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/  

Arrow Season One: Trust but Verify

"This is my show now"

The episode begins with an armoured truck heist and Diggle is shocked to learn that Oliver's suspect is his former commanding officer and mentor, Ted Gaynor. In a Flashback Oliver uses his commando disguise to infiltrate Fyer's camp to rescue Yao Fie but runs in to Fyers, in the present Tommy is busy renovating the club when he gets a call from his father who apologizes for before and wants dinner with him and Laurel. The Hood then goes to confront Gaynor but is stopped when Diggle intervenes but manages to steal a flash drive, Diggle is then given a job at Gaynor's security company. Back at the Arrowcave Oliver is furious with Diggle but Diggle believes Gaynor is a good man and wants to prove it, Oliver agrees to let him; we then have a Flashback and Oliver has been found out by Fyers. Later Moira is called in to a meeting with Malcolm but demands evidence that Walter is alright, their meeting is witnessed by Thea who believes they are having an affair, elsewhere Laurel convinces Tommy to have dinner with Malcolm. Diggle has dinner with Gaynor at his sister in law's restaurant and even though he meets another former solider named Paul Knox who he never got along with still thinks Gaynor is innocent. Thea later tells her worries to Oliver who then confronts Moira about them but she denies having an affair with Malcolm and that Robert was unfaithful to her, in a Flashback Oliver is captured by Fyers.

Kind of almost sad Malcolm spoiled the moment, they where getting along so well

While Tommy, Laurel and Malcolm have dinner Malcolm tries to get Tommy to sign over a free health clinic that was run by his late mother, Tommy refuses and storms out. Oliver later gives the flash drive to Felicity who cracks it and informs him that that it has information on the robberies, Oliver disrupts one of them and seriously wounds one of the robbers. At Thea's 18th birthday party she gets a car but also a new drug called Vertigo from her friends and then angrily leaves after again thinking Moira and Malcolm are having an affair. Oliver then asks Diggle to poke around the security company where he finds blood in one of the vans and is then confronted by Gaynor and Knox who are behind the robberies; they have even kidnapped Diggle's sister in law to force him to help with the next robbery. Diggle refuses to go along with the robbery and The Hood shows up; Knox is killed and Gaynor soon as well after a fight, Diggle is arrested but soon let go. Oliver later shows lets Diggle cross Ted Gaynor's name off the list and apologies for not trusting him more. Thea then gets in to a car accident under the influence of Vertigo and winds up in hospital, she also wants nothing to do with Moira but is arrested by the police for being on drugs. The episode ends in a Flashback where it is reveal Yao Fei is working for Fyers.

A bow vs. a knife

Got a good Diggle centred episode here and it is about time because we defiantly need to learn more about his past because they don't talk about it much and they haven't expanded on his Deadshot connection yet. I really like that it raised the issue of trust because Diggle was torn between old loyalties or his new one to Oliver to help Starling City because it does show how he looks for the good in people, like Oliver and why he helps him. Also again it shows him taking a more active role in helping the city than just supporting Oliver; in this he went undercover and even fought Gaynor. It might not be as cool as seeing him act as The Hood but it sure is a start, Diggle is one of the best characters in the show and I want to see even more of him and Felicity. Felicity too is an interesting character and as smart as she is she is defiantly going to figure out that Oliver is The Hood soon; I mean everyone comes to her with all of their problems and it is interesting how many BS stories Oliver can come up with lol.



"Is that real food!!"

Other stuff that was great was again the moments we have between Tommy and his father; the two have such a complicated relationship and I want to know why they don't get along that much, it is also confirmed that Tommy's mother is dead and maybe that has something to do with it. Malcolm obviously developed more of a bleak outlook on life after that and how Tommy gave us more background on him. I'm guessing in those two years he was gone he must have became an expert fighter and archer and I hope we get a Flashback for it, plus the scene with Tommy talking and you see Malcolm next to his costume was really cool. I also liked the Flashback this episode with Oliver sneaking into the enemy camp to rescue Yao Fei; he already thinks he is Big Boss! It was a surprise to learn that Yao Fei is working for Fyers but I'm sure that after everything that has happened he is being threatened in some way and that he will end up helping Oliver. Also I guess this shows how much Oliver has changed since being on the island since he is willing to risk going in to an enemy camp to rescue someone he barely knows, like the time he didn't give up Yao Fei's name under torture.

"I love being on TV"

Now for the thing that has let the episode down; Thea, I really cannot stand the stupid things she continues to do. I mean why did she get so upset about her mom maybe having an affair with Malcolm? she barely had any proof and now she doesn't want anything to do with Moira again. Also how can she be so stupid to drive under drugs influences? I don't know if their trying to make us sympathise with her or make a tragic subplot because I can't, she is just a whiny, annoying, stuck - up bitch (she annoys me that much it's uncensored!). However at the very least we got the mention of Vertigo and it has me more worried than anything else. In the comics the Arrow has a villain called Count Vertigo who has the power called the Vertigo Effect to disrupt his enemies' balance which is useful in combat (can even work to disrupt equipment). This has me worried because if they are kind of introducing his power as a drug than just like most things in this show Count Vertigo will be turned in to someone realistic and grounded.

"You should have joined us Diggle, unlike the Arrow we would have paid you"

Overall I like this episode because it focused more on Diggle and the Flashbacks continue to be some of the strongest moments in the series.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Diggle focused episode with a good showdown at the end
                   Great Flashback
          Tommy and Malcolm continue to have on of the more interesting character relationships        

Let - Downs: Thea continues to annoy
                      Worries for Count Vertigo if he gets introduced

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/