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If I had a nickel for everytime an Arrowverse hero received a back related injury from a villain dressed in all black —during their first encounter with said villain— that caused them to lose confidence in themselves and have flashbacks during training that are totallyyyyyyyy not symptoms of PTSD— nope— they’re fineeeee
I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice right?
There’s a significant time difference between my 1x09 review and this review. No, I did not take a six year long holiday break. It just became too difficult to complete the Season 1 reviews the summer prior to Season 4. So, I decided to complete Season 1 and Season 2 reviews once Arrow was off air.
This means I have not watched 1x10-1x23 in eight years. I nearly forgot everything. Is L*urel still in this show?
She sure is.
“Burned” is the first real snoozer of Season 1, which kind of sets up the tradition of episode 10-15 slumps Arrow suffered nearly every season. This has less to do with Arrow and more to do with it being a twenty three episode series. There’s gonna be some filler.
This episode still holds significant meaning to me though because it contains the SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR speech. This is my favorite John Diggle speech, which is why I named my blog after it. It is also the first time Arrow declares their mission statement.
Let’s dig in...
Oliver and Diggle
The bad guy plot is the worst part of “Burned,” so let’s just cut to the chase. There was a terrible fire in Starling City years ago. The fire chief recalled his unit but one of his men, Garfield Lynns, insisted the building could be saved. The chief refused to send in any more men and as a result Lynns died. Except, this is Arrow and nobody stays dead. Lynns is alive, ticked, insane and burning firefighters, which leads to Joanna’s brother (a firefighter) getting killed.
Cool? Cool. Moving on.
Oliver is having difficulty coping with the fact the Dark Archer kicked his ass all the way back to the stone age. It was a somewhat embarrassing loss and Oliver’s body wasn’t the only thing bruised. We are gifted a very lovely training sequences of a half naked and very sweaty Oliver Queen to show he is recovered, so his hesitancy isn’t physical. It is mental.
Source: @olivergifs
Oliver is having a crisis of confidence and is avoiding suiting up like the plague.
Diggle: This guy, the other archer, he got in your head. He took something from you … he took whatever’s in your heart that lets you jump off buildings and take down bad guys.
Oliver worked for every skill he has. It was not gifted by a bolt of lightning. He does not come from an alien planet. Oliver is a weapon honed over time, which includes his superpower.
Oliver Queen does not fear dying.
That’s the “whatever” in his heart which gives him the confidence to jump off buildings. This superpower was honed after five years of fighting for survival. Oliver almost died so many times he’s built some kind of emotional immunity to it. It doesn’t freak him out like it would the rest of us.
The darker side of this superpower is Oliver doesn’t care if he lives or dies. Season 1 Oliver Queen is very fatalistic. He’s not suicidal, but he’s accepted death is the price he may have to pay in order to complete his mission. More importantly, he is drowning in guilt and believes death is the ending he deserves.
There’s rigidity in everything about Oliver – from his beliefs to even the way he moves. His posture is rod iron straight and there’s very little movement in his upper body and arms. It’s a physical manifestation of his PTSD. It’s like he’s encased in a brick wall, a tomb of suffering, which makes it difficult to breathe or move. It’s like the act of living is physically painful.
The problem is - Oliver came home and it is having an unexpected emotional impacted on him. He’s been laser focused on this mission, but bit by bit, the feelings he’s long since buried are resurfacing. Moira, Thea, Tommy, Diggle, Laurel (AND FELICITY) are chipping away at this brick wall. Oliver didn’t adopt this machine like persona because he doesn’t feel anything. It’s because he feels so much, which means even the small holes in this wall are having a profound impact on him.
This all leads to the greatest John Diggle speech in history! Yes, I say that knowing full well Diggle has spectacular speeches throughout the series, but this will always be my favorite because it’s such a universal theme.
We all must have something that makes life worth living. This “something” is not limited to romantic love. It can be family, or work or a cause – basically whatever makes you get out of bed every day. It doesn’t have to be just one thing either. In fact, I hope you find many things/people to live for because that means you are living a full and connected life. By that same token, if you don’t have something to live for then you’re not really living. You just exist.
Or in Oliver’s case - survive. He’s known nothing but survival for the last five years. I think he absolutely cares for Yao Fei, Shado and Slade, but that’s exactly why Oliver shut down. He did care for people and it led to nothing but heartache, betrayal and loss. So, Oliver decided to be done with all that and has worked very hard to keep his loved ones at a distance ever since returning home.
