Arrow Season Three: My Name Is Oliver Queen

"I have saved this city.........three times now"

Ra's al Ghul enacts his master plan which puts everyone's lives in danger and Oliver must decide how much he is willing to sacrifice to stop him meanwhile the rest of Team Arrow springs into action.

Another finale, another season of Arrow finished and while this season has had it's ups and downs (especially in the later half) I was satisfied with what I watched. First off while it lacked the impact and intensity of the Mirakuru army I did enjoy the bio weapons attack on Starling and the rematch between Oliver and Ra's. I liked that all of Team Arrow was united to stop the four League members from spreading the virus but I didn't like that the virus was cured completely off screen by Ray's nanotech; it didn't feel like it was that big of a threat overall. However I did like the fight on the cargo plane and the final fight between Oliver and Ra's because I really like me some sword fighting, it's one of my favourite type of action sequence. I also liked that Oliver mimicked the words Ra's spoke to him on the mountain but I don't think that Ra's is going to be dead for long because the guy is famous for constantly coming back to life. I did like that Thea (she was good for once) got to show up in Arsenal costume for the ending but damn was that brief! I just hope she gets more crime fighting time than that next season. I also liked the team up between Nyssa and Oliver because I really prefer seeing them working together than against one another and when she defending Oliver against Diggle. As for Quentin I hated his relapse into drinking again but there is hope he can support Team Arrow again when he was against the sniper taking out Oliver (liked his funny "this is May" line lol). Then of course there was the reveal that Ra's was also after Damien Darke as well and the fact that he managed to fool even Ra's makes me really look forward to seeing him in Season Four; I liked the whole hotel scene and the moment with Damien's assistant because it was a well done tease for the new villain.

As for everything else Diggle of course shined the most with again struggling to accept Oliver back into the team but at least they came to an understanding at the end. It is a bit of a shame about Oliver's departure because it is almost like an end of an era for those two but hopefully Diggle will continue the good fight and get his own costume! Then there is Malcolm who is always one step ahead and came out on top as the new Ra's, was not expecting that. Obviously he and Nyssa are going to have some friction but with the reveal of Sara alive in Legends of Tomorrow (I've seen the trailer so no need to talk about Ray because I know he is alive too) maybe they will come to a truce. He will probably also go back to being a full villain but I doubt the League will have too much of a presence for a while so the show can focus on other stuff. Then there was Felicity and while she was alright I didn't like her being in the ATOM suit too much (because it was a quick attempt to involve her in the fight which meant we couldn't see Ray in action) and then she drove off with Oliver at the end. I never wanted these two together but I bet the OliverxFelicity fans are jumping with joy now, I guess I just got to accept it. Now I don't think Oliver is retiring for good (because he is the star obviously) but maybe like the Brick Arc he will be absent for a while which I don't mind because the Brick Arc proved that the secondary characters can hold there own so hopefully we will see more developments with Thea, Laurel and Diggle. Finally there is the Flashbacks and I just didn't like them because there was just little for Oliver, Maseo and Tatsu to do and was far less dramatic than the Slade vs. Oliver fight last season. However we got a great Easter Egg for Green Lantern with Oliver boarding a ship to Coast City so I hope we see Hal Jordon next season because he has been teased on Arrow/Flash for ages.

Overall not the best finale out of the three seasons but still a fun one to watch and makes me look forward to the possibilities of Season Four. Plus I liked how they managed to fit in the Flash for the finale, that was cool!

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Oliver vs. Ra's/Oliver and Nyssa team up
                   Team Arrow stopping the virus
                   Malcolm as the new Ra's
                   The possibilities for Season Four/Damien Darke

Let - Downs: The bio attack wasn't as threatening as the Mirakuru army
                       Flashbacks didn't do much
                       OliverxFelicity
                       ATOM didn't join in on the fight

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 Three: Al Sah - Him

So what will this new team name be?

While Oliver goes through a rigorous transformation the League target Nyssa who is in Starling City training Laurel while in Flashbacks the ALPHA/OMEGA virus has been unleashed.

