#oliver redeemed himself by helping him in 6
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What The Lord Requires Of Us
O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
It seemed that each time the Israelites found themselves in a bad spot, they immediately blamed God. In Micah 6, the Lord asked them to state their complaints.
Listen to what the Lord is saying: “Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. Micah 6:1
God could have called the entire universe to take the witness stand. However, what He did for His chosen people, He did in the presence of the mountains and the hills.
And since God had the mountains on the “witness stand,” He decided to level His complaint against His accusers.
And now, O mountains, listen to the Lord’s complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel. Micah 6:2
The Lord asked two questions, which He directed to His people, the Israelites. After asking them, He demanded an answer.
O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! Micah 6:3
Before they could answer Him, He listed some things He had done for them.
- For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery.
- I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
- Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed?
- And how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
- Remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal. When I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness. Micah 6:4-5
The Faithfulness of God
What can Did you take notice of what the Lord said? He did everything He could to teach them about His faithfulness. In other words, He taught them all about Himself.
The more we know about the Lord and His faithfulness, our relationship with Him will grow. And the better we know Him, the less we will try to do what the Israelites tried.
Instead of building a relationship with their Lord, they thought they could win Him with their offerings. I guess they forgot that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? And should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Micah 6:6-7
And then note how they thought they could make an atonement for their sins. They wanted to make a sacrifice that only God could make for them.
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? Micah 6:7
The Lord doesn’t want us to sacrifice our children, He requires us to dedicate them back to Him. God has entrusted parents with the responsibility to raise their kids to love and serve Him.
God gave us our children as gifts. Make sure you appreciate them. The Apostle Paul clearly stated the sacrifice the Lord requires from us in the 12th chapter of Romans.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1
Do What is Good
As we continue in Micah, let’s examine our verse for today. That verse says, “O people, the Lord has told you what is good.” Let’s get some clarification on the word “good.”
When the Bible applies the word “good” to a person or being, it points us to God. Out of the many references to them found in the Bible, I have listed a few below.
- The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. Nahum 1:7
- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
- Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. Mark 10:18
The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God. It also refers to things that we call good deeds. Some would try to differentiate worldly good from biblically good.
Good deeds could range from picking up trash along a road to rushing an injured person to the hospital. We could involve ourselves in thousands and thousands of “good deeds.”
Wow! How do we choose what to do? Are we supposed to draw a line between some good deeds and others? No. The Bible tells us that it will prepare and equip us to do every good work.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Three Things the Lord Requires from Us
Our verse for today also tells us what the Lord requires of us in three short sentences. First, it says, “Do what is right.”
This focuses on our actions, which simply means doing what is right in God’s sight. Paul told Timothy he looked forward to getting a crown for his righteousness.
And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. 2 Timothy 4:8
Micah also reported the second thing our Lord requires of us. He said, “To love mercy.” This deals with how we treat others. In fact, we reap mercy when we sow mercy.
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. James 2:13
Finally, in this verse, we find the third thing the Lord requires from us. He said, “To walk humbly with your God.” This deals with maintaining a right relationship with God.
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:6,10
Do you understand what the Lord requires from you? To do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Now, take a moment to commit yourself to His requirements.
Check out these other posts on what the Lord requires
- Focus Your Life On The Requirements Of God
- Love And Obedience, The Basic Requirements Of God
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Guiding Wind AU Things (Sora):
part 6 of...
A couple of changes the boy undergoes as a result of Ven & Van’s throwing the story off-kilter...
Ventus has made a point of encouraging the kids to say what they mean (had enough of the nonsense misunderstandings and lies he endured in the past), so he’s a big influence on getting Sora to open up about when he’s feeling genuinely upset. (Ven is one of the few who get this treatment though; he is the cool older brother figure after all, and Sora’s not letting go of his brave face that easy.) (also Ventus finds him early in during Hollow Bastion’s first visit after That Scene--you know the one--and makes Sora vent, and its really sad, and one or both of them are probably crying)
Naminé’s attempted memory manipulation on Sora in Castle Oblivion wrecks some absolute havoc on Ventus’ mind since their metaphysical connection was never actually severed, and Ven having a physical body even makes it worse. Since she’s not even targeting him (or aware of him for the most part), there’s no direction to it, and his memories are mash-potatoed together with the ones pulled out of Sora. So, Ventus ends up subjected to the same year-long memory-fix coma Sora had to go through (courtesy of Riku dragging him all the way for Naminé to fix after his brain goes swiss cheese.)
Sora at the beginning of KH2′s timeline is more accepting of the concept that “some darkness is ok actually” thanks to his run-ins with Vanitas. Though Vanitas is still a selfish, violent asshole a lot of the time, Sora’s cottoned on the knowledge that regardless of what he says, he isn’t “just darkness” and can be helpful sometimes too (also totally wants to befriend him and thinks he’s stubborn enough to do it). This colors his attitude towards other darkness users like the Organization as well; he’s less gung-ho about assuming they’re all evil (or at least that they could be evil for other reasons). That said, Sora being more likely to extend olive branches to the darkness also makes him a bit more vulnerable to exploitation.
Sora’s rather...advanced Heartless transformation left some lasting effects, like the metaphysical “stain” it left on his heart that only those deeply tied to darkness can sense (making Riku and his infamous dog-senses very nervous). Besides triggering Anti-form a bit more often, it gives him something of an analogous connection to certain Pureblood Heartless (especially the more developed ones). As you might expect, Sora accidentally ordering one to back off and have it actually do what he says freaks him out a bit.
Sora learns a few Key form changes early thanks to using Ven & Van as examples (though the latter’s Broken Gear is static until Vanitas gets ahold of keychain or two). Though the Kingdom Key doesn’t shift much; mainly because it doesn’t want to. Ventus grew up being taught to have a deeper connection to his Key beyond that of a weapon and being able to sense its vague Will, a sense he taught to Sora. The Kingdom Key burns with a ferocious drive for justice; Sora draws newfound confidence from it’s desire.
An approximate translation of the Kingdom Key’s Will:
Sora reuniting with Kairi (with Axel in tow like a scolded dog) at the Hollow Bastion Siege and training with her! She’s fiercely annoyed to found out from him that Riku’s gone and disappeared himself again, so the two of them make an oath to track him down and smack some sense into him. Between Kairi’s skill at managing the guys in her life and Sora’s forgiving energy, together they are the ultimate guilt-trippers redeemers.
