
never watched Supernatural, but I don't think it's a question of how she acts. she just sucks (in Arrow). and if it's supposed to be this way, I don't know what the writers are thinking, because it's downright horrible. not stoic. then again, they made some very bad decisions with Laurel that made her extremly unlikeable (besides her acting).
Well "The Magician" basically sold me already that there is a Lazarus Pit. Then "The Climb" had Ra's mentioned about not being in a duel for 60 plus years and then tonight's bit of dialogue where he mentions the year 1854(I'm pretty sure that was the year).
Over time they're less effective. As one uses them more and more they work less. Sanity is stripped a bit. But that's centuries of use. On the plus side you gain enhanced strength, speed and agility.
I wish we'd get less Felicity/Ray romance and more Felicity/Ray helicopter banter. It's the one scene of theirs I've enjoyed this season - it was cute and brought out the best parts of both of them. And Ray really needs to start interacting with other people.
Not really. I agree it's awful morally and not good parenting. But to Ra's it's a big deal. So while it's shitty, to a centuries old guy like Ra's is better. Writing wise I have no problem with it. As it makes sense to me given his age, time he's from, the culture, and honestly it's a great way to create tension between him and Nyssa.
Preach! I don't see why no one on the team gets this but Oliver. They need to change the security code on the doors... and Felicity should stop letting her in. The Arrow Cave needs an intercom system. XD
I mean only in motivation for everyone and by that I mean Oliver, to take on a man, repeatably, that he can't win against. I just don't care for Thea, so building a whole season plot line around her is boring.
Me too! I mean why! That's just killed it for me, this hasn't been my favorite season. When Laurel became the Black Canary that's almost did it. Now pushing Ray and Felicity is too much. Let's get back to the basics with this show. Suddenly so many people know about Arrow. If Olicity isn't going to happen for awhile so be it but dint spoil it by putting Ray and Felicity together. That just makes it tedious and predictable.
You know that Iron Man is a huge, blockbuster movie character and nobody outside of comics knows who Antman is yet, right? Not to mention that the only thing Ray is missing is Jarvis and an endorsement deal from Audi to be a pretty complete TV knockoff.
That didnt go as i expected. I liked it but there is something off. I dunno. All of the sudeen the great assasins of all ask him to become his succesor. I just dont see how that is gonna happen. I expected Ra's being more hard on people so far he is like and old version of Olliver -.-! The Atom suit works. It seems stiff tho it needs a little more help but i can see the spin off happening because there is no way they are gonna have 5 people fighting criminals on the same city and still getting their ass kicked sometimes.
I guess if you hate Thea, then yes, I can see why it's boring. As someone who hated Thea's arc for the first two seasons, I'm actually enjoying this one. I think it ended up being predictable that Thea killed Sara, but I've enjoyed what's come because of that such as her finding out Ollie's secret as well as this episode's events with telling the truth to Laurel and pretty much asking to die by Nyssa's hand.
Also, this episode stated it's NOT just because of Thea that Ollie is in Nanda Parbat. He clearly got a fix on his ego when he was just manhandled by Ra's and is trying to get his due. Which is understandable, especially even when he got his butt handed to him by Merlyn and Deathstroke, Ollie still won in the end, and he was never put in such dire restraints as being on the brink of death before either.
:-) I do agree they fell into the go bigger trap. I hope they can scale it back. I hope they intend to. But I was hoping that when they realized they couldn't get everyone on Oliver's team in the same Foundry set at the same time, they'd go "Hey do we have too many heroes in here?"
Yessss, I think that's one of the biggest problems. All of the main action and conflict of the season is happening so far away from Starling, where we still have important characters (Felicity, Diggle, Thea, Roy) that are literally just sitting around waiting for Oliver to return from [insert place]. Say what you will about the Brick trilogy, but at least a large part of it focused on defending Starling City, which was Team Arrow's original mission anyway. With the focus on the LOA and only Oliver fighting on that front, everyone else is sort of left with nothing to do.
I'll answer : 2- Pretty much every fan is frustrated wit5h that desicion and i found funny that he is right anyways, couldnt let left Thea like that, feeling nothing but hate torwards his father (it's not like the guy does not deserve it)?, it would've been better that pretty much everyone feeling sorry for Merlyn at the end... 3- I think it's gonna be Lila and Diggle will take sometime off. That wedding is gonna go so bad!
It's not really a Batman thing. Every hero has an encounter where they don't believe they will ALWAYS win. I think with the other character just being Ra's al Ghul, it feels like a Batman thing, which is again, understandable. It's such a great storyline though, and since it makes sense to even use the League on Arrow, that I am actually fine with this take on the Ra's/Ollie relationship. We will never get that in live-action with Batman anyways.
Also, Thea will "stay" relevant once she actually dons a costume. After this, there's nothing more to do besides giving her a costume. You can only go so far with a character meant to don a costume without actually giving her one.
The number of characters isn't as big a problem as what the writers are choosing to focus their stories on. Making use of all the characters in the show wouldn't be half the problem it is if Arrow would keep the focus on the streets of Starling where everyone would have a role to play.
NOTE: Name-calling, personal attacks, spamming, excessive self-promotion, condescending pomposity, general assiness, racism, sexism, any-other-ism, homophobia, acrophobia, and destructive (versus constructive) criticism will get you BANNED from the party.
esome
ReplyDeleteBatman plot...classic
ReplyDeleteNot really a huge surprise that he asked him to take his place!!!!
ReplyDeleteI don’t mind the flirting, but Raylicity went *way* too fast for me. Sorry, just how I feel. Though understandable on both their parts. Ray gets the hot smarty and Felicity gets a much needed stress reliever. Still, not so happy about it. ALSO, I CALLED THAT LAST BIT. I KNEW RA'S WOULD ASK OLIVER TO BE HIS SUCCESSOR. I KNEW IT. JUST SAYING.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me that needs a villan to drive the narrative - good balanced by evil??? It kind of bugs me that we don't really have one this season.
ReplyDeleteThat's it? That's the big twist? We all suspected that ever since they announced that Ra's was coming.
ReplyDeleteThe only saving grace of this episode was the Dyla scene, the Oliver/Diggle scenes and some of Thea's scenes.
The Christmas finale was a big finale. This...ehh!!!
ReplyDeleteFelicity -You go, girl. Get some of that sweet Atomized ass. Lot better than pining over Oliver.
