Bleach Review: The Dark Arm

"I was just one day from retirement"

Shunsui has now completely freed Aizen who tires to convince him to use his powers for the Soul Society meanwhile in the Royal Palace Yhwach tries to stop Mimihagi but Ichigo steps in.

If your wondering why I didn't review last chapter that is because I was really busy but I was incredibly disappointed in it anyway. I would have given it 10/10 for the reveal of Aizen alone but the majority of the chapter had to waste a lot of time with Urahara and the rest. As for this chapter it was a lot better because we got to see more of Aizen and Shunsui while we didn't waste several pages on Urahara's group doing absolutely nothing to advance the story (besides Ukitake) like they have been for a while. I really enjoyed the banter between Aizen and Shunsui because despite being in prison Aizen is still being his usual self, like not asking to be released and acting like he could care less if he is. It seems at the end that he will go because it is implied that he hates Yhwach even more than the Soul Reapers, which would also explain why he turned down the offer to work with him before. Two things that was really interesting was that the suit Aizen his in only contains his powers not remove them which is great because if he does fight in the future he will be at full power right away. Secondly because the fingers of that guard literally disintegrated when he got close to Aizen I'm guessing that Aizen his still a transcendent being thanks to the Hogyoku that is still in him; remember it only started to reject him at the end it didn't leave him. As for the rest of the chapter Ichigo and Yhwach have a pretty cool confrontation but it wasted time with Ichigo going on about how he protects peoples (like he always does) and Yhwach still talking about Ichigo's Quincy blood but only vaguely but hopefully we will get a proper fight next chapter.

This was really cool

This review may have seemed short but that is because I don't find much to talk about them; I mean Yhwach stabbed the Soul King quite a while ago and yet the story hasn't really progressed much at all. Plus why aren't the rest of Ichigo's group doing anything and where the hell are the Elite Sternritters?

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Long Live Lord Aizen!!!!!!
                   The stuff that happens with Aizen and Shunsui
                   Ichigo stopping Yhwach

Let - Downs: Ichigo and Yhwach waste time talk on stuff we already know
                      Where are the rest of Ichigo and Yhwach forces?

Arrow Season Three: The Magician

Dark Archer is always awesome!

The episode begins with Oliver telling Nyssa that Sara is dead who leaves so he then meets Thea for dinner who says she will be buying back The Verdant, later Nyssa goes to Sara's grave and tells Laurel (who was there first) that she is unworthy of the Sara's jacket that was given to her. Oliver then confronts Nyssa about Sara's mission at a League hideout and she says Sara was in Starling to confirm if Malcolm was still alive, Oliver then confirms this with the rest of Team Arrow with photos Sara took. They then find a note Sara written and find out that she asked Quentin for help so when Laurel asks him about it he says Sara asked for help in finding a man named Jansen at a Buddhist monastery however when Nyssa, Red Arrow and Arrow go investigate they find that Malcolm is Jansen but he gets away but Arrow manages to wound. Oliver says he put a tracker on Malcolm however Laurel is angry that he didn't kill him when he had the chance and in a Flashback Oliver is ordered to kill someone for A.R.G.U.S.. Nyssa sees how Laurel is and Laurel asks her to kill Malcolm if Oliver can't bring himself to do it, Arrow then gets a call from Malcolm (after the tacker failed) to meet up in a public place and when they do Malcolm swears on Thea's life he wasn't Sara's killer.

"Maybe we shouldn't have brought Nyssa along"

Oliver then tells Thea Malcolm is alive and she lies by being surprised and when he returns to the Arrowcave Oliver says he believes Malcolm and Nyssa angrily storms out and kidnaps Thea. Arrow then goes to the location and rescues Thea and the Dark Archer arrives soon after and a three way fight ensures that ends in Nyssa being pinned to a wall. Malcolm then says to Oliver to kill him or not to which Oliver doesn't and says to Nyssa that Malcolm is under his protection in Starling, Nyssa responds by saying he has made an enemy of the League before leaving. In a Flashback it is revealed Waller was backing Fyers and when Oliver confronts her about this she said it was to kill China White. Felicity then returns from Central City and Thea is shown to be in contact with Malcolm. The episode ends with Nyssa returning to Nanda Parbat to inform her father, Ra's al Ghul (Matt Nable) what has happened, Ra's responds by saying Malcolm will be dealt with and so will Oliver for making war with the League.

