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SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

POLL : What did you think of Arrow - Left Behind?

Jan 22, 2015

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243 comments:

  1. *A*January 22, 2015 at 2:00 AM

    WoW !!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:00 AM

    LOVED LOVED LOVED it

    ReplyDelete
  3. thi86January 22, 2015 at 2:03 AM

    Good episode! I love the interactions with the team arrow (Diggle, Felicity and Roy), and it was a great scene with Lauren as BC in the end.

    But yes, i'm missing Oliver like A LOT! Can't wait to see their reunion when he's back!

    ReplyDelete
  4. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:03 AM

    Best episode of the seassns! fukk of team arrow and laurel as BC was done pretty good... she become her out of an impulse, she didnt thought about it.


    And Maseo and Tatsu. i knew it!


    god, i'm so fucked and i have to go to work

    ReplyDelete
  5. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:05 AM

    He's aliiiiiiiiiiiveeeeeeeeeee yey yey yey!
    I knew it was Maseooo! Finally I got something right! Uhuuuul
    I honestly thought that was going to be more painful, but i managed... It's fine, I'm almost not sobbing anymore.
    I think Black Canary origin was pretty cool and Laurel was great also. Never thought I was going to type that in my life, but yeah, it worked for me.
    Felicity broke my heart, but I wish her grief were manifested in a way not so related to Ray Palmer.
    Malcolm Merlyn you are shady as f*ck, i don't believe a word you say.
    PLEASE SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING TO THEA!

    ReplyDelete
  6. arrowshieldfanJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:06 AM

    review please......I don't care for spoilers since I being watching spoilers so I know parts of what going on

    ReplyDelete
  7. atlantisguy1976January 22, 2015 at 2:08 AM

    They didn't keep him dead long. Glad CW didn't mess with the dynamic too much. They got the ingredients right the first time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:08 AM

    I'm sweeting like a hooker on church... Boy i choose a bad drinking game to play. i'm quite dizzy right now. i still can type pretty well, thou. better here than tumblr, i wrote really badly there. bye! got to drive to work now...

    ReplyDelete
  9. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:09 AM

    Awesome episode! Laurel's story was awesome. Roy and Diggle were amazing! I love Ray and Felicity's interactions. That moment between Diggle and Laurel was sweet. And totally knew that Maseo and Tatsu were going to bring back Oliver. The only thing I didn't like was how quick Felicity was to give up everything. Yes, I know she's grieving and I'll probably be sentenced to burn at the stake for picking on Felicity, but she seemed like the weakest character this episode. Grab your firestarters and your rope but I speak the truth.

    ReplyDelete
  10. OreJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:09 AM

    -Great Episode. I really liked it
    -Poor team Arrow, great action sequences
    -Poor felicity but letting them go was a poor decision and turning the lights off while they are still inside is a little bit rude lol
    -Laurel and Diggle scene was nice
    -Great Action sequences with Diggle and especially Roy
    -Malcolm you SOB
    -God someone really needs to tell Thea
    -I knew Laurel would suit up at the end
    -Oliver lives!!!!!!!!! (yay Tatsu is alive)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Aleana HarrisJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:09 AM

    Love it little we saw of Laurel as the black canary was amazing wonder what she use for the sonic scream pitch noise and kinda figure Maseo and Tatsu save Oliver

    ReplyDelete
  12. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:11 AM

    Laurel used Sara's device that was scene the first time we saw Canary.

    ReplyDelete
  13. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:11 AM

    That was the device that Sara used to have, is the show's version of the canary cry, since in Arrow we don't have superpowers

    ReplyDelete
  14. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:11 AM

    Ok, I teared when Diggle gave Felicity that speech, I teared when Malcolm came in the Arrow cave to question/warn Team Arrow of Oliver's disappearance. I teared when they showed the shot of Oliver's body..ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FREAKING MOUNTAIN, ice cold and blue!! I teared when Malcolm found the sword and when he returned it to Team Arrow, I cheered for Felicity. And I'm glad Malcolm admitted the set up to free his own skin. B/c I totally called that. I teared when Roy was sitting alone drinking by himself. And when Felicity argued with Diggle, said she was done, and turned out the lights on Diggle and Roy, my eyes watered. Lastly I teared when Diggle said he still saw himself as Oliver's bodyguard and he was upset he couldn't protect him.

    When did I cheer? I cheered for Roy and Diggle all night! Especially Roy, he did amazing. And for the whole hour, for the very first time, I smiled uncontrollable when I saw Oliver's skin color back to humane temperatures, breathing and started to speak. Tatsu brought him back!! Now that I did not see coming. So it looks like Maseo went behind Ra's back. That's not going to go well for them.

    I can't wait for Oliver to return to Starling, the heartbreaks of Team Arrow was just too much. And I drank through every single scene! No lie. Every time I felt a tear coming on I had to throw it back. And i chugged through certain scenes, (that i will not mention), just so i can get through it. So right now i'm pretty damn warm.

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  15. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:12 AM

    You think Merlyn was genuine with his emotions? I took it like he was totally enjoying playing with Team Arrow

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  16. So ContagiousJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:13 AM

    That was FANTASTIC. I'm so glad; it really feels like the show is pulling out of it's early season problems now that it has a clear driving focus. Every character had amazing moments, and all of them made sense; Felicity wanting to protect her people, Diggle reacting as a soldier on a mission, Roy lost without his mentor, and Laurel pushed into filling Oliver's void. My heart broke for Felicity and Diggle, but I was so happy that not only did I enjoy Laurel more than I have in a long time, I even liked Palmer in this episode. Felicity's grief brought out the pain behind his manic happy ways, and it was good to see; it finally made him feel grounded, and he needed that. And I am finally genuinely looking forward to the Black Canary arc. And so curious as to how having died will affect Oliver. There's so much to work with, and Malcolm and Thea's current predicament finally makes the League of Assassins plot feel urgent rather than stagnant. So much good was done between this and midseason finale.


    I'm really looking forward to comes next, and I couldn't be happier, even though I've cried twice tonight. This major shake-up was exactly what the show needed. Here's hoping that it will continue through the rest of the season.

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  17. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:14 AM

    FYI, i blame you for me being drunk right now xd

    ReplyDelete
  18. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:21 AM

    Agree with VERYTHING. You know what i liked the most:


    a) a 3 epsiode arc so we, for one this season, will have a well developed villain.


    b) Laurel become BC out of impulse and grieve... she wasn't like "i'm ready, i'm gonna do this". She saw Sara's things and went for it. Very good.


    c) Team Arrow broke me... Digg and Felicity were outstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  19. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:27 AM

    Ya know, for once, i actually think he was being genuine. But he could've been a lotttt more genuine. But i'll say he was genuine "Malcolm style". yeah, that works.

    ReplyDelete
  20. johnJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:29 AM

    I hated Laural's suit and that might annoy me too much to give her story a chance, though I already sort of dislike it. But I'll reserve final judgement on it though. Otherwise, I thought it was a good episode.

    ReplyDelete
  21. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:30 AM

    I've heard John Barrowman say that he believes Malcolm was genuine so he played it that way. Apparently (again according to Barrowman) Merlyn thought of Oliver as more of a son than Tommy.

    ReplyDelete
  22. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:30 AM

    Parts I liked:
    1. Flashbacks--one of the two times I laughed in the episode and remembered it was supposed to be an enjoyable TV show was when Oliver bounced off the window
    2. Ray's Loony Tunes line
    3. Vinnie Jones--always great, but now I'm always slightly waiting to see if he'll burst into song.


