Arrow (TV Series) Left Behind (2015) User Reviews

Three words: Emily Brett Rickards

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 17 February 2015]

My IMDb reviews of Arrow have occasionally been harsh but -- here is thing, folks, -- I STILL WATCH IT BECAUSE FLAWS AND ALL, it is still entertaining and, last time I looked, THAT COUNTED FOR A LOT.

(Unlike FLASH, which I gave up on after two episodes).

So, let us overlook the logic flaws -- this is based on a comic after all -- and try to fathom why this is one of the most engaging episodes in a long time...? Three words: Emily Brett Rickards It looks like the producers twigged to how popular she was in the "Secret Origins" episode and decided to give her some room.

Turns out she is a great actress, engaging, and establishes major connection with both male and female viewers.

Who knew?

This Suits Too Tight

[ThomasDrufke · 8/10 · 21 January 2015]

So after 6 long weeks of waiting Arrow has returned. And I mean 6 long weeks of endless speculating and theorizing as to how Oliver's death will play out and effect the entire show. This episode involved some of the best emotional moments the show has seen and saw many unusual interactions. It was a really solid episode but I cant help but think Oliver's return was underwhelming.

I was almost certain they were either going to not show Oliver in the present for 4 episodes and just have there be a huge reveal as to how he survived or have his body be seen throughout the episodes but have him not come back to life until episode 14 or so. With that being said 'Left Behind' featured some great material for the entire cast. And I have to say, I liked both Roy and Laurel in this episode. They are by far the two weakest characters (written wise) on the show so it was nice to see them step up their game in Oliver's absence. Although, I'm still not fond of the Black Canary route they are going with. I have to say I was a bit surprised that Arrow decided to take a different approach to the break between episodes. Usually they acknowledge the long break but this time it was only '3 days'.

The group was in denial for most of the episode, with Malcom finally breaking the news and presenting the evidence to them. Watching the absolute silent response to his death was pretty heartbreaking. Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity) had her best acted episode of the series. Her line about being only 25 and two of her best friends have died really hit home. She had several emotional moments and one bada** scene with Malcom. Seeing her stand up to him was the highlight of the night. She has been through so much with Oliver and I think her pain and sorrow was perfectly displayed. But she wasn't the only one who embraced their elevated screen time. Diggle and Roy shared an uncharacteristically heated moment and Laurel and Diggle gave us a look at the bond that they have formed over the past few months. Team Arrow was at an all-time high this week.

The villain this week and apparently for the next few weeks was serviceable, but we all just wanted to see more of Team Arrow. He didn't do much to further anything besides just filling in the action scenes for the week. But I did love seeing Diggle and Roy out in the field both in suits. Speaking of suits, it was cool to see Ray Palmer advance his ATOM suit, even if Felicity doesn't approve. Finally, the explanation of bringing Oliver back wasn't clear, it was surprising seeing Tatsu alive in the present day. I thought for sure she would be dead. Who knows the route they will go with this arc, but I was expecting more. Knowing Arrow they will not disappoint me though.

+Malcom visits the lair

+Felicity's strongest episode

+Some good Roy and Diggle moments

+Atom suit

+Tatsu is alive

-Black Canary

-Oliver is back already?

8.8/10

On target...

[baudalaire · 8/10 · 15 July 2021]

Ordinarily I avoid costumed (super)hero TV series and films like the plague, but this is a little different, and that difference is the characters' back-story and emotional pain so, contrary to what another review says, we don't all sit down to watch for the same reasons, or look for the same things. Of course it's wildly implausible, often ridiculous, but it's the substance to the characters that the emotional back-stories provide which has brought me along into season 3 and easily allows me to disregard its narrative absurdities.

The start of something new.

[jbrowning-w · 10/10 · 22 January 2015]

I struggled to reach a decision about this episode. I thoroughly enjoyed the new main characters (even though they're temporary) of Diggle and Roy. Malcolm's concern for Oliver's death was touching, but nobody hit me harder than felicity (Emily Brett Rickards).

