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msbeccieboo · 5 years

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Arrow 7x18 brain dump

And we’re back from hiatus! Unlike a few that I see, I really enjoyed this episode! Sure the main story was clunky, and a lot of the dialogue was cheesy as hell, but the theme and notion behind it of women coming together to save the day was just everything that Arrow, and the whole Canary concept up until now has been missing. As usual, this got long, and gif-heavy, so apologies if you get bored haha!

Felicity

Yes of course we’re coming to Felicity first! Our (Smoak) Queen absolutely ruled the show this week! I still remember the fandom reaction when we heard the episode title…it was something along the lines of:

(gif from my gif keyboard-sorry no link!)

And then the episode rolls round and it’s awesome (mostly) and Felicity is at the centre of it!! Amazing! In fact, it was so hard to separate this review into character/theme sections this week, as Felicity was intertwined so closely with all of them.

Felicity was at her finest this week. We saw her both as Overwatch and literally saving the day in the field. We had wifey Felicity, loyal friend felicity, mama Felicity, flirty-flirt Felicity….the list goes on!! And in an episode called Lost Canary??

Continued under the cut

It was Felicity’s heart and famous empathy that really shone through for me this week. From start to end she tried her best to win Black Siren back round, to clear her name, and save her from herself. Our girl literally reached across time to help her friend. Now whether or not BS had earned/deserved that much effort on Felicity’s part is another thing altogether, but one thing that prevails is Felicity’s huge heart, her compassion and her unwavering belief in those she calls her friends. Her ability to see the good in people, even at their worst, is probably my favourite thing about her. And whereas Dinah was right to an extent about Felicity having ‘blinders’, she just wants to see the best in people. This is why she is the heart of the team. This is why Oliver fell in love with her. This is why I fell in love with her. The moment where she shouts at Dinah “we should be helping her not hunting her”, just epitomises Felicity for me.

It was ultimately Felicity’s stalwart belief in her that made BS turn ‘good’ in the end. Our girl literally put her and her unborn child’s life out there and dared BS to kill them to prove she was evil. In doing this, Felicity ultimately saves the day! Sure, we see Felicity being a badass every week, but watching her lead a team of women in the field was super emotional for me to watch.

Source: smoaktechs

This did start to feel like a goodbye to Felicity, especially with the Sara scene, reminiscing and commenting on how far she has come. I imagine the timing of Emily’s announcement was planned to precede this last run of episodes for this reason. I’m still coming to terms with Emily leaving, and I haven’t been able to write anything about it yet (and not sure I will tbh), but episodes like this make me realise just how different (and by different I mean shitty) this show would have been/will be without her in it and I’m simply not ready still 😭😭😭

Olicity

We only got two Olicity scenes this week, which was actually far more than I thought we would get, and they bookended the episode so beautifully!! I still don’t think I’m over the cuteness this week!!

In the first scene we got a beautifully babbly Felicity; “Are you sure that you are ok, now that you know that your sister is evil and tried to kill you? Too soon?” 😂😂, along with a little of her own horn-tooting haha:

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Oliver’s little smile after that was just 😍😍

We had a cute little smooch, and touching!! It was so nice to see them being truly affectionate and comfortable around each other again!

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Then Oliver being all Protective Daddy!Oliver, asking Felicity to take it easy and look after her PRECIOUS CARGO!!!!!

NVJDFNVJDKVNFDVKND!!!! Honestly this will go down as being one of the great Olicity quotes for me! His little belly gesture, and then her adorable “I know” I can’t handle the cuteness guys!!!!!!

Oh and then there was the cutest Olicity scene everrrr!! Felicity returns from her bird adventures to find a sleepy adorable Oliver laid out on the couch 😍🔥😍

Source: lucyyh 💗

OMGGGGG her face when she sees him, and tells him she’d missed him….hgfidsbodsnfv!!!

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The mystery remains as to just why Oliver is that exhausted…as I talk about in the next section, he and Dig didn’t do an awful lot this episode. The only acceptable answer is that they spent the rest of their time in the episode putting together an endless amount of baby furniture…I now decree this as FACT!!

Anyhoo…back to snuggly Oliver. Ughh this man does not stop being adorable (even with this hair)! He sits up and pulls Felicity into him by the bum (we all see you Oliver 👀) and smushes himself into her chest for a hug, kissing her shoulder, telling her how he will take care of her 😍😱 😍😱, then Felicity promptly asks for a foot rub, to which he happily obliges.

Source: 1-crazy-dreamer 💗

I AM DECEASED!!!!

Combined with the ending of 4x08 this confirms that the Green Arrow is a cuddleholic, and I will watch this scene on a loop FOREVER!!! I could seriously watch the rest of this season/show just of them being affectionate and domestic like this. Your OTP could never!!

Oliver/Dig

Oliver goes on a little boys trip with Dig to try and find the killer of Emiko’s mother. I’m sooo glad they didn’t waste much time on this, and gladder still that they wasted no time at all on Emiko! Turns out the responsible party was one of the Longbow Hunters (yes them again), that Felicity found for them.

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I love how Dig/ARGUS/NTA spent the first part of the season trying and failing to capture these guys, then Oliver rocks up and takes him out with a tranq arrow in 2 seconds flat, and has no clue who he even is haha!

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They work out pretty quickly that Dante hired him, then promptly leave and that’s the end of that! I really like how the men weren’t minimised or side-lined entirely (except Rene *shrugs*), they just weren’t that significant in the episode. Boss Beth and her team did a great job here of not taking away from them in order for the women in the episode to shine, something that previous writing teams on this show have done over and over again in the reversed situation *cough* MG *cough*.

Sara

Sara frikking Lance is back!!!!

That entrance though...it was everything!! The way all the glass shattered was reminiscent of her first cry scene where she saved Oliver at the DA’s office in 2x03.

Source: supercanaries

I do think though that it was absolute bullshit that BS could beat Sara in a fight!

Then we got the previously teased Sara/Felicity scene. OHMIGOD I loved this scene so much!! I really miss Sara in Arrow, and this scene was just so perfect!! I loved their little friendly flirty-flirt!!

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

Putting together the two people in the Arrowverse that have killer chemistry with everyone was an inspired choice here, and it just makes me long for the Smoakingcanary friendship that we never really saw fully developed! We have a lighter Sara now, so they could not have had this level of friendship in S2, or even S4, but I always loved their relationship, even back then.

Source: eloquence-of-felicities

Sara has grown so much since she left for the Waverider, she is so much more reflective and a wiser woman now. I like that she doesn’t acknowledge BS as LL, but sees herself in her and still wants to help, and to honour Quentin. Lance sister scenes were always my favourite of Laurel’s, and the Sara/BS scenes have the same energy about them. I loved Sara’s speech to BS at the graveyard about redemption. Sara still doesn’t see herself as completely worthy, but acknowledges that she has grown into a hero, through her years of trying. So I cheered when she told BS “You think you deserve a medal for trying to be good for 5 seconds? Redemption isn’t a destination it’s a journey”

Source: canarygifs

Oh, that’s just the theme of the entire series!! Yaaaaassss!! Go Sara! I really hope we get to see her again this season.

