Sean Reid" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Sean Reid
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • X (2022)

      Sean Reid
      April 22, 2022
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • X (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 22, 2022
    • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 15, 2022
    • The Adam Project (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      March 16, 2022
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Sean Reid
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      Sean Reid
      July 30, 2019
      DVD/Blu-ray, News
    Recent
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Avengers: Endgame arrives on Digital 7/30 and Blu-ray 8/13

      psychodr
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • X (2022)
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
  • The Adam Project (2022)
  • The Batman (2022)
  • Entropy (2022)
  • Killer Sofa (2019)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Arrow 3.09 “The Climb”

Sean Reid
January 21, 2015
Reviews, TV

Arrow returns this week after the events of “The Climb.” Here’s a quick refresher on the midseason finale:

  • Mind control is a thing, and it’s a weapon in Merlyn’s arsenal (arrow in his quiver?).
  • Thea killed Sarah (CALLED IT!).
  • Dinah Lance learns the truth about Sara, and encourages Laurel to seek vengeance.
  • Maseo is now a member of the League of Assassins, and goes by a name that means “Phantom.”
  • Ra’s killed Oliver.
  • RA’S KILLED OLIVER!

Arrow309-05

First things first, let’s talk about Thea. Travel with me back to October, to revisit my review for Corto Maltese (and pardon while I gloat about being prescient):

“I’m just gonna toss this out here: I think Thea killed Sarah.”

At the time, it seemed like a long shot that Thea was the culprit. However, as I noted, it is fitting of Merlyn’s character. Which leads me to the second part of the quote:

“It seems that there is a showdown on the horizon between Malcolm and Ra’s [Al Ghul].”

We’ve already seen glimpses of Merlyn positioning himself against Ra’s in the trailer for this week’s episode. At this point is there anyone who doubts that Merlyn is out for himself? There is no way that he’s approaching Team Arrow with news of Oliver’s demise simply because he cares about their wellbeing. I don’t think it’s too much of a reach to say that this is a power play. Merlyn is setting up the chessboard, with the League on one side, Team Arrow on the other, and him in control. Which, leaves the city to fend for itself, which brings in a very unprepared Laurel and a very determined Ray Palmer (both of whom we see in the trailer).

Arrow309-03

I my review for The Magician I tried to map this out a bit:

“Merlyn’s return and Ra’s involvement is setting the stage for perhaps the biggest battle we’ve seen on this show. It would be an epic battle if it were just Ollie, Merlyn and Ra’s, but when you include [the League], Diggle, Felicity, Roy, Laurel, Quentin, and Thea, it grows exponentially in importance and difficulty. […]

Laurel also hasn’t told her father about Sara, which is clearly going to put her at odds with Quentin at some point, which in turn will put Quentin at odds with Oliver. Thea’s allegiance to Merlyn, Roy’s feelings for Thea and Diggle’s association with ARGUS only makes things that much more complicated. Seeds of a civil war being sown, and Oliver is at the center being pulled by all sides. The hero’s journey doesn’t end, it only escalates.”

Team Arrow is rapidly disintegrating, Felicity has been moving closer and closer to Ray and Dig has been stepping into his role as a father and, soon to be, husband. Roy will step up in Oliver’s absence, which makes the “Speedy vs. Arsenal” showdown almost a certainty (although I think it’s going to require more of Merlyn’s mind-control). Ray, in spite of his intentions, hardly seems prepared to take on the task of becoming Star City’s protector.

I short, Merlyn’s actions have sown almost immeasurable amounts of discord among those who are best equipped to stop him. He’s obviously learned from his previous failures, and he’s significantly upped his game.