Ra's al Ghul!!

We finally get the appearance of Ra's al Ghul one of DC's and Batman's iconic villains of all time! Really liked the ending scene because firstly Matt Nable was a great choice for the part, his accent really sounds great for Ra's and he really looked the part in his robes. Also he was seen getting out of a pool and I wonder if that was the Lazarus Pit? I hope it was because I really want it to exist in Arrow. As for Nyssa though I do like her and she is a great fighter I didn't like her much in this episode with her constant conflict with Oliver and her obsession with Sara (from season two til now) is just getting annoying to watch now. As for Laurel she has been a great character so far (she is even hitting the gym now) but she was annoying in this one too with her constant interfering with Oliver such as asking Nyssa behind Team Arrow's back to kill Malcolm, I mean she isn't Black Canary yet so I don't know why she thinks she is so important to the workings of Team Arrow. What was good about the Flashbacks was Oliver now resigning himself to be Waller's killer and the fact Waller hired Fyers to kill China White all along, I want to know more about that.

Doesn't anyone recognize Malcolm?

Malcolm was great as ever in this and I really liked the talk he had with Oliver in the crowded plaza; it was just the way these two arch enemies confronted each other that made for a real intense scene. Of course a highlight of this episode was the great action such as at the Buddhist monastery but the three way fight between Arrow, Dark Archer and Nyssa was just so awesome and I wished it was longer. However something I just had to mention was Roy doing that silly back flip when confronted by Nyssa, surely they could have thought of a better way for him to lose than that? Lastly I liked the dynamic between Thea and Oliver because they did promise now more secrets but they keep the biggest secrets from each other; I wonder why Oliver still won't tell her and I wonder what Thea's plans with Malcolm are?

"Been off the island for a while now, maybe I should get a haircut"

Overall this was good episode that could have had a lot more fights between Arrow, Dark Archer and Nyssa.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The three way fight
                   Malcolm still steals every scene he is in
                   Ra's al Ghul

Let - Downs: Flashbacks
                      Couldn't stand Laurel or Nyssa
                      Roy's backflip
                        

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

Arrow Season One: Scarifice

The epic final showdown

The episode begins with Oliver tied up by Malcolm who explains of his plan to destroy the Glades with an earthquake machine from Unidac, we then have a Flashback and Oliver, Slade and Shado have broken free of their bonds. Diggle then rescues Oliver because of a tracker in his boot and when Felicity is brought in for questioning by Quentin (having not covered her recent hacks properly) Oliver calls him as The Hood and tells him of The Undertaking; Quentin lets Felicity go and she does but not before telling him The Hood is a hero. Tommy then confronts Oliver but Oliver tells him of his father's plan but he doesn't believe him, in a Flashback Oliver, Slade and Shado have destroyed the missile launcher. Quentin then goes to his boss with what he knows but is suspended because of his contact with The Hood and Oliver confronts his mother and tells her she must finally take responsibility for the things she has done. Tommy then asks his father about Oliver's accusations but Malcolm simply confirms it; showing him the Dark Archer costume and a voice recording of his wife murdered in the Glades, believing that the Glades and everyone in it must die. Moira holds a press conference and tells everyone of The Undertaking but is arrested soon after meanwhile Tommy threatens to shoot Malcolm but can't bring himself to do it.

You might have left it a little too late Moira

Though upset with his mother's arrest Oliver decides he must stop Malcolm and Diggle and Felicity want to help as well, Oliver then calls Quentin as The Hood to get even more help. While Roy witnesses the riots in the Glades, Diggle and The Hood go to stop Malcolm but find him already gone and Tommy apologies to Oliver, we then have a Flashback and Oliver has killed Fyers. The Hood and Diggle catch up to Malcolm (now the Dark Archer) but Diggle is injured forcing The Hood to face the Dark Archer alone. Felicity and Quentin (who apologies to Laurel over the phone if he should die tonight and to stay away from the Glades) find the earthquake device and disarm it meanwhile Thea has gone to the Glades to rescue Roy and the two help out as much people as they can. The Hood then beats the Dark Archer by stabbing him through the chest with an arrow but before the Dark Archer dies he tells him of a second earthquake machine which activates and begins to destroy the eastern part of the Glades. Laurel is trapped at her office but Tommy arrives in time to save her but is crushed by rubble, The Hood also gets there. Tommy tells Oliver that he is indeed a hero and asks if his father is still alive, Oliver lies and then mourns when Tommy dies.

