TV Show Reviews 01/03/2016 - 03/03/2016

Because of work I have decided to review TV shows all together in these one uploads a week. They will be similar to my quick reviews in that I will list what I liked and disliked in bullet points and you can find out what shows I review by looking at the labels attached to this upload.

The Flash Season Two: Potential Energy

 

Run Flash Run!!

While Joe and Iris try to get closer to the newly arrived Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) Barry has to deal with a Meta Human who is his worst kind of opponent; Russell Glosson AKA The Turtle (Aaron Douglas) who has the power to slow down time.

 

Highlights

• The Turtle was such an awesome villain in this episode because not only was he a really threat to the Flash he was really cam sold me on being this psychopathic killer. The effects of him slowing down everything was great and I loved the reveal that Cisco has been tracking down Meta Humans where not even aware of yet.
• The interactions between Joe and Wally where a really highpoint and created some really tense drama moments between the two. I liked that that there is a rocky road ahead of them; we get to see them build their relationship rather than be instant father and son. Plus they did address Joe's faults in not being there for his son because he did throw sick wife out and faked her death; the things Wally said where harsh but overall there where not untrue and I am glad he brought them up.
• The backstory on Zoom was so needed because Zoom has been lacking in development lately because he just hasn't been the focus that much but we finally learned more about him. Liked that Tom Cavanagh was the one to say the story because being such a great actor he made it so horrifying to hear, really enforcing Zoom as this unstoppable nightmare.
• Finally the Reverse Flash is back baby!!! As a massive fan of comics I just knew he couldn't be gone for two long and I can't wait until next episode which will be all about me fav DC villain. Also while Tom Cavanagh was perfect as Eobard Thawne I can't wait to see Matt Letscher shine as him because he was also good in the short time we saw him in Season One.

Let Downs

• Wells killing the Turtle because while there was this really cool and dark speech explaining his motivations why did they have to kill off such a great villain?

 Other

• This is stuff from the episode that isn't a big highlight or let down but I want to point them out anyway and first is the reveal the Jay is suffering from a fatal illness. I wish they explained a little bit more about this but they are probably saving it for future episodes to give him more to do; I really like Jay in this but the writers have bee ignoring him quite a bit. Also while I was unsure about him and Caitlin I guess its been handled really well so far.
• I'm not really sure what to make of Patty leaving Central City, I doubt she's gone for good but this means we won't see her that much anymore. I did like there screen time in this like Barry struggling to reveal his secret while also terrified of what Zoom will do but I just hope Barry does just tell her and make her stay rather than just wasting off this relationship.   

Overall a great midseason return with a great villain for the Flash but also some great character moments for the West family.

 

SCORE: 9/10

 

Arrow Season Four: Blood Debts

 

"Party time"

Oliver goes on a rampage when Damien's last attack leaves Felicity paralyzed in the hospital while also having to have to deal with the return of Anarky.

 

Highlights

• The return of Anarky because so far I think he has been an awesome villain in Season Four! I really like is insane and sadistic personality (helped by that creepy clear mask), it was cool how we saw his symbol drawn in blood and just like last time we got some awesome fight scenes from him. Seriously his fight with Oliver and Thea with his staff weapon was so great to see and a fine example of how good the fight scenes are I Arrow.
• This part is actually a continuation of the first one but I also really liked the connection Thea and Anarky seem to have. I know I have bashed Thea a bit this season but during the break I re watched the first half of Season Four and she is better than I initially thought. She has been doing way better than Laurel (will get to her in the let downs) because at least the writers are making more of an effort with her e.g. relationship with Malcolm, bloodlust and its effect on Damien and now her connection with Anarky. I hope Anarky continues his obsession with Thea and becomes like her nemesis.
• Oliver was really great in this episode because it is almost like his return to his more darker ways in Season One such as killing the Ghosts and freeing Anarky. Good job from Stephen Amell for going back to this darker side and struggling with Felicity's condition.

Let Downs

• Laurel was a real drag in this episode because from the beginning of the Season until now (with the exception of her small team up with Malcolm) all she seems to do is get in the way and make all the wrong decisions. I really liked her in Season Three because I enjoyed seeing her transition into becoming a vigilante but it seems there is nothing relevant for her to do now. I would like it if the writers gave her a recurring nemesis to concentrate on like Thea has Anarchy; Count Vertigo could have been hers but they have yet to bring him back.
• I also didn't care much for Diggle's moments with his brother because I don't know just have one beating Andy decides to give up some info. I mean what is the deal with Andy? Is he under Damien's control or did he join of his own free will?
• Finally after Damien's brutal attack on Oliver last episode he was barely featured in this episode. Sure they needed room for the return of Anarky which I really enjoyed but I just think he could have done more. Plus his fight scene with Oliver could have been better, there was an obvious blur for his stunt double and his excuse to let Oliver go was kind of weak to me.

Other

• The Flashbacks did get interesting with the reveal that Oliver's tattoo has interested the Baron and we also got to see what the prison looked like before. However once again these Flashbacks could be way better because they need to pick up the plot a bit; the best Flashback this season was the one with Constantine because there was just so much going on.
• As for the funeral scene it was obvious it was never going to be Felicity and it is now confirmed however I really hope it doesn't turn out to be Quentin or Diggle because I think the show would really suffer for that. Who I hope it is, is either Roy because his actor wants to focus more on film or Donna because those two I think are two characters would cry and be that angry for.

Overall not as strong as the Flash return but Anarky really stole the show for me.