ReplyDeleteI loved it !!! Oliver becoming ra's !! Hell yeahhhh ! Oliver and Dig best bros ! and Although I'm an olicity kind of girl and like that felicity is getting some ! even if it's with Ray !! She deserves a little something ;) after all Oliver did way worse previous seasons !
ReplyDeleteExactly!
ReplyDeleteBugs me as well, first off Matts performance as Ra's is REALLY bothering me. I've been trying to play it cool since he never really got a chance to shine but he's in his third episode now and is beyond underwhelming. If he was at least threatening instead of "a guy with a cloak" it might work but it doesen't.
ReplyDeleteSlade, Merlyn in s1. They worked well. Ra's right now really doesen't. Season 4 better have a REAL antagonist
Right? Ra's asking to be replaced is pretty much the characters entire point in his entire Batman run. So that wasn't a twist, it was expected.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do think that I finally see Merlyns end-goal. According to Kreisberg he's the "anti-Bruce Wayne", the one that would have killed the criminal when Ra's asked him to. And while Bruce doesen't want Ra's place Merlyn wants it (I'm just desperately clinging onto the hope that he's still a villain and plays everyone).
I'm seriously annoyed by Nables performance at this point. There's no threat. No personality. It truly just appears like a man wearing a cloak.
I hated this entire episode! I'm mad about soooo much!!!!! I'm just glad I had a lot of beer to get me through this hour!!! Ohhhh ugghhhhhhh!!! I don't even wanna talk about it!! I'm not gonna lash out!! F**k that!! F*CK F*CK F*CK!!!!! WTF????!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete(Takes deep breath) I'm good now. I think...I hope. W/e...I only liked Diggle and Oliver scenes. Loved how Diggs asked him to be his best man. It was like my Arrow/Olicity comic book but in reverse! That made me happy. Also liked seeing Lyla, and I liked Nyssa's story about Sara's laugh. The last minute with Ra's and Oliver made me said...WHATTTTTTT?????????
P.S. I also loved Roy. The Family scene might've been my favorite part.
Another strong episode! Huzaah!
ReplyDelete- I was happy to see Diggle do something for a change of pace.
- Some of the fan theories played out in a similar fashion.. Fun!
I'm now intrigued to see where the LOA arc goes now. It has been a bit ho hum at times to me, but I see the potential now.
- Some awesome fights in tonight's episode (Aside from Laurel).. Equally important... another night not seeing Roy do a flip is a good night indeed!
Question #1:
Anyone else think Matt Nable (Ra's) looks like the lovechild of Pedro Pascal and Sean Penn?
Question #2:
How was everyone surprised even a little that Oliver would attempt to rescue Merlyn?
Of course he would go after him. Even if it ends in betrayal he will attempt to rescue Merlyn, It's who he is.
Question #3:
Is Diggle asking Oliver to be his best man an omen Diggle is soon to die? Ack!
Question #4:
Will someone please teach Laurel how to fight with Tonfa?
If she is just going to use it like a billy club give her Sara's old weapons... Please!
Tonfa fighting is so awesome and fits a smaller fighter like Laurel. I would love to see her actually kick ass with them using them efficiently and effectively.
Question #5:
When will Team Arrow just revoke Laurel's pass to HQ?
She continues to make it clear she is not part of the team and will not follow Oliver's lead... Can Laurel suddenly break ARGUS encryption and bypass security that Diggle put in?
Take her dam keys already! XD
Exactly...he doesn't have the threatening is he going to rip my head off or give me a hug vibe that I expected from his character. He is very underwhelming. These last few episodes should have been building to something big but I'm unimpressed by the direction it will probably go in.
ReplyDeleteI was waiting for Zombie Tommy and I got Oliver being asked to be Ra's sucessor? I really have to lower my expectations on this show.
ReplyDeleteAnd that Raylicity scene is going to make me wash my eyes with acid.
For the first time in I'm not excited for Arrow to return... sigh.
I think someone is confusing Green Arrow with Batman and it may be the writers.
ReplyDelete1: a bit but he should've inherited their acting skills rather than their looks because right now I'm on team "unimpressed"
ReplyDelete2: I don't think that anyone was really surprised, in reality Oliver just desperately wants Merlyn to play dad to him as well. It's pretty obvious: his little sis now has a new daddy so he seeks his approval too.
3: ever since his childs birth Diggle was marked for death, he's a good man. Good men always die at some point. If they add a "I'm only a day from retirment" to the list Diggle is 100% dead.
My stomach literally hurts. I don't think I've ever said EWWWWWWWWW that much in my life.
ReplyDeleteHe's so underwhelming as a villain... I'm hoping there's a secret big bad coming!
ReplyDeleteJust because I want to use this opportunity to mock those idiots who keep claiming that shippers are forcing the writers to put Olicity together.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we're forcing them SO MUCH that Felicity just slept with another guy. Wow, we have all the power. Feel the might of Olicity shippers! Our power is so great that Olicity is in a terrible place right now, and one half of that ship is in a relationship with someone else!
The writers are under our control! Bwahahahaha!
We always knew that this was eventually going to happen. Ra's wanting a successor has always been his main plot and given this arc being perfect for a television series I'm kinda glad they used it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Oliver got beaten. By Ra's, by Merlyn and others. I'm not entirely sure there's much sense behind Ra's wish to have him succeed him
Can we talk about the fact that he left her in the bed to play with his robot? I can't accept this.
ReplyDelete"a guy with a cloak" and rings lol
ReplyDeleteI feel empowered now, the anti-shippers have won. For tonight
ReplyDeleteIt was great episode love Oliver and Diggle relationship but don't like how Oliver treats Laurel Felicity and Ray what saw it coming but didn't think it happen in this episode
ReplyDeleteIt was all so wrong for so many reasons on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteThe show isn't called Arrow... It's Batman... You're mistaken...
ReplyDeleteand a pretty pathetic beard. Nothing against Nable or anything, I'm sure he's a fine actor.
ReplyDeleteBut this really isn't the part he was made to play
"to play with his robot"
ReplyDeletewell...if he didn't get milked enough that night it's really Felicitys fault *takes a footbal and throws it down*
I find Nable a bit underwhelming too, but I think that is by design.
ReplyDeleteRa's doesn't need to sound threatening or run his mouth when he can kill anyone at anytime he wants. Plus. as this episode illustrated, he is no longer excited or emotional about things. I think Ra's is tired or bored and wants out.
