Arrow Review: So It Begins (Season 5 Episode 6)
There’s so much wrong with Arrow Season 5 Episode 6, “So It Begins,” that I don’t even know where to begin – pun not intended.
I could focus on the total and complete annihilation of Felicity Smoak, my favorite character – and a role model for little girls everywhere. I could probably write an essay about how this woman used to be one of the best developed female characters on TV (wait, I have!) and yet that Felicity is nowhere to be found these days.
Now she’s been reduced to batting her eyelashes at her boyfriend to get information out of him, making puns and looking pretty in dresses while spouting some marginally useful information.
I could focus on the fact that they relegated Diggle to the wise black-friend-who-can-get-our-titular-hero-to-see-the-light role, when he used to be a three-dimensional character with his own struggles, and a distinct personality.
I could focus on the fact that they expect me to care for the team of little brats that Oliver and Felicity recruited, even though they have given me no actual reason to. They’ve just told me I should.
Repeatedly.
I could focus on Thea, except, why would I do that? She’s so boring as to be a nonentity this season. Literally all I’ve said about her in my six reviews so far has been that I like her clothes, that’s how interesting she is.
Or, I could focus on the fact that, five seasons in, they suddenly want to make Quentin Lance the bad guy. Not just any character, no, but straight as an arrow Quentin Lance. You know the one who couldn’t stand vigilantes because the end did not justify the means in his mind.
That Quentin Lance.
And hey, it could be a misdirect. It probably is. But, at this point, it could also be true.
Maybe Donna isn’t even alive. Maybe instead of breaking up with her he killed her, cut her up in pieces Hannibal style and ate her.
What? That’s about as likely as anything else that’s happened this season.
Of course, I could also focus on Oliver Queen, our so called hero. And I use that term loosely, because, despite Diggle’s pep-talk about how much he’s changed, all I see is the man from season 1 – or even the man from the conveniently placed flashbacks.
The man who liked to make decisions for other people, the one who didn’t know how to admit he needed help, the one who didn’t know how to be a hero in the light.
Heck, the one who didn’t even know where the light was.
Newsflash: the whole gruff but brotherly vibe doesn’t work unless people actually get that you care. You’d think Oliver Queen would have learned that one by now.
But then again, you’d think the writers would have known better than to write these people that we’ve come to know and love the way they’re writing them. And you’d also be wrong about that.
I don’t know what this show is – but I’m about ready to stop calling it Arrow. In my mind, Arrow, the show I loved, ended about a season ago, in the loft, with Oliver admitting to Barry that he was happy. Back when I still loved these characters.
Back when I still felt hope and joy and pain.
What do I feel now? Nothing. I’ve gone through the five stages of grief and I’m firmly in acceptance mode.
I wonder what comes next.
Probably turning off the TV.
Other things to note:
- Literally the only thing I liked about this episode was the opening shot of Diggle and Oliver with the words So it Begins.
- I’m serious. Nothing else.
- It cannot possibly be Lance. It’s only episode 6. The writers are not this stupid, are they?
- Are they?
- The chemistry between Stephen Amell and reporter lady is minus 17. It’s so bad that the girlfriend jokes are making me cringe.
- Which leads me to, Oliver and Felicity almost got married last year. MARRIED. And now they’re joking about their respective love lives like it was nothing? That’s not mature – it’s impossible under the circumstances.
- Show, don’t tell. And you’ve shown me nothing, Arrow.
- Throwing star killer? Seriously? Cisco would be ashamed. So ashamed.
- Curtis being all like – well, THIS type of killing is acceptable, but this OTHER type isn’t had me rolling my eyes so far backwards that I’m pretty sure they’re stuck.
- If the bad guy isn’t a resurrected Tommy, then you have failed this fandom, Arrow. You really have.
- Can I erase the Felicity/Billy conversation from my mind? I’m not sure what was worse, the way his reaction sorta flip-flopped, his fangirling or the fact that she just went and told him about her “secret life” after dating him for exactly 0.2 seconds.
