Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Loved It? Hated It? What did you think of "The Man Under The Hood?"

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Originally posted by Quark
    That was such an enjoyable episode. Two scenes stood out for me the most. One is the hug that Laurel gave Oliver. It just looked like Oliver desperately needed someone to give him a hug. Quite a well-played understated scene.

    The other scene was Slade bringing Isabel back to life. Slade doesn't seem like the type of guy that cares who lives or dies for him (at least before this episode). So I was really surprised that he not only brought Isabel back to life but gave her the Mirakuru. Makes me wonder if they have more than just a business relationship...

    Another scene that is up there is seeing those two scientists best Slade. Slade got completely owned.

    This episode also made me realise that the only way Oliver is going to be able to beat Slade is if he somehow gets ARGUS, the Russians and (potentially) the League of Assassins on side.
    I was thinking that last bit myself. Anatoli would definitely put his support behind getting rid of Slade, having experienced his 'charming personality' on Lian Yu; ARGUS has some connection that we've yet to learn since Amanda clearly knows about Slade and Oliver apparently killing him, and we can figure that she'll send in the Squad to back Oliver in the finale (or just some troops); and finally League of Assassins. We don't know much about the Arrowverse's League, but they don't seem to be the version from the Dark Knight trilogy. Slade and his Mirakuru Army would pose a serious threat; that, and we can't deny the likelihood Nyssa would plead with her father to help Sara and the Arrow. The real question is, if Merlyn also becomes part of what I'm jokingly calling 'the Starling City Defense Force', how would things go if/when Nyssa (and possibly Ra's himself if we're really lucky!) show up?

    As far as Slade and Isabel.... the way he was acting, it was almost like Isabel is a 'surrogate' of sorts for Shado, or perhaps the closest thing to family Slade has.

    I agree that people aren't really giving that scene with Oliver and Laurel hugging due credit. That was done pretty good. But I still wonder if they made a conscious choice for Laurel to have the outfit she had on at the time be similar to what Sara wears on occasion....

    President Luthor, I agree with everything you said. They handled The Secret very well, and not only Quentin but also Laurel's reaction. When Laurel, at first, seemed hell-bent on exposing Oliver as the Arrow, I was thinking, "I thought they said her actions would surprise us? This isn't surpising me." Then, wham, they turn it around after her conversation with Quentin.

    Hmm... anyone else think Katie Cassidy looked remarkably hot when she was confronting the Arrow in that parking lot?

    Comment


    • #17
      Originally posted by JDBentz
      I was thinking that last bit myself. Anatoli would definitely put his support behind getting rid of Slade, having experienced his 'charming personality' on Lian Yu; ARGUS has some connection that we've yet to learn since Amanda clearly knows about Slade and Oliver apparently killing him, and we can figure that she'll send in the Squad to back Oliver in the finale (or just some troops); and finally League of Assassins. We don't know much about the Arrowverse's League, but they don't seem to be the version from the Dark Knight trilogy. Slade and his Mirakuru Army would pose a serious threat; that, and we can't deny the likelihood Nyssa would plead with her father to help Sara and the Arrow. The real question is, if Merlyn also becomes part of what I'm jokingly calling 'the Starling City Defense Force', how would things go if/when Nyssa (and possibly Ra's himself if we're really lucky!) show up?
      Not only that but Slade did kill at least one of Anatoli's men in Starling City. I wonder if Slade realises how many people he may have potentially irritated on his way to bringing Oliver down? Judging by the small chat that Slade had with Oliver before Oliver took Roy away, it sounds like Slade thinks he is unbeatable so doesn't think anyone is a threat. I reckon Slade is in for a very big surprise...

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by Quark
        Not only that but Slade did kill at least one of Anatoli's men in Starling City. I wonder if Slade realises how many people he may have potentially irritated on his way to bringing Oliver down? Judging by the small chat that Slade had with Oliver before Oliver took Roy away, it sounds like Slade thinks he is unbeatable so doesn't think anyone is a threat. I reckon Slade is in for a very big surprise...
        Agreed. The real question is whether Deathstroke is meant to be a recurring villain ala Merlyn. I would hope so, but they've said that this season is really about Oliver finally letting go of the Island as far as it haunting him as much (presumably that's what keeps him from becoming the quip-loving Green Arrow). If Slade continues to be a villain, there will always be that connection to the Island. Or perhaps this season is about both of them letting go of the island. From what I know about Deathstroke in the comics, he has, on occasion, sided with the heroes depending on the situation. So he could plausibly be an occasional antagonist as well as occasional anti-hero.

        I actually compiled a list, of sorts, of the people we're meant to be seeing in Starling in the finale, heroes and villains alike. Here's what I got:

        Oliver Queen/The Arrow
        Sara Lance/The Canary
        Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer
        Nyssa Raatko/Heir to the Demon
        Lyla Michaels/ARGUS Liason or SS Team Lead?
        *Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger
        *Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
        *Amanda Waller/ARGUS or SS Control?
        Roy Harper/Arsenal (that's the path they say they're taking him down)
        Isabel Rochev/Ravager
        Slade Wilson/Deathstroke

        *unconfirmed but suspected by fans to be coming into play thanks to interviews about the Suicide Squad episode

        So, assuming Nyssa brings some friends to the party, and Anatoli brings in some Russian bruisers with firepower, this is what we're seeing:

        The 'Starling City Defense Force': Comprised of Team Arrow, Suicide Squad, Merlyn, and the League of Assassins.

        The Army of Blood: Team Deathstroke (Slade, Blood, and Rochev) and the Mirakuru Army.

        Comment


        • #19
          I don't think Slade will be super powerful next season but he will still be crazy because the cure seems to only get rid of the physical traits of Mirakuru but they mentioned nothing about the psychological side-effects that Mirakuru inflicts on its users.

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by costas22
            One question about Isabel. If Robert loved her, why did he include her on the list? I hope the show hasn't forgotten about that.
            As soon as Isabel Rochev showed up in the second season, I just view Isabel's name being in the list as being just an easter egg and nothing more. We're nineteen episodes into season two and it would be silly for Ollie to just now remember that Isabel was on the list, so I toss it all up to being an easter egg.

            Originally posted by Thailog
            Anyone else getting the feeling that they are kind of setting up that Caitlin girl as The Flash's version of Felicity? The way she talks and her mannerisms seem pretty much copy/pasted from Felicity.
            That could be fine for the beginning before Caitlin Snow becomes Killer Frost.

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by Anno_Domini
              As soon as Isabel Rochev showed up in the second season, I just view Isabel's name being in the list as being just an easter egg and nothing more. We're nineteen episodes into season two and it would be silly for Ollie to just now remember that Isabel was on the list, so I toss it all up to being an easter egg.
              Maybe it's a case of him knowing and giving her the benefit of the doubt. According to show canon, he shouldn't have forgotten in the first place. But it wouldn't surprise me if they conveniently forgot what they showed in the past. They did the same with Slade's number of days on the island.

              Comment


              • #22
                Let me start by saying that I have watched this episode three times by now, and that I really loved it! I gave it a nine out of ten, because I want to save my tens for the concluding episodes, which promise to be awesome. As usual I will try to sort out my thoughts a bit, but my general impression is that this episode was so action-packed that it was hard to keep track of all the things that happened and all the big revelations (Oliver discovering that he had slept with his father's mistress, Laurel putting the pieces together about Oliver's and Sara's identities, Roy being kidnapped by Slade etc.). In a sense it laid the groundwork for the concluding endgame episodes, and I'm really curious how all this will pan out.

                Laurel and the Arrow

                As many of the oldtimers know I am a Laurel fan, and as such I haven't been very happy about how she has been treated this season. The drug abuse crucible was not a bad idea in theory, but it was poorly executed and Laurel's storyline was often overshadowed by what some people call "the Sara Diaries". I like Sara, but I sometimes felt that her story took too much focus away from the regular characters, especially the ones who weren't immediately involved with Oliver's mission/the Team, such as Thea and Laurel. However, in this episode I felt that there was finally a pay off and that Laurel had come out of her trial as a better and more humble person, who additionally is less prone to view things in black and white than the season one Laurel. If some people feel that the change has been too rapid, one shouldn't forget that at least six weeks have passed since her confrontation with Oliver and that first AA meeting (in "Birds of prey" we learn that Laurel has been sober for 30 days). She has had time to adjust to the idea that Sara and Oliver are now a couple, and she is no longer bitter about Oliver's cheating. So, if Slade expected his gossip girl revelations to drive a wedge between Laurel and Oliver he was mistaken, since it actually drew her closer to both Oliver and Sara. That beautiful scene where she hugged Oliver is a confirmation of the change she has undergone in the last few eps, and it was a great moment IMHO. It will be really interesting to see what will happen in the upcoming episodes and if she will decide to reveal to Oliver that she knows his secret identity. Of course, she already did, but I suspect that Oliver has too much on his plate to realize that she knows. The scene with Quentin was also great, with Quentin channeling Inspector Gordon, making it clear to Laurel that he doesn't want to know who the Arrow is, because if he did he wouldn't be able to help him.

