#arrow 8x02

Oliver and Diggle find themselves in Hong Kong with a return of the all the Hong Kong musical elements from Season 3 peppered throughout the episode heard in “Mean Streets of Hong Kong” (S3), primarily the ney flute (a Persian flute), crutales (tuned little cymbals), wooden percussion, gongs, and the erhu (a Chinese string instrument).  If they didn’t use an erhu, they have a synthesized version that is the similar affect.  These together provide the soundscape of Hong Kong in Season 3 and play as the setting is established throughout.  In the midst of fighting, Tatsu comes to help as Katana and her unique ney flute motif plays with an breathy aspect to it.  This theme returns throughout her scenes in the episode, especially in her fight with China White and when she talks to Oliver at the end after she thought she had almost died.  Her theme is heard in “Storming the Castle” (3x21) when she helps fight at Nanda Parbat. (JorahtheAndal has a suite of her music on YouTube now that the extra tracks are no longer on Blake Neely’s website.)

In a brief moment of quiet after the fight, Oliver has a chance to put his wedding ring back on with a mixture of sadness and resolve.  As he does so, flashes of Felicity in 3x20 (“you opened up my heart” and their kiss goodbye) and the 4x06 kiss “We’re going to be fine” pass through his mind as their theme “The One I love” (2x23) plays in the piano.  Oliver’s resolve to keep going is through the love of Felicity and knowing that she will find him.  His love for his family keeps him going.

Tatsu questions Oliver’s blind faith in the Monitor wanting a scientist involved with a dangerous virus, saying that it reminded her of how he used to be.  Especially in bargaining with the Alpha Omega virus that killed with her son and how the guilt and torture of the general changed him.  He responds that he has to believe that the Monitor is telling the truth in bringing order (plus he saw the end of Earth2) because otherwise he left his family for nothing.  He is sacrificing everything including himself to keep them safe and prevent them from disappearing.  As he pours out his heart in both anger and grief, the slow version of the Arrow theme plays in the strings “I forgot who I was” (1x05).  This theme is used throughout the series for moments of the heart when Oliver is connected to the core of being a hero: his love for his family and how that spurs him on.

At the end, after Tatsu almost died for the mission to find the doctor the Monitor required, Oliver took a step back to realize that she was right.  The cost might not be worth the mission. He needs to know more about who the Monitor is and whether following him blindly is the right call.  A variation (straight rhythm instead of syncopated) of “Scars” (1x01) plays in guitar harmonics as he says that they have already lost too many already.  This theme and instrument has been with Oliver since he looked in the mirror and saw his scars in the pilot.  It represents both the outward but more importantly, inward scars his trials and loss have left on him.  The slow version of the Arrow theme returns in horn (heroic) and violins as Diggle asks him what happens if they don’t like the answers and Oliver replies that there is always another way, quoting what Felicity has told him many times and what Tatsu had also reminded him as well. The music underscores that he is a hero determined to do what is right for all. He will find a way to save his family without letting people die along the way. He apologizes to Tatsu that she almost died because of him as the violin plays his Arrow hero theme and that she was right; the mission was not worth the cost.  He tells Tatsu that he will be looking for answers in Nanda Parbat as the duduk plays.  (I love the music for Nanda Parbat and am super excited for this next episode)

Laurel with the loss of Earth 2

Laurel is in shock over her earth and everyone she knew ceasing to exist.  As she angrily blames Oliver and demands the device to get back, a new harp theme quietly plays as she remains in denial that it could all be gone.  Her new life, her shot at redemption, the good people she had connected with all dead.  A version of this theme returns again but filled out with an alternating note between each melody note in the harp as she tries the device again later on, only for the guy she forced into helping her telling her that he can’t bring back a universe.  It returns one last time after Lyla shares her story of survivor’s guilt which gets the crux of the matter for Laurel: how is it that she survived when so many other better people were gone?  Lyla tells her to keep fighting in honor of the dead and that she could work on her redemption by helping people of this earth.  

Extra Notes: 

The Monitor’s violin, brass, and choral theme played both at his scenes in the beginning with Oliver and Lyla at the end.  It underscores that he is an otherworldly being.

China White’s electronic theme was back as she appeared to fight Oliver. (1x02)

Laurel’s Black Siren theme “Laurel, not Laurel” (5x10) played when she arrived at the beginning after screaming and then again after she screamed China White into the water.