Black Siren

Straight up, I was worried when I saw the opening scene…the overacting, yelling, annoying music, ridiculous unbelievable ass-kicking and then that title card?? 😬😬 ‘Evil’ BS is so campy in the worst way…I like ‘good’ BS, so that opening?? Yeah I had my doubts haha!

I enjoyed Black Siren’s struggle within the episode; what she really wants is to be seen and accepted as the good person she is trying to become. As soon as she was doubted last episode, her instinct was to revert back, an ‘if they think I’m evil, I’ll just be evil’ mentality. The problem is, as Sara told her, she was trying to be a good person for like a few months? She has a long way go to redeem herself and earn back the trust of people who know what she did as Black Siren before (see: Dinah 😬). Her beacon of hope (see what I did there?) is Felicity. She has been ever since she approached her at the start of the season. BS saw in Felicity an opportunity to avenge Quentin initially, and eventually, through falling for Felicity’s friendship charms (doesn’t everybody?), do good, and be that better person that Quentin and Felicity thought she could be. And despite Sara’s (awesome) talk with her, it’s Felicity in the end that persuades her which side to fall on in the end.

In the end, Black Siren realises/decides that in order to continue on her redemptive path, she needs to go back to where she started, Earth 2, and do some good there. How this fits with her appearance in later episodes in the season (spoiler pics) and her apparently large storyline next season is yet to be seen. Felicity’s face when she hears BS is leaving is heart-breaking 😭😭 Their friendship has been one of the unexpected highlights of this season for me; it has been so nice to see a female friendship on this show! I also liked how through all of her short-lived evilness, she never revealed Felicity’s pregnancy, even covering for her back in the lair at the end of the mission!

Extra BS moments:

BS pushing Felicity out of the way in the final fight scene 😍

Shadow Thief: “Which one is Felicity?” BS: “The chatty one” 😂😂

Source: minibetta

Source: plotbunnyshipper

Dinah

*Dramatic sigh* Ugh Dinah. She continues to drive me mad! She has some real moments of warmth (but I think that’s just Juliana shining through), but for the most part she’s just super annoying! She has a constant condescending tone, a terrible attitude, is massively hypocritical, and is so back and forth with her standpoints that she leaves me with whiplash most episodes!

I hated the way she talked down to Felicity throughout the episode, for believing in Laurel. Dinah believed in Vinnie, and the Team had her back (until BS killed him 😬). Dinah MURDERED PEOPLE TOO, and the Team had her back. She should have empathy for BS, having been in the exact same situation, but she doesn’t see it that way. I loved Felicity serving her up the tea in the bunker scene, it’s about damn time!

Felicity’s overall snark at Dinah this week was on point! Her “Please hold” and “Good chat, really love our chats” 😂😂 our girl really knows how to deliver a burn and still look cute doing it haha!

Flash Forwards

I have missed my flashforwards baby OTA!! Unfortunately we were missing William, Connor and Roy this week, cos Girl Power ✌ and all that jazz! But we did get to see some more Mama Felicity. Future Felicity is definitely more stoic and detached than our Felicity, but that changes when her kids are around; I loved the mother-daughter hug when Mia returned!

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

I’d forgotten about the whole helmet thing to start with, when I first saw it I thought it was Dig!! But helmet guy basically shows up at the start of the FFs and kills a boatload of Canaries. Did I giggle at the notion that anyone can be a Canary in the future, and that therefore they are totally interchangeable and dispensable in nature? Yes I did 😂 Anyway, Mia’s determination to track and take down helmet guy, to honour the dead birds, led to more Oliver (and later, Felicity) comparisons, which I am always here for!!

Dinah later actually gives Mia a really inspiring speech about the Canaries. That they are girls taking care of girls; a support system for women, so that they are there for each other when needed most. Dinah references a time when she did not do that (for Black Siren, presumably), and that that following that she changed how she worked. I’m hoping this means that Dinah will become more likeable in the present timeline for the upcoming episodes, but I’m not holding my breath.

Mia still isn’t used to relying on others, but she does ask Dinah for help and is refused, so her reaction to Dinah’s talk was just ‘yeah….no’, pretty much, with the line “Too bad I’m not a Canary”….and the Smoak burns keep on coming this episode 😂 😂

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At the end, as Mia nearly meets her end taking down helmet guy (as if he could have taken her!) she is saved by…Future Black Siren!!! Who is obviously alive still, back on Earth 1, and a goodie!! Yay!! I love that BS ‘saves’ Mia in both timelines in the same episode, nice touch! She gives Mia the helmet for Felicity, along with some sage advice:

Source: jaces-clarissa

I’d have liked to see her and Felicity interact, but you can’t win them all!

Bonus moments

Felicity: “Fake heat signatures? That is devious and impressive!” Lolololol!

That table slide!

Source: seeing-red-arrow

Source: smoaktechs

(I love that Felicity delivered the birds line 😂😂)

“To ladies taking down ladies”

And that’s it! Four episodes left 😭😭😭 I AM NOT READY!!

Thank you to all the wonderful gif makers! This episode has yielded SO MANY amazing gifs, so thank you for sharing them with us all! 💗💗💗

#Arrow #Arrow 7x18 #Arrow season 7 #Olicity #beccie's brain

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datasoong47 · 5 years

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If, as established in the episode “Little Green Men” (DS9 4x08), Quark, Rom, and Nog are actually speaking Ferengi and not English, with the Universal Translator rendering it into English (and presumably the same would apply to other Ferengi we’ve seen), then why does the Universal Translator use the word “females” instead of “women”?

#my posts #star trek #st:ds9 #ferengi

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dailyjadziadax · 6 years

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4x08 - Little Green Men

#jadzia dax #star trek #ds9 #deep space 9 #deep space nine

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jimmyandthegiraffes · 5 years

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Mytharc Episode List

I know these are all over the place but I just put this together for someone and figured I may as well post it here too in case anyone wants a list of all the mytharc episodes in The X-Files.

I did this mostly from memory except for a few checks on seasons 10 and 11, so if I’ve missed anything let me know and I’ll fix it.

List under the cut.

1x01 - Pilot 1x02 - Deep Throat 1x04 - Conduit (this is technically motw so if you're really wanting to avoid that you can skip it and it won't matter but it might be helpful) 1x17 - E.B.E. 1x24 - The Erlenmeyer Flask

2x01 - Little Green Men 2x05 - Duane Barry 2x06 - Ascension 2x08 - One Breath 2x16 - Colony 2x17 - End Game 2x25 - Anasazi

3x01 - The Blessing Way 3x02 - Paper Clip 3x09 - Nisei 3x10 - 731 3x15 - Piper Maru 3x24 - Talitha Cumi

4x01 - Herrenvolk 4x08 - Tunguska 4x09 - Terma 4x12 - Leonard Betts (again, more motw but Memento Mori will seem less out of the blue if you watch Leonard Betts) 4x14 - Memento Mori 4x18 - Max 4x19 - Tempus Fugit 4x24 - Gethsemane

5x01 - Redux 5x02 - Redux II 5x06 - Christmas Carol 5x07 - Emily 5x13 - Patient X 5x14 - The Red and the Black 5x20 - The End

Fight The Future

6x01 - The Beginning 6x09 - S.R. 819 6x10 - Two Fathers 6x11 - One Son 6x22 - Biogenesis

