Starling Tribune – Season 5 Edition – Penance (A CW Network Arrow Television Show Fan Podcast)

The Official Arrow Podcast of the Gonna Geek Network

Episode:          “Penance” [Season 5 Episode 4 ]

Air D

ate:      Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Director:     Dermott Downs

                   http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0236173/?ref_=tt_ov_dr

                   3x Arrow | 5x Legends of Tomorrow | 5x The Flash | 3x Supergirl | 1x iZombie | 2x The Originals | 1x Gotham

Writers:      Brian Ford Sullivan

                   http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6893205/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr4

9x Arrow | 7x Vixen

Oscar Balderrama

                   http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2421455/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr5

8x Arrow | 1x Drop Dead Diva | 2x Eli Stone

Promo: http://comicbook.com/2016/10/19/arrow-season-5-episode-4-penance-sneak-preview/  

Weekly Ratings

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

01 Legacy 5-Oct-16 1.89

02 The Recruits 12-Oct-16 1.94

03 A Matter Of Trust 19-Oct-16 1.79

04 Penance 26-Oct-16 1.87

05 Human Target 2-Nov-16

06 So It Begins 9-Nov-16

07 Vigilante 16-Nov-16

08 Invasion 30-Nov-16

09 What We Leave Behind 7-Dec-16

10 Who Are You TBD

Part 1: The Plot, Themes and Characters

• What was the overall theme for this episode / What was the link to the ep. name
  • Dig wants to pay his Penance
  • Felicity paying penance for Havenrock
• Fight scenes & Stunts: Share your thoughts
  • Prison escape is straight out of The Dark Knight (add it to the bat checklist)
• Flashbacks: Share your thoughts
  • Ollie is Bratva now
    • Got info on Kovar; killed guy
• Ollie:  
  • Determined to make sure Diggle doesn’t abandon family
  • Team still needs a lot of work
  • What do we think of his plan with Lyla to free Diggle? (a can of stuff that eats through anything but the can it’s in)
• Diggle
  • The bromance is back
  • Ollie changes his mind real quick on escaping
• Thea
  • Uses gout as Ollie’s health excuse
  • Definition of gout by WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/tc/gout-topic-overview#1
• Felicity
  • Doesn’t like plan to save Diggle
  • Takes charge of team when Ollie leaves
  • Has talk with Rory
  • Allows team to take on Church after Rory comes back
  • Tells team to leave Wild Dog behind (why couldn’t Ragman, who can block bullets and blasts, not go in and save Wild Dog?)
  • Says that her legacy is Havenrock; has to live with that mistake for the rest of her life (not really a mistake b/c Darhk’s fault and stuff)
• Quentin Lance
  • Scenes w/Thea – fatherly bonding
  • Drives getaway van
  • Been sober for a week
• Curtis
  • Has good instincts – why would Church steal something you can buy? – cut off by Felicity
  • Knife in back
  • Is Mr. Terrific (but they need to get a better stunt double for him)
• Wild Dog
  • He is the team punching bag, keeps taking beatings each week
  • Ruins mission at top of episode; missed shots
• Artemis
  • Gets her name and her bow
  • Writers need to develop her character more
• Ragman
  • Comes back to the team
  • Felicity okays team into field after he comes back
  • Has a legacy to live up to – his father and grandfather were both Rory and had the rags
  • Makes Felicity promise that they will learn how to move forward and not get swallowed by guilt
• Tobias Church
  • Organized, planner, sees the big picture
  • Knows he’s a villain and delights in it
  • Vows to break Wild Dog
  • Men are loyal
• Prometheus
  • Not in episode
  • List of suspects is long (Michelle’s list is long)
• Bratva
  • Bratva is family
  • Anatoly must have a lot of trust with his men if his men are okay with him bringing an American into the family
• D.A. Adrian Chase
  • Get a little dirty to clean up the filth
  • All of the justice now comes from vigilantes

CURRENT EPISODE DC EASTER EGGS & POP CULTURE REFERENCES

Season Episode  “Penance” (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
Article: http://comicbook.com/2016/10/27/arrow-easter-eggs-and-other-things-you-might-have-missed-in-pena/   

