Arrow (Season 5) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Some big casting news that constitutes a MAJOR spoiler:

Spoiler

Katie Cassidy Returning to Series Regular Status on ‘Arrow’ as Black Siren for Season Six

 

[NeilO]

Some big casting news that constitutes a MAJOR spoiler: ...

I think it just confirms what we might have all suspected. Now if it was the actor playing Vigilante, I'd think that would be more of a major spoiler. The rumors are that we won't find out this season, which is just as well.

 

[NeilO]

Well, I guess they didn't surprise Chase after all with the reveal. He heard the phone receive something and acted without verification.

I guess Oliver has finally reached his low point. He sure acted stupidly and will suffer the consequences. At least he can reveal that Chase killed his wife and possibly start to redeem the Green Arrow in the public's eyes after foolishly damning him.

Also, they did explain how Chase could have got by my thought a few weeks ago about them capturing footage of Chase murdering his wife. He probably had that scrambler working there.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I do feel like this is the turning point episode, though. It was good to see Diggle agree that the idea of Oliver being a craven serial killer is nonsense. And while Chase may have outmaneuvered the feds and escaped custody, the whole world knows who he is now. That doesn't mean he isn't still very dangerous -- he is -- but momentum seems to be moving Oliver's way. His first, crucial mistake was underestimating Diggle's loyalty to Oliver.

And while I can definitely see why John didn't think trading badly-needed medicine to take down Chase was a morally-acceptable bargain, it does strike me that they'd all have been better off if the Bratva had succeeded. Already, two federal agents are dead who would still be alive if Team Arrow had allowed the Bratva to carry out the hit.

 

[DavidJ]

Some big casting news that constitutes a MAJOR spoiler:

Spoiler

Katie Cassidy Returning to Series Regular Status on ‘Arrow’ as Black Siren for Season Six

I'm not sure what I think about this.

 

[NeilO]

I do feel like this is the turning point episode, though. It was good to see Diggle agree that the idea of Oliver being a craven serial killer is nonsense. And while Chase may have outmaneuvered the feds and escaped custody, the whole world knows who he is now. That doesn't mean he isn't still very dangerous -- he is -- but momentum seems to be moving Oliver's way. His first, crucial mistake was underestimating Diggle's loyalty to Oliver.

Yes, it does seem to be a turning point for the team, but I really don't think they needed to drag Oliver and the team to this point. I didn't buy into Oliver's actions most of this episode (and most of the recent 3 or 4 episodes for that matter).

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

A mostly very strong episode tonight.

It must have been really awkward for Felicity when her big play with Helix literally blew up in her face, immediately after she lectured Oliver for not trusting her and backing her big play.

Somehow over the course of the season, Wild Dog went from being my least favorite character to far and away my favorite of the newbies. The way Rick Gonzalez plays him, you really feel the way he carries his backstory along with him at all times. The relationship between Quentin and René is wonderful, one of the true pleasures of this season. The scene with his daughter Zoe was quite powerful; from his unease at being ambushed, to overwhelming gratitude and pure love and getting to speak with her and hug her. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was him giving Quentin shit about the club soda. He knows Quentin's a recovering alcoholic, and he's only too aware that his excessive drinking resulted in Zoe's accident. Given those two things, I just didn't buy that he'd joke about that.

After a few good episodes, Curtis's annoyance factor spiked considerably.

I really liked how Diggle's fight with Lyla didn't feel like a new fight but a very old one, awoken from hibernation. Given that this iteration of the argument revolved around the morality of extraordinary rendition and detention, I was surprised he didn't bring up his own experience being incarcerated for a crime that he didn't commit.

 

[NeilO]

A mostly very strong episode tonight.

It must have been really awkward for Felicity when her big play with Helix literally blew up in her face, immediately after she lectured Oliver for not trusting her and backing her big play.

I thought that what happened at the end of the episode was not Helix but Chase. It was a case of finding out where Chase was a little too late.