SCORE: 7/10          

 

 

Legends Of Tomorrow: Pilot Part 1

 

In the year 2166 Vandal Savage has conquered the world so time traveller Rip Hunter returns to 2016 to form a team that can combat Savage across multiple time periods. This team includes the Atom, White Canary, Firestorm, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

 

Highlights

• The whole dystopian future, the Time Masters and time traveling was handled really well and fits in the overall DC TV universe. Praise especially goes to Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter because he worked alongside the cast perfectly and has the real charisma for the leader.
• It was great seeing characters from Arrow and the Flash again and seeing them work and interact together such as Ray and Stein geek out over time travel. As I have said before Ray is one of my favourite characters and I liked his conversation with Oliver about how he believed he never made a difference before he "died", a nice sympathetic moment for The Atom. The fun surprise came with Sara forming a friendship with Leonard and Mick which gave us some really funny scenes and I hope these three stick together a lot now.
• Loved the moments with Kendra and Carter because like I said on their appearance in Arrow and Flash, besides a few differences from the comics, their story arc with Savage has been perfect. I really love watching their story arc and some of the strongest scenes came from them such as them fighting to decide to go or not or meeting their son and watching him die.
• Finally glad to see Cronus who is a Atom villain in the comics; he looks so badass and I look forward to seeing more of him. Plus quite the twist he works for the Time Masters, I thought he worked for Savage when watching the trailers.

Let Downs        

•  Waaaaaaaay too much exposition from Rip Hunter and other characters and I wished they spent less time on it or better yet tell it through some Flashbacks like on Arrow.
• Jackson was a weak link in this because I really don't get where all this doubt and reluctance to fight came from?

 

Other

• Reverse Flash says he is from a 150 years in the future so why did he never mentioned that Savage has taken it over? Could it be possible that Malcolm changed the timeline somehow when he took Savage's ashes?
• Wish there was more of Savage because he was a great villain but since this is part 1 I hope he is in part 2 more.

Overall an awesome start to the series and I can see this going for ages and being an epic TV show!

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

The Flash "Running To Stand Still" Arrow "Dark Waters" Supergirl "Hostile Takeover" Quick Reviews

I have just been so busy at work lately because of Star Wars (I work at a cinema) that I have no time to review these episodes individually. So here are some quick reviews and if I find that work keeps me too busy even after Star Wars it may have to always be like this.

The Flash Season Two: Running To Stand Still

The Weather Wizard returns to Central City and frees Captain Cold and the original Trickster from Iron Heights for a team up against the Flash meanwhile Joe and Iris get a surprise when Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) arrives at their home.

Highlights

• Return of Weather Wizard and the Trickster and their villain team up! These two where great villains last season and it was good to see them again, especially Mark FREAKING Hamill! Whenever he is on screen he is always the centre of attention with his over - the - top performance which is handled really well; he does it in a way that it doesn't feel annoying or out of place. Loved the fights scene between Weather Wizard and the Flash, the Weather Wizard's flying ability was awesome to see.
• Joe's subplot in handling the reveal that Wally West is his son because it was probably his best character arc and performance all season. We got some really heart - wrenching scenes with Joe and I'm glad we got a glimpse of Wally, who fans of the comics know plays a large role.
• The opening with Zoom attacking Wells came out of no where and it is going to be a nice twist with Wells being forced to help Zoom now. I bet all the characters are going to turn on him when they find out which will be a shame because he isn't evil he just hasn't got a choice.

Let - Downs

• Captain Cold was completely wasted probably because they want to save him for LOT, this was annoying because I really would have liked him to have been a part of the conflict. I'll say again I really hope that they don't play Cold as too much of a hero because I want him to eventually be the leader of the Rouges.
• Patty's subplot with Weather Wizard was predictable and boring because I knew how it was going to play out from the beginning. Didn't like how far she was going to go for her revenge (like trapping the Flash), I felt her conflict with Weather Wizard was just forced in the plot and I bet it will never come up or play any importance again.

Overall an awesome Christmas themed episode in which Weather Wizard and the Trickster completely stole the show

SCORE: 8/10

Arrow Season Four: Dark Waters

Things turn even more brutal when Damien steps up his attacks on the city and even targets Oliver at his mayoral party.

Highlights

• Damien stole it because he was the centre of attention this episode; we got to see him interact with other HIVE members, we saw a glimpse of his family and he lost his cool and suffered his first defeat. The guy just grabs your attention every time he is on screen like when he attacked the Christmas party or showed Oliver his gas chamber. His fight with Malcolm was a standout (glad it was him to beat Damien first) and we saw more of his power like his force choke and possibly a resurrection spell?
• The Malcolm and Laurel team up was really good because with their shared past over Sara's death these two characters have a nice chemistry going on. They kicked ass with their assault on HIVE and it was cool to see more Canary Cry and Malcolm dressed as the Green Arrow. Also Quentin's reaction and interactions with Malcolm where great as well and I do like his pairing with Donna.
• Diggle's interactions with his brother where good because this defiantly gives his character more to work with and a unique arc that is more his own.
• The ending left us on such a cliff hanger that I really want to see what happens next. Could Felicity be dead? It would be a nice twist if she did (don't like her pairing with Oliver) but I guess she won't because the people behind the show probably don't have the balls to anger the OliverxFelicity fans.

Let - Downs

• The Flashbacks where a disappointment because they teased a shark yet we didn't get to see it fight Oliver. Plus it didn't feel like anything really major happened and it looks like Oliver's time as a spy in the Baron's camp is over so soon. 

Overall a really dark mid season finale with a major cliff hanger for year also thought I'd say this is more of an annoyance than a let down but I hated Felicity trying to title every "Holiday" instead of Christmas. It is freaking Christmas time, I have always hated people who don't call it such and I have no idea why she playing the Jewish thing so much, it annoyed me that she was pushing it on everything.

SCORE: 8/10

Supergirl Season One: Hostile Takeover

Astra returns to challenge Supergirl and her beliefs about her mother meanwhile Cat may be removed as CEO of CatCo when a hacker exposes her private emails.

