Arrow: Bratva

February 9, 2017 5:13 AM - Season 5, Episode 12

A mission takes Oliver, Felicity and the team to Russia, where they meet up with Oliver's old friend, Anatoly...

...Meanwhile, fresh out of rehab, Lance returns to the mayor's office ready to get back to work. However, when Susan asks for an interview with Lance to discuss his addiction, Rene is tasked with keeping things on track.

Den of Geek review - Arrow never quite managed to up the stakes in "Bratva" but it certainly tried its hardest.

AV Club recap - On Arrow, you can take Oliver out of the Russian mob, but you can’t take the Russian mob out of Oliver

CBR recap - Russia Tests Everyone's Morality

posted by oh yeah! (6 comments total)

Something felt really off about Oliver's interaction with Anatoly and the rest of the Bratva. I'm not sure what it was (except for bad writing of course). Actually a lot of it felt off, like Rory being upset the Felicity blackmailed the telecom guy (with the absolute weakest blackmail material imaginable), and that crappy mentor-worship segment with Quentin and Wild Dog. Yeah, I'm not buying that. I was almost expecting him to tell Quentin the story was fake news just to throw the reporter off a bit. Plus the bit with John and Oliver disagreeing about torture techniques. I think John should know by now, Oliver is supposed to be some kind of an expert of getting info out of people the hard way. As I said, the whole thing was just not right.

Speaking of not right, I think the make-up department regulars all had the shoot off, because boy oh boy was there some really heavy (put on with a trowel) yellow foundation and dark contouring on everybody (but mainly Felicity, Oliver and the reporter). Anatoly looked like he needed somebody else to touch him up as well.
posted by sardonyx at 5:36 PM on February 9, 2017

I kept mixing up Susan and Dinah, like, "why is the reporter in Russia with Team Arrow? oh, that's New Canary", then "why is Dinah in bed with Ollie? oh, wait, now it's the reporter."
posted by oh yeah! at 6:09 PM on February 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

The first time we saw Dinah in Russia, I thought exactly the same thing.

Also, I really, really, really hope this is the absolute last time ever that there is a nuclear weapon plot on this show. They're just too casual about them.
posted by sardonyx at 6:18 PM on February 9, 2017

It was only a little surprising when I thought Oliver had brought the reporter to Russia to witness his Arrow activities and Bratva past. He seems eager to reveal his identity to everyone. He even did that last(?) season. I'd like them to mention conspiracy theory forums talking about how the mayor of Star City is the arrow/green arrow.
posted by FallowKing at 1:56 PM on February 11, 2017

We're back to the Arrow I loved. Big dumb implausible stories, slightly ridiculous characters, but some sort of good heart that carries us on. Dinah/NuCanary is a breath of fresh air. Part of what's weird about CW shows is the characters are all 25-30 but act like 16 year olds. Dinah acts like a fucking adult. She's got her own opinions, reads Oliver immediately, and is not going to put up with his bullshit.

Maybe she'll be the one to convince Oliver that sleeping with the hostile reporter lady is a bad idea. I keep hoping it'd be Felicity, standing up for herself, but she's apparently fine watching the love of her life sleep with another woman who is bent on destroying him.
posted by Nelson at 7:42 AM on February 12, 2017

Maybe it's because I've seen Carly Pope in a few things, but I didn't have any issues trying get and Dinah apart.

I thought the whole thing was a lead up to Rory leaving, but it felt forced. I was enjoying all the Bratva stuff and the moral dilemma, but the payoff with Ragman sacrificing his power was a let down.
posted by numaner at 1:28 PM on February 12, 2017