Arrow Reaction: "Lian You" (5x23)

Warning: Arrow is rated TV-14 for mature content. Spoilers included.

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Oliver recruits Slade Wilson and Digger Harkness to save his friends, but Adrian Chase has a much bigger plan in mind.

"That's who I was before. That's not who I am now." -Oliver

What I Liked

Flashbacks
I haven't really cared for the Russia plot so far, but I'm glad they wrapped it up in this episode (and it won't drag out for another season). Oliver killing Kovar wasn't a surprise, but I like how the flashbacks interspersed between what was happening in present day. There was a fantastic segment of parallel scenes of Oliver fighting, running through the woods on Lian Yu, and trying to catch the boat. I also liked that it came full circle with season one, and we finally see Oliver getting off the island (with his fake hair and beard!) and talking to his mom on the phone. That part was heartbreaking.

Slade Wilson
So I've been stoked about the return of Slade Wilson, and I'm even more excited now that Slade doesn't have a personal vendetta against Oliver. I'm glad he sided with Oliver and helped him, especially in order to find his son. (The parallelism!) It was awesome. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but I'm looking forward to more Slade Wilson in the future.

Dude, this is amazing. (source)

Merlyn
Malcolm Merlyn's sass is always amazing, and I love his puns. I'm glad he got over himself to help Oliver, and despite everything he's done, his love for Thea does show. It was noble that he sacrificed himself, but is he really dead? I don't believe it. I probably won't believe it even if they show his dead body because this is a comic-book show. Everybody comes back.

Team Arrow
Despite everything they went through in this episode--getting kidnapped, beat up, and locked up--I love that Team Arrow still pulled through and was willing to fight by Oliver's side. Their fortitude was amazing. Nyssa and Talia's fight was great. Dinah and Black Siren's fight was even better. But the best? Lance knocking out Black Siren was the best freaking ever.

Yeah, boi! (source)

Felicity
I just have to say: I knew it. I freaking knew that Felicity was going to kiss Oliver and that there was still something between them. And oh my gosh. "Just in case." I'm not okay. Not even close.

Oliver
Oliver. Is. Amazing. His resolve to stand for what he believes, no matter what Chase did, no matter the choice Chase laid before him, was admirable. I'm so pumped for this new Oliver Queen, and I can't wait to see what happens next with him. Ollie's been through a lot lately. It was a struggle to watch, but I think it's all been worth it.

#micdrop (source)

What I Didn't Like

Team Chase
I still don't understand why any of them decided to work with Chase. Black Siren helping might make the most sense since he rescued her from her prison cell, but the rest? I still don't get it. Was it money? Revenge? I wish I knew, but the characters weren't developed enough to bother with that. I also knew Harkness would betray them... and Talia was just a big baby to run and hide from her younger sister. Bah, they were a boring lot anyways.

Shots fired. (source)

Chase
Adrian Chase is... disgusting. His whole plan is convoluted and terrible. He made Oliver choose between everybody he loves and William, but in the end, Chase made the choice for Ollie. And I can't help but sit here and wonder... why? What was the point of doing everything to ruin Oliver's life only to shoot himself in the head so Oliver would suffer? He doesn't get to witness Oliver suffering; he doesn't even know if his plan worked. (Because honestly, how could the entire cast of the show die in the explosion? I don't believe it for a second, even if it was shocking and left me wondering.) What the heck, man? But I guess the whole thing truly came full circle: Oliver on a boat, again, watching someone shoot himself. Wow, just wow.

Abort! This is not what I signed up for. (source)

Overall

The season as a whole has been a roller coaster. It had its high points, its low points, and sometimes I was just bored waiting for something to get started. But by the end of the season, I thought it was awesome. The last few episodes have been fantastic, building up to something mind-blowing, and it was. The end did blow me away (pun definitely intended), and I'm looking forward to season six and what's going to happen next. I think we've finally reached a good point with this show and who Oliver is as a hero.

Bonus tip: Don't mess with Papa Oliver. (source)

What did you think of "Lian Yu"? What are you looking forward to in season six?

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Arrow Reaction: "Missing" (5x22)

Warning: Arrow is rated TV-14 for mature content. Spoilers included below.

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Oliver is forced to make an unlikely alliance with Malcolm Merlyn after Chase's allies, including Black Siren, kidnap Team Arrow and take them to Lian Yu.