    Parts that made me go WTF:
    1. So Malcolm feels guilty? And I'm what supposed to care? Come on, showrunners, I get you think John Barrowman can do no wrong, but seriously he is a terrible human being who for not one second will ever get forgiven for destroying the Glades, killing Tommy, getting Oliver killed and basically being an annoying screen presence with generally nonsensical machinations.
    2. Diggle pushes Laurel to suit up? Seriously, you have got to be kidding me. You wanted to protect Oliver, protect the legacy of what you worked for, so the lesson you take from him and Sara dying is that Laurel with no skills, no experience, and no backup should be out fighting crime? What dreadful character assassination for Diggle.
    3. The evidence locker for the SCPD is protected by a wire fence? That's it? I get in the Flash that the police can't do the job because they are fighting metahumans. And in the beginning, Oliver was fighting the people with too much money and power for the police to get them. But common street thugs with guns? And SWAT teams can't take them? Why are we making the police so incompetent?
    4. And Oliver was dead, but no Lazarus Pits, Tatsu magic. What did they do to her hair? I guess I should be glad they didn't expect us to believe he would live through it, but on the other hand, what the F happened to realism? Oh yeah, I forgot the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too. I rescind my "I was wrong Oliver isn't dead" statement, they followed through with all their metaphors of self-sacrifice is the only way out for Oliver and now he going to have to decide to go back and do it all again. Death is the only way out. Good metaphor guys. That really works well when you want me to root for Laurel and Ray suiting up. Sigh.
    5. Ray yelling at Felicity. Ugg. Girl had been through enough. Why write the scene that way? Why not just get to the point.
    6. Redundancy of story just so we could have Laurel and Felicity saying the same thing. Great, thanks, like the first time I heard it it didn't sink in. Oliver comes back, no you are in denial, maybe I am. 5 second delay, Oliver will come back he's done it before, no you are in denial here is a sword covered in his blood and you haven't heard from him since the duel, maybe I am in denial but I don't want it to be true.
    7. Roy not telling Thea Oliver was dead. Nonsense. They wrote the scene, he got caught being upset, and he just lies? Why? They'd already dedicated screentime to it?
    8. All the bad guys they've captured this season are back on the street...so the last 9 episodes were a nonsense buildup to get Oliver fighting Ra's and we've wiped all of them out. Good one, writers. Hitting reset is a strong writing move.

    ReplyDelete
  23. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:33 AM

    Barrowman is not his character o.O


    Barrowman can do no wrong, his character can though

    ReplyDelete
  24. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:34 AM

    It was bad acting, but I think he was supposed to be playing genuine. They are going to try to get you to forgive him--that's why he's got his backstory flashbacks. Think Evil Queen in OUaT, mommy was mean to me so I destroyed an entire universe, killed my Dad, and tortured people for 20 years, don't you feel bad for me? Same thing here.

    ReplyDelete
  25. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:35 AM

    you've got some serious beef with Barrowman it seems xD

    ReplyDelete
  26. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:36 AM

    Nothing has changed on the LOA front since the premiere for Malcolm--we killed Sara and Oliver for no change whatsoever. Feels pretty stagnant to me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:36 AM

    That's old news. About him loving Oliver more. But as i told Mac, i think Malcolm was actually being genuine. As genuine as he could be anyway. So yeah, he felt bad about it, but i don't give a shit. Felicity was right, this is all his fault.

    ReplyDelete
  28. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:37 AM

    Oh please. They love Barrowman so much they brought Malcolm back, and they think we love Barrowman so much we'll forgive what his character does. I disagree.

    ReplyDelete
  29. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:37 AM

    Pictures or it didn't happen!!! Haha

    ReplyDelete
  30. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:37 AM

    Right, I was agreeing that Malcolm is genuine.

    ReplyDelete
  31. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:38 AM

    My beef is Malcolm sucks as a character, he should have stayed dead, and Barrowman as an actor annoys me.

    ReplyDelete
  32. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:38 AM

    I don't forgive his character, why should I?
    He's a fantastic actor portraying a fascinating villain, no intention to forgive that bastard

    ReplyDelete
  33. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:40 AM

    I would bet you money, that 3.12 will give you a reason. Then, he will try to work with the team to protect the city, because in his mind that's what he's been doing all along.

    ReplyDelete
  34. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:41 AM

    lol

    I never would have told that to....me...thehehe

    http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmgqyppCuK1qd1jbf.gif

    ReplyDelete
  35. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:42 AM

    isn't that the white oak tree in your profile image?

    ReplyDelete
  36. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:42 AM

    Wow that's not obnoxious at all. Gee thanks for taking up page space with that.

    ReplyDelete
  37. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:42 AM

    no? it's just a tree.

    ReplyDelete
  38. So ContagiousJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:42 AM

    The difference is that I feel like now the LOA will be actively coming after him, because they're sure he's alive - remember, Sara was following him because they weren't sure he was - and there's no Oliver serving as protection. Malcolm can't hide behind his "death" and has no protector; he is vulnerable. He's put his kid in danger on a gamble, and now hopefully we get to see that play out as the LOA come after Malcolm. Also, Oliver is supposed to be dead but isn't, and he's still believed to have killed Sara. I'm guessing that between these two things, LOA is going to become more active in the plots going forward, or at least it seems that way. I can't say with certainty that will happen, but it gives the show an opening to move the LOA into an active presence in Starling.

    ReplyDelete
  39. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:42 AM

    trust me, I won't


    I usually never forgive villains, what never stops me from enjoying the performances. Hell, I HATE Klaus. But I love Klaus as well

    ReplyDelete
  40. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:43 AM

    oh...well....carry on then

    ReplyDelete
  41. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:43 AM

    Sorry,I just had to ;)

    ReplyDelete
  42. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:44 AM

    *selfie


    I demand a selfie of Nick with a bottle of emptied booze to celebrate this episode.

    ReplyDelete
  43. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:46 AM

    I don't care if you forgive him. I don't care what you do at all. I care what story the writers are trying to tell. The writers, like with having him apologize and feel guilty, are trying to walk a villain but not line with Malcolm.


    I like Klaus--he's funny, he's consistent, he's a brilliant at strategy. I don't like Malcolm Merlyn and I think his plans are asinine on his best day, most of the time they simply make no sense whatsoever, so watching him plot is annoying, and having him drive this season's plot is terrible.

    ReplyDelete
  44. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:46 AM

    however, I like your final point. Villains are never to be forgiven and I agree that they shouldn't be redeemed.


    Like Klaus on TVD, Spike from Buffy, Crowley from SPN, Elijah from TVD (the list continues).

    ReplyDelete
  45. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:47 AM

    The LOA already threatened an active presence in Starling. They already came after Malcolm--both with Sara and then with Nyssa. We've already seen it once.

    ReplyDelete
  46. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:48 AM

    You....don't care what I do? :'(

    If I'm being honest...there's not much difference between Klaus and Merlyn..actually Klaus is a worse person than Merlyn will ever be. Klaus viciously murdered one specific mother to hurt one specific person. I thought you hated villains but turns out you hate Merlyn because....

    https://31.media.tumblr.com/e54c4d686f66bcdc294844201ba9a96d/tumblr_inline_mxp9ehAChG1r6xens.gif

    ReplyDelete
  47. johnJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:48 AM

    Yeh, Malcolm's scenes were a bit weird. They could have left Malcom's non-existent emotions out of it. After all, he loaded the gun that killed Tommy, and he is essentially knowingly doing the same to Thea. If he can't care about his own children, how can they expect us to believe he cares for anyone else.

    ReplyDelete
  48. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:52 AM

    And BAD PLOTS! It much easier if you would read what I say. Klaus is fun to watch he says funny things, he plans good plots.


    TVD/TO and Arrow are completely different shows. One is about monsters, everybody on the show is a horrible monster. Klaus is just better at it than anyone else. Arrow is a show about heroes. Everybody is trying to be a hero (or a villain). And Malcolm isn't even a good villain he's a terrible villain with terrible plans, terrible lines, inconsistent motivations, and frankly mostly terrible cheesy delivery.

    Please stop posting gifs, they are really annoying.

    ReplyDelete
  49. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:52 AM

    But do you agree that he should be punched in the face? lol

    ReplyDelete
  50. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:55 AM

    I blame Felixity and malcolm

    ReplyDelete
  51. lilah_lilahJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:56 AM

    "Please stop posting gifs, they are really annoying."



    I find them entertaining!

