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 "Streets of Fire" Thoughts/Review!

Besides the wonderful Women Crush Wednesdays that happen every week, we also have Arrow! Every one knows the deal if you haven't watched the episode? That's cool we don't hate you....but don't read this article because it will spoil it for you. Anyways lets begin...

Main Plot Points:

• Ollie and Laurel trapped under the rocks where we left off
• Diggle and Ravager have an insane fight
• Laurel shoots a bow for the first time
• Felicity hits Ravager with the van and saves Dig
• Dark Archer saves Thea and reveals he is her father
• Slade's army running a muck in the city
• Team Arrow's STAR Labs guy gets hit while carrying the cure
• Detective Lance and the rest of the SCPD offer their services to the Arrow
• We discover that Sara has returned
• Nice little sister moment
• We discover the origin of "The Canary" name
• Brother Blood breaks his alliance with Slade
• After obtaining the Mirakuru cure, he hands it over to Ollie
• Ravager promptly kills Mr. Blood
• ARGUS brings the heat to help stop Slade
• Ollie blames himself for the chaos that happens in the city, Felicity acting like a pro sports coach has an unbelievable speech to realize all the good he has done
• Ollie injects Roy with the cure
• Thea "shoots"? Malcom Merlyn after a pleasant father daughter moment.

What I Liked:

• Action scenes were great
• Straight chaos the whole episode
• Fight scenes between Dig and Ravager were great, Dark Archer and Slade's army ground trooper another great one
• Felicity's speech in the clock tower
• Canary shown as a "true" hero 
• Laurel shoots the bow.....(We love Katie)
• Brother Blood has the balls to defy Slade and die for it
• Roy is cured?
• Next week's finale looks unreal
• Sara came back!!!!

What I Disliked:

• The Dark Archer/ Thea Queen interaction
• As much as there were action scenes, nothing really happened
• The CW moments
• Sara has to get some self confidence
• Theres only one week/episode left
• NOT THE ARROW VAN!

What to Expect in the SEASON FINALE!!!!

Well my friends the long awaited moment has come. Next week marks the season finale. So what should we expect to see in the last episode? Lots of fighting lets start there. We know from the preview that things are about to go down in Starling. The whole Arrow squad looks involved in this huge fight down on the streets. Take it to the streets as the kids say today. Will Slade and Ollie finally fight? YES! Its the season finale this fight has to happen? Also , something to think about, with ARGUS planning to bomb the whole city, does this mean the Suicide Squad will be making an appearance? Will we possibly see Harley Quinn down on the streets fighting with the big boys? It's a long shot but anything is possible. I think we should also consider the fact that some one will die. Some one we love and have held dear to our hearts will perish in this final great battle. Who will it be? We will have to tune in next week to see!

All in all I give this episode a solid 7.25 out of 10 rating!

Arrow returns next week 8/7 on CW

Arrow "City of Blood" Thoughts/Review!

What could be better than having a Wednesday night with 2 game 7s on for the NHL? OH YEA!!! Arrow! You know the drill my friends, didn't watch it, go watch it now then come back and read this article. So lets get into it.

Major Plot Points

• Episode opens with Moria's funeral 
• Oliver Queen is not in attendance
• The search for Ollie begins
• Dig and Felicity seek the help of Amanda Lawler after failing to find Ollie themselves
• The reincarnated Isabelle Roschev informes Thea Verdant is closing
• ARGUS team finds Ollie in a hide out that was unknown to every one except Ollie
• Ollie claims to sacrifice himself to end the suffering of his friends and family
• Laurel does some detective work and discovers the new Mayor Blood is working with Slade and was involved with Moria's murder
• When Ollie goes to meet Slade, he is shot with what I can assume is a sleeping dart
• He awakens not only to his team, but to Laurel who reveals she has known since Slade told her
• The combination of both Felicity and Laurel convince Ollie that the city needs him more than ever
• Laurel also tells Ollie of Sebastian Blood's involvement with Slade and his mother's murder
• Team Arrow moves in on Blood 
• Felicity shoes her true colors by completely (or almost completely) bankrupting Blood's personal body guard who has about 2 million dollars to his name
• Ollie and Sebasitan sit down where Ollie reveals to Blood he is the Arrow and Blood reveals to Ollie the plans for his army
• Ollie tracks Blood underground to discover his army is prepped and ready
• Fight scenes finally begin not only underground, but in the train station where Thea is, and the Police Station where Officer Lance is
• Ollie is saved by Laurel while being choked
• Diggle gets knocked out by Ravager aka Isabelle Roschev dressed in a horrible replication of Slade's suit
• Ollie and Laurel are buried beneath a pile or rubble after blowing up the ceiling
• Blood's army released into the streets