"In the end Oliver, I'm the hero"

What a finale, they sure held nothing back in this episode!! This was a great way to end the season because what is more like a comic book than the main villain wanting to destroy the city? There is a lot of stuff to go over but first I want to talk about the death of Tommy. I admit that it is now a damn shame that Tommy is the one to die but they handled his death so well; he died a hero while saving Laurel from a collapsing building and he finds it in him to forgive his best friend. The acting during that scene was just excellent as well especially when Oliver cries for his friend because you can just tell that even though he stopped Malcolm and saved part of the Glades, he realized that he lost at the end. Goodbye Tommy I think the series has lost one of it's best developed and likeable characters in my opinion.

"Forget getting out of here, lets all riot!!"

Next who was a real standout was Malcolm and like I said the guy is the biggest badass in the series. The final fight he had with Oliver was just so great and an awesome way to end the season. What I really liked about him in this episode was the explanation he gave on why he wants to destroy the Glades  and it kind of makes you sympathise with his character. He is not doing it because he is pure evil or a maniac he truly believes that what he is doing is the right thing; ridding Starling City of it's most poor and crime riddled area. The fight he had with Oliver and Diggle was great, from the arrow catching to Oliver stabbing himself with an arrow to beat him. In the end I guess we will have to see if Malcolm and even Tommy are really dead because in the world of comics no one stays dead.

Kick his ass Oliver!

As for the rest of the episode also got some great Flashbacks which really picked up on the excitement from last episode and showed Oliver getting his first kill with a bow. It was really intense seeing the group fight to stop the missile launcher and we got some great action and explosions. The destruction of the Glades was also done really well; I think the effects they used to show it collapsing was great in those shots where it showed it from above and the destruction on the ground during the rioting was awesome as well. Two other characters that where good where Moira for finally doing the right thing and speaking out about The Undertaking and Quentin teaming up with Felicity and having that heart to heart with Laurel over the phone.

"Its time for us to save this city"

As for the negatives (and this is really nit picking) is that again I didn't like the Roy and Thea moments because even though we got to see the cool riots them getting back together was just kind of predictable. Also I didn't like the role Laurel played in this because as I said earlier on in these reviews I don't like her character because she is just there for the sake of it most of the time. All she has done is just create conflict between Tommy and Oliver and sometimes even make the situation worse like how she ignored Quentin to be in the Glades. Honestly how damn stubborn can you be to stay in your office when you know an earthquake machine was going to destroy everything?

Great shot!

Overall this was a great finale; it was so action packed with some also fight scenes along with the cool destruction of the Glades.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: The Hood vs. The Dark Archer
                   The death of Tommy was handled really well
                   The destruction of the Glades
                   Flashbacks

Let - Downs: Roy and Thea subplot
                      Laurel was just in the way

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net 

Arrow Season One: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Yep your screwed Oliver

The episode begins with the Dark Archer killing all the scientists at Unidac Industries to keep them silent about the device they brought into the city. At the Arrowcave Oliver wants Diggle to be The Hood and kidnap him and Moira so they can find out about The Undertaking. In a Flashback Yao Fei betrayed the others because Fyers would have killed them otherwise; he wants to cripple the Chinese economy by blowing up an aircraft with a missile launcher but he wants Yao Fei to take responsibly. In the present Quentin investigates Unidac Industries but so does Roy and Thea, later Oliver and Moira are kidnapped by Diggle who is The Hood. Moira confesses (when Diggle beats up Oliver) that she is working with Malcolm to destroy the Glades using an earthquake device developed by Unidac Industries so Team Arrow then decide to infiltrate Merlyn Global Group Headquarters to possibly find out what and where it is.

"Remember there is no need to go overboard.......why are you looking at me like that Diggle?"

The infiltration is successful with Oliver visiting Tommy and Felicity and Diggle sneaking in however Oliver does run into Malcolm and then Thea and Roy who he tries to dissuaded going after The Hood. Thea then later breaks up with Roy because of his obsession with finding The Hood and Walter divorces Moira because he knows she must have had something to do with his kidnapping. After talking with Oliver earlier Tommy visits Laurel but sees her getting intimate with Oliver and we then have a Flashback and Fyers has shot and killed Yao Fei after confessing on camera that he blew up the aircraft. Diggle goes in search of the Unidac device but finds only an empty container; Malcolm having moved the device beforehand after learning of Team Arrow's hack of his company's systems. The episode ends with The Hood attempting to kill Malcolm however he effortlessly catches the arrow and knocks The Hood out after a fight.