There was a lovely piano moment when JJ and Connor sat down to have a heart to heart.  A moment of connection before it all went to pieces.

A new motif played as Mia gave William the fried flash-drive in both harp and bass harmonics with background electronics and he got really excited about it (reminding of Felicity music, combining Oliver and Felicity instruments but grounded in the future soundscape).  The four note theme does include the same notes as Mia’s Blackstar theme but in a different order.  Coincidence or on purpose?  I will be interested to see if it returns. 

Harp plays a repeated two notes as JJ reveals his plan and Mia tries to reach William on the coms.  Her mother’s instrument now connecting the two of them in concern about her brother.

The Quick and Dirty

The Monitor dumped Oliver, John and L*urel back on Earth 1 in Hong Kong. The Monitor is ticked off, but Oliver doesn’t understand how he failed or why the Monitor is up his ass. He played errand boy and gave him the friggin dwarf star particles. 

Oliver failed because he interfered on Earth 2 and saved L*urel L*nce. She was supposed to die. (The Monitor ain’t all bad). Oliver didn’t want to watch L*urel die again, but not everyone feels the same as you Oliver. Some of us don’t mind watching L*urel die. We don’t mind at all. Besides we had to watch Tommy and Moira die again and that’s way worse.

The Monitor explains what happened on Earth 2 will happen across the multiverse if they fail to stop the Crisis, so Oliver needs to follow orders. They are in Hong Kong, so Oliver can bring Dr. Robert Wong to the Monitor.

A local gang attacks Diggle and Oliver and they have to fight their way out of the hotel. There’s a lot of slow motion fighting, which made me laugh particularly when LL showed up. Oliver and Diggle try to explain what happened to Earth 2, but L*urel doesn’t believe them while simultaneously blaming Oliver for Earth 2’s destruction. Can’t have it both ways cupcake, but ok.

John takes Oliver to a secret ARGUS location and tells him Lyla is on the way. They look up all the information ARGUS has on Dr. Wong while Oliver blames himself for E2’s destruction. Yoda Diggle tells him it’s not his fault. There’s more fighting with the same gang and Tatsu saves them.

The Crescent order tried to kill Tatsu for giving Nyssa the Lotus cure, so now she’s in Hong Kong being a vigilante and going after the Triad and their rivals – Shu Gang. Tatsu knows The Monitor (aka Mar Nvu) and agrees to help find Dr. Wong. However, she questions The Monitor’s motives and believes Oliver should be doing the same. 

Lyla serves as LL’s babysitter for this week and gets dragged into her nonsense of trying to find her way back to Earth 2. They hold a scientist hostage, but when he fails to fix Cisco’s portal thingy L*urel is forced to accept Earth 2’s destruction.

Dr. Wong has been working on a top secret project for the Chinese government, so Hong Kong’s police have put him in protective custody. Tatsu, Oliver and John go to the safe house to scoop Dr. Wong up before the police move him out of the city. Unfortunately, China White and The Triad are after Dr. Wong too and take him.

Dr. Wong’s super secret government project was to recreate the Alpha Omega virus that killed Tatsu’s son, which is what the Triad was after.  Oliver offers China White the virus as a trade for Dr. Wong. China White put a bomb on Dr. Wong, so Tatsu fights her for the detonator while Diggle goes after the virus and Oliver saves the doctor. Lyla arrives just in time to save John’s ass. Tatsu gets the detonator, but China White stabs her in the process. She’s about to take her out, and Oliver is too far away to help, but BC screams China White into the river and saves Tatsu’s life.

L*urel decides to help Oliver with his mission, but he decides Tatsu is right. Oliver plans to withhold Dr. Wong until The Monitor gives him answers. The big twist in the episode comes when Lyla delivers Dr. Wong to The Monitor. She’s been working for him all along – unbeknownst to Oliver or Diggle.

Meanwhile in 2040, Mia is pissed JJ tried to kill them, but Connor argues he didn’t actually kill them so it’s cool. JJ stole the access codes to Vasquez’s vault, but it was already trashed and empty by the time FTA got to it.  Mia gives William a fried flash storage from the vault’s security mainframe.  The team believes JJ stole jewels and valuables to sell, so Zoe takes them to a local black market.  JJ shows up with his Deathstroke gang as expected.