I think Nable has underplayed it to show he is just not that into his life anymore.
*Shrug*
Not saying I love the performance, but I think I understand the reasoning behind it...
Uhh...I don't know about that. Ray and Felicity is also a ship called Raylicity.
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear, not anti-shipping, just a different group of shippers. If you are anti-shipping, sex scenes mean you lost.
ReplyDelete"I'm not the little green guy this town deserves, I'm the little green guy this town needs"
ReplyDeleteActually Arrow's version of Ra's is so not threatening at all. He was like a teddy bear tonight.
ReplyDeleteStrange episode on several fronts. If Oliver went to Nanda Parbat knowing (even wanting) it to be his last stand, then why take Digg with him? It makes no sense for Oliver to put at risk someone who has become a brother to him. I understand why John made the offer, but it's one Oliver should have never accepted. Thea on the other hand should've have gone with Oliver. She needed to rectify her mistake of handing Malcolm over to the LoA. More importantly, Thea could've provided Oliver with much needed back up. During her talk with Roy, it was apparent to Thea that she regretted her actions, but regret isn't enough. Especially when her brother risks his life to save Thea from the agony of living with those regrets. Speaking of Roy, we need to see more of him because he's not getting the screentime he deserves.
ReplyDeleteLaurel has got to get a grip ... and then some further training. If she doesn't, it's only a matter of time before she gets herself killed. She was a complete fool to think she could go up against Malcolm.
It was exciting to see Ray take his first steps towards being the Atom. Looking forward to more of his story unfolding. I understand why Felicity has turned to Ray. He listens to what she has to say, respects her opinion even if he doesn't agree, and treats her as an equal. Now, Ray has take the step Oliver never really could with Felicity in that Ray has opened himself emotionally to her. Right now, Oliver isn't capable of any of those things. If Oliver can't change change his ways and the ill-conceived path he has chosen, then this is for the best. However, the writers needs to stop poking the damn bear with the Olicity fans. Either put Oliver and Felicity on the path of being together, or make the decision that it's best if they remain friends and collegues.
Not the point, its that Ra's is even in the show to begin with that I take issue with. he has always been one of Batman's foes, mainly, and he offered Batman, repeatedly, the successorship. In fact Bruce had a kid with one of his daughters Talia. It is just out of place and I wish they would get over it. GA had a lot of other material, characters etc.. to use without having to borrow and whole BM storyline.
ReplyDeleteThey're not a "real" ship though (let me clinge onto hope that I've won...for once :P)
ReplyDeleteBut since Ray will surely be off to his own Iron Man....ummm...Atom show next season this ship won't last
I liked it but it wasn't it wasn't what I was hoping for It didn't have that wow factor it has been lacking that lately.....im looking foward to the 100 much more
ReplyDeleteJajajajaja I just send Guggenheim a messenge saying "You said it was a huge twist, and ended up being something we theorized even before the season started" xD
ReplyDelete"gaining another brother" i think i actually screamed HELL YEAH in my head LOL
ReplyDeleteWell, Ra's is kind of a GA villain as well. Purely because Merlyn is his archnemisis and he was indeed trained by Ra's (loved the Seven Men of Death reference).
ReplyDeleteHowever I agree that it's a Batman plot that should stay with Batman.
Except Damien, Damien needs to be erased from history...fu**ing brat was annoying as fudge
yeah honestly. Malcolm is way more evil then Ra's. Ra's is like not evil at all.
ReplyDeletehe's probably going to reply with "Felicity didn't have sex with Oliver, the internet must surely be broken"
ReplyDeleteSeirously "break the internet"? Last time I heard that was when Kim Kardashian was supposed to break it with the enormous weight that was on her a**
Don't know what to think, such a messy episode, and on the top of that the "New Ras Al Ghul" plot is a Batman plot ! I'd rather focus on the Flash for now, better show than the Arrow for the moment..,,
ReplyDeletePS : RIP Olicity...I know, our Felicity deserves to be loved, still... :(
shipper of olicity?
ReplyDeleteActually the last scene he looked so adorable and kinda old and defeated I wanted to bake him a cake lol
ReplyDeletePersonally I expected Thea to admit she killed Sara to Nessa.
ReplyDeleteI did not necessarily think it happen in AHQ like it did, but it is her character to do it.
I would have been shocked had she not and instead went with Ollie.
I would have enjoyed watching the fights though! XD
You see if that's his approach to the character it is wrong in terms of acting-direction.
ReplyDeleteThe point of Ra's is that he's always threatening, even when he's giving you ice cream. He's supposed to make you shivver in fear.
If it's a nuanced peformance someone gave Nable the wrong direction.
But especially his scene in 3*09 with kicking Oliver off that cliff showed how unimpressive the performane is. He SHOULD have been threatening there, underplaying wasn't needed in that scene and yet it was there.
hahhaa go away mac, go enjoy your moment away from us disgusted shippers
ReplyDeleteYep :) not an obsessive one though. xD Marc warned us about that episode.
ReplyDeleteExactly, but that's completely defeating the purpose of a villain. Nice/cuddly doesen't work, And even if they pull a twist with him being dark and evil it will only work to the contrary
ReplyDeleteI agree, but who can be blames but the "Parents" and by that I mean writers. Also to be honest I could careless about Thea, she is such a non chracter and the season is wrapped around her, that in and of itself is boring.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention a poorly played Ra's is just not worth the popcorn. If they wre going to flit from BM they could have at least done a spin on Zsasz or something for this seasons villain, which it doesn't have, if you don't count Oliver and his head-up-the-ass bad choices.
So .... is the 5th CW pilot ( "Cordon", "Dead People", "Cheerleader Death Squad" & "Tales from the Darkside" ) this season going to be a "Arrow" ... "The Atom" spin-off ...Yes or No ??
ReplyDeleteI have 99 problems with Arrow but Ray/Felicity may not be one.
ReplyDeleteFelicity has made a choice to move on from Oliver. Fine and dandy. I'm cool with it as long as from here on out I don't ever hear her bitch about Oliver being not who she thought he was or that she can't believe she had feelings for him etc. etc. You can't bang one guy and bitch about another at the same time. She'd better not start throwing Ray in Oliver's face either. As long as her being with Ray gets Felicity to finally STFU about Oliver then everything is peachy. Moving on...