Too bad Malcolm wasn't in is Dark Archer costume during this fight

Almost to the end now and this episode was great in setting up the events of the finale. First off I think one of the best scenes in this episode was when Diggle, as The Hood, kidnaps Oliver and Moira. I mean that was just such a smart plan, we got some great distress out of Moira and we got to see Diggle as The Hood again (he deserves a costume!). Someone else who had some great scenes was Tommy once again because even when he doesn't say anything it is really emotional e.g. when he saw Oliver and Laurel through the window. He might not have had to say a word but you can tell that he is really hurt by Oliver and Laurel who have betrayed him from his point of view. Tommy has been really betrayed by his friends lately and I wonder if he will side with his father or forgive his best friend?

"Where the hell is the make up crew?"

As for the villains this episode Fyers has proven himself to be an evil sob since he killed off a major character. I didn't expect Yao Fei to die nor did I expect a major character to be killed until the final episode so the writers did I good job of surprising me. It is a shame Yao Fei has to go but I guess he will give resolve to Oliver to stop Fyers not just to find a way off the island. Now to the other villain Malcolm and he continues to be one hell of a badass! My other favourite scene was when he just effortlessly caught that arrow and then defeated The Hood and even before that when he massacred the Unidac scientists. So far Malcolm has proven himself to be the most dangerous person in the series so far since Oliver as failed to stop him twice.

"Arrows solve everything"

As for the rest of the episode I really enjoyed Team Arrow's infiltration of Merlyn Global Group Headquarters; it felt like a real sneaking mission with those gadgets and some comedic moments from Felicity with the help of Diggle. As for what I didn't like Roy and Thea's subplot seems to have gotten no where and them just splitting up at the end felt kind of lacklustre. Lastly I really didn't like the moment between Oliver and Laurel because I am just not a big fan of this pairing since I am not too much of a fan of Laurel anyway (in this season and the second) and it just annoys me when Oliver obsesses over her e.g. when he abandoned Diggle to help her.

Never leave the Arrowcave without your trusty crossbow

Overall this was a great setup for the finale.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Malcolm continues to be a badass
                   Diggle as The Hood once again
                   The infiltration of Merlyn Global Group by Team Arrow

Let - Downs: After several episodes the Roy/Thea subplot has gotten no where
                    

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/   

Arrow Season One: Salvation

Was The Saviour decorating that train?

The episode begins with Oliver going after a slum lord named John Nickel but he is caught by someone else who Oliver thinks could be another vigilante, in a Flashback Oliver and Slade go over the arrangements for the deal with Fyers. At Roy's place Thea is angry that he has to hold on to a gun for someone while Quentin helps Dinah with her investigation but Laurel doesn't really believe Sara is alive. Later a live video on a website sees Nickel killed by someone and after Diggle uses one of his contacts finds out he was killed by a vigilante and former Glades resident called The Saviour who then shows a DA as his next victim. Moira later meets with Frank who suggests they should just run and Laurel investigates the photo Dinah has after giving advice to Thea. Oliver later tries to track down The Saviour's after Felicity finds a signal but soon loses it; Oliver tries to reassure her but she blames herself after the DA is killed. In a Flashback Oliver and Slade meet with Fyers who changes the deal and says he will kill Yao Fei's daughter if the circuit board isn't returned.

That is a really cool coat that Oliver is wearing

In the present Laurel finds out it isn't Sara in the photo which upsets Dinah because he blames herself for Sara death, having known beforehand she was going with Oliver. Thea then visits Roy and stops him from committing a crime however he is soon kidnapped by The Saviour and a video of him is shown on the website. Felicity then figures out that the ambient nose in the video is from an old subway and in a Flashback a huge fight breaks out where Oliver, Slade and Yao Fei's daughter escape but Yao Fei himself is injured and left behind. While Roy says no one would care if he dies The Hood breaks into the subway and kills The Saviour after failing to negotiate with him, Roy is then reunited with Thea. Dinah then leaves town and Oliver attempts to cheer Laurel up because he doesn't want to be alone anymore, in a Flashback Fyers has played them since he has already took the circuit board. Moira then meets with Frank who says she is sorry because she has told Malcolm everything and Frank is then killed by the Dark Archer. Oliver then tries to cheer up Felicity who finds out the journal and everything Moira and the Dark Archer are working on is connected to the Glades.

