Arrow "My Name Is Oliver Queen" Review

Barry Allen makes an appearance as Ollie finds love in a hopeless place on an all new Arrow.

High Points

• Who can save the day when Ollie is too busy? Barry Allen of course! His brief cameo was great. 
• Malcolm Merlyn takes charge. Interesting that both Barry and Ollie have teamed up with some of their greatest enemies during this week.
• Ra's hidden agenda makes sense. Kill two birds with one stone.
• Team Arrow is fucking beastly with the additions of Nyssa + Merlyn.
• I'm a big fan of the Lance family alcoholism. They should have a family reunion with an contract for a reality show.
• Speedy is suited up! But there is no middrift...
• Ra's once again beats down the Arrow. Then... Ollie beats him just cause.
• Felicity suits up as the ATOM.
• Malcolm Merlyn is the new Ra's Al Ghul!!!
• Ray wants shrinkage!
• Oliver and Felicity drive off into the sun!

Watch out Stan Lee, there is a new King of the cameo.

Low Points

• Oliver's reveal to Ra's Al Ghul would have been more intense if the writers had kept his allegiance to his original team a secret from the audience until that moment as well.
• The opening fight was weak. Though I love seeing Ra's in action.
• The flashbacks slow down the show to a crawl. Get Ollie back on the goddamn island and be done with it. I don't need to see Ollie torture Shireve. Rather just fucking gut him and be over with it.
• Damien Dark isn't dead which means that he and HIVE are gonna be the villains of season 4. Fuck...
• Oliver's love for Felicity is the key to beating Ra's. I'm at a loss for words.
• Felicity suits up as the ATOM! I'm not sure if it was good or bad.
• Oliver gives up being the Arrow for love. He is coming down with a case of Rachel Dawes syndrome.

What should be done to the person who wrote this episode

Verdict: Urban Dictionary defines the term "shit" as "another word for feces, poop, dookie, scheisse, poo poo, and brownies." Well I would like to add another phrase to that list, Arrow's Season 3 Finale. All season I have stood by my favorite show. I have waited for it to get back to those season 2 highs, but now all those battles with Deathstroke feel like a distant memory. I have ranted on Olicity many times before. If you are part of the group of people that think their love affair makes Arrow a better show, I don't want to be friends with you. 

          In all seriousness I don't even want to talk about them being together anymore. I accept it's gonna take over 50% of the show, but when the writers commit the crime they committed tonight something needs to be said. Oliver beats Ra's Al Ghul because he loves Felicity. That is the biggest load of shit that I have ever seen. Yes having something to fight for helps, but no way does it give Oliver an advantage over a guy who kicked his dick in not 5 months ago. Oliver beat Ra's because... he had to or the season wouldn't end. 

          Take this example on how to stop a villain that has an advantage on the hero properly.  Last night on The Flash, Barry admitted that Wells has the advantage over him. Wells has been faster and five steps ahead Barry this whole season. So was Barry just magically able to defeat Wells? No! He asked for help from the Arrow and Firestorm. He knew when he was outclassed and his writers knew that Barry had to regain the advantage over Wells in order for their class to end in Barry's favor. Tonight's Arrow did none of that. Instead Ollie can kill Ra's because he needs to in order to ride off into the sunset with Felicity. 

          You don't just have to add more firepower to beat a baddie. You can use your brain to defeat a foe. Batman always has to use his mind to get the advantage over some of his more physical opponents like Bane + Killer Croc. If he can't beat them physically, he will figure out some other way. Fuckin' A. Ollie had used his brain the night before when he had Ray give him the nanites to stop Wells' superspeed. And if you go back to last year's finale Olicity was used in a positive manner when Oliver tricked Slade and Felicity was able to administer a cure for the Miraku, thus making it an even battle in which Ollie could win. Ra's vs. Oliver isn't an even battle. So having Oliver win because he has love in his heart is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever seen.

          Now it's was not all bad. Barry Allen showed up for a brief, but entertaining cameo. And I also enjoyed seeing where Malcolm, Thea, and Ray's story lines are leading. My suggestion for Season 4 is to just let Ollie + Felicity be gone. I mean gone. For like the first half of next year. Expand everyone else's story lines and when the huge conflict arises call back the Arrow. As for scoring this turd, I'm going to be generous and give it a 5.5 out of 10. I pray Season 4 can be a return to form, but with rumors that Damien Dark is the big bad, I'm not hopeful. In the meantime I'm just gonna act like Season 3 never happened.

I didn't want to write a review this harsh, but it had to be done

Thanks for reading! Did you like Arrow Season 3? Was I too big of an asshole? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews.