What I Liked:

• The back up Arrow cave
• Laurel looks to be getting involved with team Arrow
• Ollie realizes how much the city needs him
• The bad ass moves by Felicity 
• Slade/Blood's army looks badass
• The undercover foot soldiers of the army planted amongst the city
• Things are about to really heat up in Starling

What I Disliked:

• Episode didn't pick up until the last 10 minutes
• Lot of up and down CW moments
• Lots of talking and repetitive conversations
• Barley any action this week
• Where is Sara?
• Roy?

What to Expect in the Final 2 WEEKS?!?!

Ok so despite tonights filler/exposition episode setting up for the finale, there are certain things we should be looking forward to. The Queen's are officially bankrupt, orphans, and unknown to Ollie he lost the club as well which means his Arrow cave. Also, the greatest battle of his vigilante career is just about to get started. According to the preview for next week we see the return of a familiar character. I don't want to reveal too much before next week, but what will this character be doing while all this is going on. I also think its time to address this Felicity situation. She gets a call from STAR Labs which we know is working on the mirakuru but then we noticed Laurel question where she was. That question ended the preview for next week. Is Felicity bound to die next week? Is she leaving to go to Central City??? Does Laurel shooting a bow mean she could be more useful than most of us thought? I wouldn't mind more Katie Cassidy. Strap in for these next 2 weeks my friends. Things are about to go off.

All in all I give tonight's episode a 6 out of 10 rating!

Arrow Wednesdays 8/7 on CW

Arrow "Seeing Red" Thoughts/ Review!

Come one. Come all its Wednesday night and we know that that means. Arrow! Alright the usual precautions are necessary due to major spoilers. Didn't watch the episode? Shame on you go watch it then come back and read it. Let us begin....

So despite my cable cutting in and out, I did not miss the plot points...
Major Plot Points

• Roy escapes the Arrow cave
• Roy goes on a rampage
• Roy starts killing people
• Team Arrow goes after Roy all except Diggle who is instructed to watch Thea
• Meanwhile Moria Queen tells Sebastian Blood her decision to drop out of the election
• Roy takes out a huge group of dudes, including Sin, and runs for refuge in Sin's clock tower
• Arrow and Canary follow him there
• Canary gets knocked out, Roy catches Arrow's arrow (hehehe) then promptly dislocates his knee
• Roy has hallucinations of Thea telling him to kill her
• Moria Queen and Ollie patch up their relationship and Ollie tells his dear mother not to drop out to prove to Thea that she is doing something right
• Moria knows Ollie's secret and says how proud she is 
• Moria goes public with the announcement shes not dropping out
• Thea uses the speech to draw Roy out of hiding
• Sara says Roy has too far gone and must be killed
• Intense moment between Roy and Sara as she has a gun pointed at his head
• She instead shoots him in the leg, while Ollie injects him with three arrows of viper venom
• Sara decides to leave because she is not what Ollie wants her to be (please come back)
• The Queens continue on in their limo and they decide no more secrets
• The limo is attacked by none other than Slade Wilson
• Slade tells Ollie to choose who he is to kill Moria or Thea
• Moria chooses herself, and she is run right through with a sword 
• Slade has one more person to kill on his list before Ollie.....(I think we know who)
• Oh and Ollie has a child running around Central City somewhere?!?!

What I liked:

• Badass Roy....Imagine what it will be like when he controls his powers
• Action scenes were just simply amazing
• Good to see Moria Queen and Ollie patch things up
• Ollie has the strength of many men to fight through that leg pain
• Heart racing episode through and through
• Another Central City name drop
• Moria Queen with long hair is a total MILF
• Slade you sick bastard
• The anticipation for next week is unreal
• 3 more weeks!!!!!