Highlights

• The fights scenes this episode where something really amazing and such a great way to end the mid season. The flying fight between Supergirl and Astra was done so well with them flying through buildings and causing so much havoc. Then there was the attack on Lord Industries and it was awesome seeing so much Krytonians fighting at once and they brought two others aliens as well. Maxwell and Henshaw really shined as well with Maxwell trying to take them on with his special gun and Henshaw displaying some of his powers.
• Henshaw's line " My telepathy doesn't work on Krytonians, which Superman finds hilarious" is probably the best line I've heard all season lol.
• Cat had such great development this episode with her warming up more to Kara, her willingness to sacrifice herself for the greater good and her past about a son she gave up when she was younger. Then of course there was her working out Supergirl's identity which really showed her intelligence and shrewdness.
• I like that we got to know more about Astra, her attempts to discredit Alura, the Flashbacks and the reveal that she has a husband however......

Let - Downs

•  ........Astra herself just isn't that much of a compelling villain. She doesn't really stand out to much in opinion and I didn't like her cliché wanting to be caught plot. This isn't too much of a let - down because I feel that she can be a really good character in the future.
• While I liked Kara, James and Winn working together to bring down Dirk I didn't like James and Winn butting heads over Kara and the typical becoming friends at the end.

Overall my favourite episode of the season so far with some great character development and action scenes.

SCORE: 8/10 


The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Arrow Season Four: Legends Of Yesterday

"We should really get together more often"

Team Arrow and Team Flash try to protect Hawkman and Hawkgirl from Vandal Savage while the rest of their comrades try to come up with a way to defeat the immortal.

You know I bet when Arrow Season One started with a simple overall plot of one man trying to destroy the city I bet it didn't think it would have elements like immortality and reincarnation in the future lol. The Hawkgirl/Hawkman subplot continues and this time we get Flashbacks to ancient Egypt where their troubles began and it was handled so well like the amazing set and costumes. Again while their are a few changes (like Savage being in Egypt when he got his immortally from the meteorite as a caveman) I praise how closely they are sticking to the comic book origins of Hawkgirl/Hawkman. I liked how nicely they tied Savage's origins to them such as his need to kill them to sustain his powers rather than through his blood sacrifices in the comics, they made it make sense. Again all three characters are so good such as Carter having all of the past lives knowledge so he is more of a rash trainer because he already knows how it goes, Kendra going through the motions of such a burden but finding her courage in the end and Savage's impressive and menacing presence to the heroes. Loved the two fights between Savage and the heroes because again they used such great special effects like when Savage killed all of the heroes and destroyed the whole city! I also liked the final scene with Malcolm retrieving Savage's ashes probably to restore his body because first I knew even as ashes it wouldn't be the end of Savage and secondly it was such a Malcolm thing for him to do, double - crossing the heroes for his own ends.

This is how it all started

As for everything else time travel was brought back which was a surprise I never saw coming! Like the first time it was shown it was used in such a way that it didn't feel too convenient for Barry to exploit it. This is because when we saw the ghost even Barry didn't know what it meant which increases are sense of danger for them confronting Savage and when Barry does go back in time he changes just the right things. These are just Kendra finding her confidence, fixing the gloves and Oliver bringing everyone to the battle; it didn't feel too OP it felt like they did enough just for a fighting chance. Now since this is still an Arrow episode Oliver got more spotlight this time and that involved the subplot with his son and unlike the Well's subplot last episode this one fit in the overall plot a more nicely. Amell really was great in these scenes because it gave Oliver some really intense and emotionally confusing moments to deal with and he handled it brilliantly. I am looking forward to Oliver having more interactions with his son and how it effects him I future Arrow episodes, though I am slightly disappointed his son isn't named Connor Hawk like he is in the comics (maybe it's his middle name?). As for the let downs I found Felicity to be so annoying in Oliver's subplot, I mean couldn't she just keep her nose out of it because this was something emotional big for Oliver and I just hated her when she confronted him about it in the old timeline. Sorry I don't know about anyone else but since Oliver only really just found out he was a father I just really wished he told Felicity to shut up and mind her own business. Finally the pacing this episode was a lot more slower than the last one, especially during the scenes at the farmhouse which reminded me so much of Avengers 2.

"Ok birds lets get this over with"

Overall maybe not as good as part one but this nevertheless was still a strong Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Savage episode and a good set up for Legends Of Tomorrow.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Savage plot/Flashbacks
                   Good use of time travel
                   Oliver subplot

Let - Downs: Felicity really annoyed me
                      Slower pace  

               
The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/          

The Flash Season Two: Legends Of Today

Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) and Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) both set their sights on Kendra for their own purposes so Team Flash asks Team Arrow for help meanwhile Wells develops a serum that could improve Barry's speed.

I have been so looking forward to these crossover episodes, especially since we have had a week break from Arrow and Flash and so far it did not disappoint. You know what is the best part of a crossover? watching the interactions between Team Flash and Team Arrow when they have to work together. Like the rivalry between Felicity and Cisco, the reactions of Diggle has he tries to wrap his head around the Meta Humans in Central City and easily Barry and Oliver rely on each other which makes you think their shows have always been combined. It is nice to see that the cast of both of these shows feels so comfortable around each other that these crossovers don't feel forced at all. Now on to the events and we have got three new additions to the cast; Kendra (who is now properly Hawkgirl) Hawkman and Vandal Savage and this was a awesome episode for the debut of all three. First off Casper Crump as Savage was just really, really good; he brought a lot of threatening charisma to the character and I enjoyed watching his attacks on Team Flash and Arrow. Again they are doing a really good job of introducing magic now, first with Damien and now with Savage who now brings immortally which is a real step up. I also liked that his story tied in so closely with Hawkgirl and Hawkman's plot and that there is another praise; I was really impressed with the Hawkgirl/Hawkman subplot because it felt like it was ripped right out of the comics, they just followed it so closely! Hawkgirl was the bigger standout because we got to see her realising her true self and gaining her wings and we really got to see struggling with that in every scene. Hawkman kind of felt shoved in out of no where for the plot but I am not going to mark that down because he still made a really impressive debut, Falk Hentschel did an awesome job and as I already said his plot with Hawkgirl was a standout.