Now this was one damn good episode I must admit first! I tell you it is different seeing Oliver as the villain and it is really enjoyable seeing him fighting against Team Arrow. Now knowing Oliver it is possible that his programming is all an act and that he has this grand scheme up his sleeve but I have read some comments online and some believe that he isn't and will stay with the League into Season Four. This would of course be a really interesting move and one I hope they would do it because as I just said I am liking Darth Oliver so far (Felicity said that lol). However if this is the case my only gripe with Oliver's transformation is that they have really just skimmed over his programming with the League during the opening montage because I would have wanted to find out more about it. At least we got to find out a lot more about H.I.V.E and the confirmed villain for Season Four; Damien Darhk. Since he was only a minor character in the Teen Titans comics the show has already created a more different back story for him and I liked it, I am really looking forward for Season Four now! We also got some more backstory into Ra's predecessor and that Olvier will have to destroy Starling City however I did not like that the ALPHA/OMEGA virus is now a topic in the present. Those who have read my review when the virus first appeared know that I did not want it in the present because in my opinion it would be too similar to Mirakuru from Season Two but at the very least the virus is only going to be used for a few episodes.

"Guns are so uncivilised"

As for everything else I think the friendship between Laurel and Nyssa has been great; I really liked the scene when they where having fries and milkshakes. This does a good job of humanizing Nyssa, make her more relatable than the villainous assassin who "isn't normal", plus this gives her a story arc that doesn't involve Sara for once and finally gave her a new problem to deal with. Then of course there is the reveal that she is to marry Oliver and I seriously doubt she will go along with that, unless Oliver is acting and lets her in on his plan? As for Laurel this gives her some scenes with Nyssa (such as catching the robber) that didn't involve Team Arrow for once and we got to see the Canary Cry in action and it was really well done. Diggle also was strongly involved with the story because it was his wife that was kidnapped and we got to see him struggling with whether or not he believes Oliver is truly gone; seeing him lose a bit of control with Oliver and Nyssa was something different because he is usually the rock of the team (plus he was great in a swordfight!). Finally there is Thea and surprise we actually got to see her do something and see her in costume though since it was so plain I'm guessing it will be upgraded soon. Despite my annoyance of Thea most of the time I do want to see her in action fighting against Oliver and who knows it might be worth the wait. As for the Flashbacks I did really like them because we got some great action the scenes involving the spread of the virus through the city was really well done.

"So worth the photo with that fanboy"

Overall an awesome episode ands it seems the plot with the League finally knows where it's going because lately it has been all over the place and focusing more on Roy, Quentin, ATOM etc.       

Highlights: Oliver as a villain
                   Damien Darhk and H.I.V.E explained
                   Laurel and Nyssa's friendship and strong Diggle material

Let - Downs: Did not go in depth into Oliver's programming
                      ALPHA/OMEGA virus in the present

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 Three: The Fallen

Al Sah - Him lives

With Thea's life hanging in the balance Oliver now has no choice but to accept his role as the new Head of the Demon so he can gain access to the Lazarus Pit however the rest of Team Arrow are not going to stand by and do nothing.

It took several episodes but it looks like Ra's has finally got his way and Oliver is now a member of the League of Assassins and soon to be the new Head. Now I'm sure that Oliver and Team Arrow are going to find a way out of this but I admit I didn't expect Oliver to actually accept so it is going to be cool these next few episode seeing what he will do next. Now Oliver's reason to join the League where right ones because he wanted to save Thea and I really liked the whole ritual but her revival was so underwhelming! She only suffered a bit of memory loss and by the end of the episode she was back to normal (back to her bitchy self of insulting Malcolm), I thought Malcolm said it would change her soul? There was also that mysterious woman who performed the ritual; I don't think it is Talia but I have read some people's comments saying it is Ra's wife or Lady Shiva, however for all we know she is a one time character so we will have to wait and see. Speaking Ra's it is good to get some backstory on him, again confirm that he is hundreds of years old and him explaining the true meaning of assassin. What really bothered my however was Felicity because she is just constantly getting on my nerves now on Arrow, on The Flash she was alright. Firstly she broke up with Ray which was the only pairing that I liked, then she just wouldn't shut up about losing Oliver and then she drugged him. It is just annoying that she has to keep going on that she doesn't agree and expects everyone to side with her; she has been doing this ever since the three episode Brick Arc and has been a downer ever since. Finally the Flashbacks are getting more entertaining now with the biohazard threat and Maseo was really great as we saw him struggling with his old self and his new loyalties. At least we finally know the fate of his son but I think it was obvious he was dead but I wonder if there is more to the reason Ra's spared Maseo's life? Still at least we also go some great action scenes in the Flashbacks and Malcolm being epic with a sword in the present.