He’s been extremely successful at it in many ways because Oliver refuses to share who he really is with anyone outside of John Diggle. So, that’s why it had to be John Diggle to tell him that it was okay to feel again.
Oliver: I’ve been close to death on the island more times than I can remember and I never feared it. Because I had nothing to lose. But when that archer almost killed me, when I stared death in the face then, I thought about all the people I’ve let into my life since I’ve been back – my family, Laurel, Tommy. And that made me afraid. Afraid of what would happen to those people if they lost me. Again. And for the first time in so long I had something to lose.
Oliver may not fear death, but he does fear what his death will mean to those who love him. Like I said earlier - Oliver is not suicidal. If that was true he wouldn’t have fought so hard to survive the island, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to live. He’s far from it. But this is the first time in a long time Oliver cared whether or not he died. And that scares him.
Diggle: Maybe you’ve got it backwards Oliver. You think the people you’ve let in have taken your edge. I think it gives you one. Maybe a stronger one even. You can stare down death with something to live for or not. SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR is better.
That’s endgame folks. Oliver’s story is about a man learning to live again. He will collect more and more people/things that he cares about as he walks this road, which means there is more to lose. Losing his life is far preferable than losing someone he loves again. Oliver can tolerate a great deal of physical pain. It’s the emotional pain that scares the crap out of him. This is why he fights tooth and nail to keep emotions at a distance. It just hurts too much.
Opening our heart to others often means opening our hearts to pain, but that’s not the only side of love. It brings happiness and contentment too. You take the good with the bad. Diggle is trying to open Oliver’s heart to the good.
Is Oliver alive? Or is he just breathing? The answers to those questions make all the difference in the world. A difference Diggle knows will make Oliver an unbeatable weapon.
Lynns: I'm not afraid to die
Oliver: I know. You're afraid to live.
COULD IT BE A PARALLEL?
Methinks yes. It’s interesting “Burned” revolves around fire. Fire is where Oliver’s story began. Lian Yu was about purification, but it was also a rebirth.
A rebirth we see expanding as Oliver opens up his heart. A fire is lit from within our hero and it’s growing beyond penance, justice and retribution to hope, passion and enlightenment. Oliver Queen is finding reasons to live again. And it will make all the difference for his survival.
L*urel L*nce
If you sense I have less patience with L*urel’s character in Seasons 1 and Season 2 than I did in Season 3 and Season 4 then you’d be right. My opinions on this character changed radically so I’m coming into Season 1 and Season 2 reviews with a Season 8 perspective on L*urel.
Tommy wants a drawer. That’s all. A drawer. Tommy Merlyn is a simple man. Doesn’t take a lot to make him happy. He even wrote a list explaining all the reasons he deserves and needs a drawer. We never see the list, but I’d imagine it looks something like this:
I AM HUMAN PERFECTION.
I did not sleep with your sister.
I am asking for a drawer rather than run screaming to the North China Sea with above referenced sister.
I make you omelets.
I make your character moderately tolerable which is a miracle in of itself.
I could continue, but you get the idea. What’s absolutely ludicrous is OLIVER gives L*UREL relationship advice.
Oliver: Well we're friends.
Me: Oliver, my son, NO YOU ARE NOT.
At least she had the common sense to scoff at Oliver’s friendly attempt to intervene on Tommy’s behalf. (Seriously, dude just stay out of it. This is wildly inappropriate.)
L*urel was ready to move in with Oliver (even though she knew he cheated on her regularly), but freaks at faithful Tommy requesting armoire access. JFC this woman is a dating disaster zone.
L*urel: I don’t take things slow remember? I close my eyes and I jump just like you.
My initial reaction to this speech is to call it nonsense.
I thought this was a case of Arrow telling rather than showing with L*urel’s character. However, upon further contemplation I have reversed my opinion.
L*urel may be a pragmatic attorney on the surface, but we have watched her run the gamut of human emotions week to week. So much so it’s difficult to get a read on the character the writers are trying to construct. (Spoiler alert: they don’t know what kind of character they are trying to construct). One week she loves Oliver. The next week she’s condemning him to hell. L*urel L*nce’s feelings definitely control her.
She has been reckless too, working outside the law, by contacting the vigilante for assistance. A relationship she resumes after telling her father in 1x09 that The Hood is a killer with no remorse. See what I’m saying about the ever changing emotional spectrum?
I’m not saying L*urel having emotions and expressing them is bad. That’s a healthier reaction than what Oliver is doing, but she has been all over the map. It’s less about who L*urel is as a character and more about the writers needing her to react a certain way to make the episode work.