    ReplyDelete
  52. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:56 AM

    How is Klaus plan to leave Camille and Hope alone with Elijah good? How was Klaus plan to dagger Elijah and hand him over to Marcel good? How was Klaus plot of rallying an army of hybrids around him to replace his family any good? Klaus actually messes SO much up that there's a pattern of Elijah having to clean his mess up. Klaus is a fairly bad strategist. And for being so high in your regard never really made it far in terms of success. I mean...hell he was overthrown by a pack of wolves and ONE witch that he slept with. He's....a really bad plotter.
    "At least" Merlyns plans came to fruition (until now).


    However, I'm willing to agree to disagree here because there's very clear bias coming from both you and me.


    to the gifs...never. I AM MAC, for I shall never stop

    ReplyDelete
  53. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:58 AM

    http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/168822/david-tennant-and-john-barrowm-o.gif

    ReplyDelete
  54. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:59 AM

    Aye, Malcolm needs not two, not three but FOUR punches in the face and one very well aimed kick into his crotch by Thea to prevent further little Merlyns infesting Starling City

    ReplyDelete
  55. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 2:59 AM

    Please don't... i gonna go under water... blondie never stoped typing and malcolm choose today to appear in Arrow a lot. the two killed me. and i have to go to work now. im gonna stop at a mcdonalds, eat a bunch of burgers

    ReplyDelete
  56. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:00 AM

    Now? *checks watch* oh shyte, dude good luck after that drinking fest I guess :P


    Then...bon appetite with all dem burgers but remember: stay vegetarian!

    ReplyDelete
  57. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:01 AM

    I think that all the regulars in this fandom should get drunk in the season finale

    ReplyDelete
  58. So ContagiousJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:01 AM

    Not really what I mean. Those were individual people with threats who then left - or died. I'm talking something more like Malcolm or Slade, where the threat is constant, certain and hopefully local, not occasional, possible and distant.

    ReplyDelete
  59. whofanJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:02 AM

    I still think Laurel should develop the canary cry superpower to fully cement her as the real canary but I guess its going to be the de powered version of the black canary for Arrow with her canary bomb. Although I don't understand why she can't develop superpowers when the show will annually present super powered Flash. Maybe a superpower would make her stronger than the titular character and that's why they refuse.
    I also think they should upgrade her device since Sara's device looks more like a disc but maybe when Laurel advances in her role her tech will advance with her like Oliver's did.
    I feel like this Laurel could be ready for her own BoP spinoff, web series or "event" to fully develop her character without the shadow of Oliver constantly looming over her. Maybe leaving for a season or two to later return stronger. Considering that Arrow will probably run as long as SPN I don't see why it couldn't be possible.

    ReplyDelete
  60. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:02 AM

    Hahahahahhahahaha omg, what kind of booze is a licor the los ocho hermanos?????

    ReplyDelete
  61. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:03 AM

    it's an anisette... it's anis flavored. i love it jajaja

    ReplyDelete
  62. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:03 AM

    this looks delicious

    ReplyDelete
  63. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:04 AM

    Yes, yes I do.

    ReplyDelete
  64. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:04 AM

    this sounds like a fantastic idea, this place will be a mess xD

    ReplyDelete
  65. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:05 AM

    im the drunk designated driver... i'll be fine... i'll write here when i get to work... fucking machines... why do people need water? i will leave my country without water because of Arrow... Well that a new one...

    ReplyDelete
  66. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:06 AM

    im the drunk designated driver... i'll be fine... i'll write here when i get to work... f**king machines... why do people need water? i will leave my country without water because of Arrow... Well that a new one...

    ReplyDelete
  67. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:06 AM

    That sounds like a really good idea we won't regret the day after... I'm in! :D

    ReplyDelete
  68. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:07 AM

    lol hydrate yourself and then eat something incredibly greasy. Always works for me. And if nothing else helps...throwing up is always the last sollution

    ReplyDelete
  69. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:08 AM

    Hahahaha awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  70. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:08 AM

    already doing that sir! not my first rodeo! ;) never throw up! my stomach is made of steele!

    ReplyDelete
  71. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:08 AM

    I'll hold you to that, this is going to be fun

    ReplyDelete
  72. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:09 AM

    Didn't think so but I rarely see others get incredibly drunk but me (I might have a problem) ^^

    ReplyDelete
  73. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:10 AM

    Ok i vote, Diggle punch him in the nose. Felicity punch him Twice on the right side of his face, Roy punch him on the left, and Thea kick him in the crotch. ...Sounds good to me!

    ReplyDelete
  74. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:12 AM

    Oliver needs to kick his balls at least once, only fair!

    ReplyDelete
  75. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 3:12 AM

    I agree. I don't see how Klaus is any more redeemable than Malcolm. I hate it when writers make someone a villain and then suddelny decide that they like the actor so much that they'll try to make them seem somewhat redeemable. And even on a show where nearly everyone has killed someone, I still think that Klaus is the worst of the worst but that hasn't stopped fans from rooting for him.. But back to arrow: I'm still not sure that they plan to make Malcolm redeemable. Especially after what he did to Thea

    ReplyDelete
  76. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 3:12 AM

    Me too.

    ReplyDelete
  77. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:13 AM

    Well, I can see you don't Klaus' goals, so I can see how his plans don't make sense to you. But that is neither here nor there for this show.


    Malcolm's plot was to destroy the Glades with an earthquake. Why? Cause his wife died there once upon a time and he was going to save it. Where were his plans to rebuild the Glades? Oh yeah, he didn't have any. It made no sense. The closest you get to it making sense is an allusion to "destroy the village to save it." and that never made any sense either. Two crazies together don't make logic. Malcolm then, drugs Thea to kill Sara because Oliver would want to protect Thea and would stand in front of him for the league. What? There is no logic to that. One, it relies on him honestly believing Oliver can defeat Ra's. Two, it ignores the fact that Oliver might kill him anyway and hand his dead body over to the league as Sara's killer (which is what he should have done), Three, it ignores the fact that Oliver was already standing between him and the league for Thea's sake regardless of who killed Sara. He would have been better off just holding Thea hostage, but no the writers had to get rid of Sara in the silliest way possible--having a teenage druggy do it. Way to go brilliantly trained assassin.

    ReplyDelete
  78. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:14 AM

    You mean like Maseo and Nyssa standing at the head of an army of assassins saying in 48 hours we'll kill 50 people? That local possible and certain threat?

    ReplyDelete
  79. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:16 AM

    I actually think that they made him iredeemable with doing that to his own child. Tommy may not have been intentional but turning his flesh and blood into a mindless zombie? No chance you're coming back from that as a character.


    I see no way to redeem Merlyn and I don't want him to. He's a fun villain to enjoy. A moustache twirling bad guy with a hillarious over the top hammy performance that still (at times) is rather nuanced by Barrowman. I just love to hate him.


    As for Klaus, I couldn't root for him for years. Only after Hopes birth I gathered SOME sort of positive feeling towards him. I usually thought that that wimpy,skinny guy was too ineffective as a TVD villain. He did eventually grow on me but IMO he never lived up to Mikaels and Elijahs creepy appearance and their deeds.

    ReplyDelete
  80. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:17 AM

    If Oliver's death and total absence from the primary plot isn't enough to get her out from under his "shadow" she really would need to have her show, because it doesn't get any more clear skies for BC sailing than this.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Rheinmeister09 .January 22, 2015 at 3:22 AM

    SA and the producers seem to think that the show is only as strong as the flashbacks. So to that end they will run out at the end of season 5 so S5 is the end goal for them at the moment....always a possibility they will go longer with it depending on everyone's willingness to continue. But in the case that the show ends after S5 then spinning Laurel off to have her own show and develop BC would make sense. Use the next season and a half to develop her and train her and then by the end of S5 she can lead her own show.