7x01 - The Sixth Extinction 7x02 - The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati 7x10 - Sein und Zeit 7x11 - Closure 7x22 - Requiem

8x01 - Within 8x02 - Without 8x13 - Per Manum 8x14 - This Is Not Happening 8x15 - Deadalive 8x18 - Vienen (I'm saying mytharc because of the monster but you could probably skip and be none the worse) 8x20 - Essence 8x21 - Existence

9x01 - Nothing Important Happened Today 9x02 - Nothing Important Happened Today II 9x06 - Trust No 1 9x09 - Provenance 9x10 - Providence 9x16 - William 9x19 - The Truth 9x20 - The Truth II (these two eps are usually seen together as one long episode)

10x01 - My Struggle 10x06 - My Struggle II

11x01 - My Struggle III 11x05 - Ghouli 11x10 - My Struggle IV

#long post #mytharc #the x files #txf #ref #my posts

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twdmusicboxmystery · 6 years

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Fear 4x10: Analysis

Good morning! Who watched Fear last night? I have to say, I'm really enjoying this season, still. I thought last night’s episode was excellent! And, as a bonus, it had tons of relevant symbolism in it.

***Spoilers abound for Fear 4x10. Don’t read until you’ve watched! You’ve been warned!***

Let's first talk about the broad stuff. Alicia ends up at the cabin or house. It's very much like a lot of the places we've seen before. There are a lot of things that reminded me of the moonshine shack, and also the cabin Carol, Tyreese and the girls went to in 4x14.

Remember last week when I said it seemed like the group would be split up for the B part of the season and we’d have individual episodes about each group? Did I call that or what? This episode was about Alicia and Charlie, and the next episode will (based on the trailer for next week) be about Morgan.

If you want to see this as a repeat of Beth and Daryl at the moonshine shack (and you probably will as I go along) then Alicia would be Daryl and Charlie would be Beth. My reasoning on that is just that Alicia is the more angry, surly one, and Charlie is the more sad, weepy one. Between the two, Alicia is also the stronger and more capable. In a minute I'll show some dialogue but also supports this.

So, when she gets there, Alicia finds four walkers in the house. Two men and two women. This was meant to be the family that lived there. Father, mother, son, daughter. The son and daughter were at least teenagers, if not adult age. So, the family all died in the house together.

In terms of Alicia, that would've reminded her of her family a lot. Before the apocalypse happened, it was Madison, Travis, Alicia, and Nick. I think that's why she threw the pictures out. She couldn't stand the reminders of a family she once had and no longer does. But everything about this is symbolism we've seen before. There is a very obvious example of the Bethyl side-by-side walker theme.

In this case, there were two men and two women. I'm not sure what to make of that exactly, but it's interesting. I don't think we've ever seen an example of two men and two women side-by-side like this in regular TWD. But I'm wondering if the other couple (besides Bethyl) could be John Dorey and June. So maybe they're doing to show there are now two couples, one on each show, that are following the same symbolism? Just an idea.

The photos themselves reminded me of Sasha in 5B. Remember, she used the photographs as target practice? Even though what happened was a little different, in both cases these women (Sasha and Alicia) were in pain and couldn't stand to see pictures of happy families around them. Even what was in the pictures was mildly suspicious to me. A lot of them were taken at the beach, which plays into the beach theme of this episode. But I noticed one was the little boy playing baseball (Negan?) And there is also one at an amusement park, kinda like one Rick and Michonne went to in S7. And there were other ones that had water in them.

I will also say that there were several things in this that made me think Alicia was being somewhat paralleled with Rick as well. There was a part where she looked at herself in the mirror, which reminded me of Rick getting to Alexandria in 5B. We also saw her silhouette against the light several times, which they did with Rick S8.

Later in the episode, Alicia goes out to look at the four walkers she dragged out and Charlie has wrapped them in shrouds. I noticed that three of them were dark and one was white. I'm not sure exactly how to interpret that, but it's the black/white theme that we see around Beth and Daryl a lot (X). I wonder if it's something like three deaths and one resurrection? Or could be connected to the St. Nicholas/pickle story which is three resurrections. I'm not sure. But I thought it was super-interesting.

At one point, there's something dead in the fireplace. It had been stuck in the chimney and fell when Alicia was cleaning it out. I couldn’t tell what it was at first, but I’m fairly sure it was a dead bird. That’s kinda huge! 1) It’s literally a bird surrounded by ashes. So, Phoenix theme. 2) Even more than that, remember that in 4x11, Carl saw a dead bird in the pudding house.

I’ve ALWAYS thought that was a foreshadow of Beth. Dead bird = Beth before she’s resurrected. If that dead bird had just been about Carl’s death, it wouldn’t still be a thing now. (This shot from S4 also includes a bird cage. Remember the bird cage in Beth’s cell in 4x01.)

Alicia apologizes to it and says, "I'm trying." The trying theme was especially big in TWD S5. I’m not sure what to make of the fact that she’s apologizing to it, but I’m sure it’s symbolic in some way.

On TTD, they said the family was supposed to have asphyxiated because the fireplace was clocked. So the dead bird actually killed the family. Also highly symbolic. Think of it this way: Beth’s death “killed” Daryl emotionally. In other instances of the side-by-side theme, Karen’s death “killed” Tyreese emotionally. So it’s very interesting that this bird literally killed the family in this case

In TTD, they also talked about the bird Madison talked about in 4x08. That’s what it was about for Alicia. But it all goes back to the bird symbolism from S4. And remember, who is the song bird?

This is probably the thing that made my jaw dropped the most. When she's trying to start a fire, she burns something that says "Rottweiler" on it.

Remember that Emily was rumored to be filming scenes at that white cabin with a Rottweiler. Wouldn’t it be crazy if those missing scenes from season five showed up in fear instead of in TWD? That would be insane! But this does seem to be foreshadowing something with a Rottweiler on Fear and having to do with Alicia.

While we’re on the subject, there were at least two other dog symbols that I saw in the house. (Sirius/Dog Star theme). When Alicia first enters the house, there's this plaque that has a dog and a paw on it.

It was also featured on TTD. The fat that it says “Rotty” made me think of the fact that at Grady, they called walkers “Rotters.” Perhaps another rottweiller clue we totally missed?

Then here in the background, I think this might actually be a picture of two Rottweilers. It's unclear, so I can't be sure, but that's what it looks like to me. See why I’m excited?

This house also had a lot of canned food in it. That's similar to both the funeral home from Alone and also from Carol and Tyreese's cabin in the Grove. It also reminds me a lot of the cabin we saw on the Red Machete miniseries.

Just cans of food out on the counter.

Alicia picks a green one and a blue one. It doesn't show us the labels on either one of them, so obviously what’s in the cans isn’t terribly important for us to know. But the color scheme is there. I also noticed that in this part, there's a water bottle on the left that says Green Valley Springs.

When Alicia finds Charlie in the house, she tries to leave because she doesn't want to end up hurting Charlie.

The sequence with the car was really strange. Alicia had the keys and tried to open the car door, but for some reason, the door stuck. I watched it several times and I'm still unclear on why the door wouldn't open. There is what looks like some sort of strap on the inside of the door, and I thought maybe it was some sort of bungee cord holding the door shut. Looking more closely, I honestly think that might just be decoration on the door. The door randomly wouldn't open and as a result, Alicia ended up with a mild head injury.