What I disliked:

• Diggle got his ass kicked
• Thea is still a whiney little bitch
• Sara is leaving :(
• Moria is dead (that could go either way depending on your view of the character)
• the CW Will They? Won't They moments (we all know them)
• What was the big secret about Malcom Merlyn?

What to expect in the last 3 WEEKS!!!!

Honestly, after tonight, I can't even begin to describe where it will head next. They did show a little preview for next week we see the return of Brother Blood, Slade's army, and another masked vigilante. Since it was so quick I could not tell who it was. Anyways, clearly Oliver Queen's world is beginning to shatter around him as we knew it would. No money, Sara leaves so he has no girlfriend, and now my favorite candidate for the Starling City election/his mother is dead. What else can Slade do??? I think we all know who that last person he is referring to is. I wont say it because I could be wrong, but I have an idea. By the way, who the hell is Ollie's kid in Central City. Was that another Flash reference? Is Wally West running around Central City? Is Kid Flash in the Arrowverse????? WHAT AREN'T THEY TELLING US?!?!?!?!  Damn you. But I digress, next week should be unreal as well.

All in all I give this episode an 8.5 out of 10 rating!

Arrow on the CW 8/7

Arrow "Deathstroke" Thoughts/Review!

Wednesday night's are slowly becoming my favorite night of the week. Why? Because its Arrow review night! Every one knows the deal not caught up, not reading this article. Tonight there will be MASSIVE spoilers, so if you enjoy things spoiled go ahead and read if not, enjoy this weeks review!

Episode Plot Points

• Slade brings Thea to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Brother Blood
• Being absent at their mother's debate, Ollie begins to worry a little where shes has gone to
• Sebastian Blood (not Brother Blood) tells Ollie Thea's absence is his fault......he ordered cops to put up barricades...(good one B.B)
• Slade interrupts debate between Moria and Sebastian with a recorded message from Thea screaming for help (first Deathstroke suite scene of the episode)
• Ollie scrambles his team to find Slade
• Team Arrow finds him, instead of killing him, Ollie shoots him with viper venom and Slade is brought into custody by none other than Detective Lance
• Roy decides to go rogue (side effects for miracuru hating Oliver Queen?)
• Meanwhile, Ollie makes Isabel Roschev temporary CEO of Queen Consolidated (Big Mistake)
• Slade some how has an alibi and proven innocent 
• Slade lets Thea go, but first reveals Ollie's secret?!?!?!?!
• We then find out that not only was signing Isabel over to be temporary CEO, Ollie is voted out of the position, She takes over the company, he loses his inheritance, and reveals she's working with Slade and she knows Ollie is the arrow. (what a bitch)
• Felicity Smoak is actually the one who smacks Ollie in the nuts (not literally but you get my drift) and tells him to sack up and fight to find Thea
• Epic fight scene with Ollie and Deathstroke's "minions" we can call them
• Full out Deathstroke suit and fight scene as he takes out a prison escort bus.
• Ollie finally finds that Thea has been released and is safe, but she reveals that she knows.......the secret....which is...............MALCOM MERLIN IS MY FATHER!!!!!!
• Finally Slade reveals another bomb to the beautiful Laurel....and I quote "Oliver Queen is the Arrow"

wow.....lots of shit going on.....

What I liked

• Ollie fight scene....one of the best I've seen so far
• Felicity showing some balls which is very cool
• Roy got some action, and then he decided to go on his own
•  Slade is a slippery bastard
• Deathstroke scenes were unreal
• Slade beginning to build his army perhaps?
• Im very excited for whats to come
• Island scenes were fantastic as they usually are
• All the bombshells Slade dropped in one episode
• I'm officially hooked on Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) such beauty

What I Disliked

• Lots of talking if you're not a fan of dialogue 
• More Diggle!!!!
• When will we see Arsenal? 
• Detective Lance gets fucked again...damn it why can't he catch a break
• Ollie's secret is revealed (I don't like it)

What to expect in future episodes....

