Arrow 'Midnight City' Review: Palmer Talk
Reading time: 3 minutes
This week’s Arrow starts with a dream sequence that reinforces one of my longstanding issues with the show: the love triangle.
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Wolverine=Oliver Queen?
Drawing the parallel to Wolverine seems apt at the moment, as Oliver fits a lot of the different character classifications we have seen with Logan. This season has toying with taking Oliver out of his element into Nanda Parbat. The show has a stark international feel that can be paralleled with Wolverine’s first journey into Japan in those early 70’s X-Men episodes from so long ago. These flashback scenes are smashed into the middle of the season that is just so disjointed. Palmer’s crusade is so much different than everything that is going on in this episode, which is obfuscated from the flashbacks entirely. Tying all of those disjointed pieces together is going to be nearly impossible.
Cue unnecessary flashback scene.
Aside from everything else clogging up this episode, a flashback scene is also mixed within the confines of the hour. This is a huge mistake, as the plot threads on this show can be now be counted on three hands--I DON'T HAVE THREE HANDS!
Felicity treads water--until she doesn’t.
Felicity’s storyline is continuing to spin it's wheels over the last couple of weeks. Virtually every flash explores the same things that were happening from weeks and weeks ago. Felicity steals the company helicopter on Palmer’s watch, he’s a good boss. If my boss is listening, can I have a helicopter? Ben are you reading this? Felicity finally gives in and decides to help Palmer.
Thea gets angry.
Thea’s DJ friend pops up at a random scene around club Verdant, when Malcolm Merlyn joins the fray again. Merlyn isn’t being honest with her, when Thea decided not to go his way. Roy also witnesses the moment, and gets confirmation that he is watching the show. The hero finally makes the intervention to stand against Malcolm. The ploy works, and starts digging into Malcolm, we’re still unsure as to why Malcolm wants Thea in the first place, or what dramatic stakes he adds to the show. The way these characters are starting to intersect on the show are not propelling this plot forward. After Roy’s influence finally gets to him, Malcolm tells the truth. It’s just as anti-climactic and dull as you thought it was going to be. Moving on...Malcolm only cares about Thea because of the blood relations. She finally asks him the question: what the hell are you so afraid of. Now Thea’s DJ bro being in cahoots with the League of Assassins does not make me forgive his awful characterization!
Canary cries for help
Laurel dressed up as Black Canary was something I explicitly remembered being excited for a couple seasons ago. I always thought that her transformation was going to be a moment that I was looking forward to, but the show just has not been committed enough into changing her character for that to work. The heroine’s quest still seems sloppy and not spiritual enough. Oliver’s five year’s on the island was countless time and effort spend into changing himself completely. Laurel’s alcohol bender hasn’t even given her the time to develop muscles.
A collection of DC references that we caught:
-Channel 52 ha.
-Thea’s reading a book written by Brad Meltzer, it’s probably just a coincidence...right?
-Checkmate Mr. Brickwell.
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