Arrow 2 - Tommy Got Shafted...Bit Late, BUT SEASON 2 SPOILERS!

[red snow]

I guess the other option is to have her go out as being hated by all the in-show characters as well as the audience. I noticed that Ollie was making a big deal out of reaching out to Roy with "love" in order to save him but at the same time he's been very hands off with Laurel (who isn't making it easy for him). Maybe they are setting Ollie up for failing Laurel? Whatever they are doing I hope it ultimately has some mileage for the show other than giving a character no-one likes something to do. Especially when Felicity and Diggle are getting reduced airtime (although I level that accusation at Ollie's mum too)

[Mexal]

I guess the other option is to have her go out as being hated by all the in-show characters as well as the audience. I noticed that Ollie was making a big deal out of reaching out to Roy with "love" in order to save him but at the same time he's been very hands off with Laurel (who isn't making it easy for him). Maybe they are setting Ollie up for failing Laurel? Whatever they are doing I hope it ultimately has some mileage for the show other than giving a character no-one likes something to do. Especially when Felicity and Diggle are getting reduced airtime (although I level that accusation at Ollie's mum too)

I think I read somewhere that there will be more Diggle centric episodes. I really hope so because I'm getting a bit tired of his underuse. His only job these days is to give a quick pep talk to Ollie before he goes out to fight crime. Diggle is a badass...use him.

[Jaxom 1974]

Use him. But use him in something other than chasing Deadshot...another reason to get the rogues gallery some boost so there's better places to utilize Diggle...and for being Ollie's "Bodyguard", Ollie sure goes a lot of places without him...maybe if they're going to insist on the Mayoral race for Moira, they shift Diggle to going around with her full time and they can work on the Brother Blood conspiracy from that angle...

[red snow]

I agree with you both. Using Diggle as Moira's bodyguard could be a way of making her story less pointless.

[Sci-2]

I think I read somewhere that there will be more Diggle centric episodes. I really hope so because I'm getting a bit tired of his underuse. His only job these days is to give a quick pep talk to Ollie before he goes out to fight crime. Diggle is a badass...use him.

Yeah, I still cringe at the idea of Sarah being such a super soldier she can get Diggle to stand aside and let her go it alone.

But I guess ninja-training was this show's version of powers until the the Mirakuru and Flash showed up.

Diggle and Felicity brought the humor to the show, something that's been a bit lacking recently.

[Jaxom 1974]

I agree with you both. Using Diggle as Moira's bodyguard could be a way of making her story less pointless.

Maybe help generate some conflict too...neither Ollie or Diggle think Blood is a bad guy yet...

[Black Wolf Smith]

Another good episode. Looks like they are going with creating another team from the DC universe.

The Suicide Squad, with Bronze Tiger as its leader.

Thanks, that it was ringing a bell, but couldn't place it.

So instead of defusing the device like a bomb at the end of last season they could have just blown it up? I remember that being a minor quibble of mine, but couldn't they at least have kept this consistent? And nobody found the freaking prototype device hidden in Merlyn's garage? Surely the house was searched at some point, for example when they put Moira on trial?

IIRC the thing was placed, underground, on a fault line, and was protected. My question was how would the proto type work, sitting in a container, do much damage?

I agree with you both. Using Diggle as Moira's bodyguard could be a way of making her story less pointless.

She is a good actress, but her storylines are more then a bit weak.

I thought we were only going to be a couple filler ep, until the second half started in (march?) but they have not really have not been. I am still liking the show the more it goes on.

As for the end of this season, I think it will all be about Slade. I guess the flashbacks next year are going to somewhere else, like maybe how he got involved w/ the Russian Mob.

[red snow]

Thanks, that it was ringing a bell, but couldn't place it.

IIRC the thing was placed, underground, on a fault line, and was protected. My question was how would the proto type work, sitting in a container, do much damage?

She is a good actress, but her storylines are more then a bit weak.

I thought we were only going to be a couple filler ep, until the second half started in (march?) but they have not really have not been. I am still liking the show the more it goes on.

As for the end of this season, I think it will all be about Slade. I guess the flashbacks next year are going to somewhere else, like maybe how he got involved w/ the Russian Mob.

They still need to show us how he gets his ninja skillz. In the flashback I can't see how Ollie could take down standard Slade let alone roided one. Maybe it'll be more trickery or something and his real badassness comes from elsewhere eg the russian mob. We've heard nothing to suggest Ollie is connected with the league of assassins, right? Although that would make sense given his skill set.

[Jon AS]

IIRC the thing was placed, underground, on a fault line, and was protected.

Yes, it was underground but Lance walked right up to it. Then the sillyness started with the script treating it like a bomb that might explode if he did anything wrong while defusing it, instead of, y'know, a highly complex machine that should stop working the moment any of its components broke down.

The treatment in this episode was more realistic, just inconsistent with what had happened before.

[Black Wolf Smith]

They still need to show us how he gets his ninja skillz. In the flashback I can't see how Ollie could take down standard Slade let alone roided one. Maybe it'll be more trickery or something and his real badassness comes from elsewhere eg the russian mob. We've heard nothing to suggest Ollie is connected with the league of assassins, right? Although that would make sense given his skill set.

