Arrow Season 5

[Super Firebug]

(The instant that I saw the map, I couldn't resist doing this. I've waited five seasons for something like this!)

Okay, having paused the episode on the map displayed during the final segment, the sharply-pointed part of the coastline, northwest of Star City, would correspond to that pointy bit of coastline southwest of Eureka, on your map of California. The concave area of the coastline, southeast of Star City, would be San Francisco Bay, and the jutty bit, farther south along the coast, would be between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. So, that puts Star City at abooout... Fort Bragg, California! Congratulations, Fort Bragg; you're the home of the Green Arrow!

[Tenzhi]

A bit of a spectacular crash and explosion to just get out and walk away like nothing happened...

[Vee]

The league of assassins used to make good money in the 70s making roadside stunt setups for Evel kenevil wannabees.

[eabrace]

In related news:  Amell finally got his chance at the American Ninja Warrior course.  That'll air next week during NBCs Red Nose event.  Can't wait to see that.  I really want to see how he does on the salmon ladder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baHfmHeySkE

Edit:  I missed it the first time around, but I notice now that he's pimping Nocking Point Wines during his run.  That's amusing. 

[Mandu]

Two things I really liked about this episode.

 First was when Dolph in his Russian accent said that Oliver was like a piece of iron but he would break.  Once again those little culture references are funny.  Except when they stop and explain them immediately afterwords.

Second was Deathstroke.  I like Manu Benett  The first season of Spartacus he was a bad actor.  Seriously Jai Courtney was better and that is close to impossible.  But he got a lot better.  Like most character actors he tends to have almost zero range but I really like the character he does play.

[Vee]

Spoiler for Hidden:

I suppose we're not supposed to be rooting for the bombs?
Also combined IQ over 500? Granted there's often no correlation but you'd think if they average well over the highest recorded IQ at least one of them would have demonstrated a touch of common sense at some point.

Possibility of Joseph is intriguing though. This show could definitely use some mute characters.

[Tenzhi]

If that was the season finale, someone responsible needs to be punched repeatedly.

[CG]

First, I have to admit that I stopped watching after Adrian Chase was revealed.  I've been keeping up via Emergency Awesome reviews.

I finally managed to figure out why I don't like Adrian Chase.  It's not that he's planning ahead of Oliver and the team, but he's unbelievably ahead of them.  He's almost like a Mary Sue character in this regard. 

Spoiler for Hidden:

He booby trapped an entire island with hundreds of explosives?  He knows what happened to Oliver on the island?  He found out Oliver's dad killed someone accidentally(?) and dug him out of concrete?  Found out about William, and then located him?  Recruited Talia and the remaining League to kidnap the entire team?  Found and booby trapped the Arrow cave?  Knew how and with what gun Oliver's dad killed himself with?!

This is beyond credible.  A character capable of these things could not possibly lose.

The simple logistics of accomplishing some of these things is mind boggling, let alone knowing about them all.  The character blew my suspension of disbelief out of the water.

As for the finale:

Spoiler for Hidden:

That said, it was great to see Slade and Moira in the finale.  Deathstroke is a buzzsaw with or without Mirakuru and had the perfect insight into Oliver's character. He has suvivor's guilt over his father's suicide, which makes perfect sense.  The scene with Moira back in the mansion was very touching.  I miss her on the show.

Nice to see Quentin rejecting Black Siren and accepting Dinah as his daughter's successor.

Capt. Boomerang was pointless.  He didn't even make any cool trick shots.

I thought the fight between the alGhul sisters would last longer.

Do they seriously expect us to believe they killed off the entire main cast?  Not much suspense for next season.  Most of them will be back.  Would have been better with a fewer number of characters in serious jeopardy instead of them all in comical jeopardy.

All in all, better than the last two seasons, but not as good as the first.

[Dev7on]

That was the most worse finales I've ever seen in TV history! I'm DONE with Arrow!!!!!!! 

