Watching Arrow for the First Time

[tomalak301]

I'm not going to write about every episode, but I have to say Season 4 got off to a promising start. I think I already like Darhk over Ra's but it was only the first episode. However, I know what happens to a particular character this season so the scene with the Gravestone didn't carry the resonance with me as it probably did with most other people.

I really wish Felicity was on Team Flash though. My favorite series is Farscape, and Arrow might be one of the reasons why. My favorite relationship ever was John and Aeryn, and the reason why was because while they loved each other, they were still strong characters in their own right. I don't feel the same way with Felicity and Oliver. I'm almost annoyed by it and that makes me sad.

 

[tomalak301]

Ok, I watched up to the Season 4 midseason premiere tonight. The Legends two parter didn't even feel like Arrow or Flash. It felt like using those two shows to set up another series (And I know that was the point) but it really took out the momentum of this Darhk storyline.

I know Felicity is going to be ok, but man when Oliver was proposing, my heart was racing that something bad was going to happen, like she was going to get shot and everyone was going to stand around her and Oliver a la Kira and Marritza from DS9's Duet. They really do know how to up the ante on these mid season finales and I have to say I liked this one more than I liked Season 3's, but I really hope they do better with the follow up than what we got in Season 3.

I do kinda love how they are setting up Laurel's demise. Honestly, I think the reason why people don't like this season is because it's still filled with relationship drama (The whole secrets thing and Felicity and Oliver fighting over secrets and stuff like that is old at this point), Laurel's death (Which I'm actually excited to see in context now) and maybe the fact that Darkh is this invincible person (Maybe the ultimate ghost) and the flashbacks are getting old to. Despite that though, I am really enjoying this season a lot more than Season 3. It's lighter, Oliver and Felicity were not brooding in the first half, and I think Curtis is a great addition to the show. I'm glad to know he's sticking around. Like I said with the legends crossover (And I think I said the same thing when I was watching the Flash side of it last year), that felt more like an intrusion to the show than a welcome addition. Not sure if I'm going to see Legends of Tomorrow mainly because I think I have to stop this berlanti-verse thing somehow.

 

[Gaith]

Honestly, I think the reason why people don't like this season is because it's still filled with relationship drama [...] I am really enjoying this season a lot more than Season 3. It's lighter

Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted... because "the reason why people don't like this season" is almost entirely due to its second half.

(Also, Andy. Andy is just the worst.)

 

[dahj]

Oliver and Felicity were not brooding in the first half

I'm quoting this for no reason, nope, no reason at all...

 

[tomalak301]

I'm quoting this for no reason, nope, no reason at all...

Season 3 was brooding. Season 4 was almost... playful(?), kinda.

 

[dahj]

^^
...so far.

 

[tomalak301]

We need more Gothic Felicity. Really loved that episode dealing with her disability and the stuff at ARGUS.

Not really looking forward to this impending storyline with Darhk going after William. We barely know anything about him but the brooding that will happen makes me a bit nurvous. I hope I'm wrong but considering the season four reactions I've seen so far, I still think this season is more enjoyable Than 3. Glad the League of Assassins are done with.

 

[tomalak301]

Felicity being able to walk again and then walking out on Oliver might be the corniest thing I've seen in the Greg Berlanti-verse. Things were going so well, and what she said was kinda true, but that ending made me laugh a lot. I've been liking this season a lot more than Season 3, but Arrow has way way way too much soap opera stuff going with it and I can understand why that is a big turn off. It also made Felicity's disability kind of a nothing story. I think it would have been so much better if they allowed her to be able to walk again right at the end of the season, and maybe Curtis giving her the gift for her Birthday or something. I mean I really liked the episode when she is dealing with her gothic conscience, but I wish there was more challenges to the fact that she did have a disbility and it should have been life changing. Felicity is fun, has great chemistry with the other characters, but sometimes she can be a real mary sue type character.

As for the rest of the two episodes I saw tonight, I'm glad they depowered Darhk because the more we see Darhk and what he can do, you could almost apply the du ex machina motif. He's basically invincible and that makes for a boring villain. Also, in the first episode I saw tonight he kills a guy on a conference call? Ha? How does that work. He can kill people over the internet? If that's the case why go through all this trouble of destroying the city and having his wife run for Mayor. You might as well choke the entire city because his power knows no bounds.

I really did like Vixen, and I think now I've met every character who was involved in the Invasion crossover event. She did seem to come out of nowhere though, considering Oliver said he met her last year. Again, how? Last year he was stabbed, basically killed, brought back and named Ra's Al Gul of the League of Assassin. Where does he find time to go to Central City and Detroit.

Also, the more I watch Arrow the more I laugh at Oliver's line in the 100th episode about dealing with aliens and how they started out dealing with thugs. I mean we've seen thugs, super soliders, mystical powers, magic, and he's worried about Aliens? Seems like Aliens would be part of the job.

Looking forward to seeing how this season ends, but these last three episodes took season 4 and gave it a season 3 treatment and that's a bit unfortunate.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I really did like Vixen, and I think now I've met every character who was involved in the Invasion crossover event. She did seem to come out of nowhere though, considering Oliver said he met her last year. Again, how?

Vixen season one.

Vixen season two.

 

[tomalak301]

Vixen season one.

Vixen season two.

Yeah I forgot there was an animated series. Might take a look at this when I'm finally caught up with Arrow.

