Arrow Season Three: Public Enemy

Run Team Arrow RUN!

When Ray is injured during an attack on the Mayor's office Felicity's mom Donna visits Starling City again. Meanwhile Team Arrow tries to find Maeso however things take a turn for the worse when Quentin is kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul.

 

This is almost like Season One when Arrow was hunted by the SCPD but the notable difference was Quentin is now almost completely blinded by hatred. Now I say almost because he kind of isn't in the wrong about what he is doing because that speech at the end with Oliver in the police van (standout performance by Blackthorne, he did a great job of being completely overcome by anger this episode) did make a lot of sense in that despite Arrow doing good at the end of the day it is Quentin's job to arrest him and how he actually hates himself for not doing so and even becoming his accomplice. I didn't actually expect him to meet with Ra's al Ghul at all but it was nice that these two characters got a chance to but it was a shame Ra's never used this as an opportunity to reveal more of Sara's time in the League; it is still really vague how she got there and what she did. As for Oliver it really seems hopeless for him now; Slade made him feel that why but who to thought it would be the police this season, just shows you how much Oliver needed them on his side. I guess it's kind of understandable that he turned himself in, in the end because he had no other options but it seems Roy has got his back which is good because he has been on the side lines too much this season. Now I'm not sure how Oliver and Roy are going to get out of this but I really hope it doesn't end in Roy's death (because a character death has been teased for the next episode) since I really like him as Arsenal and he still needs his robotic arm. As for Quentin I like to think he may come to regret his actions, maybe if Roy does die that will trigger it, but I don't know how he is going to redeem himself to Team Arrow and Laurel. Finally this storyline gave us some kickass fight scenes between Team Arrow and the League and some great police chases.

"I forgot how good it felt to chase masks"

As for everything else I enjoyed seeing Felicity's mom again because she brings a breath of light hearted fresh air and again raises questions about who Felicity's dad was with her comments. However while Ray's nanotechnology was interesting I didn't like that he was put on the sidelines this episode when we saw him in action in the last one; I just felt he could have played a larger role and all in all this small subplot felt out of place compared to everything else that went on. Also I'll say again I'm not bothered about the relationships in the show (it sometimes focuses too much on them) however I can't believe they have opened to possibility of Felicity being with Oliver again because I just do not like that. I think her conflicted feelings for Oliver has just been such a downer for her character (when she has been so cheery in the previous seasons) and I just want it to end already. As for the Flashbacks I did like them because it was a nice way to bring Shado and her father in it again even if it was just for closure for Shado's twin.

How is Roy going to get out of this one?

Overall it is a desperate time now for Team Arrow and I don't know how they are going to make things right which is why I can't wait for the next episode.

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

Highlights: A Quentin focused episode

                   All seems hopeless for Team Arrow

                   Great action and chase scenes

 

Let - Downs: Ray's subplot felt out of place

   Felicity still can't decide who she wants to be with which I'm sure will just waste future screentime

 

  

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/ 

Bleach Review: 554, Desperate Light

Now it is time for another review but this time I thought I would review the latest chapter of one of my favourite mangas; Bleach.

I will go over a quick summary of the events of this chapter and give you my thoughts of it; this will be full of spoilers for those who have not read it yet. It starts off with Bazz – B observing Chang Du being frozen solid by Toshiro Hitsugaya’s ice flower attack, annoyed with the fact that Chang Du took over the fight just to lose he walks away. It then cuts over to Toshiro who loses the hollow powers in his bankai before collapsing to the ground. After this we have a great shot of the four Sternritters who stole bankais during the previous invasion; Chang Du trapped in ice, BG9 with his helmet broken at the front and As Nodt and Bambietta Basterbine looking up at the sky while the bankais are taken away.

It then goes to Bambietta who does not care about losing the bankai and kills several Soul Reapers by some explosion technique. She says all this whilst thinking that he friends are behind her but then notices they are not before creating another large explosion. Shortly after this Sajin Komamura arrives, now sporting some cool looking armour but before they fight Shinji Hirako appears behind her and activates his Zanpakuto, Sakanade to invert Bambietta’s senses.

However while it seems to Soul Reapers are getting the upper hand, Yhwach comments from a top his throne that he is delighted by the fact that the Sternritter have lost their Bankais. They reason for this is explained by Bambietta that the bankai was getting in the way of their Vollstandig before promptly activating it. Seven Sternritter seem to activate their Vollstandig from the look of the fire pillars that are shown in the next shot. It ends with Mayuri Kurotsuchi commenting that this is bad for them while Kisuke Urahara gets a call from Ichigo Kurosaki.

I will start off by saying that this is a definite improvement over the last chapter which was basically a copy of the battles of Baraggan and Harribel in the fake Karakura town arc. Chang Du gets frozen in an ice pillar and BG9 gets blasted by Jakuho Raikoben, it was annoying that it was just the same. Still this chapter was really good because of Bambietta because I really like her character and it looks like we have a clue to her powers. The explosions she did make me think that her letter E stands for ‘The Explosion’ but I guess we will have to wait and see. Another high point was the teaming up Komamura and Shinji, sure they did not actually fight together but it is a start. Also I am glad we finally get to see the Vollstandig again but with other Sternritter. Of course the artwork was great; I think Kubo does his best work with the Sternritter.

However there are three points that do annoy me in this chapter and that was Bazz – B walking away when Toshiro had fallen. Toshiro is one of my least favourite Soul Reapers and I do not want him to live through these fights and Kubo keeps making up ways for him to live, Bazz – B had the perfect opportunity and he did not take it?

Another thing that bothered me is even with the use of the Vollstandig at the end there are still no real conclusions to the Chang Du and BG9 fights yet. Don’t get me wrong I have really enjoyed those fights but I want to see other Sternritter now.

One last thing is that if Yhwach is so glad that the bankais are all returned to the Soul Reapers then what was the point of stealing them in the first place? However I will forgive this one for now because the fact that it was blocking the Vollstandig was a really good reason (I guess Soul Reaper and Quincy powers just don’t mix) and because we finally get to see some more Vollstandig now.

In conclusion this was a solid chapter with a lot of potential for the next one; I just hope that the Soul Reapers do not come up with really quick ways to counter the Vollstandig like they did with the bankai stealing.

SCORE: 7/10