Just three episodes ago Oliver made a big speech about protecting and not leaving Starling City. Last week he went back to Lian Yu and this week he's in Nanda Parbat. Presumably, he'll still be there when the show returns.
When did this show stop being about saving Starling City and The Glades in particular? Helping the people of this city seems like something Oliver does in his spare time when he's not dealing with ridiculous personal bullsh*t.
This show is spiraling so quickly outward from its original premise that its like the writers have almost completely lost perspective on their own show. This isn't Batman for crissakes.
actually sorry for you, don't ship them and NEVER in a million years will but i'm sorry
ReplyDeleteI almost laughed at Merlyn beggin Ra's for mercy, not because it was a bad scene but because of the fact that even on his feet Merlyns body language was more threatening than Ra's.
ReplyDeleteThat angry "NO" when he was dragged away completely shifted the tension from Ra's being the bad guy to Ra's being the poor guy being screamed at by that evil psycho
I don't really enjoy it, I don't want Olicity to happen and Felicity to get her own storyline for once but...that's not what I wanted either.
ReplyDeleteFelicity to be her own freaking gal...that's what I want.
OLIVER QUEEN THE NEXT RA'S AL GHUL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAPBALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i did not expect that, i thought he would just join them normal NOT BEING GROOMED TO BE THE FREAKING LEADER OF THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT BIT NYSSA BETTER NOT TOUCH A HAIR ON THEA'S HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Palmer and Felicity together AWESOME!!!! THE ATOM IS FINALLY HERE WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roy and Thea NEED to get BACK TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! Diggle asking Oliver to be his best man and calling him his brother was freaking amazing!!! AWESOME EPISODE!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the weird part it's that it's not that bad that either. The character of Ray was introduced as a love interest for her and just because the guy she loves is an idiot doesn't mean she needs to stop having sex xD
ReplyDeleteDid you see dat ass? Palmer is a noob for not grabbing the hell out of it Jajaja
First of all told you Malcolm isn't going anywhere. I'm hoping his next evil plan is to take over the league. They have to stop trying to redeem him. When Oliver said "Merlyn loves Thea" I rolled my eyes so hard then I started laughing. Do they even read what they write anymore?????
ReplyDeleteSeriously Ra's is so adorable and honourable right now it's a shame they want to kill him lol
The whole episode was so messed up.
a million times yes, i mean i want Felicity with Palmer but i would love for Brandon Routh to lead his own show
ReplyDeleteOH I agree....
ReplyDeleteI don't think his performance has been great.... or even good....
I just think that the direction he was given was to down play the character. Even given that direction I think there was a lot of room for improvement!
It does not bother me as much though since I am not a comics fan and have no opinion of how Ra's "should" be portrayed.
Likewise I am not bothered in the least by Arrow co-opting the Batman/ Bruce Wayne arc and giving it to Ollie. I think it could have been handled better, but I don't mind that they went there.
The problem with Ra's is really the acting I guess, I keep remembering that Ra's/Merlyn scene. Merlyn still felt like the bigger evil in that room (doesen't speak for Barrowman at all)
ReplyDeleteZsasz would actually be a great Arrow villain. We need a psychotic bad guy.
I would've loved the Riddler to appear (being a part time GA villain) but thanks to Gotham (wich for the record: I dislike because it only manages to be interesting through easter eggs) we won't get him
some people won;t like this because the twist is not shocking but expected.......I suspect there is more to this than just being "the heir"
ReplyDeletelike what?
ReplyDeleteSuch a messy episode that I had to fastforward through most of it...
ReplyDeleteBut the biggest question is, why in the world does Ra's not want Nyssa to be his successor? Are you kidding me???
Stupid plot for shock value is not what I'm here for.
It's really a shame how they turned him into a pure love interest. Routh is doing a fine job.
ReplyDeleteBut luckily tonight the creep factor was on Felicity walking in and out of his appartement as if it was hers :P
Nah, you can't touch a Kardashian without having to make your way through a jungle of back hair
i hate Merlyn but i think it's because of what he said
ReplyDeleteAww thanks ! :) i've added the comment about the obsession because I'am on Twitter, I've seen some comments coming from Olicity shippers and boy...it's scary lol
ReplyDeletePS : English is not my language. My apologies for any grammatical mistake.
it's cool
ReplyDeleteI'm with you 100 % !
ReplyDeleteIf Ray was to get his own show I would bet my last dollar Felicity would go with him as his partner in crime, hacker, and girlfriend.
Zsasz is one of my favorite very underused villains. i think his chaotic psycho would be a great mixer on the show. but we have to suffer along the trudged path of stale Ra's.
ReplyDeleteRa's didn't approve of his daughter being lesbian...wich is odd for the character. I thought of all the characters he would be pretty un touched by sexuality.
ReplyDeleteMy best guess for the season: Merlyn wants Ra's place and all is leading up to Oliver taking Ra's place and being "killed" by Merlyn who then takes his place. Malcolm was taken down WAY too easy
that'd be awesome and HE FLIES!!! how awesome is that?!
ReplyDeleteJust a quick question: Am I the only one who thinks they are using the Ray/Felicity thing to eventually get Oliver/Felicity together? I'm not a shipper (I don't care what port you plant your flag) just wondering if it is as obvious to others as it is me.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they intended for him to be the big threatening evil of the season. They haven't shown anything to indicate that. His role mostly will be about Oliver identity and if he's a man or a symbol. Oliver Queen or Arrow/Ra's Al Ghul.
ReplyDeleteI don't know but Ra's definately have some plan it too simple
ReplyDeleteThat has got to be the worst episode Arrow has ever done. What a dumb cliffhanger. Ollie being the next Ra's al Ghul? I love Ollie and all but give me a break. Why not Nyssa? Your own freaking daughter? And all the Raylicity stuff that happened was so damn rushed. Overall, what an overhyped mess.
ReplyDeleteno she'as pretty much moved on
ReplyDeleteTip my hat to Nyssas cleavage
ReplyDeleteFeel the beat right in my chest
At Nanda Parbat a second time
Make the Ra's act like a teddy
It's a pound of burnt Merlyn flesh but it's really a ton
99 problems and Raylicity ain't one
so contrived, imo.