Felicity was so well done in this episode that she leads the acting talent for once. John Barrowman was as good as ever and Colton Haynes (Roy) managed to scrape his way into my happy books. Haynes could have been more impressive though. Katie Cassidy was almost irrelevant in this episode except for the epic ending where we finally see our real black canary. I was disappointed that Matt Nable did not come back for Ra's this episode. Vinnie Jones was a acceptable enemy for the new arrow team. Slightly different from his other works and reminds me that he is a impressing actor.

The story is the only irritation. I truly believe it is my fault for over hyping the second half of season 3 for myself. The idea of Oliver being resurrected by the lazzarus pit and then going crazy evil would have been a amazing way to have taken the show…instead Tatsu brings him back. A little less grand than I had hoped. Atom/ Ray Palmer is going to take too long at this rate. He only just managed to get a gauntlet on and it does not even work. How very disappointing.

Just to raise one point; Black Canary is Laurel Lance. Get over it! Laurel is Dinah and Dinah is the real Black Canary. She will learn how to become a hero and will learn how to fight. She will be even more awesome than Sara was and will easily be as awesome as all the other characters.

To summarise, this episodes emotional roller-coaster left he satisfied for another seven days and will go however it goes. I know that the writers know what they are doing. I am disappointed Oliver was resurrected so soon, but at least he died and has actually died and came back. Something amazing is going to happen with Tatsu in the present coming back and bring Oliver back. The whole story is starting to come together now but it is taking it's time. Never the less, I love what arrow is doing.

+Felicity story +new lead characters. +new villain. +Tatsu resurrecting Oliver. +Perfectly captivating acting.

-Oliver is already back. -Ray Palmer is tacking his time with the A.T.O.M suit.

Rating: 9.3/10.

Great episode but trying to like Laurel is the Black Canery

[blakerogers2015 · 25 January 2015]

Wow! I loved this episode. First of all, it was great seeing Diggle and Roy take on the city without Oliver. It showed that they were loyal to his cause. And the emotional aspect to this episode was perfect. Felicity really shines in this one. It was so sad to see her denial of Opivers death and lash out on Ray Palmer due to her stability. And when she said she has already lost two friends by 25 you really felt for her. I loved the dichotomy between Diggle, Roy, and Felicity. You can tell they care about each other. I thought it was cool how Merlin went to the spot where Oliver was killed because he genuinely wanted to know and he wanted to tell those left behind. Now here is my one critique. Just to clarify I do not hate the idea of Laurel becoming the Black Canery, it just feels way to soon and forced. Oliver was on an island being trained by some of the most ruthless killers before becoming a hero. Sara was trained by the League of Shadows for years. I just find it too far fetched to believe Laurel could be this just by being trained by a boxer. If Laurel started this now and two seasons later came in or even next came in as the Canery then that I could believe a little. It just felt out of places and forced. Anyway, great episode, but just didn't like the forced Canery

Was he dead, undead, resurrected or just implausibly lucky?

[yvonneshusband · 8/10 · 13 February 2015]

Let me start by stating that I have no problem with heroes (and more particularly a real good villain) in movies or on TV surviving stuff that would kill even the toughest of the tough in real life. That said, I consider surviving a severely lacerated lung, exposure to sub-zero temperatures and a thousand foot fall implausible even by 'Die Hard' standards! If Ra's Al Ghul decided to kill Oliver by just mortally wounding him, so that he'd live until the fall killed him, HE obviously expected that that would kill even a comic book crimefighter. Then again, we do hear at the end that Oliver's been brought back to life, so we'll see what the next episode reveals...

As for the rest of the episode, we appear to have a bulletproof villain in the person of 'brick'; where has he been until now? Malcolm Merlyn is still as creepy and annoying as ever, and Laurel's transformation to Black Canary seems to be well underway, have to say she fills the suit nicely! The flashback sequences are becoming increasingly annoying; there's no real tension, as we know the characters survive to the show's 'present day', so putting them in harm's way in the 'past' is pointless. Having borrowed the 'sword catch' from Spartacus in the previous episode, this week we saw a reworked version of the opening seconds of The Dark Knight; when Oliver smacked into the bulletproof window, I almost laughed. The action sequences are still good though, and the plot is still thickening, so roll on next week's episode! One last thing though; how the hell did anyone think Brandon Routh needed to be replaced as Superman? His performance here just serves to remind anyone with a brain how perfect he was as Clark Kent, not to mention his version of Christopher Reeve's iconic Superman. Henry Cavill just plays the same part in everything he's in, if the trailer for 'Man from Uncle' is anything to go by!