1. The Name Game – Artemis and Mr. Terrific got their names this week
2. Kord Industries – Kord Industries, a fixture in seasons 2 and 3 but less common in 4 and so far in 5, is the name of the tech company owned and operated by Ted Kord. In the comics, Ted is one of three people who have gone by the name of Blue Beetle. A heroic legacy that started in 1940, Kord’s version of the Blue Beetle was the most Green Arrow-like: an inventor and industrialist who didn’t have any special powers but who did have a lot of tech, mostly Beetle-themed. It’s rumored that he was supposed to be the character who eventually evolved into Ray Palmer, but DC had other plans for the character — widely believed to be the forthcoming Booster Gold movie.
3. Tech Village – This not-quite-a-Best-Buy is the name of the store where Felicity Smoak worked at the beginning Arrow’s third season. This may be the first time it’s had an in-story reference in at least a full season that wasn’t just a brief callback to “Felicity worked there once.” It is also, due to Ray Palmer’s attempts to recruit Felicity to work for him, a subsidiary of Palmer Tech.
4. Palmer Tech – Of course, this is the company formerly owned by Ray Palmer, and then Felicity Smoak. Before that, it was Oliver’s company, which he signed over to Ravager as part of Deathstroke’s attack on Oliver and the city. It’s unclear who owns it now — maybe it’s just whichever stockholder has a plurality and nobody exciting at all — but after four years of the company being one of the most regularly-used sets on the show, this is the first time we’ve gone back this year.
5. Amertek – Church took RPGs from Amertek? We weren’t going to mention Amertek necessarily, since we just talked about it a couple of episodes ago, but it’s definitely worth noting that in the comics, the company’s most notorious weapon is a modified RPG colloquially called a Toastmaster, which was designed by John Henry Irons during his time working for Ametek.
6. Cell 1138 – John’s cell number is a nod to THX 1138, George Lucas’s directorial debut. It’s arguably better known among the average moviegoer for giving the first bit of its name to THX, Lucas’s revolutionary sound system, but the film itself remains one of Lucas’s best-reviewed works and a reminder that he did great work outside of just Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It’s worth noting that at one point in the film, the title character THX and one of his fellow prisoners (SEN 5241) stage a jail break from a facility where most of the other inmates have no desire to leave — kind of like Diggle had no desire to leave at the start of the episode.
7. Molecular Destabilizer – That spray, used to immediately and dramatically destabilize the molecules in anything it’s sprayed on (how does it stay in the bottle?), feels like a nod to the universal solvent in the first arc of All-Star Squadron.In that story, a solvent designed by villain Dr. Zodiak was used to dissolve everything from walls to guns, and made the gimmick weapons used by a number of Justice Society of America members pretty useless.
8. Callback – This one is kind of an odd mention, but it’s interesting to note that Friedkin’s comments to Oliver in jail — “do you think you scare me more than him?” — are echoed in the present day almost immediately by the man being interrogated by Adrian Chase.

ARROW NEWS:

1. Marc Guggenheim reveals the title of Arrow’s 100th episode (Date: 23 Oct 2016)
   While Arrow takes its hundredth episode to celebrate the four-plus seasons that have come before, it also has to balance the needs of a four-show crossover that will bring Supergirl into The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Guggenheim said, “Arrow episode 508 is called ‘Invasion!’ with the exclamation point. And Legends of Tomorrow 207 is going to be ‘Invasion!’. I’ll leave it up to you to guess what The Flash is called.”
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/23/marc-guggenheim-reveals-the-title-of-arrows-100th-episode/  
2. Is Tommy Merlyn really Prometheus? (Date:23 Oct 2016)
   The article discusses the possibility that Tommy Merlyn could be Prometheus. Tommy could be alive due to Flashpoint or Malcolm using the Lazarus pit. Since producers like Marc Guggenheim has said “Oliver bears a measure of responsibility for the creation of Prometheus,” longtime viewers are convinced the villain is more so connected to Oliver as a person than as a vigilante.
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/24/arrow-is-tommy-merlyn-really-prometheus-/   
3. Stephen Amell posts bloody Arrow selfie (Date: xx month year)
   “Arrow” lead Stephen Amell has posted a bloody selfie indicating that he shot quite a violent scene over the weekend. Amell is sporting long locks and facial hair, indicating that this beating he takes will occur during one of “Arrow’s” trademark flashback sequences.
   Link:http://www.cbr.com/stephen-amell-posts-bloody-arrow-selfie/  
4. David Ramsey reveals how Diggle will respond to Flashpoint changes (Date:24  Oct 2016)
   Flashpoint changed Diggle’s family. How will Diggle handle the revelation? “Much more compassionately than you might think,” Ramsey said. “Diggle can’t miss anything he’s never had and ‘Flashpoint’ changes history — it changes his history directly — so he never can really miss Baby Sara anymore, because he never had her, but he is concerned about Barry. Barry’s actions were reckless, and with all that power, being reckless — to someone as disciplined as Diggle — comes as a shock.”
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/24/david-ramsey-reveals-how-diggle-will-respond-to-flashpoint-chang/  
5. Arrow season 5 episode 10 title revealed (Date: 25 Oct 2016)
   Marc Guggenheim has taken to Twitter and finally revealed the title for Season Five’s tenth episode. The tenth episode of Season Five is called “Who Are You?” Guggenheim informed fans that the episode was now in production under director’s Gregory Smith guidance.
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/26/arrow-season-5-episode-10-title-revealed/  
6. Arrow: Wild Dog, Artemis, & more weigh in on their character’s pasts (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
   Wild Dog. Artemis. Ragman. Aside from their involvement in Team “Arrow,” fans know virtually nothing about Oliver Queen’s new recruits — but that’s about to change. Though the three “Arrow” stars were unable to offer too many details, Joe Dinicol, Madison McLaughlin and Rick Gonzales teased some new information about where their characters came from, why they became vigilantes and what affects their dynamic within the team.
   Link:http://www.cbr.com/arrow-wild-dog-artemis-more-weigh-in-on-their-characters-pasts/  
7. Stephen Amell reveals how Arrow’s hundredth episode begins (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
   “The hundredth episode of Arrow begins in a very appropriate way: it begins with Oliver running,” Amell revealed. “We’ve had him running into the premiere almost every year, we didn’t have him running in this year, but we have him running in the hundredth episode.”
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/26/stephen-amell-reveals-how-arrows-hundredth-episode-begins/  
8. Arrow’s Stephen Amell talks Casey Jones/Wild Dog comparisons (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
   Amell has a sense of humor about Wild Dog being in a hockey mask like Casey Jones. “One of the producers asked me, ‘Do you think this is too on the nose?’ I was like, ‘No, becuase why are we doing this show if we’re not going to have fun with something like that?'”
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/25/arrows-stephen-amell-talks-casey-jones-wild-dog-comparisons/  
9. The comic book history of the Vigilante  (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
   The article focuses on the Adrian Chase story as that is the version currently popping up on Arrow. His origin was pretty straight forward. His role as a D.A. put him on someone’s hit list and his family got killed because of it. By the second issue of the series, Chase was already questioning his choice of taking the law into his own hands. The character was a unique look into the side of vigilantism that doesn’t normally get addressed in comics. We see the physical and legal ramifications and even some of the aspects of getting lost in the battle.  
   Link:http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/10/26/comic-book-history-vigilante/  
10. Arrow: Is Adrian Chase the Vigilante already? Actor Jose Segarra weighs in (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
    In the season 5 premiere of Arrow, Felicity Smoak showed Oliver Queen an image of somebody wearing ski goggles. Supposedly a police artist’s sketch of an anonymous vigilante working in Star City, Team Arrow haven’t mentioned him again since — although longtime comic book readers recognized him. The image was that of Adrian Chase — better known as Vigilante. So if tonight is Vigilante’s genesis, what’s the deal with that police sketch? We asked Josh Segarra, who plays Chase, to clarify. “That’s what I think is going to be interesting, is what parts of the comic are we going to get to put on the show?” He responded when ComicBook.com asked him about the police sketch. “I know the answer to that but the audience don’t. But that’s what been great is that we’re trying to keep it as much as we can in that world, but also keep it exciting because I don’t want any plot twists to be a thing where people are expecting something and don’t get them.So I’m hoping that we get the right pieces along the way. So now I’m getting to tell that backstory and we get to tell the biggest pieces and get to show him becoming who he is before episode 7.”
    Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/27/arrow-is-adrian-chase-the-vigilante-already-actor-josh-segarra-w/  
11. How Deadshot’s Surprise Cameo Came to Be (Date: 20 Oct 2016)
    Marc Guggenheim was asked how the surprise came to be and it’s actually a pretty simple story.  “It’s always a case-by-case thing. In this case, it was really simple. I went to the writers’ room, this was a pitch on the table, I shot an email off to [DC Comics CCO] Geoff Johns, I got a response back, and Deadshot’s in the episode.”
    Link:https://www.cinemablend.com/television/1568149/how-arrows-surprise-suicide-squad-cameo-came-to-be
12. People’s Choice awards (Date: xx month year)
    Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends are on the list for best Sci-Fi/Fantasy show; Stephen Amell is up for Sci-Fi/Fantasy actor and social media star. You can choose up to five for each category. Can write in nominees. Starting November 15th, the voting process for the winners start.
    Link:http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/    