Arrow "This Is Your Sword" Review

Wedding Bells are in the air as Al Sah Him is about the wed the woman of his dreams, his ex-girlfriend's ex-girlfriend! (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Oliver/Al Sah-him (Stephen Amell) finishes his training and is left with two final tasks to become the next Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s (guest star Matt Nable) threatens Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) and delivers some shocking news. Meanwhile, Malcolm (John Barrowman) makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow and Thea (Willa Holland) goes to see Roy (Colton Haynes).

High Points:

• Diggle and Canary should team up more often.
• Dinner with the Al Ghuls is not as fun as dinner with the Diggles.
• Oliver isn't as brainwashed as we thought. Having him have to team up with one of his worst enemies, Merlyn, to take down Ra's really shows how desperate Ollie is in this situation.
• Roy is a damn sexy mechanic!
• Shit always heats up when Roy and Thea are alone together. To quote Nick Fury these two bang "like Catholic Rabbits".
• Who is the better Dad: Ra's Al Ghul or Joe Jackson?
• Did you see the sign for Ferris Air Baggage? With so many references to Coast City and Ferris Air popping up on The Flash and Arrow, Hal Jordan is all, but confirmed to show up on the CW next fall.
• Enter Katana!
• Ray Palmer is the greatest human being to ever live. The massive spinoff Legends of Tomorrow is gonna be a kick ass show with him as the lead.
• Katana and Maseo's showdown would have been even cooler if the flashbacks actually made us give a shit about them.
• Always good to see some Roy and Thea pillow talk.
• Malcolm Merlyn is always playing his cards close to his chest. Whatever moves puts himself in the best position is the move he is going to make a 100% of the time. Allegiances and loyalty don't mean shit to this guy. Makes him such a slimly yet lovable character.
• Felicity's face when hearing of Oliver's impending nuptials was priceless.
• Attempted murder always makes a wedding ceremony more exciting.
• Solid cliffhanger.

Roy and Thea's theme song

Low Points:

• Felicity is so self righteous it's fucking sickening. She "always" has to be right. She always has to be the voice of reason. Season 3 has ruined her forever.
• Was not invested enough in Maseo and Katana's kid to give a shit that he died. (Sometimes I can be a real cruel prick.)
• The flashbacks just need to stop. I understand that Maseo + Ollie came across the virus a few years back. We got the information we needed. No need for more useless backstory.
• Shrieve sucks. Just another faceless Army drone for Ollie to beat down.
• Leaving Thea naked in your bed? I thought you were a gentleman, Roy Harper?

Season 3 Felicity's state of mind

Verdict: Oliver is in a tight spot. Ra's has pushed him to the edge. With his back against the wall there is only one man that Oliver can turn to. Everyone's favorite terrorist, Malcolm Merlyn! This was a nice twist by the Arrow writers. Oliver being forced to turn to his enemy for help shows how desperate he really is right now. What is that old saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." 

          Well, this revelation that Ollie was working with Merlyn the whole time leads the team back to Nana Parbat. In order to stop the Alpha Omega from being released upon Starling they must infiltrate Ra's crib. Serious question, how many raids on Nana Parbat have we seen this season? 4 maybe 5? I'm just tired of seeing of beating down LoA goons. These guys go down pretty damn easily. I guess what I am saying is that I want Ra's Al Ghul to pick up his sword and fight some fools. 22 episodes in this year and we have only seen Ra's battle 2 times. Don't want more of the Demon, I need it. Though seeing Katana suit up and murder her husband was a pretty sight amongst the other meaningless fighting. The emotional fallout from her killing Maseo didn't land that much, but the brawl sure was cool. So points to the stunt team on that sword battle.

            To keep appearances Ollie was then forced to capture his compadres. Ra's Al Ghul then poisoned those poor bastards with the Alpha Omega virus. Then Ollie gets married while his friends die in the next room over. This was such a massive dickhead move by Ra's. "This Is Your Sword" did a good job of showing us that the Demon's Head is not a good guy. He is a villain that needs to be taken down. (Unlike Shrieve, who is using the Nazi's excuse). All of this lead to a solid cliffhanger of not knowing if Team Arrow would survive the Alpha Omega.

          That was until I saw the preview for next week that aired immediately following the episode. It showed all of Team Arrow safe + sound and in Starling next week. I hope there is some sort of fallout from the Alpha Omega being released and that it is not concluded by some twist in which Oliver or Maseo replaced it with sleeping gas or some shit. Please have some consequences occur in that storyline, okay?

         Overall " This Is Your Sword" did not really light my fire and I'm giving it a  7.0 out of 10. Now onto next week, Ollie is technically married and I can't wait to see him fight it out with his new father in-law next week. Arrow has had two great finales and I hope "My Name is Oliver Queen" will be another triumph. 

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Oliver's showdown with the Demon? Do you cry when a child dies on TV? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. 

Jane Fonda would have made a great Ra's Al Ghul

Arrow "Al Sah-Him" Review

Olive is gone and all that is left is Al Sah-Him in an all new Arrow.

