Starling Tribune - Season 8 Edition – “Starling City” Review (A CW Network Arrow Television Show Fan Podcast) ST251

 

The Starling Tribune Reporters SP, Chris and Michelle review the Arrow final season premiere episode “Starling City.” The reporters discuss their takes on all of the CW network DC Comics TV shows so far this year, what an amazing mind trip and walk down memory lane Starling City was, that the reporters are now refugees on Earth-1 (gee, thanks Arrow writers), Thea Queen’s Earth-2 heartbreaking fate, Michelle’s reaction to the Salmon Ladder scene, Diggle finally is able to stop Oliver, Oliver’s fantastic speech to Tommy (thank you Beth), Chris and SP’s head canon on the Hood versus Green Arrow fight, Oliver’s heartache at the end and what exactly might have happened to Earth-2’s Robert Queen.

 

Episode:            “Starling City” [Season 8 Episode 1]

Air Date:           Tuesday, October 15, 2019

 

Director:           James Bamford

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051466/?ref_=tt_ov_dr

                        1x Supergirl / 18x Arrow

 

Writers: Beth Schwartz

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584087/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr4

                        2x Legends / 30x Arrow

 

Marc Guggenheim

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0973233/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr5

                        18x Arrow / 10x Legends

Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stnRqN3E_l8

 

Arrow

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

01 Starling City 15-Oct-19 0.84

 

Legends Of Tomorrow

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

 

Supergirl

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

01 Event Horizon 6-Oct-19 1.26

02 Stranger Beside Me 13-Oct-19 0.97

 

The Flash

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

01 Into the Void 8-Oct-19 1.62

02 A Flash of the Lighting 15-Oct-19 1.27

 

Black Lightning

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

01 The Book Of Occupation: Chapter Two: Birth of the Blackbird 7-Oct-19 1.16

02 The Book Of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam’s Tasbih 14-Oct-19 0.63

 

Batwoman

 

Episode # / Episode Title / Episode Air / Date  / Rating

01 Pilot 6-Oct-19 1.86

02 The Rabbit Hole 13-Oct-19 1.45

 

Part 1: The Plot, Themes and Characters

• What was the overall theme? What was the link to the episode’s name?
• • Going back to where it started
  • Batman Mask on Lian Yu
  • Thea Dead
  • Malcolm married Moira - Walter gone
• Fight scenes and stunts
• • Queen Merlyn / Applied Sciences
  • • Oliver breaks in, using Moira’s card
    • People are dead
    • Alternate Arrow comes in; they fight
    • Arrow ready to hit Oliver; Black Siren - Oliver, why are you on my Earth?
  • Arrow to Merlyn; Dark Archer comes in; they fight
  • • Oliver discovers Tommy is the Dark Archer
  • Deathstroke’s people fight Mia, Zoe, and Conner
  • • Took Vasquez
    • Meet JJ!
  • Get Dwarf Star Particles
  • • Diggle - gun; Siren, Chase, and Oliver fight dudes
    • Oliver knocks out Rene and Dinah; my Earth - better teacher
    • Tommy and Oliver fight; catching arrows, sword action
    • Oliver - when we lose people, we can go into the darkness or into the light; good speech gets Tommy to power down 
  • Getting Vasquez
  • • William is Overwatch
    • Conner, Mia, Zoe 
    • JJ splits arrow
    • Plan fails; Mia - my way now
    •  
  • Escape Scene
  • • Crisis is taking everyone just like in this week’s Flash
    • Laurel, Diggle and Oliver Escape
    •  
• Time Travel / Crisis
• • Monitor - some are greater, there are heros
  • Season 1 - Oliver coming home
  • • No Walter; Malcolm and Moira are together; Tommy at mansion; Thea overdosed on Vertigo
    • Tommy - married, divorce, twice
    • Oliver mentions William, has a picture of Felicity and Mia
    • Moira - everything I’ve done, I’ve done for my children
  • Adrian on salmon ladder / Black Siren’s lair
  • • Sent to that Earth and landed on Lian Yu - 12 years on island
    • Dark Archer - Oliver: it’s Malcolm
    • No Oliver shirtless salmon ladder
  • Dwarf Star Particles - only found on that Earth
  • • Alternative energy
  • IT run by Curtis; Felicity runs SmoakTech
  • Dinah Drake - sargent - cop investigating Dark Archer attacking The Hood; Rene security for Merlyn
  • Diggle hired to guard Oliver -- Felicity figured out Oliver is on another Earth; Cisco let Diggle borrow universe hopper; Oliver tells Diggle about Crisis coming
  • Oliver - I’m trying to save others; Diggle - you’re my brother, Oliver; Oliver gets him with the same move
  • Tommy and Rene tranq Oliver
  • Tommy - nothing can save this city; Oliver - Tommy is doing the Undertaking to get revenge for Thea
  • Oliver climbs chains, falls, frees self; Diggle helps escape
  • Diggle - this Earth sucks b/c you aren’t in it
  • Oliver - I’ve been wrong before; goes to Chase and Siren for help
  • Chase figures out where Oliver is from; Chase knows Bruce Wayne
  • Oliver says good-bye to Mom
  • City under attack - vaporizes: Mom and Oliver - like comic version of Flash dying; this Earth gone
• Flashforward
• • William at cocktail party; unification 
  • • Zoe, Mia, and Conner
    • Deathstroke’s people charge in
  • Mia needs to start being part of a team
  • No wall - Deathstroke gang expand territory
• Oliver Queen / Green Arrow
• John Diggle / Spartan
• Thea Queen
• Dinah Drake / Black Canary
• Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog

 

ARROW NEWS:

 

1. Arrow Had to Clear the Destruction of [SPOILER] with The Flash Writers (Date: 16 Oct 2019)
   1. "We knew pretty fast when we started breaking the season as a whole that we wanted to start -- you know, we don't have that many episodes -- big, and we wanted to introduce the upcoming crisis immediately because that is what this season is about and what Oliver is struggling with the entire time,"Schwartz explained, acknowledging the show had approached the writers of The Flash for permission to destroy Earth-2. "They were very gracious about it."
   2. At this time, it's unknown if recurring Flash characters Harry Wells and Jesse Quick managed, both denizens of Earth-2, escaped their world's destruction. However, according to Arrow star Stephen Amell, Oliver witnessing the destruction of an alternate Earth will continue to impact him for the rest of the season.
   3. https://www.cbr.com/arrow-clear-destruction-earth-2-flash-writers/
2. Green Arrow and the Canaries: Arrow Spinoff Series Gets First Promo Poster (Date: 16 Oct 2019)
   1. A new poster for the upcoming female-centric Arrow spinoff spotlights the new Green Arrow Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara), as well as the two Canaries (Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy), Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake. The art was shared by Arrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim. "Arrow's final season bows today, so it feels appropriate to share this glimpse of its future," he wrote. Stylized to look like a comic book, the art features Laurel and Dinah in their current costumes, while Mia seems to be wearing one inspired by her father.
   2. https://www.cbr.com/green-arrow-and-the-canaries-arrow-spinoff-series-first-promo-poster/

 

1. Crisis on Infinite Earths: Stephen Lobo Cast as Jim Corrigan, AKA The Spectre (Date: 16 Oct 2019)
   1. Another DC Comics icon will make their Arrowverse debut during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. IGN can exclusively reveal that Detective Jim Corrigan, human host of the powerful cosmic entity known as the Spectre, will appear in the crossover.
   2. The CW has cast Stephen Lobo (Continuum, Supernatural) as Jim Corrigan. The network isn't confirming whether The Spectre himself will appear, though given the character's role in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths comic, that seems a distinct possibility.
   3. In the comics, Corrigan is a mortal human bonded to the Spectre, a powerful supernatural avenger. That bond is intended to give the so-called "Spirit of Vengeance" a conscience and a better perspective on mortal affairs. The two are among many heroes who do battle with the Anti-Monitor during Crisis.
   4. https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/16/crisis-on-infinite-earths-spectre-jim-corrigan-casting-crossover-cw-arrow-stephen-lobo

FEEDBACK

 

DISCORD:

 

RandyWalker

I totally forgot that Earth-2 Laurel went back to Earth-2. NGL I totally didn’t pay attention to the ending few episodes of season 7. The FTA sucked then and it’s still bad.

Adrian Chase’s hair was sexy

 

yakk0dotorg

very satisfying premiere of Arrow last night. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

StephenJondrew

Totally agree - right from start to finish.

I loved the ending seconds. It was so good. Also, the Diggle-car scene was a fantastic moment. I enjoyed how that whole Diggle debut played out.

 

E-MAIL:

 

From David:

First off I wanted to start off by saying I am going to miss your podcast. I look forward to your arrow recap every week. A couple of thoughts. Am I the only one who notices that the Queen mansion looked different. The foyer didnt look the same as it did in season 1 and 2. Also, do you guys have any speculation as to what happened to Robert Queen on Earth 2?  The last thing I remember was that he was the hood. I also know people hate the Flash Forwards but I actually think they are building to a place where Oliver will end up in the future recruiting Mia and her team, since the Monitor told Felicity in the finale of season 7 "Believe me, the world will need her as well"

 

NEXT EPISODE

 

Link to Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfj3xucI8Xk (Date: 15 Oct 2019) 

 

Episode: “Welcome to Hong Kong” [Season 8 Episode 2]

Air Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2019 

Summary: Oliver, John, Laurel, and Tatsu seek out an important person within The Monitor's plan. Connor has a heart to heart with his brother.

Director: Antonio Negret

Writers: Sarah Tarkoff and Jill Blankenship

IMDB link:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9700174/?ref_=ttep_ep_cur

Join The Starling Tribune each week as we stream live on Thursday Evenings at 7:30 PM eastern or 6:30 PM Central at www.geeks.live. Join the fun chatroom and interact with the hosts live. Contact us: @StarlingTribune - [email protected] - www.starlingtribune.com - www.facebook.com/starlingtribune - 612-888-CAVE or 612-888-2283.

 

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This podcast was recorded on Thursday October 17th, 2019.

 

Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoyed the show!

 

Audio Production by Stargate Pioneer of GonnaGeek.com.