Arrow Season One: Home Invasion

"47 has got nothing on me!"

The episode begins with Team Arrow planning how to take down Deadshot who is back in Starling City to complete a contract, in a Flashback Slade and Shado are arguing how to use Oliver to rescue Yao Fei. In the present Laurel is representing the Moore family who are suing corrupt businessman Edward Ramus, unfortunately a hitman called Mr Blank (J. August Richards) kills the husband and wife but their child gets away. Laurel then agrees to take care of the boy until his next of kin arrive and in a Flashback Shado teaches Oliver how to use a bow. Roy later steals a police radio when trying to find out more about The Hood and Mr Blank later tries to kill Laurel, Tommy and the boy at Laurel's apartment but the three are saved by The Hood, Tommy then grudgingly suggests Laurel and the boy stay at Oliver's for now. Later Oliver decides not to help Diggle kill Deadshot at a mall and instead goes after Ramus, Diggle tires to kill Deadshot on his own but is almost killed himself. At the Arrowcave an angry Diggle quits the team after Oliver was not there for him and for always putting Laurel first even when he really shouldn't.

Diggle could really use  costume now

In a Flashback Oliver is getting better with a bow and is also getting closer to Shado meanwhile in the present Laurel is thankful to Oliver for what he has done. At the SCPD Mr Blank kills Ramus while posing as his lawyer and Thea convinces Quentin to let Roy go after he was arrested earlier for stealing the radio but then later decides to help Roy to find The Hood. Mr Blank then sneaks into Queen Manor to eliminate all of the witnesses however he is killed by Oliver in a fight and the boy is later given safely to his next of kin. The episode ends with Tommy leaving Laurel, believing he cannot compete with Oliver if she finds out he is The Hood and in a Flashback Yao Fei has brought Fyer's soldiers to the hideout seemingly betraying them.

"Flying punch attack!"

This episode was the final one before the major end - of - series events take place, so you could say this is a mix bag, good but overall not important. You could say this because the plot for it's main story is simple and generic; a hitman going after a witness that needs protecting. I did like Mr Blank because the guy was a cold badass even if he wasn't fleshed out but everything else about the story just wasn't that exciting. This is probably because knowing what is going to happen in the next three episode there was no need to put in any over the top fight, stunts or crazy villain plots. I did like that Tommy is once again distancing himself from everything to do with Oliver and that includes breaking up with Laurel thinking he can't measure up to Oliver. Tommy is just such a likable guy in the series and it is sad seeing how everything just seems to be against him right now.

Yao Fei how could you!?

Now what I found more exciting then the main story was the subplots, especially the one involving Diggle. As I thought Deadshot is going to be Diggle's main enemy throughout the series and will continue to remain thanks to Oliver. I really have to agree with Diggle that Oliver selfishly puts Laurel first before anything else, it is slightly annoying like how he is blind to his mom's involvement in The Undertaking. I don't think Diggle will be gone for long but it is Oliver who defiantly has to do the apologizing here. We also have Roy who is obsessed with finding The Hood and Thea helping him which is good because it gives Thea a better storyline and Roy is supposed to be The Hood's partner one day.

You really know how to scare the crap out of kids Quentin

Overall because of the three episode arc after this, this episode didn't really feel too significant and mostly felt like filler. However it has some good subplots and character development involving Diggle and Tommy.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: Mr Blank was cool though not fleshed out
                   Diggle and Deadshot subplot
                   Tommy and Roy where great

Let - Downs: Nothing was really too exciting in this
                      Oliver is getting annoying when it comes to Laurel

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: Home

Five left to go.

The episode begins with Miles and Jim sharing a bottle of whiskey and are thinking over their recent battle with the Militia that was pretty damn brutal. Just then Georgian Captain Dixon reports that there are no Militia survivors and that this was a great victory for the Federation, however Miles is not bothered as war is war. Meanwhile at Independence Hall Monroe is furious over the Rebel/Georgia victory over his forces at the southern border and wants Miles killed. Baker is also there and says it will be hard to draw Miles out but Monroe has a plan and orders his helicopters to take him to Jasper, Indiana.

Now that is epic, like out of an action film!

In the Plains Nation Aaron and Rachael have stopped at a market town and while Rachael goes through Jane's book Aaron buys more supplies and spots is wife Priscilla but loses sight of her shortly after. At the Rebel/Georgia camp Miles tires to talk to Charlie but she doesn't want to him until he explains what he did to her mother something he is reluctant to do. Just then Dixon arrives with a captured Militia solider who says that Monroe has taken over their hometown of Jasper and will murder everyone, including a woman named Emma, unless he turns himself in. Miles then has a Flashback when he was younger and he has to leave his girlfriend Emma because he and Monroe are joining the army.



"Where did she go"

Monroe has arrived at Jasper and has the whole place under lockdown by his Militia and Emma Bennett (Annie Wersching) asks why this is happening but Monroe evades the question and one of Jasper's citizens is beaten up, a Flashback then shows that Monroe was jealous of Miles and Emma's relationship. Later all of the citizens of Jasper are rounded up in the courthouse and Monroe visits his family's graves and finds out someone still leaves flowers, we then have another Flashback and find out that Emma cheated on Miles with Monroe will Miles was drunk. Back in the present Miles, Charlie, Nora, Jim and Dixon are preparing to go to Jasper and Charlie says to Nora that she is coming to make sure Miles kills Monroe this time.