Episode Description: Oliver (Stephen Amell) goes through a rigorous transformation. The League of Assassins sets their sights on Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law), who is back in Starling City training Laurel (Katie Cassidy). When Nyssa realizes they are coming, she arms up to face them alone but Laurel asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) to help protect her new friend.

High Points:

• Montage! Brain Washing Montage!

• This Ra's uses special herbs much like Liam Neeson's Ra's Al Ghul did in Batman Begins. 
• HIVE and Damien Dark are being set up as baddies of Season 4. 
• The old kill my daughter to assume her heirship trick. You are so wise, Mr. Al Ghul.
• I would watch the Black Canary solo show! Yea I said it. Laurel's journey this season has been kickass.
• Laurel and Nyssa bonded over milkshakes. This friendship is great for both characters arcs. Allows Laurel more training and allows Nyssa more screen time.
• It's dinner with the Diggles!
• Thea wants to step and be a vigilante. She should call Artemis about how to make a suit that is highly functional, but also rocks a serious mid drift.
• Ollie be "Theatricality and deception. Powerful agents to the uninitiated, but we are initiated, aren't we Nyssa?"

• Canary Cry!!!!!!!! Cisco my friend, you are a god!
• It was interesting Dynamic to see Oliver be the bad guy. When he kidnapped Lyla, I half expected Dig + Felicity to stumble on a Dexter Season 4 finale situation. Maybe I'm just kinda fucked up like that. That sure would have been extreme for the CW.
• Ollie took that arrow through the wrist like a champ. Shrugged it off like it was a bug bite.
• IT'S THE GREEN WEDDING!! Ra's Al Ghul is putting on his best matchmaker outfit and marrying up Nyssa and Ollie. Reminds me of those awesome marriages that Tywin Lannister set up for his kids. And those have turned out so well! Sir Lauris is so in love with Cersi.
• Ra's Al Ghul is finally doing Ra's Al Ghul things! Like releasing viruses upon cities.

May I suggest a song for the lovely couple's first dance

Low Points:

• Don't tell Nyssa the bad news while there is still food on the table, Laurel! No need to waste burgers and fries.
• If the League of Assassins' brainwashing techniques are so effective, why not just kidnap Oliver and force him to be "Al Sah-Him".
• I want someone to make a super cut of the times in Season 3 that Felicity starts crying. It seems to be the only thing the writers make her do anymore.
• Where do they set up these LoA meet up spots in Starling? Those torches are mighty bright for some random alley to conceal.
• I get that Oliver "turning" bad is suppose to raise the stakes of the season, but kidnapping Lyla did not really bring any tension whatsoever. You knew Lyla wasn't gonna to die so what was the point?
• The flashbacks finally came together with the main story by introducing the Alpha Omega virus in the present. Let me just say the juice was not worth the squeeze. Ra's could have pulled out any old virus and it wouldn't have mattered to me and still would have still gotten the job done. It was like Peter Parker attempting to discovery stuff about his parents in Amazing Spiderman 2. Nobody gave a shit.
• Katana and Maseo's kid is dying! Didn't see that coming!

My face when Ra's ordered Nyssa to marry Ollie.

Verdict: Don't wanna sound like a shithead, but watching Arrow the day after The Flash is always a letdown. Greatness followed by mediocrity. Almost like watching Spiderman 2 every Tuesday then dying your hair black and letting the goth out to watch Spiderman 3 on Wednesdays. Now before anyone jumps on me and says that I just don't like the darker tone of this series, I would like to lunge to my own defense and say that's bullshit. I love dark and gritty. I eat dark content for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If Batman asked me out, I would say yes. I rock out to Evanescence. Daredevil is the number one show on my Netflix queue. I'm into that dark shit. So to say that I think The Flash is better because of it's lighter tone is simply not the case. The problems with this Arrow season all stem from one vile source: OLICITY!

          Yes the torrid love affair that has swept the CW by storm is at least partly responsible for the Emerald Archer's recent decline. Once again the weakest elements of this episode incorporated the romantic attachments of Felicity and Oliver. What makes Olcitity such a malevolent force is that it took a character that was once an independent + quick witted computer hacker down to being a weepy middle school girl. Wanna know the last time Felicity wasn't crying for an entire episode? It was on The Flash. There the old Felicity was allowed to flourish. Not here on Arrow though, she has been reduced to the annoying girlfriend role. 

          Anyway as the rest of "Al Sah-Him" is concerned, it was an intriguing notion to see Ollie as the bad guy of an episode. We have seen the Arrow save the day on countless occasions so to flip the script and have Ollie commit evil deeds was cool to see. What hurt this notion though was you knew that Ollie was not going to kill anyone, especially his best friend's wife. I buy the brainwashing, but the CW doesn't have the balls to pull the trigger on anyone on Arrow right now (Ex. from Season 3: Ollie, Roy, and Thea all died and came back), so the tension in the hour was almost non existent. That doesn't mean some cool new story lines weren't presented though. Ra's has tasked Ollie with unleashing the virus from his past, the Alpha Omega thing, upon Starling City. Now that is what the League of Assassins is best at. Taking down cities that need to be put down. Starling has had two massive terrorist attacks in the last two years, so one could imagine that besides it's connection to erasing Oliver Queen's past, that Starling would be a perfect target for the League anyway. 