The Climb

Which brings us back to Oliver and his journey. If The Magician signaled the call to adventure, then “The Climb” is the ordeal, where the hero descends into death. If the storyline sticks to the pattern, then resurrection is on the horizon. As an aside, Stephen Amell has said that the Lazarus Pit will not factor into Oliver’s return. I call shenanigans, but I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

My favorite theory is that the Lazarus Pits are somehow tied to Mirakuru. Perhaps the Japanese found a pit during WWII and attempted to synthesize its properties? Resurrection via Lazarus Pit is known to cause temporary madness, so it seems logical that some sort of incomplete synthetic copy would do the same, albeit with the madness being more permanent? It would be a logical way to bridge Ra’s, Slade and Oliver’s triumph over death in a, mostly, cohesive fashion. At least, it’s logical based on the rules and science as they exist on the show. Therefore, even if Amell isn’t entirely misdirecting the audience, it’s still possible that the Lazarus Pit plays a role in his return. But perhaps it’s more indirect than anyone assumes.

Regardless of how he returns, the fact is, he will return. It’s highly unlikely that the writers would kill off the namesake of the show (although, I would applaud their audacity if they did!). I predict that we’ll see Oliver return when Star City is at its darkest moment. A hero finds a way to bring healing when it is most needed.

Arrow309-02

To put it plainly, shit’s about to get real!

The Good:

  • My theory regarding Thea killing Sara seems to have been correct (although, it’s Merlyn, so there’s still room for a misdirect).
  • Alex Kingston is fantastic. Can we have more of her please??
  • The final fight between Ra’s and Oliver was spectacular. Some of the action and angles were a bit wonky, but I’ll be damned if Matt Nable (Ra’s) and Amell didn’t give it their all.
  • The ending of the episode left my jaw on the floor. It was fantastic.

Arrow309-06

The Might Be Good:

  • Alex Kingston’s Dinah seems to have just a bit of bloodlust in her eyes. I think there’s more to her than we realize. Perhaps Sara wasn’t the first Lance woman to be a member of the League?
  • There’s a whole bunch of ugly on the horizon for Star City. I can’t wait to see how Team Arrow and Ray Palmer step up. But, at the same time, without Oliver their missions could all go sideways very quickly.

Arrow309-07

The Bad:

  • Some of the dialogue in this episode was just At times it was like listening to something written as part of a high school drama club. This show has historically struggled with the “touching” moments, and this was certainly one of those times.
  • Continuing from the previous point, Alex Kingston seemed to be saddled with the worst dialogue. Some of her scenes would have been downright unwatchable had it been any other actor.
  • Rounding out the Doing Wrong By Kingston trio, who the hell decided to flatten that poor woman’s hair?
(Visited 57 times, 1 visits today)

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Alex KingstonArrowBrandon RouthColton HaynesDavid RamseyEmily Bett RickardsJohn BarrowmanKatie CassidyMatt NableSean ReidStephen AmellWilla Holland

Bubblegum Crisis: Yesterday’s Tomorrow, Today
Our Top Five Favorite 2014 Family Films

About The Author

Sean Reid

Sean Reid is a lifelong comic fan and survivor of the 90's comic boom. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English which he somehow turned into a job as a web developer.  Follow him on Twitter @torchcodelab.

Daily Top Ten

  • Page to Screen: The Boys Season OnePage to Screen: The Boys Season One by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • EZMM Day 1.2: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)EZMM Day 1.2: Children Shouldn’t Play With… by Paul Brian McCoy
  • 2015 Top Ten Favorite TV Shows 2015 Top Ten Favorite TV Shows by Psychodr
  • The Watcher (2016)The Watcher (2016) by Jessica Sowards
  • Lost in Translation 216: St. Trinian’sLost in Translation 216: St. Trinian’s by Scott Delahunt
  • Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan's IslandLost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan’s Island by Scott Delahunt
  • The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have… by Corin Totin
  • A Work in Progress: The Punisher (1989)A Work in Progress: The Punisher (1989) by Paul Brian McCoy
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • Page to Screen: The Boys Season OnePage to Screen: The Boys Season One by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Superman II (1980)Superman II (1980) by John Clark
  • Advance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer LivesAdvance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer Lives by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Nice Guys Finish First: The Death of Masculinity in Friday the 13th (2009)Nice Guys Finish First: The Death of Masculinity in… by The Final Girl
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

Latest Reviews

  • X (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 22, 2022
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 15, 2022
  • The Adam Project (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    March 16, 2022

