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Blood is Risen. Arrow Season 2.5  brings revelations and mysteries in its two chapters: 'Acolyte' sees a member of the Church of Blood make a demonstration of his devotion to the new Brother Blood, whilst 'Ascension' explains just how Clinton Hogue became the new Brother Blood, answering a few lingering questions from season 2. In 'Acolyte', Oliver learns that the Church of Blood is back and led by another Brother Blood, who is revealed to be Sebastian Blood's old bodyguard Clinton Hogue! I'm glad the comic writers chose a character that was in the show, as it felt more dramatic revealing him to have been an ally of Blood's prior to his death. Additionally, we get to see where Team Arrow get all of their awesome gear - some shady nut job with a scarred face and a weird pair of goggles. Diggle gives this guy the plans for Roy's Arsenal costume, which is an awesome link back to the TV show! Following this, 'Ascension' explains that Ho...

Whatever It Takes. Arrow  season 2 reached its dramatic conclusion in undoubtedly one of the best Arrowverse episodes ever. The episode was relentless from the start. The team healed Roy, who joined the Arrow in an tight fight scene in the clock tower. You know it's going to be a great episode when within 5 minutes, Team Arrow have zip-lined out of a clock tower whilst Lyla, hanging off the side of a helicopter, has fired a rocket launcher into said tower to destroy a group of mirakuru soldiers. What an entrance! We then got a great suiting up scene, where Roy got his mask and the League of Assassins joined forces with Team Arrow. Their subsequent battle against Deathstroke, Ravager and his army was well choreographed and claustrophobic, albeit a bit too short. Ravager's execution also felt rushed, as the character had little time to develop post-rebirth. The real battle took place later in the tunnel, as the Arrow marched to war alongside Roy (who has now become Arsena...

Not Done Fighting. The SCPD teamed up with the Arrow this week as Starling City descended into chaos and ARGUS prepared for war. The action and spectacle were ramped up in the penultimate episode of season 2 of Arrow  this week, as Slade's goons tore apart Starling City. It was great to watch the level of destruction and it shows just how far this series has come in terms of scope and CGI. I particularly loved seeing the ragtag group of SCPD officers making their war plans in a destroyed police station. Quentin taking the lead was bad-ass, particularly the way he convinced Pike to side with the Arrow in order to save the city. The ARGUS inclusion was also appreciated, as it makes sense that a secret organisation with influence as widespread as theirs would be taking interest in the events unfolding in Starling. The plot device of the missiles which would blow up the city may feel to some like one too many things happening in the finale, but it further increased the pace of the...

The Essence of Heroism. Slade's army is finally unleashed in a dramatic and emotional episode, in which Oliver is forced to pick himself up after the death of his mother and Brother Blood's identity is revealed to Team Arrow. This episode came off the back of the dramatic ending of 'Seeing Red', when Slade executed Moira. The episode begins with a smart and powerful sequence in which Moira's funeral is juxtaposed with Blood's inauguration as Starling City mayor, with a sombre track playing behind both events. It's a strong start and one which does justice to Moira's legacy in the show. It was great seeing how this event had impacted the Queen family as well, with both Willa Holland and Stephen Amell putting in excellent performances as the emotionally exhausted and broken children. We saw in particular how hard it hit Ollie, with him retreating to his secondary facility (very cool concept) to mourn in peace. We get to see our hero at his very lowest...

What This City Needs Him To Be. Arrow builds on the momentum of 'Deathstroke' as Slade continues to move forward with his plans. This episode also focuses on Laurel's newly obtained knowledge of the vigilante's identity and how she chooses to deal with it, largely succeeding to push the character through another small arc. The major plot-line here is Team Arrow's attempts to derail Slade's mission. The heist to blow up the QC property at the start of the episode set the tone for an eventful 40 mins, the highlight of which could well have been the epic surprise showdown with Deathstroke in the Arrowcave! I loved this shock twist and particularly how the merc dismantled the team like they were amateurs. By doing this, Slade made a place as secure as the Arrowcave appear unsafe, which again emphasises the threat he poses to both Oliver and Starling City. The other big showdown in this episode involved Isabel Rochev and Slade taking on Dig and the Arrow after ...