          And if you thought tasking Ollie with taking out his hometown was a hard enough obstacle for our hero to overcome, our buddy Ra's wasn't finished yet. In a very Game of Thrines-esqe move, Ra's then ordered Ollie to marry his daughter Nyssa to bond their respective houses. Not only does Nyssa not want to marry Ollie, she doesn't even wanna marry a dude in general. So it's tough break for her. But say Ollie + Nyssa do get married and fall in love (that isn't gonna happen, but roll with me on this) thus subsequently destroying Felicity's heart. Maybe that would wake that bitch up. Then Felicity could move over to the new crossover series with her old beau, Ray Palmer, who she works much better with as a couple. Finally ending the plague that is Olicity.

          Now while I did my fair share of bitching, "Al Sah-Him" wasn't that bad of an episode. It had moments that really stood out (Like the Canary Cry!) so overall I'm giving it an 7.0 out of 10. 

Thanks for reading! Will Ollie ever really come back? Do you want Olicity to die a slow and painful death? Am I just a pessimistic asshole? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. 

         

 P.S. Katie Cassidy, if you are reading, I'd get a milkshake with you anytime, anyplace, anywhere. :). Laurel is the best part of Arrow. #CanaryCry

Batman at Green Arrow's bachelor party

Arrow "The Offer" Review

Ra's Al Ghul offers up the position of the Demon's Head, while Ray Palmer offers up the promise of steak dinner in an all new Arrow. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Still weighed down by his last meeting with Ra’s al Ghul, Oliver returns home to find a new villain and his crew have started terrorizing Starling City – Michael Amar AKA Murmur, a man whose mouth has been sewn shut. Meanwhile, Laurel and Nyssa bond over their issues with their fathers and Nyssa make Laurel an offer. Thea is forced to come to terms with her father after Oliver brings Malcolm to the loft to recover, and Lance shuts out both Laurel and the Arrow.

High Points

• Thea feels strong guilt for Sara's death. She has really been put through the ringer.
• Nyssa Al Ghul beats on Roy and Laurel in the Arrow Cave.
• Lazarus Pits exist and Ra's has been using them. (Why couldn't this have been revealed by reviving Ollie in one?).
• When Black Canary, Arrow, and Arsenal all team up, I get tingles in my bathing suit area.
• Officer Lance expressed his anger with the Arrow for not telling him about Sara's death and how Laurel has now become the Canary. Paul Blackthrone always does great with this kind of emotional material. Him and Joe West really need to meet up sometime and vent about these damn superhero kids of theirs.
• Ray Palmer is suave as hell. He makes me want to go on a steak dinner with him.
• Ollie got friend-zoned.
• Thea's mid drift is back and better than ever.
• Daddy Diggle always has to play the role of Oliver Queen's psychiatrist. Where would the Team be without him.
• Malcolm tries to be a supportive dad by telling Thea to kill him. #FatherOfTheYear
• Felicity gives one of her old school pump up speeches. #OldSchoolFelicity
• Cops are absolutely useless in the Flarrow universe and its hilarious. #FuckThePolice
• Nyssa saves the day!
• Awesome action set piece at the precinct Laurel, Arsensal, Arrow, and Nyssa kick some mute ass.
• Oliver Queen doesn't dance. "You know I don't dance".

• Ollie rediscovers why he is a hero.
• Laurel and Nyssa are gonna train together. Laurel has become a great character. Her, Nyssa, and Thea have really become #TeamDaddyIssues.
• Thea like anyone would seeks the comfort of Roy Harper. 
• Ra's is posing as the Arrow to try to hurt Oliver's reputation.

Decisions ... Decisions

Low Points

• Boring opening that had Ollie chat with Ra's about shit we already knew.
• Can someone explain how Ollie "defied death"? Was it really just because it was cold.
• What the hell is Ollie talking about when he said "All the guys we put away are back out"? You stopped plenty of people who are still locked up (ex. Slade, Boomerang, Brick).
• Ollie is actually considering Ra's offer just so we can fill up an episode.
• Murmur went out with a whimper. He was a villain who couldn't speak, so it was not surprising he wasn't overly compelling.

Live look at Murmur getting booked at the precinct.

Verdict: For a month, I have been ranting and raving about how Arrow continues to steal elements from Batman's universe. When Ra's Al Ghul offered Ollie the position as leader of the League of Assassins, I lost my shit. Shouting complaints to anyone who would listen. And then I began posting this picture anyplace that would listen to my tirades.