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A Heavy Battle Symphony Chapter 6
Catch up here >> AHBS Masterlist
TW: language, mental abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, violence, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, self harm, self-esteem issues, sexual abuse (only alluded to briefly in future chapters), drinking (comes up late in the story) just a lot of trauma, angst, smut - lots of lovely gay smut
Word count: 1597
Chapter 6 - By Myself
Because I can't hold on when I'm stretched so thin
I make the right moves, but I'm lost within
I put on my daily façade, but then
I just end up getting hurt again
Lorcan felt like shit. It was 2:30 in the morning. He was staring at the shadows on the ceiling. All he could think about was how Rowan's face had crumpled in the cafeteria and it was all his fault. Hellas, he shouldn't care, but he couldn't help it. Every thought morphed into Rowan and the absolute hurt on his face.
He had to talk to him. Hopefully, he'll walk through the park today. If he does, Lorcan will try to redeem himself. For some reason, being hated by Rowan made him feel terrible. Made him want to change, to be a better person. It was such a strange feeling.
The hours passed slowly. He was restless and wide awake. Reading wasn't an option. He already tried. He just kept seeing the tears fall down Rowan's soft cheeks.
It was 4:30. He decided to just start his day early. He showered, dressed, made breakfast, and was out the door as quick as he could be without raising suspicion.
Lorcan made quick time to the park and decided to just sit on a bench that was on the path he was confident the silver haired boy would cross. His knee bounced, he picked the dead skin off his bottom lip. This was taking too long. He started pacing in front of the bench. He wished he could cross his arms, but this fucking cast was a nuisance.
As soon as he turned on his heel for the thousandth time, he saw him. He was by himself. Lorcan froze and just watched the silver haired boy. His head was down, he was shuffling his feet, thumbs tucked up the straps of his backpack. Rowan didn't look as put together as he normally did. It made Lorcan feel strange, sad almost. Rowan got closer, Lorcan was trying to get a hold of his anxiety. Maybe this was a bad idea. This was definitely a bad idea. He bit his cheek until he tasted blood.
Rowan looked up. Their eyes met. No going back now.
++++
Rowan hadn't slept well. He took the revelation with Lorcan pretty bad. Unconsciously, he had worn all black, forgot to brush his hair, and generally looked disheveled.
As he was walking through the park, he felt like he was being watched. Looking up, he wasn't expecting to see Lorcan staring at him, his backpack almost falling off the bench and standing in a puddle. Rowan noticed his hands fidgeting with the cuffs of his hoodie.
Confused as he was, he continued walking. Then stopped next to Lorcan and waited. He was going to keep walking, but it was the look in his eyes that made him stop. Lorcan took a deep breath and shakily let it out. He was so confused.
"I didn't do it. My aunt did it. She thinks friends are a waste of time." Lorcan's eyes were closed and he was shaking, hands now in fists, knuckles white.
Gods above, Lorcan was a mess. An anxiety ridden mess. It was a side of him that no one had probably seen before and it was genuinely heartbreaking. So vulnerable.
"Why?"
"Because I don't deserve friends, or love. I am a worthless, bastard born half-breed."
The words were so quiet and sounded rehearsed, like he had said them countless times, but Rowan caught them and his heart broke. And he forgave Lorcan right there. The boy in front of him was so broken and Rowan just wanted to drown him in love.
"Did she tell you that?" Rowan fought the urge to pull him into a hug. "Everyone deserves friends and nobody is worthless."
Lorcan's eyes were still closed when a tear slid down his cheek. Rowan wanted to wipe it away. Before he realized what he was doing, he raised his hand and his thumb grazed against Lorcan's beautiful olive skin. The dark haired boy flinched. Flinched. His eyes shot open and he fell back on the bench. Fear filled his glassy eyes, he was breathing hard.
Shit. Rowan realized his mistake immediately. The vulnerable boy trying to hide in the corner of the bench was obviously beaten, often.
"I'm sorry!" Rowan held his hands up. "I'm sorry." He slowly sat down on the opposite side of the bench.
Rowan's dark haired crush looked like a small child sitting with his back to the arm rest and his knees pulled to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs, as best as he could anyway with a full arm cast. It would have been comical to see such a tall, broad shouldered male like that if he wasn't faced with the reality of what was happening, of the crippling anxiety that was flowing through Lorcan's veins right now. It made Rowan want to take him somewhere safe, somewhere where he wouldn't be beaten anymore.
"Lorcan, we want to be your friends. I-I want to be your friend. If you move again, at least you'll have friends here." Rowan looked at Lorcan and sighed, unsure if Lorcan was hearing him. His eyes were distant, his right hand was shaking. It was quiet for a few minutes. "Can I hold your hand?"
Those distant onyx eyes came back to the present and shot to Rowan's. Rowan saw Lorcan's right hand open. Slowly, ever so slowly, Rowan brought his hand to meet Lorcan's. Their fingers brushed and he heard Lorcan stopped breathing. Rowan closed his fingers around Lorcan's.
Rowan just watched Lorcan, he was finally breathing again and he buried his face in his knees. A sob shook his shoulders and Rowan gave his hand a squeeze. Another sob wracked through his battered body.
The silver haired boy had never felt so helpless in his entire life.
---
Lorcan felt like he was breaking, like his body was cracking and soon he would be rubble. There was no coming back from this. He would be lost, he was dying. Hellas himself would welcome him to the afterlife.
He couldn't breath, he was being smothered. Lorcan had half a sense to let himself be smothered.
Suddenly, there was a soothing sound and a warmth. There was a comfort in that sound, it calmed him. His breathing evened out. Maybe this was death.
"You're okay." The words were distant. "I got you. Just breathe." He felt a gentle rocking.
The roaring of his ears eventually became quieter, he could hear cars driving by, the birds singing their songs, and the comforting sounds of a voice. Whose voice was it? And it smelled like… like snow and pine trees.
"You're okay, Lorcan. I've got you, it's me, Rowan. You're okay. You're safe."
Rowan.
Rowan was the silver haired boy with the pine green eyes. Why was Rowan here? Where was here?
"We're in the park. I found you waiting for me."
Had Lorcan said those thoughts out loud? He decided to open his eyes. It was bright, he blinked a few times to adjust. Taking stock of his surroundings, he deciphered that he was on Rowan's lap, his face was against the boy's chest, Rowan's arms were holding Lorcan tightly, but not constricting. How did he get here? It was oddly comforting. He didn't want to move. When was the last time he had been held? No memory came to mind.
"Lorcan?" Rowan sounded worried.
"Please, don't let go," Lorcan's voice sounded strangled.
"I won't. I won't." Rowan rested his cheek against Lorcan's hair. "I won't."
++++
"I won't."
Rowan would stay here all day if Lorcan asked. He would pay for the repercussions of missing school. Lorcan was more important right now. He gently rocked him, it seemed to help.
The urge to rub his neck and play with the hair at his nape was strong, but he didn't dare move for fear of setting Lorcan off again. Rowan had only pulled him to his lap to calm down the obvious panic attack that started wracking Lorcan's body.