- And if you’re going to counter with – they’ve been dating for months, I will just refer you back to the SHOW, DON’T TELL thing.
What did you think of this episode of Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Lissete Lanuza Sáenz
Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat
18 comments
You probably know Jen’s blog (who doesn’t in the Arrow fandom) and you should really read her review on this episode. For me it brings the necessary clarity and calm that a lot of people seem to need. I think once you see the whole picture of this season you’ll understand what we got so far.
I appreciate Jen’s blog, because it does have a calming influence on me. The problem with this season, for me, though, is that I shouldn’t have to read someone’s interpretation of an episode in order to make some sense out of what I just watched. And, while her interpretation makes me feel better, who knows if it’s really what the writers are thinking…assuming that they are thinking at all!
I totally agree with you, we never know what the writers are planning. They have made mistakes in the past like Oliver and Nyssa’s wedding or the Baby Drama, but I think they’ve done way more good than bad. In the end, we have two choices: we turn off the TV; or we take a leap of faith and see where the story is taking us, and I suspect that the latter will bring some great surprises 🙂
Jen’s a friend of mine and I’m pretty sure she knows that I love her and appreciate her brilliant words. I usually don’t read her reviews BEFORE writing mine, as they tend to influence my way of thinking, but I always do read them and I like her grasp on the big picture. Right now, though, I’m not seeing the little picture, and that comes through in my words – especially in a shorter review where I can’t go into detail about every thing.
I hope this is just the writers stumbling while heading where we all want them to – but even if it is, they’re still stumbling. And I believe that needs to be said.
I really enjoying reading both reviews and finding the similarities and differences. Jen’s more optimistic, you’re more realistic and I’m somewhere in the middle. I hope I didn’t offend you by suggesting to read her opinion, I merely wanted to lift your spirits a bit 🙂
I understand what you meant – no offense taken. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with you Michele! Why I need to read what someone wrote about the episodes? Then I don’t need to watch them, just read the reviews (that have a lot of gifs with their scenes) and that’s ok! Those are not the characters we loved over this 5 years! It’s like the writers forgot about everything and now they are writing S1 again but a bad (really bad) S1!
I read her blog when I want to be soothed and told that everything is okay.
But she has a stronger resilience to bounce back from mistakes than I do. When it turned out that it really was Nyssa who Oliver married, not Felicity, she bounced back right away with a new theory. I was upset for weeks, especially when the episode ended with everyone thinking they were going to die.
Sometimes I think the Arrow writers read her blog to figure out what they’re writing.
I absolutely love how apparently people nowadays cannot think for themselves, unless someone puts their rose colored glasses on their nose so they actually fit the narrative of some in the fandom. I don’t need someone else’s viewing experience to “bring clarity”. I have eyes, I have a brain and I can use them just fine. I completely agree with a lot of point made by Lissete, they are simple, straightforward and fit what I see on my screen. Interpretation over a big picture that is seen by a few who have been wrong CONSTANTLY for months? Hum… no thank you, I’ll pass and stick with my own vision that has been right since late June (like reporter being a LI. Felicity getting a BF. BF being there just so Oliver can move on. Newbies taking a bit part of the focus. Felicity’s storyline of Havenrock being a joke and just a way to introduce Rory. Potential new canary coming. Baby Sara being erased. The BF not being about FP. BF lasting more than 2 episodes. Felicity reduced to comic relief with no agenda other that cheerleading Oliver. I could continue but it’s just episode 6.)
If you need someone else to make your own opinion, good for you. But asking someone who reviews episodes to read someone else’s to “see the picture” is borderline rude IMO.
Lissete thank you for this review. Speaking for myself, I understand what we’re getting so far on Arrow and I share your opinion.
Well, my intent wasn’t to correct Lissete’s review by any means, because it is a review and she has the right to her opinion. I only wanted to show her a brighter side of what she saw and maybe help her enjoy the show right now. I can see the points on both sides of the equation, both are right and wrong in a lot of things. I always watch the show first, then I read both reviews, because even though I have my own thoughts on what I saw, I do enjoy reading what other people thought too. Everyone has their perspective on things and that’s what I love the best.
