Arrow – DCs Earth-9

Arrow – S8 Ep10 – Fadeout Review

I couldn’t have asked for a better way for Arrow to end than what happened in this episode. It reunited our favourite cast members from the past and present and I felt like it delivered everything I needed for a satisfying ending.

The main cast are all brought back together in mourning for Oliver and there are some extra surprises as the rebirth of the universe has meant that Moira, Quentin and Tommy are all alive on this Earth. Their presence made the episode really feel complete. Crime has literally disappeared overnight meaning that our heroes are finding themselves at a loose end. However, thanks to one of Oliver’s past foes, they find themselves on one last mission to save little William who has been kidnapped.

Throughout season 8 there have been many moments that have brought excitement and fun due to the return of old cast members and nods to the shows past. A highlight for me was having Thea back but I remember being a little disappointed that Willa Holland and Colton Haynes didn’t share any on screen time during that episode. Their reunion this week completely made up for that and made me see that it was important for us to have an episode which was just all about Oliver and Thea. Having Thea and Roy back together was something special as their relationship was a huge deal way back when Arrow began and they both share such strong on screen chemistry. I really loved how their story wrapped up.

I enjoyed seeing Joe Dinicol back as Rory and I appreciated getting to see him use his rags one last time. The biggest thing for me though was the return of Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity. The way she was brought back was so well done – she wasn’t made to steal the show and there was no over acting from Emily. It was essential that she was in the finale and it played out perfectly. She shares a moment with future Mia (who has been brought back to the funeral by Sara), which was really emotional.

I’m glad Oliver’s statue wasn’t shown properly on last week’s Canary episode as the reveal by Quentin was lovely. The statue is fantastic! The episode draws to a close as they all stand around Oliver’s grave. Barry, Kara, Talia, Nyssa and Anatoly join the others to pay their respects and there is also another lovely moment where Emiko is welcomed into the family by Moira and Thea. Rightfully so, Diggle is pushed forward to say some words and I just feel like he’s that guy who says the perfect thing at the perfect moment. Diggle’s future seems exciting as he prepares to move to Metropolis with Lyla and the kids, however just before he sets off things take a turn. They say the grass isn’t always greener but for Diggle it may just well be!

The final moment takes us back to Felicity walking through the portal set by The Monitor at the end of season 7 and we finally get to see her at the other side, reunited with Oliver. We needed this scene and we needed to see Oliver and Felicity together again. We needed to know that even though he left his family to save the world that someday these two would find each other again and for me, this was perfect!

I’m going to miss this show so much. It’s meant a lot to me and as corny as it sounds, it’s changed my life! I’ve met some wonderful people thanks to Arrow and fell in love with writing due to being pushed to do it by @lastsonjim after meeting him at an event the Arrow cast were at. As a result of that so many good things have happened to me. I’ll be forever thankful to Stephen Amell. This man is empowering and his continuous honesty and generosity inspires me. Lastly, I want to thank anyone who has taken the time to read, like, share and comment on any of my Arrow reviews. I’ve absolutely loved writing them and sharing my love for the show with you all!

Arrow, Arrow - Season 8

Arrow – S8 Ep9 – Green Arrow and the Canaries Review

A whole new world is set up in this episode as we get an introduction to Arrow’s spin off, Green Arrow and the Canaries. I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this but I was very pleasantly surprised and at the end of the episode I was left wanting more!

This felt fresh and new whilst very familiar at the same time. It managed to take us back to the future, but to a different 2040 to what we’ve seen previously. The effects of Crisis and the rebirth of the multiverse are apparent from the very beginning but still left you with unanswered questions, making you crave more. What we do learn though is that Mia and William grew up together, Mia has the surname Queen and is engaged to John Diggle Jr – it’s Connor who went off the rails, Zoe is alive and Dinah has her canary cry!! There’s mention of Rene being the mayor which means there’s a possibility that he will make it back too. Having Ben, JJ, Connor and Zoe enhanced its familiarity and I’m hoping they will be a part of the show permanently. Other members of the Arrowverse like Cisco and J’onn are mentioned which I liked as it helped keep this new show’s connection.