Rowan felt Lorcan drift off to sleep. A sound of contentment left Lorcan's throat as he buried his face into Rowan's neck. He wanted to be happy that his crush was snuggled into his neck and wrapped in his arms, but his heart was filled with sadness.
There was a buzzing in Rowan's pocket. Ever so carefully, he pulled it out. It was his mother.
"Hi Mom," he said, quietly.
"Love, why aren't you at school?"
"Well, um, I met Lorcan in the park on the way to school and then he had a breakdown followed by a panic attack. Now he's asleep on my lap."
Silence.
"Mom?"
"I'm going to come pick you two up. What's Lorcan's last name, love?"
"Salvaterre. Why?"
"So, I can excuse both of you for the day. I'll see you soon, love."
"Bye, Mom."
Rowan set his phone down on the bench next to him. "Lorcan?" He gently gave his shoulder a shake, a grunt followed. "Lorcan? My mom is coming to pick us up. She's excusing us from classes today. Okay?"
He kissed his hair. Lorcan tensed. "Sorry. I, uh, it just seemed like the right thing to do."
"More." Rowan barely understood what he said, his voice was so gravelly. But he did as he was told. Placing more kisses against Lorcan's head. As he did, Lorcan pressed his face into Rowan's neck.
"I got you."
____
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@thenerdandfandoms @starlightorstarfire
#rowcan#rowan x lorcan#rowan whitethorn#rowcan fanfic#lorcan salvaterre#linkin park#heavy battle symphony#crackship
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Berlin ePrix Race 2 Review
How ironic, that after all the hype and excitement about 18 drivers coming into the final weekend with a chance at the title, and 14 still having a shot on Sunday, it ended being a rather easy title win for De Vries, although he did all he could to lose it!
Before talking about the champions, we should show some respect to Nato, who drove a dominant race, as he pulled away from the field twice! The Mercedes powertrain is undoubtedly a huge factor in Venturi’s success, but the team itself had clearly got the car working well too! It sounds as though he may be out of the team for next year, so this result may really help him to secure a seat for next year! The pace he showed may make it all the more painful for Mortara, who had nowhere to go off the start, as he ploughed into Evans! I hope he is alright, after being taken to hospital. You never know what could have happened in that race, and with Mercedes not looking amazing in race 2, Eduardo could have had a chance at the title! Nevertheless, it has been a great year for him and the team, and as the powertrain has been their biggest aid, maybe it is right they finish behind the factory team!
What a wonderful way for Rowland to end his career at Nissan, as the car showed it had both pace and efficiency over the race. Oliver was just as aggressive as you would expect from him, but could not match Nato in the lead, I hope he hasn’t left the team just as they were getting good! Buemi has really been lacklustre this year, not showing the pace we expect from someone who nearly has 2 or 3 titles!
You cannot deny that Mercedes was lucky there, but you need luck to be successful in motorsport, and you can argue that it was car failures for other teams rather than freak accidents, which we haven’t really seen from Mercedes. I do think they deserved to win both titles, as they had the best powertrain this year, which dominated at certain events, and they got unlucky at others! Their one weakness was getting the car set up for some tracks, which was what allowed other teams to have a chance at the title! To be fair, you could make an argument for both drivers deserving the championship, as Vandoorne has been on the wrong end of bad luck himself! De Vries has been strong all year, and not got flustered really at all, although some of the moves in this race were a bit rash.
In the back end of this year, Porsche has come on quite strong, and this result clearly shows that, with the team getting 4th and 6th. The good news for them is that with Audi leaving, more of the VW Group resources can be put behind their effort, to possibly be in title contention next year! Wehrlein may be one of my drivers to watch for next year. Having been outperformed by Lynn recently, it was good for Sims to finish the season well. He is another driver unsure on his future in the sport, as Rowland may be taking his seat!
I can’t even imagine how Jaguar are feeling right now, Evans did everything right in qualifying, and was in the driving seat for the title before the race started. It sounds like it was a simple alarm error that stopped him from going, I wonder if it is anything to do with what Bird had in Race 1! We will never know how they would have done in the race, but finishing 2nd in the team’s title, and having both drivers in the top 6 is still a great way to end the year! To be honest, as much as I like Mitch, with the mistakes he has made this year, maybe it was fairer that it went to Mercedes instead, although we would all have loved to see Jaguar getting the double! With the powertrains frozen for next year, they have the chance to try over again!
Audi weren’t able to end on a high, although they should still be pleased with the win in Race 1. Di Grassi made a stupid move on Da Costa, which gave him a penalty, whilst Rast yet again climbed through the field to bag some points in his final race in the series, including his usual fastest lap! Shout out to Blomqvist, who used his stellar qualifying, to get another point for NIO 333, showing that the car does have some pace behind it, and doesn’t need half the field being out the race to score points!
DS Techeetah and Virgin will be disappointed with how the weekend has turned out, especially DS, who have dominated here before, and looked as though they would do so in Race 1. It is amazing to think that for the first time in 4 years, they haven’t won the title! The car does have pace somewhere, so can they redeem themselves next year? Consistency had worked for so long for Frijns, but he just didn’t have enough to get it over the line. The team does look as though it is falling back from the times where it was close to fighting for the title on pace.
After the start crash, it was all in the hands of Dennis and BMW, until there was a huge error under breaking into Turn 1 on the restart. At first it looked like driver error, but apparently it was a failure of the ERS which locked up the back wheels, and spun the car around. This was not the way that BMW wanted to bow out of the sport, yet they should be pleased with getting so close to the title on their way out of the series. With a year now under his belt, and the champions possibly leaving, Dennis could now be the title favourite for 2022!
If the rumours are true, and Mercedes are leaving the sport as early as right now, that will be a huge blow for Formula E, bigger than Audi or BMW. This is because Mercedes came into the sport, with so much excitement, saying this was the future, and put so much emphasis behind it, and if after just 2 years, they hang it all up, it suggests there is a major problem in the sports structure. It could have something to do with the current negotiations in F1 over their powertrains for 2025, maybe Mercedes feel that is more relevant to them going forwards. In my opinion though, the bigger issue may be the lack of innovation that is allowed in Formula E, which I have discussed before. At the end of the day, manufacturers are only in Motor Racing, in order to try new things to transfer to their road cars, so if you can’t innovate, why waste money on it!
On a cheerier note, this has been a thoroughly entertaining season of racing, and given the amount of drama we had during all the races, maybe it was only fair that it ended on a slightly underwhelming note!
-M
Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1
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Holy Land Retrospective - Day 2
Reminder: clicking on the link for each photo (links are all in red text) will take you to the Flickr page where you can see the photo in larger sizes.
Start with DAY 1, or read on!