Thea better proves that she deserves this

Overall this was a good episode but it felt really, really short with the lack of any other subplots however who else thought that Oliver's League costume was really badass!! 

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The Lazarus Pit ritual
                   Ra's backstory
                   Maseo and the Flashbacks

Let - Downs: The revived Thea was underwhelming
                       Felicity is getting on my nerves
                  
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 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/ 

Arrow Season Three: The Offer

Bet he isn't one for long speeches........

While Oliver has to deal with the aftermath of his meeting with Ra's al Ghul a new villain terrorizes Starling City; Michael Amar AKA Murmur (Adrian Glynn McMorran). Meanwhile Laurel and Nyssa bond, Thea comes to terms with Malcolm and Quentin shuts out both Laurel and Arrow.

We have the aftermath of Ra's offer to Oliver of becoming the next Head of the Demon and even though I expected Oliver to turn it down it was great watching him struggle with the decision. It was great that the first part of the episode focused more on the background of the League, though more screen time could have been given to it, and the confirmation of the Lazarus Pit. Finally glad that we got to see it in live action and the effect of it healing Ra's wound was cool. The strongest factor of this episode to me was Oliver struggling with his decision to accept the offer because he really was considering it after going over what changes he has made in Starling. Ra's did make it tempting because he made it seem that Oliver has barely accomplished anything and Oliver was beginning to believe it. However in the end, and with the help of Felicity, he chose to reject it and we have already seen the consequences of it when Ra's posed as the Arrow in a murder; I'm guessing Quentin and the police are going to turn against the Arrow now. The other main two characters in Oliver's arc, Thea and Nyssa, where a real let down however and I just found them completely annoying. I know Thea is dealing with murdering Sara but she is just all complaints lately and I hate that the first thing she says in every scene is how she wants to kill Malcolm; I just wanted her to shut the hell up about it already, she has been all bark and no bite this whole season. Plus she has gone back to her stupid habit of hating someone for a season; one it was Moira/Oliver, two it was just Moira and now Malcolm. As for Nyssa she is a good character but can they just give her something else to work with than just Sara, Sara, freaking Sara all the time and it was annoying seeing her going against Ra's because of her.

..........but he is one for complete slaughter!

As for everything else I really enjoyed the Murmur, McMorran gave a really creepy portrayal and we got some cool shootouts/fighting, but I just wish they gave him more screen time since he was only in it for two major scenes. I also must admit that besides the action scenes with the Murmur the rest of the episode wasn't that exciting so again shame we couldn't have more focus on him. Quentin was also great once again and he is doing a could job of showing his turmoil at Sara's death and a justifiable cold shoulder to Laurel and Arrow (Laurel of course deserves it more because of her stupid plan). Seems he will be an enemy of Arrow once again and even though it was sometimes annoying in season one that was mainly because I just hate how he treated Oliver and everyone else but this time it is a lot more personal and now Laurel is a vigilante. Finally the Flashbacks where not really that important, like they always are this season, but I'm not sure what to make of Shado again. I hope there is no stupid reason they have manage to bring her back after being shot in the head and I would actually prefer it to be her twin sister.

"I can get used to this green hood"

Overall this episode was great showing Oliver's dilemma to the offer but it would have been a lot better if we got more background on Ra's and the League and more focus on the Murmur. As I mentioned above when it wasn't about Ra's or the Murmur the rest of the episode was a bit of a drag and not that exciting.

SCORE: 5/10

Highlights: Oliver's decision at Ra's offer
                   The Murmur
                   Quentin still dealing with being lied to

Let - Downs: Nyssa
                      Thea
                      Not enough focus on the League and Murmur

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 Three: Nanda Parbat

So freaking awesome!!

When Malcolm is captured by the League of Assassins, Oliver considers saving him for Thea's sake. Meanwhile Felicity fears for Ray when he becomes more and more obsessed with finishing the ATOM suit.