Well as we saw tonight Ollie's world is beginning to fall to shambles as we all knew it would at some point. I think in future episodes we should see the creation of Slade's army now that Isabel owns the science division of Queens Consolidated. Also, that epic fight scene between Deathstroke and Green Arrow is going to happen I promise you guys it will...I know I've been saying it all week but it's like the dragons in Game of Thrones....it is coming. I also, have the suspicion that a very important character is going to be killed. The only people we know who are safe is Slade, Ollie, Diggle, and Felicity and even she is a maybe. Also, look for Roy to suit up as Arsenal and some other cameos from other upcoming shows (STAR LABS scientists coming to town/Flash character cameos) to show up in Starling City. Lots and Lots of things are about to happen and tonight was just the tip of the iceburg

All in all I give this episode a 7.5 out of 10 rating!

Arrow Wednesdays 8/7 on The CW

Arrow "Birds of Prey" Thoughts/Review!

Well it's Wednesday night once again so lets recap the latest Arrow shall we? We all know the deal if you havn't seen the episode don't read the article unless you want spoilers. This time around I thought I would shorten this blog a little bit just so we can get through the major plot points and ideas.
 So with out further adue...let us begin....

Major Plot Points to the Episode

• Huntress (Helena) comes back to kill her Father
• Laurel goes back surprisingly to work as a lawyer
• Ends up being a trap just so Huntress can get close to her father
• Laurel is taken hostage
• Sara tells Ollie she will save Laurel by any means necessary 
• Ollie tells Sara she's not a killer... She promptly answers with "Ill be who I have to be"(kinda badass)
• Epic fight scene between Ollie's current and ex girlfriend (Black Canary/Huntress)
• Rogue cop kills Helena's father
• Huntress Captured
• Roy feels he can't control his rage once being out on the field
• Ollie tells him to stay away from Thea to keep her safe
• Roy breaks up with Thea and then is caught with some random blonde chick in the vodka room
• Finally...Slade picks up Thea while she is walking home

Things I enjoyed

• I thought the fight scenes were great this week
• Sara has an even deeper bad ass side then we thought
• Laurel does something (bravo Katie Cassidy proud of you)
• Roy took a bullet in the hand
• Detective Lance seems to be an unofficial Arrow team member
• The brilliant diversion Ollie uses when Lance calls the Arrow's cell phone
• Wouldn't be complete with out Mr. Slade Wilson

Things I Did not like

• Huntress I thought was very bland in this episode 
• Seemed a little slow at times (thats ok though this season has been unreal)
• No Diggle :(
• Roy got one actions scene and that was it. Really want to see Arsenal 
• Thea Queen is an ugly crier.
• The tension between Ollie and Sara seems to be rising
• Very short appearance by Slade

Things to Watch for in upcoming episodes

If I'm not mistaken, I do believe that we are about to see the epic battle between Slade and Ollie next week. After Slade took Thea we know both him and Roy are going to be out of their minds with rage. Also, did Huntress spark something in Laurel that may have stuck. "Once the darkness is inside of you, it will never come out". What the hell is that supposed to mean? Another thing, We know Slade and Brother Blood are working together (think back to earlier episodes), should we expect to see Thea possibly get injected with the miracurue?  These are all things to keep in mind as we progress towards the end of season 2. By the way, although some of you may not be satisfied with tonight's episode just keep this in mind, this season has ben absolutely incredible I think we can throw the guys from the show a bone and let them have a couple "filler episodes" as I like to call them. 

Overall I give this episode a 6 out of 10 rating Arrow Wednesdays 8/7 Central on CW

Arrow "Suicide Squad" Review/Thoughts!

So yesterday was Wednesday, which mean today is Thursday, which means it must be time for the weekly Arrow review blog! Usually this blog comes up on Wednesday night, but I did not watch the episode till late last night. We're all just going to have to deal with it. Now lets get to the review shall we. You know the deal, if you haven't seen the latest episode just don't bother reading this....