    ReplyDelete
  82. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:23 AM

    I do understand Klaus goals and especially as of late his ways to achieve them were quite dull. Elijah is unstable and almost would have killed Cami. Why leave the woman you love and your child with an ancient vampire that coud snap any second?
    He even let New Orleans heat up so much until he couldn't handle it. He miscalculates situations. Wich is fine because it was always shown that he isn't born to be a villain but rather helps himself with pretending to be one. He's a dick that is beyond redemption but by no means a brilliant hero.


    Merlyns goal was to destroy the place to was breeding crime and corruption. Destroy something to let something better grow from the ashes, that has actually been done in acient times. Of course he didn't have a plan to rebuild them, that wasn't his goal. He wanted to set the foundation, there was no intention to make it better himself.


    In his deceased mind the Glades were tainted with the blood of his wife, so in his irrational rage he tore them down.


    Tactics wise he actually REACHED his goals. He destroyed the place he wanted to destroy, he got to Thea and sent Oliver to erase his own blood debt. Oliver was the weakest link in his plan, wich caused his unstable cardhouse to collapse.


    If we are really comparing Klaus "Daddy issues" Mikaelson to Merlyn in terms of plotting this is not a discussion with much point. Because Klaus always sees his plans fall appart

    ReplyDelete
  83. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:25 AM

    I doubt that theCW would be willing to give Arrow up anytime soon, if Guggenheim or someone else wants to jump off after season 5 so be it. They'll throw a huge paycheck towards Amells way and whoever is willing to stay and hire a new writing staff.

    ReplyDelete
  84. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:27 AM

    no no no. Oliver gets to kill him when he returns.

    ReplyDelete
  85. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:29 AM

    so Merlyn can have a second ressurection? If there's one thing we all know it's the sacred rule of Barrowman never staying dead (has he ever died for good on any show?)

    ReplyDelete
  86. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:30 AM

    Uh, duh, he didn't know Elijah was going to snap? He isn't a villain, he's egomaniacal. He moves forward with whatever suits him best at the time. He is also very mercurial. But the sun and moon curse? Pretty brilliant. He has had a lot of great plans. He is not good at getting people to love him, but that isn't exactly battle strategy and that is what I'm talking about.


    And destroying something to let something better grow from the ashes only works with controlled burns in forests. Nobody is going to rebuild a trashy wasteland in a city, criminals and poor people who don't have anywhere else to go will live there. For him to "set the foundation" he would have had to actually set a foundation in place. So his plan to let something better come back WAS A FAIL. He would have had to build something better himself. Otherwise, his plan should have been to raze the Glades to the ground in retribution (in the most convoluted way possible), but that isn't what he said, so that wasn't his plan.

    ReplyDelete
  87. RonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:31 AM

    Brilliant, Perfect! that was the best episode of this season. Damn! I didnt even missed Olliver.
    You got to love to hate Malcom. He is such a cool villain.
    I actually liked Laurel on teh suit.

    ReplyDelete
  88. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:32 AM

    Let's not jump the gun. I'm still waiting for them to explain his first one.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Rheinmeister09 .January 22, 2015 at 3:34 AM

    I was afraid that I was going to hate Laurel becoming BC so soon but I am very thankful that it didn't turn out that way...baby steps all the way at least until the later few episodes. Really glad the focus was on Team Arrows response to Oliver's disappearance..especially Diggle and Felicity. Don't love Felicity crying so I'm glad that they didn't overdo that either and she stayed strong for the most part. Malcolm's ready to do a runner with Thea so I am curious about what will keep him around. They sure as hell had better have him in every episode until the end of the season. He is a series regular after all!!

    ReplyDelete
  90. Anesu7January 22, 2015 at 3:35 AM

    Elijah was never painted as a complete villain in TVD once he appeared he tried to help Elena from his brother , his obsession with fixing Klaus is really weird he has chosen Klaus over his brothers for too long.
    Spike's redemption again was set up in season 2 , he was shown to be capable of love , he really loved Darla , once a monster can love thats it. Spike falling in love with Buffy was done well it was always hilarious to watch him go on about how much he hated her and wanted her dead and then ended up saving her.
    Villains can be redeemed but not all of them Malcolm is not Regina at all , the woman has changed and is making good choices all the bad stuff shes done still haunts her but I think its why she not making any mistakes.
    Im not defending what she did but some people change some dont.e.g.. Scandals Olivia's parents are both nasty pieces of work who are too far gone at this point.
    Malcolm has abused his daughter and practically masterminded Oliver's death he is still evil.
    Plus Merlyn is Lex Luthor to Olivers Superman in the comics , they are definitely not redeeming him at least not completely.

    ReplyDelete
  91. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:35 AM

    So....Klaus is the exception of your villain rule I see?

    The sun and moon curse. Aka. ey bro I'll just wait and see what happens with faking a bunch of sh*t so maybe in 200 years something might happen - plan.


    You clearly are completely biased (as am I) so again, let's end this discussion because nothing of value is going to come of this.

    ReplyDelete
  92. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:36 AM

    Oh yeah...they never did explain that huh...

    ReplyDelete
  93. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 3:37 AM

    I get the feeling that you don't like gifs. :)

    ReplyDelete
  94. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:38 AM

    Hey, I'm not trying to say that Merlyn will be redeemed, I'm on TeamDon'tRedeemTheBestVillains.


    Also, not disagreeing just pointing out, Spike was with Drussila, not Darla. Darla was Angels...."mate"

    ReplyDelete
  95. Rheinmeister09 .January 22, 2015 at 3:39 AM

    I don't think the CW will want to give up on the show either. I think Amell has his eye on bigger things after Arrow and the CW. If he doesn't secure many big movies in the next 2 years I'd say yes to him staying around. If he does I don't know....Plus they are going to spin off a third show at some point

    ReplyDelete
  96. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:40 AM

    They are different shows. There are NO HEROES ON TVD/TO there are only varying shades of bad people. So the best person at being bad wins. Might makes right. So Klaus gets to win.


    Arrow is about good fighting evil. So good has to live up to a standard of good and be righteous and true. If you want to make a bad guy good, he/she has to live up to the standards of righteous and true. Malcolm can't do that. He has to lose.

    ReplyDelete
  97. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:42 AM

    Not a jab at Amell or anything but I doubt that he has a shot at a big movie career. He has pretty much already crossed himself off the DC list with already having portrayed a big character and made his Marvel direction rather unlikely.


    And usually theCW is a place where actors go to after their big screen careers are done. Gillies had his run with Captivity/Bride&Prejudice/Spiderman 2 as did Somerhalder as well.


    Not sure any CW actor ever made the "big" jump

    ReplyDelete
  98. Anesu7January 22, 2015 at 3:43 AM

    I understand , I got confused with all the D's , Drusilla was the crazy one and Spikes mate.
    I agree the best villains should stay that way, Im not in disagreement with you at all l think l typed too long and lost my way.
    Thank you for reminding me about Dru.

    ReplyDelete
  99. AnnoDominiJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:46 AM

    What else can I really say that everyone else on this thread hasn't? Lol. Tonight was a spectacular reason and episodes like this from Arrow is why I still prefer Arrow to The Flash overall. Spectacular episode; I even loved the flashbacks episodes because it's those flashbacks that details part of who Arrow is now that I tend to like. Seeing Ollie have to infiltrate a building that Arrow does on a daily routine now was awesome to see(except for stock footage from the pilot episode, lol).


    I don't know why they seemed to have forgotten where Ra's stabbed Ollie, but that's a minor nuisance. Now I'm intrigued on what Tatsu used. What's the "citrus" she was talking about that literally brought him back from the dead?


    Also, nice to see Black Canary's "canary cry" will still be that device. Too bad they didn't add in the sound of a canary though as in Sara's first appearance.

    ReplyDelete
  100. whofanJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:46 AM

    I think her becoming BC makes perfect sense and it was smart to use the "canary cry" as a way of incapacitating her opponents before actively fighting them. Sara had the luxury of avoiding the device's use because of her considerable skill but Laurel hasn't reached that level yet and it will be great to see how her skills evolve in the field.

