ARROW Finds Target

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Arrow - The Complete Fourth Season' on Blogcritics.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.

The CW’s Arrow is coming back for year five soon, so let’s take a look at the WB release of The Complete Fourth Season, available now. The four-disc set contains all twenty-three episodes of the run (of course), plus a handful of bonus features.

The end of season three found our hero, Oliver (Stephen Amell), and his gal, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), riding off into the sunset together. It’s no surprise that they will be drawn back home early in the season, as Arrow wouldn’t work without the whole team, which also includes Laurel (Katie Cassidy), Diggle (David Ramsey), and Thea (Willa Holland), in Star City. It’s also no surprise that the couple will go through their share of drama over the course of this run, as an hour-long series needs personal strife in order to keep it humming along.

Thus, season four is as much about Oliver and Felicity finding identities apart from one another as it is them finding a way to work together. While Felicity struggles to run the company she is now CEO of, Oliver jumps into a frantic election for mayor of the city. It’s good material for each to work with, even as long-time shippers will ache each time something comes between them, and the frequent additions of Felicity’s mother, Donna (Charlotte Ross), and employee, Curtis (Echo Kellum), are a delight.

A lot of the first half of this season is very obviously gearing up for the mid-year launch of spin-off DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Several of the characters announced for that show (which was released on Blu-ray, Digital, and DVD a week earlier) are dead in the Arrow cannon, so in order to prevent that new program from being bogged down in origin stories, they must be brought back on Arrow. The result is lots of screen time having to be given up from the main arcs in order to accommodate this set up, though it isn’t too distracting, since these are mostly characters Arrow fans already care about.

Speaking of caring, a nearly year-long tease of Oliver at a grave provides a compelling mystery that propels the plot. By the time we realize who has been buried, there have been multiple false starts, but not enough to take away from the impact of the death. (SPOILER!) Press materials promising a return in some form do not do much to lessen the sting, at least at this point, and did not come to light until well after the fateful hour aired.

The main drag on year four is the same one that brought down years two and three: the flashbacks. Even as each subsequent present-day story gets better and better, Oliver’s journey leading up to the beginning of the series has become tedious and unimportant. While it does give some scant clues about the Big Bad this season, Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), it’s not enough to be worth it. Hopefully, knowing season five will complete this arc will infuse the events with a new sense of urgency to make them less cumbersome in the upcoming installments.

The best bonus on this set is The Flash crossover episode. Arrow and The Flash did a two-parter in the fall, and while I suspect most of the audience is shared between the two, I appreciate that Arrow makes it easy for those who just watch this show to follow along. Three featurettes are more mixed. I think the one on Darhk is definitely appropriate, but cared much less for those on Hawkman and Hawkgirl, the most forgettable characters in Legends, introduced in this episodes in this set. There is also another regrettably truncated Comic Con panel, as well as some deleted scenes and a gag reel. So, overall, the amount of material included is fine, but the quality is a bit lacking.

Still, I definitely recommend checking out Arrow – The Complete Fourth Season, now on sale.

ARROW Continues to Wow the "Public"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The CW’s ARROW took an already crazy season and made it insane in last night’s episode, “Public Enemy.” When Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) fails to get Oliver (Stephen Amell) to take the offered mantle, he decides to reveal to Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) that Oliver is The Arrow. Quentin, who is still reeling from learning of his daughter, Sara’s, death, shares the secret on television and turns the whole city against our hero. What will Oliver do?

The third year of ARROW has been the best of the series thus far, constantly letting its story make huge leaps, rarely in an expected direction. By freeing the writers to do whatever they want with the characters, or so it seems, the show has cast off any type of formula or traditional structure and made it feel like a real world with real stakes. In reality, there are always more players than the handful a TV show can follow, and motivations are not easily quashed. ARROW embraces this and is better for it.

A prime example of this is Quentin Lance. The poor man has suffered so much, losing a daughter, finding out she’s actually alive, and then losing her all over again. Add to that, his surviving child, Laurel (Katie Cassidy), is doing the same thing that got Sara killed and she lied to her dad about it, and he’s reached a breaking point. He’s truly a good man, as we’ve seen in the past, and he’s smart, admitting he always suspected Oliver of being The Arrow. Yet, in his current emotional situation, he wants to punish someone. Oliver is the unfortunate target of that punishment, and Quentin is so devoted to carrying it out he will burn any bridge on his way to do so.

Oliver has a hero complex, as we know, and the further along his path he goes, the less selfish he becomes. In early episodes of ARROW, Oliver is willing to kill others and protect himself. Now, he’s concerned about his family and friends and his mission, much more so than he is about himself. Only the most noble of people would turn themselves into the police, especially when it’s debatable if Oliver deserves to be jailed. His long-standing guilt likely contributes to this decision, too, though most will see what he is doing as heroic.

But Oliver isn’t the only one in this vein. Roy (Colton Haynes) believes he deserves to be in jail, and so he tries to convince the police that he is the real Arrow. It’s unknown at this time if Quentin will buy this Spartacus-esque play. However, Roy dressed in the suit and stopping the police van is a development that makes total sense for the character, even as it makes the plot of “Public Enemy” more chaotic.

