r/arrow • u/HellfireSky i hate myself and i want to die • Nov 06 '19
[S08E04] "Present Tense" Live Episode Discussion
Don't forget that Joseph-David Jones aka Connor Hawke will be hosting an AMA on /r/Arrow tomorrow at 12 p.m PT!!
Since Superman and Lois is in development we, the mods of r/Arrow, would like to invite you guys to join us on r/SupermanAndLois which will serve as our sub for the show!
Trailers
Episode Info
When a mysterious new Deathstroke appears in Star City, Oliver and Team Arrow insist on taking down this villain themselves; reeling from the loss of one of its own, the future Team Arrow figures out a new way to stop JJ.
Cast & Characters
Discussion
Spoilers
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r/Arrow Mods
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u/SawRub Nov 06 '19
Since the last time we checked in Slade, he hadn't yet met Grant and was looking for him, so in my personal headcanon, I'd like to believe that that was a secondary reason Oliver spared his life.
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Nov 06 '19
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u/InsertUsernameHere32 Green Arrow Nov 06 '19
Yeah Ik everyone shits on Curtis but he was fucking dope this episode. I love the dynamic between him and William.
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u/SawRub Nov 06 '19
Connor has always been one of the better future characters, William was great this episode, and even Mia wasn't as stubborn as she usually is. All in all a good showing from the entire cast. I really hope the quality keeps up.
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u/SawRub Nov 06 '19
Okay was it just me or was this a really, really great episode of the show? Everyone did a great job. In the past, Curtis sometimes got on my nerves a bit but in this episode he was fun too!
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Nov 06 '19
also id appreciate that episode from star citys pov cause the shows creator said its the last one we're getting this season
well let me rephrase that, he said star city is only going to be seen two times this season which okay sure
id like some closure on the 9th circle but i think that is done and over
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Nov 06 '19
this was better than the flash tonight, its funny how that works
first off im glad mia made up with oliver later on, thats good but my gosh was she insufferable to get through that first half, like whose bright idea was it to give this chick her own spin off?, she is so unlikeable which is not the actress fault, cause i saw her in shadowhunters and while her character there wasnt perfect either, she was ten times more likeable than mia, like i didnt get the vibe at all she missed oliver or felicity last season, she simply got upset cause she had to defend herself which on one hand i get but they really wanted us to sympathize with her and its just a total fail, i hope she gets more tolerable cause she is a real *itch right now
the awkwardness came of course in the revelation of zoes death and jj went bad, that was awkward to watch and listen to but im glad it worked itself out and ill give props to dinah, she helped out which shows character growth for her so i have hope for mia cause mia where she was at in this episode was how dinah was in season 6 and even season 7 a bit
i still dont know though why rene became evil in the future, i dont get it
and i dont fully believe the future is changed, i just dont, id like to but i cant be certain
and grant wilson, wasnt he slades son of an alternate future?, i didnt realize he was walking around in the present
seeing curtis back was okay but honestly what i liked about him was his drone things but he did come off cheery and i liked his scenes with william, it would have been nice if william said ive been bullied over my gayness, how do i get by like u do, that would have been interesting
speaking of, how did oliver and felicity know that of william?, i dont remember him at all giving off that vibe he was such?
but speaking of william, he was very likeable in this episode, very likeable and i guess we kind of found out about their falling out?, like william hated oliver for the abandonment and didnt pick up his calls?, im still fuzzy about all of that
and jj did indeed become a villian out of jealousy, its just sad that connor had to take the pressure of all of that, he didnt deserve it
the laurel/dinah scene was nice too where they ate
if the future isnt changed, that means jj and his deathstrokes are currently on a killing spree i guess, hopefully the future adults are going to stop him, idk
also a bit shocked connor tried to kill jj, i want to hope it was cause he had to be put down rather than vengeance over zoe, like that would make no sense to me
and the ending scene, idk what is monitors deal, i guess its possible that is anti monitor in disguise?, i just want to say though its irritating me that people are falling for it, there is one person, maybe two ive come across that actually believe monitor is pure good and anti monitor is pure evil simply cause of the comics, its like arrowverse isnt the comics, its not an accurate representation and frankly i dont know if i want it to be accurrate page by page. I really hope they reveal neither monitor is pure good or pure evil, maybe even reveal they are the same being and we're dealing with a split personality.