But as most fanboys do, I think I overreacted. The ending of "The Offer" just sent this story into a direction that I didn't see coming. Instead of Ollie rejecting Ra's offer and the League subsequently launching an attack on Starling, the writers threw us a curveball by having Ra's Al Ghul impersonate the Arrow. It was a cool twist that was reminiscent of a Batman/Ra's storyline. The Demon Head's late nights in the hood will definitely affect the Arrow's reputation in Starling and lead to a much more interesting clash between the League of Assassins and Team Arrow. 

          As for the rest of the crew this week, many of our favorite characters were left to deal with their daddy issues. Laurel is having trouble with Lance after she repeatedly lied to him. Thea wants to kill her dad, Malcolm. And Nyssa is pissed that her dad would choose an outsider over her to lead the League. Each character sought comfort in someone to talk about their issues which led to the awesome team up of Nyssa and Laurel. This will be huge for Laurel. She can finally receive some hardcore training and be ready to kick ass on the streets just like Sara did. Not to mention it will get Ollie to stop saying she needs more training.

         For the villain of the week, Murmur didn't factor in much. He couldn't speak so it's not like he would be able to say anything anyway. Unlike The Flash's Weather Wizard from last night, Murmur made zero impression. Just don't bring this weirdo back.

          "The Offer" did not have a final 10 minutes like last night's The Flash, but it did offer a twist of it's own. So by surprising me with their direction, Arrow gets a solid 7.5 out of 10. Who is excited for the return of the Suicide Squad next week?!

Thanks for reading! What do you guys think of Ra's pretending to be the Arrow? Have you ever been friend zoned? Would you get a steak with Ray Palmer? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in next week for "Suicidal Tendencies". 

Arrow "The Return" Review

Ollie goes back to his favorite vacation spot while in the past Ollie creepily stalks his family in this week's Arrow. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Malcolm (John Barrowman) puts Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Thea (Willa Holland) in a dangerous situation that lands them on Lian Yu with Oliver’s former enemy, Deathstroke (guest star Manu Bennett). A flashback reveals when Oliver and Maseo (guest star Karl Yune) returned to Starling City to retrieve the Omega bio weapon, and despite being under strict orders from Amanda Waller (guest star Cynthia Addai-Robinson) not to reveal himself to anyone, Oliver looks in on his family, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Tommy (guest star Colin Donnell).

High Points

• I wanna grab a beer with Young Detective Lance.
• I wanna grab a drink with school girl Thea.
• Cool reversal seeing Ollie on the island in Present day and seeing him in Starling City in the past.
• Slade Wilson is on the loose y'all. Thanks Malcolm, you always make everyone's lives suck.
• I wanna grab a drink with young Tommy Merlyn.
• I wanna grab a drink with young Felicity Smoak.
• Throwback FLO RIDA track!

• I wanna grab a drink with young John Diggle.
• I wanna grab several drinks with young Laurel.
• Tommy Merlyn's pick up game is fire. "Have you ever had sushi eaten off of you?"
• Killing a drug dealer is the fastest way to end a bitchin' party.
• Drunk detective Lance is an asshole and I love it.
• Maseo takes a shot at Ollie's season one look. "That look wouldn't work even if you smeared grease paint on your face."
• Ollie's booby traps still work! 
• Ollie finally tells Thea that she killed Sara. I feel like every week I'm writing that Ollie finally told somebody something. Dude has more secrets than Ted Bundy.
• The Queens vs. Slade was a pretty awesome fight.
• Ollie viscously punched out China White!
• Thea took the path of the hero by not killing Slade.
• Present day Det. Lance's anger is 100% justified. 
• Willa Holland did a great job tonight. Her character is completely different from how she was way back in Season 1. 

Slade be like...

Low Points

• China White's conflict worked well in getting Ollie back into Starling, but overall it was a slow and meaningless conflict.
• Hated how the episode was not dedicated to the Slade Wilson's breakout.
• The flashbacks did little to further the story. All they did was retell stuff that we already knew. (Thea did drugs, Lance was a drunk, Tommy was a perv, ect.)
• That Robert Queen video was unneeded and weirdly prompts Ollie to be a vigilante.
• Captain Boomerang was in the other cell on the island and we never got to see him.
• Slade Wilson took a season to take down last season. It took about 15 minutes to take him down this season.
• We hear about Ra's Al Ghul constantly, but yet have only seen him for about 10 minutes this entire season.
• WHERE THE HELL IS RAY PALMER? Three episodes in a row with no Ray.
• No present day Roy, Diggle, and Felicity also hurt this episode.

Did that Robert Queen video remind anyone of this?

