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 Climb" Review

The League of Assassins gives the Arrow an ultimatum to track down Sara's killer or to have 50 people of Starling be killed in an all new Arrow. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) returns to Starling City and tells Oliver (Stephen Amell) that her father, Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable) has given Oliver 48 hours to find Sara’s killer or the League of Assassins will start killing the citizens of Starling City. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is stunned when her father (Paul Blackthorne) delivers a very special Christmas gift – her mother, Dinah (guest star Alex Kingston). Meanwhile, Ray (Brandon Routh) tries to make amends with Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver sets a meeting with Ra’s al Ghul.

High Points

• The Holiday theme from Flash continued onto Arrow
• The League of Assassins gives Ollie 48 hrs to find Sara's Killer 
• Katana and China White throw down back in Hong Kong
• Ollie discovers Thea has been taught to kill by Merlyn
• Merlyn strong arms Ollie into cleaning up his blood debt with the League
• Sara's Killer is revealed: THEA!!!! (What will her DJ boyfriend think?!!)
• Ray Palmer's tells us his backstory to Felicity (Raylicity is the new hotness)
• Bring on the ATOM!
• OMAC tease! 
• Ollie claims he killed Sara and demands a trail by combat
• Ra's Al Ghul hasn't been challenged to a trial by combat in 67 years. (Lazarus Pit??)
• Ollie vs. Ra's (Another amazing fight by Arrow's stunt team)
• Shirtless Sword-fighting is the best sword-fighting.
• The ending. He is called the Demon's Head for a reason.

There's always gonna be another mountain Ollie!

Ollie was like..

Low Points

• Dinah Lance returns to Starling to prove once again that Laurel isn't the worst character on Arrow, it's her asswipe of a mother.
• Fight scene with Thea looked a bit odd
• Maseo's revealing as a member of the League was a surprise, but I can't help feeling it  could have been built up a bit more.
• When is Roy gonna be allowed to have a plot line that lasts longer than one episode? (Or do absolutely anything for that matter?)

Rule #1 when sword fighting Ra's Al Ghul: Always bring Batman

Verdict: Arrow's midseason finale had a lot to live up to. The last two midseason episodes had been exceptional ( S1: Malcolm Merlyn revealed as the Dark Archer after an epic fight/ S2: Slade Wilson revealed as season's big villain) and yesterday's The Flash was tremendous, so this hour had some big shoes to fill. Now the overall storyline for this season has moved at a slug's pace, dodging the main mystery at hand "Who killed Sara Lance?".  Finally Sara's killer has been unmasked. It was Thea Merlyn (under Malcolm's manipulation), who dusted our favorite Canary! Perhaps this revelation wasn't was not quite as exciting as The Flash's final minutes last night (HOLY SHIT WAS THAT AWESOME!) yet it did put Ollie in quite a predicament. Try to convince the League that Merlyn coerced Thea into the murder and risk the League killing her or take the rap himself to try to wipeout Thea's blood debt. In the end Ollie chose to protect his sister and was forced to confront Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins on his own. Then Ollie fell to godliness of the Demon's Head. Now our hero's fate is up in the air. Overall "The Climb" gets a 8.5 out of 10 for Oliver's great emotional arc and a killer final battle.

The only reaction to Ollie falling

The most likely scenario has to be Ollie goes for a bath in a Lazarus Pit, right? Arrow can't really be dead forever, right? RIGHT?!!

Thanks for reading! Did you suspect Thea? Will Oliver bath in a Lazarus Pit? Sound off in the comments with what you think. And make sure to follow the site for all your comic book related news or follow us on Twitter @Caped_Informers

Time to suit up Ray, it's your show now!

Arrow "The Magician" Review

Nyssa Al Ghul returns to Starling in search of Sara and the Demon's Head makes his first appearance in the 50th episode of Arrow. (SPOILERS!!)

Synopsis: A furious Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) confronts Oliver (Stephen Amell) about Sara. When Oliver learns Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) is alive, he suspects Merlyn killed Sara. Oliver and Nyssa join forces and go after the Dark Archer, intent on bringing Sara’s killer to justice. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) keeps her distance from Nyssa, as she blames her sister’s death on her involvement with the League of Assassins. Meanwhile, Oliver and Roy (Colton Haynes) work on repairing their respective relationships with Thea (Willa Holland), who has returned home. Nyssa discusses Oliver with her father, Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable).

