Tag: Arrow

DC Comics, Recaps, Television2 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Don’t Stab Yourself in the Foot

Constance Gibbs

“This is Your Sword” was another mixed bag of an episode. It had a lot of great moments, but as I’ve been saying in the recaps recently, the overall stakes don’t make any sense. The audience is steps ahead of the characters, telling them what will happen instead of wondering. We end with a cliffhanger where every member of Team Arrow (save Thea) “dies” from the Alpha/Omega bio-weapon. Yeah, uhm okay. Sure. That totally happened.

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DC Comics, Television6 Comments

Eight Reasons We Love Black Canary

Dennis R. Upkins

Originally posted on Geeks Out

During a recent episode of The Flash that featured folks crossing over from Arrow, I was more than amused to watch Cisco geek out when he met Laurel, aka Black Canary. Because when it comes to the love of all things Black Canary, I can so relate.

And with good reason. At least eight reasons in fact.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television8 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Darth Oliver’s Inferno

Constance Gibbs

I fell upon two possible choices for subtitle this week. The first was “The Portrait of Darth Oliver” (Darth Oliver was going to be used in some form or fashion). This came from the idea that Oliver sold his soul for immortal life. Well, he sold it for Thea, but he gains immortal life and the remnants of his soul: Thea, Felicity, and Diggle, are the “portraits” who age and suffer as Oliver continues to sin and live immorally.

The title I chose comes from the idea that Oliver is now in Hell. The Wiki description of the circles of Hell in Dante’s Inferno says that each ring is a “contrapasso,” a “symbolic instance of poetic justice.” Oliver being charged with the destruction of a city he vowed to protect is the evil version of poetic justice.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television5 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: The Weight of Expectation

Constance Gibbs

In which I attempt to be fair, yet critical of this episode of Arrow, while remaining hopeful about the road ahead.

I came away from “The Fallen” feeling conflicted. I spent a week trying to figure out how to discuss my conflictions, but I ran out of time and energy. But I will say that the big theme of this episode (not the plot itself, but watching it) is the weight of expectation. All of the things that happen in this episode were things we knew were going to happen. Either because the episodes prior were driving it there, or because the promos basically told us everything. We came into the episode knowing that Thea would be resurrected, Oliver and Felicity would get together, and Oliver would officially join the League. With these expectations met exactly in the way we imagined, it may have led to disappointment.

So we’ll discuss the plot as usual and we’ll open up the comments for what went right and wrong in this episode and how it might affect the rest of the season.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television5 Comments

NOC Recaps The Flash: Everyman? More Like Everyship

Christelle G.

Pizza party!  Reason why I love Barry Allen #427: He uses his powers for good… like running to Coast City to get the best pizza pies on the west coast. In my head, he bumped into a young test-pilot Hal Jordan. Maybe they exchanged a few friendly words, unaware of what kind of best friendship they’d eventually form. I wonder what they ordered on their pizzas? I wonder if they have similar pizza topping tastes, so that they’d probably even split a pie every once in a while. Wait, no. Barry needs all of the food for his metabolism. Maybe Hal shakes his head at Barry’s appetite beca — sorry, I lost focus. Pizza party.

So far, everyone in Central City who knows Barry’s secret who isn’t a body snatching, anachronistic speedster  was invited to the West house to discuss Harrison Wells/Reverse Flash. The game plan is this: Joe and Cisco investigate the night of the Tess Morgan’s death in Starling City, Eddie covers for Joe at the precinct, Caitlin covers for Cisco at the lab, and Barry must refrain from punching Wells in the face.

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Hard N.O.C. Life, Marvel, Television2 Comments

Giving Daredevil its Due

The Nerds of Color

It’s been three weeks since Marvel dropped Daredevil on Netflix, and the nerdosphere is still head over heels for the show. Now that Netflix has announced a second season of their hit superhero series, Hard NOC Life returns to talk about how Marvel is taking over the streaming television game with Black Nerd Problems’ Jordan Calhoun (@jordanmcalhoun) — whose Daredevil piece you’ve probably read — and returning Hard NOC champ Raymond Chow.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television4 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulling Out the Arsenal

Constance Gibbs

I got several notifications during both the East Coast and West Coast airings of this episode that said, “You were right.” And even though the following act proved me both right and wrong (somehow…), I feel so validated and honored that people listen to me. And that I am right.