Connor blames himself for the way JJ turned out because Lyla and John were always worried about him. JJ offers to sit down with Connor to talk things out and, despite Mia’s protests, Connor agrees.  They rehash the past, but it’s all a distraction so William is left alone and unprotected. JJ is really after the flash drive he knew William could restore. Once the unification movement is destroyed then JJ can take over the city and William is central to his plan. JJ kidnaps William and threatens to kill him if FTA fights back.

Olicity

There are three main Olicity moments in the episode and they pack quite a punch.  The first is Oliver’s nightmare in the beginning of the episode. He’s dreaming about all the people he’s lost – Tommy, Moira, L*urel, Robert and yes Felicity.  The nightmares are a result of PTSD and it is natural Oliver would be experiencing these flashbacks because he just watched his mother and Tommy die again.

Source: feilcityqueen 

Oliver dreams of his happy reunions with Tommy & Moira and then their deaths. His memories of Robert and L*urel consist only of their deaths. But Felicity is different. Of course, we know she is not dead, but not being with his wife everyday is possibly one of the greatest losses Oliver has experienced. And yet, his memory of Felicity is happy. He dreams of their kiss after making love in Nanda Parbat and Felicity says, “Because we found ourselves in each other.”

This dovetails directly into the much promoted wedding ring moment. There’s a lot to love about it, so Stephen Amell was right to talk it up so much.  It begins with Mia holding a knife which transitions to a knife on a weapons pegboard wall behind Oliver as he picks up his wedding ring. It’s such a simple and elegant way to connect the present and future. To remind us that everything Oliver does is for the survival of his family – and they do survive as evident by the flash forward.

Source: olicitygifs

A wedding ring is a circle. It is a never ending loop. There is no beginning and no end – it is eternal. The ring is a symbol of infinity. That is what marriage is supposed to be – an infinite love that has no end. 

Even though they are separated, the vows Oliver and Felicity made to each other remain and they honor that commitment every day. Felicity honors their vows by raising Mia and keeping their children safe. She also promised to find Oliver no matter what it takes. Oliver honors their vows by living and fighting for his family every day.  His love for Felicity and their children are the source of Oliver’s strength – they are as much a part of him as the blood pumping through his veins.

And yet, none of us remain on this Earth forever. Oliver’s mortality is something he’s always been acutely aware of these past twelve years, but more so than ever given The Monitor’s promise that he will die in Crisis. Antonio Negret connects the ring to Felicity, William and Mia because they are Oliver’s legacy. We live on in the people we love and who love us in return. We live on in their memory. We live on through our children and the stories they tell their children. And on and on it goes. Death is not the end of love because love has no end. It is infinite loop.

Antonio Negret is well known in the Olicity fandom because he directed some of their most iconic episodes like 3x20 and 4x06. Since this is Arrow’s final season and probably Negret’s last opportunity to direct Oliver’s memories of Felicity play like the director’s greatest hits.

Source: feilcityqueen 

However, that doesn’t mean they are devoid of meaning. Quite the contrary. Everything Antonio Negret does in intentional. First, there is the beautiful band of light that streams across the screen like dawn breaking. This same band of light played across Oliver’s nightmare as dreaming gave way to waking. As painful as it is to be away from Felicity, she will always remain the light in the dark for Oliver. Whatever he feel about what the Monitor has told him – Oliver believes Felicity. He believes they will be together again.

Source: feilcityqueen 

And so should we. “We’re going to be fine,” is not a toss away line. It was chosen for a reason because Olicity is going to be fine. Remember my friends, Arrow is not a subtle show. They’ve never been subtle with their reassurances in times of Olicity despair in particular. We’re in the same boat as Oliver.  We may not know how it’s going to be fine. We just have to believe it will be.

I also love how Oliver remembers Felicity.  He is clearly missing his wife. 

Not just the sex (and boy does he miss that), but the intimacy of being with the one person who loves and knows him best. 

It almost feels voyeuristic to look but that never stopped me before.

Oliver is continually reminding himself of Felicity’s perspective on him. He hasn’t destroyed Felicity’s life. He is her life. Oliver’s guilt often warps his perspective on himself. It’s good to see he’s trying to hold onto the positive things Felicity has said about him, so his guilt doesn’t warp his view of their relationship.

Oliver is also remembering times when he thought he would be separated from Felicity forever. In 3x20 is was because Oliver joined the League of Assassins to save Thea. 

In 4x06 he feared Felicity would break up with him. 

And yet… they found their way back to each other 

every. single. time. 