DC TV NEWS

1. Flash, Supergirl join team Arrow in CW crossover pic (Date: 24 Oct 2016)
   A photo posted by “Arrow” actor Rick Gonzalez teased the team-up, which fans will see hit their TV sets in a month’s time. The image shows “Arrow” characters Ragman (Joe Dinicol), Mister Terrific (Echo Kellum) and Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez) standing alongside other series’ leads the Flash (Grant Gustin) and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) as well as director James Bamford. This year’s crossover between CW’s DC shows will begin in “Supergirl” on November 28 and continue through the week’s DC shows, including “Flash” on November 29, “Arrow” on November 30 and “Legends of Tomorrow” on December 1.
   Link:http://www.cbr.com/flash-supergirl-join-team-arrow-in-cw-crossover-pic/  
2. Meet the new Vixen..or is that the old Vixen.. (Date: 23 Oct 2016)
   With the second season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow we’ve been introduced to a second woman wearing the Vixen costume. Maisie Richardson-Sellers plays Amaya Jiwe the grandmother of Mari McCabe (Megalyn Echikunwoke). In the video below she talks about her character and how the sensibilities of the 1940’s work into who she is.
   Link:http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/10/23/meet-new-vixen-old-vixen/   
3. 15 times Supergirl empowered women (Date: 25 Oct 2016)
   Part of the show’s appeal is that young fans can safely watch “Supergirl” without parents worrying about its content. Because “Supergirl” doesn’t have bloody violence or sex scenes, pint-sized audiences can dig on the superhero genre, all the while watching a a female superhero who is worthy of their admiration.The show has a dreamy view of the world that encompasses diversity, fairness and empowerment. Let’s take a look at 15 times “Supergirl” empowered women.
   Link:http://www.cbr.com/15-times-supergirl-empowered-women/  
4. The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker on the Invasion! Crossover, and why she’s excited Caitlin is single  (Date: 25 Oct 2016)
   The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker joined ComicBook.com to talk about how excited she was to get to be a part of the Arrow hundredth episode, which is part of said crossover. Also in the article is a video of ComicBook.com’s interview with Rick Cosnett, who played Eddie Thawne on The Flash, During the interview, Rick hints that Eddie could return.
   Link:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/25/the-flashs-danielle-panabaker-on-the-invasion-crossover-and-why-/  

1. Arrowverse will offer Damien Darhk a chance for redemption (Date: 27 Oct 2016)
   Damien Darhk may have died in the “Arrow” Season 4 finale, but that’s not the end of his story. Neal McDonough — who plays the nefarious head of HIVE — has a recurring role on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” another series in The CW’s “Arrow”-verse, and there he may just find himself on the side of the angels. Asked if there was any way Darhk could be redeemed, McDonough said, “Just had that conversation. Yes. There is one way that we can redeem him.” As to whether or not we’ll see that sometime soon, he added, “At some point, you will.”
   Link:http://www.cbr.com/arrowverse-will-offer-damien-darhk-a-chance-for-redemption/  

NEXT EPISODE

Promo for Next Week: Episode – “Human Target” (Date: 26 Oct 2016)
Article:http://comicbook.com/2016/10/26/arrow-season-5-episode-5-human-target-sneak-preview/  

Episode:   “Human Target” [Season 5 Episode 5]

Air Date:       Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Summary:    When Tobias Church captures and tortures one of Oliver’s new recruits, Oliver must turn to an old friend, Christopher Chance AKA the Human Target, for help. Meanwhile, Felicity’s worlds collide when Detective Malone joins the ACU.

Director:       Laura Belsey

Writers:         Oscar Balderrama and Sarah Tarkoff

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5584148/?ref_=tt_ep_nx  

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This podcast was recorded Thursday October 27th, 2016.

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

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