With Sara’s help, Laurel makes it to the future to try and save Bianca Bertinelli before she’s killed, ending Star City’s success in being crime free for 20 years. She first finds Dinah who now owns and performs at a bar. She woke up here after Oliver’s funeral in 2020 which means we will eventually be taken on a journey to find out what exactly happened to her. She has a lot of unanswered questions herself and now that the world has no memory of her or Black Canary, she believes it’s a sign that everyone was better off without her. Mia has no knowledge of her previous life until Laurel and Dinah find her and use Cisco’s tech to jog her memory. Here starts the three ladies working together (as a one off) to prevent Bianca from being kidnapped which will lead to distruction in Star City. Deathstroke acts as the main protagonist and it’s inevitable that fingers are pointed at JJ initially. It’s not him though (for now) and by the end of the episode the tracks are laid for more to come.

Katie Cassidy, Juliana Harkavy and Kat McNamara have fantastic chemistry and that is the main thing which draws you in. It actually surprised me how well they work together seeing as they really haven’t shared a substantial amount of screen time together before. I kind of thought it would be really hard to make a show like this without Stephen Amell but they do such a fantastic job that I wasn’t even distracted by him not being in it. I’ve always been a fan of what Katie has done with this version of Laurel and that’s only enhanced in this. She’s brilliant. They all are. They managed to portray moments fuelled by emotion as well as moments of complete strength which results in a female led show with its own identity. It felt very different to Supergirl or Batwoman.

So after this introduction I am left excited and ready for more. With it being the last ever episode of Arrow next week it’s a nice feeling to know it’s legacy will continue and Katie, Juliana and Kat have proven they are more than capable of doing just that.

Arrow, Arrow - Season 8, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Black Lightning - Season 3, Constantine, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Legends Of Tomorrow, Legends Of Tomorrow - Season 5, Smallville, Supergirl, Supergirl - Season 5, The Flash, The Flash - Season 6, The Flash 90s

Crisis On Infinite Earths – Pt5 – Legends Of Tomorrow Review

For Ollie

We all knew from the outset that the Monitor had foreseen Oliver’s death and in a bargain Oliver had agreed to sacrifice his life to restore the balance and to save Kara and Barry. This bargain set up the most anticipated crossover in years and the finale did not disappoint. It answered a number of questions besides opening up possibilities. Saving the multiverse meant creating a new beginning and this new beginning has seen earths merge, bad guys become good guys and changes to the team’s families. The team may need time to discover what has changed but what hasn’t is the celebration of friends and family and the continued sacrifice that Oliver made.

The team didn’t have long to grieve before having to deal with a giant Beebo and jewellery robbery. Personally I would have just removed its batteries. However it isn’t long before the Anti-Monitor and his Shadow Hunters are back. Oliver’s sacrifice restored the universe but did not kill the Anti-Monitor. The team split up to tackle the Shadow Hunters. We have a team of substance between Mick, Killer Frost and the newly named Sparkles. This earth isn’t going to be lacking in terms of heroes. This was the team’s challenge to face. To defeat the Anti-Monitor the geek team devise a shrink bomb which cuts the Anti-Monitor down to size and victory is finally achieved. The Paragons working together to protect Oliver’s legacy.

Although the team won the loss of Oliver is felt widely and the world acknowledges the role that Oliver Queen played and the sacrifice that he made. The dedication to Oliver and the feeling of loss is clear throughout the episode. The round table was a really clever touch with the green arrow seat remaining vacant but still with a seat at the table. The table being round to me has significance and almost an Arthuresque quality – the circle has no beginning and no end which fits with the infinite universes that they saved. There is no head of the table because the circle means that they are all equal. A truly remarkable symbol of equality.