What an awesome episode, this one aired in America just before a three week break (hope we don't have that over here) and left the audience with such an unexpected cliff hanger. First off I actually really liked Laurel, Thea and Nyssa for the way they dealt with Sara death in their own way. Laurel for example did let her emotions get the better of her and attacked Malcolm, sure that was a stupid thing to do but I think she knew that and I liked her bonding with Nyssa over Sara's laugh. Thea betrayed Malcolm to the League and told Laurel and Nyssa the truth but it was good seeing her admitting that she did feel guilty after having a great moment with Roy. Just thought I'd point out that it was cool how they went back to Roy killing the cop in season two and his guilt over it, until this episode I thought he just moved on. Finally there is Nyssa' whose feelings for Sara has probably now cost her being the Heir of the Demon and I am interested to know how this turns out however I do hope she finally moves on from Sara and hating Malcolm soon so they can add something else to her story. Malcolm was also great in this episode because of how he had to deal with everyone against him (except Oliver it seems), I liked how he never took Laurel seriously in their fight and it shows how dangerous Ra's actually is since Malcolm was afraid. There was a lot of awesome action sequences from all these characters as well; especially Diggle and Oliver's assault on the League, however I am a bit disappointed in that because the episode was a bit slow paced so we only got the last five minutes of the episode with it and after so much hype.

Just like the good old days of the beginning

Now as for Ra's offer to Oliver that was something I really didn't expect and even though I think Oliver will turn him down he will definitely be considering it next episode, he can't just turn it down straight away. You know I have read some people complaining that Arrow is being too much like Batman because of this Ra's story adaptation but since the writers have confirmed there will be no Batman in this I praise them for weaving it in the Arrow story so well and they do put their own original elements in it as well. Also I am positive now a Lazarus Pit exists because of I don't think that was just any pool Ra's was in at the beginning and how he said he met a magician all way back in the 1850!! You know I am really liking Matt Nable as Ra's al Ghul because the guy is just so imposing whenever he is on screen, you can really feel that this guy is the most dangerous man in the world. I just hope that from this point on we see a lot more of Ra's and that he takes a more active role in the story but since we are over the half way point in season three I'm sure we will.

"Your father is never going to care about Sara's death so............GET OVER IT!"

As for everything else Diggle defiantly deserves some praise because after not being that active the last few episodes he was right in the thick of it now. He had some really great talking moments with Oliver such as in the club or when they where captured and I am so glad he went with Oliver to save Malcolm. When that happened I just thought "Good old Dig; the constant rock of the group who will always have Oliver's back", luckily I hear there is a Suicide Squad episode soon and that always focuses on him more. Now we also get the big reveal of Ray as ATOM and that suit looked so freaking awesome!!!! I just really love that design and it was so epic when he flew; I know people may say that it is a knock off Ironman but we haven't seen what it can do yet and for all we know it could get his shrinking powers soon (seen him and Felicity in a Flash trailer so maybe then?). I liked the moments with Ray and Felcitiy as well because I have always enjoyed the chemistry between them (I prefer them two together than her and Oliver) and they brought in some much need humour. Finally while the Flashbacks where short and not too important they where not the big focus anyway and they where entertaining enough.

"Since there is no Batman you will have to do"

Overall this was an epic episode that was only brought down by it's slow pace and the Diggle and Oliver attack on the League didn't pay off as much as I wanted it to. Plus I do hope Thea's hatred of Malcolm doesn't last for too long because even though it will be understandable that she doesn't forgive him I just want her to work him again like before.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: ATOM!!!!!!!!!!!
                   Laurel, Thea and Nyssa subplots
                   Malcolm and Diggle played an important role
                   Ra's al Ghul continues to be awesome

Let - Downs: Slow pace
                      Oliver and Diggle attacking the League could have been longer

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 Three: The Climb

The Head of the Demon vs. Arrow

(Finally up to date with the Arrow episodes in the UK!!) The episode begins at Christmas with Arrow handing over a criminal to Quentin but is soon abducted by the League and Nyssa says he has 48 hours to hand over Sara's killer or the League will kill the citizens of Starling, Maseo is also there much to Arrow's surprise. Elsewhere Laurel tells Thea about Sara's death and Ray tells Felicity how his wife was killed in the Mirakuru army rampage which is why he felt guilty kissing her, in a Flashback Oliver tells Maseo the guy he tortured says an organization is making a virus called OMGEA. Felicity then finds out that the arrows which killed Sara has Oliver's DNA on them but Oliver thinks it is a plant by Malcolm however when Arrow and Arsenal find out he was in Starling the day Sara was killed they find out Thea was as well. Meanwhile Dinah arrives in Starling for Christmas and in a Flashback Maseo and Oliver find out OMEGA has already been stolen but when they question the thief finds out he doesn't remember stealing it. Ray then tells Felicity of his plans of shrinking technology and Dinah suspects Sara is dead which Laurel confirms but promises to avenge her. Ra's is then seen training meanwhile Arrow visits Thea to get answers but his shocked by her fighting skill and upset because more evidence points to her.