I’m really enjoying the season, I’m following with interest the call to season 1 and how much Oliver has learned since then, Felicity in denial and lost and more gray (and not, this does not make her less, we all have the right to be faulting sometimes), loving the rebuilding of Olicity (their scenes talking about their LI was pure gold) and yes, I like the newbies, while I love OTA being badass.
So I’m forced to say that after much appreciation of your reviews previously, in this season I’ll be forced to give up on that site because if you do not realize how good this episode was, it’s not worth continuing.
Anyway, I appreciate the time I took here. Thank you.
I’m glad I could, at some point, entertain you with my reviews and I’m really pleased to hear you’re enjoying Season 5, even if I’m personally not. Opinions are merely that, opinions. Hopefully at some point I can enjoy it again, but even if I don’t and my tone doesn’t change, I still appreciate the time you spent reading and this comment.
I could not agree with you more on ever single point you’ve made. The show isn’t Arrow anymore, it’s lost all heart and become this completely shallow, vapid, live-action comic with no character development (and sometimes straight out character regression) and story telling with no cohesion at all and plot holes the size of the grand canyon. After this episode, I’ve given up on it, which makes me so sad because I have been watching since the pilot. And what makes me livid with anger, is the complete and utter destruction of Felicity’s character. God knows we can’t have strong, smart female characters on screen, especially if they don’t wear masks (that was sarcasm).
I think you hit everything that I am thinking.
I would also add that this almost passive aggressive chastisement from some in the fandom towards anyone voicing legitimate concerns/judgment, that they are somehow cognitively challenged and lack the ability to ‘see the big picture’, really irks me. I have two University degrees, one being in English Lit. If I wanted to I am more then capable of pulling the episodes apart and making them prove whatever point I want to make. However I am using my finely honed skills of critical thinking, acknowledging a shipper bias, but seeing past it to the raw material I am presented with.
I like Jens blog, I see it as a fun read, but I do think the people that take it as gospel- even using it as a tool to dismiss critique based on actual canon evidence, are in for a fall. Ignoring or dismissing the change in the show, and the obvious new direction they have chosen is going to lead to some devastated fans down the track. Unless showrunners actually take note of the people who have simply stopped supporting the show, and seek to course correct.
this article was written by a disgruntled Olicity shipper.
All their self created grievances with the show will vanish, once Olicity get back together. LOL, just wait and watch
Olicity is cancer, I agree with your last point. I’ve read, over the years, how surprised so many non-Olicity viewers were when they were actually paired together. But, unfortunately the signs were there in early seasons and early on in season 2, I was certain they would wind up together.
Sadly, the signs of a reunion are there right now. I am surprised by how many non-Oliciters think they’re done based off of a few episodes and a couple of comments from show executives.
Despite the lack of sexual chemistry, Emily Bett’s lack of acting chops, how Olicity made the show a laughing stock, I do think they will end up together again.
For that reason, I think it’s best to wait for season to unfold. Just because the signs are there doesn’t mean it is certain but I’m weary of the writers. The writing/action have been better this season. But, being better than crap is hardly a compliment. The show has always been a fixer-upper, it needs less fixing than the last two seasons. I’ll give it that much.
In the past week, Leonard Cohen and Gwen Ifill have died from cancer. I’ve spent six years with horrible side effects from drugs to fight it.
The comparison makes you look ridiculous.
I agree with everything you’ve written.
Nothing is as telling as “straight as an arrow Quentin Lance. You know the one who couldn’t stand vigilantes because the end did not justify the means in his mind..that Quentin Lance.
And hey, it could be a misdirect. It probably is. But, at this point, it could also be true.”
It’s true, this season everything is upside down, and nothing is as it was for the first four seasons. At this point, I think they’re writing to the comic book fanboys who want more! more! more! vigilantes and Felicity back to being comic relief. The problem is, that’s a small part of their audience and once you’ve lost the rest, you can’t get it back.
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