I don’t trust Nyssa (Katrina Law). She presumably helps Team Arrow, and does assist Laurel in escaping her dad, but she’s the one who sends Oliver into Ra’s trap. It could be that she doesn’t know that’s what she’s doing; ARROW doesn’t show us one way or the other if she’s complicit in her father’s plans. Until we see her do something against Ra’s, though, more than we’ve seen this far, I don’t think Oliver should be listening to her.

There’s a great subplot where Ray (Brandon Routh) is shot by Ra’s and lies in a hospital bed. Bureaucratic rules prevent the doctors from doing anything for him, so Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) sneaks Ray’s tech in and saves his life. Yet, as Donna (Charlotte Ross) points out to her daughter, Felicity is in love with Oliver, not Ray.

“Public Enemy” neatly brings this love triangle to a close in the way it needs to. Ray is a great recurring guest star, but he’s heading to the new spin-off next year, and Felicity belongs with Oliver, no matter how long it takes the couple to get started. Donna isn’t strictly necessary for this story, but she has a way of speeding things along, and she’s so enjoyable, who can complain about her presence?

As stated above, “Public Enemy” is a terrific installment that once more expands ARROW’s story in major ways. It is exciting, fast-paced, and full of surprises. It serves the characters in an authentic way, and continues the serial story appropriately. Now, if only ARROW would drop the boring Oliver flashbacks that persist in most episodes.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

ARROW Reveals "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 5 The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak on Seat42F.

This week’s installment of the CW’s ARROW, “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak,” finally reveals a bit of Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) backstory as a mistake from her past threatens the city. We also meet her mom, Donna (Charlotte Ross, NYPD Blue), who is visiting town in the present day, shedding light on why Felicity is the way she is. It’s an enjoyable look at a character finally getting her due.

I often find ARROW spends too much time on its lead. Oliver (Stephen Amell) may be the title character, but the frequent glimpses of him during his missing five years have become stale and forced. It is an essential part of the series’ structure, but it doesn’t have to be. Giving others, such as Felicity, a turn with the focus makes for something fresh and welcome. I wish ARROW would do more episodes like this one, which, while not serving the greater mythology all that much, is one of the most enjoyable of the season so far.

The hour begins with three training montages of various combat techniques, then flips over to Felicity, doing a few sit-ups in her apartment. This is designed to display the contrast between the show’s many warriors and its ‘normal’ person, an effective way to highlight how different Felicity is. She’s part of the team, yes, but she’s not a part the same way as anyone else, giving her unique value that cannot be overlooked.

That commentary would be enough, but her morning quickly morphs into laugh-out-loud comedy as her boss, Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), bursts in to find her in a rather embarrassing state of early-morning-mess. Then, Felicity’s mother shows up out of the blue, meeting Ray and generally adding to the chaos. It’s hilarious and a good way to use Felicity, who is much more than comic relief, but can clearly be that, too.

From there, “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak” takes a turn into a more dramatic arena. We see Felicity during her goth / hacktavist phase in college, hanging out with her boyfriend, Cooper (Nolan Gerard Funk, Glee), and his roommate, Myron (Matthew McLellan, Tied). This is a rather tragic tale, Cooper ending up in jail and presumably killing himself, which leads Felicity to clean up and go straight, becoming who she is. Which is a kickass, strong woman who can take care of herself when captured by the not-dead Cooper, who is using Felicity’s custom-made virus against the city.

It’s hard to imagine the Felicity of season one disarming Cooper and knocking him on the ground, indicating there has continued to be transformation past the college days, Felicity’s personality not fully decided in the flashbacks. She has benefitted from working for Team Arrow as much as Team Arrow has benefitted from her skills. She has really come into her own, and while I don’t see her going superhero anytime soon, she’s an independent lady who deserves attention and respect.

Bringing Donna into the episode further deepens our understanding of Felicity. Donna can’t see herself in her daughter, and it’s true, there are many differences. But Felicity loves her mother and does get something from her, a revelation Felicity relays to Donna in an emotional scene. All around, excellent episode for the character of Felicity.

While Felicity is the main meat of the episode, there are other subplots. Oliver moves in with Thea (Willa Holland), making steps towards repairing their sibling bond, though Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) doesn’t seem happy about it, likely not wanting Thea to rely on anyone but him. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) struggles with her anger issues and finally talks to Ted (J.R. Ramirez) about what’s bugging her, so she may finally begin to heal as Ted helps her channel her anger into something productive. And Roy (Colton Haynes) is revealed to be Sara’s killer.

This last thing is not straight-forward. The action goes totally against the person Roy is. Was he being mind-controlled? Are these implanted, false memories, and he didn’t do it? There are a number of possibilities, but there is no way Roy knowingly murdered Sara, so that’s an enticing mystery begging to be solved.