ReplyDeleteI get it, at this point I don't care if Olicity doesn't happen (I still think it will, though), but the only thing she has to do right now is this stupid ATOM suit. The fact that they're using her to prop a absolutely useless character is even worse! I honestly thought she would get a storyline but this writers are not able to have three characters functioning simultaneously, someone is aways going to be terribly written (Laurel S02, Thea 3A, Felicity 3B) or just simply neglected (Roy 3A, Diggle until this episode)...
ReplyDeleteis that definite thing that has been stated? or only because she slept with someone? then why do it to begin with and make it seem like a end-game type relationship?
ReplyDeleteI think the long game set up as a way to keep Merlyn alive as the LOA head...
ReplyDeleteThat said, I understand why Ra's would not want Nessa to succeed him.
In some ways Oliver has shown more bravery and heart than Nessa has shown. He brings something to the table that Nessa does not.
Hell, who knows!?
Maybe Ra's al Ghul is a Sons of Anarchy fan and has delusions about changing what the SOA is all about... Erm I mean LOA. My bad. XD
i really thought he would just join them, that surprised the heck out of me
ReplyDeleteI was also stunned when Oliver said that Malcolm loves Thea. How ... HOW could Oliver say, let alone believe, such a thing when Malcolm violated Thea by drugging her and forced her to kill Sara knowing it would put Thea's life in extreme danger. Malcolm did all of that to save his own arse from the LoA. That's not love and Oliver knows better. Who is writing that terrible dialogue?
ReplyDeleteAnd you were right (luckily ^^)
ReplyDeleteOliver is pretty damn delusional if it comes to Malcolm, like I wrote somewhere else...maybe it's a daddy complex. Thea has a new daddy in Malcolm, maybe Oliver wants to be accepted into that circle as well. It's not going to happen but if I was a psychiatrist I would probably say something similar :P
He is, he might be an adorable old man but he's still a bit of a biggot (not having Nyssa as his successor because she's a lesbian? Dick move).
Oliver got beat by so many people in the past...
Eventually, it's pretty much a tv standart cliché... I was just hoping they would do something less Gossip Girl xD
ReplyDeleteyeah, I seen the clear trope/standard setup but most people are saying its over and they she is getting her own show etc... I just started watching so I was/am confused as the stuff I was picking on nobody else seemed to be.
ReplyDeleteWell...he did stab Oliver and threw him off a cliff. Only baddies get to do that.
ReplyDeleteBut the bad guy line has been drawn rather lightly this season.
I need someone 100% evil that the show aknowledges as evil (unlike Merlyn who they seem to pain as redeemable...wich is bs because he isn't)
Slade would've worked...
Malcolm could even be planning something along the lines of dying and come back via the Lazarus Pits to prove he is worthy of being the next Ra's.
ReplyDeleteNo less cliche really, but it fits into how the show has portrayed Malcolm as a step or two ahead of everyone.
Slade was a hero before
ReplyDeleteI stayed up till 3 am for this! I'll try to get some sleep and forget that episode ever happened.
ReplyDelete5 pisses me off so much. Bitch you can't have 2 cookies.
ReplyDeleteYeah but he's since 2B portrayed as a ruthless monster
ReplyDeletethe whole dying and coming back thing I kind of doubtfull (but since they showed ATOM take a IM flight sequence I guess everythings on the table) and yeah it's the last thing that makes me have hope for the season.
ReplyDeleteA hero is nothing without his villain...to bad he doesen't have one this year
"Atomized ass" OH MY GOD, you just made my night XD
ReplyDeletelol Damn Brandon Routh will now be hated for messing with 2 good relationships,
ReplyDeletefirst on Chuck, now on Arrow. I knew from the start when they brought
him in, it was going be another Chuck like situation.
But I've been prepared about them the whole time since I knew it was coming, It didn't make me mad like it did in Chuck.
But forget about that! next episode is what I want now!
And my point is, the relationship wasn't even needed... Oliver and Felicity were already apart because of the Oliver/Felicity/Malcom triangle(wich was quite innovative and unexpected, tbh). I just want Ray to have his own show so the character can be used properly... One thing i hate is a "Gossip Girl relationship in a show that isn't a teen drama" and Ray is turning into that...
ReplyDeleteSince everyone above as pretty much already typed out my issues, why was Oliver so sure he wasn't going to get killed this time? Just at the beginning of this episode Malcolm beat him TWICE.
ReplyDeleteI'm really going to need Oliver to stop being so damned stupid.
but you DO like Palmer and Brandon Routh?
ReplyDeleteHell, Ra's didn't even make any sense
ReplyDelete"Ay you, boy. I know I killed you, my daughter kicked your butt a few times and the guy I'm currently roasting on a grill beat you more than once but I want you to be my successor. No biggie, I'm sure you'll make a great Ra's"
Sigh...Get some sleep. Although, idk how that'll happen. No on can sleep angry. That's why I have beer. ; )
ReplyDeleteEmily Bett Rickards, the actress is staying in Arrow for Season 4... Brandon Routh(Ray) is most likely getting his own show.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a standard love triangle to drag the relationship of Oliver and Felicity till May... And it's possible something happens in the finale that will drag that to Season 4...
It's how tv always worked...
Honestly, I have just never understood why they introduced the ATOM unless they were spinning him off into his own show.
ReplyDeleteNot one ATOM storyline has enhanced an Arrow storyline in any meaningful way. Complete waste of time to spend so much time on another hero that takes away from Team Arrow instead of enhancing it like Arsenal and Canary..
Of course, the character is lighthearted and fun. I would totally watch a series about him. In fact: I still hate Barry. I LOVE Ray.
ReplyDeleteI just generally dislike when characters are romance driven.
I really want an ATOM show after seeing that flight sequence *_*
Oliver/Felicity/Malcolm triangle...let's not go there after I've been served with a "Merlycity" shipper a few days ago (I was creeped out to say the least).
ReplyDeleteThe problem is he's thrown into a romance while he should be given a plot.
You're right I'm so angry I don't think I can sleep. I'll try to watch something fun to forget.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who doesn't care about ships on this show i couldn't give a flying frick about anything Oliver/Felicity/Ray related. Ollie annoyed me this episode. Same with Felicity really, i don't know why.
ReplyDeleteReally glad with how the Thea and Laurel situation was handled and that Thea turned in Malcolm. Also loved seeing Roy and Thea bond over them unwillingly killing someone.
http://tvline.com/2015/02/25/arrow-season-3-spoilers-oliver-replace-ras-al-ghul-felicity-ray-sex/
ReplyDeleteActually Oliver consistently beats or ties Nyssa. Makes some sense. He respects Oliver as a warrior, he's young, not an asshole traitor like Merlyn and he has a dick (which Nyssa does not).