Verdict: "The Return" was very much the proper title for tonight's show. Present Day Oliver returned to the island. Long-Haired Ollie returned to Starling City. But why I found the title so fitting was because this episode felt like a return to Season 1. And that's not a compliment. This episode felt like it was from the first half of Arrow's inaugural season, when the villains and flashbacks were lame. In fact most of what we saw in tonight's flashbacks were things we already knew about (Thea did drugs, Lance was a drunk, Tommy was a perf, Laurel wanted to bang Tommy, ect.) . The only new piece of information we got was that Ollie was back in Starling briefly. So my question is why did these flashbacks take up the majority of the hour? They did nothing, but put Ollie right back on a plane to Hong Kong. As for the villains, can someone tell the writers to stop using China White. Her scheme was easily stopped and she didn't even put up a fight. She has never been a compelling antagonist and never will be. 
          Now for what disappointed me the most this week. "The Return" also marked the return of fan favorite bad guy Slade Wilson (played by the incredible Manu Bennett). Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim had promised that this episode would give closure to Slade and Ollie's arc from Season 2. Now while Slade never breaks his promises, Guggenheim clearly breaks his. Slade was seen tonight for total of 5 minutes in which he got his ass handed to him by the Queens. I would be completely okay with that if he had some sort of closure with Ollie, or maybe he revealed something unknown, but he didn't. Just got his ass beat and casually threatened Felicity. The whole scenario of an escaped Slade just felt like a wasted opportunity. So when Deathstroke does eventually come back to Starling, I hope he gets treated better than he did tonight. Deathstroke deserved better.
          On a positive note at least Ollie finally told Thea that she killed Sara. Thus officially ending her relationship with Malcolm Merlyn. She is finally starting to make smart decisions  Thea may have started out as a whiny druggy, but has since turned into a hardened badass. Every episode she inches closer and closer to becoming another one of Green Arrow's sidekicks. Seeing her don a costume will be a delight (mostly because it will probably show her always visible mid-drift). And while we are in the business of talking about donning costumes, next week's promo seems to show that Ray Palmer will finally suit up as the Atom. So there is definitely stuff to look forward to this season even though I spent most of this review bitching. I just think Arrow needs to be more like the The Flash by setting up more intruguing possibilities for their future, instead of just breaking down the past that the audience already knows about. So at the end of the day I have to give "The Return" a 6.5 out of 10. Don't worry though Arrow-heads, things are always darkest just before the dawn. With Atom suiting up and Ra's Al Ghul reemerging, I predict a return to form for Arrow next week.

We love you, Manu!

Thanks for reading! Was I too harsh? Are you excited to see the Atom? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. and @cstrand73. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and breaking news/stories regarding the comic book universe. Arrow returns same time next week with "Nanda Parbat" as Ra's Al Ghul returns to the show! It's can't miss TV.

Update!: Robbie Amell posted this pic of him and his cousin Steve on Instagram. Looks like Firestorm is coming over to Arrow!

Arrow "Canaries" Review

Black Canary fights regular Canary while Thea gets upset and bangs a DJ in an all new Arrow. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Oliver (Stephen Amell) is thrown by the changes within Team Arrow. He’s used to calling the shots but sees that the team has evolved in his absence and tensions quickly escalate in the lair. Oliver is furious that Laurel (Katie Cassidy) has been going out as the Black Canary and tells her to stop risking her life, but when Vertigo (guest star Peter Stormare) hits the streets again, Laurel goes against Oliver’s wishes and tracks down Vertigo who hits her with a full dose of the drug.

High Points

• Laurel's arc is becoming one of the strongest parts of the show. Every week she is improving as a crime fighter both mentally and physically. 
• Thea finally learns Ollie's secret and doesn't get mad he lied, but instead thanks him.
• Thea also realizes Malcolm manipulation of her. (Except not that she murdered Sara.)
• Amanda Waller is doing Amanda Waller things in Hong Kong. The day Batman finally water boards her with gasoline will become a national holiday.
• Canary on Canary was awesome. Laurel's fears being tied to her sister's death and her addict past were perfect for further insight on her motivations as a vigilante. ("Stop trying to be like Sara and be yourself").
• Frustrations in the Arrow cave are beginning to boil over and like usual Daddy Diggle comes to the rescue.
• Gotta give props to Katie Cassidy. She looks strong. She put work in the gym and it has paid off.
• Post sex fights are the best fights.
• The Black Canary fucking beats down Vertigo.
• Captain Lance finally gets told the truth about his daughter's death. It was sad but he deserved to know.
• The League Of Assassins is down a DJ.
• Ollie was back in Starling City at some point during his five years away.

Does DJ Khaled work for the League of Assassins?

Low Points

• Vertigo's fear drug is used to good effect, but I just can't get over how much of a scarecrow clone he is.
• Why did they basically show us the Canary vs. Canary fight twice? Usually you add something more the second time around, but all we got was Ollie firing an arrow leading to the end of the fight. Just thought it was weird.
• Thea's melodrama got a little tiresome.
• Roy or DJ Douchebag? If you chose the DJ, then get the hell out of here. Bad choice Thea. 
• I liked the post sex fight, but wished Roy beat DJ Douchebag instead of Merlyn.
• Two episodes in a row without Ray Palmer. Where the hell is Ray?