As for everything else the fight scenes in this episode where truly damn awesome!! Everyone one of them where just so great like Green Arrow and Flash vs. Hawkman (them two fighting a flying enemy was great) and their fight against Savage for the staff of Horus, loved that fight because the effects where just so cool! A let down however was the fact that Malcolm was in this episode (his first crossover one!) and we didn't get to see him fight at all which was a real shame. Since this was an immortal being they where facing I thought this would be defiantly be more up the League's street but they weren't as involved as they should have been. Another let down was the plot involving Well's serum for Barry; it was nice to see they haven't forgotten about Zoom even in the crossover and it was good seeing Jay again but it really was just a distraction from the main plot. I just got annoyed because again if Patty wasn't just kept in the dark about everything her shooting Wells could have been avoided and Joe didn't even bother to tell her with this perfect opportunity again. Finally this isn't a let down I just wanted to say I enjoyed that Damien got a little role at the beginning with his HIVE forces vs. Team Arrow, and useful new trick arrow too.

Overall a great part one for the crossover over which perfectly brought the Hawkgirl/Hawkman plot from the comics to live action.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Team Flash and Team Arrow working together
                   Awesome fight scenes
                   debut of Savage and Hawkgirl/Hawkman plot

Let - Downs: Malcolm and the League should have played a bigger part
                      Didn't car much for the serum subplot

Again sorry that there is no images for this episode but screencapped is undergoing maintenance.        

Arrow Season Four: Brotherhood

As Team Arrow continues to battle HIVE Diggle makes a shocking discovery and Thea's bloodlust returns.

Wow just wow! After the episode last week that I considered to be the worst of Season Four they now gave us one that is probably the best of the season. You already know of course that this was Diggle focused ep but what I liked about it from the start is that this showed he has completely gotten over what Oliver did in Season Three and he has got this new character arc for him. Even with the events of last season Diggle has always been the rock of the team but this one showed his real vulnerable side probably for the first time in the show as he deals with the return of his brother as a HIVE Ghost. I mean Diggle had some truly emotional moments where he was fighting back tears with what his brother has become and deciding in the end to choose his new family of Team Arrow rather than Andy who did some horrible things e.g. the cool moment where he saved his "green brother". Since Andy is captured this will probably be something Diggle has to deal with for a while but I wonder what they are going to do with him now? Continuing on with this subplot we also learn more about HIVE and the fact that the Ghost are all under the influence of a drug which makes them follow orders and breaks down their DNA. It might be the drug in the Flashbacks so I'll guess we'll wait for that conformation but I wonder if Team Arrow will focus their effects on destroying the supply after the crossover episodes? As for Damien he had some really awesome and threatening scenes such as the one his one with Quentin about Laurel and when he met Oliver during his campaign speech. Then of course there was the ending where Oliver chose to confront Damien in the light rather than infiltrate HIVE like he did with the League in Season Three and while I commend Oliver for this I wonder if it is a good idea. The look on Damien's face during the speech makes me think he really suspects Oliver is the Green Arrow now and he could either target his family or run for mayor himself, now that could be interesting to see.

As for everything else finally, finally Thea's bloodlust subplot is getting interesting because before her confrontation with Damien I didn't care but afterwards it got good. Her making Damien's powers backfire on him (probably because of the Pit) was a development I have been waiting for; finally a relevant twist to the bloodlust that doesn't feel like a waste of time. Now Thea can be useful and I am looking forward to seeing what she and Malcolm are going to come up with to exploit it. Then there was Ray's subplot which was really good where he had to struggle with finding his place in the world and that's not running his company. Of course this is all set up for LOT but it gave him a small little character arc and then there was him suiting up as ATOM to kick some ass at the end which is what I wanted to see! Finally the Flashbacks look like they good be getting more interesting because Oliver now has a real mission and I liked the mysterious twig magic Reiter did; makes me think we can see more magic out of him like Damien and Constantine. Before I finish I got to say that the fights scenes in this episode where some of the best ever! I heard they got the stunt coordinator James Bamford to direct and he did an awesome job, the fight scenes weren't just a butch of quick cuts they stayed on the action. For example they really showed Black Canary kicking ass in the beginning after her scream and then there was Thea's super, damn, awesome fight with Andy in the elevator, that was edge of you seat stuff.

Overall this was just a perfect episode in my opinion, maybe Oliver as Green Arrow took a backseat but it didn't suffer for it because it was supposed to be more about Diggle anyway.

SCORE: 10/10

Highlights: A strong Diggle episode
                   Great subplots for Thea and Ray
                   Damien and more info on HIVE
                   They truly epic fight scenes


Screencapped is undergoing maintenance right now.

Arrow Season Four: Lost Souls

"I wish I was big"

Team Arrow work to try and free the trapped Ray from Damien meanwhile Felicity's mom visits again and Sara goes back out into the field.

 

You know I was really looking forward to the return of Ray AKA The Atom because he was my favourite character in Season Three but this episode was kind of a disappointment overall. To start off with what I did like I loved seeing Donna back because it is so fun to see how awkward she makes Felicity. I did like the heart to heart they shared because we got to learn a bit more about their past, I liked how much contact Oliver with her and how that surprised Felicity but the biggest surprise was the moment Donna had with Quentin at the end! If a romantic subplot does develop between these two characters then I say go ahead because it will be something completely new for Quentin and we might get some nice funny moments if the other characters find out lol. I also really enjoyed the two break - ins Team Arrow did because I liked how they where both heist style raids and it was cool that they brought Curtis to the last one. They fight scene between Team Arrow and HIVE was really awesome to watch and of course its also great to see more of Damien's powers; the way he quickly overpowered Green Arrow makes me wonder how they are going to beat him? We also got a look at some weird table thing that Damien wants to power up using the data they got from the ATOM suit but I still have no idea what his plan is yet so this really just fuels my curiosity.

