Arrow, Heir to the Demon, part one
After not blogging here for a bit, we'll be busy today. Because last night's Arrow, was, um -
Well, it deserves two posts. Let's start with the biggie:
EVERYONE.
WE HAVE A CANONICALLY BISEXUAL SUPERHERO ON A BROADCAST TELEVISION SHOW.
Not just that: we have a canonically bisexual superhero who kicks ass and does awesome motorcycle stunts and cares down to the depths of her deep little heart about a seriously twisted up ninja assassin chick who will get you through airport bureaucracy with a mere flick of multiple weapons and a charming smile (let us all handwave that scene like mad, everyone! Wave your little hands and make airport security and the inevitable huge police chase after that go away because, well, this is a city that thinks Moira Queen is a viable candidate for mayor. WAVE YOUR HANDS LOTS MORE.) Who kissed said ninja assassin chick right in front of Oliver Queen, billionaire by day, hunts bad guys by night. Who was willing to kill herself to save those she loved. (Including, if I was following some of the faster paced bits of the episode, the ninja assassin chick.)
Not just that: Her cop father, once told, responded with "I'm just glad you found someone who cared about you."
Ok, yes, we still have some Issues. One character is an Evil Lesbian. The power dynamics of that relationship were, shall we say, a little questionable. It's the sort of relationship where the Evil Lesbian feels that kidnapping her lover's mother can help solve things. Healthy this was not. And it was the sort of situation where girl kisses girl, girl clearly has feelings for girl, girl ends up hooking up with guy for the Dramaz.
Still.
Let's repeat this:
We have a canonically queer superhero and a canonically queer supervillain and assassin (and, while I'm chatting, great taste in leather and ribbons, Nyssa.)
And then of course she had to go and hook up with Oliver in the last scene which saddened my little Oliver/Felicity heart and my new little Nyssa/Sara heart and I was like NO NO NO you two crazy kids THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED ALL THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE plus the whole "oh, great, another bisexuals sleep with anything that moves" bit although to be fair, this is with Oliver who also sleeps with anything that moves, but you know, she kissed a girl earlier so I am all ok mostly. Ok, maybe not mostly.
It's also not just the my little Oliver/Felicity heart was hurt, but also, it seems that Sara has learned nothing in six years: Laurel ticks Sara off? Sara goes and sleeps with Oliver and "drowns" on a boat. Laurel ticks Sara off? Sara goes and sleeps with Oliver. Again. I was kinda hoping that Sara had learned something. But no.
Slade, I love you and your Kiwi accent with all of my little heart but if you kill Sara because Oliver was silly enough to hook up with her again WE SHALL HAVE WORDS. Nyssa, I love you despite your "I know how to get my girlfriend back! I'll kidnap her mother!", but if you kill Sara because Sara slept with someone else WE SHALL ALSO HAVE WORDS.
Well, it deserves two posts. Let's start with the biggie:
EVERYONE.
WE HAVE A CANONICALLY BISEXUAL SUPERHERO ON A BROADCAST TELEVISION SHOW.
Not just that: we have a canonically bisexual superhero who kicks ass and does awesome motorcycle stunts and cares down to the depths of her deep little heart about a seriously twisted up ninja assassin chick who will get you through airport bureaucracy with a mere flick of multiple weapons and a charming smile (let us all handwave that scene like mad, everyone! Wave your little hands and make airport security and the inevitable huge police chase after that go away because, well, this is a city that thinks Moira Queen is a viable candidate for mayor. WAVE YOUR HANDS LOTS MORE.) Who kissed said ninja assassin chick right in front of Oliver Queen, billionaire by day, hunts bad guys by night. Who was willing to kill herself to save those she loved. (Including, if I was following some of the faster paced bits of the episode, the ninja assassin chick.)
Not just that: Her cop father, once told, responded with "I'm just glad you found someone who cared about you."
Ok, yes, we still have some Issues. One character is an Evil Lesbian. The power dynamics of that relationship were, shall we say, a little questionable. It's the sort of relationship where the Evil Lesbian feels that kidnapping her lover's mother can help solve things. Healthy this was not. And it was the sort of situation where girl kisses girl, girl clearly has feelings for girl, girl ends up hooking up with guy for the Dramaz.
Still.
Let's repeat this:
We have a canonically queer superhero and a canonically queer supervillain and assassin (and, while I'm chatting, great taste in leather and ribbons, Nyssa.)
And then of course she had to go and hook up with Oliver in the last scene which saddened my little Oliver/Felicity heart and my new little Nyssa/Sara heart and I was like NO NO NO you two crazy kids THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED ALL THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE plus the whole "oh, great, another bisexuals sleep with anything that moves" bit although to be fair, this is with Oliver who also sleeps with anything that moves, but you know, she kissed a girl earlier so I am all ok mostly. Ok, maybe not mostly.
It's also not just the my little Oliver/Felicity heart was hurt, but also, it seems that Sara has learned nothing in six years: Laurel ticks Sara off? Sara goes and sleeps with Oliver and "drowns" on a boat. Laurel ticks Sara off? Sara goes and sleeps with Oliver. Again. I was kinda hoping that Sara had learned something. But no.
Slade, I love you and your Kiwi accent with all of my little heart but if you kill Sara because Oliver was silly enough to hook up with her again WE SHALL HAVE WORDS. Nyssa, I love you despite your "I know how to get my girlfriend back! I'll kidnap her mother!", but if you kill Sara because Sara slept with someone else WE SHALL ALSO HAVE WORDS.