ReplyDeletetoo true, heaven forbid they break pattern, they might actually have an original idea.
ReplyDeleteThey nned to be spinning him off, otherwise his presence makes absolutely no sense.
ReplyDeleteThey could've introduced him in one Flash episode if he was just a random side character but the fact that they tied Routh down for 16 episodes means something.
The problem with "Team Arrow" is that the characters are at the threatening point of being "explored". Let me explain: when you only scratch the surface of a character and don't go too deep into their characterization (like Roy/Felicity/Diggle) they're likable because there's not too much to dislike. But when you dig into them (like they did with Laurel in season 2) they become unlikable because eventually some personality traits will stick out as negative.
They don't want to explore them for that reason
if i recall correct ra's told that his first kill was to save his family.
ReplyDeleteafter seeing the same intentions from oliver he kinda sees himself in oliver.
maybe thats why he asked to be his succesor.
but if he is gonna be next ra's he needs expeience from ra's himself.
Yes, i do... I love Brandon. I hate that he is just being used as a device to prop Olicity, that's all...
ReplyDeleteRa's is incredibly sexist. It's a big thing in the comics. Yeah that Ray and Felicity stuff was weird. So she goes from freaking out at him kissing her, to having sex with him.
ReplyDeletethe only people who delivers after the much hyped eps r imo banshee and GOT.
ReplyDeletethey gotta stop doing that
Good. Go with Funny. Or action....Kingsman was EPIC!! That movie was so badass. Go with that.
ReplyDeletefor god's sake, can someone tell Cassidy's face that it's supposed to show emotion? did she botox it to death or is she just the worst actress ever?
ReplyDeleteGod I hope it was more based on frustration over Oliver and difficulty coping with his decisions and joy that someone she cares for isn't making the same mistakes, because Felicity suddenly developing strong romantic feelings for Palmer is pretty bullshity. And annoying. I hate love triangles.
ReplyDeletePlus I think Nessa's blind faith in her father and how things could play against her. I could be wrong... Maybe he sees himself in Oliver more than Nessa.
ReplyDeleteAlso maybe Ra's has grown tired of his life or lifestyle and want something more or something different for Nessa?
The correct answer is "C) All of the above." XD
ReplyDeleteI agree I really like character of Ray outside of the Arrow spehere. He is such a wonderfully goofy, fun guy and I can see how he could have his own show. He doesn't particularly fit in Arrow, and like Nick said is really only a relationship drama prop.
ReplyDeleteIf the writers weren't so intent on focusing on The League of Assassins and Malcolm Merlyn instead of defending Starling City (which is what the show is supposed to be about) then Felicity would have some worthwhile stuff to do. Instead, we're stuck with this crap. This show desperately needs to go back to basics.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, now that makes sense. Still out of all people he chose Oliver? Ollie hasn't even been himself this whole season. He keeps on making the dumbest decisions left and right. As for Raylicity, I was honestly cringing at their scenes. As you said it, it was weird.
ReplyDeleteYeah sure. And Oliver isn't self-sacrificing. By the end of season her and Oliver will have some sort of positive development.
ReplyDeleteRa's is sexist. Not kinding that's a reason. That is always the reason.
ReplyDeleteVery solid episode. I gotta say, I did not expect Ra's to ask Oliver to become the new "Demon's Head"(as well as mentioning how, while Ra's seems to be immortal, there are still a line of "Ra's al Ghul"'s).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how what happens between Nyssa and Thea.
Well Oliver is an excellent fighter and leader when you want something done. And if it doesn't involve his family.
ReplyDeleteIf the showrunners wanted to use Ra's that would then offer Ollie leadership for the League of Assassins, then I think it's for the best that Ra's hasn't been shown as a straight-up enemy/villain. Nyssa has been shown to be more of a villain, which is fine, tbh. If you make Ra's this evil rat bastard, then there's no way Ollie would even think about becoming the next Ra's. Now, the storyline of whether being The Arrow or Oliver Queen(or how Ollie is slowly losing his humanity and his own identity) makes sense with this season. Everything is finally making sense, imo.
ReplyDeleteHe plans on training Oliver then probably die from age. It's to ensure that when the pits stop working,etc. that someone will carry on his work. Nah he's just sexist. I'm curious if this will lead to conflict between father and daughter given their comic animosity.
ReplyDeleteHA! That's true.
ReplyDeleteOnly because of a drug, though. We've only seen one episode and one other scene where he's not being controlled by a drug. Even that doesn't make him the Slade Wilson that people love in the comics.
ReplyDeleteVery true.
ReplyDeletePlus the writers do not understand how to handle conflict without turning into melodrama. I'm growing quite bored of so many character's overreacting when given half a chance. Part of what I dislike about so many shows on CW. Even if the plots start of great they eventually devolve into love triangles and melodrama it seems.
There's a difference between character exploration and writing a character as unlikeable. The second was Laurel.
ReplyDeleteLazarus pits. He's around 600.
ReplyDeleteReally? I didn't expect it and I was expecting literally everything from Nyssa bringing Sara back from the dead(her other reason of being back in Starling, now having some of the Lazarus Pit in her own necklace) to Tommy being revealed as alive and a member of the League. I think this is such a "Batman route" that I wasn't expecting it, which is fine. People can push up their metaphorical glasses all they want and complain about this being "Batman-lite" or whatever, but I am loving this show for what it is and it still catches me off guard at times. These have been some great cliffhangers involving Ra's al Ghul.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i know i'm getting old with this: BUT CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE OLIVER/LAUREL FIGHTING EVERY TWO SECONDS? THIS EPISODE WAS DEPRESSING... (I'm Team Laurel in all their arguments, btw)
ReplyDeleteI'd ditch it all for an Atom spinoff at this point. Take Felicity and Diggle and Lance. Keep it light and rational.
ReplyDeleteThey are just so lost at this point.
Jajajaja But did you get what i meant? I wasn't implying the triangle as being romantic xD
ReplyDeleteYeah, i feel i know crap about him... I don't know anything about Ray, just that his wife died and he wants to build a suit...
They need to cool down with the forced romance ASAP...