 

Get in there Quentin!

Now on to what I didn't like and the first one being that Ray and Sara where completely underused in this episode. I wanted there to be more scenes with Ray and maybe the Flashbacks this episode could have been used to show what he has been up to the past six months because they weren't that interesting this episode. Plus he didn't even get to have one little fight after they rescued him; they might be saving some action with him for next episode but I wanted a little teaser now! As for Sara I feel like the writers have no idea what to do with her until Legends of Tomorrow because they again just skimmed over her return from the dead. I mean she let her mother know she was alive over the freaking phone, I really would have preferred if she came back and then Sara just left at the end; just like with Henry Allen in The Flash I think this was poorly handled and their excuses just not good enough. Another reason she didn't do that good is because of the stupid bloodlust subplot that she shares with Thea and I just really, really have lost all interest in it at this point; they haven't done enough to make me really care anymore and it just feels shoved in every episode as a reminder. Finally while the conflict between Oliver and Felicity was understandable, made some good points and the dialogue was alright I just felt like it dragged on and on until it dominated most of the episode.  

"Hey how about we form our own group with just us three?"

Overall the weakest episode of Arrow so far in my opinion mainly because of how underused Ray and Sara where and I really only liked half of what was going on. 

 

SCORE: 5/10

 

Highlights: Return on Donna/Possible her and Quentin romance?

                   The two heist style raids

                   Badass Damien

 

Let - Downs: Ray and Sara where underused

                      Don't care about the Sara/Thea bloodlust issue anymore

                      Flashbacks

                      The Oliver and Felicity conflict just took over the whole episode

 

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/  

Arrow Season Four: Haunted

"I'm back!"

Laurel comes clean with the rest of Team Arrow after Sara goes on a rampage so Oliver contacts an old friend, John Constantine (Matt Ryan), for help in saving Sara's soul.

Arrow sure stepped into the realm of magic in a big way with the guest appearance of Constantine and he did not disappoint. I didn't see the short lived Constantine series but everyone praised Ryan's performance and I can see why because he is faithful to his comic counterpart in personality, humour, the way he acts around the rest of the characters and how he comes across as a selfless guy with the way he helped Team Arrow but you can just tell he has a murky past. I'm glad however that they didn't waste too much time on Constantine's backstory they just tied him in nicely to the present and flashback storylines. The Flashbacks really improved this episode because thanks to Constantine we have a better understanding of what the bad guys are up to and we had a nice treasure hunt with him and Oliver. Then there was the present story line and that trip to the "other side" Constantine, Oliver and Laurel took was really cool (and again increases the supernatural element of the show) with them fighting the souls of the deceased League members and those gory, zombie - looking hands that where holding Sara. The let downs for this story line however was that overall Constantine really wasn't in it that much and I think that could have been improved by trimming down some of the scenes with Sara hunting Thea and capturing her; I mean honestly that went on for way too long! Then there was the fact that Sara's reunion with her family could have been a lot more better and had more emotional impact; she didn't even say anything to anybody and it was only mentioned by Quentin and Laurel how she was coping with just coming back. Laurel however was a bit better this episode (even though she doesn't seem to care people are dead because she brought Sara back) with the way she stood up to Oliver for when he used the Pit on Thea.

Don't let go Laurel!

As for everything else I really enjoyed the team up with Quentin and Diggle because they where two characters that haven't had much interaction with each other. I liked that Diggle didn't trust Quentin at first because of his ties to HIVE but was willing to let that slide for the greater good and I liked how Quentin saved Diggle from the guards by pretending to arrest him. Quentin also got some info out of Darhk which revealed the truth about Diggle's brother and I wonder how this will affect him in future episodes. Two subplots that felt out of place was firstly the ones with Oliver's mayor campaign because that really was there just to introduce a new character and Felicity and Curtis scenes trying to solve Ray's message. They where alright but in the light of having a major guest star like Constantine every other subplot should have been on hold or really trimmed down like the Sara hunting for Thea so that he could have had way more screen time. However at least Felicity now knows that Ray is alive and I hope that becomes the big focus for next episode or the one after because I am tried it just being these small subplots.

"If only my last tattoo was this painless"

Overall a great introduction to Constantine in the Arrow/Flash universe and I really hope that the character appears more on both shows or even Legends of Tomorrow.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Constantine guest appearance/improved island Flashbacks
                   Magic has now been more heavily introduced/rescuing Sara's soul scenes
                   Quentin and Diggle team up

Let - Downs: Sara's reunion with her family wasn't as impactful as it should have been
                      Some subplot and scenes took too much screen time away from Constatine

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Arrow Season Four: Beyond Redemption

How will Quentin deal with this shock?

Laurel has to deal with a feral Sara when she brings her back to Star City meanwhile rouge police officers lead by Liza Warner (Rutina Wesley) are causing trouble for both Green Arrow and Quentin.
I have praised him a lot this season but Quentin, Paul Blackthorne, defiantly deserves it because he had the spotlight in this episode. He was involved in both of the major subplots and made a big contribution to both with which is probably his best performance in a episode of far in Arrow. Him finding out that Sara was alive was so well done; his initial shock at seeing her tied up in a basement, having some shred of hope when he thought she was responsive and then horror at when he had to save Laurel from her. It made for some really powerful stuff but the real emotional scene came when he took Damien's advice and tired to kill Sara, seeing it has a kind of mercy. The way he almost pulled the trigger and then broke down when he couldn't do it, again this is Blackthorne's best performance in my opinion and scene speaks for itself. Then of course he was part of the subplot to stop Warner and this is when you can tell how hard it has been for Quentin to have the double life of being a cop and working for Damien. He almost lost his faith in the city (like Oliver) after seeing the corruption in the force but managed to claw out of the darkness with a great speech that inspired both Warner and Oliver during the fight at the end. I also of course have to mention the two scenes with him and Oliver talking in his apartment because those where also some of their best scenes together. Amell was also so good because of the way he argued against Quentin, saying that for ages he has just wanted his approval and with Quentin saying how screwed he basically is working with Damien. I am glad that he and Oliver have a better relationship now because I defiantly much prefer it when they work together then against one another.