It just smacks of Beth to me. I'm not sure if we should be interpreting it literally—like something about Beth being left behind in the car had to do with the door not opening—or if it's more just the "please associate cars with head injuries" kind of thing. I don't know, but that seemed really suspicious to me.

Of course the cabin has the Grady lighting, where the inside is dark but light is coming in from the outside. We also see pictures of plants in the laws, which I think we seen before in a few different places in TWD. (Btw, on TTD, Chris Hardwick said we should be looking at the lighting, the pictures and things in the background, the shots, etc. So we’re totally justified in reading into this stuff. ;D)

Onto the dialogue. Charlie wants to save the pictures. Alicia is against it. I thought this was a really interesting way to do this theme. Alicia keeps telling her that the people are gone. (“Just gone” theme) and saving the pictures won’t bring them back. To which Charlie replies, "You don't know that!"

Exactly what Beth said. So once again, Charlie equals Beth and Alicia equals Daryl. The Alicia later says, "No one's gone until they're gone. And "When they're gone, they're just gone." Another Daryl line.

Remember that the “just gone” line specifically means that someone is not dead, but just missing. Daryl said it about Beth in 4x16. Also, 4x08 of Fear where Madison “died” is called “No One’s Gone.” So we’re seeing this a lot and to me it always means that someone who is presumed dead is not truly dead and will return.

The candlelight dinner Alicia and Charlie share reminded me of both Beth and Daryl’s in Alone and Carol and Tyreese in 4x14. We’ve seen other similar candlelight dinners as well, but none quite as potent as those two.

The basement was flooded, which reminded me a lot of the food bank in 5x02. At one point, Alicia has flashbacks to Nick and Madison's deaths.

That reminds me a lot of Sasha in 5x13, when she flashed back to Bob, Tyreese, and Beth's deaths. But it occurred to me that we actually have kind of an opposite thing going on here from Sasha. I found this episode to be very powerful. Charlie and Alicia, much like Beth and Daryl, came out of it in a much healthier emotional place. They found forgiveness and healing.

That was not the case for Sasha. At least not when she had her flashbacks. She was a great deal of pain and having the flashbacks did not heal her. So, kind of an antiparallel there, but still similar to S5.

The walker in the tree. This is pretty huge too. There's a walker impaled on a tree outside the upper window of the house, which Charlie keeps looking at. We can only assume it got there because the wind picked it up and flew through the air and it ended up being impaled on the branches of the tree. I wondered while watching it, if perhaps we could relate that to Beth in some way. It occurred to me that this was a type of crucifixion. The walker was up on the tree, just hanging there. It's not uncommon for Christ's cross to be referred to simply as a tree because it was made of wood. But I also wondered if I was reaching. Looking at something that wasn't there.

Then, near the end of the episode, that walker fell out of the tree and onto the basement door. Apparently, that made it possible for Alicia to push the door open and for them to get out. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how that was supposed to work. The door was chained from the outside, and I'm not sure how the walker falling on it actually freed them. It could be that it's weight, and possibly the weight of a tree branch simply broke the chain. Still a little unlikely if you ask me, bordering on unrealistic. It doesn't actually bother me, though. I think the whole point is the symbolism.

Because Christ is seen as the Christian savior, I think it's important that this walker was hanging on a tree, and then ended up being the thing that saved them. There are some major Christian themes in this episode. And does this point it Beth? I don't know. It might. We have the Rottweiler references and now a reference to someone who was crucified. (Remember that Beth wore the cross bracelet at Grady to show that it was her crucifixion and Father Gabriel talked about how one of their own was “sacrificed”) will save them. I hope it refers to Beth. It may be more of a Christian theme than anything else, but Beth has also been set up as the Christ figure in TWD. So either way, it makes me pretty excited.

It's also worth noting that when Alicia shot the crucifixion walker, she shot it exactly where Beth was shot.

A look! A bunch of burials. Alicia buried a bunch of walkers that nobody actually knew or cared about. And who that we did know and care about didn't get the burial?

This brings me to another theme that we saw both in 4x13 and 4x14. Charlie said she wanted to leave the photos for anyone who might come later. That theme really came together for me at the end. After burying the walkers, Alicia said she done it for the people who might come later. I mean, this cabin could BE the cabin that Carol and Tyreese went to. It's not, but in that case someone else came before them and buried the people they found there. So when Ty and Carol got there, there were already graves on the property. Alicia’s set up was like a prequel to that. She stayed in the house, and ended up bearing the people she found there

This theme was also in 4x13 because Beth wanted to leave the thank you note in case anyone came back. It's a theme about doing something, leaving a message for anyone who might come after them.

I think it's a really interesting and powerful theme. Oh, and there's the “friends and family” sign behind the graves. Almost as if to show that friends and family always get burials.(Sorry this pic is a little blurry. My internet connection was being a chump at the time.)

Alicia passes the weapon her signature weapon to Charlie. Kind of reminded me of Daryl giving Beth his crossbow.

Alicia and Charlie are now looking for the others. Just as Beth and Daryl did in 4B.

I’m not going to say too much about the beach theme. It does suggest something about the coast, and possibly Oceanside, but I'll leave it at that.

Alicia drives back to Strand’s mansion but everybody is gone. I did notice one thing that I didn't notice last week. I don't know if we never got this angle or if I just missed it, but there is a black and white horse artwork over the mantle.

The school bus is now on its side. We know from last episode that nobody was actually there when that happened. John and Strand are out looking for someone and Luciana went chasing after Charlie. Meanwhile June and Al are in Al’s truck. But the overturned truck reminded me a lot of 5x05 when the short bus crashes. Even in 4x10, Inmates, the bus wasn't on its side, but Maggie, Sasha, and Bob did find the bus wrecked on the side of the road.

And back to the “just gone” theory. At the end, Alicia tells Charlie that the others are “gone.” Once again, this is an example where we (the audience) KNOW the other characters are still alive. Alicia and Charlie don’t know it, but we do. And they’re being described as “gone.”

I think that's all I have for now. This is structurally REALLY feeling like a mirror of TWD 4b, and that’s where Bethyl first happened, so it gives me tons of hope. I really loved this episode and Fear is really given me the TD tingles lately. How did everyone else like the episode?

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here

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jbuffyangel · 7 years

Text

Rebuilt: Arrow 5x22 Review (Missing)

"Missing" was amazing! Emotional and action packed with zinging dialogue.

What struck me most was how full circle it was. "Missing" sets up the heroes versus villains battle that will come to fruition in the finale, but it also kicks off the basic question Oliver must ask: What makes a hero? What makes a villain? Those concepts are not always rigid. In fact, the very essence of hero and villain is fluid.

Oh... and did I mention there's an Olicity reunion scene?

Let's dig in...

Olicity and OTA

The Throwing Star killer is in prison and Oliver Queen's approval ratings are in the 70th percentile. (That's how you know it's TV. If there's a politician in my lifetime with that high of an approval rating I'm just assuming it's the apocalypse.) Seeing both personas, Oliver and the Green Arrow, get the credit each deserves and Oliver being treated for the hero HE IS makes me want to run up mountains and sing songs.

The battle is won. Let’s party.

Quentin wishes Oliver a happy birthday because heart strings.