I think it mostly has to do with Ollie's heart and courage for why Ra's wants him to be the successor. And as for having been beaten by other people...that's where the Lazarus Pit comes into use, lol.
ReplyDeleteNo thanks. I prefer my Oliver/Nyssa/Ra's League of Assassins show idea. :P
ReplyDeleteI find Laurel rather annoying but would love to she her bitch slap him still his sense returns.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I want someone 100% evil too. Honestly, I've felt more hatred towards Merlyn and see him as more threatening than Ra's at this point and that's not really how they said the season was going to go at the very beginning. Of course, they can change things and whatnot and what the writers/producers say while promoting the show is not set in stone. But it's also a disservice to the character of Ra's al Ghul to bring him into the story, have us think he's going to be this huge and evil threat, only to end up giving us the kind of Ra's that we've seen so far.
ReplyDeleteI mean, seriously, I've been more afraid of the BS Merlyn has pulled so far than Ra's al Ghul. And you're right...they do seem to be walking that line of will we or will we not redeem Merlyn? It seems at times like they're working towards that (the last thing I want to see), but then we have all these characters (rightfully) telling Oliver that he's being an idiot for siding with him and angry over any association with Merlyn, which makes me think that they're not heading towards redemption. So I don't know what to think about MM anymore. All I ask the Arrow gods is that they keep him evil.
Well at least we agree it is at the "just burn it to the ground" point. :-)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. This show is steadily reaching FUBAR status.
ReplyDeleteWell this isn't the first time Merlyn has been in "leagues" with the League of Assassins. He's a known member in the comics as well, so using Ra's al Ghul shouldn't be all too surprising. I would rather say Talia al Ghul is more of a Batman "thing" and I'm glad that character isn't being used. As well as I enjoy this fresh take of Nyssa who was such a boring character in the comics.
ReplyDeleteI would have been okay with a Sara Canary, Huntress, and Felicity Birds of Prey spin-off.. Maybe even happy! XD
ReplyDeleteIf that were still an option, sure. I'd go with that too.
ReplyDeleteI'd put up with the acting if the writers would give her a line that didn't start with "I."
ReplyDeleteYes, I liked Nyssa and Sara but since they flushed that all down the toilet for whatever this mess is I'm kind of done with this storyline and John Barrowman.
ReplyDeleteOliver turns into an a**hole when they talk and it's worst when he then speaks to Felicity and explains her all softy... and then Laurel says something and he goes "why the hell are you here?"...
ReplyDeleteI get that they are not the main couple anymore, but at this rate i don't see how they can even work together...
also given the fact that shouldn't get into Ray's bed without first hashing out her Oliver issues. Its a clear case of if you can't be with the one you love, f*ck the one your with.
ReplyDeleteHow could anyone be done of John Barrowman? The guy's amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd it wasn't just Nyssa/Sara that I enjoy. I am still liking Nyssa's arc because it makes her seem like an actual, legit villain this season, but you can also understand her point of view which makes me think of Merlyn's arc in S1 where it was understandable because of his own pain.
the creators are basically confirming that they're leaving clues that there IS in fact a Lazarus Pit in this universe. They said that this Ra's Al Ghul is more close to the comic character than any of the other Ra's Al Ghul that have been portrayed in live-action or etc.
ReplyDeleteNewsflash that antagonism and fighting has always been how they interacted. It's also how Laurel interacts with Lance. She' s a fighter. They don't seem to be changing it.
ReplyDeleteShe's very expressive in her acting(see Supernatural, for example). I think it's more of a direction issue. They want for her to be stoic.
ReplyDeleteI have hopes that the wirters have seen the error of their Season 3 ways and can trim the show back. Back to something more simple and in line with Arrow's origins. Oliver protecting his city.
ReplyDeleteThey fell into the trap of too many hero type shows where they feel the need to up the ante every season and get carried away. At least Ra's is not a god or something silly, but they had a great game plan in Season 1... even for Season 2. I don'y get why so much of Season 3 has been away from Starling City.
Oliver needs to look at his suit as it hangs in its locker and hear ti say, "Oliver Queen, you have failed this city! Quit collecting frequent flier miles and stay home!"
As far as I'm concerned, "Why are you here?" is a valid question. No one formally or informally invited Laurel to be part of the team. She just started showing up and insists on being included in everything. Maddeningly enough, everyone else in the cave doesn't seem to give a sh*t.
ReplyDeleteThe options need to be:
ReplyDeleteAwesome
Great
Good
OK
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!
Poor
Awful
I pick AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!
Lol.
ReplyDeleteokay, maybe not him per-say, well a bit, but the character storyline. maybe if it something more then "poor bay bay Thea" then yeah, I would be more interest. right now my eyes are glazed over just waiting for something interesting to happen.
ReplyDeleteCAN the Pits stop working?
ReplyDeleteWait are they going to see the error of their ways, in season 4? Cause I was absolutely floored that in a season which Thea becomes a ninja, Black Canary takes a mask, and Ray finds is inner ironman, they are adding another original story to mix and giving us the history of the LOA.
ReplyDeleteMerlyn's storyline is not even "poor baby Thea". Merlyn continues to be a sick and twisted soul, even using his so-called "love" and "affection" for why he's the best thing to ever happen to her life.
ReplyDeletesmh. weak ass reason.
ReplyDeleteEvery time Laurel steps into AHQ the first thing said to her by anyone should be "Why are you here?!"
ReplyDeleteShe does not want to be part of the team and has made that clear numerous times. She goes there only to peruse her own agenda and ignores the plans and/or needs of Team Arrow altogether most of the time.
The bouncers at Verdant should be under orders to turn her away...
you guys realize that Palmer is technically DC's Ant-Man right? not Iron Man
ReplyDeletenever watched Supernatural, but I don't think it's a question of how she acts. she just sucks (in Arrow). and if it's supposed to be this way, I don't know what the writers are thinking, because it's downright horrible. not stoic. then again, they made some very bad decisions with Laurel that made her extremly unlikeable (besides her acting).
ReplyDeleteWell "The Magician" basically sold me already that there is a Lazarus Pit. Then "The Climb" had Ra's mentioned about not being in a duel for 60 plus years and then tonight's bit of dialogue where he mentions the year 1854(I'm pretty sure that was the year).
ReplyDeleteThe show right now is overcrowded with characters and they can't manage them... That's the main reason this is a mess.