Police gear for a costume does look really cool

As for everything else the villains where really good, corrupt cops aren't anything too special but they tired in perfectly with what Quentin is going through this episode. I really enjoyed the action scenes with them; it was some awesome fighting, their special weapons where really cool and I am glad we got to see the Canary Cry again. Warner also made for a good villain because she really held her own in a fight against Green Arrow, she was really humanised as well with the way she wasn't evil but just someone desperation wanting to leave a dying city and with the way things ended I think we might see a redemption story with her in the future. Oliver's subplot at being mayor was better then I thought especially with the reveal that they are using Sebastian Blood's old office and lair (good call back to Season Two) and that they made a kickass new lair that looked really cool! His Flashbacks are still good, not a highlight or let down they are just good so far. Then there was Felicity's subplot involving Ray's last message and while I like her scenes with Curtis and I want her to find Ray they just felt really out of place this episode and just a mild distraction from the two major plots involving Quentin. Finally Laurel continues to be a weak link this season (shame because I really liked her in Season Three) because again I just think her bringing Sara back has been for selfish reasons and it is hard to sympathise with her when Quentin does a better job of it.

"I will now run this city"

Overall a near perfect episode and Quentin's best so far and I am looking forward to next week's with the arrival of John Constantine! I usually avoid spoilers and previews but him arriving has been such a big topic for this season it was hard to avoid some, like which episode he appears in.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Best Quentin episode
                   Warner and her cops where good villains
                   Oliver was also great

Let - Downs: Laurel still hasn't been that great
                      Felicity's subplot just felt too out of place

   
The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/          

Arrow Season Four: Restoration

"I always knew gambling could be dangerous but damn!"

Laurel and Thea visit Malcolm at Nanda Parbat to try and convince him to bring back Sara with the Lazarus Pit meanwhile in Star City Oliver and Diggle team up to take on Meta - Human Jeremy Tell AKA Double Down (JR Bourne) who is working for HIVE.

I love it when they bring Meta Humans on Arrow and this time Oliver actually got to fight one because it was Ray who fought Deathbolt. This episode was a really strong OTA (Original Team Arrow) episode which is good because I do miss when it was just the first three and it was thanks to Double Down who while being a straightforward villain was an awesome one. Double Down had such an cool power and his fight scenes showcasing it where so great like his first one with Oliver to a tie, his raid on Palmer Technologies and his final one with Oliver and Diggle; I really hope he appears in future episodes of Arrow or the Flash. It was also thanks to Double Down that Oliver and Diggle where finally able to mend their relationship which I am glad for because I want them to be civil with each other again like Diggle trusting Oliver with his two year mission or Oliver taking a playing card for Diggle. Plus I am glad we got to touch on Diggle's mission for vengeance against HIVE again since I expect to see quite a lot of it because to me this is supposed to be Diggle's season to really stand out and let the main storyline be about him. Felicity also had a strong subplot this episode, holding her own against Double Down though I admit a lot less gracefully lol. I like the team work between her and Curtis and I love we got to see the T - Spheres which makes me hopefully we will see Mr Terrific soon. Finally Damien really, and I mean really, stood out in this subplot and continues to impress me everything has the main villain. The way he used Double Down's own playing card to kill Fayad was so damn brutal and I agree with Double Down that Damien is terrifying and I do not want to get on the wrong side of him!

Really great line but Curtis here lol

As for everything else it is always good to see Malcolm again because he is just my favourite Arrow character and while I like Sara being back I didn't like the subplot overall. For starters I didn't like Laurel's attitude in this whole episode; when the Malcolm and Nyssa both agree not to bring Sara back then you should take that to heart! I also agree with Nyssa in that Laurel is doing this for the wrong reasons, it feels more selfish than anything else and I think it would have been better if Sara was brought back for better reasons than just Laurel wanting to. Thea also didn't fare too well because I have so far had mixed reactions about her condition and this episode didn't do a better job of making it better, she is kind of like a vampire now lol. As for Nyssa she just continues to annoy me in everything she does like destroying the Lazarus Pit, going on a rant about Sara, threatening to kill Malcolm; I just feel like she spoils everything in the end. I hope in the future Laurel or Malcolm kills her because I am just hating her now and I tell you this if Nyssa does kill Malcolm (like she threatens to) I will never forgive the show for that. Since Malcolm is a villain I know he could end up dead in a future season and I just think he defiantly deserves a better death than by Nyssa who has never had a good storyline and constantly whines all of the time. Finally the Flashbacks are decent and I want to know more of the Baron's plans but they are nothing to exciting so far, just have to give it more time.

You know in the LOT trailer Sara was naked coming out of the Pit, I feel cheated now

Overall the plot with Double Down was way better than the one in Nanda Parbat though I am glad Sara is back now.

SCORE 7/10

Highlights: Double Down
                   Strong Oliver, Diggle and Felicity storylines
                   Damien continues to be awesome
                   Return of Malcolm

Let - Downs: Laurel and Thea continue to be the weak links this season
                      Nyssa just spoils everything in the end   

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/      

Arrow Season Four: The Candidate

"Your methods are too sick even for me Anarky"

An old friend of the Queen Family, Jessica Danforth (Jeri Ryan), announces she is running for mayor which worries Oliver and Thea especially with new villain Lonnie Machin AKA Anarky on the loose meanwhile Felicity gets help from employee Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum).