"It's good to be back"

We got something a bit different this episode, besides The Hood facing off against a villain or corrupt businessman he faces off with a rouge vigilante which is a vigilante that kills and uses sinister methods. I liked The Saviour because he represents the negative effects of The Hood is having on the city because The Saviour did say he was inspired by The Hood. This is something the sometimes troubles heroes like Batman because if he never became a vigilante would villains like The Joker, Riddler or Two Face even exist? Still The Saviour was a villain in the end because he only used his wife's death and helping the Glades to make himself feel better because his victims did only commit minor crimes that normal vigilantes would leave to the police. I also liked The Saviours methods and putting his kills on the internet because it was really different from what he have seen before and he provided quite the challenge for Felicity too.

"Two guns, twice the amount of killing"

I did like the majority of what else happened in the episode such as the progression of Thea and Roy's relationship because like I said before it gives Thea a better storyline and out of all the other romantic subplots, so far it is the only one I could stand to watch. I like how these two are complete opposites as well such as when Thea got angry with the gun because I bet she never really set foot in the Glades before, most likely just doesn't understand how things works for those who live there like Roy. I also liked the appearance of the of the Dark Archer again as well and killing off Frank because it really puts Moira in a predicament. She did is doing all these bad things to protect her family but she is crossing over the line more and more; It sabotaged Robert's boat, got Walter kidnapped and now she framed Frank and got him killed, when is it going to stop for her?

"You've cracked the code Felicity!"

The Flashbacks where great again and we got some great action between Fyers's men and Oliver and Slade. Too bad Yao Fei didn't make it but I guess most of their efforts now will be to rescue him and stop whatever Fyers is going to do with the missile launcher. As for what I didn't like it would have to go to the Quentin and Dinah subplot, don't get me wrong I actually enjoyed it and it did get pretty emotional at the end when Dinah admitted she knew about Sara (strong moment from the Lance Family). However I have said it before and I will say it again; this subplot does feel forced in to the episode, it was like if it was not there it wouldn't really have mattered overall. Maybe it would have been better if once whole episode was focused on this subplot rather than splitting it up over three episodes, now that would have worked in my opinion!

"I was so sceptical at first but now I've made this whole work station"

Overall this was a great episode that we needed after that horrible Huntress one and since Felicity figured out more of that journal maybe Oliver will be investigating The Undertaking more and may even suspect Malcolm soon.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: The Saviour was a great villain
                   Moira continues to tread a dark path with Malcolm
                   The interaction with Thea and Roy

Let - Downs: The Quentin and Dinah subplot was good but felt out of place                

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/  

Arrow Season One: Year's End




Now that is a really awesome costume

Adam Hunt, who was recently taken down by Oliver, is on the phone but is interrupted by an unseen visitor. Hunt seems to know who this person is but his killed by three arrows to the chest before he can say much. While sparring in their hideout Diggle reminds Oliver that it is Christmas and that he should have a break, Oliver considers this after remembering how his family spent Christmas. In a Flashback Yao Fei has returned and has brought Fyers as a prisoner and says that they can use him to get off the island. In the present Oliver goes back to the manor and finds Malcolm Merlyn and Police Commissioner Brian Nudocerdo having dinner with Moira and Walter; Brian of course is against The Hood but Walter and Malcolm seem to show support. Walter is soon called away by Felicity who says that Dr. Doug Miller, the head of Applied Sciences at Queen Consolidated, is on the journal list while Brian is called away because the police have found out about Hunt's murder.

There's a new archer in town

Oliver listens in at the crime scene while Quentin tells Brian this was not The Hood; the arrows are black and since Hunt was already dealt with, he suspects a copycat. Oliver and Diggle try to work out who the copycat is and enlist the help of Quentin by slipping him a cell phone and speaking with a voice filter, however Quentin isn't interested in working with The Hood. While out with Thea, Oliver finds out that his family have been avoiding Christmas and their annual party for the last four years but Oliver wants to have one now. In a Flashback Fyers explains to Oliver that the island was a prison and when his men purged the island they only spared two; Yao Fei and Billy Wintergreen, the man in the mask. Oliver is still distrustful of him because he had Wintergreen torture him but Fyers argues that Yao Fei is guilty of slaughtering innocent people and needed to find him. In the present Malcolm voices concern that Walter is finding out too much (having already contacted Miller) and wants to call his "associate" to deal with but Moira says she will handle it.

