Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Arrow 4x01 "Green Arrow" (We Could Be Heroes)


"Green Arrow"
Original Airdate: October 7, 2015

We can be heroes
Forever and ever
We can be heroes
Just because I, and I will always love you

- “Elephant Love Medley,” Moulin Rouge

It’s extremely cliché to say that love changes you –– that love turns you into something you weren’t before. I also think it’s inaccurate.

John Green once said that grief doesn’t change you; it reveals you. I think that the same assessment could be made about love. Love isn’t something that changes you; love is something that reveals you –– the real you. Being in love is scary because it means that you have to be vulnerable and open with the people around you. It means consciously taking down your walls, brick by brick, and stripping yourself of your armor until you are laid bare. And when you’re standing there, your heart hammering in your chest and all of your feelings in front of you, you hope that your beloved is doing the same. Love is the thing that allows us to become who we really are. That is why it is so scary. We busy ourselves constantly, doing anything we can to dwell too much on our pain or our circumstances. If we were really alone –– truly and completely alone –– with ourselves with ample time to let our brains wander, we might not like what we hear.

Mindy Lahiri, in The Mindy Project, so aptly put it this way when she was on a flight with a broken TV monitor: “My TV is broken and I cannot be alone with my thoughts.”

Oliver Queen hasn’t inherently changed because of his love for Felicity Smoak. In fact, I would venture to say that he is –– right now –– his truest self. He’s the person he’s always wanted to be when he’s with her, BECAUSE he is with her. Love didn’t change him. It revealed him. It revealed all of the wants and desires in his mind and heart that he had been too scared to think about for too long. Oliver did what Mindy did: he tried to distract himself for so long so he didn’t have to think about who he truly was. All of that changed last season, though.

In spite of how rocky and occasionally unbearable season three of Arrow was, it was important in laying the groundwork of Oliver’s character. After the identity of The Arrow was stripped from him and the idea of embracing only Oliver Queen seemed not just impossible but impossible AND terrifying, Oliver was at a loss: who was he? Who had he become? How could he ever know who he was supposed to be? (Enter, of course, Felicity Smoak: Goddess of the Motivational Speech and Protector of Oliver Queen’s Heart.) Felicity didn’t change Oliver, though. She didn’t reform him or revive him. She simply revealed to him –– through her love –– what he wanted to believe to be true about himself but never felt like he could.

With all of the uncertainties that happened in season three, I’m glad that Arrow’s fourth season opened with “Green Arrow”: an episode that steered us (slightly) away from an endless spiral of questions of identity and toward answers, instead. Let’s talk about this more, shall we?

(Reviews will be a little different in terms of structure this year –– I may break them back down by characters and pairings at some point, but creating subheadings is so much more fun for now!)


OLIVER QUEEN’S GUIDE TO THE SUBURBAN ROM-COM


I don’t think it’s weird that Oliver wants to remain in his suburban lifestyle while Felicity is itching to get back into action in Star City. (It’s weird typing that instead of Starling.) As I thought about this, I thought about what Oliver and Felicity have been through independently over the last five or so years. Oliver has gone through hell and back –– he nearly died multiple times, watched close friends turn into mortal enemies, and witnessed the deaths of his father, mother, best friend, Sara, and the almost-death of his sister. He’s been tortured and tortured others; he’s faced identity crises. In short, Oliver has been through more darkness than anyone else. He’s had adventures. He’s lived that life.

And he doesn’t want it anymore.

He finds fulfillment in domesticity. It’s the thing that he’s never had, but always ached for. And you can tell that in the joy that is evident when we see Oliver and Felicity’s life in the suburbs. What Oliver was doing before, with The Arrow? That was surviving. This? This is LIVING. (I can’t take credit for this because my other half, Jen, said it. There’s a reason why she’s my soul twin, you guys.) Oliver has been through so much instability in his life that when he finds stability with Felicity, he’s never been more certain. This, to him, is home. The field is a season –– with Felicity, what he has is a lifetime.

And so it might seem weird to us that Felicity is the one who is ready to return to Star City, to a life of crime-solving and imminent danger and that she is the one who slightly panics at the mention of children by her friendly suburban neighbors. It’s not that I believe she’s bored with domesticity or with Oliver. I just don’t think that she finds it as fulfilling or rewarding as he does quite yet. Remember what Felicity came from, though, and this will make sense. She had a normal, average life before Oliver. She was extremely brilliant but she was leading a life in the basement of Queen Consolidated as a part of the IT team. She had a rocky childhood, but most of it –– I would venture to say –– was normal for her. She’s never been the kind of girl who got to live out action stories and tales of adventure.

Until she met Oliver Queen.