This new season of Arrow continues to stay really strong and still has a better start than the Flash in my opinion. I shall start off with the debut of a major DC villain and that is Anarky and I got to say that I was really, really impressed with him. I liked that Lonnie isn't Anarky yet, he is just a smart yet extremely sadistic person, but this is his origins of how he becomes Anarky. He had such a great screen presence like when he broke the finger of that girl (kind of cringe worthy that was lol) and he had a truly awesome fight against Green Arrow; him swinging his electric baton and deflecting arrows had me on the edge of my seat. His escape at the end was really dark (painting his symbol in blood) and I hope he continues to develop strongly as a new villain. Another great part of the Anarky subplot was Jessica Danforth and she did a really great job in the role and was woven in so nicely with the Queen Family that I really believe she has been an old friend of the family. It is a shame however that she is withdrawing from being mayor because I this means Oliver is going to run for it and while I know that is a major plot line in the comics I didn't want to see it in the TV series. I mean how is he supposed to be Green Arrow when he is always in the spotlight? However his Flashbacks where a lot more interesting this episode and I am curious to see what Baron Reiter (Jimmy Akingbola) plans are and how far Oliver has to go in his army.

They finally decided to get rid of the wig in the Flashbacks

As for everything else this was also a great introduction for Curtis, who comic fans know as the hero Mr Terrific, and he worked really well with Felicity. You know I have read comments of people hating that he is gay because he isn't in the comics but all I have to say is who cares that he is? At least there won't be any weird romantic subplot between him and Felicity. As for Felcitiy this subplot with her being head of Palmer technologies definitely gives her more to work with than just being the computer support of Team Arrow. Quentin continues to be a stronger character because again he is against Team Arrow but basically leaves them alone and he is at least civil with Oliver in public. Then there was his meeting with Damien which was really intense with the threats from Damien; again praise to his actor for being so great as the villain and for his scenes with Quentin and Anarky. Finally Thea's subplot was handled a lot better this episode where we finally get to see some proper side affects of the Lazarus Pit and I completely forgot that she, Laurel and the rest of Team Arrow where never really told about the Pit. Laurel digging up Sara at the end was quite the shock but mostly for that they did it so soon, I knew she was coming back because of Legends of Tomorrow.

Now that is one way to grab everyone's attention!

Overall a really great episode and origin for a really great DC villain and the introduction of Curtis Holt.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Debut of Anarky and Jessica
                   Curtis and Felicity team up
                   Better Thea subplot and Flashbacks
                   Damien and Quentin where still great

 Let - Downs: Oliver running for mayor

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

The Arrow Season Four: Green Arrow

New season, new threads

Oliver and Felicity have been living a quiet life after leaving Starling City however Laurel and Thea arrive to ask for Oliver's help when a former League member Damien Darhk (Neal Mcdonough) shows up with his own HIVE forces.

 

I said that in my Flash review that while it's first episode of the new season was great it didn't have much of an impact however Arrow.......just WOW, it nailed it completely! I wondered how Oliver and Felicity where going to go back to the vigilante lifestyle after we spend the first five minutes with them in suburban paradise and I was surprised that it was mainly due to Felicity who has been secretly helping Team Arrow because she was bored. I liked that they didn't waste too much time bringing them back it was just like; "The city is worse than we thought and we miss the thrill, so lets get back into it.". It was enjoyable to see them come back where we see more of Felicity back to her old positive self and Oliver himself seems a lot more open and light - hearted which is a great change from the depressive tone of Season Three so good job to Amell. As for the rest of Team Arrow Diggle was a definite standout because after three seasons of being Oliver right hand man he is the most reluctant to accept him back because of how Oliver betrayed him; the bromance isn't completely back yet but we still see them working together (plus I like his costume and I don't care what anyone else says). The weak point with Team Arrow however was with Laurel and Thea and while I do really love seeing Laurel as Black Canary and Thea impressed me with her kicking ass during the truck chase they didn't leave much of an impression and felt like they where just there. We get only a one minute snippet of Thea losing control because of the Lazarus Pit but honestly I would have preferred for them to save it until it is the focus of a whole episode and not have been shoved into this one. I'm sure these two will be better when they both get an episode dedicated more to them but there just wasn't much for them in this premiere.

 



The Force is strong with this one

As for everything else the biggest standout was the introduction of Damien Darhk who was just perfectly, and I mean perfectly, cast. He had such a creepy and intimidating presence when he was on screen like his first scene where he comes out and says he is the bad guy and he wants Star City to die. Quickly want to mention Star City and they did an awesome job of making it seem worse than ever like the abandoned buildings, empty streets, the murders of leaders and the fact people just want to leave. This is of course helped by Damien and his HIVE forces who seem unstoppable and even the grunts put up a hell of a fight; they are like a high tech version of the League. Back to Damien his fight scene on the train was so damn cool and when he used his powers to catch arrows and kill with a touch it was just WTF! This is kind of explained with Damien performing a ritual near the end and I really don't know what it means yet but this is what I wanted in Arrow; more powers either through Meta Humans or the supernatural and I can't wait for more. Finally I will talk about the two biggest twists of the episode with the first one being Quentin working with Damien which is something I did not see coming. I liked Quentin in this even before that reveal because while he still doesn't support vigilantes he doesn't go overboard, its like he's "I'll do my thing, you'll do yours" but I think I am going to really like him working for Damien because this will give his character something completely new to work with than just being the cop (though I don't think he is evil or anything). Then there is the reveal that someone will die in six months which is more than a compelling reason to keep on watching. As for who it could be Felicity might seem too obvious and since Thea already died I think it could either be Quentin, Diggle or maybe even Felicity's mom? I know I haven't mentioned the Flashbacks yet but they didn't seem worth mentioning; His back on the island but we get no information as to why, I still don't like Waller and I hated she had to come back so soon and I would have preferred seeing a few episodes where the Flashbacks focus on Oliver being a rookie vigilante chasing criminals in Coast City like we saw for a bit.