"You calling to wish me Merry Christmas?"

Later a businessman is killed by the Dark Archer and while at the scene Brian want Quentin to accuse The Hood of the two recent murders however Quentin refuses believing this really isn't The Hood. When Brian takes Quentin off the case he phones The Hood and agrees to give him one of the black arrows used for the murder. Oliver gives the black arrow to Felicity and she works out where it came from meanwhile Tommy asks Laurel to Oliver's Christmas party. Oliver goes to the place where the black arrow was made but is almost caught in a bomb blast. Later at the Christmas party, except for talking with Laurel, things don't go so well; Walter confronts Moira about what she is involved in and says he won't stop and Oliver finds Thea about to get it on with her boyfriend and of course she tries to stupidly justify every stupid thing she does. He then has to leave the part when he finds out the Dark Archer has taken hostages in a warehouse and threatening to execute them.

Awwww a nice family portrait

In a Flashback Fyers has led them into a trap and Wintergreen arrives to battle Yao Fei; Oliver manages to escape but Yao Fei is captured. In the present Oliver as The Hood has arrived at the warehouse, freed the hostages and does battle with the Dark Archer however just when things look even the Dark Archer gets the upper hand and shoots two arrows in to Oliver's back. He moves in to unmask Oliver but his stabbed in the leg with an arrow and flees, Oliver then radios Diggle for help. Oliver wakes up in a hospital where Thea says she is sorry elsewhere the Dark Archer removes his hood to reveal Malcolm Merlyn. Walter is later kidnapped and when Moira confronts Malcolm about this he says he will be freed after his plan is done though Moira argues that it will cost thousands of lives. The episode ends with Oliver believing he has failed the city this time and resolved to find whoever wrote the list of names.

So will we see the real Deathstroke soon?

Took a long time to go over this episode but there was a lot of points to cover with the most important one being that there is a new archer in town and that it is Malcolm Merlyn. I am really glad that it was him because in the comics he his a master archer and arch - nemesis of the Arrow who calls himself Merlyn. As I mentioned when Malcolm was revealed to be Tommy's father Merlyn could have been him or Tommy since they both have been Merlyn in the comics. I don't know if this means that Tommy may one day take over the role since right now he doesn't even seem to be any good at fighting. However I am happy as Malcolm as the Dark Archer for now because he was a badass; everything from is awesome black costume to his fight with Oliver on the roof, it was really cool seeing two archers fight each other. Since this basically confirms Malcolm is the main antagonist I hope for more showdowns between him and Oliver.

"Let's let the two archers fight it out"

Another great thing was the great Flashback that surely makes up for it's two episode absence and proves that the Flashbacks are one of the best things about this series. I really didn't believe Fyers would have been captured that easily and that's good because we had an epic battle between Wintergreen and Yao Fei. I am surprised that he wasn't the real Deathstroke (Deathstroke's real name is Slade Wilson) so I guess this means Wintergreen might be an apprentice of the real Deathstroke or his apprentice his Deathstroke? (seriously thought that at the time and it doesn't sound that bad of an idea). I guess Oliver is on his own now and I wonder how long he will last without Yao Fei or how long Yao Fei will last under torture. We also learned more about the island and it is interesting to know this really isn't just some random spit of land but has a lot of backstory.

Look behind you Walter!

As for the rest of the episode once again the subplot involving Walter was good but I don't like how he is now taken out of the story. It almost feels like the writers don't know what to do with him or his investigation with Felicity so they decided to get rid of him for now which is a shame. Quentin was really great in this one because he actually stood up for The Hood when Brian wanted to blame him for the murders, I guess Quentin is getting around to seeing that The Hood isn't all bad. Lastly Thea has been a let down again; I said it before but I'll say it again the writers are trying to make her out as some troubled, rebellious, rich party girl but do we really care? Why does she have to justify the stupid things she does at the end of the episode why can't they give her an interesting subplot like Walter.

"I should have expected this!"