PHOTO 4: Here at Gethsemane, in the place of the olive press, at the foot of the Mount of Olives is the ‘Church of All Nations’ where our Lord was pressed down by the sins and burdens of humanity. Within this church is an area of rock where Our Lord knelt and prayed in agony on the night before he was betrayed. And on this rock is the altar where we celebrated Holy Mass; the principal celebrant was Fr Donald Calloway MIC. Throughout the Mass, those pilgrims who were seated at the front were touching the rock, some placing their Rosaries on it, and some in tears. The sorrows and needs of the many are rightly expressed here for in this place the Lord underwent the agonies of all humanity ranged across all of time.
So the letter to the Hebrews says: “Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear.” (Heb 5:7) These words are inscribed in Latin beneath the mosaic on the facade of the church: Christ kneels before the Father, offering up prayers and supplications, suffering in his own body for the sake of humanity. And we see ranged on either side of Jesus representatives of all of Mankind, brought low by sin and the consequences of original sin: Because of the sin of Adam, Man is now subject to death, war, pestilence, ignorance, and suffering. (cf Gen 3:16-19) But the merciful immortal God assumed our humanity, our mortal condition, even, in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus God, through the human nature of Christ, is able to suffer as we do, even though he is innocent of all sin. And he, who is the second Adam, freely chose to suffer even the ignominy of the Cross for our sake so as to free us from the most profound effect of sin, which is death. So Pope St Leo the Great said:
“God’s compassion for us is all the more wonderful because Christ died, not for the righteous or the holy but for the wicked and the sinful, and, though the divine nature could not be touched by the sting of death, he took to himself, through his birth as one of us, something he could offer on our behalf. The power of his death once confronted our death. In the words of Hosea the prophet: Death, I shall be your death; grave, I shall swallow you up. By dying he submitted to the laws of the underworld; by rising again he destroyed them. He did away with the everlasting character of death so as to make death a thing of time, not of eternity. As all die in Adam, so all will be brought to life in Christ.”
Here, in this place of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus manifested his will to suffer and die in order to “wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." (Apoc 21:4)
PHOTO 5: Every Good Friday, the Passion is sung according to Dominican chant in our priories, and since 2005 I have sung the part of the Evangelist who begins with these words: “Jesus went forth with his disciples across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.” (Jn 18:1) These steps mark a route, dating to the time of Jesus, that would lead from the site of the Upper Room on Mount Zion (where the Last Supper took place) down into the Kidron valley, and across to the Garden of Gethsemane; these steps run just along the periphery of the house of Caiaphas the High Priest where Peter denied his Master. As I stood here contemplating the view – the Kidron valley down below, and the Mount of Olives in the distance – I heard the music of the Passion, and this year when I sang those lines again, this scene flashed through my mind.
PHOTO 6: Beneath the white structure on the right, which is shaped like the lid of a jar and continually cooled by jets of water, lie the first seven scrolls of the Bible discovered at Qumran in 1947, the “Dead Sea Scrolls”. Called ‘The Shrine of the Book’, it is part of the Israel Museum where we also viewed a wonderful model of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple. The model helped us to locate and situate the events of Jesus’s Passion and Resurrection in relation to the geography and orientation of the holy city; the ancient scrolls of Scripture helped us to situate Jesus, the living Word of God made flesh, in the context of the culture and sacred history into which he was born.
“Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.””– Luke 4:20-21.
Photographically, I liked the contrast of the smoothly curved modern surface of the Shrine juxtaposed with the deeply-carved curls and swirls of the ancient capital in the foreground. It spoke to me of the antiquity of the lands we were in and its history and culture that continued into the present time.
PHOTO 7: Barely fifteen minutes from the Israel Museum is the village of Ein Karem, the ‘Spring of the Vineyard’ where St John the Baptist was born. The village is nestled in verdant hills, in the “hill country” of Judah as St Luke describes it (cf Lk 1:39). We prayed the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary as we climbed up to the church of the Visitation. It was to this place that Mary went with haste after St Gabriel had left her. It was here that the infant John was sanctified in the womb by the Holy Spirit; here that the baby leapt with joy as the Redeemer in the womb drew near; here that the two cousins met and the ‘Magnificat’ was first sung. To honour this, I sang the Magnificat outside the church. In the crypt of this church is this well which many believe is where the Visitation took place, a well near the house of Zechariah where the Baptist was born, and also a well that Our Lady would have come to daily to draw water. At this place, therefore, Mary, who might well be called the well of salvation from whom the living waters of the Saviour was drawn, came to draw the waters of Ein Kerem.
The name ‘Ein Kerem’ is fitting, for the waters of the spring, which bubble up in this place of many wells, are indicative of fecundity and new life. For it is here, in the person of St John and his parents, St Elizabeth and St Zechariah, that God’s vineyard, Israel, learns of the coming of the Saviour who refreshes it. But not only Israel but the whole of God’s creation is renewed and made fruitful by the coming of Christ, so that from henceforth, all may now drink of the new wine of divinity that unites Man to God. (cf Jn 2:10-11)
O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water. – Ps 63:2
PHOTO 8: A particular joy and privilege of staying in Jerusalem throughout this pilgrimage, and being so close to the Holy Sepulchre, meant that I could visit this place, the centre of the world, every day. So, almost every evening, I rushed straight from dinner to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The doors would shut at 9pm, so I usually had just under an hour to explore the church, to enjoy the relative calm of the evening when the hordes of pilgrims and tourists had gone home, and to sit and pray in the shadows. Looking down from Calvary just before the doors are shut, this is where the entrance to the church is located, and here is the stone of anointing surrounded by pilgrims who are kissing it, touching crosses and Rosaries and handkerchieves to it, and kneeling in silent prayer.
I love this church because all of Christian history and cultures and peoples, with their rich diversity and confusing variety – and our disagreements, too – seem to converge on this sacred place. It is fragrant with the smell of incense, burning wax, and sooty olive oil, and it embodies the antiquity of the Christian Faith. Above all, it reminds me that Christianity did not originate in the West, and is not our possession, even if the Vicar of Christ ended up in Rome. Rather, in a sense, Christianity belongs here or at least it has its roots here, in the exotic ‘Middle East’, which comes alive with keening Byzantine chant, bearded monks in long black robes, and the hubbub of languages more ancient than Latin. For many centuries the universal Church looked to Jerusalem and its liturgies and rites for inspiration, for here, in the church of the Holy Sepulchre was the central focal point of the one true Faith, and thus, the centre of the world. During my one week in Jerusalem, how could I fail to come here daily and stand atop Calvary and beside the Empty Tomb?
How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers live in unity! It is like precious oil upon the head running down upon the beard, running down upon Aaron's beard, upon the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon which falls on the heights of Zion. For there the Lord gives his blessing, life for ever. – Psalm 133.