ReplyDeleteOver time they're less effective. As one uses them more and more they work less. Sanity is stripped a bit. But that's centuries of use. On the plus side you gain enhanced strength, speed and agility.
ReplyDeleteNights like this make me long for the days when everything was about Starling City and Oliver was crossing names off a list.
ReplyDeleteOliver Queen has failed this city. Hell, there are times I'd be surprised if he could find Starling City on a map.
Next season I'm crossing my fingers for more balanced storytelling (too serialized), a commitment to keeping things local, and lightening up a little.
" OLIVER/LAUREL FIGHTING EVERY TWO SECONDS?"
ReplyDeleteIt's foreplay.
I wish we'd get less Felicity/Ray romance and more Felicity/Ray helicopter banter. It's the one scene of theirs I've enjoyed this season - it was cute and brought out the best parts of both of them. And Ray really needs to start interacting with other people.
ReplyDeleteNot really. I agree it's awful morally and not good parenting. But to Ra's it's a big deal. So while it's shitty, to a centuries old guy like Ra's is better. Writing wise I have no problem with it. As it makes sense to me given his age, time he's from, the culture, and honestly it's a great way to create tension between him and Nyssa.
ReplyDeletePreach! I don't see why no one on the team gets this but Oliver. They need to change the security code on the doors... and Felicity should stop letting her in. The Arrow Cave needs an intercom system. XD
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy if it turned out Ray has a change of heart and decides to be an Olympian Street Luger. HE has the uniform already...
ReplyDelete*Shrug*
I mean only in motivation for everyone and by that I mean Oliver, to take on a man, repeatably, that he can't win against. I just don't care for Thea, so building a whole season plot line around her is boring.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I mean why! That's just killed it for me, this hasn't been my favorite season. When Laurel became the Black Canary that's almost did it. Now pushing Ray and Felicity is too much. Let's get back to the basics with this show. Suddenly so many people know about Arrow. If Olicity isn't going to happen for awhile so be it but dint spoil it by putting Ray and Felicity together. That just makes it tedious and predictable.
ReplyDeleteYou know that Iron Man is a huge, blockbuster movie character and nobody outside of comics knows who Antman is yet, right? Not to mention that the only thing Ray is missing is Jarvis and an endorsement deal from Audi to be a pretty complete TV knockoff.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should substitute the word "delusions" for "hopes in my post? XD
ReplyDeleteFor your post to TPTB's ears.
ReplyDeleteThat didnt go as i expected. I liked it but there is something off. I dunno. All of the sudeen the great assasins of all ask him to become his succesor. I just dont see how that is gonna happen. I expected Ra's being more hard on people so far he is like and old version of Olliver -.-!
ReplyDeleteThe Atom suit works. It seems stiff tho it needs a little more help but i can see the spin off happening because there is no way they are gonna have 5 people fighting criminals on the same city and still getting their ass kicked sometimes.
Ugh. Just thinking of all that story juggling makes me want to see Deadshot show up out of nowhere and thin the herd a bit.
ReplyDeleteI just realised what "The CW" stands for...The Crappiest Writers.
ReplyDeleteI guess if you hate Thea, then yes, I can see why it's boring. As someone who hated Thea's arc for the first two seasons, I'm actually enjoying this one. I think it ended up being predictable that Thea killed Sara, but I've enjoyed what's come because of that such as her finding out Ollie's secret as well as this episode's events with telling the truth to Laurel and pretty much asking to die by Nyssa's hand.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this episode stated it's NOT just because of Thea that Ollie is in Nanda Parbat. He clearly got a fix on his ego when he was just manhandled by Ra's and is trying to get his due. Which is understandable, especially even when he got his butt handed to him by Merlyn and Deathstroke, Ollie still won in the end, and he was never put in such dire restraints as being on the brink of death before either.
:-) I do agree they fell into the go bigger trap. I hope they can scale it back. I hope they intend to. But I was hoping that when they realized they couldn't get everyone on Oliver's team in the same Foundry set at the same time, they'd go "Hey do we have too many heroes in here?"
ReplyDeleteWorry not. It'll happen by the finale. Or some kind of positive thing will.
ReplyDeleteYessss, I think that's one of the biggest problems. All of the main action and conflict of the season is happening so far away from Starling, where we still have important characters (Felicity, Diggle, Thea, Roy) that are literally just sitting around waiting for Oliver to return from [insert place]. Say what you will about the Brick trilogy, but at least a large part of it focused on defending Starling City, which was Team Arrow's original mission anyway. With the focus on the LOA and only Oliver fighting on that front, everyone else is sort of left with nothing to do.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Nyssa's cleavage.
ReplyDeleteJust lovely.
Unless they plan to do a split shift show with two teams working different hours of the day. ARROW: AM and ARROW: After Dark maybe? XD
ReplyDeleteAs long as that doesn't lead to an ARGUS arc, I'd be down with it.
ReplyDeleteThat part I do like, him have a moment to realize you can't or won't always win, but again that is a lift from Batman, more or less.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder how long they can keep Thea relevant to the series given what they had to go through this season to do so.
LOL. It totally works with the light and dark themes! It completely Oliver's identity crisis. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI'll answer :
ReplyDelete2- Pretty much every fan is frustrated wit5h that desicion and i found funny that he is right anyways, couldnt let left Thea like that, feeling nothing but hate torwards his father (it's not like the guy does not deserve it)?, it would've been better that pretty much everyone feeling sorry for Merlyn at the end...
3- I think it's gonna be Lila and Diggle will take sometime off. That wedding is gonna go so bad!
It's not really a Batman thing. Every hero has an encounter where they don't believe they will ALWAYS win. I think with the other character just being Ra's al Ghul, it feels like a Batman thing, which is again, understandable. It's such a great storyline though, and since it makes sense to even use the League on Arrow, that I am actually fine with this take on the Ra's/Ollie relationship. We will never get that in live-action with Batman anyways.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Thea will "stay" relevant once she actually dons a costume. After this, there's nothing more to do besides giving her a costume. You can only go so far with a character meant to don a costume without actually giving her one.
The number of characters isn't as big a problem as what the writers are choosing to focus their stories on. Making use of all the characters in the show wouldn't be half the problem it is if Arrow would keep the focus on the streets of Starling where everyone would have a role to play.
ReplyDeleteHa! thanks for the chuckle.
ReplyDelete