                Thea's reaction

                A lot of fans have complained about Thea's reaction to the news that Merlyn is her father and her refusal to sign the papers that would save the family fortune. I personally think that her anger was justified from a psychological perspective...I mean, her whole life just fell apart. Furthermore, I think we should remember that the "Arrow" writers, like all screen writers, like to set up dramatic situations like these just to create some suspense and melodrama. I mean, if Thea had signed those papers, we wouldn't have waited with baited breath to see what will happen in the next episode, would we? It's like when Laurel went after the Arrow in the beginning of the season, and everyone was ragging on her for being such a terrible person...but when the Arrow saved her, she had her "epiphany" and realized that her desire to catch him just displanced survivor's guilt. So, the writers had just concocted the whole "Laurel going after Oliver" as a means to further her character development.

                I think that Thea's current storyline will have a similar conclusion, in the sense that she will be even closer to Oliver and Moira in the end. Her disappointment and alienation from her family might drive her into the arms of Malcolm (which will guarantee some exciting story developments) but I hope she won't be corrupted by Merlyn, who must be the worst father who ever existed!

                The Team

                There were some nice moments with the team all working together to fight against Slade: the bombing, the fight against Slade in the "Arrowcave", the introduction of some Flash characters. There was one thing I didn't understand though...if Slade is so powerful that he can knock down any door, why did he need to steal Tockman's key from the Arrowcave? I was also puzzled by the fact that Ollie hadn't told the others about the cure for the Mirakuru earlier, for example when Roy couldn't control his powers. He did say that he was ashamed, but that felt like a bit of an afterthought to cover up a plot hole IMHO.

                Oliver and Moira

                Oliver is really being hit with one misfortune/disaster after another in these concluding episodes, and as he says, most of them are due to his own mistakes. IMHO the idea that Oliver himself is partly responsible for the mess he is in makes him a more interesting hero than if it had been caused solely by external forces. The only good thing that happened in this ep is that Oliver and Moira are now speaking to each other, and even joined forces to try to convince Thea to sign the papers. [SPOILER] I'm really worried that Moira won't survive this season, since I love the character and the actress, but at least she and Oliver are no longer at odds, which will be of some comfort if Moira is going to be killed off [/SPOILER]

                Have to stop here! All in all it was a very enjoyable episode with great character development for Laurel and some pretty nifty action sequences.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Very good episode again. Arrow is now like a long movie cut in several parts.
                  I'm happy Laurel is back, I was suffering with her too long breakdown. Finally we see her qualities (to investiguate mostly). I hope one day they will give her credits that she discovered that Blood was a villain before everybody. I'm an oliciter but I like Laurel character and I missed her.
                  So now Laurel and Felicity are level. Now Laurel knows, now Felicity is freee (From Barry). Sara is still on the game. Let see what happens.

                  If they make an antidote I don't see how Slade could be the villain next year or Isabel (that make me sad because I like this character, they waited to long to develop her character and I hope to see her next year, Summer Glau is very good playing her).

                  I know the writers are completly in the action that will lead to the season finale but a little character background wouldn't hurt :

                  Originally posted by thatoneguy
                  im curious as to where Thea is going. Maybe going to live at verdant? That makes me wonder if she's going to discover Oliver's secret.
                  I would like to know if Diggle and Felicity still work for QC.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by evaba
                    Let me start by saying that I have watched this episode three times by now, and that I really loved it! I gave it a nine out of ten, because I want to save my tens for the concluding episodes, which promise to be awesome. As usual I will try to sort out my thoughts a bit, but my general impression is that this episode was so action-packed that it was hard to keep track of all the things that happened and all the big revelations (Oliver discovering that he had slept with his father's mistress, Laurel putting the pieces together about Oliver's and Sara's identities, Roy being kidnapped by Slade etc.). In a sense it laid the groundwork for the concluding endgame episodes, and I'm really curious how all this will pan out.