    ReplyDelete
  101. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:46 AM

    I never said that Malcolm isn't supposed to lose, he IS but he is also the Joker to GAs Batman. He's the enemy that will always be there to be defeated...not actually sure what we're arguing about here anymore except you completely raging about Merlyn being a bad strategist what I don't agree with because what he did in the past actually came to fruition

    ReplyDelete
  102. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:13 AM

    All true things. Those don't mean, "hey audience take everything Merlyn says to be the truth." Also the no prison can hold us, was merely a line about the league's prowess to show to Oliver how dangerous they are.

    ReplyDelete
  103. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:14 AM

    I'm in.

    ReplyDelete
  104. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:14 AM

    It's gonna be great Mac, we'll all be drunk.

    ReplyDelete
  105. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:15 AM

    Don't eat greasy food if hunger over you could get acid reflex. Eat an egg.

    ReplyDelete
  106. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:16 AM

    My God Mac you even complimented Roy. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  107. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:17 AM

    No it was saying why Oliver didn't just turn Malcolm over to the cops or Argus. It required that we believe what Malcolm says just because. The same way we had to just accept there was no way Ra's would listen to reason about Malcolm using Thea. Both of those things, just because.

    ReplyDelete
  108. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:17 AM

    They seem to be in a bad place, if Maseo's comments to Tatsu (and joining the league) are any indication.

    ReplyDelete
  109. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:18 AM

    Sonic device. Used be Sara before.

    ReplyDelete
  110. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:18 AM

    I'm holding you and Mac to this.

    ReplyDelete
  111. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:19 AM

    Just drink water before you pass out.

    ReplyDelete
  112. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:22 AM

    Hell if they do good, they shall be rewarded with positive comments

    ReplyDelete
  113. Anesu7January 22, 2015 at 4:24 AM

    I love Buffy too , it holds up so well the writing was so good.
    I think my mind went to Darla because all their flashbacks with Spike , Angelus and Dru , they were inseparable back then.
    I just rewatched the last 3 episodes of season 6 Dark Willow was great Alison had fun, also liked Vamp Willow from season 3 who was a great villain l've rewatched those episodes so much and l still enjoy it all the time , Imagine those too in a supervillain team up.

    ReplyDelete
  114. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:25 AM

    A) The cops, because they caught him last time. You know what with him killing all those SWAT guys. B) You assume he could stop Merlyn. C) Even if he did, you really think that Merlyn would ever actually get there. D) Honour. Ra's (in both the comics and show) is bound by honour and will inflict justice no matter what. He would see both Merlyn (mens rea or the knowing part of the crime) and Thea (acts reus the act itself) as both guilty. Thea unknowingly by killing Sara without her own knowledge killed a league member, an affront Ra's would never stand for.

    ReplyDelete
  115. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:27 AM

    he did do Pulse though.


    to be honest no CW actor ever really did big time movies in big roles. Morgan was always degraded to 3 minute appearances while the only movies Gillies had bigger roles in were slasher/horror flicks that didn't make too much money either. As far as I know "Trespassing" only made 8 million in total

    ReplyDelete
  116. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:27 AM

    Keeps them cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  117. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:29 AM

    I loved VampWillow and how the writers teased her sexuality even back then :D

    I wish they would do a Buffy reboot with the old cast *_*

    ReplyDelete
  118. NickJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:31 AM

    I don't know... not gonna try, that's for sure. Last time i puke i ate 1 kg of alfajores(3 big cookies put together with mouse in between and covered in chocolate).

    Oh, i died and now i'm a ghost that will haunt you in this website. True story.

    ReplyDelete
  119. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:32 AM

    Marshmallow cookies right?


    You did? My condolences bro, but as I told someone yesterday: the internet is purgatory. A fantastic place to haunt others ;)

    ReplyDelete
  120. Nicolás Caballero MühlbachJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:35 AM

    I can only imagine the character of Dinah within several years, how big her development will be, I get nerdgasms every second that I think about that! Oh my little bird!! I can't wait to see her give every step in the journey :)

    They better give us a good reason why Oliver is still alive without Lazarus's Pit.

    ReplyDelete
  121. lilah_lilahJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:40 AM

    I don't like her acting, but Blake Lively was in Green Lantern and The Town.

    ReplyDelete
  122. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:01 AM

    a) When did the cops catch him? When he was in the morgue? Under lock and key oh no, they thought he was dead then.
    b) What are you talking about he did stop Merlyn
    c) Yes, I do. And I'm not going to believe he wouldn't because Merlyn claims he is awesome. Drug him put in a car and take him away. If they could get Slade to Lian Yu, I need better than out of show supposition that Merlyn could just escape like Houndini.
    d) That's your comic book-based read of Ra's honor. We have no foundation for that in the show. In fact based on Ra's speech about protecting family we have foundation for exactly the opposite. So we are going on Malcolm's word and apparently whoever you think Ra's based on reading comic books.

    ReplyDelete
  123. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:06 AM

    Sure didn't! But i'm thinking they will now. Or before the season ends.

    ReplyDelete
  124. AnnoDominiJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:10 AM

    No. I am referring to her inexperience with more talented baddies that aren't just random idiotic thugs. Even Brick isn't your normal thug and that will be a challenge to her and while she grows into BC more and more she will still have to learn with growing and with her learning it will also continue to show her inexperience of having few defense classes and boxing training with Ted.

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  125. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 5:11 AM

    He didn't seem genuine to me at all. It seemed like it was very important for him to confirm Oliver's death but not because he cared for Oliver...for some other reason.

    ReplyDelete
  126. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:13 AM

    yeah, especially when he said he had no one else to come to and that's his WIFE so yeah they're not together anymore, and where's their son?

    ReplyDelete
  127. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:15 AM

    i half expected Roy to break down in Thea's arms and tell her

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  128. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:16 AM

    let's hope Thea makes him pay

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  129. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:17 AM

    yeah that works LOL

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  130. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:19 AM

    and now that there's no Pit they better have one hell of an explanation and tell me how in the heck is Ra's in his 30s to 40s and have been fighting for over 70 years

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  131. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:21 AM

    no as much as i wish he's alive already and not the Pit which sucks a million times over so it's the Alpha

    ReplyDelete
  132. ivanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:23 AM

    the Alpha, damn it the PERFECT! opportunity for the Lazarus Pit and NOTHING!, and come on Ra's is immortal, they didn't drop that line about his last duel for nothing

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  133. NiceGuyVanJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:26 AM

    Everyone already said all the good stuff, so I'm just gonna say it was an great episode. Can't wait for Oliver to recover with Tatsu, and his re-return.

    ReplyDelete
  134. ReozenJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:27 AM

    Probably because their son died because of some reason and it made them split up I guess?

    ReplyDelete
  135. gabygogoJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:28 AM

    I'm still waiting for something! Part of me doesn't want anyone to tell Thea except for Oliver. But the larger part is looking for this epic fight scene between Thea and the Arrow (kinda like the midseason finale episode) but with Thea seriously kicking the Arrow's ass (whether if she's fighting for Merlyn or some other reason) and throwing back the hood and realizing it's Oliver. I think that would be awesome, but ya know, probably won't happen that way.

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  136. ReozenJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:33 AM

    He wasn't playing with their emotions he was genuine.

    ReplyDelete
  137. Justin ValdesJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:38 AM

    WOW, that episode was outstanding. Welcome back, Arrow! You were deeply missed.


    Roy and Diggle hitting the streets by themselves was so cool. Diggle looked so good in the Arrow suit XD "This suit is too tight". The fandom got their wish granted when they wanted to see Dig don the Arrow suit. and Roy using Ollie's motorcycle was badass. LOL at Felicity's "Sorry is what you'll be when Oliver finds out you took out his motorcycle".


    Poor Felicity trying to hope for the best and refusing to believe that Oliver is not okay for most of the episode. Her reaction when she realized that it was his blood on Ra's sword after all broke my heart. Also, Malcolm's presence in the Foundry was so great. You can just see how he can make everyone in the room feel so tense and it was just awesome to watch.