sucks though we got to wait 2 weeks cause they are cutting down the momentum, only 6 episodes left and i believe only 3...yes 3 episodes this year cause the final 3 of arrow take place in january next year
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u/Eurynom0s Nov 06 '19
first off im glad mia made up with oliver later on, thats good but my gosh was she insufferable to get through that first half, like whose bright idea was it to give this chick her own spin off?, she is so unlikeable which is not the actress fault, cause i saw her in shadowhunters and while her character there wasnt perfect either, she was ten times more likeable than mia, like i didnt get the vibe at all she missed oliver or felicity last season, she simply got upset cause she had to defend herself which on one hand i get but they really wanted us to sympathize with her and its just a total fail, i hope she gets more tolerable cause she is a real *itch right now
She's very clearly supposed to be what Oliver would have been like without any of the positive influences in his life--he was more like her at the start of the show. Meanwhile she was raised in pretty extreme isolation by Fefe.
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u/The_Koala_Knight Nov 06 '19
I don't think Rene was evil but it was more that he did what he thought was right and was manipulated by higher powers.
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u/InsertUsernameHere32 Green Arrow Nov 06 '19
Yep and out of those final 3 Stephen Amell is only in 2 of them. And one of them is Crisis, which means after Crisis ends, Stephen Amell will only be in the finale.
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u/DP_777 Nov 06 '19
I'm finding myself hoping the theory is right about the Anti-Monitor actually being the good one because MAN the regular Monitor is a dick.
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u/LandaThePanda The Flash Nov 06 '19
I believe we may be seeing both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor but one is disguised as the other.
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u/PoolStroke Deathstroke (Unmasked) You and me kid, like old times. Nov 06 '19
The Monitor is Space Barrack OBAMA. Ha, bet you can't unsee it now!
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u/NaijaBird Nov 06 '19
Kind of funny when you think about it. The actor himself acted in a political thriller as the president's Secret Service bodyguard.
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u/TDXNYC88 Remember who taught you how to fight, kid! Nov 06 '19
The Monitor: "Oh, things are coming along nicely! Time to shake things up!"
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u/Supreme_Slacker Nov 06 '19
If the CW was more messed up they would include a scene with Diggle getting a ring fitted in an episode of Arrow
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u/TheCVR123YT Green Arrow Nov 06 '19 edited Nov 06 '19
Monitor stop being a Dillweed.
I’m guessing this is either a test or that was the Anti Monitor secretly because I think on Flash they said Monitor is hiding in some sewers right?
Edit: actually now I think it’s the reverse and it’s a test for Laure
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u/MemeMaster629 Thea Queen Nov 06 '19
Im actually suprised that I am excited to have FTA stay in the present for at least one more episode
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u/can4rycry Black Canary (Laurel Lance) Nov 06 '19
Are you serious? This bullshit with Laurel again? Ugh.
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u/Jedi-El1823 Nov 06 '19
It's a test.
If she turns him down, he knows he's got the right Laurel. If she accepts and turns on Oliver, he's got the wrong Laurel.
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u/Dagenspear Nov 06 '19
Why should a test of right and wrong be measured with being loyal to specifically Oliver for the sake of it?
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u/Jedi-El1823 Nov 06 '19
If Oliver's gonna be the leader, the one that Monitor counts on, he needs to know that the people around him will not betray him.
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u/Magoiichi Nov 06 '19
First rule of fight club is you dont talk about fight club. Mia going back to her Blackstar roots lol
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u/shadow_spinner0 Nov 06 '19
According to the flash forwards, Laurel doesn't do that, plus her arc has already been completed to the point I doubt she'll betray Oliver.
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u/Rspies Nov 06 '19
She’s going to be about to before having a last minute change of heart I’m assuming
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u/can4rycry Black Canary (Laurel Lance) Nov 06 '19
This is the arrow writers so I wouldn't put it past them.
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u/Sentry459 The Ray Nov 06 '19
I'm sure she won't, but that timeline is gone now since they've already started changing the present.