 

[Sam Favate]

I enjoyed this one, but it was another case of pushing a character too far (in this case, Felicity), to a point where I can't see how her relationships with the others aren't irrevocably damaged.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I thought that what happened at the end of the episode was not Helix but Chase. It was a case of finding out where Chase was a little too late.

I guess we'll get confirmation one way or another Wednesday, but my interpretation was that Helix made up the heartbeat tracker to string Felicity along, and what they gave her instead pretended to track Chase before triggering an EMP to fry her electronics and take Team Arrow off the board.

 

[DavidJ]

I guess we'll get confirmation one way or another Wednesday, but my interpretation was that Helix made up the heartbeat tracker to string Felicity along, and what they gave her instead pretended to track Chase before triggering an EMP to fry her electronics and take Team Arrow off the board.

Spoiler

I wouldn't be surprised if the Helix guy is Chase.

 

[Garysb]

I thought this week's episode would be primarily a filler episode dealing with Oliver and Felicity's relationship while the rest of the team works to free them from the explosion. I don't expect much forward motion on tracking Chase.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Neil got it right, with Chase being responsible for the EMP and not Helix. I still think that's a major missed opportunity to have Felicity's hubris literally blow up in her face.

Some nice flashbacks that filled in some of the gap between seasons four and five, with better more complex characterizations.

It was nice to see Felicity call bullshit on Chase's conclusion that Oliver enjoys killing. It was also nice to see Oliver get some genuinely heroic moments.

I still think Curtis's "humor" is woefully out of place and ruins scene after scene. I do like the buddy act between Curtis and René, though.

Nice to see Diggle and Lyla bond over their mutual denial of people's due process rights.

If Chase kills Oliver's kid I might just be done with the show.

 

[NeilO]

If Chase kills Oliver's kid I might just be done with the show.

Same here.

Now the weird thing about the Helix device and the EMP is that the Helix device pointed out that Chase was in the building, presumably leaving after planting the EMP and the device in the elevator shaft. Now, why wasn't he spotted by anyone leaving the building or neighborhood or city? It also seemed a short time for him to get to wherever Oliver's kid was.

 

[Sam Favate]

I enjoyed last night's character-driven episode. The show needs more of this.

I agree about Chase and Oliver's son. Just kidnapping him is too sadistic. Once upon a time, television standards wouldn't even allow showing child endangerment.

Very good jobs by the cast in last night's show. Amell continues to be the strongest lead in any of the DC shows.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Nice to have Thea back again.

Not sure which is more unbelievable: Oliver being shocked that Robert Queen killed a man and covered it up when in the pilot he saw him shoot the third survivor before shooting himself in the head; or Felicity telling Oliver he's not a killer when he is, in fact, a killer many many times over.

Paul Blackthorne did some great work this episode. Wild Dog better have a darn good reason for skipping the custody hearing.

 

[David Weicker]

. Wild Dog better have a darn good reason for skipping the custody hearing.

I assume it ties in with the promo for next week.

One by one Team Arrow is taken by Chase's 'friends'. Wild Dog was the first.

 

[Garysb]

I assume it ties in with the promo for next week.

One by one Team Arrow is taken by Chase's 'friends'. Wild Dog was the first.

Agree he was kidnapped. He didn't chicken out which they will assume he did until they know differently.

Black Siren next episode. I assume the scene where she meets Lance will happen in the episode.

 

[NeilO]

I assume it ties in with the promo for next week.

One by one Team Arrow is taken by Chase's 'friends'. Wild Dog was the first.

Yes, he must have been taken - that is the only reason. Now, how Chase is orchestrating this next set of moves is another question.

No answer as to what he might have done with Oliver's son.

 

[Garysb]

No answer as to what he might have done with Oliver's son.

Spoiler: Where Is Oliver's Son

There have been on set photos that show Oliver's son on Lian Yu