    Vinnie Jones was a damn national treasure as Brick. Just his physical appearance and how he acts was just how I imagines. Thank god the writers are bringing him back because this is one villain that Team Arrow will have a hard time to beat without Ollie.


    I agree with Felicity that she had to shut the door during the mission on Diggle and Roy from Brick's men to save them but it was pretty cold when she left them alone in the Foundry after telling them that she's done with the team and turned off the lights on them. Guess she is really unwilling to lose any more of her friends after what they've all been through.


    It's a damn shame that no one has told Thea that Oliver is "dead" and even worse, told her that Oliver is the Arrow! I pray to the almighty gods that she finally finds out this season. She has the right to. Also, her sword fight scenes with Malcolm seriously continue to impress me. More of that please.


    "I'm the justice you can't run from" God, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that. Laurel looks like a great Black Canary and I can't wait to see her in full force in the next episode. LOVED that she's using the sonic device! Just like her sister did. And she was wielding her staff like a pro. I'm so proud of her.


    I was totally not expecting Tatsu to be the person that brings Oliver back to life but it makes sense because Maseo told Ollie in the flashback that he always be in his debt. This is him obeying his promise.


    Looking forward to next week!

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  138. adjectiveJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:44 AM

    Although I'm pretty sure Colton doesn't do his own stunts so really... still no compliments for CH haha but yeah his stunt double is badass

    ReplyDelete
  139. adjectiveJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:49 AM

    I haven't been a huge fan of Laurel for a while now but she's on the path to redemption. She getting pretty badass and loved her scenes with Team Arrow, especially Diggle :)

    I never hated her or anything but I'm thinking even the Laurel haters might change their minds if she keeps it up!

    ReplyDelete
  140. adjectiveJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:50 AM

    But I'll still always miss Sara, she really grew on me

    ReplyDelete
  141. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:53 AM

    Well i still think there is. I feel just b/c Oliver didn't come by the pit doesn't mean there isn't one. And umm, ftr, Ra's is in his early to mid 50s (no more than 55). Way past 30-40.

    ReplyDelete
  142. DarqueModeJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:11 AM

    Great episode to welcome us back into Arrow!


    Seeing Team Arrow attempting to operate without Oliver was fun, but also somewhat tragic to me. Without Oliver they are not capable of doing the same things they are with Oliver. At least Felicity does not deny that even if she does deny the chance of Oliver being dead...


    I loved Merlyn showing up at AHQ!
    It is not out of character for him despite what some may think. Merlyn on Arrow is not some chaotic element of evil trying to wreak havoc at every turn. He is an ends justifies the means anti-hero who is capable of compartmentalizing wrongdoing under necessity to meet his goals. He can be the cause of Team Arrow's current situation and sympathetic to possibly losing Oliver. He can be willing to sacrifice Oliver and regret doing so. It's what makes him a complex and highly entertaining character to me.


    I actually enjoyed Laurel as Black Canary this week (as an attorney still leaves me wanting). She did not try to fight thugs so much as incapacitate them with her "cry" and then clean up the mess. That strategy could work well for her. Better than trying to outfight multiple opponents on a level playing field at least!


    It was nice to see Maseo be the one to pull Ollie to safety, but bring him to Tatsu was a bit of a surprise. I was expecting Lazarus Pits like many had mentioned. They still could come into play I guess, but even if they do not I have no issue with it. This is not the comics afterall it is CW's Arrow.


    Ray continues to underwhelm me...
    He does not annoy as much as he did at first, but his actions and personality rub me the wrong way even when he is being nice or not acting like a stalker.


    All in all this was a great episode for me!
    I liked the look into what has been going on since Ollie left and I liked the set up for Brick.

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  143. Helen SJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:32 AM

    Katie did a few movie roles

    ReplyDelete
  144. CNHJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:56 AM

    I really liked this episode. Like most of you I felt bad for Team Arrow, they are quite lost without their leader. Dig and Felicity almost made me cry, they owned this episode. I didn't even mind Laurel, in fact I kind of liked what drove her to put the suite on (and it wasn't revenge for her sister ether!).

    ReplyDelete
  145. Derek117January 22, 2015 at 6:57 AM

    Since I'm on the West Coast, I come to these comments after 150 have been posted by other viewers. Which means there are too many to read before giving my opinions, which may echo others.


    Anyway, IMO, this episode was not as bad as I feared--but also not as good as I hoped.


    First the bad: I'm getting a little tired with the "tease" that the Writers Room seems addicted to. They're juggling way to many plot lines in each episode: Team Arrow without Oliver, What happened to Oliver, Thea/Malcolm, Ray becoming the Atom, Crime of the Week, Laurel becoming the Canary, PLUS the flashback. IMO, all of these narratives suffered because they're just fragments provided before a commercial--and CUT on to the next fragment. The fault is with the writers beginning Season3 attempting to introduce too many new characters (or changes with existing characters like Laurel).


    I guess the writers feel that the viewers have short attention spans--so they have to keep changing the scene. Oh, yes: I have to mention the cheap ploy of Malcolm coming to Team Arrow and attempting to sell them a "pity me...my death sentence is still in place" line. Come on, writers, Malcolm is a much more manipulative & evil person than that. A better scene would have had him coming to Team Arrow--and proudly announce that Oliver's dead, he (Malcolm) is responsible...and that Team Arrow is worthless without it's Leader. That's true Villainy!


    Despite the major short-comings, mentioned above, the episode was enjoyable because the What Happened to Oliver was not dragged out over multiple episodes--we know at the end of one hour that Maceo found Oliver and brought him to his wife for a cure. Thank you for that, writers. I also like Diggle as the de facto Leader of Team Arrow--hell, he even wore the green suit, and shot arrows (not too successfully, though). By the end of the episode,though, it's implied that Laurel/New Canary may take over as Team Leader, but that would really stretch credibility given her minimal training (Even less than Roy). Lastly, I like the Thea/Malcolm dynamic--and hope the writers go for a more subtle, complex inner-struggle for Thea: loving her father, as she slowly learns how evil he really is. Willa Holland and John Barrowman have excellent "chemistry"--and, except for the age difference, would make a pretty good "romantic" couple. [And, yes, a REALLY perverse twist would be to hint at incest between the two of them.]

    ReplyDelete
  146. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 7:04 AM

    Good episode, though I still missed Oliver. It was interesting to see the team try to work together without him but I'm so glad they didn't prolong the Oliver-is-alive moment. Both Felicity and Diggle had some truly heartbreaking moments. Great acting on the part of both actors.
    Other comments:
    1.I liked Ray in this episode, and I hope Felicity continues to help him, i would also be cool to see him and Oliver working together at some point. I think people spoke about the possibility of an ATOM spinoff, and this was the first time I thought he could pull it off. However, the biggest mistake the producers could possibly make with his character would be to make him part of a love triangle with Felicity and Oliver. If they care about Ray's character, then they should not go there! Plus, I don't think I can handle any more shows with these kinds of love triangles!

    2. I've generally been neutral where Laurel was concerned, but I think she did a decent job as Black Canary. I still find the whole costumed vigilante development very premature but I'll see how it unfolds.. I still think that turning Laurel and possibly Thea into masked vigilantes after a few months training just minimizes what Sara, Oliver and even Roy (to a lesser extent) went through to get to that point. And even if they will make mistakes, I suspect the learning curve will be very fast. However, that's no fault of the actress. Having Laurel interact with team Arrow, will definitely help skeptics accept her character more.


    3. Worst part: Of all the secrets kept form Thea, not telling her about what Malcolm has got to be one of the worst plot devices in this season. If Oliver and Roy really wanted to protect Thea, they would warn her about Malcolm Merlyn instead of allowing her to traipse around the world within him on his private jet.

    ReplyDelete
  147. CanadagraphsJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:14 AM

    This episode was more or less awesome or great all the way thru.
    Even Laurel was interesting tonight. That's how good this episode was.
    I want Arrow to write an entire episode that consists of Brick & Diggle fighting.... that was 1 of the better fights this show has had ever.