Source: olivergifs

Did y'all notice the size of that gift? Think about where these men began and where they are now. What I love about Oliver and Quentin is how similar they are. Both men are hard shells, but once you crack it it's nothing but ooey gooey center. Oliver has earned Quentin's respect, trust and forgiveness. Quentin sees Oliver as the honorable man he is and put a motherf*****bow on it. IT MAKES ME FEEL THINGS Y'ALL.

Thea and Oliver take a minute to recap her emotional trajectory. They recall the last time Arrow celebrated a birthday - Thea's 18th birthday. Do you remember? It was a lifetime ago. Thea got a new car, did some Vertigo and crashed it. Good times.

But it led to THIS!!!!!

I miss Roy.

Anyways, Oliver talks about how far Thea has come because he reads my mind. Thea laments that she doesn't think she's come quite far enough. Oh... my sweet honey child. Let the pain go!

I am all ready to give Thea a pep talk, but Oliver "I Am 32 And Emotional Evolved" Queen steps up to the plate.

Source: olivergifs

Tear.

Oliver Queen, you have been through some shit but you have seen the light my dear boy. This is hard earned character growth. Now go get your girl.

Thea wants to take Oliver out for his birthday. QUEEN SIBILINGS FOREVER. Oliver has plans. Oh? You don't say?

"Please say not Susan Williams."

Thea summed up Susan William's entire character arc for me in a single sentence. And did I almost see a shudder come from Oliver? Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but he at least gave a good awkward stammer. In fact, no dear sister, dinner is with Felicity Smoak. You know, the human equivalent of a rainbow, forever light of Oliver Queen's life, future mother of his children and your nieces and nephews. That Felicity Smoak.

As for Susan Williams, come Thea girl, pull up a chair because you have MISSED THINGS. Particularly the glorious break up in which Oliver dumps Susan's ass because, once again, he's not sure he can have a relationship and be the Green Arrow. Meanwhile, Felicity asks him over for dinner and homeboy falls over himself sprinting to the loft, but that's just details. I totally believed him about Susan. It was all concern about safety, balance, blah blah. Nothing to do with the urge to chew his arm off post coitus.

I'm sorry. The snark just flows. I can't stop it.

Thea wants to know if it's a date.

Source: amanitacaplan

She was always with us fandom. Thea never lost faith. Check her pocket. I half expected Thea to hand Oliver Moira's ring, slap him on the back and say, "Go get her big fella." Also, somebody needs to fic this scenario.

Oliver plays it casual. Date? Pfft. What date? It's not a date.

Maybe it's a date. Could it be a date? Dear God, let it be a date. Oliver is praying to the higher power like Are You There God? It's me, Margaret.

Thea doesn't believe him. Nobody believes you Oliver. You lack zero chill with Felicity. The heart eyes run deep my friend. Just embrace it. You can't change.

Of course, it's the surprise party which leads to Oliver putting Curtis on his back. This never gets old. A+ comedic reactions from everyone involved.

Source: sharingmyworld

Oliver blows out the candles on his LORD MESA cake.

Source: legendsofcomics

The shout out to this man, who is an genius and absolute gift to this fandom, is so freaking earned. I cheered. @lordmesa-art brings us all a lot of joy with his artistry. He absolutely needs to be Arrow canon. I love when Arrow goes meta. There's a Green Arrow with the #6 the arrows in the target - a celebration for their Season 6 renewal of course. Take that haters! Don't bitch at me about ratings. Seriously. Enough. The explanation for the 6 is Felicity ordered the cake for a six year old. She thought a Green Arrow cake for a grown man would raise alarm bells. That... makes a lot of sense actually. Our girl is so smart.

So why is Arrow celebrating Oliver Queen's birthday now after all these years? It's not simply because there's a lull in the action. This is about how far Oliver Queen has come, especially in these last few episodes. When Oliver came home he wanted to keep everyone he loved at arm's length. He shut down the very essence of who he is, his humanity, because Oliver believed it was required to protect those he loves, save the city and honor his father. In the end, Oliver discovered the exact opposite was required to be the Green Arrow.

He had to open himself up to family

friendship

and love

to become someone else... something else. That's how he took the darkness used it for light.

It hurt. A lot. Oliver has been to hell and back. He's faced the very worst parts of himself and came out the other side.

Oliver has learned to honor truth over lies, team work over control, love over loneliness and forgiveness over self hatred. These past five years, Oliver has learned how to choose home over the island. He's not just surviving. Oliver Queen is living. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate that evolution than his 32nd birthday. Oliver has been reborn.

Source: legendsofcomics

Everyone takes a moment to talk about what they are going to do with their summer vacations. Television shows are set up exactly like school. Where is the lie? Diggle wants to go fishing with JJ. Curtis wants to go to Florence. And Felicity...

Source: felicitys

The subtle look she shoots Oliver is not so subtle.

If you would like to see a man become a rainbow - this is what it looks like.

As for Oliver, he just wants some socks.

Source: bazingagubicorn

Source: felicitys (I love this gif)

What’s to know people? He's gonna stop at Target, grab some socks and condoms, on the way to a night under the stars with Felicity Smoak. He's a simple man. What else does Oliver need when he has his whole world looking back at him?

Picking up on the sexual tension/feels overload Team Arrow makes themselves scarce. Well, except for Curtis. He pulls up a chair and grabs a bowl of popcorn. This on top of his epic shipper spiral post party.

Source:felicityssoliver

Curtis is me on a deeply spiritual level. Ship it hard my brother.

Diggle, Captain of the Olicity ship, actually wants to make this reunion to happen though so he physically removes Curtis.

Source:oliverdant

And we're here.

Source: legendsofcomics

When Arrow began Season 4 they had every intention of breaking Oliver and Felicity up. The moment Oliver lied about William to Felicity in 4x08 we knew that's where we were headed. However, I always believed Olicity would find their way back to one another. Arrow has been slowly and steadily rebuilding what they broke. It has been a long and hard road, but they are here. We are here.

Find My Way Back by Eric Arjes

One step closer

Closer to the light

No matter where we're going

I'll be by your side

And everything we used to know

Crashed into the great unknown

One step closer

We're gonna be alright

I love how simple this moment is. Love feels like an inertia out of our control, but the truth is, it is a choice. For those wondering how Olicity could ever get back together, it always boiled down to this: once Oliver and Felicity faced their issues, dug deep and dig the work, then all that remains is the simple choice to begin again. Love isn't always marked by a lot of fan fair. Most of the time, it's the quiet moments that define you. The moments when you look into the eyes of the person you love and say yes. Yes to trying again, to forgiveness, to rebuilding what was broken... one step at a time.

Source: amanitacaplan

Oliver came to the loft, dressed in a suit, hoping this was that moment but uncertain if it was. Felicity acknowledges the ruse and team's desire to give them alone time because of it. All of Team Arrow just wants them to have all the babies.

I love how bold Oliver is in this moment. My boy gets his flirt on. He wasn't certain what the dinner meant, if it was about alone time for them, so he just... ASKS. It's so freaking fantastic. There was a time when Oliver would have talked around something like this, or choose not to address it or simply let her go. Not this time. Not ever again.