Life didn’t just change for Oliver with that fateful first meeting; it changed for Felicity, too. She was soon pulled into a life that was fast-paced, filled with adventure and challenges. But Felicity embraced them because she was finally getting the chance to live a life that wasn’t normal. She wasn’t overlooked anymore or brushed aside. She was important and she mattered. People depended on her. And I think Felicity still needs that because she’s still trying to figure out, in some ways, who she is. She loves Oliver, obviously, but she also loves the thrill that a life of adventure can provide her (that domesticity cannot yet).

While Oliver’s had his fill of adventure in a lot of ways, Felicity is still just getting used to the taste of hers. It’s not that either of them love each other less because of what they would choose –– it simply means that they’re still growing together and they’re still growing as individuals. That’s all you can ask for of a pairing, really. So when Oliver's proposal gets interrupted by Laurel and Thea, it seems like a blessing in disguise for one party and a dream dashed for another. Nevertheless, Oliver and Felicity are together now which means that they make decisions TOGETHER. Oliver, thankfully, has learned to loosen control in the few months that he's been in the suburbs. When Felicity remains quiet after Laurel and Thea appear and beg them to return to Star City, Oliver looks to her and asks for her input. He notices how quiet she is and asks for her thoughts.

Last year, Oliver would have made a definitive decision first and asked for thoughts later (or never). This year, though, there's a quieter and calmer demeanor to Oliver –– he's trying to let other people in instead of pushing them away. Upon arrival at Star City though, Oliver –– ever perceptive –– notices that something is amiss with Felicity. Namely, that she seems to know a lot more about the new baddies (nicknamed "Ghosts") than she should for being away for five months. And this is when Oliver figures out that Felicity has been helping the team remotely for the last few months. Strangely enough, he doesn't care that she's lied to him. He doesn't even care that she's been helping the team.

What he cares about is the fact that he believed they were blissfully happy –– just the two of them –– and that they needed no one else. Oliver believed they were in their own little world, completely wrapped up in one another. And he thought they were happy. One of the most important lines that Felicity delivers in this episode, however, reassures Oliver:
I love every moment I am with you, no matter where we are.
Oliver doesn't need the thrill of the chase anymore. He loves putting on a suit, sure. And he feels a sense of purpose when he saves his city, just like Felicity. The difference is in their pasts. In "Green Arrow," Oliver gets jabbed with reminders that he is the one who brought darkness to Starling ––  he is the one who got friends and enemies and innocent civilians killed. If not for him, the city would be okay. That's not the case, as we know, but Oliver is still tortured. And I think he's as much trying to build a life as he is separate himself from his old one.


Here's what I love about the Oliver/Felicity relationship in this premiere: they're exactly where they need to be –– standing beside each other, allowing each other the chance to hope and the chance to lead and the chance to become better people. Oliver spends most of the episode trying to hide from the darkness. Felicity is the light he speaks of when he makes that televised speech. She's part of the reason he continues to believe in things like happy endings. She is the reason he can even fathom a better life. When the world tells him that he is full of darkness –– when his supposed friends tell him that he's incapable of love –– there is Felicity, his constant and his partner, telling him that he did not bring darkness into Starling. He didn't bring darkness into their lives.

She is the one who tells him a truth that no one has truly told him yet –– if you don't like who you are, change who you are. Oliver didn't like what The Arrow had become, in the end. He didn't like that the suit he wore was used to hurt people, that it was used to hurt the people he loved and push them away. So Felicity's guidance? Change that. Become someone else –– become something else, some other kind of hero. Because that is what Oliver realizes he is, in the end.

He realizes that he, Felicity, Laurel, Dig, and Thea are all heroes. They're heroes because they love –– love each other and love their city.

The episode ends with Oliver postponing his engagement to Felicity. He has the ring, hidden in a decorative little bowl of glass beads. (Which is see-through so, really, how long do you think you can keep it there, dude?) But it's not the right time. It is, however, still a great time in their relationship. Their arguing is endearing and adorable. Oliver can barely fight back smiles when they are bickering in the not-foundry-foundry. They love each other, deeply. He knows that this woman –– this person who brings so much happiness and joy into his life and the lives of others –– is his partner. She is his equal, in all things.

The love that Oliver and Felicity have for one another? They are better heroes because of it.

WON'T THE NEW TEAM ARROW PLEASE STAND UP?


I have already talked extensively about my love of Thea Queen, but within the first few minutes of the episode, she solidified my respect and adoration yet again. Speedy –– who hates to be called that, by the way –– is positively giddy to be in the field with Diggle and Laurel. And she's doing a pretty kick-butt job of helping protect the city alongside them. The team battles the Ghosts throughout the episode and it isn't until Damien Darhk begins to kill off pretty much everyone in city leadership that Laurel and Thea take a trip to Ivy Town to  visit La Casa De Olicity and convince Oliver to return to the city.