"Guess I should tell them both now..........or not"

Oliver then meets with Malcolm who says he drugged Thea to kill Sara and that he wants Oliver to have a trial by combat against Ra's to save her; this is good for Malcolm because if Ra's dies he is then free from killers sent by the League but if Oliver dies then no more Arrow. In a Flashback Maseo and Oliver arrive home to discover Tatsu has been captured by China White, in the present Oliver meets with Ra's and says he killed Sara so he can have the trial by combat. Oliver then says his goodbyes to everyone including a distraught Felicity who begs him to come back, later Ray shows Felicity his ATOM exo - suit which he will use to help the city and wants Felicity's help. The episode ends when Oliver who travels to the mountains to fight Ra's while being watched by both Nyssa and Maseo. Oliver puts up a fight but is overpowered and stabbed in the chest, Ra's kicks him off the mountain seemingly to his death.

Damn!

WOW! Now I really didn't expect the series to kill off the main character but it looks like they have and from what I have read on the internet since this episode aired Oliver really is dead. First off that was such an awesome fight between Oliver and Ra's because we really could use more sword fighting in Arrow and the sword play in this final fight was perfect; the way Ra's confidently says he will take Oliver's blades then killed him with them was epic. Next Ra's is such a great character now that we have seen more than two minutes of him and it is thanks to Matt Nable who does a awesome live action performance of him and I hope he appears again soon. Finally I am now positive that the Lazarus Pits exists because of Ra's comments that it has been 67 years since he last held a trial by combat and he doesn't look 67. I have really wanted to see the Lazarus Pits in live action and I hope they use it on Oliver to bring him back (and that he goes insane from it and becomes an antagonist for a while, haven't seen episodes past this one yet because they haven't aired in the UK) however I hope Arrow does not overuse it as well; use it once on the main character to bring him back is alright and letting Ra's use it repeatedly is alright because he does in the comics. However if they use it on every dead character it removes any fear of death in the series, for example even though Sara was a great character I think she needs to stay dead for Laurel to progress, plus her death had such an impact on the other characters and story.

Can't wait to see that suit

Malcolm continues to be such a great manipulator in the way he had Thea kill Sara so he can have Oliver fight Ra's for him, it was just such an masterful plan! It makes me wonder what plans he has install next however I guess I don't like the whole drug induced Thea to kill Sara part of the plan because after all the trouble that Oliver went through in the episode 'The Magician' in proving Malcolm was innocent it turns out it was basically him anyway. I just think it might have been better if it was an original character that killed Sara in the end because Thea being the culprit just felt underwhelming. We also finally get a look at Ray ATOM suit and even if it was a hologram it sure looked awesome and Felicity's reaction was priceless lol. Unfortunately I don't think we will see it for a while but they sure are building up a lot of hype for it and maybe he will help Team Arrow out with the League.

Maseo how could you!?

As for everything else the Flashbacks where really good with the inclusion of China White in the Flashback cast now and the threat of a virus super weapon. The sword fight from China White and Tatsu was also good however I hope that OMEGA doesn't appear in the present day because that would be too similar to Mirakuru. We also saw Maseo in the present which makes me think if Tatsu is dead (which I will be fine with) and even though he is part of the League he still seemed to show concern for Oliver, maybe he is the one to bring with back. Finally we got some good emotional moments from Dinah and Laurel however most of it was cheesy such as Dinah telling her to 'make them suffer' and that she 'had a feeling' something was wrong. Also now that Dinah and Thea know that Sara is dead that is basically almost all of the main cast so this whole keeping a secret from Quentin is just getting so stupid now and its barely a secret anymore.

