Arrow Arrow Season 2: Episode 2 "Identity" Discussion Thread

[Herolee10]

I prefer her with Oliver =P.lol

I just hope that they don't turn that into another triangle as well, to potentially mirror the potential one with Shado and Slade.

 

[Nathan]

Oliver already gets enough tail. Diggle needs someone that understands his vendetta and won't have an issue with him working late.

 

[Human Torch]

Dig and Felicity kinda seem like brother and sister to me.I can't really see them together.

If it does go that way,I hope they take the time to build up to it.Just throwing them together at this point wouldn't feel genuine to me.

 

[Dr Lee]

I guess the writers get that Laurel is very much disliked by the fandom, so they're running with it....

Felicity was hilarious with her coffee rant... And the look from Oliver after the latest foot in mouth moment was great.

 

[Lencho01]

Was Bronze Tiger's name ever said in the episode?

It's because the reason makes no sense that I say there must be something else there. Well that and some spoilers a friend sent me. The last time I tried linking to an article the board did something strange to it so I will just post the relevant portion in spoiler tags from an interview with Stephen Amell

Spoiler

How does that affect Oliver's standing with Laurel (Katie Cassidy)?
I think Laurel has some misplaced anger at the moment toward the vigilante but maybe she shouldn't. We resolve that pretty soon in the show. Oliver and Laurel -- I wouldn't say they're in the best place because the best place for them always and forever (Laughs.) would be in a relationship since they both love each other. But at least it's in a much more honest place, let's just put it that way. Laurel and the vigilante on the other hand, they're not in a good spot whatsoever.

So, pretty much they'll acknowledge her anger is stupid.

 

[Nathan]

I guess the writers get that Laurel is very much disliked by the fandom, so they're running with it....

Do we know how much of the fandom dislikes her? Is it just this place where people rant heavily? Are there official forums that let the writers know how much people dislike her?

Felicity was hilarious with her coffee rant... And the look from Oliver after the latest foot in mouth moment was great.

Agreed. The whole coffee bit was great.

 

[Justin]

Liked the episode but a little off on this whole no-kill policy. The bronze tiger says "No kill shots? I was expecting a fight" and heres where I differ from most. This guy has metal claws and will stab Ollie without a second thought. His whole thing the whole way through has been to survive. I can understand him trying not to kill when not necessary, i.e knocking out a minion rather than putting an arrow between his eyes, but completely no kill just makes him look weak to me. This guy is dangerous and he should end him because eventually if he keeps letting him go, he's going to get hurt in the future.

Everyone praises up Batman for not killing, but if Batman kills say the Joker or that holiday serial killer the first time he meets them then the world is a better place and lots more kids have their parents.

Aside from that, liking the arrow team a lot now with their new jobs, the politician guy is interesting and Roy stuff was good. Trick arrows fun too but I think more should have been said about them before he used them.

 

[Nathan]

Ollie decided to honor Tommy's memory. That was one episode ago. Give him some time to realize that it won't be too good for his health if he doesn't decide to kill the occasional assassin.

 

[Justin]

Ollie decided to honor Tommy's memory. That was one episode ago. Give him some time to realize that it won't be too good for his health if he doesn't decide to kill the occasional assassin.

Hahaha true.. but it's obviously a theme for the entire season given the brand new opening. Really that Bronze tiger dude.. could have saved himself a ton of trouble haha

 

[Dr Lee]

Do we know how much of the fandom dislikes her? Is it just this place where people rant heavily? Are there official forums that let the writers know how much people dislike her?

I'm part of an Arrow thread on another forum that also has a fair few people who don't like Laurel.... Plus When I've talked to people about Arrow in the strange world that is real life.... Not many like the character.

 

[Justin]

I can see that a lot of people dislike either the Laurel character or KC. Alternatively they just like Felicity better. But I really don't think Laurel has been "relegated" to the back of the poster or her position on the show is changing because of fan related issues.

I think Laurel is the leading female role, and the story-arc for her is set for many seasons rather than just two-three. So the first one was a will-she won't she with Oliver. This one is a friends with Oliver/dislikes vigilante one. Third season could be gets with Oliver. Fourth Black Canary etc..

I honestly think her place on the show is just character development as opposed to the writers disliking her or making her take a backseat. Obviously just my opinion but noone has produced any concrete proof that the whole of the cast hates KC and the writers have lost faith in her.. if anything the fact that they haven't fired her and replaced her with another actress tells me that isn't the case. Laurel is one of their big projects and they've previously been really hot on the character.

 

[Crimz]

I can see that a lot of people dislike either the Laurel character or KC. Alternatively they just like Felicity better. But I really don't think Laurel has been "relegated" to the back of the poster or her position on the show is changing because of fan related issues.

I think Laurel is the leading female role, and the story-arc for her is set for many seasons rather than just two-three. So the first one was a will-she won't she with Oliver. This one is a friends with Oliver/dislikes vigilante one. Third season could be gets with Oliver. Fourth Black Canary etc..