    Only weak spot in this episode for me was Felicity. Usually, I accept that shes an awkward goofy side character.... but this weeek she was pretty close to annoying. Her "I know hes alive... well, ok, he must be dead" attitude seemed weird to me, especially considering Laurels reminder of his return from the dead before and the evidence coming from Malcolm of all people (although I suspect he too believes Oliver is dead). Then there was her Kristen Stewart acting clinic during the scene of her looking at the computer screen during the Diggle/Roy VS Bricks posse fight in the warehouse.

    ReplyDelete
  148. CNHJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    Oliver tried earlier in the season to worn her about Malcolm but she told him in her own way to bug off that he was there when she needed someone and Oliver wasn't. She also kind of told him she could careless what he as done that he's only been good to her so matter dropped. It's going to be a brutal eye opener when she finds out Malcolm brainwashed her to kill Sara just to have Oliver fight his battle(s) for him.

    ReplyDelete
  149. DarqueModeJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:30 AM

    Agreed on Felicity this week.
    She seemed to be more in a state of denial acting out from a position of weakness than being hopeful from a position of strength. Add in her lashing out at Ray even though this time he did nothing to deserve it xD


    Oddly, Laurel was the strong one this week. She acknowledged the odds may be against Ollie being alive, but she accepted those odds and him being dead once before... Then Oliver returned to Starling City, She learned from her mistake.


    And yet...
    Kirsten Stewart? Really?!? Ouch!! XD
    Despite how actions in the episode I'm not sure she deserves that level of insult! XD

    ReplyDelete
  150. ForouzanJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:08 AM

    It was the best way to handle the things that happened in episode 9. Loved everything. i have to confess for the first time i really really loved Roy. he was very good and either Colton Haynes.


    I'm glad they showed Oliver is Alive because there isn't much patience in my body after 6 weeks.
    I knew Tatsu is Alive but i didn't think she would save Oliver's life. i think Akio is dead.
    Laurel was Lovely. Felicity is 25 years old. and i love Brandon.


    Oh god! i can continue to say how much i love this show and this episode.


    oh oh oh i forget to say The Music was amazing. i love how they used Sara's theme when Laurel looked to her stuffs.

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  151. yamJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:12 AM

    I am kind of a little disappointed with this épisode, after such à long wait I expected much more than this.
    For me it was an okay épisode, I expected more heartbreaking scene from the team learning oliver 's death... I imagine felicity being angry Not this version of her in dental, they accepted oliver's fate Very Quickly and I found that laurel did not seemed Very sad..., well I guess my imagination got carried away during this hiatus.

    ReplyDelete
  152. Jordana34January 22, 2015 at 8:15 AM

    I think if he had just specifically shown her what Malcolm did to her, that would have done the trick.

    ReplyDelete
  153. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:17 AM

    He is alive... Oliver Queen is alive.. Emerald Archer is alive!!!!!!!


    Loved the episode. Very tight and fast paced
    Pros:


    - Team Arrow scenes. Loved all Diggle/Felicity scenes. Loved Diggle/Laurel scene. Loved Laurel's belief in Oliver returning. Felicity falling apart more and more as the show moves on.
    - Brick!!! Enough said. Man was awesome.
    - Maseo and Tatsu saved him. I jumped with joy when I saw Oliver regained his colour and when he opened his eyes I cried.
    - Malcolm Merlyn and his try to manipulate Team Arrow and Thea. Only thing I would have liked more would be someone to punch him. Sick son of a bitch. He played the I am sorry but not sorry enough card very well.
    - Laurel Lance putting on the BC costume. Very well done. Everyone was giving up and she decided to do something. Way to go.. Also that last scene looked way badass on the episode than on the promo.
    - Ray/Felicity scenes. Loved Felicity's talk with Ray at the end. More than that loved Ray telling her off for playing the dead fiance card. Gave him some dimension and showed Felicity's sadness.
    - All the action scenes. Roy was awesome. Diggle was great. Flashback Oliver not able to break a window was wonderful.


    Cons:


    - Amanda Waller in the flashbacks and her mission against Chen Na Wei. It is still boring. They completely made Amanda without any personality this season. Only thing that saved this was Maseo.
    - Laurel Lance and the court room scene. I know there is one more episode where the court room drama is going to happen. But I hope after this they won't give KC the lawyer role much. I can't stand it.


    All in all a great episode :)

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  154. arrowshieldfanJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:25 AM

    what is with criminal and "The Glades" what is so special about the worst part of the city

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  155. Lord NikonJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    Well awesome episode, interesting way to bring him back, and not to mention Laurel stepping up!

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  156. MercyJanuary 22, 2015 at 9:09 AM

    Totally agree with you pos and neg. I am really angry that the master mind Merlyn thought Oliver could beat Ra's, really?!?! How could he?
    Have one little issue to ad the unbalance on the stunts. You can see when Brick beats Jose Anton that he is not actually beating him. Wirework for Arsenal is recognizable, but I can live with that. Totally loved Brick and Diggle fight!!!!!

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  157. MercyJanuary 22, 2015 at 9:54 AM

    agree that Diggle/Brick is one of the best fights of Arrow.

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  158. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 9:57 AM

    The wire work for Roy bugged the crap out of me. He looked like he was floating half the time.

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  159. MercyJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:02 AM

    I kind acan forigve them that as a TV show they sometimes don't have time to do it properly and we are used to SA doing a lot of stuff himself, which he does quite good.

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  160. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    lol, Thea was particularly clueless and Roy flipped a lot!

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  161. Nikita FanJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:31 AM

    Good episode, and I know we needed this for the others to step up, but I really need Oliver to return. Laurels making points and Roy fits well into the group. Weakest point of the plot Ray and Felicity, I fast forward now, the episode would have been better with out the Ray scenes. I expected Felicity to struggle, but here the writers could have come up with something else. Glad that Ray gets a paycheck, but he wasn't needed at all in this episode.

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  162. CNHJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:31 AM

    At the time he hadn't seen the footage. Then once he had seen it, he pretty much headed out of town to face Ra's. So between Malcolm and Ra's he hasn't really had time to show it to her (or to even get Felicity to download a copy of it from Malcolm's phone).

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  163. CNHJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:34 AM

    Couldn't agree more about Ray. I found him annoying and no help what so ever. He could see Felicity was having a heard time and did nothing to help her what so ever. He could have even given her some time off, but instead just got snappy with her.

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  164. whofanJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:49 AM

    Is it possible for the show to do another time jump of maybe a year between Oliver's "presumed death" and his return to the city. Of course this would be after the three Vinnie Jones episodes. It would make sense for Oliver to take time to recover from dying or nearly dying no matter how magical his return to life may be.

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  165. Nikita FanJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:52 AM

    So far Ray is just taking up screen time, maybe there is a bigger purpose for him, which I don't know about because I have't read the comics, but so far his character is certainly a weak spot of season 3. Plus he is a slick dick.

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  166. FringeJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:52 AM

    Guys, you dont understand how much i enjoyed the Felicity/Merlyn confrontation. It was great. I also liked DIg and Laurel's scene.

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  167. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:55 AM

    That whole plot point is so convoluted. I want Malcolm to come out and say he wanted Oliver out of the way so that Thea will loose the last connection to her previous life and belong completely to him and in course of that if Oliver gets to kill Ra's that will be a win too. Now if that was his motivation I would believe it. To say he thought Oliver will win against Ra's... Doesn't make sense.


    From the first episode this season I have a huge issue with Arsenal's fight scenes. I get that the character is very acrobatic but the wire work made it look like "crouching tiger hidden dragon" level. Comparing to all the athletic things Oliver and Sara did this comes off as a cheap knock off. They need to reduce the flying a lot and do more hand to hand combat for Arsenal.

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  168. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    You liked Roy's fight scene. The wire work was so obvious and at one point when he came out of the big pipe he kind of flew to the top. As I said elsewhere it was "crouching tiger hidden dragon" level flying there. They need to use smaller movements for him in those scenes and introduce more hand to hand combat.