Overall this is one of the best episode so far and that is thanks to Malcolm and the great Flashback we had. You might have noticed I am speeding up my Arrow reviews but that is because I do want to catch up to season three but don't worry; there won't be any drop in quality because every review of old episodes I write are done at least a week in advance before upload so I got lots stored. Of course currently airing series like Gotham and The Flash have to be written in a day.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: The Dark Archer and the fights with Oliver
                   The Flashback - Yao Fei vs. Wintergreen
                
Let - Downs: Thea
                      Walter now out of the story

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

Revolution Season One: The Dark Tower

The Finale!

The episode begins with Miles and Monroe facing off against each other but are ambushed by Jenkins's men, they run for it but the two fall down a pipe that is part of the water main system while Nora is left behind. Randall, who escaped last episode, retrieves a keycard from behind the portrait of George W. Bush. Meanwhile Grace and Rachael talk about the risks of shutting down the Nanites and Rachael insists that they are replicating out of control. Jenkins has received word that Miles and Monroe are gone and informs Rachael and the rest that if they try to access level 12 then he will kill them all.

That's got to be a painful way to go

Outside of The Tower, Tom has successfully turned the soldiers in the camp to his side and even kills someone who refused to join him despite telling him he was free to go. Miles wakes up in a nearby wood and Monroe immediately attacks him but are stopped when a Militia solider fires on them and doesn't take orders from Monroe. Miles slips away in the confusion and we have a Flashback ten years after The Blackout and he and Monroe are celebrating his birthday but a bomb destroys the bar the where in, injuring them both. In The Tower Aaron is stunned to learn that his code is used for it's operating system and Grace says it wasn't by chance that Ben chose to befriend him. Back outside Tom orders C4 piled at the entrance to The Tower and actually wants to prevent the power turning back on at all costs. Jason is angry at this, and that his father has switched sides again, but agrees to help as long as Charlie and Rachael are kept alive.

They sure brought ALOT of explosives with them

Inside Rachael tries to appeal to Grace to let her continue with her plan but when she doesn't Charlie and Aaron chloroforms her and steals her keycard. We then have another Flashback shortly after the bombing and Miles is recovering with Nora at his side. Monroe informs him that they have not only killed the bomber but his entire family so that an example can be made. In The Tower Aaron believes that The Blackout was actually done on purpose, Nora then shows up to tell them Miles is gone she also tells Rachael that she admits Miles loves her and will chose her and that Rachael loves him too. Back outside Monroe and Miles continue their fight but Miles has had enough saying he has bigger problems, this angers Monroe who says this was all Miles fault in the first place. Miles admits that he tired to assassinate him because he was killing too many innocents but before anything else can be said one of Monroe's helicopters flies overhead, Miles escapes but Monroe is captured. Inside The Tower the group comes across Jenkins and his men however Nora has a plan.

"Come back and finish this Miles!"

Outside Monroe is brought before Tom who says he will take over the Republic, Monroe says that he will kill Tom and his family but Tom smiles and says that Monroe is just foolish and demented and leaves with Jason to lead the assault in The Tower. Inside The Tower Nora's bomb against Jenkins and his men worked however she is severely wounded in the process. Outside Miles frees Monroe and says that they are still brothers and sneaks back inside The Tower while Monroe escapes, inside Tom and his men come across Grace whom Tom recognizes. Elsewhere Rachael wants to go turn the power on but Charlie wants to save Nora first however Rachael says this comes first because it's for Danny. Charlie doesn't believe that saying that Danny is dead and begs her mother to chose her who is alive, Rachael doesn't and leaves with Aaron (f***ing b***h). Later Charlie and Nora are attacked by Militia but are saved by Miles, Nora then dies in Miles's arms.

Goodbye Nora

On level 12 Rachael and Aaron are attacked by Tom, Jason and the Militia but when Miles and Charlie arrive they are able to get to the control room and lock themselves in. Aaron uses the computer and wonders if Grace was right but Rachael tells him to do it, Aaron then turns the power back on. All across the world power is slowly being restored; Julia sees a ceiling fan spinning again, Priscilla hears static over the radio, Foster sees all of the lights in Atlanta turn on again and Monroe, out in the open plains, sees an unusual lightning storm. In Atlanta a solider asks Foster what will they do now and she replies that they will throw everything they have at Philadelphia.

And now we have light!!!

Back in The Tower the group hears a gunshot and sees that Randall has locked himself in to the missile control room and has launched nuclear missiles at Atlanta and Philadelphia. Rachael asks why he is doing this and Randall says his plan was to join Monroe and eventually have the Republic and Federation destroy each other but thanks Rachael and says it is all because of her he can do it himself with missiles. Miles tires to shoot the glass but it is bullet proof, Randall then walks up to the glass and says "I am a Patriot" before shooting himself in the head.