Diggle, you'll notice, is absent from this. And honestly, I often find it hard to dislike Diggle but I did a little bit about three-quarters of the way through the episode. I said in my review of "My Name Is Oliver Queen" that I was looking forward to the fractured relationship between Oliver and Diggle. And I still stand by that. It would be far too easy for the show to have five months pass and return to these two being best friends and brothers again. What Oliver did to Diggle and to Lyla and to baby Sara was unthinkable –– it was horrible and Dig holds every right to not trust Oliver. He has every right to keep his distance. But that anger and resentment clouds his better judgement in "Green Arrow." He refuses to seek after Oliver for help, so Thea and Laurel make the executive decision to approach Oliver anyway.

The funny thing is, Lyla already forgave Oliver. She may have been mad –– again, with every right in the world –– for what happened, but as Lyla explains to Dig in the episode, Oliver was doing what he thought needed to be done to protect people. Was it right? No. But did he make a choice rooted in helping and not hurting? Yes. Lyla has forgiven Oliver, but the soldier can't do the same. While at the Star City train station, Dig has some harsh words for Oliver, in fact.
You don't trust. You don't love.

That's one of the cruelest things Oliver has ever been told on this show. It's one thing for Lance to say, a few minutes later, that Oliver brought darkness and was a monster. It's another thing entirely for Dig –– someone Oliver loves and trusts –– to tell Oliver that he is incapable of pure, honest, emotional things in life. I'll admit it, freely: that made me angry. Because Dig knows better than anyone that Oliver loves Felicity, that he trusts her and wants to honor her and probably make adorable children with her. But right now, Diggle is letting his personal darkness color his perception of Oliver. I once heard it said that bitterness is like a poison that you swallow, hoping the other person dies.

Dig's anger is affecting him the most –– and if he isn't careful, it's going to be the very thing that puts his life and the lives of people he loves at risk. Diggle doesn't tell Oliver about H.I.V.E. And that's dangerous because this is valuable information that the team needs to know. Hey, irony called, Dig: YOU ARE DOING TO OLIVER NOW THE VERY SAME THING YOU ARE MAD AT HIM FOR DOING.

Sheesh. Boys.

The bromance between Dig and Oliver is restored lightly when the former saves the latter (from death at the hand of Damien) on a train. For as mad as Diggle is at Oliver now and for as many horrible things as Dig is saying, he doesn't want Oliver dead. He doesn't want Oliver to suffer. He just wants distance.

Speaking of distance, Quentin wants Laurel to take a step back away from Team Arrow. It's not really clear why (until the end), but I'm glad Quentin and Laurel are back on speaking terms. I'm glad too that Laurel has seemed to step up her training a little bit. And the scene in which she rescues a little boy from being trampled by the train station crowd was nice. But while Laurel's thirst for danger and vengeance has tempered to a cool "let me just buckle up and ride a motorcycle," Oliver returns to Star City and is concerned by someone whose vengeance has been amped up: Thea's.

Ever since being revived by the Lazarus Pit last season, we haven't really seen much of Thea's dark side, but "Green Arrow" gave us a little bit of a taste of that. Thea was poised to kill a member of Darhk's squad before Oliver stopped her. And when prompted about this activity, both Thea and Diggle brush off her attitude. Thea insists that she's fine, while Dig notes that when Oliver first started out in the field, he was a little blood-thirsty and gung-ho too. Both parties, of course, are trivializing the problem and I'm really looking forward to Thea's character evolving as the darkness within her begins to seep through, little by little.

Team Arrow has changed –– a fact alluded to pretty strongly when Oliver, used to calling the shots, verbally does that in the not-foundry-foundry. Hilariously, the team looks at him with the judgiest of faces and Oliver apologizes. That is exactly what I wanted from this team and what I look forward to seeing more of, moving forward. I look forward to the fact that Oliver acknowledged in an address to Star City that he is now working WITH heroes. This isn't his mission. This isn't his quest. He isn't their leader anymore.

He is a part of the team.

(I feel like they need a handshake to solidify the camaraderie.)

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARHK?


Neal McDonough played a character on Suits who was grating and smug in his evildoing. (Which is fairly customary for a Suits villain.) He was the kind of evil that you wanted to smack in the face –– to permanently wipe the smirk off. Neal's version of Damien Darhk is nothing like his character on Suits. In fact, Damien is pretty much everything I had hoped Ra's would be. (Ra's turned out to be a rather bland villain, can everyone else agree? TOO MUCH POINTLESS MONOLOGUING AND MISOGYNY.)

Damien is calculated. He is calm. He values order and structure and he's absolutely terrifying because of it. Neal is already –– within the course of one episode –– doing amazing things with this character: extremely subtle things that leave the audience feeling chilled. It's clear that Neal is having a blast with this character, as he should. This baddie is the worst yet. Most Arrow villains are ruled or dominated by some sort of chaos or upheaval. They don't carefully poison and kill off city leadership in order to take control of a city (Slade proved that to be true –– he wanted to take over the Glades so he literally just stormed them with his minions).