Their history of overcoming the odds anchors Oliver’s hope as much as Felicity’s promise.

Source: olicitygifs 

But that doesn’t mean Oliver won’t have moments of despair. Tatsu is questioning the Monitor’s methods and doesn’t have a lot of confidence in Oliver stopping China White from getting the virus that killed her son. They discuss Oliver’s despair and guilt over Akio’s death and how it led to the loss of his humanity. I don’t believe one single moment cost Oliver his humanity, but rather it was stripped from him slowly. Bit by bit. Loss after loss. But I understand Tatsu’s concern.

Tatsu: Sometimes the mission is not worth the cost. You know that. So why are you still doing what he asks?

Tatsu fears the Monitor is an agent of chaos and perhaps his intentions for Dr. Wong are not on the up and up.  What’s more she’s wondering why Oliver is not questioning the Monitor like she is.  And Oliver’s response is heartbreaking.  

He believes the Monitor because there’s no other choice. He’s operating on blind faith. If Oliver is wrong about the Monitor then this is all for nothing. Leaving his family is for nothing. The world is doomed, which means his family is doomed. 

Oliver has a singular focus like he did eight years ago not because the mission is all he has. It’s because all he has needs the mission to succeed. Anger isn’t driving him. Love is.

Source: olicitygifs 

That was a beautiful performance. As you all know, when Stephen Amell cries I cry. I don’t know what it is about very large oak tree males feeling all their feelings, but I am powerless against it.

But Oliver decides that he owes it to all the people who have lost their lives to find out who The Monitor really is and to make sure he is making the right choice by following him. Diggle worries about what they’ll do if they don’t like the answers  and once again Felicity Smoak helps guide Oliver on his path.

Source: olicitygifs

There is one more small moment of connection – Oliver twists the ring on his finger the same way Felicity twisted hers before stepping into the portal to be reunited with him. 

There is no hand to hold. No lips to kiss. Their rings are the only tangible piece of their love they have left. It is a promise made and a promise kept. Time, distance and other worlds don’t matter. They always find a way. Olicity is bigger than the universe because their love is infinite.

Source: olicitygifs

L*urel L*nce

Time to yell about L*urel. I am breaking up with her.  We had a good run, Bl*ck S*ren but it’s over between us. I don’t know what it is about the Bl*ck C*nary moniker but it turns L*urel into the most arrogant, judgmental, hypocritical twat to ever exist on my television screen.

L*urel is all deer in headlights, “What happened to my planet?” and Oliver tries very patiently to explain to her several times that it is dust. Ya know, like she physically witnessed. When she doesn’t believe Oliver then Diggle gives it a try, but nope. Earth 2 isn’t destroyed. THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE.

Then in the very next breath L*urel proceeds to blame Oliver for the destruction of Earth 2. 

So, do you believe it’s gone or not L*urel? Pick a fucking lane. 

I’m not including gifs of this speech because it was so much unbelievable drivel it does not deserve the time it takes for me add gifs. 

I understand L*urel just lost her planet. It’s a tough break, but does every version of this character have to blame Oliver when things go wrong in her life?

AND LET’S TALK ABOUT EARTH 2 SHALL WE? L*urel L*nce, aka Bl*ck S*ren, spent the better part of her adult life terrorizing the people of Earth 2. 

She spends six months as Bl*ck C*nary and suddenly she’s the Jesus Christ of the planet? 

Did she even tell the people of Earth 2 that Bl*ck C*nary and Bl*ck S*ren is the same person? Has she taken any responsibility for the people she murdered?

Because she sure as hell spent a lot of time on Earth 1 avoiding that responsibility and stealing Earth 1 L*urel’s name to hide behind in order to do it.

So, excuse me if I don’t want to hear from L*urel about how Oliver didn’t give a crap about the people of Earth 2 from the very person who MURDERED THEIR CITIZENS ON THE REGULAR.

L*urel also tried murdering everyone Oliver loves about a hot second ago too.

But sure, he doesn’t care about Adrian or Sara. I’m sorry – did Oliver spend his time on Earth 2 trying to kill the people you love L*urel? No, he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off, delaying his real mission, repeating his life like Groundhog Day, trying to save the people of Earth 2 WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE BL*CK C*NARY.