If you’re reading this recap, then you’re going to be spoiled for the exit of a major character on Arrow. Continue at your own risk.

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Marvel, Television35 Comments

After Daredevil, I Will Never Watch Arrow Again

Jordan M Calhoun

Originally posted at Black Nerd Problems

Word to God, I will never watch Arrow again.

Let me rewind a minute.

This past weekend was the first weekend of spring weather in New York City, and instead of running through Central Park or eating ice cream from the street vendors that appeared like spring flowers, I spent 13 hours indoors watching Daredevil. And I regret nothing. Daredevil is — and I don’t say this lightly — the best superhero show ever made.

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DC Comics, Television43 Comments

White Canary and Arrow’s Habit of Whitewashing

Keith Chow

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Arrow and the whole universe of DC heroes on The CW. So the idea of the network spinning off yet another show — tentatively titled The Atom, by the way — set in that shared universe has got all of us Nerds salivating with anticipation. Ever since it was announced that Caity Lotz was also going to star in the spin-off, fans have been guessing how she would be brought back and which character she would play since she, you know, died on Arrow. Uh, spoiler?

Over on ComicsAlliance, they’re speculating that Lotz will be brought back as White Canary. Being a big fan of Caity’s, I’m stoked she’s coming back to the universe. The only problem is, despite the character’s name, White Canary ain’t, uh, white.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television4 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Everybody Knows

Constance Gibbs

Sadly, I’ve already used “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” as an subtitle, so I was forced to come up with other options, despite this being the true moment. (Lance is Ross, who finds out last of the last.) So, today’s recap title comes from (in truth, the John Legend song, but more appropriately) the Leonard Cohen song of the same name. Among the lyrics1:

Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows

Seems apt.

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DC Comics, Television21 Comments

Orange is the New Black: Racebending Redheads

Keith Chow

The ever-expanding DC Universe on The CW just got a little bigger. Relative newcomer Ciara Renee has been cast as Kendra Saunders, aka Hawkgirl, in the still-unnamed Flarrow spinoff that will also star Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz from Arrow and Victor Garber and Wentworth Miller from The Flash.

What’s unmistakable about this casting, though, is the fact that Hollywood producers have once again gone “ethnic” when casting a traditionally redheaded character from the comics. So I have to ask, has the pendulum swung too far? Is this too much of a good thing?

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television14 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Couples’ Therapy

Constance Gibbs

I was going to go with a honeymoon themed subtitle, but it wasn’t working and seemed on the nose, but then I noticed that there were a lot of scenes between duos in this episode (Diggle/Lyla, Diggle/Deadshot, Felicity/Oliver, Felicity/Ray, Oliver/Ray, etc), where each couple sorts out some major problems in their relationships, so I went “Couples’ Therapy” instead.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television5 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Choose Your Path Oliver

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

After a brief hiatus from our T.V. screens — and a teaser about how the rest of the season may play out — we find Ollie at the hands of Ra’s, perhaps ready to taste metal again until Ra’s, in all evil dude monologues, explains to him that he is not going to kill him. He divulges the secret that there have been other Ra’s Al Ghuls — and as he explain his eternal life source, aka the Lazarus pits, he makes an offer that Ollie will need to consider.

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DC Comics, Television7 Comments

Could a Cape Be in Iris West’s Future?

Dennis R. Upkins

The Flash has delivered so many thrills and twists, it’s hard to imagine what the showrunners have in store for the season finale. With so many surprises, it’s understandable that even the most astute viewer may have missed the hints of another superhero on the rise; a super heroine rather.

Barry and Joe aren’t the only crime-fighters in the West household. To date Iris West has played a key role in the defeat of Girder, the Clock King, and Peekaboo. Three prominent super villains in the DC Universe. Not to mention besting both Doctor Light and Killer Frost.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television3 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: The Frustration of Justice

Constance Gibbs

Well. That happened. This week’s Arrow threatens to turn the show in a whole new direction. I can’t even begin to guess where they take things next.

Getting to the episode itself, after watching it, I (and trusty Flarrow sidekick Christelle) went back to see a Facebook post Stephen Amell put up earlier in the week to describe the episode.