Guess who's back? Back again.

[butshav · 7/10 · 25 January 2015]

'Left Behind', the mid- season premier deals with how Team Arrow chooses to cope without the Arrow. It is a depiction of what Team Arrow would be like without Oliver Queen, and if there would even be one at all.

It feels good to see Roy, Diggle and Felicity working together like a well- oiled machine, which shows how much camaraderie there is between the members, even if Oliver Queen is not present himself. The scene where we see Diggle in the hood brings me back to season 1 where Diggle had once adorned the outfit.

So Team Arrow is doing fine with Ollie, but that is only because they are still assuming he is doing fine. Well, Diggle and Roy are kind of preparing themselves for the worst case scenario, while Felicity firmly believes that Ollie is alive.

Thea is still in the unknown and I do feel a bit sad for her; training with the step- father who hypnotized her into killing her friend and her brother's ex- lover, managing Verdant, worrying about her missing brother and asking Roy if he can ask the Arrow about the whereabouts of Oliver- I know, she's in a mess. Malcolm is one unpredictable character.For all we know, we could just be starting to scratch the surface of his much darker and intricate plans. we see Malcolm looking for Oliver and being shocked and saddened at the revelation of the sword, although with no body. Merlyn's exact feelings about Thea still feel ambiguous to me. It does seem that he cares about her but then, he also purposely put her in danger. Do you know what else has been hard for me to digest? Merlyn mourning over Ollie's death? It seems… forced, seems untrue, and it has become increasingly difficult for me to believe the words coming out of his mouth. This brings me to my next point: Team Arrow's reaction to Merlyn's revelation. Felicity has the predictable reaction. She was in denial, and now she's crying over his death. Even though there is no body, and the words are coming out of Merlyn's mouth, the fact that Ollie went to fight head-to-head against the world's greatest assassin and has not been present for four days could mean nothing else, right?

This has been having a huge effect on Felicity. She is acting in ways she never would. She discourages Ray heavily, uses Anna to hope to back him off, she throws everything Ollie has been working on since Slade got locked up to waste and she is being very fragile. Diggle has been the really enjoyable character this episode though. From his dialogue about preparing for the worst, to knowing that the worst came true, to choosing to fight for what Oliver fought for, to not knowing what comes next as he shares his feelings with Laurel, have all been great. I don't believe they have been perfect, but still great. Roy, and by Roy I am heavily looking at Colton Haynes, have had a slight improvement but still continues not to impress me so much. The acting, the writing of the character and everything else needs a huge improvement for the future episodes. Laurel was good this episode, I must say. Her lawyer persona was okay, still felt the same for me, but her Black Canary persona was great!

Ray Palmer's arc has been developing really well. While he has displayed a great sense of chivalry in the past, he backed Felicity off from going too far this episode which I really appreciated.

I liked the flashbacks, although I felt that maybe this episode could have done without them. We also find out where Oliver probably learned about the arrow gadgets. And now we have the aspect I had a problem with: Oliver's resurrection. Actually, this whole thing has still not had much clarity. We don't know if Oliver was being brought back from the dead (this is what Maseo said) or if he was never dead in the first place. I would have liked this episode to not have Oliver at all; no flashbacks, no flashes of 'someone' carrying Oliver, and no revelation at the end. It would have given more time for the audience to miss Oliver while still knowing he will be back. Also, this would allow the audience to relate more with Team Arrow. Even if the flashes and flashbacks were there, I strongly dislike the idea of showing Oliver alive at the end this soon. Still, I did like the fact that Tatsu is shown to be alive. She can definitely kick some real ass and she is smoking hot. Well, to be honest, I was worried after the mid- season finale as I always thought that Maseo would die and Tatsu would become Katana. Obviously, such is not the case. So this is what I predict: In the flashback, the child died (somebody must have died, right?), but Tatsu died as well. (Remember Ollie's 'How?') Maseo, in grief, takes their bodies to Nanda Parbat, where he trains under the League of Assassins. However, he was also secretly trying to revive his dead wife and son. Only the wife survived, and Maseo has been hiding that fact. Overall, this episode was good. It did an adequate job but I believe that it could have been much better.