I honestly think her place on the show is just character development as opposed to the writers disliking her or making her take a backseat. Obviously just my opinion but noone has produced any concrete proof that the whole of the cast hates KC and the writers have lost faith in her.. if anything the fact that they haven't fired her and replaced her with another actress tells me that isn't the case. Laurel is one of their big projects and they've previously been really hot on the character.

I think that this is the case, Oliver slowly became "The Hood" on the island and now we are seeing him become Green Arrow. I think it's the same with Laurel, right now we are seeing her version of the island which changes her into Black Canary.

But she was still a B**** in this episode though.

 

[Nathan]

The problem with Laurel as the leading lady, and as Oliver's ultimate love interest, again, was ruined from the get go. Their whole relationship was destined to fail, by Oliver performing the ultimate screw up. Cheating on her with her sister, and being partially responsible for her death. You write Laurel as still being romantically interested in him, and as a person generally attracted to bad boys, sorry, from here on out I'll view her as a stupid bimbo.

And the writers have done nothing that would make us remotely care about her. Every time she is involved, there's pretty much only drama. Like people said, she is the Lana Lang of Arrow. And how many people were left that cared about her in the end?

 

[Dude]

I've given laurel a pass through the entire show, but this arc is really grating on my nerves. Are we supposed to believe that an entire SWAT team was hiding in a DA office just in case the vigilante showed up again? Plus, she's a government attorney. She wouldn't be working late in the first place!

Actually, the way they portray prosecutors on shows like this kill me. The cops wouldn't allow an assistant DA to go on a raid of a stolen medication truck. Never.

All that said I loved the rest of the episode. Love seeing Oliver decide to sacrifice himself for the good of the city and all that. I even used to be ok with KC; but this arc is just plain stupid.

 

[Loki882]

A. It's a TV show, and B. It's a TV show based on a Comic Book. If you're looking for accurate legal procedure, you should look elsewhere. If you portrayed the legal profession accurately, it'd make for a pretty boring TV show (I know from experience).

 

[regnak]

A friend sent me this twitter exchange:

@mguggenheim Loving new season of #arrow but Laurel's anti-hood turn seems kind of weakly reasoned in the story.
@ShakesMcQueen You're gonna want to check out next week's ep...

it looks like we get to the real reason next week.

 

[gohei_]

Awesome episode, but I do wonder what the hell happened with the fight scene between Diggle and China White, it was painfully bad to watch.

Oh and also, that ending!

 

[Loki882]

If they give her an actual legitimate reason to hate Arrow, then it's fine. For instance, Quentin had a legitimate reason for wanting Arrow caught in season 1. He was a vigilante (which is a crime by itself) who was also killing people by the dozens, perfectly valid motivation for a cop to want to arrest him. Laurel's motivation seems to be a personal grudge, and a stupid one at that. Hopefully that changes.

 

[Mars452]

Not only is Laurel pursuing the Hood out of a permanent grudge, she's doing so while wasting tax dollars and she even stood aside and allowed actual criminals to murder a FEMA employee in order to catch the Hood. That's not heroic behavior, it's the act of a full on villain.

 

[regnak]

Not only is Laurel pursuing the Hood out of a permanent grudge, she's doing so while wasting tax dollars and she even stood aside and allowed actual criminals to murder a FEMA employee in order to catch the Hood. That's not heroic behavior, it's the act of a full on villain.

She isn't the police commissioner, that the cops didn't escort the FEMA trucks is on them.(and the writers)

 

[Herolee10]

You know, I forgot who it was in the episode that mentioned this subject, but I wonder why Writers always go about the same route where they only make the police/authority figures competent whenever they decide to go after the hero with full force, and yet so incompetent whenever they're going after the real villains.

 

[regnak]

You know, I forgot who it was in the episode that mentioned this subject, but I wonder why Writers always go about the same route where they only make the police/authority figures competent whenever they decide to go after the hero with full force, and yet so incompetent whenever they're going after the real villains.

Yes the episode would have worked so much better if the Triad had ambushed and killed some police escorting the FEMA trucks.

 

[Loki882]

If people hate Laurel now, then the synopsis for episode 5 is REALLY going to piss them off to no end.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Great episode with a real cliffhanger!

I am not adverse to Ollie killing but I loved the trick arrows he used to take down Bronze Tiger and China White, the latter was one of the coolest shots the series has had. I also liked the development for Roy in both his scenes with Thea and Ollie.

The Alderman is an interesting addition, not sure what to make of him yet.

The scenes between Ollie, Felicity and Digg were great as usual, I like the little bit of humour they add and it's very easy to like and support the trio.

The discovery of the WWII Japanese soldier corpses on the island looks like it will give the flashbacks an intriguing mystery of their own again this season.

 

[Herolee10]

If people hate Laurel now, then the synopsis for episode 5 is REALLY going to piss them off to no end.

Honestly, if the writers are still serious and determined to make Laurel become the next Black Canary, one that is liked by the fans, then they need to seriously give her character a HUGE personality adjustment when all is said and done and not sweep her past mistakes under the rug as if they didn't happen.

Even before Season 2, I hardly saw anything about Laurel's character that made me interested in her since she was always filled with angst or had drama issues. The only time that I tolerated her was during the flashbacks that we saw of her before Oliver had gone to the island.