"When did you become all zen like and well adjusted? We should celebrate that tonight, not your birthday." -Thea

What I Liked

Oliver's birthday party
The episode started out great with the surprise birthday party for Oliver. It was hilarious that Oliver was so paranoid he accidentally attacked Curtis. But the party itself with the Green Arrow themed cake and Team Arrow giving Felicity and Olive "alone time" was amazing. (Also, Curtis not taking the hint and Diggle dragging him away was hilarious, and Curtis fangirling over Oliver and Felicity was perfect.) The writers are definitely trying to pull Oliver and Felicity back in a relationship, and somehow, it's working.

Same, Ollie. Same. (source)

Flashback
At first, I wasn't impressed with the flashback because Kovar is annoying and we've seen Oliver being tortured before. But then the torture ended up being very different this time, and it was actually devastating to watch Oliver fall so hard. But gosh, thank goodness hallucination Laurel convinced him not to kill himself but to escape instead. That hurt a lot. It was good.

Chase
Although Adrian Chase is crazy and super creepy, I have to admire his fortitude. He really did come up with a fantastic plan to mess with Oliver. I mean, of course they'd end up back on Lian Yu. How could it not lead there? His cocky smirk just amplifies how he thinks he will win, and I cannot wait to see him fall.

Oliver
I love his resilience, not just in this episode but throughout this past season. He doesn't give in to Chase, no matter whose life is on the line: Felicity, Thea, William. He won't kill Chase because he's choosing to believe he is better than what Chase is claiming, he's choosing to be something else. And I love it. This is the Oliver Queen I've been waiting for the past five years.

Arrow Assemble
I love that Oliver is teaming up with Merlyn and Nyssa to find his friends. That was completely unexpected, but he needs them. And Merlyn actually makes good points in his reasoning, and I can't wait to see Nyssa go up against her sister. It's going to be good. But the end scene absolutely blew me away. Not only is he teaming up with Merlyn and Nyssa... but he's recruiting Slade freaking Wilson. And boy, this crap just got real. I can't even handle myself. I need the next episode now.

Oh, buddy! This is going to be good. (source)

What I Didn't Like

Girl Gang
I don't understand why Black Siren, Talia, or Evelyn are willing to help Chase. Are they really just doing it for revenge against Oliver? Because it seems a bit far. I can't justify that Evelyn, who is opposed to so much violence in the first place, would go that far for justice against Green Arrow. And Talia doesn't need Chase to exact revenge; she has a whole legion of mercenaries at her disposal, so why submit to Chase? And Black Siren? There is no solid reasoning. It's just garbage.

Team Arrow
The sequence of Team Arrow members being kidnapped and injured was devastating. I am genuinely concerned for their safety, and I'm worried someone isn't going to make it off Lian Yu alive. I felt like Diggle and Felicity didn't even try to get away, but whatever. And I want to know where Dinah and Rene are if they're not on Lian Yu. Curtis, however, still sassed Chase and it was great. Come on, Team Arrow, pull through this.

Overall

While there were a few things I didn't like about this episode, overall, it was riveting. The build-up to Team Arrow being kidnapped and Chase getting his way was fantastic. But the best moments came when Oliver recruited his new team to help save his friends. The season finale looks promising, and I'm stoked to find out how this arc pans out!

Bonus:

Gosh, this pun was both the best and the worst. #dadjokes (source)

What did you think of "Missing"?

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Arrow Reaction: "Honor Thy Fathers" (5x21)

Warning: Arrow is rated TV-14 for mature content. Spoilers included below.

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When a crate containing a dead corpse is sent to the Mayor's office, Team Arrow has to dig into the past to find out whether Chase's allegation that Robert Queen, Oliver's father, is a murderer is true or not. Meanwhile, Derek Sampson, a former criminal, steals chemicals to create a new drug and unleash it in the city.

"The people closest to you always pay the most for your sins. You are paying for your father's. Who will pay for yours?" -Anatoly

What I Liked

Plot
Mysterious packages are never good, especially when they are filled with dead bodies. And it's even more fun when the dead body in the package leads you to a building triggered with booby traps to bury you alive! Basically, the plot of this episode was... interesting and unexpected. I like that it intertwined with Robert Queen and his past, connecting to Oliver's reasoning for becoming the Hood. It's poignant that Chase went after Robert since he wants to dismantle everything the Green Arrow is and it all started with Robert. There were also a lot of connections to Claybourne with the drugs and the lawyer. I found it super intriguing that Claybourne wanted to disown Chase because he's (wait for ittttt) crazy! Ha ha! I knew it. I knew Chase was crazy. But I was not expecting Claybourne to be so heartless after Chase basically worshiped the ground he walked on. Wow.