 

"It's Team Diggle now, anyone have a problem with that?"

Overall Arrow was a far more impressive first episode than Flash for the new season by delivering lots of action, character development, introducing it's impressive new villain already and giving us two big twists that just hooks us into this new season straight away.            

 

 

SCORE: 9/10

 

Highlights: Oliver and Felicity's return to Team Arrow/Diggle and Oliver conflict

                   Neal Mcdonough as Damien and his mysterious powers

                   Two really big twists/Quentin was really good in this

 

Let - Downs: Laurel and Thea where the weak points in Team Arrow

                      The Flashbacks

 

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

Top 10 Arrow Season Three Episodes

And now before the new season here is top ten of Arrow Season Three. SPOILERS

10. The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak

Felicity may have been a real let down in the latter half of Season Three but I am glad that in the first half we got the origin episode for her that we needed. This episode gave us a great look into her past and it was interesting seeing how different she is now. I liked all of the Flashbacks and her mom was just so funny, the only gripe about it is that the villain (Felicity's old boy friend) wasn't that great of one and his plan was unimaginative. Also I am glad they introduced us to Brother Eye because in the comics it is a dangerous and sentient AI so maybe we'll see it again.

9. Draw Back Your Bow




Introduced us to another new villain and one of the craziest so far; Cupid. She did a good job of being really obsessed with Arrow (like her creepy shrine) and quite the match for him in a fight. Plus this is the episode where we catch a glimpse of Ray working on his super cool ATOM suit. Shame that Cupid had to join the Suicide Squad after this because my complaint about them on Arrow is that they go on plain and boring missions when they should go at least fight Meta Humans, its the reason why there are no Suicide Squad episode on my top ten lists.

8. The Calm




A real strong start to the new season and what I liked the most was how it started off with more hope for Starling than season two did. It also was the debut of Roy as Arsenal for real, Ray Palmer and a new Count Vertigo; while I liked the old one I really like this one too because of his new drug and the fact that he can hold his own in a fight with his darts. This also gave us a really big WTF moment where Sara was killed off and that influenced the whole rest of the season.

7. Guilty




Glad we got an episode that focused on a side character more than the main ones; Ted Grant AKA Wildcat. Grant was really great in this season and I liked the fact that there was a vigilante before Arrow in Starling so it is a shame his actor is busy with other stuff that he can't play a larger role. I just didn't like that Roy was revealed not to have killed Sara so quickly because I think it would have been more dramatic if it was him or anyone else than Malcolm in the end. Also BOXING GLOVE ARROW!

6. The Climb




This episode had one of the best fights in Arrow and that was Oliver vs. Ra's Al Ghul on top of a mountain, it was so epic and Oliver actually died (kind of) at the end; Matt Nable was a perfect choice for Ra's and did not disappoint. However what I didn't like was the reveal that Malcolm was the one who tricked Thea into killing Sara because I just think it would have been better if it was someone else and the fact that the reason Oliver had to fight was because Nyssa just keeps going on and on about Sara.

5. Broken Arrow

The first Meta Human villain on Arrow and I think it did so good that there should definitely be more in Season Four. Deathbolt was so awesome and I liked that this episode was also more of a focus on Ray in his ATOM suit because he is one of my favourite characters. I also liked the stuff Roy had to deal with in prison however like episode before this one Quentin continues to act like a complete prick e.g. when he was in the Verdant.

4. Midnight City




You know I really hope that Vinnie Jones returns as Brick in the future because he was so damn awesome in Arrow and the main reason the three episode arc without Oliver is one of my favourite moments in the Arrow series. Not only Brick but Laurel was also great as well and this episode turned her into a great character and Black Canary; her costume was cool and I liked how they showed she wasn't perfect yet as a vigilante, like how she lost against Brick. Great episode but I hate the way how Oliver came back, it should have been by the Lazarus Pit!

3. Canaries




This episode was a perfect one for Laurel in the aftermath of the Brick arc and she decides to continue as the Black Canary. I am also glad that Count Vertigo returned because he is a great villain and was a quite the match for Laurel with his drug which gave us an awesome Canary vs. Canary fight. The best Laurel focused episode on the Arrow series but let down slightly by Oliver who keeps saying she should quit (hate it when he does that to other vigilantes like Ray) and with the Thea subplot which I didn't care for.

2. Uprising




The great conclusion to the Brick arc with the return of Oliver and ending in a massive fight which also saw the return on Sin and Wildcat. The rest of the action in the Glades was epic as well but a real highlight of this episode was the Flashbacks showing the origins of Malcolm losing his wife and how it tied to Brick, made me wish there where more and more Flashbacks. However a bit of a let down was Felicity who ruined Oliver's homecoming which is why Left Behind isn't on this list because she ruined that quite a bit by storming out on the rest of Team Arrow, breaking down because Oliver is gone when I thought she was stronger than that.

1. The Brave and the Bold




I just had to put this episode in first place because of it's perfect portrayal of Captain Boomerang, my favourite member of the Suicide Squad in the comics. He was just so epic in this and a real threat to both Arrow and the Flash and like Brick I hope he is in future episodes. Plus Team Arrow and Team Flash working together made for some real comedic moments because of how different they operate. The best episode of the season because I enjoyed every second of and I actually liked this crossover episode better than the one on Flash before it.

Worst episode

Corto Maltese

I don't like this episode because all the characters did was spend all of it trying to convince Thea to come home, failing, but then Thea decided to do come back all on her own. I didn't care much for Diggle's ARGUS mission either and there should have been way more Flashbacks with Malcolm training Thea. However Thea was a major disappointment because her leaving at the end of Season Two was this major thing but she comes back just too soon so there was no point to it. Plus while she did all this training she doesn't do anything with it all season, instead she goes back to managing a bar like she was last season.

The great screenshots of these episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/