The new villain for season two?

With Randall dead the group watches in horror as nuclear missiles are heading towards the two cities. The episode ends with an unseen man turning a lamp on and off and another man says that Randall has finally succeeded and that it is time to go home; "Mr President". It is revealed that there is a United States of America Colony in Guantanamo Bay Cuba and they have been waiting for Randall to finish his mission and return.

Now that is what I call a finale! Full of action, suspense and twits you did not expect, lets go over them all right now! Firstly I think the final confrontation between Miles and Monroe was done really well because even though they where interrupted in The Tower they had some pretty brutal punch ups on the outside. I am really glad that Miles just can never bring himself to kill Monroe because after they have been trying to kill each other for most of the series Miles still cares about him as a brother with how he helped him escape at the end. I guess we'll see if Miles may regret that decision or if Monroe may owe him one.

"So where's my birthday cake?"

As for Tom I am just really glad to see that if managed to overthrow the Republic even if it is late in the series. I really think he could have made a good leader because he does treat his men a lot better than Monroe, like near the beginning when he mercy killed a wounded Militia and buried him. I can also completely understand him wanting to keep the power off because this is a world that he excels at while before he was insignificant. He had some great scenes in The Tower where he tries to stop Rachael and Aaron but its a shame he never used Grace for anything when he ran into her.

Those guys are good at finding people

Something I admit I didn't like, even though it was sad and tragic to see, was the death of Nora. Mainly because it kind of came completely out of nowhere and, I am not saying this because I hate her, but Rachael should have died and I actually thought it might have happened before watching this. I think Rachael's death would have had more of an impact because imagine she went through all of this journey and after everything she has done, she manages to succeed but dies before she see what becomes of it. Nora just really didn't deserve it because she's just been a great character all throughout the series while Rachael is a back - stabbing, traitorous, murderer of innocence, whore! Those who even like Rachael have got to admit that she did a really rotten thing of ignoring Charlie's pleas and not helping Nora who has done more for Charlie than her own mother? It also shows that I think Rachael doesn't care that much for Charlie because everything she says she does is for Danny and she always has no problems leaving her, but at this point I don't think she is even doing it for Danny she is just doing it because its what she thinks is right.

No one messes with Tom Neville now

Now I want to talk about one of the best scenes not just in this episode but in the whole series and that is when the power was coming back on. Really love that scene; when it changes to the other characters and their expressions when they see power for the first time in fifteen years and that brilliant music that was playing during it. One of the best scenes I have seen, it was just done really well and the build up leading to it was great as well with Aaron struggling with the decision and taking his time to press the button.

"So they actually did it" 

Lastly is Randall's plan revealed and I have to say that it was a really smart plan; letting them turn on the power so he can use missiles. In the end Rachael lost and Randall won because millions of people are now dead because of her stubbornness of allowing him carry out his plan. It is a real shame that he killed himself though but since he was obviously working for the President and I guess his mission was "complete". It also raises more questions than answers because why would the President go to such extreme measures to destroy the Republic and the Federation? and where they the ones who caused The Blackout in the first place?

"I win, you lose!"

Overall this was an awesome finale and a great set up for the events of season two. I have said it before but Revolution sure has come along way if you have watched the whole season from start to finish. Charlie simply set out on a mission to rescue her brother but it became something a lot bigger with conspiracies, scientists hiding secrets, all out war between two Nations and basically changing the fate of the whole world. That's why I really love this series, it has really evolved over time, surprised us with many reveals and didn't just stick with the same thing and I hope everyone realizes what an amazing series this truly is. This finale was one of the best episodes and a great way to finish season one.

SCORE: 10/10

Highlights: Randall's master plan
                   Power being restored to the world
                   Tom and the other fighting in The Tower
                   Miles and Monroe confrontation

Let - Downs: Nora's death, handled really well but it should have been Rachael

I have finally reviewed every episode of Revolution Season One!!! I really have enjoyed, I know I am not the best reviewer in the world but I hope you have enjoyed it too. Like I have mentioned before I am not reviewing season two straight away because I want to review other shows. I do really like season two but I'll say it now that it wasn't as good as this season and since there will be no season three (DAMN!!!) there is no rush to review the episodes but I will get round to it probably early next year.

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/