Tomorrow: Nazareth and Mount Tabor.
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Felicity Megan Smoak-Queen rules the roost aka the Queen residence
We been knew that Oliver will do anything she says and William should know by now who runs the world (or will, once she gets Smoak Tech launched). EPISODE SPOILERS AND SPOILER-ISH SPECULATION AHEAD...
There’s an old saying ‘If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!’ and clearly having had Moira Queen as a mother, Oliver knows this well. So when mama Felicity says no pancakes until we talk, there will be no pancakes. In the interest of full disclosure, it took a while for William to grow on me. I blame the writers (for more than I could ever possibly write about but let’s focus on William right now). But tonight I was #TeamWilliam. As much as it hurts him to hear, Oliver needs to know how his decisions have affected and do affect his family. He is so worried about redeeming himself to the team and the city but he needed to start with his wife and son. So I truly appreciate that they gave William a voice.
William not only used that voice to call out Oliver but to call his grandparents. I don’t believe William did that to lash out at Oliver (okay, maybe a little) but to regain control. William didn’t have a say when Oliver sent him away in season 4. William didn’t have a say when Samantha died and Oliver assumed custody in season 5. William didn’t have a say when Oliver cut a deal with the FBI at the end of season 6. Felicity had talked to William about the realities of this life and fallibility of Oliver Queen. Felicity, more than anyone, knows that Oliver defaults to making decisions alone and isn’t always forthcoming with the truth. Felicity chose to leave when Oliver didn’t tell her about William and didn’t include her in his decision to send him away forever. Felicity chose to stay even though Oliver didn’t tell her about the sacrifice he made for the team. And as Felicity knows well and William has learned, loving Oliver Queen isn’t always easy.
Of course in true Arrow fashion, the timing is bizarre. William lived with Oliver (and then Oliver and Felicity once they were married) for all of season 6. Their apartment was shot to smithereens during dinner. Oliver outed himself as GA, went to prison for what was supposed to be a life sentence, and William went with Felicity into witness protection, where they were attacked. Instead of going to live with his grandparents, he is sent off to boarding school. Last episode, he was pissed at Felicity for that decision and now one episode later, he decides he wants to have a normal life?!? Kiddo, that’s not possible with these two. :/
One of the best parts of the episode was Oliver defending Felicity to William’s grandparents. Felicity has cared for and treated William as her son. She was willing to die fighting Diaz to protect him. She has loved and nurtured him and I’m very glad that Oliver recognizes that. And I think William does too.
I’m a fan of horror movies so I was really looking forward to seeing Stan terrorize the team. Except I wasn’t nervous or on the edge of my seat like I should have been. I was bored because the flash-forwards have sucked all the suspense out of the show. TBH I probably wouldn’t have really cared when DD got her throat slit regardless but I already knew she wasn’t going to die. I thought they might kill Curtis so I was just confused when it didn’t happen. I am a little concerned how much I related to Stan. He was wielding a knife but dropping some major truth bombs about NTA to Oliver. They aren’t your friends and you shouldn’t trust them. Preach it Stan. So while I loved Oliver, Felicity, and William working as a team to take down Stan without anyone else’s help, it kinda sucks Stan isn’t the big bad and it looks like Diaz is back next week. Yawn, no surprises there.
Arrow did drop a couple of ‘surprises’ tonight, if things the fandom has known for months count as surprises lol. The first surprise was Arrow letting Curtis live. I’m okay with it since he did me a solid before he left and gave Felicity his part of Helix so she is now free and clear to establish Smoak Tech. #finally!!!! The second surprise is that Felicity is pregnant / Mia is Olicity’s daughter. The Olicity baby is on her way. This has been a long time coming....
...especially for Oliver. Oliver may have been conflicted about his dual identity way back when but he knew if he ever let himself have a life beyond the mask, that life would be with Felicity and their own genius ninja babies.
However, since we have barely seen Oliver look at Felicity onscreen since winter hiatus, I’m gonna need the writers to provide proof of the conception. ;) #theonlytimeflashbacksareacceptable
These are both huge developments in Felicity’s life and both will be part of her legacy. I am keeping my fingers crossed (and expectations low lol) that the writers will show Felicity being a kick-ass mother-to-be as Overwatch and the future CEO of Smoak Tech. There is no doubt in my mind that she can do it all. I’m just terrified after the last two episodes where she has been overlooked for her contributions, not deputized and completely separated from the team that the pregnancy just gives them more reason to sideline her. I hope I’m wrong.
I also hope I’m wrong about the very bleak picture that the flash-forwards are painting for Olicity. It seems they are estranged from both their children. The fact that Mia asked if William had dated Felicity means Felicity is single and that means that Oliver is dead. It appears at this point that Oliver will be Oliver and sacrifice himself in the season 8 crossover which is right around the time when Mia will be due (talk about angst on top of angst) and Felicity will have to raise Mia alone. Arrow asked a question in season 6 that I thought we got an answer to when Oliver went to prison.
But this scene wasn’t talking about prison, even a life sentence. It was talking about a more permanent removal of Oliver from their lives. What happens to Felicity Smoak without Oliver Queen? I think Arrow intends to answer that question in the upcoming episodes. Clearly, a world without Oliver is a dark dystopia but I believe Felicity will honor the dead by fighting, continuing the mission that Oliver began and trying to help the city as best she can. Oliver is the love of her life; she has been in love with him from the start and she will honor his legacy until the end. For the record, I’m not waxing poetic about this speculation. I want Olicity to have the happy-ever-after they deserve. After seven years of investment in this journey, I hate the thought of Oliver dying so young and never getting to live the life he so desperately wanted. I hate the thought of Felicity feeling scared and alone like she did in witness protection, only there is no reprieve.
Nope. Not freaking acceptable. Give these two their own version of the Queen mansion; Olicity raising their kids in a happy and loving home; in a city that has recognized them as heroes and is safer because of them; Felicity running her tech empire, and Oliver cooking for his family and doing whatever makes him happy and fulfilled. Let our heroes live long lives to see the fruits of their labor and the difference their sacrifices made. <3
As always, thank you to the fandom’s amazing gifmakers! :) 6x11 gif credit: Felicity Smoak gifs and 6x18 gif credit: M-Art Revenge
#long post#longer than expected#and not as ranty#the thought of smoak tech and the olicity baby has dulled my anger lol#arrow spoilers#arrow speculation#olicity spoilers
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Wait and Hope: Arrow 7x07 Review (The Slabside Redemption)
Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t hype episodes. Inevitably, the hype raises my expectations no matter how hard I try to keep them reasonable or I simply disagree with the opinions of other reviewers. “Slabside Redemption” is not a taunt thrill ride or show defining episode as some have described it. Events unfold as expected, with a few notable exceptions. It doesn’t make “The Slabside Redemption” a bad episode, but my mind wasn’t blown either.
