Arrow season eight review
Intro: I don't know about you, but I'm worried about this season. Not because it has a lot of ground to cover with ten episodes, it's because the actress who played Felicity left the show. I can't be happy that Felicity is no longer on the show because she became a major character to the point where her absence could cause problems for this season. Even the cast is bothered by the actress not being in this series. With that said, did this season end Arrow on a high note, or did this show seal its fate? Let's find out...
Arrow season eight: This season takes place sometime after Oliver left with the Monitor to prepare for the crisis. After his first mission, Oliver begins to wonder if he can be trusted, so Oliver comes up with a plan to stop him if he can't. That becomes complicated when the Monitor recruits Oliver's allies for his plan to stop the crisis. So Oliver has to decide if he's on the Monitor's side or not?
This season is a love letter to the fans! I say that because this season did things that fans want to see, we go back to familiar locations, and we see some old faces. I'm fond that each episode ends on a cliffhanger because doing that makes this season feel like it's telling a continuing story. The mystery of can the Monitor be trusted is handled well because he does questionable things in this season. I appreciate that this season is focused on crisis instead of Oliver stopping a villain who wants to destroy or take over Star City, because it gives us something different. You can argue that the theme of this season is closure, but I don't think this season took full advantage of that theme.
The flashforwards are OK, however, I wish this season didn't have them because it takes time away from the main story. The flashforwards are about the offspring of Team Arrow trying to reunite the Glades with the rest of Star City. That becomes difficult when the Deathstroke gang shows up to ruin things, so the future team Arrow has to stop them. The only gripe I have with the flash-forwards (besides the fact that they feel tacked on) is that I don't like how it ended.
As far as the crossover goes, I didn't love it, that's sad considering how much build-up it had. The crossover is about the Anti-Monitor destroying the multiverse, why I don't know. So the heroes have to come together to stop him before there's nothing left. Basically, this is DC's version of Infinite War, but done poorly. The crossover suffers from bad writing, directing, comedy, and SJW nonsense. I like the fan service in this crossover and the high stakes it provides. I'm surprised that almost all the DC shows and some of the movies are involved in this event. The issue I have with the crossover (Besides how it betrayed Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent/Superman) is that the fight between the heroes and the Anti-Monitor was anticlimactic. Also, this crossover introduces another comic book character that suppose to help our heroes stop the Anti-Monitor, but he's useless. Since we're on the subject of characters, I was let down that some of the characters who was suppose to be a part of this crossover didn't show up. I don't have much to say about the characters this season because this season focuses on Oliver Queen.
Speaking of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, he has to learn that to stop the crisis, he has to break some of his habits, like being controlling. I'm shocked at the role he plays in the crossover; however, I wish there was build-up to it. What bothers me about him is that he doesn't seem to learn his lesson because his action contradicts what he suppose to learn. A minor complaint I have with him is his suit. The design isn't bad; however, it looks like a downgrade from his last suit. His last suit looks like it can protect him from knives, bullets, and it can provide some tech support, unlike his current suit.
John Diggle helps Oliver on his mission, and he does the same for the rest of Team Arrow. I'm not crazy about the direction the creators are going to take with this character because it opens up a can of plot holes.
I don't like what this season has done with Laura Lance. It wants to make her sympathetic, but it doesn't work. You can't have her regret her past actions to the point where she doesn't feel like she deserves a second chance and not have her answer for it. This is the same problem I have with Felicity in season 5. I find it odd that Team Arrow welcomes her with open arms despite everything they've been through. I'm not crazy that she carries a gun because she doesn't need it.
Roy Harper/Arsenal is beating himself up over what he did last season, but he has to learn how to deal with it. I'm annoyed that he's a part of this season because he barely does anything. I was outraged that this season wasted one of his stories from the comics.
Mia Smoak (formerly known as Black Star, plus the daughter of Oliver and Felicity) is still unlikable for the most part due to her being a hothead and not admitting that she's in the wrong. What this series has done with her bugs me because A it was done on the Flash and B it's distracting.
It's hard for me to consider the Monitor a character because we don't learn much about him. Plus, the actor who plays him doesn't show any emotion while he's talking. That doesn't help make this character compelling either. He feels like an NPC in a video game that tells you how to control your character and what to do in the game.
One of the many problems I have with this season is that it left more to be desired as far as continuing the story and wrapping up all the loose ends in this series. I mean, it's the last season after all. Also, I wish that there was a side villain to get in Oliver's way of preparing for the crisis, by doing that it adds tension. The subplot of Oliver wondering if he can trust the monitor is contrived because this is something he should have done last season. I'm not crazy about the aftermath of the crossover because it retcons some of the things that happened in the past seasons.
I wish certain characters would witness Oliver's big moment because it doesn't feel right to not have them there to see it. Plus, I find it weird to see characters who did and didn't appear in the last episode because it's awkward considering what that episode is about. Episode 9 is a back-door pilot to this series version of Birds of Prey, why!?! This wouldn't bother me so much if this show was going to air at the same time as Stargirl, but that's not the case. What's the point of using this season to set up another show if it's not going to air anytime soon? There is a scene in the last episode that makes no sense, and it will rub people the wrong way. A minor complaint I have with this season is that it doesn't have a signature arrowhead.
Overall, this season gave Arrow a fitting ending to this series; the season could have been better if it had gotten three more episodes. I would recommend this season if you wonder what this show could have been if Felicity didn't exist or if she didn't have a lot of screen time.
This season is a love letter to the fans! I say that because this season did things that fans want to see, we go back to familiar locations, and we see some old faces. I'm fond that each episode ends on a cliffhanger because doing that makes this season feel like it's telling a continuing story. The mystery of can the Monitor be trusted is handled well because he does questionable things in this season. I appreciate that this season is focused on crisis instead of Oliver stopping a villain who wants to destroy or take over Star City, because it gives us something different. You can argue that the theme of this season is closure, but I don't think this season took full advantage of that theme.
The flashforwards are OK, however, I wish this season didn't have them because it takes time away from the main story. The flashforwards are about the offspring of Team Arrow trying to reunite the Glades with the rest of Star City. That becomes difficult when the Deathstroke gang shows up to ruin things, so the future team Arrow has to stop them. The only gripe I have with the flash-forwards (besides the fact that they feel tacked on) is that I don't like how it ended.
As far as the crossover goes, I didn't love it, that's sad considering how much build-up it had. The crossover is about the Anti-Monitor destroying the multiverse, why I don't know. So the heroes have to come together to stop him before there's nothing left. Basically, this is DC's version of Infinite War, but done poorly. The crossover suffers from bad writing, directing, comedy, and SJW nonsense. I like the fan service in this crossover and the high stakes it provides. I'm surprised that almost all the DC shows and some of the movies are involved in this event. The issue I have with the crossover (Besides how it betrayed Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent/Superman) is that the fight between the heroes and the Anti-Monitor was anticlimactic. Also, this crossover introduces another comic book character that suppose to help our heroes stop the Anti-Monitor, but he's useless. Since we're on the subject of characters, I was let down that some of the characters who was suppose to be a part of this crossover didn't show up. I don't have much to say about the characters this season because this season focuses on Oliver Queen.
Speaking of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, he has to learn that to stop the crisis, he has to break some of his habits, like being controlling. I'm shocked at the role he plays in the crossover; however, I wish there was build-up to it. What bothers me about him is that he doesn't seem to learn his lesson because his action contradicts what he suppose to learn. A minor complaint I have with him is his suit. The design isn't bad; however, it looks like a downgrade from his last suit. His last suit looks like it can protect him from knives, bullets, and it can provide some tech support, unlike his current suit.
John Diggle helps Oliver on his mission, and he does the same for the rest of Team Arrow. I'm not crazy about the direction the creators are going to take with this character because it opens up a can of plot holes.
I don't like what this season has done with Laura Lance. It wants to make her sympathetic, but it doesn't work. You can't have her regret her past actions to the point where she doesn't feel like she deserves a second chance and not have her answer for it. This is the same problem I have with Felicity in season 5. I find it odd that Team Arrow welcomes her with open arms despite everything they've been through. I'm not crazy that she carries a gun because she doesn't need it.
Roy Harper/Arsenal is beating himself up over what he did last season, but he has to learn how to deal with it. I'm annoyed that he's a part of this season because he barely does anything. I was outraged that this season wasted one of his stories from the comics.
Mia Smoak (formerly known as Black Star, plus the daughter of Oliver and Felicity) is still unlikable for the most part due to her being a hothead and not admitting that she's in the wrong. What this series has done with her bugs me because A it was done on the Flash and B it's distracting.
It's hard for me to consider the Monitor a character because we don't learn much about him. Plus, the actor who plays him doesn't show any emotion while he's talking. That doesn't help make this character compelling either. He feels like an NPC in a video game that tells you how to control your character and what to do in the game.
One of the many problems I have with this season is that it left more to be desired as far as continuing the story and wrapping up all the loose ends in this series. I mean, it's the last season after all. Also, I wish that there was a side villain to get in Oliver's way of preparing for the crisis, by doing that it adds tension. The subplot of Oliver wondering if he can trust the monitor is contrived because this is something he should have done last season. I'm not crazy about the aftermath of the crossover because it retcons some of the things that happened in the past seasons.
I wish certain characters would witness Oliver's big moment because it doesn't feel right to not have them there to see it. Plus, I find it weird to see characters who did and didn't appear in the last episode because it's awkward considering what that episode is about. Episode 9 is a back-door pilot to this series version of Birds of Prey, why!?! This wouldn't bother me so much if this show was going to air at the same time as Stargirl, but that's not the case. What's the point of using this season to set up another show if it's not going to air anytime soon? There is a scene in the last episode that makes no sense, and it will rub people the wrong way. A minor complaint I have with this season is that it doesn't have a signature arrowhead.
Overall, this season gave Arrow a fitting ending to this series; the season could have been better if it had gotten three more episodes. I would recommend this season if you wonder what this show could have been if Felicity didn't exist or if she didn't have a lot of screen time.
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