They also don't manipulate and entice usually morally good characters to do their bidding. But Neal McDonough is so utterly captivating as Damien, already. The character has this sort of flair and aura –– an appearance of cool detachment and confidence that makes him appealing (unlike, again, Ra's). Plus, any time a baddie can utter the word "puppies" in a sentence, I'm game. Also, Damien SHUSHES PEOPLE like he's some sort of high school librarian.

I know nothing about Green Arrow, really, but I love the fact that Damien has some sort of mystical powers. While The Flash has superheroes (and that's cool), I've always appreciated the fact that Arrow is more about mythology and mysticism than super speed or telepathy. So I'm really interested to see how the show develops Damien and the League powers that he has.

SAME PLACES, SAME FACES


It appears that we are back on the island –– again. WHY? Well, as it turns out, here is a brief summary of the flashbacks this week: Amanda Waller sees the darkness within Oliver, wants to harness that, drugs him, and sends him back to Lian-Yu.

At least we aren't in Hong Kong.

A TRAITOR IN THE MIDST, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE END


FREAKING QUENTIN LANCE IS WORKING WITH FREAKING DAMIEN DARHK. My exact expression was something along the lines of this:


Literally, as the scene aired, I yelled out possibilities ("Wait, who is he working with? UH, MALCOLM! UH, AMANDA WALLER!"), but did not suspect Quentin in the slightest. But it makes sense now that he's been warning Laurel to stay away from the field and from the Ghosts –– he's trying to protect her. Still, it seems pretty uncharacteristic of Lance, for however much crap he went through last year, to turn on his city and hand it over to someone like Damien. I'm worried for Papa Lance's safety. You don't make deals with the devil, dude. That's how you end up dead.

Speaking of death, we not only have flashbacks this season but flash forwards as well (I called this a few months ago, so I feel like I deserve some sort of prize). In our flash forward, we see Oliver standing by a tombstone as Barry Allen comes up beside him. Both are visibly upset, but not distraught as they stare at the fresh grave. All that is left is to make a vow, then –– Oliver promises to kill an unnamed "him" (presumably for whatever this person did that landed our unmentioned deceased person deceased). And Barry? Well, Barry promises to do whatever Oliver needs. After Barry leaves in a flash (ha, ha, I can't resist at this point), Oliver kneels beside the grave and lets a single tear slip out.

For the record, I don't believe this is Felicity's grave. I feel like Oliver would be inconsolable, first of all, and Barry would be too. I also don't believe it's Thea. We saw Oliver's reaction already to losing Thea. He is far too composed and calm for it to be either of the two women he loves most in the world. My money is on a member of the Lance clan. I suppose it could also be someone like Lyla, too, though I truly hope it isn't.

"Green Arrow" was a great way for Arrow to open a new chapter –– they're telling us a different story, now. What happens when a hero finds a happy ending? Can darkness ever really be overcome?

Or once you have been dark, are you destined to return to that life at some point? I'm not sure that any of our characters know the answers to these questions yet. And I'm excited to watch them grapple with the answers for the remainder of the season.

Observations & favorite moments:
  • DID YOU GUYS MISS ME? I missed me. Even though we celebrated for the entire month (#CountdownToArrow) before Arrow’s premiere, it still just doesn’t feel like a Wednesday night until I’ve typed so much that I give myself carpal tunnel. It’s good to be back.
  • MVP for this episode is bestowed upon the Green Arrow himself, Stephen Amell. I've always appreciated the way that Stephen portrays Oliver, but never more so than in this premiere. We got to see a completely different Oliver –– a happy one! And the lightness with which he delivered his lines was completely palpable. You could feel him (and see him) smile more. And this time, he is fighting for that happiness every step of the way instead of being afraid of it. I loved the calmer, more rational side of Oliver. I loved that he was more soft-spoken and lighthearted. I love that Stephen –– who has been with this character since day one –– got the chance to actually play around and have FUN with Oliver in the episode. That shone through, and the final scene drove home the point that Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen this year is totally a force to be reckoned with.
  • "Felicity Smoak... you have failed this omelette."
  • Oliver and Felicity's domesticity was too cute to handle, you guys.
  • I love the in-show acknowledgement of the removal of Shado's tattoo. It was simple and yet a powerful reminder of how much Oliver has grown and how deeply in love he is.
  • Did I mention that we got to see Oliver Queen in his boxers? Because we did. That's important for you all to know in this professional review.
  • "THIS IS SO COOL." "We're really gonna have to work on your definition of cool."
  • There was a mention of Walter by Quentin. SORRY, DUDE. WALTER IS OVER AT LIMITLESS NOW, WORKING FOR BRADLEY COOPER. (Which is true –– Colin Salmon is playing a baddie who works for Eddir Morra, which is fun.)
  • I kind of hated the suburban married couple who were friends with Oliver and Felicity? They seemed annoying. What I don't hate is how couple-y Oliver and Felicity are. I also don't hate the giant, beautiful ring that Oliver was going to propose with.
  • "Are we celebrating something?" "Depends on how dessert goes."
  • Stephen Amell did an amazing job portraying Oliver's complete and total nervousness while carrying the souffles. You can tell he was reciting the proposal in his head and it was adorable.
  • Thea refers to Oliver and Felicity's new life as a "domestic life of tranquility and souffles." Where is the lie, though?
  • "You can't change who you are in your bones." It concerns me that Amanda Waller AND Laurel both said this to Oliver this episode.
  • "Oh, sorry. Old habits."
  • Felicity was SO adorable when Oliver found out she'd been helping the team. I wish I could bottle up the cute that is Emily Bett Rickards and sell it.
  • "If Oliver Queen always made the right choice, he wouldn't need you." #preach
  • Stephen Amell's delivery of "because I've seen things" is the same way one might deliver, oh, I don't know, accidentally watching a birthing video.
  • The show reused the jet from the season finale in the season premiere. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but hey –– if you can reuse sets, go for it.
  • "WAIT –– IS THAT?" #gpoy
  • "I ran into Lance." "And he... gave you a hug because he missed you?"
  • There is a flip that Oliver does to get into the train car and I think it's the coolest thing in the world. So kudos to James Bamford and whoever did that stunt. Also, the stunt choreography continues to be great. Way to go, show.
  • In spite of the fact that I believe it to be a misdirect, the acting between Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin was so great in that graveside scene that I actually didn't realize I had been holding my breath the entire time.
Well, friends, I'm back! WHEW. Let me know what you thought of "Green Arrow" in the comments below. Until then. :)

