Thursday, January 30, 2014

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 12 - Tremors

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

As Laurel Lance continues to sink deeper into an alcohol-fueled downward spiral and Moira Queen considers a run for office as Mayor against Sebastian Blood, Oliver Queen busies himself with the training of Roy Harper.  But Roy is itching for a chance to prove himself in the field and he is quickly given his chance as Bronze Tiger is sprung from jail to retrieve a dangerous device - the prototype of the machine that Malcolm Merlyn used to destroy The Glades!  With the city endangered once again, can Roy finally learn the focus and control needed to harness his super strength?  And how far will Ollie go to gain Roy's trust?

In the island flashbacks, Ollie and Sara race against time to stop Slade from using Eddie Fyers' last missile launcher to destroy Professor Ivo's ship.


Influences


Green Arrow: Year One
(The Island sequences), Green Arrow:Quiver (Roy's flashback regarding how Oliver trained him to be patient) and John Ostrander's Suicide Squad.


Goofs


How the heck does Roy track down where Bronze Tiger and Armitage are meeting? 


Artistry


The fights between Arrow and Bronze Tiger are well choreographed.


Trivia


The arms dealer who hires Bronze Tiger  to steal the prototype earthquake generator is named Milo Armitage.  This is also the name of a villainous arms-dealer from the original Green Arrow comics - one who was the step-father of the second Green Arrow, Connor Hawke.

Milo Armitage warns Bronze Tiger to stay out of Markovia in the immediate future.  Markovia is a fictional European country in the DC Universe.  It is primarily known as the home nation of the earth-manipulating superhero Geo-Force.  Curiously, the Earthquake machine was officially referred to in Episode 121 as "The Markov Device."

The "squad" Amanda Waller offers Bronze Tiger a chance to join is a reference to The Suicide Squad.  The Suicide Squad was a comic series built around the idea of the federal government offering time off the sentences of super-criminals who agreed to work dangerous missions on their behalf..

The population of Starling City is approximately 600,000.


Dialogue Triumphs


Ollie:
(disbelievingly) You hacked into a prison system network?
Felicity:
Is that judgement I'm hearing?
Ollie:
Pride!

(After being told her name-being well known could help her become Mayor)
Moira:
Charles Manson is rather well known and no one is going to vote for him.

Arrow:
You cannot bring Thea into this.
Roy: 
But how am I supposed to lie to her and protect her at the same time?  How do you do it?  How do you keep secrets from the people in your life?
Arrow:
By remembering it's the only way to keep them safe.
Roy: No. Keeping them safe is what keeps them safe.

Thea: (To Moira)
Can I make a suggestion?  Instead of punishing yourself because you think you destroyed the city, how about you start by saving it? 

Roy: (looking at the unmasked Ollie) 
You're...
Ollie:
.... yeah.  Yeah.
Roy:
Last year you saved my lifeI don't mean from the guy who kidnapped me, I mean you... you saved me.  You gave me a purpose.
(Roy offers Ollie his hand.  Ollie shakes it.)
Ollie:
We're just getting started.

Amanda Waller:
I have an offer for you.  A way to work off your sentence.  As it turns out, I have need of someone with your... singular qualifications.
Bronze Tiger:
For what?
Amanda Waller:
For a unit I'm putting together.
Bronze Tiger:
What type of... unit?
Amanda Waller:
Actually... it's more of a squad.

Roy:
Is this the part where you kill me because I know your secret?
Ollie: You actually think that I'd kill my sister's boyfriend?!
Roy:
Well, you DID shoot me in the leg.

Roy:
So does this group have a name?  Team Arrow or something?
Ollie:
We don't call ourselves that.
Felicity:
I do.  Occasionally.
Ollie:
Stop.
Diggle:
Whatever.


Continuity


Bronze Tiger was first seen in episode 202 and has apparently been in prison since then.

Ollie has Roy slap water to learn control, just as Shado had him slap water in 119.

Ollie confirms that he put an arrow into Slade's eye and that Slade eventually learned the truth of how Ollie was indirectly responsible for Shado's death from someone besides Ollie.

Joanna De La Vega - Laurel's co-worker from CNRI - appears for the first time since 123.  She has apparently helped start a new law firm since that time but lacks the pull to get Laurel a job there.

Laurel is informed that disbarment procedures have officially begun regarding her conduct.

Roy is now strong enough he can break a gun with his foot.

We see a mysterious man slipping something into Laurel's drink at Verdant as Thea calls her a cab.

Roy refers to the events of 118.

Walter Steele is aware that Thea is Malcolm Merlyn's biological daughter.  Apart from him, the only one who knows besides Moira and Malcolm is Moira's ob/gyn.

Amanda Waller, last seen in 206, approaches Ben Turner about joining her Suicide Squad.

Sara Lance comes back to Starling City to check up on Laurel after Ollie calls her. 


The Fridge Factor


More of Laurel playing the victim who needs to be saved from herself.  Ho-hum.


The Bottom Line


This is a very busy episode but its largely an enjoyable one.  The focus on Roy pushes his story arc into a whole new place but all of the supporting cast get some time to shine, from Moira's new role as aspiring Mayor to Quentin's quiet desperation to get his daughter some professional help.  As usual, the bits dealing with Laurel's addiction issues are the weakest but at least it seems they are finally bringing said arc to an end.

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