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  169. MercyJanuary 22, 2015 at 11:00 AM

    you are point on!

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  170. JamesJanuary 22, 2015 at 11:32 AM

    I'm surprised "Gareth" didn't broke into a song.


    Oh wait...Wrong show. :))

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  171. JamesJanuary 22, 2015 at 11:35 AM

    Back to the episode, I find it hard to believe Malcolm can just go to Ra's seemingly far away place and back in a matter of, I wonder, a day?

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  172. CNHJanuary 22, 2015 at 12:11 PM

    For all those still worried that there's going to be a Ray/Felicity hook up, the big wigs have put those fears to rest and came right out and said "no, there is going to be NO Ray/Felicity romance". Which makes me a very very happy camper!

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  173. SparkyJanuary 22, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Wow i didnt think turning off a switch would be considered such a big crime. And didnt know the boys arent able to turn the light back on. Its not like she locked them out of the Arrow lair.

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  174. ragulJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    a good ep overall
    the shots for oliver from the sacred ground was brilliant.
    total cinematic view.
    it seems after watching "galavant" i cant take "brick" serious.

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  175. cleverinwaJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:32 PM

    Is it just me or was Laurel like "Oliver's dead? whatever!" She didn't show any grief whatsoever, This is super unrealistic.

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  176. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:58 PM

    He didn't stop him the second time. No that's not my read that's Ra's in the show. He willing kills 50 people per day to get someone whose wronged him. That's a twisted sense of justice. He'd kill Thea. Again why do you watch this show?

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  177. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:01 PM

    Dead probably.

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  178. KatieJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:22 PM

    Stephen's acting improved since season 1 but he is still not good enough for big screen.

    ReplyDelete
  179. bbusseyJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:29 PM

    Yes, with Tatsu alive in the present, most likely their son's death is the tragedy that pushed Maseo into the LoA. But it isn't an automatic that the tragedy forced a break-up of the marriage.

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  180. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:38 PM

    It was more than visible but I actually like to see some over-the-top stunts on superhero shows. The more impossible stunts we get the better IMO


    I took the scene of him telling her that he felt guilty as Malcolm emotionally playing Felicity and forcing her to come undone. No way Malcolm actually feels guilty about Oliver, I took it as his way to get under Felicitys skin

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  181. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:38 PM

    Yeah, probably was his stunt double but how can I give Colton props otherwise? "You looked good standing there mate" would be all I could say

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  182. maclivesJanuary 22, 2015 at 4:41 PM

    No need to hold me to this, I'm ecstatic about that idea :D

    ReplyDelete
  183. MurderMondaysJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:27 PM

    This season has been awful and is really making me consider ditching the show permanently.


    The worse part is people here and elsewhere seem to be eating it up so why would the writers bother improving their game? For example people have been gushing over some of the absolute worst fight choreography in the show's history. Bad stunt doubles, obvious wire work, and ludicrous editing(Oliver vs gun turrets) all gets a pass from fans now.


    The writing has been just as bad. Roy having a dream that perfectly depicted Sara's death even though he was nowhere near her that night. The annoyingly increased focus on relationship drama. Merlyn having no reason to believe Oliver has a chance to beat Ra's but he brainwashes his daughter into killing Sara to blackmail Oliver into fighting Ra's so that Ra's will no longer be hunting him. Not using the Lazarus pit and reintroducing Oliver one episode after his "death" cheapening the whole arc.


    This is all incredibly frustrating.

    ReplyDelete
  184. MurderMondaysJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:34 PM

    I just don't understand how people are enjoying this season. It's been so poorly written that it barely feels like the same show.


    It feels like the writers have a checklist of things they want to do this season and they don't care how it gets done as long as it does.

    ReplyDelete
  185. JulianaJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:35 PM

    HAHAHAHAH

    You are not gonna believe, someone on Tumblr just sent Marc Guggenheim a message asking Roy to flip more!!!!!!

    http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/post/108836930264/you-need-to-have-roy-do-more-flips-neogaf-and

    ReplyDelete
  186. ShannonJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:39 PM

    Oh no that was her grief face. Her grief face, her shocked face, her heartbroken face, her angry face, her happy face. It's all the same look, gotta learn to read between the lines with her..."expressions".

    ReplyDelete
  187. Famous4itJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:39 PM

    Soooo...Tatsu is the Lazarus pit?

    ReplyDelete
  188. Joy HaldarJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:55 PM

    How did tatsu magically bring oliver back from death?A resurrection spell?I'm so confused!

    ReplyDelete
  189. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:52 PM

    I'm completely perplexed why you think I should need to justify my TV viewing preferences to you.

    ReplyDelete
  190. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:53 PM

    I don't mind impossible things on The Flash but in Arrow there was always a sense of realism even though I know in the back of my mind Arrow is not spiderman to swing like he do :p Oliver has done parkour in lot of episodes especially in season 1 and last season there were a lot of canary acrobatics the cirque de solei scarf thing from the roof, the climbing up of queen manor and the climbing up of clock tower. But none of those was so unbelievable as Arsenal parkour. It is a bit too effortless.


    I am confused about that scene. In my mind Malcolm is an asshole trying to score some points with Team Arrow and confuse them. Because there is no way Malcolm would believe Oliver can win that fight. Oliver could hardly stand up to him. My belief is Malcolm wanted to cut Thea's last connection to her past life and thus he send Oliver to his sure death. If by any miracle Oliver survived and killed Ra's that is also a win for him. But the way JB said that dialogue it felt like Malcolm truly believed Oliver would beat Ra's and that along with the interview of JB yesterday is really making me confused. I don't want him to be humanized by telling us he loves Oliver. I want him to be a calculating asshole throughout the series. Let him be the villain that he is.

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  191. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 7:55 PM

    Because I don't get why you watch this show.

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  192. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    I agree it is incredibly frustrating. Some of these problems have been in existence since the beginning. For every really good fight, we get a couple of absolutely terrible ones. The first fight against Chin Na Wae was so bad I couldn't take watching it. Roy's wirework this episode was appalling. The writing has never been terribly good. They've always sucked at balancing interesting side plots that don't coincide with the main idea. They've constructed several characters who are either flat and boring or obnoxiously unwatchable. I'm a big proponent of writers doing what they can. And what these guys can do is write for Oliver and then stand back and let him carry you through the nonsense. There's no Oliver. There's just a bunch of logical inconsistencies tied together with so-so acting, terrible characterization, and uneven fight sequences. I'd settle for them not completely undercutting everything they built this season so far, but that is too much to hope for.

    Frankly, I think people are so happy we're back from hiatus they haven't stopped to think about it yet.

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  193. lsbloomJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:05 PM

    Sorry? There are a lot of things you don't get. I'm not obligated to explain or defend anything to you.

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  194. GraydonJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:08 PM

    Why are so defensive about this? You don't need to justify anything I'm just curious.

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  195. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:09 PM

    I took it as she just did not allow herself to believe Oliver is dead and focused on how to stop the bad guys. We saw first Roy, then Felicity and then Diggle accept Oliver's death. But Laurel did not. That's why she was un resposnsive and strong faced. If the plan was to show grief it was totally lost on me.

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  196. arrowshieldfanJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:11 PM

    Laurel also choose to become BC because some criminal has gotten away with a crime thanks to Brick and she want payback. She was the opposite of everyone who kinda given up with Oliver not around

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  197. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM

    Apparently I was wrong. The light switch off was deliberate and there was a deleted dialogue which said "why did she turn the lights out on us?" *sigh* I don't understand what they were thinking.

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  198. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:13 PM

    The duel site was not Nanda Parbat. So maybe it was somewhere near to Starling City.

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  199. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:14 PM

    They are only going to have regular one week time jump from next episode onwards. MG confirmed that on tumblr.

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  200. O D AJanuary 22, 2015 at 8:15 PM

    I guess that is where all the smuggling, drug and human trafficking happens.

    ReplyDelete

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