14 comments:

  1. Well, I certainly missed you and your reflections on Arrow (among other things). So happy to read another of your reviews and so happy to have another season of Arrow where the writers and cast take us for another adventure.

    Like you it did not surprise me to see Oliver really blossoming in his domestic life. The way he spoke in the past about how he felt when they brought Thea home as a baby and the way he looked at baby Sara last year made it clear to me that he has always been about family and he has a very nurturing nature. This makes it doubly sad to see how his protective and caring nature has been twisted over the course of the flashbacks and makes his previous self-loathing more understandable. At the base of it he is totally and completely running away, from pain, from darkness or anything like it and everything about their life at the beginning of the episode couldn't be further from what he hates about his past.

    Felicity has less to run from. She jumped into Team Arrow partly because she was looking for that sense of heroism and purpose. Oliver enjoys working with his hands and takes to cooking like a duck to water etc. She is not talented at that and what she is talented at hasn't been getting used to its full potential. She is feeling restless and being part of Team Arrow wasn't super painful for her. It never really involved an identity crisis. It made her feel empowered. I feel like getting to grips with all the stuff at Palmer Tech will also be good for her and I can't wait for her to meet up with Mr Fantastic. None of this is to say that domestic life (whatever form that takes) is inherently boring or that Felicity and Oliver will always feel differently about it. Oliver has gone to an extreme to get away from his past and I think he would have eventually felt a need for a bigger purpose again. It just would have taken him longer. Let's not forget that Felicity is a few years younger than Oliver. He's starting his 30s and she's still in her early 20s right? Finding a balance that is good for both of them will be part of this season I hope.

    What gives me real hope was watching their “argument” in bare bones Lair. They didn't blame each other or try to shift responsibility or anything nasty like that. They sought to understand each other's point of view while stating what concerned them. I wasn't surprised Oliver wasn't bothered by her little “fibs”. He's pretty familiar with lying to the people he loves in order to protect them or keep them happy. It's not a good tactic and hopefully they are both done with it but he understands it and gets to the root of the issue. He thought they were in the same place about everything (long term committed couples often are not.) Felicity has seen how happy he is in their new life; she isn't and she hasn't been sure how to deal with that. And then later she sees how freaked out he is by the thought of returning to the team and she suggests they go back to their new home. Oliver says “But you hate it.” They are both concerned with what the other needs and they know how to talk things through and compromise. It is sad that I found that more charming and wonderful than the blissful domestic and bed scenes at the beginning? The ease we see from Oliver, even in the midst of researching enemies and fighting crime, was a beautiful thing to behold. I really like this new Oliver Queen, wanting to make a difference and thinking about how to do it in an uplifting and hopeful way. Bring it on!

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    1. BECCA, I SO MISSED YOU. *hugs*

      She is not talented at that and what she is talented at hasn't been getting used to its full potential.

      You know, this is something that I hadn't even thought of -- what a great point! Felicity is unsettled not just because she found her purpose in Team Arrow but because she doesn't FIT in domesticity. She's bad at cooking and I think that hinders her, definitely, from wanting to stay in the suburbs with Oliver (who takes to domesticity like a fish to water; seriously he's going to be an awesome stay-at-home daddy).

      You also make a good point about the age difference (which I actually don't know how big of a gap it is but from what I've heard on Twitter, it's a 5-year gap). Finding a balance for them is doing to be a part of their journey this season and I think they'll grow more together.