"Been a while since I've been on the show"

Overall it was an awesome way to end the mid season and with Oliver dead we will get more of a focus on other characters for a while.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Ra's vs. Oliver which resulting in Oliver's death!
                   Malcolm's master plan
                   Ray's ATOM suit is coming along nicely
                   Oliver's goodbyes to everyone

Let - Downs: Didn't like overall that a drugged Thea was the culprit
                      Dinah and Laurel's dialogue
                      Keeping Sara's death from Quentin now is just pointless

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 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 Two: Broken Dolls

"I did slice off skin but the mess went everywhere"

The episode begins with Arrow being saved by Black Canary from the police, this angers Oliver at the Arrowcave who doesn't like the thought of another vigilante in Starling City. Meanwhile Quentin arrives on the scene of a murdered young woman killed by the serial killer Barton Mathis AKA The Dollmaker who must have escaped during the earthquake however Quentin is warned to stay off the case (being the one who arrested The Dollmaker last time). Another victim is kidnapped so Quentin then asks Arrow for help and while he sets Felicity to find a connection between the victims he asks Roy to find out more about Black Canary. Arrow questions The Dollmaker's old lawyer which leads him and Quentin to an old address of The Dollmaker but find it empty however Quentin does get a call from The Dollmaker who taunts Quentin while killing his victim. Arrow and Quentin team up again to steal evidence and find out the victims all have the same skin cream as a connection, in a Flashback Slade and Oliver finds the pirate's boat and see it firing at their base where Shado is.

Since this was such a great team up I kind of wish Quentin became a part of Team Arrow

Felicity volunteers to lure The Dollmaker with Arrow and Quentin tailing her however he gets away and Quentin is arrested for interfering. Later during a trial the district attorney wishes for Moira to receive the death penalty for her actions, in a Flashback Oliver is knocked out by explosions when he and Slade arrive to help Shado. Roy finds a girl named Sin (Bex Taylor-Klaus) while finding Black Canary; he is knocked out and brought before her but told not keep looking for her, meanwhile Quentin and Laurel are kidnapped by The Dollmaker. Arrow arrives to save Quentin and Laurel and The Dollmaker is killed by Black Canary, Laurel then admits to only hating Arrow because she blames herself for Tommy and Quentin later thanks Arrow. The episode ends with Black Canary killing an agent of Ra's Al Ghul when she refuses to go back to the League of Assassins and in a Flashback Oliver wakes up on the boat Amazo.

The Super Special Epic Entrance Pose!

Now this was the kind of team up I wanted to see between Quentin and Arrow, I enjoyed this team up unlike the one in season one. They worked really well together, along with Felicity who I always enjoy seeing taking a break from a computer screen, and Quentin is realizing now that Arrow is necessary for Starling City. The had some great moments; from raiding The Dollmaker's hideout to tailing Felicity, it was really suspenseful. Speaking of The Dollmaker he was a great villain because he was pretty damn dark like the way he kills his victims and displays them and he was creepy in the way he acts and talks. Sure he wasn't a fighter like Bronze Tiger in the previous episode but is was a match for Arrow and Quentin in his own way, it is just a damn shame that he had to be killed off.

"Sentence; Death. Next one please"

We also got some more great scenes with Black Canary and it was worth watching this episode for the mention of Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins alone. This is because Ra's Al Ghul is one of the most iconic DC villains and if he appears in Arrow than that would be awesome, plus again having the League of Assassins is another right move for Arrow in terms of being more like a comic book adaptation. Black Canary obviously must have been part of the League and also must have an interest in Arrow if she saved him. Hopefully we will see more of her soon because I am really liking her so far. Also did anyone notice the League member was dressed similar to Malcolm's Dark Archer costume? Malcolm did mention to Tommy he meet with people who changed his life while away and after seeing this I was certain it was the League, it would also explain his level of fighting skill.

League of Assassins!!!

As for the rest of the episode I enjoyed seeing Roy trying to find Black Canary but I didn't expect it to be finished in one episode. Laurel was okay in this, this time because I am just really glad the writers have abandoned her Anti - Arrow campaign (of course the worst is yet to come). Moira also found herself in quite the predicament and I wonder how they are going to get out of that one and lastly while it looks like the Flashbacks are going to get better with Oliver kidnapped they have still started off rather weak this season.

What a really elaborate way to pose a victim 

Overall this was a step up from the previous two episodes for it's much darker and sinister tone thanks to The Dollmaker.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: The Dollmaker
                   Quentin and Arrow team up
                   Black Canary and the League of Assassins

Let - Downs: Flashbacks still aren't that strong

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/