Verdict: Laurel has come a long way from the start of Arrow. For much of the show she had been seen as extremely unlikable. So it's great to finally see her come into her own during the second half of season 3. Re-introducing Scarecrow-ripoff Vertigo into the mix tonight led to further insight into Laurel's character. She is afraid of not being as good as her sister. She is afraid that she is a former addict. This episode is all about her overcoming those fears so that she can become her own Canary. A Black Canary! Excited to see her become more and more integrated into Team Arrow. It is surprising though that Laurel's journey to vigilantism has been the most compelling storyline this season and personally I think it is because that once again the League of Assassins looked weak. All season we have seen the League's members get killed with ease and now tonight their pussy DJ took the HYDRA way out. Besides Ra's fight against Ollie, the League has not shown to be a capable antagonist. Flash has plenty of recurring villains and an overarching battle with the Reverse Flash that has kept it's audience extremely interested in. This season of Arrow doesn't seem to have that. Last year we had an epic season-long battle with Deathstroke, this season has one fight with Ra's. Step it up League of Assassins. All in all though the Canary on Canary fights were fun so "Canaries" gets a 7.5 out of 10.

You's a dead man DJ

Thanks for reading! Are you excited to return to the island? Does Count Vertigo suck? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. and @cstrand73. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and breaking news/stories regarding the comic book universe. Arrow returns same time next week with "The Return" as Ollie returns to the island and Deathstroke returns to the show! It's can't miss TV.

Arrow Midseason Recap/Review (Spoilers!)

Arrow Midseason Recap/Review

Our favorite Emerald Archer returns from his midseason break next week (and hopefully from the dead too), so I thought there was no better time than now to go over the first half of Arrow's third season. Let's get to it.

High Points (Ep. 1-9):

• Roy is now a full-fledged sidekick.
• The theme of Identity: Can Ollie be both the Arrow and Oliver Queen.
• The shocking death of Sara Lance at the end of Ep. 1.
• Emotional fallout from Sara's death hit Team Arrow hard.
• Komodo from Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow run gets introduced.
• Motorcycle Jousting should be in the Olympics.
• Brandon Routh has added heart + humor to the cast with his fun portrayal of Ray Palmer and his interactions with Felicity are always hilarious.
• The angry hunt for Sara's Killer led to many different suspects.
• Awesome DC easter eggs spread through all nine episodes.
• Thea's transformation to a badass through her studies with Papa Merlyn.
• Ollie and Roy's relationship has grown from "He's just my sister's BF" to "Bros".
• Laurel has begun her path to become Black Canary.
• The gorgeous Nyssa Al Ghul came back and she was pissed about Sara's death.
• Ollie's inability to find Sara's killer puts him at odds with the League of Assassins.
• Enter the Demon's Head, Ra's Al Ghul.
• Felicity's Mom has got it going on (MILF TO THE MAX!).
• Flashbacks to Felicity's hacker past at MIT filled in some blanks about her backstory.
• Roy recalls that he killed a cop in last season's "Seeing Red".
• It's Cupid, stupid! But seriously she was a sexy and unique villainess.
• Ray Palmer has plans for his ATOM suit and now has dwarf star matter as well.
• THE ENTIRETY OF THE FLASH/ARROW CROSSOVER!
• Even though it's in The Flash's episode that incredible Flash vs. Arrow fight.
• Captain Boomerang is another worthy addition to the Flarrow rogues gallery.
• Ollie and Barry's seasoned vet to super-powered rookie relationship.
• Merlyn sets up Ollie to clear his blood debt with the League of Assassins.
• THEA KILLED SARA! (Under mind control, but still!)
• Ollie vs. Ra's in a trial by combat.
• The death of Oliver Queen!

My sediments exactly

Low Points (Ep. 1-9):

• New Vertigo was a Scarecrow ripoff.
• All of the Hong Kong flashbacks have been weak. Katana and Maseo have been extremely underdeveloped which led to the latter's reveal of being in the modern day League of Assassins be very underwhelming. Tommy popping up was the lone bright spot.
• Laurel in her anger over Sara's death makes several stupid decisions.
• Nothing good ever happens for Det. Lance. He is this show's punching bag.
• Being in Corto Maltese really detracted from attempting to find Sara's killer.
• First half has been a real slow burn especially with the League of Assassins.
• Felicity used to date a hacktivist pussy.
• Certain episodes in particular Ep. 3-6 did very little to move any main stories along. Also besides Merlyn, these eps had terrible bad guys involved. Brother Eye, Shaw (The Manhunter), and that dumbass attempting to frame Ted Grant all sucked as antagonists.
• Ollie was a huge hypocrite in regards to Ted Grant being dangerous because he was a former vigilante who killed people. Re-watch Season 1 Ollie. You filled a fucking graveyard.
• No Suicide Squad or Deathstroke.
• No one and I mean no one gives a shit about Thea's new DJ boyfriend. Unless the rumors about him working for Merlyn or Ra's are true, then I will give at least one shit.
• Not enough emphasis on Roy. 
• Dinah Lance is the biggest shithead to ever walk the fake universe of Arrow.