Ok so this week's episode was titled "Suicide Squad"and it was a very unique episode to say the least. A usual Arrow episode we should expect to see Ollie running around Starling City doing what he does best as Green Arrow. This was not the case in this episode. This episode focused on our dear friend John Diggle, and his association with the Suicide Squad. Real quick, for those who don't know, the suicide squad is a team of 3 assassins, in this case Deadshot, Tiger, and Shrapnel, all hired by Amanda Waller and her government branch to carry out missions that are deemed suicidal. By helping Waller they get some time out of ARGUS and can do some good deeds. So Dig is forced to work with his greatest rival Deadshot, and become allies with him during the main mission. Waller sets the scene and the mission standards by telling her team that they will be going after a man by the name of Galim Khadier, who Dig has encountered during his tour in Afghanistan. Khadier is a terrorist "turned good guy" as they say in the episode but Waller finds out that he in the possession of a huge container of nerve gas. During the first encounter with Khadier, the Suicide Squad is put to the test of wether or not they can trust each other. Tiger and Deadshot play along, while Shrapnel decides to go rogue. This action causes him to get himself blown up by the explosive devises planted in his head. Yes you read that correctly Waller has put explosive devices in their heads. Sounds like some shit Jigsaw from Saw does right? Anyway Dig is forced to form a trust with Deadshot and through out the episode, Dig begins to see that behind the evil and murderous mask Deadshot hides behind, there is a human with a heart and Dig respects that. The last 10 minuets of the episode our summarized like this. They find the nerve gas container. The squad realizes that Waller wants to blow it up with a drone strike while they are inside (hense Suicide Squad). The drone was set to the GPS in Deadshot's head. They cut the GPS device out of his head. Things blow up. Deadshot and Tiger head back to ARGUS to await another suicide mission.

Switching gears to Ollie. Now our dear archer was not forgotten in this episode by any means. Ollie continues his quest to track down Slade and make sure that this time he stays dead by any means necessary. This means getting the Russian mob involved and pushing Sara away in order to protector her. We all know Black Canary does not stand for such nonsense. In Ollie's journey to tracking Slade we see the iconic "arrow through the eye" symbol Slade is leaving around the city, plus a brief look full suited Deathstroke. The very end of the episode Amanda Waller calls Ollie into her office to tell him they have been tracking a man they have nicknamed "Deathstroke" who has left a humongous trail of bodies that are now leading to Starling City. Needless to say Deathstroke is here.

What I Liked:

• Flashbacks this week were Dig in Afghanistan, I thought that was pretty cool.
• Fleshing out Dig and Deadshot's relationship
• Creator of the Suicide Squad John Ostrander's reference. "The Ostrander Suite"
• Good to see Sara is willing to pay the ultimate price as Ollie says he will do for her
• Did you know Ollie and Thea Queen hate swimming?
• The iconic "arrow through the eye" symbols Slade left for Ollie....so badass
• I demand more Diggle! More Diggle-centric episodes

What I disliked:

• I think they killed Shrapnel off way too early
• Maybe it's just me, but I can't stand Amanda Waller's character
• Still no Roy :( maybe next week.
• Laurel did nothing once again and will continue to do nothing.....

What to expect in upcoming episodes

I think we should be looking out for that battle between Slade and Ollie. We know all signs are leading towards that, its just a matter of when and where. Also, I wouldn't count the Suicide Squad out. I don't think we have seen the last of them. Another thing, I blogged it earlier this week, we should expect some more characters from the DC universe to cross paths in Starling City with the Arrow. Keep it strapped in folks, I have a feeling we are headed for the best episodes yet to come. 

OH AND HOW COULD I FORGET......

There is a time in the episode when Dig is first introduced to the Suicide Squad in ARGUS that we hear a female voice coming from one of the cells. Here is the clip can you guess who this is.....

THATS RIGHT! It has been confirmed that the voice we are hearing from the cell is none other than Harley Quinn!! OH MR. J!!!!!!!!! What a bomb DC dropped. There are reasons Arrow is having so much success, it is moments like this that just give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside and make you giggle with excitement. Yes Harley is a member of the Suicide Squad, but who expected to see or hear that? I can tell you right now, I did not. What can this mean for the future? Hard to say could be just an easter egg for us fans, could be something more. Only time will tell folks so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Overall I give this episode a 8 out of 10 rating. 