If we’re supposed to believe L*urel gave a crap about Quentin (even when she was evil) then why is it so hard for her to believe that Oliver cared about Tommy and Moira? Was Quentin just a copy of a person L*urel loved? Because if you apply her logic (if we can even call it that) then that’s exactly what she is saying. 

She also jumped up Oliver’s ass every time he expressed disbelief that her feelings for Quentin were legit. If Oliver, who was never a villain, eventually came to believe L*urel truly cared about Quentin then why can’t she believe Oliver is devastated over the loss of Earth 2 Tommy and Moira after he spent all his time trying to save them? What is the difference between E1 Quentin and E2 Moira? NOT. A. DAMN. THING.

L*urel is the perfect example of a narcissist who uses gaslighting tactics to abuse her victims, which in this case is Oliver Queen.

And yes, I was actually a fan of L*urel’s redemption arc at the end of Season 7. It was a bloody miracle, but it happened. So why do these writers want me to hate every single version of Bl*ck C*nary they create? 

It isn’t just 8x02 behavior. She was pretty unbearable in 8x01 too; I just tried desperately to hope for the best. The way she smugly pranced around that bunker like she invented vigilantism 

or thought Oliver cared whether or not she was dating Adrian Chase. UGH. STAHP.

By the way, what exactly was Oliver supposed to do to stop Earth 2’s destruction? She’s pissed he didn’t tell her about his secret mission with The Monitor – who by the way told him to keep it secret. So, let’s run through it shall we?

Oliver tells L*urel the multiverse is in danger and he’s on Earth 2 to get dwarf star particles because some Thanos looking reject told him to. How exactly would Bl*ck C*nary knowing that information save Earth 2? It wouldn’t have changed a damn thing because Oliver didn’t know Earth 2 was going to fry like an egg. The Monitor only told Oliver the multiverse is in grave danger. He had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. And even if Oliver did know what was going to happen and he told L*urel, I would like to know how they would have evacuated an entire planet IN LESS THAN A DAY.

Is it absolutely necessary her character be this stupid at all times? Sweet holy mother of Zeus not even Earth 1 L*urel was this bad. HOW DID THEY MAKE HER WORSE? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Oh, I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. This little tantrum is the thank you Oliver gets for SAVING HER.  Yeah, that’s right. The Monitor told Oliver that L*urel is supposed to be dead. If the writers keep talking about how KC’s character is supposed to be dead then I will not be blamed for what I infer from that. THE SHOW SAID IT. NOT ME.

The Monitor is pissed L*urel is alive because they’re stuck with her now and she will screw everything up. I acknowledge I’m summarizing from my own biased perspective, but this is pretty much what the space tin can said. Okay… well… that feels like some writers sharing their feelings about a certain someone’s contract.

Could she, for just a minute, step off the colossally high horse she sits upon? And this is not a horse that is earned. Oh no. She’s acting like she’s riding Secretariat when a donkey is what’s appropriate.

And then we have the rest of the episode which is just a massive waste of time. I can recognize KC is only getting this much screen time because EBR is not on the show – and she can recognize it too given her sudden enthusiasm for living tweeting. Unfortunately, the writers are still not able to fill screen time with LL in a way that makes sense.

We spend the rest of the episode with Laurel dinking around with getting back to Earth 2. She finds some rando scientist she knows from her Cayden James days and ugh I literally can’t type the sentence anymore because I don’t care and it was such a waste of time. Long story short, rando scientist confirms Earth 2 is destroyed. Once again, L*urel is shocked by this revelation.

Laurel: This doesn’t make any sense!

Oliver and Diggle told you repeatedly it was destroyed and you saw it – oh forget it. 

Then she tries to kill rando scientist. Good to know you’ve grown L*urel.

Unfortunately, they drag Lyla into this hot mess, but not even she can salvage the scenes. She tries to bond with LL over mutual survivor’s guilt and gives her a speech straight out of the Felicity Smoak handbook. 

It’s possible L*urel is only palatable in the vicinity of Felicity, so I can see the writing logic. Lyla is a stellar character, but a recycled clock tower speech isn’t going to fix this nonsense.

Source: felicitysmoakgifs 

Lyla may not understand why she lived and her unit was killed by an IUD, but L*urel knows exactly why she survived – because Oliver Queen saved her life.  Anything short of a thank you from her is unacceptable.

I guess we’re supposed to cheer when L*urel finally gets off her selfish ass, saves Tatsu and agrees to help Oliver & Diggle with the mission (BECAUSE SEE SHE DOES HAVE A PURPOSE), but I am too annoyed with her to care. 