Guess whose back?

[brianmode · 1/10 · 22 January 2015]

Finally in like forever, an episode, without Oliver, his family, his girlfriends, and all the other nonsense contaminating any action throughout. Apart from Felicity smoking onion rings, it was an almost watchable episode.

Disregarding the million errors. Malcom going to the brotherhood's hideout, a dead man on their hit list, come on now, because he is like the super duper ninja? Everybody else knows the not so secret Arrow base, everybody except Oliver's sister whom cannot figure out her own basement. Fick as these, look at all the evidence, look now. But equally must all work for, taking over the block?

Yet within this episode it would have us believing that the dead can be resurrected by the dead. After falling hundreds of feet off a cliff, not smashed to putty, definitely not breaking any bones instantly causing paralysis. Also given lung transplants from those residing mountain goat vipers, stopping all hemorrhaging caused from drowning through internal bleeding. Days and days later. Seen from Malcom flying around the globe, and back, to Tibet, Nepal, or whenever else those not so rocky mountain cushions were.

Because maybe in later episodes it can now become, the Dark Vader Arrow. Running on those AA (AtomArrow) batteries. Becoming that cyborg arrow. when giving flash a run for his money. Not just that same zombie who always needed a pace maker. When rasping, for brains.

Back there, back again, where? It just ain't happening.....

[moardork · 1/10 · 25 January 2015]

An episode without Oliver, in forever.

What does anybody watch any superhero for? To see action first of all. Secondly to see a superhero.

Not to discover the emotional make up of Tarzan (he came from the jungle) and the rest of merry band(3 girlfriends, his sister boyfriend, finally his best mate) aided by his girlfriends dad, of inbreds. "Importantly" his greater half of the city amounting to largely 3/4 of any shown duration. Who also all now have got to have superpowers, to compete in that vigilante justice league.

Every episode, mostly about some criminal that supposed mastermind having all of those 5 minutes of air time, than getting one shot, in about 10 minutes of action.

Meanwhile the rest of the time we discover all of those things we absolutely do not care about. Amounting mostly to a hell of a lot of memory loss, amnesia, because nobody can really remember when, why, they weren't dead. That this story never actually started anywhere apart from somebodies memento. The rest of its air time is dedicated to every issue from babies, addiction, brother, sister, mommy, daddy, boyfriend, girlfriend, pizza parties. Name it, that is not related to any action superhero series, unless being that hick from small-ville. Never fully on the episode threaded topic a distraction to appearing in the weekly soap opera.

Now in this current episode it has error.

Malcolm should not being going anywhere near the brotherhood, go and figure?

Thea after all her training and arrow attack, has not yet put 1 + 1 together. How inbred is that, when everybody else is using her bar's basement, but she was not on that guest list. Her bars basement, from Atom tracking Smoke in previous episode.

I know he is called thick, but the evidence is right there, just right there, throw a grenade already, instead of not taking over the entire city.

Oliver needed two people to carry him down a mountain on that stretcher. Obviously he was dead. Lets face it. A lung being punctured right through. He will have drowned, before his skull cracked, spinal cord snapped, and every other bone in his body shattered. We even saw how high was from the camera, we also saw where the sword went through. So what is he now? He landed on a cushion surviving that impossible gravity, it was magicians sword, the blood froze causing instant clotting. Forget about frostbite. Although a zombie is resurrected by another zombie, who we have all been told was dead like 5 times now. Oh no they ain't dead, nor is anyone else in lost. Not only was he dead, he was dying for days, before anybody moved his body. Presumably miles away from the brotherhood explaining former contract, death, aid, possible motive for betrayal. Importantly was in that cave nearby. Because that would explain how somebody stretcher's somebody else, off of a cliff face.