The scene worth watching for, and quite frankly fast forwarding to, is the one at the end.
Source: smoakmonster
Let’s dig in…
Oliver Queen
Oliver is going to be released in 6 hours!
Oliver tells the guard, “Beautiful day,” because he can’t stop himself from being a snarky little bastard. I love it. It also brings the prison arc full circle.
"Beautiful day” marked the hopeless and repetitive nature of prison life. Now, Oliver can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Soon he’ll be free. For the first time in a long time, it is truly a beautiful day.
Source: @arrowdaily
Oliver spends his remaining time in Slabside wisely. He tells Stan the Fan where to stick it.
Eh… maybe this isn’t so smart. I should have been more worried about Stan the Fan!
There’s a bizarre morality debate between the two men. Stan argues he was simply doing what the Green Arrow would do by killing Dunbar. The Green Arrow does not kill innocent people, but Stan quickly counters with the men Oliver injured to get to level two. Dude, he gave them each a scratch on their shoulder. Why is everyone making that such a thing? They probably needed a total of ten stitches each. It certainly doesn’t equate to killing someone.
Stan tells Oliver he became a murderer inside of Slabside. He was an innocent man, but prison changed him into something much darker.
Oliver: It didn’t change me.
Hold your horses there cupcake.
Stan is a few paper plates short of a picnic. I’ll give you that, but prison has absolutely changed Oliver and not merely in a scarred-for-life-PTSD way. I’m not saying Oliver has to learn, hug, and grow with One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest here, but let’s not disregard a seven month character arc. It’s depressing otherwise. I need Oliver to come out of this enlightened in some way.
Oliver promises Stan he will spend the rest of his life in prison and I will be abusing this gif forevermore.
Source: @callistawolf
Oliver is counting the hours until he’s free. It looks like he’s mentally willing the world to turn faster around the sun, but he’s not finished making his rounds yet. He breaks up with Brick and Sampson next. They don’t take it well, but hahaha SUCK IT!
Then, he visits Turner and apologizes. Oliver said “I’m sorry.” THY NAME IS CHARACTER GROWTH! But sure, prison hasn’t changed you, honey.
He promises to get help from A.R.G.U.S. and Lyla for Turner.
Turner: You think I’m a criminal and criminals belong behind bars, isn’t that right.
Oliver: I think years ago, you saved Lyla’s life. Now, I don’t know if you can be that kind of hero again, but I think you deserve the chance to try.
I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water and say criminals don’t belong behind bars. They absolutely do, but there are varying degrees of punishment. Our justice system is imperfect and the punishment doesn’t always fit the crime. Slabside taught Oliver to see the grey in a world that was once black and white. Oliver is somewhat responsible for Turner being in solitary and he wants to make amends. It would have been very easy for Oliver to turn his back on Turner, walk out those gates, and never think of him again. But that’s not who Oliver Queen is.
Sometimes all we need is one person to believe in us. Turner has shown there is goodness inside of him – otherwise Lyla wouldn’t be alive. What he needs is a push in the right direction.
Source: @callistawolf
Oliver’s face is all Turner can see through the open slot in his solitary confinement door. The light is beaming from Oliver to Turner. The sun illuminates an unseen path. Oliver’s determined, “I’ll make this right,” is the little push Turner needs. For the first time, he has something to hope for. #FreeTurnerin2019
Source: olivergifs
Oliver sits patiently in his cell, the sun beaming down on him, as he reads the final page of The Count of Monte Cristo. Here’s the last part of the passage Oliver was reading:
“Gone,” murmured Valentine; “adieu, my sweet Haidee—adieu, my sister!”
“Who can say whether we shall ever see them again?” said Morrel with tearful eyes.
“Darling,” replied Valentine, “has not the count just told us that all human wisdom is summed up in two words?—’Wait and hope.’”
Source: olivergifs
Oliver’s journey is closely tied to the Count of Monte Cristo’s journey. It’s not a coincidence this is the book Oliver has been reading in prison.
The Count is Edmond Dantes, a man betrayed by those he loved. He was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. When Edmund finally escaped his hellish prison he uses all his acquired power and fortune to exact vengeance upon those he believes deserve it – almost like he was God’s own hand. In fact, Monte Cristo believes he is righteous in his pursuit of vengeance.
Oliver’s journey also began with vengeance. He believed it was his duty to dole out punishment to those who had failed Starling City. He decided who lived and who died, much like the hand of God.
The Count’s final words are a rejection of his previously held beliefs. He’s telling his friends to wait for Judgment Day because there is only one person who can truly judge a person’s soul and that is God. Therein lies the hope. We needn’t be judge and jury of our fellow man. God will determine the good from the bad. We must simply be good people, trust in God, and wait for the day justice is bestowed upon us.
The easier way to understand this comes from one of my all time favorite movies Rudy.
“Son, in thirty-five years of religious study, I’ve come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts; there is a God, and, I’m not Him.” (Father Cavanaugh, Rudy)
The story of The Count of Monte Cristo is one of redemption. All of his years of pain and suffering made Edmond into an angry man hell bent on revenge. He loses faith in God, but in the end is transformed by his suffering. He can see good has come from it and it deepens his faith in God.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a very Christ like story. God sends his only son, Jesus Christ, to redeem all of humanity. Christ does not save us by war or vengeance. Christ takes all of our sins upon His shoulders and suffers an unimaginably painful death for our redemption. But good comes from His suffering. We are saved. We will spend eternity basked in God’s love because He sacrificed His only son for us. That is how much we are loved by God.
Our life on Earth will not be without suffering. Suffering is painful and awful, but it can also teach us. It can reveal truth what may have otherwise gone unnoticed. We are like steel being melted and remolded when we suffer. Hopefully, we come out stronger than we were before and with a deeper understanding of how God suffered for us.
As I often say, superheroes are Christ like figures. I know many of us were frustrated Oliver went to prison. Oliver deserved prison the least when compared to the Newbies. This is exactly why Oliver is a hero. This is why he is the Christ like figure. Oliver took all the sins of his team upon his shoulders and suffered for them, so they could be saved.
Source: @andjustforthismoment
However, Oliver is not coming out of Slabside unchanged. He is learning people are not black and white. He cannot be judge, jury and executioner because none of us know the truth of a person’s soul. That kind of judgment is for God alone.
Diaz: How does it feel playing God?