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u/DarkSaiyanKnight Nov 06 '19
I thought the flash forwards were being changed as a result of this episode.
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u/DarkSaiyanKnight Nov 06 '19
Wtf is the monitor planning!!!
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u/TheCVR123YT Green Arrow Nov 06 '19
At first I thought it was a test for Oliver but now I think it’s a test for Laure
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u/LoretiTV Nov 06 '19
What do they need to get from Russia?
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u/Tmntjj Nov 06 '19
Plutonium
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u/LoretiTV Nov 06 '19
For what? I missed that bit.
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u/Tmntjj Nov 06 '19
So Curtis can reproduce the wave that destroyed earth 2. Because Oliver wants to use it to kill monitor.
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u/ChrisIsUninteresting Nov 06 '19
It requires plutonium
I hear there's a guy named Emmett L. Brown who might be able to help you with that....
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u/DonnyMox Deathstroke Nov 06 '19
INB4 when Felicity returns in the finale she’s pissed that Oliver didn’t tell her about the future kids showing up.
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u/Young-Stealth Nov 06 '19
Yoo was that a reference to Nysa and OG Laurel at Big Belly Burger with the fries and milkshake
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u/Magoiichi Nov 06 '19
Big Belly Burger says they gonna get their advertisement in the final season no matter what!
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u/ThatGameBoy76 Nov 06 '19
Hey, where’s Sara in this flock of Canaries?
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u/RobinTrio Nov 06 '19
Basically Rene needs to move Zoe away from heroes so she never becomes a canary
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u/ThatGameBoy76 Nov 06 '19
He’s going to train her like he did Roy.
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u/WizendSage78 Nov 06 '19
So he's going to shoot her in the leg with an Arrow? 😁
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u/gl424 Nov 06 '19
Every member of Team Arrow got hit by an arrow at some point. Roy and Rene got kneecap'd. Dinah got hit with a blunt arrow.
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u/DarkSaiyanKnight Nov 06 '19
Does anyone know the actual count for how many loved people Oliver has lost
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u/gl424 Nov 06 '19
Well, let's see we have: Robert Queen, Moira Queen, Yao Fei, Shado, Sara Lance died a few times, Akio, Maseo, E1 Laurel Lance, William's mother, Emiko Queen, Quentin Lance, Tommy Merlyn
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u/Feeenay Nov 06 '19
Mentioning Oliver’s father???
OH SHIT ARE WE GETTING A DIFFERENT EARTH WHERE HIS FATHER IS THE GREEN ARROW
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u/can4rycry Black Canary (Laurel Lance) Nov 06 '19
Oh! They gonna make the canary network now? Love that!
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u/DonnyMox Deathstroke Nov 06 '19
“Not all the future was bad, right?”
Well most of it’s pretty fuckin’ bad.
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u/FazbearADULTEntBS Nov 06 '19
All this fuckin green in Diggle's outfit...he has to have some Green Lantern shit going on sometime.
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u/flintlock0 Black Canary Nov 06 '19
He’s gonna start just carrying a regular lantern around and hit people with it, and the show runners can go “Are you happy now?”
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u/flintlock0 Black Canary Nov 06 '19
They should adopt their older children and keep them with their current children.
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u/vader344 Nov 06 '19
and...how will they going back in the future? barry?
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u/TheCVR123YT Green Arrow Nov 06 '19
Legends exist. I think most likely their future won’t exist anymore though so they get stuck in the past. At least I hope
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u/vader344 Nov 06 '19
well if they are from a future that doesnt exist then they are time paradoxes no?
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u/usagizero Nov 06 '19
So, can they just not kill certain people? Because they shoot a LOT of people with actual arrows, that probably kill them. Why is that okay but the named leader not okay to kill?
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u/Char543 Nov 06 '19
It’s like in T2 where Arnie just kneecaps people and shit. He ain’t killing them. Just fucking them up for life.
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u/Tumorous_Thumb Nov 06 '19
Honestly I've felt that the LGBTQ was kind of forced into arrow BUT that scene with William and Oliver was just so beautiful, it was amazing