Oliver stumbles at the word date, his nerves getting the best of him, and I believe he didn't want to put too much pressure on Felicity. However, this is a man who isn't afraid. This is open and honest communication. He doesn't hide what he was hoping dinner meant. Oliver is charging through that door Felicity opened in 5x20.

And Felicity, so sweetly and with a gentle little wink, confirms Oliver's hope because it's her hope too. Felicity says yes to trying again, but slowly. There's no rush to the altar here. She wants to be sure they are solid, so they never break up again. That means taking things slow. A walk under the stars, hand in hand, one step at a time, together.

This exquisite, beautiful, warm and loving light lives in Oliver Queen and Felicity always harnesses it. I often say Oliver Queen is the sun the other characters revolve around. With Felicity's answer, Oliver becomes pure sunshine.

And there it is.

The moment David Ramsey promised at HVFF. The moment Marc confirmed we were building towards in July. A simple, quiet, open, honest, forgiving, and most of all loving, yes. This is how you repair what is broken. This is Olicity rebuilt.

I was so happy with 5x20. It was everything I ever wanted from Oliver and Felicity for the past five years. Whatever came after was always just going to be icing on the cake for me. What I love about this moment is how builds off of everything 5x20 established so perfectly. The moment Oliver celebrates his life with his family, he and Felicity decide to start their lives together again. If I'm being honest, it's satisfying AF. This moment is EARNED y'all.

Cause even underneath the waves

I'll be holding on to you

And even if you slip away

I'll be there to fall into the dark

To chase your heart

No distance could ever tear us apart

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

I'll find my way back to you

Felicity senses Oliver isn't quite at ease and questions him about it.

Oliver immediately leaps to the conclusion that she's talking about them (because that's all he can process right now) and jokes about dating his ex-fiancé.

THIS CUPCAKE. He's so scared to put an official label on it, but he wants to so desperately.

No Oliver, you love sick fool. It's not hypothetical. This is real. Embrace the joy my friend. She came back to you.

I expect the fandom to abuse this gif.

Source: gothsmoak

Oliver learning how to relax while being the Green Arrow is still a skill he has to master (*cough*fivemonthtimejump*cough*)

and I love how Felicity encourages him to chillax - bad socks and all.

So let's talk about the tie loosening. I refuse to see that as anything but Felicity beginning to undress Oliver right then and there. Coupled with night under the stars and eye sex,

Source: olicityloyalty

I feel it's pretty clear where Felicity thinks the next step should be.

Alright, it's pretty clear where I think the next step should be.

I'm not going to argue that Oliver doesn't frequently need his bottle uncorked, but he also has great instincts. These instincts kept him alive for the last ten years, they are almost other worldly. They also make him a pain in the ass too, but overall his instinces are helpful. Oliver knows something is up in his gut. It's no different than feeling a rocket a hair trigger before it explodes or someone sneaking up behind him. But he wanted to believe. Oliver wanted to war to be over, to be happy and just live so he let his guard down. He ignored his gut.

The gun scene was as adorable as I hoped it was,

but I wasn't anticipating yet another emotional reconnecting moment between Oliver and Felicity. Dinah and Curtis are gone and Felicity is rightly concerned about the League of Assassins. They be crazy. So, our girl is ready to hunker down and operate comms remotely. Oliver's response signals just how far he's come and how much he's grown.

Source: oliverxfelicity

Felicity stays put. Right next to him. Exactly where he can see her. Didn't you love the part where Oliver reassures bae that Talia Al Ghul and her LOA flunkies can bring it? Oliver will handle business. Felicity doesn't need to be afraid. He won't let anything happen to her.

Confidence is so sexy in a man.

Oliver knows he needs Felicity by his side if he has any chance of stopping Chase. He's not pushing her away. He's not trying to handle everything on his own. Oliver is admitting he needs Felicity's help. He needs HER.

It seems Oliver isn't the only one looking for a little firmer confirmation on status. Felicity wants to know if Oliver's motivations are simply tactical or is there a little more to it? Girl... you are his lobster. Come on now.

Source: oliverxfelicity

Oliver immediately tells Felicity the truth which is OF COURSE it's not just tactical. Oliver ignored his gut and not only is his team in danger, but so is his son.

Source: klarolicityswan

I love how William is just an open, honest and natural subject for Olicity now. Felicity tries to reassure him, but Oliver rightly corrects her out that while her assurances are appreciated there's no way either of them can know for certain if William is safe. And since Chase is crazy pants, Oliver feels it's highly unlikely that he is. (Gotta trust those parental instincts Oliver. They are seldom wrong.) Essentially, Oliver is telling Felicity that by allowing those he loves out of his sight made them vulnerable to Chase. He will not make that mistake with her. HE. WILL. NEVER. LET. HER. GO. AGAIN. Y'all I am emotional.

Except... then Quentin and Thea are taken. What follows is yet ANOTHER emotional scene not only with Oliver and Felicity, but with Diggle. Oliver finally realizes that Chase is taking away his strength, his team, to leverage his freedom. Oliver wants Diggle and Felicity to get out of town, which is meant with strong opposition particularly by Diggle. John will not abandon Oliver, but Oliver doesn't look at it that way. Chase is slowly picking off Team Arrow one by one. Felicity and John are the only two left and they are the foundation of the team. Oliver operates on instinct, but he fears that instinct is what is putting Diggle and Felicity in danger. Oliver depends on John and Felicity. If Chase threatens them, and he will, Oliver's instinct is to pull Diggle and Felicity close. His instinct was to send Thea, Quentin and William away. His instinct was to allow Curtis, Rene and Dinah to operate business as usual. Every choice, every instinct, Oliver has followed Chase has used against him. So, Oliver is mixing it up. He's going to directly opposite of what his heart tells him to do and send John and Felicity away.

Felicity doesn't want to leave. She's worried about Oliver. So, now it's time for Oliver to reassure her. If he's not worried about her, then he can focus on Chase and finding the others. If Felicity leaves then he'll be safer. This argument proves how well Oliver knows Felicity. She won't put her safety above Oliver's, but she will listen to him if she believes this keeps him safe.

Source: tinaday3w

But even then, neither of them wants to let go. They hold hands like they've done many times before,

as circumstance forces them to separate,

their eyes conveying everything they are feeling in the moment-

that be apart is the last thing either of them wants.

Source: gothsmoak

The problem is, Chase wants Oliver to doubt his instincts. He wants him to rethink everything that feels right. As Diggle and Felicity are driving away from the city, Felicity's instincts tell her they were wrong. They've over thought this. They should have never left him alone. SHE should never have left him.

Felicity's right. She's always right. A LOA flunkie shows up with two swords which leads to a hilarious Delicity moment as they recall their encounter with Isobel Rochev.

Source: westallenolicitygifs

Emily Bett Rickards and David Ramsey's comedic timing is always stellar. I need more. All the time more.

Unfortunately, car versus murderous woman doesn't go exactly like it did with Isobel Rochev. Diggle and Felicity's car crashes and then IT EXPLODES. Not gonna lie, I screamed many screams.

DO NOT DO THAT TO ME MARC GUGGENHEIM. THOSE ARE MY CHILDREN. WE DO NOT BLOW UP DIGGLE AND FELICITY'S CAR. THERE ARE RULES ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING.