Oliver once felt righteous in his pursuit of vengeance. It even evolved into a kind of heroism, but one where he determined who lived and who died. The suffering Oliver experienced inside of Slabside made him a more compassionate person. He no longer sees criminals as evil, but as human. Given how he misjudged Turner, Stan and even Black Siren, Oliver no longer feels confident determining the measure of a person’s soul. There is a God and Oliver is not Him. Nor does donning a mask make him God.
Oliver suffered greatly inside of Slabside, but it also gave him a moral code. He stopped abuse inside the prison and maybe even saved a man’s soul. Hopefully, Oliver learns from his mistakes and is a better husband when he returns home. He has also served penance for any of his remaining sins. Good came from Oliver’s suffering.
The reason Oliver is on the final page of Count of Monte Cristo isn’t merely because this is his final day in prison. Oliver is renouncing vengeance and judgment just like Edmond Dantes did at the end of his journey. It is a more hopeful outlook on humanity and will make Oliver a better man. It will make him a superhero. Superheroes, at their core, are Christ like figures offering light and redemption to the people they have sworn to protect.
“Wait and hope” are instructions for how Oliver should live his life going forward. It was Felicity and Diggle who gave Oliver hope for his own redemption. Now, he must take it a step further. He will find hope in the possibility of redemption for all. This will only make his light shine brighter and the Green Arrow will become a beacon to Star City. Saving Star City will take time and patience, but the city is never lost as long as Oliver has faith. The Green Arrow will always be Star City’s deliverance and salvation. *cough*flash forwards*cough*
But the Green Arrow will not be a judge, but rather a steward of justice. This gives Oliver a freedom he’s never had before. A weight has been removed from his shoulders. The people of Star City will determine punishment in this life and God will judge in the next. Oliver simply must wait for those days to come.
THE END! Kidding. We still need to slug our way through another 42 minutes of television or if you prefer just fast forward. My feelings won’t be hurt.
The only real upside to the phone conversation between Diaz and Oliver is the Dragon is forced to speak in a softer tone, so I don’t need to take migraine pills from all the screaming.
Unfortunately, he’s unintelligible when speaking softly. It’s more a mumble than a whisper. I may have Nancy Drew’d an explanation for why this actor yells every line. Did anyone else notice how Kirk Acevedo wiggles in between every pause for dramatic effect? Maybe the Dragon has a nervous tick.
Oliver beats the shit out of the glass panel after Diaz threatens Felicity and William for the 200th time.
Source: CW Arrow
Oliver going all gorilla man whenever the wifey and child are in danger will never stop being hot.
Source: @bindy417
Can we give the man some props? Beating his way through that glass is not an easy task. If only he could have done it shirtless. For science, of course.
Guard: Slabside is a level 4 supermax facility. We have 50 officers on duty, each one of them a trained professional.
This whole speech is laughable. I’ve seen more restricted movement at Target. Oliver wanders wherever the hell he wants in a Level 4 supermax, but the guards are totally on it.
Per usual, the guards are no help so it is time to MacGyver this shit. Oliver is seriously breaking out his cell with a lighter and gum. I love you man. Never change.
What’s even more remarkable is Oliver always had the ability to escape, but he chose to remain in prison. That’s superhero level in my book.
Typically the bad guys come at Oliver one at a time because they are idiots. At least Brick and Sampson have the brain capacity of a wild turkey, so they attack him in unison. But then they cheat by spraying mace in Oliver’s eyes. It gives Turner an extremely awesome entrance and save, however.
Oliver slices Sampson’s femoral artery to stop him from helping Brick in his fight with Turner. Some may say this is evidence Oliver is still killing. I think it shows the opposite. He tells Sampson he will bleed out in six minutes. Sampson is forced to abandon Brick to save his own life. If Oliver wanted Sampson dead he would have A) just killed him or B) let Sampson bleed out. These shifts in tactics during combat are important because they highlight the shifts in Oliver’s morality.
Turner: There’s no “we.” I saved your ass so you could get me a deal with A.R.G.U.S. Doesn’t mean we’re some kind of team.”
Pretty much everyone immediately accepts their Team Arrow offer and the subsequent mask that goes along with it, regardless if they are ready for it or worthy of it. Turner rejecting Oliver’s “team up” offer is AMAZING. Take your mask and shove it Queen. I’m dying.
Oliver: You said I was wrong about you. You said you changed. Prove it.
Turner may not want a mask, but he does want redemption and Oliver is going to make him earn it. (If only he could apply these principles to the Newbies!) Simply because Oliver can recognize the moral grey in criminals does not mean they get a free pass (side eyeing Bl*ck S*ren so hard right now).
Criminals must still pay for their crimes. If they are going to be “redeemed” then they must be willing to pay penance.
After kicking ass and saving guards, Oliver separates from Turner to find weapons. Stan the Fan is there and injects Oliver with something. That little, sniveling motherfucker. Oliver collapses and WE ARE IN THE FREAKY NOW!
Stan is way more terrifying than Diaz has ever been. This is like something out of Fatal Attraction.
Even Oliver’s soothing voice as he tries to calm down this walking padded cell is unnerving.
Stan swears he’s done nothing wrong, but it’s a little hard to believe with his crazy eyes and knife waving.
Prometheus was a boring villain until they unmasked him and Josh Segarra could unleash the madness.
Brandan Fletcher’s performance feels similar in that regard. Oliver is gonna have nightmares about this guy. I sure am.
Turner breaks down Oliver’s Slabside life lesson as they prepare for battle.
I love when Arrow speaks the words I write in my reviews. Never gets old. Always nifty.
Here’s the thing about Arrow - they will always tell you what the lesson is. They can’t help, but spell it out eventually. Sometimes there is a long wait though. I’m saying this because we want to know what’s going on with Diggle and the explanation is coming eventually. We just have to wait and hope.
And thus, we arrive at the final big showdown between Oliver and Diaz. We made it fandom. This narcissistic, screaming blow hole will be off our television screens soon.
The only way the writers could make Diaz a viable threat is to give him super strength. It’s the only reason Diaz lasts more than five seconds with Oliver. Unfortunately, little gimmicks like super strength don’t automatically solve a problematic character. Malcolm Merlyn, Slade Wilson and Adrian Chase were all scary without super strength. Ricardo Diaz is a crappy Big Bad and the best thing for Arrow to do is to remove him from our televisions screens for a looooong time. Hopefully, we never see him again.
I never move above moderately irked whenever Diaz is on screen just because I find him so boring.
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
However, when he ripped up the picture of Felicity and William I yelled at my television, “NOW YOU MUST BURN IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY.”
Diaz tells Oliver Felicity tried to kill him and held a gun to his head.
Oliver gasps and is all, “She would never!”
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
Me:
Did Oliver miss Season 5? He was present for it, so I’m not sure how he can just disregard the possibility of his wife having a dark side. He literally witnessed it. Does Oliver think he married Snow White or something?