                    Laurel and the Arrow

                    As many of the oldtimers know I am a Laurel fan, and as such I haven't been very happy about how she has been treated this season. The drug abuse crucible was not a bad idea in theory, but it was poorly executed and Laurel's storyline was often overshadowed by what some people call "the Sara Diaries". I like Sara, but I sometimes felt that her story took too much focus away from the regular characters, especially the ones who weren't immediately involved with Oliver's mission/the Team, such as Thea and Laurel. However, in this episode I felt that there was finally a pay off and that Laurel had come out of her trial as a better and more humble person, who additionally is less prone to view things in black and white than the season one Laurel. If some people feel that the change has been too rapid, one shouldn't forget that at least six weeks have passed since her confrontation with Oliver and that first AA meeting (in "Birds of prey" we learn that Laurel has been sober for 30 days). She has had time to adjust to the idea that Sara and Oliver are now a couple, and she is no longer bitter about Oliver's cheating. So, if Slade expected his gossip girl revelations to drive a wedge between Laurel and Oliver he was mistaken, since it actually drew her closer to both Oliver and Sara. That beautiful scene where she hugged Oliver is a confirmation of the change she has undergone in the last few eps, and it was a great moment IMHO. It will be really interesting to see what will happen in the upcoming episodes and if she will decide to reveal to Oliver that she knows his secret identity. Of course, she already did, but I suspect that Oliver has too much on his plate to realize that she knows. The scene with Quentin was also great, with Quentin channeling Inspector Gordon, making it clear to Laurel that he doesn't want to know who the Arrow is, because if he did he wouldn't be able to help him.

                    Thea's reaction

                    A lot of fans have complained about Thea's reaction to the news that Merlyn is her father and her refusal to sign the papers that would save the family fortune. I personally think that her anger was justified from a psychological perspective...I mean, her whole life just fell apart. Furthermore, I think we should remember that the "Arrow" writers, like all screen writers, like to set up dramatic situations like these just to create some suspense and melodrama. I mean, if Thea had signed those papers, we wouldn't have waited with baited breath to see what will happen in the next episode, would we? It's like when Laurel went after the Arrow in the beginning of the season, and everyone was ragging on her for being such a terrible person...but when the Arrow saved her, she had her "epiphany" and realized that her desire to catch him just displanced survivor's guilt. So, the writers had just concocted the whole "Laurel going after Oliver" as a means to further her character development.

                    I think that Thea's current storyline will have a similar conclusion, in the sense that she will be even closer to Oliver and Moira in the end. Her disappointment and alienation from her family might drive her into the arms of Malcolm (which will guarantee some exciting story developments) but I hope she won't be corrupted by Merlyn, who must be the worst father who ever existed!

                    The Team

                    There were some nice moments with the team all working together to fight against Slade: the bombing, the fight against Slade in the "Arrowcave", the introduction of some Flash characters. There was one thing I didn't understand though...if Slade is so powerful that he can knock down any door, why did he need to steal Tockman's key from the Arrowcave? I was also puzzled by the fact that Ollie hadn't told the others about the cure for the Mirakuru earlier, for example when Roy couldn't control his powers. He did say that he was ashamed, but that felt like a bit of an afterthought to cover up a plot hole IMHO.

                    Oliver and Moira

                    Oliver is really being hit with one misfortune/disaster after another in these concluding episodes, and as he says, most of them are due to his own mistakes. IMHO the idea that Oliver himself is partly responsible for the mess he is in makes him a more interesting hero than if it had been caused solely by external forces. The only good thing that happened in this ep is that Oliver and Moira are now speaking to each other, and even joined forces to try to convince Thea to sign the papers. [SPOILER] I'm really worried that Moira won't survive this season, since I love the character and the actress, but at least she and Oliver are no longer at odds, which will be of some comfort if Moira is going to be killed off [/SPOILER]

                    Have to stop here! All in all it was a very enjoyable episode with great character development for Laurel and some pretty nifty action sequences.
                    Good point about Thea. I think its a testament to the writers that they can easily turn us for or against a character. They started setting up the 'irritation of Laurel' with the finale, and it seems like they were intending for Laurel to hunt the Arrow because of Tommy's death. Now they're setting things up for an interesting conflict with Thea (especially as a certain Archer returns in Episode 22) and people are irritated with the character's current arc, despite having been sympathetic to what she might do earlier in the season. Brilliant writing on their part, I think.

                    Yep, Laurel's getting much better storylines and I can't wait to see how it pans out. I do think her dying is a possibility since her arc is somewhat similar to Tommy's final arc, but with the producers saying otherwise, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. THey're irritating that way....

                    What I'm looking forward to is what's been said about the timeline for the final 3 episodes of the season.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X
                    😀
                    🥰
                    🤢
                    😎
                    😡
                    👍
                    👎