      What gives me real hope was watching their “argument” in bare bones Lair. They didn't blame each other or try to shift responsibility or anything nasty like that. They sought to understand each other's point of view while stating what concerned them. I wasn't surprised Oliver wasn't bothered by her little “fibs”.

      Re-watching that scene, it was so FLIRTY and FUN. The exasperation when he asks about Bali is adorable. Like, adorable. He's just so amused that she went to great lengths to be a part of the team. And he's not mad at her -- he's not even mad she lied. He's just mad because he wants to feel like he's enough for her and I think part of him was just sad he wasn't.

      They are both concerned with what the other needs and they know how to talk things through and compromise. It is sad that I found that more charming and wonderful than the blissful domestic and bed scenes at the beginning?

      Not at all! I think that's totally understandable and though I loved the domesticity, I really and truly think those scenes in the not-foundry-foundry were some of the best because it is an example of how far they have really come since last season's angst and pining and darkness (ugh, does not want again.)

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  2. Diggle, Diggle, Diggle. There have been some hints in interviews that this is going to be a much darker season for him where he is not going to be the rock solid moral center. I think we saw the beginning of that this episode. I agree that what he said to Oliver at the train station was hurtful and uncalled for. We've seen him be blunt before (and with great accuracy and insight) but in those statements he was just factually wrong. I think that in the light of how angry he is at Oliver he is rewriting their past in his head. It's something people often do after major conflict. He couldn't figure out why Oliver wouldn't trust him so he's explained it to himself by saying that he never really knew Oliver at all cause the Oliver he loved and thought he knew wouldn't do that. So he's cutting him off. It's much more difficult to integrate things that our loved ones do to deeply hurt us into the whole of who they are and continue to love them even while we really hate their actions. I think Diggle will get there but I also think we are going to see him committing many of the sins he is angry at Oliver for as Diggle is consumed by the HIVE storyline and does some shady things himself. I'd like to see Oliver understanding those things about Diggle and that understanding bringing them back together, even stronger than before as they both make peace with the shadow side of themselves and each other.

    I can also see how both Thea and Diggle are not taking her behaviour as seriously as Oliver is. He has the benefit of coming back after an absence and noticing a change whereas the team might miss it because it has been happening so gradually. Thea is naturally going to bristle at big brother lectures and Diggle really doesn't want to acknowledge that Oliver might be right about anything. Oliver also has more experience with mystical stuff like the Lazarus Pit and he saw how freaked out Malcolm “I'm totally comfortable with horrible things” Merlyn was at the thought of using it. Diggle has always been more pragmatic and less willing to accept things like metahumans and mystical powers and Oliver takes those things more in stride. If Thea were just reacting to “normal” trauma in her past through violence like both Oliver and Laurel have done Thea and Diggle might have a point in comparing her to Season 1 Oliver (which Diggle worked hard to check at every turn, something he is not doing now) but they are forgetting one important element: Lazarus Pit!

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    1. There have been some hints in interviews that this is going to be a much darker season for him where he is not going to be the rock solid moral center. I think we saw the beginning of that this episode.

      It's really interesting to see Dig hold a grudge because we really haven't seen him this mad at anyone in the show. Oh, sure, he loathed Deadshot and wanted him dead. But that was a clear-cut enemy. Now we are watching him push away the people he loves and lie to Oliver because he's holding onto anger. That's not gonna be good for him and I wish he would listen to Lyla (YOUR WIFE IS SMART, DIGGLE.)

      It's much more difficult to integrate things that our loved ones do to deeply hurt us into the whole of who they are and continue to love them even while we really hate their actions. I think Diggle will get there but I also think we are going to see him committing many of the sins he is angry at Oliver for...

      AMEN. AND THIS A THOUSAND TIMES.

      I can also see how both Thea and Diggle are not taking her behaviour as seriously as Oliver is. He has the benefit of coming back after an absence and noticing a change whereas the team might miss it because it has been happening so gradually.

      I really liked that aspect of the episode -- that whole thing that happens when you've been removed from a situation, you can see clearer than the people who have been in it. But of course, Dig and Thea (and even Felicity) are resistant a bit to the idea that something is wrong. Dig is still mad and Thea is still a sibling (I don't like it when my siblings tell me things about myself that are true either, girl!) so it's understandable that they wouldn't take this Oliver-comes-back-and-starts-pointing-things-out very well.