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E38 - Greg And Joel's Favorite Modern Figures, Part 1

Greg & Joel (@OrderOfBattlePod) break down their favorite modern figures from the first half of the line. 
---
Listen to the guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #OrderOfBattle @AnythingJoesPod #GIJoe #Habro
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan's Island

Gilligan’s Island was escapism comedy, with everyday and weird science devices made from bamboo and coconuts. 
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#GilligansIsland #LostInTranslation #BobDenver #AlanHaleJr #JimBackus #NatalieSchafer #TinaLouise #DawnWells #RussellJohnson
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: Unboxing Kotobukiya's Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes II) & Mighty Jaxx's Off Werk Snake Eyes Vinyl!

Greg takes a quick look at two new releases in the world of GI Joe statues and collectibles!
---
Watch Greg at the link in our profile!

#GIJoe #AnythingJoes @AnythingJoesPod #DawnMorano #SnakeEyes2 #SnakeEyes #Kotobukiya #MightyJaxx #OffWerk
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 414: I Love You, Colonel Sanders! (2019)

The game has a heart, and that heart is Colonel Sanders.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#ColonelSanders #KFC #LostInTranslation #ILoveYouColonelSanders
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 413: Cloak & Dagger (2018)

Cloak & Dagger is a coming-of-age story with superheroes, a teen drama with superheroes, and works as such.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #MarvelComics #MarvelTelevision #CloakAndDagger #AubreyJoseph #OliviaHolt
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Popcorn Cinema Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Popcorn Cinema 48: THE MULTIVERSE IS MADNESS

POPCORN raises his hands, putting them together in front of his face. He then pushes his face slowly through them as if he's giving birth to himself. 
---
Read more of John's reviews at the link in our profile!

#DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce #SamRaimi #Daniels #BenedictCumberbatch #MichelleYeoh #ElizabethOlsen #JamesHong #JamieLeeCurtis #KeHuyQuan #StephanieHsu
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E37 - G.I. Joe #12 / Three Strikes For Snake-Eyes!

It's the start of one of the most iconic Joe stories in it's entire history, and it includes the return of two pivotal characters from the past! Join Greg and Jaren as they venture into Rio Lindo to root out Cobra's next devious plot!
---
Watch Greg and Jaren at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes @anythingjoespod #GIJoe #MarvelComics #SnakeEyes
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 412: Good Omens (2014 BBC Radio Dramatisation)

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was first published in 1990 and was a comedy about Revelations and Armageddon.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #GoodOmens #NeilGaiman #TerryPratchett #BBC #MarkHeap #PeterSerafinowicz #JimNorton #AdamThomasWright #JosieLawrence #Charlotterichie #ColinMorgan #CliveRussell #JuliaDeakin #BBCRadio
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E36 - Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022

Greg & Jaren recount their experience meeting Larry Hama at the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022. Plus, the latest news, recent acquisitions, and listener mail!
---
Listen to Greg and Jaren's podcast at the link in our profile!

@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #GIJoe #Mezco #LarryHama
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Anything Joes: S01E38 – Greg And Joel’s Favorite Modern Figures, Part 1

    Greg Engle
    June 24, 2022
  • Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan’s Island

    Scott Delahunt
    June 24, 2022
  • Anything Joes: Unboxing Kotobukiya’s Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes II) & Mighty Jaxx’s Off Werk Snake Eyes Vinyl!

    Greg Engle
    June 15, 2022

TWITTER

My Tweets

Look Who's Talking

Oliver Ghingold
Oliver Ghingold - 2/18/2022
Muppet Madness: You’re the Director
Do you still have these tapes? I've been looking everywhere for them! I loved the Interactive Vision...
white swan
white swan - 12/22/2021
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
I enjoyed the article though I would never call brutality gorgeous.
Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 10/26/2021
13 Days of Halloween Day 12: Halloween Kills (2021)
Very disappointing, it's true. And very mean-spirited murders of nobodies. And I don't even see how...
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
%d bloggers like this: