Arrow S2 E17 - 'Birds of Prey' Review


No One Dies Tonight.
Although the name is misleading, 'Birds of Prey' doesn't feature the iconic DC heroine group. In fact, the only time the Huntress and the Canary share the screen are when they are entwined in battle. Unfortunately, the plot is unable to save this filler episode, which will hopefully be the last we see of the Huntress for a long time.
Helena Bertinelli's return was as disappointing as expected, considering Jessica De Gouw's bland and cheesy take on the character. Once again, her sole blind purpose is to kill her father and once again she fails in her quest, although at least this time Frank is finally dead so that crusade is over.
Side plots involved the Canary saving Laurel, with the latter almost resorting to alcoholism before Sara convinces her otherwise. Laurel being used as a pawn for a sting operation mixed up the formula a bit, but Katie Cassidy was forced to return to her 'look shocked and slightly angry' face rather then getting time to explore more of her character's depths. Undoubtedly the worst part of this episode however is the ridiculously cheesy 'darkness' quote the Helena passes on to Laurel, who then uses it to regain her job. I truly can't express how much I hope to never hear that line again.
I found the most engaging story this week to be Oliver's decision to force Roy to break up with Thea. It was heartbreaking seeing him reach the depths of cheating in order to push her away, although ultimately necessary considering his current instability. Seeing Thea break down was very moving too.
The flashbacks were similarly engaging, offering an insight into how Ollie gained one of his tattoos and many more of his scars. Seeing Slade descend into insanity is also fascinating and captivating.
Overall, 'Birds of Prey' may be the worst episode so far this season, which is to say it is the worst of a great selection. It has its moments, but overall the Huntress just isn't strong enough to carry an episode and neither was the Laurel/Canary dynamic.

 STARRING: Deathstroke, The Huntress, The Canary

 AWESOME MOMENTS:

  • The opening police raid featuring Quentin was a joy to watch
  • I liked the twist that Adam arranged the whole sting operation and chose to use Laurel as bait! Clearly his experience with Count Vertigo earlier in the season has left its mark on him!
  • Was not a fan of that super weird rogue SWAT officer. I know this is an awesome moments list, but just had to get it out there like what was that guy's deal?!
  • Slade capturing Thea at the end!! Once again, the plot thickens in the present day
EASTER EGGS:
- In the DC comics, Birds of Prey is a secret group that consists of Oracle, Black Canary, and The Huntress
- In this episode, Oliver calls Roy "Speedy", which is the nickname for his sister Thea. In the DC comics, one of Roy's superhero alias is Speedy. Ironically, Roy immediately takes a disliking to the name
- After the flashback where Sara knocks Hendrick out, the police are discussing that they pinged Laurel Lance's cellphone near "Gail st. and Simone". Gail Simone is a comic book writer, probably best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey
- Detective Lance leads a raid to capture Hugo Manheim at the beginning of the episode.  This is a probable reference to Bruno Mannheim, a recurring DC villain and leader of Intergang, a gang with links to Apokolips and Darkseid.   As much of Intergang's activity is based around Metropolis, Mannheim has often come into conflict with Superman and Metropolis's other villains.  
- Chelah Horsdal makes a brief appearance as District Attorney Kate Spencer.  Kate Spencer briefly joined the Birds of Prey as Manhunter in the waning days of Gail Simone's run.

RATING: 7/10

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Office (US) S3 E6 - 'Diwali' Mini-Review

Image
The Festival of Lights. Michael's inappropriate jokes were in full swing this episode as the office attended Kelly's family's Diwali celebrations. Ryan was grilled ruthlessly by Kelly's parents in a number of brilliant scenes, whilst Michael proposed, unsuccessfully, to Carol in a cringe-inducing moment. The irritating boss went on to sink even lower by attempting to kiss Pam. It's certainly the lowest we've seen Michael this season, and it will be interesting to see how he brings himself back from this. Karen and Jim meanwhile earned my approval, proving their chemistry is undeniable. Also, it's Rashida freakin' Jones, so WHY is he not leaving the Pam thing behind him and getting with Ann Perkins!! Either way, a solid and gag-filled episode, one of the strongest so far. BEST MOMENTS "One of our most ethnic coworkers" "Pam wishes" "I wish some of us still had our shoes on" "At lezst I'm not dressed as a...
Read more

The Office (UK) S1 E1 - 'Downsize' Review

Image
Investment in People. The first ever episode of The Office (UK)  sets up an entertaining and relatable workplace, although a number of jokes fall flat. 'Downsize' is light on story and heavy on exposition as it aims t o establish the characters and relationships within the fictional offices of  Wernham Hogg, whilst encouraging the viewer to sympathise with these characters and plot threads. As such, the best way to address this episode would be to view it as a character study. Here is what I got from the characters: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) - The protagonist, loveable idiot boss David Brent drives the show forward and his cringe-inducing gags and interactions form the core of the humour in the show. He clearly wants to do good, but is misguided and inappropriate, resulting in awkward office interactions which many viewers would likely associate with. Despite his rudeness and poor sense of humour, I instantly rooted for Brent and his passion for his colleagues. Ti...
Read more

Arrow S1 E16 - 'Dead to Rights' Review

Image
So... Who Needs Two Bullets in the Chest? 'Dead to Rights' is a solid episode in Arrow 's first season. The episode chooses to refocus upon the Undertaking and the overall running arc of the series, and it is all the better for it. We see fractures in the List organisation, as Moira and Frank turn on Malcolm. Similarly, we see Malcolm struggling to maintain the lie of his identity from his son Tommy, and this conflict plays out well across the 42 minute run time. He kills in front of Tommy and almost reveals his Dark Archer outfit to his son, before Lawton interrupts by shooting Malcolm. Lawton's reintroduction as Deadshot is another excellent move by the showrunners. Deadshot, now missing an eye thanks to his last encounter with the Hood, is a great foe and I'm glad he's back in action and likely to return in the future of the Arrowverse. His new robotic eye is bad-ass, as was the fight scenes between Oliver, the Triad and China White. In the past, little...
Read more