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  3. Other little things:
    - Capt Lance working for Darkh is horrifying and completely takes the power out of any lecturing or blaming he wants to throw Oliver's way. He has totally lost any moral high ground by getting into the HIVE. I really want to see how that came about explored in the flashbacks this year. How the heck did that happen? How did the despair really settle in?
    - Oliver might be more light-hearted this year but as soon as he realises he is facing Damian Dhark he doesn't hesitate to shoot him in the chest and keep shooting until it is clear that it won't work.
    - Laurel holds a great deal of tension in her body when interacting with her father or the team. (The are in tense times but she tends to toughness and tension I think.) The only time we see her warm up was when interacting briefly with the child she saved. It was nice to see that aspect of her character make a quick appearance since we haven't seen it much since season 1.
    - I'm glad Laurel and Thea have been living together. It is a logical move and I really want to see that interaction.
    - Even if we can't have any appearances by Walter Steele I'm glad they are still mentioning him. Keep the hope alive!
    - Interesting that Diggle says Lyla is a better person than he is when she has always been presented as the one more willing to deal in moral ambiguity. Maybe that very flexibility is what has helped her see Oliver's point of view and let her anger go. Diggle's very rock-ness and stability could very well break him this season by becoming rigidity and bullheadedness. I love to see character traits shown as both strengths and weaknesses.
    - We get to see the big bad right away and what a villain he is. Ra's seemed to be wrapped up in old archaic mindsets and ways of doing things (he is from another century and it felt like it.) But Damian is very creepy and seems to move with the times easily. Snazzy suits, lots of tech, political thinker, quiet threats followed through will very little ceremony. I think we still have yet to see what his real goals are. Why the heck does he care whether Star City lives or dies? I look forward to seeing what he's about.
    - Once again I wonder why the heck Amanda Waller is wasting her time with Oliver Queen when she presumably has a very well-trained and outfitted secret organisation at her disposal. I don't hold high hopes for flashbacks really gripping me but I was glad to hear the producers say they won't all deal with Oliver this season.
    - Yes, their brunch friends seemed really irritating. I mean, I love my slow cooker but seriously annoying conversation. Maybe what was most irritating was how shallow they seemed. The moment of asking to see the ring seemed like the only really friendly moment.
    - The whole “change in your bones” seems ominous to me to. Anyone who argues one can't truly and deeply change is automatically more than a little scary to me. It's an evil thought in my opinion.
    - Felicity seems to be a little lighter too or maybe just more at peace like Oliver. I can't wait to see her kicking butt and taking names as CEO. AMAZING DRESSES as usual.

    It definitely feels like a new show this season. Oliver seems much more at ease and at peace with himself and finally seems to be making decisions out of something other than pain, Diggle looks to be making some questionable choices, we met the big bad right off the bat in ep 1. We still got a big death this episode but we didn't see it like we did with Sara and we are left wondering what is going to happen in 6 months. Clever way to gently torture your audience, writers. I know that writers get a kick out of that. I'm sure of it.

    Well, I guess you now also have my ridiculously long comments again too. Hope you don't mind :)

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    1. I was legit shocked at Lance's involvement and now I want to know HOW he got involved with Darhk. This isn't going to end well for him and he has to know that, in his heart. Ugh.

      Oliver might be more light-hearted this year but as soon as he realises he is facing Damian Dhark he doesn't hesitate to shoot him in the chest and keep shooting until it is clear that it won't work.

      The ONLY element of the episode I didn't like. Okay, Oliver. If you shoot one arrow and it doesn't work and then two... WHY ARE YOU GOING TO TRY ALL OF THE ARROWS?

      I'm glad Laurel and Thea have been living together. It is a logical move and I really want to see that interaction.

      Seriously I want to see more of this. I'm glad they've been living together because it totally does make sense -- they were practically going to be in-laws at one point and even though we haven't seen much by way of their relationship on screen, this makes me happy.

      Once again I wonder why the heck Amanda Waller is wasting her time with Oliver Queen when she presumably has a very well-trained and outfitted secret organisation at her disposal.

      Amanda Waller is just so blegh to me these days. They're probably going to bring her back IRL at some point (like they made Hong Kong suddenly "relevant" at the end of the season) and mehhhhh. Far more interesting characters than her on this show.

      I'm so glad it feels like a new show. I was getting a bit bogged down with the angst and drama of the old Arrow.

      We still got a big death this episode but we didn't see it like we did with Sara and we are left wondering what is going to happen in 6 months. Clever way to gently torture your audience, writers. I know that writers get a kick out of that. I'm sure of it.

      Agreed 100000%.

      WELCOME BACK, BB!!!! I love your ridiculously long comments and I'm so glad to have them to read the rest of the season. ;)

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    2. About shooting more arrows at Damian, I just figured that Oliver knows a little bit about Damian's powers (he certainly hints at it later in the lair). Also, we know that Damian is not impervious to harm. Diggle managed to knock him out briefly when saving Oliver. I think Oliver was seeing that Damian could stop one arrow but wanted to push it to see if he could stop multiple arrows moving quickly and then maybe Damian would miss one and it would get through.

      The hand to hand combat between Oliver and Damian was wonderful I wanted to add.

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  4. Slade stormed the Glades with his minions hahahahahaha. Yes, I missed you!!!