Nothing like a stroll down memory lane

Back in the Plains Nation Aaron finds his wife again sitting at a bar but brushes off any attempt at a conversation because she is with her new husband, Aaron then leaves and we see that Priscilla's "husband" has a gun pointed at her. Later Rachael suggests that they leave but Aaron refuses to since he is with his wife again because something just didn't seem right. His suspicions are later confirmed to be right when the man Priscilla was with is locking her in the back of a wagon and when Aaron confronts him he says that Priscilla is a fugitive and has a bounty on his head. Aaron tries to fight the man but is beaten up however Priscilla escaped in the confusion and killed the man with a metal pipe.

"This is my time to shine!"

At Jasper Emma tries to convince Monroe to stop this but is unable to and at the same time Miles and the group sneak in to town but are soon spotted and a fire fight breaks out, Monroe orders the courthouse burnt with everyone in it. While Jim and the rest suppress Monroe's men Miles successfully rescues everyone from the burning courthouse however Monroe captures Emma and holds her at gunpoint. Emma begs Monroe to let her go and even reveals that they have a son from the night they cheated on Miles, this shocks Monroe long enough for Dixon to take a shot. Emma dies but Monroe and Baker escape and an enraged Miles kills Dixon. After all this Charlie says that she would have killed Emma if it meant killing Monroe but Nora is not convinced she would have. Miles grieves over the loss of Emma and directs his fury to Monroe, saying he doesn't know what he is in for.

"I'm holding all the cards now Miles"

At the Plains Nation Aaron and Priscilla reconnect with Aaron trying to apologize but Priscilla doesn't want to hear it because everyone he left her with eventually died so it was never for the best. Aaron asks her to come with them but Priscilla says she now has a family in Texas and they part ways once again. The episode ends back in Atlanta and President Foster is happy with a latest development since their new ally has given them more intel on Monroe in two weeks than they have been able to get in three years. She calls this person in to her office and it is revealed to be Tom Neville who she wants to work with Miles.

"I'm back b***hs"

I guess you can say that this episode was more centred on Aaron and Monroe more than the other characters because both plots mainly revolved around them. Firstly with Monroe I think this tired to build more sympathy for his character and showing that he is overall not that bad of a person at heart. This is shown in the town of Jasper because of how normal undamaged it was I think Monroe used to Republic to protect it because it is his home town and has his parent graves. I also think the character of Emma was good for this episode because it is a tragedy for Monroe (and Miles) since now he has lost someone that he cared about. Lastly the reveal that he has a son by Emma will probably open a new sub plot of Monroe trying to find him which makes Emma's death much more tragic because Monroe lost the only person who knows his whereabouts.

Bet they really wish there where still Fire Fighters around

It was great to see Aaron getting the spotlight once again be reuniting with his wife again after almost fifteen years but like Monroe it didn't go very well. The reveal that leaving her was not for the best will probably haunt Aaron in the series now and that she has moved on while he never truly did isn't going to help either. It was also great seeing him try and stand up to that bounty hunter even if he didn't win but Aaron learning to deal with confrontation is part of his character development, maybe he'll use guns soon lol.

Wonder what they would think of him now?

As for the rest of the episode the action was really, really good especially at the beginning with Miles and the Georgian army fighting the Militia. That just had some great sword and gun fighting, explosion and camera shots but what we saw in Jasper was great to watch too like when Miles rescued everyone from the building. I also really liked the part with Monroe holding Emma hostage and how that went down; Miles did get mad and shoot Dixon so it made me wonder what he would have done if Charlie did take the shot.

What a battle

Speaking of Charlie I am really sorry to say that for me I think this the is start of her declining role in the series because even though they try to include her in everything Miles does it doesn't really feels like there is any need for her there. She was the main character for the first half of the series when they where finding Danny and her maturing as a person as she experiences the world but this second half is more of the war between Miles and Monroe and she feels like a spectator, with Rachael taking the leading female role from her. Even in the next two episode where she does seem to have a larger role than this one it still feels they didn't have to put it in. However this is just my opinion there are probably lots of fans who think that she still contributes enough.

"Headshot Miles and I'll get promoted.........just hope his isn't behind me"

Finally I was right that Tom is a survivor and always comes out on top in the ending where it is revealed he has defected to Georgia and what a cool suit! Tom can manipulate anyone and he sure has convinced Foster that he is a valuable asset. Going to be interesting to see how Tom and Miles will work together in future episodes, there is going to be a lot of tension between to two. Tom might not have started his own rebellion within the Republic but him joining Georgia is good and I know that Tom is still going to aim higher.

I'm beginning to think all Miles does in his spare time is drink

Overall this was an enjoyable episode because of how it focused more on Aaron and Monroe and some sad moment for them. It had some great action though it might have been a bit slow in the middle.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Aaron and Monroe centre episode
                   Awesome action scene (especially beginning)
                   Tom is back!

Let - Downs: Charlie doesn't feel as needed anymore
                      Kind of slow in the middle

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/