Only that he knew of them before Sara said she part of it. Which also makes it seem since she was, that he wasn't. The did however backtrack to bring her back (the fact they had to recast the role, after only a year) I thought Yao, Shado, and Slade all taught him to some degree, but yes I do think he will have had other teachers later ep.

[lacuna]

Yes, it was underground but Lance walked right up to it. Then the sillyness started with the script treating it like a bomb that might explode if he did anything wrong while defusing it, instead of, y'know, a highly complex machine that should stop working the moment any of its components broke down.

The treatment in this episode was more realistic, just inconsistent with what had happened before.

Well, this last one was a prototype, the one that went off was perhaps more sophisticated. Polishing a turd, I know, but it does look better that way. :D

I was more surprised that he kept it hidden in his house, leaving no deniability whatsoever, with such crap security measures around it that a dude with a knife could stab the keypad and the door springs open.

[Jon AS]

I was more surprised that he kept it hidden in his house, leaving no deniability whatsoever, with such crap security measures around it that

a dude with a knife could stab the keypad and the door springs open.

The crap security actually highlights another brilliant aspect of the plot: if the arms dealer hadn't bothered to break out Bronze Tiger he would have gotten away with the theft without anybody noticing. Genius.

[red snow]

Only that he knew of them before Sara said she part of it. Which also makes it seem since she was, that he wasn't. The did however backtrack to bring her back (the fact they had to recast the role, after only a year) I thought Yao, Shado, and Slade all taught him to some degree, but yes I do think he will have had other teachers later ep.

I think the problem is that they still have island ollie as being nowhere near as tough despite the training. I guess this is understandable given it's only been a year and I guess the argument could be made that he incorporates all their training into his own thing over the remaining 4 years. He still feels like a fish out of water whenever we see him on the island or maybe it's just that wig that lowers my expectations of him.

[Jaxom 1974]

They still need to show us how he gets his ninja skillz. In the flashback I can't see how Ollie could take down standard Slade let alone roided one. Maybe it'll be more trickery or something and his real badassness comes from elsewhere eg the russian mob. We've heard nothing to suggest Ollie is connected with the league of assassins, right? Although that would make sense given his skill set.

If Ollie got League training, he didn't know he was getting it from them...

In some ways the island flashbacks continue to let down...

[Bastard of Boston]

RE: Tonight's episode...

After all the buzz surrounding this episode, I gotta say, I was a little bit turned off by all the melodrama. I expect some of it every now and then, but it seemed to really dominate the episode. The whole confrontation between Moira and Felicity just didn't translate. I would've preferred and Moira actually threatened Felicity with a real threat and not the whole "Ollie will never speak to you again!" thing.

Aside from that, I loved Nyssa. Really hoping they reveal Summer Glau is Talia. Both actresses even favor one another.

Marc Guggenheim tweeted this storyboard from the Birds of Prey episode...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfwLk3xCUAAjFu4.jpg

[Sci-2]

I liked the episode, though Laurel's whole thing about being mad at Sarah seemed forced.

I mean, we sorted had the whole angry person redemption thing with Thea and Roy, and Thea even had the substance abuse.

Felicity pissed me off - why was it any of her business whether Ollie knew about Thea? Just came off as her trying to suck up to her crush.

[Corvinus85]

I liked the episode, though Laurel's whole thing about being mad at Sarah seemed forced.

I mean, we sorted had the whole angry person redemption thing with Thea and Roy, and Thea even had the substance abuse.

Felicity pissed me off - why was it any of her business whether Ollie knew about Thea? Just came off as her trying to suck up to her crush.

yes, I am surprised Felicity has even been able to keep Ollie's secret so far. I am curious whether or not Moira will do anything to her.

And I hope we continue to see the League of Assassins in this show. Those are among the best episodes.

[Mexal]

Good episode. I really liked Katrina Law. I hope she gets a few more episodes. I liked her in Spartacus and I really like her here. The Laurel stuff is annoying but I think she's justified in her feelings. She wasn't wrong with what she said to Sara though she knows absolutely nothing what Sara went through which would probably make her feel like shit.

On the other side, I can't stand the Moira storyline and Oliver getting upset over Malcolm is idiotic. He knows she had an affair with him so not sure why this is such a surprise and automatically changes the relationship. What did he want her to do? Kill the baby? Tell them earlier and destroy everything? Additionally, as others have said, Felicity going to Moira was stupid. It served no real purpose and honestly, it's none of her business.

A few other random observations.

• Laurel is getting really really thin and it's making her look terrible. Her face looks like a triangle at the moment.
  
• Caity Lotz on the salmon ladder was pretty badass. She's as ripped as Amell.
  
• Katrina Law was supposedly a finalist for Shado but they chose Celina Jade because she'd be sharing scenes with Manu Bennett and they didn't want it to be Spartacus overload.
  
• Ollie/Felicity shippers are going to be so mad