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    1. *curtsies* *brushes shoulders off*

      THANK YOU! It's good to be back. ;)

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  5. Yay! Arrow is back, and it's great to have you back too!

    What a start to the season! One of my favourite things this episode was Oliver and Felicity, every time they were on screen together it was cuteness overload and I was squeeing at the screen in excitement. The way they were so in sync with each other was a joy to see and what I had hoped for with them going forward as a couple. I agree that the MVP was Stephen Amell, I loooved this lighter Oliver and it's great to see how much he has progressed. Just the way he talked wasn't filled with the weight of the world on his shoulders, it was so refreshing to watch and made S3 feel like a distant memory.

    Darhk is a very interesting and terrifying villain, he is not messing about! I have no idea how Team Arrow are going to go about defeating him and I am really surprised about Captain Lance working with him - so many questions!

    Diggle was absolutely excellent this episode too, I love his dynamic in the Team and the contrast with his home life and then his relationship with Oliver, they have definitely started S4 off with a good base for Diggle and I'm interested to see the developments with HIVE.
    I'm still not concentrating so much when the flashbacks come up, breaking up the flow of nice present day scenes however my attention was certainly fixed when the flashforward came up - the graveyard scene certainly threw me, I'm dreading that it's Felicity!

    Meeta x

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    1. Welcome back, Meeta! I'm so glad Arrow has returned to my life.

      The way they were so in sync with each other was a joy to see and what I had hoped for with them going forward as a couple.

      It was so adorable to see her working at her computer and then him just walking around with his hand on her and kissing the top of her head. They're still the exact same team they were before -- better together and totally in sync -- with an added layer of cuteness and the removal of angst. I'm so happy.

      they have definitely started S4 off with a good base for Diggle and I'm interested to see the developments with HIVE.

      I'm really excited for Diggle's arc this year! It's really going to be one that challenges him on a different level than last year. :)

      the graveyard scene certainly threw me, I'm dreading that it's Felicity!

      Ehhhhhh I'm not worried, which either makes me naive or far too optimistic. ;) From a writing standpoint (which is the only standpoint I can speak to) it would make less than zero sense to kill Felicity. The writers know she's the fan favorite. That would be like killing Hook on Once Upon A Time or killing off Schmidt on New Girl.

      Amell has talked about Game of Thrones in relation to character deaths and surprises, but Arrow is no Game of Thrones. GOT has like, fifty characters. No one is safe on that show because everyone is pretty much expendable. That's not the case on Arrow. With a small cast to begin with (having gotten smaller in the absence of Colton now), they don't really have the space to do something like GOT. Also, GOT kills off people for shock value a lot (from what I know, having never seen it) and shock -- in their case -- draws people closer to the show.

      I'm not saying Arrow would never kill off Felicity (or Dig or Thea), but what I can say is that from a business standpoint, I don't think the network executives would see that as anything other than a suicide mission for the show. (And don't forget, the producers have to pitch things directly to the heads of networks before they get the green light to make any decisions anyway.)

      ANYWAY all of that to say that at the end of the day, this show is still a business. And I think that it would be the worst business decision in human history to throw away money, time, talent, and fans by killing Felicity.

      THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT!

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  6. Agreed, always look forward to your reviews.

    I like my Arrow dark and twisty so I'm really glad that Star City is going to really go down the tubes this season, if episode 1 is any indication, and take Lance and Diggle (and Thea?) with it. I guess everyone's going to have to give up being holier-than-thou to Oliver, aren't they? Wonder if the darkness will suck in Felicity as well?

    I can understand Oliver wanting a normal life but I'm glad they got out of the suburbs. Felicity has the right idea on that one, and I like that she's been working with the team all along.

    I absolutely hated Oliver's sappy Green Arrow speech, why on earth would he take over the emergency broadcast network like that. Horrible horrible sappy crap.

    I hope dark Oliver and Amanda Waller have some kind of awful affair in the flashbacks.

    I am bad.

    --Elizabeth

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    1. Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for your comment! :D

      if episode 1 is any indication, and take Lance and Diggle (and Thea?) with it. I guess everyone's going to have to give up being holier-than-thou to Oliver, aren't they?

      SUCH a good point. They're going to have to stop being hypocrites and projecting their own guilt and problems onto Oliver and making him a scapegoat.

      I can understand Oliver wanting a normal life but I'm glad they got out of the suburbs. Felicity has the right idea on that one, and I like that she's been working with the team all along.

      I agree -- Arrow is more fun when there are bad guys to chase and crimes to stop and occasional things to blow up. While I loved the contrast of Starling vs. their suburb (and the darkness vs. the light, which I could write an entire paragraph about), I'm quite glad that we are back. :)

      Thanks for your comment!

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  7. And -- thanks for your response -- I definitely like to check back in! I guess I just like that the team is *so* good in a crunch situation. Real life, probably not so much. I bet Olicity could stay together forever in the Arrowcave, and would last a year or two in the suburbs...

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