What I do on Wed. nights without Arrow

Best Episodes So Far:

1. "The Brave and The Bold": The Flash/Arrow crossover was a massive successful. Everyone knew going in that pairing Barry and Ollie together was going to be awesome and that fight between them did not disappoint. So "Brave and the Bold" had the job of continuing that level of epicness. It did so by giving Arrow one of it's best baddies this season in Captain Boomerang. Boomer was no joke and was on a war path to take down A.R.G.U.S. This led Arrow and Flash into action thereby delivering some of the coolest action sequences of this season.

2. "The Climb": The trend of TV in 2014 was to have a "trial by combat". On Game Of Thrones, the Mountain and the Viper had an epic showdown to determine the fate of Tyrion Lannister. It was a fun fight with a crazy unexpected outcome. So how was Arrow going to top that trial by combat? By having their own fun fight that has an even more unexpected outcome. Ollie got killed. It was a moment that Arrow fans never expected to see. In the end it just goes to show that you don't fuck with the Demon's Head. Overall this episode just showcased how scary powerful Ra's Al Ghul really is and how Oliver pails in comparison to his might. Obviously Oliver will have to come back somehow (Lazurus Pit is everyone's guess), so it will be interesting to see if the League still has a problem with Starling City's vigilante when he returns. 

Worst Episode So Far:

1. "Guilty": Oliver was acting like a major hypocrite. Wildcat's old partner was trying to frame him, yet we didn't care. The story felt like it could have been resolved in the first 10 minutes. Whatever negative tidbits you have to say about "Guilty" are probably 100% on the money. Just a filler hour of TV with a lameass bad guy. Only high point for it, was the boxing glove arrow.

Biggest Surprise: Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer has been an excellent addition to the Arrow roster. At first I thought he would be a throw away character that was trying to take over Oliver's company much like Summer Glau's Ravager was last year, but instead Ray added humor + heart + levity to a show that desperately needed some. His character has been coming along nicely and I for one am definitely looking forward to him suiting up as The Atom in the second half of season 3.

Biggest Disappointment: Until I watched "The Climb", Ra's Al Ghul, or his lack there of, was going to be the biggest disappointment of the first half of season 3. Now that honor instead goes to the Hong Kong flashbacks. Early on in the show, flashbacks were one of Arrow's greatest strengths. They helped inform the story at hand while simultaneously giving the audience an interesting backstory on what happened to Oliver in those 5 years that he was away. The revelation at the end of last season that Ollie was not on the island the entire time he was away made me excited for what the show would going to do with it's new Hong Kong setting. To be frank, they haven't really done shit with it. Tatsu/Katana and Maseo have very little development other than that they love their son. When flashbacks were with Slade, Shado, and Sara, the audience learned a lot about who thee characters were and bonded to them. That's what made Slade's transformation that much cooler, you cared about him. Nobody cares about Maseo or Tatsu yet. Maybe the second half of the season will showcase who these characters are a little bit more.

Best Fight So Far: 

1. Ra's vs. Oliver: The Demon's head easily destroys Ollie in perhaps the coolest way possible.

Honorable Mention: This fight happened on The Flash, but it was so badass that it should still count here. #Flarrow

Verdict: Arrow's first half gets a 7.0 out of 10. Now some people may feel that score is a little low, so let me explain. Arrow reached awesome heights last year and I'm going to hold them to that standard. Off that bar that they set, this season has been good, not great. Of course there were plenty of highlights, but I expect the second half of the season to be on par with Season 2. Oliver's death sets up a ton of possibilities for the season's second half so there is no reason not to expect greatness from this next set of episodes.

Most Excited For (Ep. 10-23):

• Mob boss Brick is coming to Starling! Played by Vinnie Jones who famously said "I'm the Juggernaut, BITCH!"
• Roy and Diggle stepping up in Oliver's absence.
• Appearances by Suicide Squad and Deathstroke.
• More League of Assassins.
• Another Flash appearance?

Okay, that's all I for ya. Stay tuned for Arrow return on Jan. 21st and make sure to follow us on @Caped_Informers or follow me @cstrand73 for all your comic book related news. Thanks for reading!

If you want individual reviews for each of the first nine Arrow episodes click the links below:

The Calm

Sara

Corto Maltese

The Magician

The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak

Guilty

Draw Back Your Bow

The Brave and The Bold

The Climb