Arrow Season 4 Episode 9 (Mid Season Finale) Review

So here we are, at one point in time Arrow was one of the most enjoyable shows on my plate. Season 1 got the show off to a fantastic start. Season 2 introduced Slade as the main antagonist and left me wanting more every week. Season 3 for the most part maintained that feeling for me but now sadly, Arrow may have already hit its peak.


                                              FULL SPOILERS FOR ARROW SEASON 4 EPISODE 9
 
                So since this is my first Article on CBM I feel I should explain my feelings about season 4 up until this point. I’ll keep it short
 
                                                                IT’S BEEN A TRAINRECK!
               
                Now look, not all of it has been bad, I think Damien Dark is a great villain and a very interesting one at best. The relationship between Oliver and Felicity has been pretty solid and believable and the action hasn’t been disappointing.  I’ve heard people complain about how they wish Arrow would go back to a more realistic time. You know, before they introduced all of this Lazarus pit and magic nonsense but hey, I’m optimistic, let’s go for it!
 
               
                When this season began, we were under the impression that ATLEAST 3 of our heroes had sadly bit the dust. Ray, Sarah, and Diggs brother Andy.  Within a few episodes the show takes a HUGE step backwards and scrapped everything.  Now everyone’s back!! That’s great right? Well for some maybe, but for people like me who enjoy seeing a good characters story come to an end in great fashion, no it’s sickening.  (I know it sounds pretty messed up but trust me, im actually a pretty solid guy, we should grab a beer sometime.)
 
                When you try and make it seem like people die (or if they actually do die) and you keep bringing them back death has no meaning. So when our beloved heroes were stuck inside a gas chamber and we hit a commercial break I thought to myself, “this show doesn’t have the balls” and guess what, I was right.
 
                So when we see felicity “Die” at the conclusion of this abomination, I’m left with nothing but doubt. If this show does really kill her off, which I actually hope they do, it will earn some of attention back.  Not because I hate the character of Felicity, she’s easily one of the best parts of the show. It’s because it would give the show some weight and could easily push on Oliver’s story. This nonsense about him not being the hero that he needs to be in order to defeat their newest threat is getting repetitive. Just be a killer man. Killing’s great! I mean look at Dark! He seems to be doing pretty well and he’s always smiling!
 
                Oh dear god Laurel….
 
                You guy’s ever sit near one of those obnoxious cheerleaders in class who loves to do nothing but bitch and talk about how their daddy didn’t get them a 2016 Porsche for their birthday? And never fails to mention to her friends about how “wasted” she got last weekend.
 
                You remember her?
                                Good.
 
                That’s [frick]ing Laurel man.
                                It’s [frick]ing Laurel.
                               
               
                I don’t get it. She takes boxing lessons from Apollo Creed for what? Maybe a week? Now she’s able to keep up with our main cast and nobody’s suppose to bat an eye?
 
 
 
This character is so poorly written and developed it makes any character written by Adam Sandler look like a brilliant creation.
 
                                                                JUST KILL HER ALREADY!!!
 
Sorry Lance, one of your daughters is a homicidal manic who has died and come back from the dead more times then you have probably been laid since you and the misses split and the other one is a bratty superhero who runs around contributing absolutely nothing to anyone.
                                               
                                Keep drinking man….
                                                Keep drinking.
 
 
               
I suppose we should try and talk about this episode in particular a bit.
 
                It didn’t feel like a mid-season finale to me. I’ve gotten very tired of every public fund raiser, event, celebration, or announcement in this show getting shot up and attacked. Seriously!
EVERY SINGLE ONE! Why do people still go to these things? On second thought why are there still people in this city? Actually, shouldn’t every citizen be dead by now? I mean damn, a man made earthquake goes off in the glades, a group called “The league of Assassins” try to blow up the city, Slade Wilson and his steroid posse actually took over the city. For god sake people living in Compton have a longer life expectancy then them!
 
                All in all this season has just been a huge let down so far. The dialogue, the plot, the character development all have seen better days.  It has become a very mediocre and predictable show for me so I was kind enough to provide a well thought out chart on how to improve the show.
 
 
                                                STF’S OFFICIAL ARROW IMPROVEMENT CHART
 
1.       Kill Laurel
 
2.       Try and tell a smaller story in a grand fashion. Not every villain or a threat should involve the city being destroyed. Make it personal!
 
3.       Kill Laurel
 
4.       Stop with the retuning of characters. If their dead, keep them that way
 
5.       IS SHE DEAD YET??!!!
 
                I’ll still be watching and be here to give you guys my further thoughts!
 
 
                                                                Thanks for Reading!
               
 
                                                                                                -STF