 

[dahj]

Also, in the first episode I saw tonight he kills a guy on a conference call? Ha? How does that work. He can kill people over the internet?

I think that feature was added in a Skype update a few months back.
They don't document the changes properly so many missed it.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

I think that feature was added in a Skype update a few months back.
They don't document the changes properly so many missed it.

They call it the Darth Vader patch.

 

[Christopher]

Also, in the first episode I saw tonight he kills a guy on a conference call? Ha? How does that work. He can kill people over the internet? If that's the case why go through all this trouble of destroying the city and having his wife run for Mayor. You might as well choke the entire city because his power knows no bounds.

Maybe he needs to be able to see his victim in order to focus his energies on them. Or maybe he'd previously acquired some possession of the victim and used it as a focus for sympathetic magic.

 

[dahj]

I believe it was implied that he could force choke people at a distance if he had been in that room before so that he could "project" himself there.

 

[tomalak301]

I believe it was implied that he could force choke people at a distance if he had been in that room before so that he could "project" himself there.

What can't this guy do. Seems like he's going through all this trouble for no particular reason.

 

[dahj]

What can't this guy do.

Win.

 

[tomalak301]

For those in the know, (And maybe watched the season 4 special features) was it always the intent to kill Laurel? The reason I ask is because as I watch this series, I've been listening to a podcast about it and reading various reviews and at the time, the big speculation was that Quintin was going to be the one in the Grave. It kind of feels like the show changed things at the last minute because the scene where the Doctor tells Oliver Laurel was going to be fine and then she basically drops dead (And I know this was before a four week hiatus) feels like the show was going to swerve something.

I know Laurel had her ups and downs and I think the writers didn't know how to write for her, but her arc in Season 3 and what happened in season 4 seemed like the character was going in a positive direction. Her Alcholism was starting to get under control (Honestly, that arc in season 2 might have been her best arc, even when I originally thought it was one of her worst) and she watches her sister, who basically came back from the dead, die. I liked her desperation, and this season she was not annoying (That probably goes to Felicity, as much as it pains me to say it ) but to kill her off felt really random.

As for Darhk, I think I'm over this character now. It was fun at the beginning and I like McDounagh, but it just feels like they took him too much over the top and now he's out of prison, getting help from what's left of the League, and it just feels convoluted now. I still think he's better than Ra's Al Gul (I didn't like the League of Assassins storyline in season 3, so basically he's the worst by default) but nowhere near as good as Slade, and Season 2 is already this shows best season.

As for Andy, one of the posters (I forgot who, sorry) said Andy was the worst. His always working for Darhk was unfortunate. His character kind of undermined Diggle's quest against Floyd for the last three seasons. Also, I haven't seen the Suicide Squad movie yet, but how they were basically cast aside on this series is also unfortunate.

I did love Beacon of Hope though. I said Felicity was probably the most annoying character this season but that's mainly because of the relationship angst and this show doesn't do that drama well at all. It's almost like a directive from CW to have this angst and it's really hurt the show a lot. When Felicity is not dealing with relationship drama, she's a fun character. She was a fun character in the Bee episode, which was the most I've laughed at an episode in probably forever. I loved Diggle's line about Curtis being the dude Felicity. Curtis really has been fun this season and probably my favorite new character.

 

[dahj]

For those in the know, (And maybe watched the season 4 special features) was it always the intent to kill Laurel?

At midseason break I believe the writers said they don't even know yet who's in the grave, but they later went back on it and said that was always the plan. Katie Cassidy was only told a few episodes prior.
I don't believe it was planned, it certainly didn't feel like it watching it.

I still think it was a horribly bad decision, they finally wrote her in a position where she is a proper hero, her relationship drama with Oliver was settled and as she was his oldest friend she started playing more the "voice of reason" role that Diggle played before.

And then they friged her.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm always a bit uncomfortable talking about the concept of fridging because it comes with a negative connotation even though it advances the story. Also with my current favorite series those writers did something somewhat similar and "killed" (she was brought back late in season 4) a character, which resulted in some backlash, especially with the bury your gays troupe that was prevalent on TV two years ago.

With Laurel, I almost wish this season gave us a Darhk/Quintin flashback to when they first met because they didn't need to touch Laurel. That's why I said it felt so random and made me curious about the intent right at the premiere episode. Laurel was a maligned character but they gave her purpose in the back half of season 3 and 4. To have her be the one to be killed off just didn't make sense from a story standpoint. As much as I like Quintin, having him be killed off would have been much more dramatic and still had the same motivations and reactions from Team Arrow.

 

[Gaith]

As for Andy, one of the posters (I forgot who, sorry) said Andy was the worst. His always working for Darhk was unfortunate. His character kind of undermined Diggle's quest against Floyd for the last three seasons. Also, I haven't seen the Suicide Squad movie yet, but how they were basically cast aside on this series is also unfortunate.

Me! That was me. Andy was the worst. Bad actor, too.

I still think it was a horribly bad decision, they finally wrote her in a position where she is a proper hero

To me, that was part of the problem - too many damn masks! Part of what made the first two seasons great was the comparatively grounded human dramas of Tommy, Moira, Thea, Walter, Laurel, Quentin... By season four, they're all either written out, dead, on Team Arrow, or some combination thereof. The result is a show that's too goofy and Superfriends to take seriously, but too grim and grounded to enjoy the whimsical flourishes that make Flash and LoT fun. And their big fix for S5 was... new/more vigilantes on Team Arrow? Big Pass for me, I fear.