Oliver continues to be the embodiment of Jesus and is insanely gracious, compassionate and forgiving towards L*urel. But I remain Team Monitor on this one. Oliver should have left her ass to fry on Earth 2.

I just need people to stop yelling at Oliver seeing as how he sacrificed any happiness he’s ever known to save the universe. My kingdom for Oliver to say this to The Monitor and L*urel:

Dyla

Diggle continues to Yoda his way through the episode. 

Source: plotbunnyshipper

If John says it isn’t Oliver’s fault then IT ISN’T OLIVER’S FUCKING FAULT. Okay L*urel? Okay Monitor? These are the laws of Arrow.

Dyla’s love language continues to be bullets and I’m very happy she’s fighting alongside hubby. 

Source: feilcityqueen 

At least one of my couples gets to be together. But Lyla working with The Monitor and not telling Diggle, or Oliver for that matter, is highly problematic.

But it doesn’t seem like Lyla is in the know much more than Oliver.

She didn’t know Earth 2 would be destroyed and is ticked the Monitor didn’t tell her because her husband could have died. The Monitor views Earth 2 as a necessary sacrifice or something to prepare Oliver for the coming battle, which I don’t quite follow because this guy reads like a bad fortune cookie.

Also, she handed over Dr. Wong so there goes Oliver’s leverage. 

I know many are wondering if Earth 1 Lyla is Harbinger, but I don’t think so. I think Arrow does some wonky stuff, but suddenly giving a character that’s been around since Season 1 secret super powers is a bridge too far.  I think the superpower Harbinger we’ll see in the Crisis crossover comes from another earth. Lyla is just Lyla, but she’s been asked to help like Oliver. Given that she’s the head of ARGUS it’s not unusual that she would know about The Monitor. I mean… Tatsu knew about him.

What’s frustrating is why she’s not telling John, but this is not a new theme for Dyla. Lyla keeps secrets from John. She views the world in grey while Diggle sees things as black and white. It’s been a continual issue in their marriage. They’ve dealt with it in previous episodes, but that doesn’t stop it from rearing its ugly head again and again. This is not unlike Olicity’s issue with secrets. Lyla = Oliver and Diggle = Felicity.

Sometimes the people we love don’t change. It doesn’t mean they are unworthy of our love or the relationship has to end. We have to learn how to make the relationship work within the parameters of accepting who our partner is.

Lyla and Oliver do what they think is right even though they often don’t consult their spouses prior to their decisions. It doesn’t make their behavior ok, but at this point it is part of who each character is. The reason Felicity and Diggle continually forgive their behavior is because both Lyla and Oliver’s intentions are always good and for a greater cause.

Source: smoaktechs

It would be nice to see Lyla tell John without being forced to or Diggle discovering she’s working with the Monitor on his own, but I’m not holding my breath.  We’ll be going one more round with Dyla and the secret issue before Arrow concludes. Unconditional love can be a bitch.  

Future Team Arrow

The flash forwards are a stellar part of a lackluster episode. The more I see of this potential spin off the more I want to see. It’s all about the Diggle brothers in “Welcome to Hong Kong” and it is JUICY stuff. 

It’s very rare when two characters are allowed to just sit down and TALK.  After agreeing to a sit down, JJ and Connor do exactly that and Joseph David-Jones and Charlie Barnett chew up the scene. We get a lot of back-story on the Diggle boys and their relationship.

JJ wasn’t always dark and twisty as we suspected. He was the prototypical protective big brother to Connor, who went through a serious rebellious phase that included drug running. The twist in their relationship comes from Diggle and Lyla’s parenting. When Connor didn’t toe the line then JJ was blamed. John held JJ responsible for Connor’s actions.

I’m sure there’s a lot more to Diggle’s side of the story, but Connor feels immense guilt. He feels JJ becoming Deathstroke is a direct result of this unfair treatment. Connor believes JJ got the shaft in the parenting department because Lyla and Diggle were so worried about him. His turn to the dark side stems from his anger, resentment and possibly even hatred of their parents. And his brother.

Do I feel John holding JJ accountable for Connor is plausible? Absolutely. John always held himself accountable for his little brother Andy. Given how their relationship ended, with Diggle killing Andy, it makes absolute sense to me that Diggle was harder on JJ than Connor. 