[Super Firebug]

And, from our Unfinished Business department: Did I miss something, or did they completely forget about Vigilante?

[Vee]

And, from our Unfinished Business department: Did I miss something, or did they completely forget about Vigilante?

I'm convinced they changed plans in mid-season and made Chase into Prometheus instead of Vigilante. That'd explain why they used the name of one of the Vigilantes for him. They probably hope we forget all the Vigilante stuff.

[Super Firebug]

I'm thinking that season 6 opens with the survivors having taken shelter in either a cave or the prison, and having to be found and dug out.

[Night-Hawk07]

I'm convinced they changed plans in mid-season and made Chase into Prometheus instead of Vigilante. That'd explain why they used the name of one of the Vigilantes for him. They probably hope we forget all the Vigilante stuff.

Maybe Chase was Vigilante and used that identity to throw the team off until he was ready to reveal himself as Prometheus....?

The good news is the flashbacks should be over now...unless they flashback to Season 1.

[Super Firebug]

Maybe Chase was Vigilante and used that identity to throw the team off until he was ready to reveal himself as Prometheus....?

I don't see how, unless the rooftop fight, between Prometheus and Vigilante, was all in Chase's mind.

[Tenzhi]

Maybe it's Chase's twin brother who happens to be named Dorian.

[Mandu]

I'm convinced they changed plans in mid-season and made Chase into Prometheus instead of Vigilante. That'd explain why they used the name of one of the Vigilantes for him. They probably hope we forget all the Vigilante stuff.

That makes sense.  It's like when in the Armageddon 2001 story arc (in the comics way back when) Monarch was supposed to be revealed as Captain Atom.  Then the information leaked out ahead of the reveal so they changed him into Hank Hall.  In my not so humble opinion that was the most idiotic decision DC ever made.  It would not surprise me to find out that they planned Chase would be Vigilante and then were shocked that the comic book fans actually knew the secret identity and history of a 30 year old third string hero.  Since their surprise was revealed they frantically changed it.

And now my predictions

Merlyn didn't die.  He grabbed digger and threw him on top of the mine.  He was badly wounded but will of course show up again from time to time.  With most characters this would annoy me but I love Barrowman so I'm willing to let it slide.

Was that plane a pontoon plane?  I'm not going back to watch that part again but if it was they pushed it into the water and got far enough away from the island somehow.  Heh.  Maybe they pulled a bit straight out of a cartoon and Canary used her sonic scream to propel them.  Again that would be something I would forgive just for the sheer awesome stupidity of it being right out of a Superfriends cartoon.

Slade needs to get his own spinoff.

[Vee]

That makes sense.  It's like when in the Armageddon 2001 story arc (in the comics way back when) Monarch was supposed to be revealed as Captain Atom.  Then the information leaked out ahead of the reveal so they changed him into Hank Hall.  In my not so humble opinion that was the most idiotic decision DC ever made.

That's a long list and I think it would depend on the day of the week But yeah replacing the guy who has almost unlimited power with a guy who, well i'm still not sure I'm clear how he got to be so powerful (and they decided to do it again in zero hour with him) was definitely up there. My current pick would be letting Grant Morrison loose on the Bat books, but that's more a reflection of what i just finished than an all-time pick.

My prediction is they'll all be saved by yet another mystic artifact on the island that we'll learn about through next year's flashbacks

[CG]

Something to strike fear into the hearts of a few:

Are we sure they're done with the Flashbacks? 

They flashed back to unseen events from Season 1.  Why can't they continue to do that in Season 6?

[Vee]

I'm almost positive they're not done with flashbacks. Though as painful as they are they're probably not as bad as the extra 6 minutes of pseudodrama they'd replace them with.

[Dev7on]

Something to strike fear into the hearts of a few:

Are we sure they're done with the Flashbacks? 

They flashed back to unseen events from Season 1.  Why can't they continue to do that in Season 6?

I hated the flashbacks. I never understood the flashbacks and it annoyed me.