Oliver likes to present himself as a cool cucumber, but he has a rather unpleasant temper too. It may seem like he’s emotionless, but that is just a façade. It’s a cover for the torrent of emotions he keeps at bay.
Laurel: I think that’s why we spooked each other. Our feelings, our fears, they control us. Not the other way around.
L*urel’s “spooking each other” statement is a big line of bull, which we’ll find out later in the season. L*urel was not spooked by Oliver. She was the furthest thing from spooked, which is why she asked him to move in with her.
Oliver wasn’t spooked either. Anytime I reflect on L*uriver I’m reminded of a scene from Sex in the City. Oliver isn’t freaked out by his feelings. He’s just not that into you, L*urel.
The process in which we get OLIVER to realize this and admit it to himself will take much longer, but I can be patient. It’s time will come.
But do I think these two characters are similar? YES. They are too similar in fact. It’s one of the main reasons they don’t work as a couple. This is exactly why Tommy and Felicity are perfect for L*urel and Oliver. They need someone steady to temper their emotions.
They need someone happy to balance out their anger. They need someone with a bright light in order to find their own.
It’s also worth noting that Tommy was ready to run into a burning building to save Oliver so GIVE HIM A DAMN DRAWER L*UREL.
Stray Thoughts
Flashbacks were kind of boring. Fyers kidnaps Yao Fei. Oliver saves his own life by accident. Meh
Thea calling Moira out was long overdue. This kid needs a parent ASAP.
Everyone's fall clothing is really adorable.
JUST UNBUTTON THE FRACKIN BUTTON OLLIE.
Merlyn kidnapped Walter right? Or Moira? I seriously don't remember. I don’t think I care either. lol
L*urel: I am not the best example of healthy grieving.
LL has a rare moment of self awareness, which is lovely.
Oliver: I heard what you said to your father. That I'm a killer with no remorse.
L*urel: Do you?
Me: You impertinent little snot.
I like Joanna much better than L*urel and I wished she stayed, but removing Joanna from the show is the first step the writers took to limit L*urel's role. The shift is upon us.
Not to be unsympathetic, but Moira is starting to rack up the dead husbands.
Thea fantasizing that Walter is cheating on Moira with a stewardess as the hopeful pitch is YIKES. Goodness this show could be dark.
Musings of the Kiddo
Kiddo: Yeah! He's actually putting his family first!
Me: Settle down. It doesn't last long.
Kiddo: I thought L*urel was gonna find out.
Me: Oh my sweet summer child.
Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me.
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-Training montage. I really want these back, not just because Oliver’s shirtless lol. I just want to see him training. He always talks about him being the weapon. I want to see him honing his craft, learning new skills etc.
- Oliver's off his game. He let the Dark Archer in his head.
- Poor Joanna. I liked her. I wish they'd kept her around.
- can we see more of the Star City public talking about the good the Arrow has done? Especially in season 7.
- Tommy wants a drawer.
- and Laurel is pro vigilante this week. I can't keep up.
- Diggle's arms are the size of bowling balls, according to Oliver. The man is a powerhouse.
- Oliver sitting alone in the foundry in the dark. Fastforward to 1x21 when Felicity finds him there and turns on the light.
- the scene between Oliver and Diggle is one of my faves where Oliver's talking about how he faced death before but he never feared it, coz he had nothing to lose. Now he's afraid of what would happen to his family if something were to happen to him.
'For the first time I had something to lose.'
Then we get this iconic speech from Diggle, 'Maybe you've got it backwards, Oliver. You think the people you let in have taken your edge. I think it gives you one...you can stare down death with something to live for or not. Something to live for is better.' I love this soooo much.
- Tommy needs to stop running into collapsing buildings. Seriously.
- the woman on the TV should start an I ♡ arrow fanclub. 'But these were not the actions of a vigilante...these were the actions of a hero.' Oliver is all smiley. He really just wants someone to believe in him.
- also it's nice to see someone Oliver has helped show their appreciation. 'He really is a guardian angel.'
- Quentin using Laurel to get the hood is not going to end well lol.
- the end scene with Oliver thanking Diggle and their cute little smiles are everything. The bromance is growing guys.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
In honour of the 150th episode of Arrow I thought it couldn’t hurt to reminisce about some of my favourite moments of Arrow - based on the gifs available ;) I’m starting to think this is simply stuff I miss BIG TIME.