John never forgave himself for what happened to Andy, so when he sees Connor participating in the same activities and going down the same road, he probably pushed JJ to be the best brother he could be. John was harder on JJ than Connor just like he was harder on himself than Andy.

Guilt is a powerful. It changes who we are. It makes us view circumstances through a different lens. Diggle being gripped with fear that he would lose Connor just like he lost Andy is only natural. He wasn’t worried about losing JJ because he was the strong and steady son – just like John was.

Life is funny. The things we worry about most are seldom what end up happening. It’s the things we don’t see coming and don’t expect that are life’s toughest curve balls. Nobody parents their children exactly the same because children are not the same people. 

Children often act out too in response to their sibling’s behavior too. We see it all the time. I saw it in my family. My eldest sister was the star student and excelled at everything. I was the sick youngest. So my middle sister was the rebellious one. That was her way of getting our parent’s attention and it worked.

John and Lyla may have been so focused on losing Connor that they didn’t see JJ slipping away until it was too late. And JJ’s only way of getting his parent’s attention was to stop being the strong and steady son. Sometimes we start on a path and it leads us down a road so dark we don’t know our way back. 

That’s what Connor believes. He believes, deep down, JJ is still his loving, protective big brother and best friend. He’s just gone down this road so long that he’s lost. All Connor wants is to lead JJ back home.

Connor: When I look at you I still see the kid who would take on somebody twice is his size just because he was messing with me.

JJ: I’m not that kid anymore, Con.

Connor: Yes you are. And you can try to snuff it out. To cover it up with a mask, but I know who you are.

Unfortunately, one bro on bro chat is not going to fix whatever is going on inside JJ Diggle. In fact, things are a lot darker inside him than Connor wants to believe.

JJ: It was a nice speech, but once again you have managed to make everything about you. This isn’t about your or Dad. You both have this misguided idea about duty and family and civic pride. You fail to see the bigger picture. I have vision.

I was down with JJ’s particular brand of crazy until he touched my son. DO NOT MESS WITH WILLIAM. 

Mia and I are same on this point. 

Source: oliverxfelicity

There is a break in Mia’s tough facade as she feels genuine fear for her brother’s life. Her growing attachment to William and need to keep him safe will provide a great foil to her no holds barred approach to kicking ass. JJ has hit Mia where it hurts and he knows it.

Source: adam-strange

She promises to kill JJ if he hurts her brother, but JJ gives Mia another admiring smirk in response. This love triangle is going to be a slow burn, but it’s burning.

Once again, Mia was right about JJ and Connor’s love for his brother blinded him to how truly evil JJ could be. (He messed with The Cupcake 2.0. That’s stone cold in my book).

Source: oliverxfelicity

Should have listened to your girl Connor! Smoak women are always right!

Thus, the good versus bad Diggle brother cycle continues into the next generation. I do believe JJ will eventually be redeemed. Connor and JJ will break the toxic cycle in their family, but it will take a long time. Meanwhile, he is going to be a formidable and dangerous enemy who gets to say some seriously bone chilling lines.

JJ:  You were wrong about me brother. It was never a mask.

JJ Diggle is exactly the kind of villain I love to hate and Charlie Barnett has proven himself worthy of the Deathstroke title in two episodes.  Bravo sir.

Stray Thoughts:

New (and last) intro! SOB.  Source: feilcityqueen

The Monitor better not be blaming Oliver for E2’s destruction because that doesn’t make a lick of sense.  I’m choosing to believe he only meant that Oliver needed to follow orders and get a move on because what happened on E2 will happen again.

Lots of people have asked me why Oliver can’t call Felicity if he’s on Earth 1. Ummm… excellent question. Not sure why they can’t text or he can’t check in once and awhile. It’s not like they need Emily to fake a phone call. Are Felicity and Mia still in hiding from Emiko’s crew? I think yes. Maybe Oliver is afraid of leading them to their location… with a phone call. Yeah guys I don’t know. Just chalk it up to another Arrow logic fail.

China White was awesome in 1x02. After that she was far less awesome. We don’t need to revisit every single character as we walk down memory lane, writers.

Oliver’s “Ow” was comedy gold.

Could Bl*ck C*nary ever scream a villain into a place where they can be captured? What is up with her and tossing villains into easily escapable water? NOT HELPFUL HONEY.

“I have seen many battles. For a moment I believed this was my last. I saw Akio and Maseo but this was not my time.” 