High Points

• Nyssa (the beautiful Katrina Law) returns to Starling
• I need to write all my future secrets in Ghost Ink
• Guess Who's back (Malcolm Merlyn)/ Tracer arrow
• Arrow vs. Nyssa vs. The Dark Archer
• Cross Merlyn of the list of potential Sara suspects
• Nyssa punching Ollie was awesome
• Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is taking names in the gym
• Enjoying secret relationship between Thea and Malcolm
• Enter Ras Al Ghul (Welcome Matt Nable)
• Ollie has made a powerful new enemy

Just a couple of eskimo bros 

Low Points

• Slowest episode of the season thus far (Moved the overall story along just a tad)
• No Felicity or Ray Palmer
• Flashbacks were lackluster (Even when Amanda Waller showed up)
• Oliver Queen sucks at negotiating with children (Just two pieces of candy you cheap fuck?)

Verdict: From the way it was promoted by the creators and actors I expected a bit more from the show's 50th episode, but even when Arrow is slow, it's still highly entertaining. Ollie made a firm decision against killing Malcolm Merlyn which put him at odds with Nyssa Al Ghul, her papa, and the League of Assassins. So the season's main conflict is now set. Also Thea is continuing to lie to Oliver about her ties to Merlyn. It is interesting to see Thea keep a secret from Ollie for once. One thing in particular though I thought was missing this week were moments of levity usually provided by Felicity or Ray Palmer. This was an intense hour and the audience could have used some more brief humor (even though Dig did have one of his patterned one liners) to break up the tension. Finally I would be remiss not to mention how awesome that 3 way archer battle (however brief it was) and the introduction to Matt Nable's Ras Al Ghul were. Those two moments were the highlights of the week. As we look ahead, much more League of Assassins is sure to be in store, long story short I'm just sitting here in excitement for when Ollie and Ras to have a showdown. Overall "The Magician" gets a 7.0 out of 10. Certainly wasn't Arrow at it's best, but it helped set up the season-long conflict and had a few highlight reel moments.

Thanks for reading. What did you think of Matt Nable's Ras Al Ghul? Did you like Arrow's 50th episode? Sound off in the comments. Make sure to check out our reviews every week and follow our live action tweeting of every episode @Caped_Informers and @cstrand73. 

Superhero Woman Crush Wednesday: (5/21/14)

Justice may have just dawned, but WCW has been around a long time. Let's crush on some beautiful ladies.

Woman Crush: Katrina Law

My WCW is Katrina Law who plays Nyssa Al Ghul on Arrow. She is the bad ass daughter of the Demon's head. She kicks ass and takes names. Not to mention she kissed Black Canary. It was the most sensual and beautiful moment of TV I have ever watched. I teared up a tiny bit. So for being a real bad ass bitch Katrina earns my woman crush.

"My father is the Demon's Head."

-Brady

Character Crush: Mystique

Mystique, Raven Darkholme, is the queen of shapeshifting and a prominent member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. She can transform into anything she pleases. Impersonating an important world leader or pretending to be a house cat is easy for Raven. What is really amazing about her though is that she is just as beautiful and deadly in her natural blue form as compared when she has shapeshifted. Mystique is an expert martial artist as well as a first rate seductress. She can go toe to toe with most any of the X-Men in a fight or manipulate any man to do what she desires of him. Under Magneto's guidance she has become proud of her natural blueness. This has led to her assassinating many anti-mutant figures to further the Brotherhood's goals. She is also the mother of Nightcrawler (My favorite X-Man). Every time Nightcrawler teleports a sound goes off "BAMF!". Every time the lovely Mystique shape shifts the noise should be "MILF!".  Keep fighting for the mutant cause Raven. Catch Mystique Friday in X-Men:Days of Future Past.

"This coffee tastes like someone wrung it out of the Blob's unitard." 

Check out this Mystique transformations super cut from the original X-Men Trilogy.

-Christian