Arrow Wednesday's at 8/7 central on the CW

Arrow "The Promise" Review/Thoughts!

It's Wednesday night! We all know what that means don't we. That's right its time for some Arrow. So as I said last week if you are not caught up, please do not read this article there will be spoilers, and you will be sorry. Anyways with out further adue here we go....

So in tonight's episode we saw a very different format. We mainly see flashbacks to the island in this episode as compared mostly seeing the present timeline. The episode begins with Slade, Ollie, and Sara planning to take over Anthony Ivo's (Dylan Neal) ship. The plan is to have Ollie shoot a flaming arrow onto a pile of wood to create a distraction bonfire. Ollie is captured by Ivo's men, and taken aboard as a prisoner. Once on the ship, Ivo injects Ollie with sodium pentathol (truth serum) to reveal the location of the Miracuru and Ollie's allies. Prior to boarding the ship though, Sara knew Ivo likes to use truth serum, so Ollie takes a solution that blocks the effects of the serum allowing the Ollie to fake it's effects and lie about the location of his allies. This allows Sara and Slade to come aboard and begin a massive battle to end Ivo once and for all. During this battle, Slade/Deathstroke uses his super strength and fighting skills to easily defeat Ivo's men. Then at last we see Ollie come face to face with Ivo bow cocked and arrow ready to fly. Suddenly, Ivo tries to turn the tables on Ollie by explains it is Ollie's fault Shado died because he gave him the choice to save Sara or Shado. At this point it is revealed that Slade has been standing there all along and now knows Ollie was responsible for the death of his sweet sweet Shado. Bringing us to a great battle over a women. This is Shakespearean type stuff. Romeo and Tybalt. Hamlet and Claudius. Slade and Ollie. Sara, the missionary Thomas, and some Russian dude escape the ship, but Ollie is stopped by Slade. He is grabbed by Slade and we just see the shear power and strength that he has as he slams Oliver back onto the ship with immense force. Ollie is taken prisoner, Slade takes over the ship, cuts Ivo's "shootin' hand" off, and promises Ollie that he will make his live crumble it shambles for what he has done.

Switching gears to the present day. In the present day scenes we see Slade, eye patch and all, taking a lovely tour around the Queen mansion. Ollie knows Slade wants to ruin his life so he calls in his troops. Sara, Dig, and Roy..yes folks Roy is in action, head to the mansion to stop Slade from harming the Queens. While on a tour of the house, Slade seems harmless (we know thats not true) and Oliver comes off as ill mannered. Sara and Roy show up and Slade is surprised to see Sara alive. Leaving the house, Slade promises he will be around more which can only mean bad things to come. Outside Dig is set up with a sniper rifle prepared take out Mr. Wilson once and for all, but he himself is knocked out. Slade knew all along and his "allies" have taken care of it. We then learn that the tour of the house was just a set up for Slade's surveillance cameras, so he now has The Queen's on video 24/7!!!
What I Liked

• I enjoyed the fighting on the island. Really saw Ollie come into his own, and the sheer power of Slade.
• Loved how it was mostly an island episode. We are really starting to understand Slade's action now.
• Slade is an evil genius. Who saw surveillance cameras coming??? Thought he just loved art.
• The Arrow vs Deathstroke fight when ever it happens will be outstanding and I cannot wait.
• The Deathstroke mask is awesome
• Mr. Wilson, where ever did you get that Lambo? Always like a villain who rides in style

What I did not Like

• The episode seemed much shorter than the other ones have been. Hopefully next week we get more
• I wish to see more Roy running with Arrow and Canary. Maybe next week perhaps?

What to expect in the upcoming episodes

Well given what we saw tonight, I think some things are certain. We will see a battle between Slade and Ollie in the present timeline.Now that Moria Queen has officially told Ollie to not show up at the house, is the demise of Oliver Queen being set motion? Will Slade and Moria some how work together to break down Oliver and take away everything he has loves and cares for. Looks like that could be the plan.

All in all, I give this episode a 9 out of 10 rating!