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DC Comics, Television2 Comments

Why Suspending Disbelief for Arrow is Becoming an Exercise in Futility

Dennis R. Upkins

It goes without saying but when it comes to most works of fiction, a suspension of disbelief is needed. This is especially true for the superhero genre. In a world where meta-humans, costumed vigilantes, super-powered terrorists, and mystical leagues of assassins are the norm, it’s rare that the words, “unrealistic” or “illogical” are uttered.

However, as entertaining as Arrow is (and personally I love the show), the show has really been testing said suspension, this season more than ever.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television11 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: No Longer My Sister’s Keeper

Constance Gibbs

What was immediately fascinating about this episode is how the flashbacks were in Starling City and the present time was on Lian Yu, a cool contrast from seasons 1-2 where it was the reverse. Especially while in the direct middle of the five-year journey. I also noticed that the present and past were a bit more even this episode, as opposed to majority present, minimal past. The focus of both sides of this episode is Oliver’s relationship with his sister. I am so glad that Oliver told Thea the truth once again. As she said, now they truly have no secrets from each other (well, Oliver always has a few up his sleeve).

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DC Comics, Television12 Comments

In Defense of Felicity

Constance Gibbs

Badass Digest recently wrote a piece explaining how Arrow has “failed” Felicity Smoak in its third season. It brings up a lot of great points about the ways in which her character has changed, but I think it unfairly places the blame on the Oliver/Felicity relationship, when I think things are a bit more complicated than that. Sara’s death, pieces of Felicity’s (of the admittedly little) backstory that we know, and the overall darkness of the season all help push Felicity to a darker place this season. And I think that’s okay for the show overall.

The piece, which you should click through to read, explains that once Felicity and Oliver had their failed date and Oliver pumped the breaks on any relationship between them going forward, Felicity became a “woman scorned.”

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television8 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: The One Where Everybody Finds Out

Constance Gibbs

Well, almost. But two of the biggest season reveals finally happened in this week’s Arrow: Thea found out Oliver is the Arrow and Captain Lance FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY found out about Sara. There are a few things each character is a bit, ahem, fuzzy on… (how long has Sara been dead? Who killed Sara?), but it will finally be nice to get past both of these distracting omissions. Now, besides the circumstances of Sara’s death, we just need Lance to know Oliver is the Arrow and most of our major secrets will be out in the open!

But first! Our fellow NOC Christelle, who provides those awesomely hilarious Flash recaps got tweeted by William Shatner!

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DC Comics, Television2 Comments

Dig This: Is Green Lantern Coming to Arrow?

Keith Chow

Ever since he was introduced in the first season of Arrow, David Ramsey’s John Diggle has been a fan-favorite and a valuable member of the team. It’s also been pointed out several times that Diggle is the only member of Team Arrow that hasn’t donned a mask or embraced a superhero/vigilante persona. While this may dovetail with the character’s sensibilities, as the show increasingly embraces its comic roots, Diggle’s everyman schtick also kinda marginalizes the character — intentionally or not. Interestingly, all of that might soon change.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television12 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: The Magician and the Monster

Constance Gibbs

The end of this week’s Arrow gutted me (and Oliver) more than the literally torso-piercing mid-season finale did. As I write this I am still in shock and can’t really move. We’ll get to that later though.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television2 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Weekend at Ollie’s

Constance Gibbs

The subtitle for this recap is two-fold. With Oliver gone, Team Arrow is like kids whose parents went out of town so they have a big party, but everyone breaks things and they have to scramble to fix the house before the parents return. Only Oliver isn’t coming back (yet). On the other and more obvious side of the metaphor, Laurel’s absurd aversion to telling her father the truth gets frustratingly WEIRD.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television7 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulled Apart, Brick by Brick

Constance Gibbs

Where do I even begin? There’s the remains of Team Arrow (or whatever it may become without the Arrow to guide them — oh, haha, get it?); the future of both the A.T.O.M. and the Canary; Malcolm, Thea, and everyone’s inability to disclose important deaths; the whitewashing of Brick; and of course: the revival! I think I’ll just go in that approximate order, and throw some flashback plot in there too (sorry, for now, they’re not my favorite thing).

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