Elseworlds Arrow 709 Review

These are  my thoughts on Elseworlds, not so much as a review, but as to where I think this takes Arrow in the  future.  I  have never been  a fan  of the Crossovers.  The  only one I ever enjoyed  was the one  last year, because it seemed  more like a movie.  This  one fell  flat for me, because unless you are a comic book fan and know the characters, you are basically lost, or at least that his how we felt.  When I followed Arrow, I didn't even know he  was comic book hero.  I accidentally found it during season 3 and I had to find  out if that IT girl and  the Arrow would get  together in the  end.  Oliver and  Felicity's  story  drew me in, and so my  family and I binged  watched the  first two episodes  and  were hooked.  When I started  doing  reviews, then I watched  the crossovers.  This  year, it seemed  such a chore to  watch, but that being said, there  were some funny  moments that Oliver and Barry  gave us as  they had  their Freaky Friday moment,  two wonderful  nuggets were given us, and  a hint as to the future of Arrow.

We  had to laugh when we saw Oliver wake up  in Barry's  bedroom and  the look on  his face  when  Iris kissed  him, was hilarious. Barry's  response to Oliver  telling him he  woke up  in  his  bed  was  equally funny.  The  thing that troubled me was the  bashing the Flash  night gave Oliver.  They totally  ignored  Oliver's seven years  of growth.  Yes, Oliver has a darker nature than Barry, but Oliver's changed and I  really found  myself upset with Iris' talk to Barry (who at the time was the Arrow) telling him don't come  back  like Oliver.  It frustrated me, because the Flash writers ignored the growth we have all watched Oliver go through.  Iris was annoying. I thought really, Flash writers, do  you want to insult those of us who watch Arrow.   Her annoying comment to Barry reminded  me of all the annoying things Iris has said, like the snarky comment about Oliver and  Felicity's wedding  gift, it all served to remind me why I find the Iris character so two dimensional, like I image the comics are. Flash must be  truer to the comics, because the characters aren't fleshed out and  developed  like they are with  Arrow.  If  Barry and Iris  have a fight or disagreement,  it's all resolved by the end of the episode.  At least Arrow takes the time to develop characters and we watch them grow.  Didn't Iris tell Oliver,  who she  thought was Barry at the  time, not to be like Oliver, who made the decision to go to prison and not tell her.  Umm, didn't Barry go  back in time to save his parents, and not tell Iris?  The good thing that came from that conversation, was that  hearing how hurt Felicity was.  I think he knew Felicity was hurt, but hearing that news from someone else puts a different slant on it, and it seemed  like his  ears finally opened up his heart and it   impacted him and  shocked him. 

When the evil superman has Barry and  Oliver is  going to shoot an arrow at him,  and Barry  plead to him, "Don't do it  for me, not for me," it reminded me of season 2 of Arrow, and I thought, we aren't going back there are we?  Are we  going to pretend Oliver hasn't grown?  It seemed to cheesy  for  me.  

Another annoyance was the way they all  led  Felicity to believe that Iris always knew the difference  between the Barry and Oliver.  She certainly did not know.  She didn't know when she  kissed  him.  She  didn't know when she drugged them. It was only later when Barry talked to her that she "knew" and  even then I got the impression she took a chance that she'd be right and it was  Barry and that somehow they did  switch places.  So it wasn't like she always knew.  They always puff up Iris.

It was  annoying that Oliver didn't tell  Felicity.  I understand his  fear in  not doing so, but it seemed  like a step back.  I'm not sure I  believed  that Oliver would take a step back, after all he's  been through, but maybe this inability to trust completely even the  woman  he  loves, lies at the core of his being, and he may never give up that part of himself easily.  I personally think it was sloppy writing, and trying to give credence to Iris, an annoying  character, in my opinion.  

Now to what I did like.  I thought Caitlin's conversation with Felicity was  good.  Felicity has her own trust issues  stemming from the abandonment  of  her father.  So, of course she would feel  hurt,  and feel like Oliver made another  excuse for not telling  her or trusting  her.  Caitlin brought home a point to  Felicity that, "... if  you  have love. you have something you can't give up on.  That's something I've learned with everything  I've suffered."  Felicity needed to hear that.  One thing she has  for Oliver is love and  it is a deep love, and she knows that Oliver has that same love for her.  

                     Oliver's talk with Felicity, the one we should have gotten at the end of 708 instead of a crossover sneak peak, moved Oliver and Felicity into a good direction.  At least we can thank  them  for not making us wait for over a  month.  Oliver tells Felicity, "We're going to be okay. People change Felicity, they evolve, it means we're  growing.  Except for one thing that will not change, is  how I feel about you. Love is too small a word, and  no matter  who  you are or what you become, and no matter who I am or who  I become, this will always be, you  will always be the love of my  life.  Things may change, but this never will."  Now, we're cheering. Those honestly  were the best things Oliver has ever  said to Felicity.  Will they have their ups and  downs? Yes.  Will they argue? Yes.  But Oliver and  Felicity will get  through all their difficulties together.  Oliver  will be there for her.

How Elseworlds ends leads me to believe that season 8 will the last season of  Arrow. Kara and Barry survived.  What, if anything, did Oliver give to Monitor in  exchange  for their  lives.  My own guess is that by  Oliver's willingness to give  up something, presumably  his life, and yes, I know, doing this without telling Felicity, could have shown Monitor that Oliver was the greatest hero  that could save world, and nothing else is required  of Oliver.  Crisis on Infinite Earths, will be the crossover event of 2019, and it promises to be big. Apparently,  from what I've read there will be multiple deaths of major comic  book  characters.  In the comics Kara and Barry  die.  We know that the CW will probably not kill off  two popular characters.  So people speculate that given the flash-forwards on Arrow and not seeing  Oliver nor having his name mentioned in the flash-forwards, that it will be Oliver who  dies. This sends Felicity over the edge to the dark, evil side.  I don't buy into that theory. 

They  will not kill off the star of Arrow in mid-season. The writers want to send the viewers down the  rabbit hole.  They  want us to  believe he's going to  die, but I don't think Oliver will be dead at all at the end  of  season 8.  That being said,  I think  that enough will happen that it could  bring  the end to  Arrow. Perhaps  everyone will think Oliver died, but Felicity will find a way to save him.  I honestly don't know, but they won't kill off Oliver Queen, of that I am certain.  As you can tell, I don't think Felicity is dead either.  If Arrow does end in season 8, it will have been a  wonderful eight years of character growth  and change, and  of  a tender love story written.  

Final Thoughts:

• I didn't address Batwoman, because I don't know enough about Batwoman to talk about her. Honestly it won't be something I will choose to watch.  
• Looks  like John Diggle may be the Green Hornet.  Perhaps Arrow will spin-off into a show where David Ramsey will be the star. 
• Would I like Arrow to end at season 8?  If  there is story to tell then no.  I would like to see more, but not at the expense of non-compelling stories.  Eight years is nice run for a show. It's better to end  when  it's on top of its game