Arrow: Checkmate

March 16, 2017 4:58 AM - Season 5, Episode 16

Oliver gets closer to the truth about Prometheus. Meanwhile, Helix refuses to continue helping Felicity until she does a favor for them.

AV Club recap - Arrow reveals its main villains, and they are terrifying

CBR recap - Oliver Comes Face to Face with His Worst Enemy

IGN review - Everything is out in the open now.

Den of Geek review - Checkmate might be the best episode of Arrow Season 5 so far!

EW recap - Thank God someone finally brought up the Arrow voice

posted by oh yeah! (8 comments total)

Random questions that occurred to me as I was watching this:

1) If Talia didn't tell Oliver she was related to Ra's, why did Felicity's notes say "demon"?

2) Why hasn't the Star City police department done something to make that alleyway behind the station safer? (Or blocked off that door permanently?) That's not the first cop we've seen attacked there?

3) Where were they keeping Pike? In the hospital supply closet?

4) If Adrian was in control of the elevators why would Olive tell Susan to take the elevator back up to safety?

5) Why did Dinah need to wait for Curtis to rescue her and Rene from the room? Couldn't she canary cry her way out?

6) Anatoly said they needed more more to attack the hockey rink. Oliver said he knew somebody. Didn't that seem as if he were going to ask Talia to accompany them and not give Anatoly a lecture about releasing his inner demon (pet) Hood person?

Overall, I'll be so sorry to see Anatoly's character disappear back into the woodwork when this Russian flashback arc is over. He does a better job of calling Oliver on his crap than John does.
posted by sardonyx at 11:38 AM on March 16, 2017

stop asking things that makes sense!

"What is this thing you’re doing with your voice?” was perfect gold
posted by numaner at 12:08 PM on March 17, 2017 [3 favorites]

On the plus side I was so happy when Dinah shot Rene down with the Lassie comment. It's about time somebody put the little twerp in his place. And yeah, you're right. Anatoly's comment about Oliver's Hood/Arrow voice was perfect, and just another reason why he'll be missed.
posted by sardonyx at 12:14 PM on March 17, 2017

"What is this thing you’re doing with your voice?” was perfect gold

Also good, when he gives Ollie grief about the making himself into some creature and mentions a bat.
posted by phearlez at 6:45 PM on March 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

Did he actually say bat or did he say pet? When I first heard it I processed it as bat, but after a second or two, I decided I must have misheard it and that he actually said pet. Bat really doesn't make sense in context whereas pet does (as something that is separate from you, but that you can name, control and be responsible for).
posted by sardonyx at 8:45 PM on March 19, 2017

Why do You hate fun? :(
posted by phearlez at 2:33 PM on March 20, 2017

Sorry. I've got nothing against fun. I swear! I just needed a reality check that my mental and physical faculties are working properly--especially since a review or two also mentioned "bat." I can assure you my logical brain was at war with my fangirl heart over the interpretation.
posted by sardonyx at 4:54 PM on March 20, 2017

I came here to echo sardonyx' question about Pike. Why is his hospital bed in a supply closet? I mean this show does some baffling things sometimes, but that one went unexplained.

Good things this episode: Adrian finally coming out of the closet. Helix finally getting serious screentime.
posted by Nelson at 6:59 AM on April 2, 2017