But they are totes fine, so I could breathe again. I mean... they aren't ever going to kill these two, but I'll never be okay with the threats of it. Unfortunately, Diggle up against several LOA members isn't a fair fight even with those bowling balls for arms. Diggle and Felicty are taken... and Oliver is left to fight Chase and save everyone he loves alone.

Source: legends-of-today

OR IS HE ALONE?

Malcolm Merlyn

My hatred of Malcolm Merlyn runs deep.

Primarily because Malcolm sees himself as the hero and not the villain. This began over love for Malcolm. He was once a good and loving husband and father. Losing Rebecca shattered the man Merlyn was and he forged himself into someone else... something else. Love beget grief. Grief beget revenge. Revenge beget a lust for power. At every turn, Merlyn has operated in his own self interest, but firmly believed they were righteous and for the greater good. Merlyn unleashes evil and believes it is love. That's the level of sociopath we are dealing with here.

Merlyn is the reason Robert Queen died.

He's the reason Oliver ended up on that island.

He killed Tommy.

He used his OWN DAUGHTER

as the weapon to kill Sara Lance.

Merlyn sent Oliver into a death trap into Season 3 to save his own hide.

He put Thea in Ra's Al Ghul's cross hairs, which is how she wound up on a ventilator.

Merlyn served William up to Damien Darhk like cheese and crackers.

He was an active participate in Laurel's death (I'm not really mad about that though, but let's just add it to the list).

All of these crimes have gone unanswered on Arrow. Essentially unpunished. Sorry folks, a hand doesn't cut it for me. Ha! Cut it. Get it?

There's a reckoning coming Malcolm Merlyn and it is long past time.

We haven't seen much of Malcolm Merlyn this season and I think it was a wise choice. The character, in my mind, is the new LL and has run his course. If they are bringing him back then it needs to be for an intended purpose and Arrow made that purpose wildly clear.

Merlyn has been busy this year though - on Legends of Tomorrow as part of the Legion of Doom. He partnered with Damien Darhk and Eobard Thawne to alternate time and change the world to their liking. However, I was always struck by what that meant for Malcolm. Both Damien and Eobard were after power essentially, but not Merlyn. His altered reality meant Rebecca and Tommy were alive and Thea adored him. He's still Merlyn though - he got revenge on Nyssa Al Ghul by making her life a closeted life in Ohio. Malcolm admitted to Sara however what he was searching for: a clean slate. He wanted all his mistakes, the pain and the death that came with them, jus wiped away. He didn't care if it wasn't real. What Malcolm wanted is redemption without the sacrifice.

So, this redemption arc was kicked off but if you weren't watching Legends then you didn't see it. Except, what does redemption really mean for Malcolm Merlyn? Is it really achievable? Yes, I think redemption is possible for all characters, but the desire has to be there. The willingness to make a sacrifice is what counts. That's why Merlyn's arc on Legends ultimately failed. He wasn't willing to do what is necessary to really make amends.

What is necessary isn't erasing all that he's done. It's facing it. It's making a different choice. Essentially, that's the only difference separating a hero from a villain - choices. It's why it's such a fluid concept. A hero can become the villain as easily as the villain can become the hero. While I doubt I will ever be able to call Malcolm Merlyn a hero, I do believe Arrow is setting him up to make a sacrifice. Which is the essence of heroism and what is required for redemption.

Source: zorro-rita

But first we gots to hash out some issues. Oliver and Merlyn go toe to toe over a lot of things, but first up is William. Oliver is still pretty ticked over Merlyn handing his son over to Damien Darhk. Oliver used his angry voice talking about his son. It felt warm suddenly.

Merlyn's concern is Thea. Malcolm never loved Tommy the way he should have. Tommy was never more important than his revenge. He rejected Tommy in every way. However, Merlyn's arc on Legends finally showed a desire to go back and change that, which we never saw before. Merlyn is prepared to do what is necessary to save his daughter. Even if it means helping his enemy.

And Oliver isn't exactly in a position to refuse his help. I know some may have issues with Oliver teaming up with his enemies like Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson, but I love it. It's incredibly full circle. Oliver has spent years building this family. It's pretty fantastic that to save his family he must work with all the villains who've tried to destroy it over the years.

Oliver and Malcolm have it out giving into Chase's demands. Merlyn is flabbergasted that Chase even needed to take Felicity and Diggle. He felt Thea was sufficient motivation. He's prepared to do whatever is necessary to save his child - a concept Oliver should be more familiar with now that he has William. However, Oliver's concerns run deeper than Chase not holding up his end of the bargain (something Merlyn is an expert it). Once again he worries that his personal connections are making him vulnerable. He has to become something else to protect them and he will never be free of it. Oliver will never be free of the darkness.

And here we go again.

This is an old tune from Oliver Queen. I won't harp on him too much. Chase did manage to take everyone he loves, so I'm not entirely shocked Oliver has a brief moment in which he reverts to form.

Source: dailydcheroes

This might be the single greatest line Merlyn has ever spoken and one of the truest things ever said about Oliver Queen. My precious big dumb oak tree.

Merlyn: Human connections are what keep us human. It is sad that it's a sociopath who is gonna have to point this out to you. You can't live on an island Oliver. You've already tried. You are always going to have people in your life, Oliver. They will always need you. For better or worse. Baggage and all. And if you can't accept that then your past is going to stay your anchor.

Round. Of. Applause.

I hate the bastard, but when he's right he's right. It sounds completely out of character for Merlyn, but does make some sense given his arc on Legends. Merlyn pushed away human connection after Rebecca died and he has FINALLY learned the cost for those sins. If Oliver wants to beat Chase, and Merlyn's goal is to beat Chase in order to save Thea, then both of them have to do things differently - but especially Oliver.

He's tried it the other way before. Oliver tried to go it alone. That "something else" never quite measured up into what was needed until he let people back into his heart. Until he allowed his humanity back in. There will never be a time where Oliver doesn't have people he cares about. He cannot shut off. He cannot isolate himself. He will lose. This much is fact. Nor can he allow the darkness to take the driver's seat. Oliver will lose the part of himself that makes him human - everything Diggle, Felicity, Thea and the team love about him. Then he'll be left alone again. It's a cycle. The only way to break it is to become SOMETHING ELSE. Be different. Embrace his humanity. Hold to those connections. That's how he wins.

And really, nobody knows this better than Malcolm Merlyn because doing the direct opposite is how he lost everything that mattered. Malcolm Merlyn is the one who sent Oliver to the island. So it's fitting that he is finally helping Oliver get off it. All it takes is a different choice and the villain can become a hero.

Even Malcolm Merlyn is rebuilding what he broke, which means... Malcolm Merlyn is going to die. I am absolute on this. They've set it up perfectly, what's more, I believe it needs to happen. Thea is still holding on to the fear that she's a monster - just like her father. What greater gift can Merlyn give Thea than by showing her the monster of her life can choose to do the right thing? Merlyn's death pays the price he's always avoided. It also may be the very thing Thea needs to be free from the past and find hope in herself again.

William

William plays an extremely integral role in "Missing" because, as Oliver explains:

Source: olivergifs

Arrow was never about one thing. It was never just about LL, L*uriver , Olicity or OTA. I think no matter which spectrum of fandom we're on, if we only focus one or two segments of the story then it leaves the potential to miss very important pieces that ultimately feed the segments we care about.