My head canon is Oliver told Diggle what happened in the clock tower and Diggle told Lyla.

JJ calls Connor "Con." I am not ok.

Are we back to killing randos? What's the killing policy this year?

"This would have been handy ten years ago." I like Oliver’s brand of funny.

JJ = Damon and Connor = Stefan Don't @ me.

Remember how there was only one lotus flower except when they need to cure Roy so there was more than one lotus flower? I'll miss Arrow logic.

WE’RE GOING TO NANDA PARBAT NEXT WEEK BITCHES! SEX DREAM TIME!!!

Antonio Negret answered my question, so I’ve peaked.

Thanks again for the patience on the reviews. I was still recovering this week from my procedure, so I appreciate it.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 8x02 gifs credited.

3:00 “I watched her die once. I wasn’t prepared to do it again.”

Ok. This whole thing with the Monitor and Oliver kinda... grrr. The Monitor may want to stop this Crisis, allegedly, cause he still doesn’t give any explanations for anything, but he sure is being a dick while doing it. Also, Oliver Queen, who is the freaking Green Arrow, does not take orders. He gives them, because he is a leader. Which is precisely the reason why you want his help, Monitor!

7:00 - JJ and Connor is setting up to John and Andy all over again. And we know how that turned out.

8:25 - Digg to guard: “Harbinger sends her regards.”

Wait, WHAT?! Why is Digg bringing up Harbinger? What does he know? Or did Lyla just tell him to say that so he could get into that tech room?

And wasn’t that the same internet cafe Oliver went to when he was trying to tell his family he was alive way back in the early seasons? Nice callback.

9:10 - “...he picked the wrong hero.” Exactly. Don’t recruit someone for their heroism, then ask them to stand aside while horrible things happen.

10:40 - Oh hey, Tatsu! Welcome back!

15:57 - And Lyla! 

I think Lyla might be helping Laurel not because she thinks she can actually get back to Earth 2, but so that Laurel can see with finality that there is no going back home. She’s helping her process and grieve.

18:10  - “JJ got shortchanged.” 

19:43 - THE RING. That whole scene. I miss Olicity so much.

21:13 - And China White too!

29:29 - Wow. The Alpha Omega virus. Major callback to season 3. That’s what Ra’s Al Ghul was going to use on Star City and it’s what killed Tatsu’s son.

35:35 - Hmmmm. I wonder... When Lyla said she made “every deal I could think of, with any god I thought might listen,” could that have been when she met the Monitor? Am I reading too much in to this?

35:56 - “We honor the dead by fighting for the living.” Now this sounds familiar.

36:30 - Random thing. I am really enjoying Tatsu’s bangs. It’s a nice look.

37:30 - “Sometimes the mission is not worth the cost.” 

37:45 - “I left Felicity. I left my children.”

This WHOLE thing. The tears in Oliver’s eyes, the vulnerability... GAH. Tear my heart out, why don’t you? Oliver has to believe what he’s doing is the right choice because even the thought that he might have left his wife and children and the life he could have had with them for nothing, was enough to make him nearly break down. 

39:27 - JJ and Connor are totally John and Andy again. Another thing, did we ever find out what happened to John and Lyla in the flashforwards? was that ever mentioned?

45:14 - “Hi, Honey.”

Kind of reminds me of when Digg calls Lyla “sweetie”.

46:45 - For a second there I thought they might have killed Tatsu off. But then I remembered she’s in the crossover.

50:33 - Please do get some answers, Oliver. The mysterious cosmic being thing is already old. The Monitor is basically pulling the equivalent of “because I said so.”

52:10 - JJ totally played them. Connor, maybe we let Mia take the lead on this, okay? You’re clearly not thinking logically when it comes to your estranged villain brother.

53:30 - Mmmmmm nope. Still not as scary as the original Deathstroke. Slade Wilson created an entire army of supersoldiers to destroy Star City. Not to mention he killed Oliver’s mom. JJ, you have not reached that level of scary. 

54:59 - And we are going back to Nanda Parbat! I know that means Thea and Talia, but I wonder if we’ll see anyone else. Did Roy meet back up with Thea? Where’s Nyssa? 

55:15 - How does Lyla know the Monitor and how long has she been working for him? 

So many questions...

Also, I took a tally, and the number of times the word “Crisis” is mentioned in 8x02 is: 8.

Drink!