“The Secret Original of Felicity Smoak” is far from perfect. While the main plot and subplots are solid, there are flaws in the episode, small ones, but numerous. Why does Felicity ask her mom where the baby is when she already sees her mom without the baby prior to that scene? Why is Diggle back in the field when he said he didn’t want to be? Why is he wearing a dumb ski mask? Isn’t Ray going to say anything about the number of days Felicity takes off? There are plenty more things besides these, some genuine flubs and some just strangeness, but unfortunately, combined they drag down the quality a little bit on a very entertaining series.

Still, overall, good job.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

Glee sings a "Ballad"

     This summer, I'll be going back to review the season one episodes of FOX's Glee. These are fresh reviews, not reposts, and I hope you will enjoy reliving the first season with me.

     The season one episode "Ballad" finds the New Directions tackling the all important staple of ballads. Rachel (Lea Michele) gets a crush on Will (Matthew Morrison) after they sing together, and Will tries to discourage her. Speaking of relationships that will never happen, Kurt (Chris Colfer) likes Finn (Cory Monteith). The boys grow closer as Kurt helps Finn figure out how to tell Quinn's (Dianna Agron) parents about her pregnancy. Unfortunately, this backfires, as Quinn's father (Gregg Henry, Hung, The Riches) kicks Quinn out. And her mother (Charlotte Ross, NYPD Blue), who knows about her pregnancy, but never says anything, does nothing to stop him.

     "Ballad" has a lot going for it as a Glee episode. There is feel good music ("Lean On Me" and "I'll Stand By You"), an emotionally compelling story (see: good music), and some really funny bits. The biggest issue with the episode, however, is that it feels like the story is tailored to the music they wanted to use. There is no indication that Rachel is attracted to Will prior to, or after, "Ballad." Thus, that particular plot in this episode feels forced and phony the entire time. Sure, he is a talented, attractive man. But Rachel has very specific ideas about the type of guy she wants, and a much older, married, high school teacher does not exactly fit her bill. Plus, Rachel singing "Crush" is just over the top.

     The weirdness is at maximum threshold when Rachel and Will sing "Endless Love." I do not remember any other song ever done on Glee with so much voice-over interruption. Yet, the awkward, disturbed facial expressions with which Will reacts only have so much power to hold interest, so hearing a variety of characters' internal monologues are necessary to make the scene continue to flow, and be tolerable. As such, the whole thing ends up being pretty successful as a musical number, if very odd, other than that Rachel takes no notice of Will's very clear disinterest in her.

     Will's "Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl" is better. His gestures at the start of the song are patronizing, but after that, it's easy to see why both Rachel and Emma (Jayma Mays) swoon. Even when trying to communicate a message to turn off the girl, Will is working his sexy magic. He's so convincing, that both women even forget to be jealous of each other's attentions towards him, and concentrate only on the way they feel about Will. Perhaps he should have said things with something other than a song.

     Which brings up the other major problem with this episode, besides bending plot to fit selected music. It is perfectly understandable that sometimes characters in Glee will choose to express themselves through music, rather than talk it out. It is less understandable when those characters keep making a point of saying that only a song can communicate what they want to say. It's simply not true, and by doing it so blatantly, and talking about how they are doing it, so much in a single episode, it comes awfully close to ruining the device. "(You're) Having My Baby" is honestly the final straw, as Finn could say something far more elegant than performing that particular ballad in front of Quinn's parents. Too much.

     The other unrequited romance story is quite a bit better, and fits the characters. Kurt plainly has a thing for Finn throughout season one, though Finn will never see Kurt as a sexual interest. Poor Kurt has to understand that Finn can never be with a guy the same way Kurt has no desire to be with a girl. But as a naive, lonely teenager, Kurt is taken in by Finn's talent and looks, rather than thinking logically through the situation. It's a bit sad, as both guys deserve to be happy, and if Finn was gay, Kurt could likely make him so.

     But at the same time, just being friends is also beneficial for the pair, so it works out. In "Ballad," the real beginnings of that friendship are apparent, as they bond over having a deceased parent. Though different people, their family situations of one adult gone by circumstance, not choice, and the other doing their absolute best to love and take care of the child, are very similar. It's something they can both relate to, and it really makes their bond seem real and strong. Obviously, to those who have watched Glee past this point, the seeds are planted here for their long-term relationship.


Random Bits:

*Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr.) is referred to as "other Asian" when choosing ballad partners. Surely, there is a deleted scene where Sue (Jane Lynch) switches out his name in the hat. Yet, the mildly racist label is actually charming in this context.

*When did Kurt learn to play the piano? And how come he almost never does again, even though there is ample opportunity to use this skill?

*Finn's facial expression when he thinks Quinn catches him looking at Rachel's butt is priceless, and one of the best moments Monteith gets in the series.

*Will's former pursuer, Suzy Pepper, is played with a perfect mix of geeky and crazy by Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Drew. It's a shame she didn't recur on Glee, but she was a bit busy. Best line, said to Rachel: "We're both mildly attractive and exceedingly grating."



     Check back for another season one Glee review soon!

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     To purchase Glee DVDs, streaming episodes, music, and more, please click here.

 

 

Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "Ballad" on Blogcritics.