Arrow, at its core, is about family. This story began with a father and a son. We are here because of Robert Queen's sins and because of the love and faith he had in his son. For ten years, Oliver has been struggling with his father's legacy, what his dying wish truly meant and the guilt of Robert's death. Oliver shouldered the weight of Robert's sins while being weighed down by his own.

The next step in Oliver's evolution is to no longer just be the son. He must become the father. The point of the legacy theme is to rebuild what was broken so many years ago. Oliver's mission cannot be only focused on Robert Queen anymore. It has to grow beyond the past and look to the future.

William.

Oliver is right. William is the purest part of him. He retains the innocence Oliver lost all those years ago on the boat. More than anything, Oliver wants his son to keep that innocence. He wants him to be safe and untouched by the darkness both Oliver and Robert have battled. But no matter where William is, he will always be Oliver Queen's son. He will always be Robert Queen's grandson. William will always be part of this family and part of this cycle. If Oliver wants to break it, if he wants to save William from paying for his sins (like Oliver paid for his father's sins), then he has to become someone else.... something else.

Source: olivergifs

This scene is heartbreaking. Stephen Amell makes me feel all the feels.

All Oliver wanted was to keep his boy safe. To make sure William never became like him. Chase took that away. So, now William is the one on the boat. He's trapped in a world he doesn't understand and paying for sins that are not his fault.

Robert tried to stop it. He tried to protect Oliver from his sins. He failed. All Robert could offer Oliver in the end was the chance to survive and to do it better.

This is the another chance to do it differently. To do it better. Maybe the most important chance. Oliver can no longer be mired down in the past.

Source: olivergifs

Adrian Chase is the dark mirror to Oliver. He is what Oliver can become if he never lets the past go. Every step since 5x17 has been Oliver letting go of the pain, guilt, shame and anger. Every moment has prepared Oliver for this battle. For this choice.

Oliver has to hold onto the lessons he's learned, what he knows to be right and allow his humanity to make the calls. Oliver needs William as much as he needs Felicity. As much as he needs Diggle and Thea. This is the love that pushes Oliver past the dark into the light. This is the love that makes Oliver fight for the future. Oliver's love for William makes him a better man and a better hero. A man and hero worthy of Felicity Smoak.

Source: sharingmyworld

It's why Oliver is willing to work with Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson. The past no longer matters. All that matters is his future and he's willing to whatever it takes to protect it. Oliver also knows to win, to truly save his son and everyone he loves, he has to do it differently this time.

Source: olivergifs

I think this flashback actually foreshadows Prometheus' demise. Oliver won't kill him, but I don't think Chase will have the stones to face justice. He'll do what Oliver refused to do. Chase will kill himself.

Bl*ck Sir*n and Quentin Lance

Okaaaay she's back. Truthfully? Pretty minimal scenes. She kidnapped Quentin and Thea. The end.

Although, I do enjoy KC as Bl*ck Sir*n. She plays a good villain. And Paul Blackthorne's reaction to seeing "Laurel" was out of this world. Break me into a thousand pieces sir!

There's certainly an effort to add some layers. BS owes Chase and wants to protect Quentin, so... she kidnaps him?

The promise is Chase won't hurt Lance. Had me a nice chuckle when Lance called her stupid. BS gets to express some "she's not all villain" emotion. BS says it's equally hard on her to see Quentin as it is for Quentin to see her. So... this probably means Quentin is dead on Earth 2. Okie dokie.

Are we headed for a redemption arc? Eh. I don't know. Honestly, the reason Arrow says they brought KC back was because they enjoyed her performance as BS. I know the LL fandom wants Arrow to turn Laurel 2.0 back into Laurel 1.0 but the reason Laurel 1.0 died is because the character ran her course. So, there's no need to retread that old ground. Also, Laurel 2.0 is not Laurel 1.0 so can we just accept reality?

The best thing Arrow has going for them with BS is that she is a villain. This plays to Katie's acting strengths and gives Arrow new ground to explore. I truly don't think they are in any rush to evaporate these positives.

Flashbacks

YAO FEI!!!!! Oh Yao Fei how I missed you. I don't even care that you were a manifestation of Oliver's guilt and urged him to commit suicide. I will take some Yao Fei anyway I can get it.

Imaginary torture. Well, that is one way to go Kovar. I'll give the guy credit. He did have Oliver's number. Emotional pain is far more torturous to Oliver than physical pain. This results in a series of flashbacks to remind us all that the past five years were of the suck for Oliver. Yeah, I didn't really forget that.

I like that Kovar gave Oliver a gun to commit suicide. Oliver killing himself is ultimate defeat and that's what Kovar wants. It's also a very nice callback to Oliver's first few days on the island. This isn't the first time he's considered suicide.

But then Oliver hallucinates Laurel. Well look at that. Flashback Ollie actually remembers Laurel!

Better late than never I guess. They have to connect it with the pilot. Oliver has to give a crap about Laurel again, so Arrow took a break from all the Felicity foreshadowing in the flashbacks. It's fine. We all know where their "love story" goes.

Oliver envisioning Laurel as his hope and salvation, begging him to come home when in reality he gets this when he does come home

basically sums up this hot mess of a television relationship for me.

Those were dark days my friends. Glad they are behind us. Huh. Snark is full on. KC being back might be fun after all.

Stray Thoughts

Lyla has a sister. Huh. Cool. Diggle's reassurance to Oliver (aka US) that Dyla is okay is appreciated.

Kovar nailed the Catholic belief on Purgatory. Wave to me from heaven y'all because that's where I'll be for awhile.

Oliver's attractiveness in his attractive brown leather jacket is very important to me.

Only Josh Segarra can look threatening in that color of yellow.

Quentin Lance trying to process how messed up it is that LL has a doppelganger is so me.

Malcolm hand jokes never get old.

"Not yet but soon." Josh Segarra added another level to the Chase creepy factor - this sounded exactly like John Doe from Seven Deadly Sins. I still have nightmares about that movie.

Source: kendrasaunders

I've missed this goddess.

Call back to Legends of Tomorrow! Ra's told Nyssa where to find Sara because Sara told Ra's to tell Nyssa where to find her. Let that little time loop simmer on ya for a minute. Although, I'm confused. I thought in S2 Nyssa found Sara in a market place starving. I need a Sara Lance/Nyssa Al Ghul flashback episode like yesterday.

Source: sharingmyworld

They all arrived by plane. Interesting. Methinks that Chase is planning on eliminating those means on escape. Perhaps, he expects to leave with Oliver after he destroys everything that matters? I also thought it was a little hint to Oliver of where his loved ones were. Things that make you go hmmmm.

"I'll cover you. Really." CLASSIC

I feel like Curtis should never go anywhere without backup. That should be a team rule.

"I thought you would have tagged your pets by now." Malcolm never stops being a supreme dick. It's one of the few things I enjoy about him.

Didn't you love all the preview clips promoting Bl*ck Si*n's return?

Maybe because there were only two scenes they couldn’t release any clips. Hehehe. I jest.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 5x22 episode gifs credited.

#arrow #olicity #arrow 5x22 #original team arrow #arrow reviews #arrow spoilers #malcolm merlyn #anti black siren #anti laurel lance #anti lauriver #arrow season 5 #season 5 episode review

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