I suppose that claim would make anybody spend five years planning his revenge... right? (source)

Team Arrow
Team Arrow rocked it in this episode. Between kicking butt, saving the day, and digging up the past through research and science-y stuff, they did awesome.

They all look so happy! (source)

Felicity
Once more, thank you, Felicity Smoak, for existing and for always having a way with words. You are truly a gem that needs to be protected at all costs. And I'm glad Felicity is back in full strength with her moving words, her nerdy references, and her snarky comments. I've missed you.

God bless, Felicity Smoak. (source)

Flashback
Yay! We're finally back on the island and things are falling into place to line up with how the show started: with Oliver being rescued. I like that Anatoly helped Oliver get back there, gave him advice, and even provided what I think is a fake beard for him to use. (So the beard is fake after all. You fooled us all, Stephen Amell. Amazing.) And I like that despite him being ready to go, Oliver still has to deal with Kovar and the Russians. That helps draw out the tension for the last two episodes, and I'm looking forward (for once) to how it all pans out. It's going to be good.

Oliver
Green Arrow is baaaack. And I'm supers stoked. Ahhhhh! Finally, Oliver is choosing to be his own man and not letting Chase dictate whether he is a hero or not. Also, Oliver continues to have good speeches, no matter who he is talking to.

*sniffles* Siblings relationships. (source)

What I Didn't Like

Robert Queen
Can someone on this show not be a terrible person? Just one person? Please. It was kind of disappointing that once more Chase is right. Ugh. I know, I know... it's about the plot and Oliver moving past his father's legacy and call to save the city. It's about Oliver becoming his own person and hero. Yada yada yada. But still. I wish Chase hadn't been right, that Robert was a good man for the most part. Murder and covering up a murder is... not something you can easily come back from. And it's just too far, I think. There are too many characters in this show that are full of darkness and too far gone to come back that it's hard to watch sometimes. Well, at least we still have Curtis, who is an adorable ray of sunshine. Don't fail me, Mr. Terrific!

Thea
I'm tired of Thea being all "I'm a monster," and "we're monsters because our parents are monsters." (As if you have to be who your parents were.) Can you stop? Please. Can you like yourself? Because Thea, you're smart and beautiful and you have a lot of great talent, but you just let the past swallow you. I'm tired of everybody being "I'm so full of darkness." Blaaah. Just stop. Though, her sass about Malcolm Merlyn is always the greatest.

At least Thea still has a brain, though. (source) 

Rene
Come on! What? He's having second thoughts about getting his daughter back because... because why? Her foster mother is soooo great? But she clearly loves you, Rene, and wants to be back with you. Why, oh, why did he not show up for the hearing? I feel like all the progress he's made just stumbled back a few steps because of this, and it doesn't make sense to me. It's unnecessary drama. I'm tired of unnecessary drama. I don't need rainbows and butterflies everywhere, but is it too much to ask for a little happiness in this show?

Prometheus
The plot twist of Claybourne wanting to disown his son was interesting, but the rest of the episode regarding Prometheus was... disappointing. For one thing, what about William? The previous episode left us feeling icky as Chase honed in on Oliver's son, hinting he was going to mess with him in some way, yet this episode didn't even hint at it. Um, what? Also, I felt defeating Prometheus was too easy. Way. Too. Easy. So easy that the smirk Chase gives at the end of the episode has me worried. Chase is exactly where he wants to be, which is not good.

Too easy. (source)

Overall

So this episode was quite unexpected. I thought a lot of what happened in the previous episode--Rene taking steps to get his daughter back, Chase messing with William, etc.--would pan out in this episode, moving us closer to the culmination of everything for the final episodes of the season. But this episode took a different turn... a completely different turn. It was about Oliver's father, which wasn't bad. Yeah, some things are getting old, but this episode wasn't bad. It was interesting and full of action, and it propelled the plot and season arc forward. I'm feeling pretty good about Arrow lately, and I hope this keeps up for the final two episodes of the season. (And preferably beyond into the next season.)

What did you think of "Honor Thy Fathers"?

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