I really hoped that somehow fate could be changed and Ollie would make it through somehow. But Ollie did succeed in saving his family, his friends and the multiverse. I am intrigued with how this single / new merged world of heroes will play out and what other changes to the world they knew? I guess when they go back to their cities we will see whether everything is as it appears. Has Lex really changed his colours? The teams will now have a new variety of dangers and this opens the possibilities for the evil that they could face going forward. Although this episode is moving Arrow towards its ultimate conclusion I really enjoyed the celebration of family, friendship and the duty that the team feels it has to each other and the multiverse. The circular table of paragons is a symbol of bringing together the best that the world has to offer. Seeing Diggle get his daughter back was a nice touch. Will this change mean that JJ will take a different path to the one we have witnessed? Also seeing Brandon in his super suit again didn’t hurt either as the multiple earths came back. As they defeated what seemed like the impossible all that’s left to say is…..Crisis averted.

Crisis On Infinite Earths – Pt4 – Arrow Review

I’m not even sure where to begin with this. Part 4 completely surpassed my expectations and it’s quite difficult to articulate how it left you feeling. It was television on a cinematic scale.

You’d better suit up
Right from the first scene you really feel that Crisis has cranked up a gear in its conclusion. The opening of the episode shows us Mar Novu on Planet Maltus 10,000 years ago, preparing to travel to the dawn of time, assisted by his wife, Xneen, THE MONITOR (!) and it gave us further insight and context to the origin of the whole story. More to the point, it got your heart racing in anticipation for what was to come.

Following on from where we left off before Christmas, the seven paragons have been left in waiting for months at the Vanishing Point and their desperation and despair translates so well on screen. Completing his training with Jim Corrigan, Oliver joins them with a plan which pushes Barry to the forefront after Oliver gives him a power boost. His friends are all confused. Is he Oliver or isn’t he? He doesn’t really give them much clarity when he tells them he is more than Oliver Queen now … he’s Spectre. Oliver’s transformation and Stephen Amell’s portrayal of his new incarnation is just fantastic. We are left in no doubt that Oliver Queen is gone and this person isn’t him. His new sith-like costume (thank you Ryan Choi for that), his stance and most noticeably, his voice have all transformed giving us an almost other worldly version of him.

The paragons are all sent on a mission which takes them to The Anti Montor where they face the biggest fight of their lives. Each paragon had their moment during the episode. Osric Chau really does continue to shine as Ryan Choi, Melissa Benoist is Supergirl at her best (she has been sensational during this crossover) and Jon Cryer simply dazzles once again as Lex uses the end of the universe to plot and scheme. I have to also add that J’onn totally upped his game and gave us an all new, empowered Martian Manhunter in this episode and we have David Harewood at his very best.

No, I’m Barry Allen
There are several stand out moments in this episode but there’s one which will have excited fans beyond belief. We had heard rumours. We had got our hopes up. We didn’t think it was possible … but this episode connected to the DCEU by giving us Ezra Miller. EZRA MILLER!!!! I unfortunately had this moment spoilt on twitter before watching but in no way did it take anyway any inch of the enjoyment. This was so much fun and broke so much tension by making you smile. It was also really important as Ezra’s version of The Flash has no knowledge of the multiverse previous to meeting this Barry and wouldn’t it be great if that fed into The Flashpoint movie we’re waiting for. They argue over being Barry Allen and admire each other’s suits and this scene was perfection. I can’t believe they actually managed to make it happen.

There was an end and there is a beginning
As they all prepare to fight the shadow demons to get to the Anti Monitor, Oliver shows up again and gives a few cryptic clues which come in very handy. His new green robe and wise words give off immense Yoda vibes! The fight scenes were great and it was a great moment to see Oliver using his new powers. He defeats the Anti Monitor but the exhilaration quickly expires as Oliver meets his fate and the episode ends with the moment we’ve all been dreading – his death. Although we knew it was coming it didn’t make this any easier. As he watches the dawn of the new universe he assures Barry and Sara he is at peace and urges them to carry on, that the new world needs them. Dying is the easy part after all apparently. Stephen Amell … I just can’t. I just wish that Emily Bett was a part of this scene, it was the only thing missing. People may moan that we’ve already seen Oliver die in this crossover, but this was much more deserving for the character and plays out more in the way I had hoped for. You can tell me it’s only a tv show but I feel devastated and for that reason I’m going to end the review here and try to put my thoughts together for the final episode.

The Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover really did deliver everything we had hoped for though and I just can’t see how they will ever be able to top this. An event in television we haven’t seen before and aren’t likely to see again.

Crisis On Infinite Earths – Pt3 – The Flash Review

Even in the darkest times, hope cuts through

Erm ….. WOW!

Part 3 of the crossover was INSANE – starting with a cameo from Ashley Scott as Huntress from the 2002 Birds of Prey series. As the red skies take over New Gotham, she’s trying to contact Oracle and then we see their Earth is the latest to be obliterated.

Seeing as it’s The Flash’s episode of the crossover, Cisco, Ralph, Iris and Frost arrive on the Waverider, as well as Diggle who reacts badly to news that Oliver has been dunked in a Lazarus pit. Ralph is well excited to be included in this crossover and gives us his best classic Robin impression. Thanks to Cisco we discover the remaining paragons – The Flash (Love), Martian Manhunter (Honour) and Ryan Choi (Hunanity). This leads the group of heroes to break off again on separate missions.

Super friends

Kate and Kara have made a firm friendship during the week and it’s quite nice to see some female solidarity. We saw that Kate kept the kryptonite she found at Bruce’s mansion and we learn that this wasn’t for any sinister reason. Phew. They have done a great job with Kate Kane during the crossover and I feel like we’re seeing a very different Batwoman to the one portrayed in her own series. I’ve seen people compare the beginnings of their relationship to Batman and Superman and actually, yes! It’s looking like that’s how it will evolve.

Lian Yu need to come home

Constantine, Mia and Diggle continue the mission to bring back Oliver’s soul. Their journey leads them to an old acquaintance of Constantine and gives us another fun cameo from Tom Ellis as Lucifer. This was a brilliant scene where Lucifer repays a favour and gives them a way to rescue Oliver. They are sent to Purgatory (Lian Yu) and after Oliver has an initial bad reaction to them, he ends up refusing to go home as he knows what he has to do. He’s met by The Spectre who seems to transfer energy to him which takes him to the next stage of his mission. I was left a little bit numb when Oliver died in the first episode and still didn’t know what to do with myself until this moment of hope that his journey isn’t finished yet. I’m excited to see what happens with him now.

Atoms and flashes of lightning

Iris, Ray and Ralph head off in search of Ryan Choi. I think we know where this is heading with Brandon Routh leaving Legends soon and I for one approve as Osric Chau makes a really good first impression. The rest of team Flash meet Pariah and find their way beyond the wall Nash Wells was trying to access. Vibe has his powers forced upon him by The Monitor but they came in very handy. The Flash from Earth-90 has been trapped for the past year in a forcefield, running on a treadmill used to power up the Anti Monitor’s cannon. It’s always great to see John Wesley-Shipp but this time is a much sadder occasion. Black Lightning makes his first appearance in the Arrowverse after being transported and therefore saved from his Earth’s destruction. We’ve waited a long time to see this and I’d say this won’t be the only time we see Black Lightning in this universe as he and The Flash seem to hit it off really well.

Barry’s fate is revealed to be all a panic over nothing. Earth-90 Flash momentarily steals Barry’s speed and gives his life to save everyone. This was a lovely moment as we were given a flashback to his series and a scene of him with Tina.

Destiny

With everyone back on the waverider, they begin to decide what needs to be done next. Harbinger returns infected by The Anti Monitor and takes the seven paragons to the vanishing point, before the rest of our friends are met by the red skies. Lex makes one last dastardly move as he replaces Routh’s Superman as a paragon. Gasp!

With only the seven of them left (and Oliver) the remainder of Crisis is sure to be shocking. It’s just a shame we have a whole month to wait for it.

See you in 2020 people!