If Billy’s death, who was her boyfriend for all of five minutes, was a sufficient vengeance trigger for Felicity, then what does Oliver think she’s going to do if she loses both her husband and son?
Lord, I know this man is a basic pine tree, but he tests me.
Also, why does Oliver care that Felicity held a gun to Diaz’s head and threatened to kill him? She obviously didn’t, so chillax, but more importantly they are in the threatening villains business. Did he think his wife was going to stop Diaz by taking him out for tea?
Oliver putting Felicity on a pedestal will make it harder for him to reconcile some of her actions while he was in prison, which is obviously the point. The writers are mining a little more drama out of the situation even though Oliver has to ignore all of Season 5 to react this way. He may be able to see criminals in grey, but his wife is another story. She is forever in the good box. Felicity Smoak is queen of the good box. Oliver worships her box.
Yeah, it sounded dirty the minute I wrote it. I am aware, but decided to leave it as is. You’re welcome.
Diaz twists the knife in a little more..
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
This grates on me because Felicity clearly told Diaz he’s the one who made her all dark, twisty and murdery. Yes, I know he’s lying on purpose, but everything about this guy bugs me.
Source: arrowdaily
Thankfully, Oliver finally stabs Diaz with a pair of scissors. Did you see how hard that bastard went down? I think Oliver took about 300 punches, kicks and multiple stab wounds from Diaz. He stabs that howler monkey once and BAM! Bitch goes down.
Just so we’re clear, Oliver did not kill Diaz. He thought about it, but he did not do it. If Oliver wanted Diaz dead then he would be dead. Oliver temporarily disabled him, so he could lock him up in a cell. They very specifically show Diaz moving, so we know he is not dead. Oliver held to his code and I am thrilled.
Oliver gives The Count of Monte Cristo to Turner in hopes it can give him the same answers it gave Oliver. He takes his beloved picture, with Slabside burning all around him, and leaves.
This is not the first time Oliver has left an island on fire. Once again, he faced purgatory and became a better man. However, unlike Lian Yu, Oliver has retained his humanity on Slabside. He understands his emotions are strengths. Instead of shutting down, Oliver clung to everything good inside of him. Love didn’t make him weak. The love Oliver has for his wife and child helped him survive. If anything, his time in Slabside has made Oliver an even more compassionate human being.
“After defeating the enemy, surviving death and finally overcoming his greatest personal challenge, the Hero is ultimately transformed into a new state, emerging from battle as a stronger person and often with a prize.” (X)
Our hero has faced yet another ordeal, with enemies and allies alike, and came out a stronger person. Oliver Queen has earned his reward: FREEDOM. (This shot is such a Shawshank Redemption homage. We’re only missing the rain.) He emerges from the darkness of Slabside into the light of day.
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
And there she is. “Wait and hope” is here just as Dumas wrote.
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
His beloved Felicity Smoak is waiting for him, just as she promised.
And Diggle? I have to say I am surprised John is there. We can debate whether or not he deserves to be there, but it feels more about Oliver than it is about Diggle. It’s important to Oliver that Felicity and Diggle are both there.
The only two who matter are the two who fought for his soul for years. Oliver is the man he is today because of their love. Felicity and Diggle should both be there to greet Oliver after his survives Slabside with his soul intact. It is their love and lessons that taught him how after all. It is disappointing Diggle didn’t fight for Oliver’s freedom more and I’m still super ticked at him. However, Diggle’s behavior the past seven months doesn’t erase his impact on Oliver’s life the past seven years.
“Look, no offense, but the old Green Arrow, he wasn’t the best. He saw the world in black and white. But now you – you know there’s grey out there too. Maybe that makes you a better hero.”
There’s another reason too. Oliver has finally become the kind of hero Felicity and Diggle need now (particularly Diggle).
Felicity is horrified by Oliver’s condition, but she doesn’t hesitate walking towards him.
Oliver kept his promise too – he came back to her.
They have both fought for this moment for so long. They cannot wait another minute. Oliver offers his hand; his arm outstretched waiting to hold her.
Felicity takes it and carefully caresses Oliver’s face and scars like she’s done so many times before.
It’s when Oliver feels her hand on his face that he knows this is real. He is free.
Oliver closes his eyes and exhales, a relief flooding through his body.
Felicity is overcome with joy, worry and relief. She too feels the weight lift as they kiss.
The time and separation vanish as they are finally able to hold each other. It is a moment of peace after months of war.
The whole world melts away as Oliver and Felicity give themselves a moment to stand in the sun and love one another. Like Edmond Dantes, Oliver is walking off this island with the only things he cares about.
Source: oliverfelicitygifs
Stray Thoughts
Umm… where’d Diggle go? The camera panned away and he vanished. This blooper may beat leaving electrocuted Roy on the street in Season 3.
I fail to understand why the inmates are more preoccupied with beating the crap out of the guards rather than escaping, but logic isn’t always Arrow’s thing.
I know he’s the Green Arrow and all, but nobody recovers from mace that quickly.
“Oh my God, you’re shawshanking out of here.” Waited seven episodes for a line like that. Worth it.
Oliver better keep up this level of hotness out of prison, because now I’m expecting a certain standard. Source: @olivergifs
The action is A+. Nice to see Oliver kicking ass like in Season 1. There are a lot of great stunts to choose from, but Bunny Oliver is always the best. Source: olivergifs
I miss Adrian Chase. He knew how to terrify us.
Uhhh… is there no security in this maximum security prison? Why are the guards letting Diaz monologue?
“How’d you get out of your cell?”
“How’d you get out of yours?”
I feel we’ve been cheated out of Oliver & Turner hilarity the last six episodes. Bummer.
“You are so predictable, you know that?” Pot meet kettle.
Ugh. Diaz yelling over a walkie talkie makes unintelligible mumbling highly preferable.
I have a new appreciation for soda.
Sampson is burned alive. Yeesh. Tough way to go. Who’d he piss off? Back to the WWE I guess!
Stan killed Brick and has my official nominee for 7B Big Bad.
IT’S OVER. DIAZ IS GONE. OUR BABES ARE TOGETHER AGAIN. WE SURVIVED FANDOM!
Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 7x07 gifs credited.
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#arrow#arrow 7x07#olicity#oliver queen#olicity reunion#anti ricardo diaz#arrow season 7#arrow reviews#arrow season 7 reviews#arrow spoilers#season 7 episode review
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Stone-Cold Loser https://nyti.ms/2S85c83
Roger Stone, who was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Fort Lauderdale, has long been fond of the Somerset Maugham line that Florida is a "sunny place for shady people."
"Just as Nixon went down in history as a disgrace to the office of the president, so now will Stone go down as an accomplice to enemies of the republic," writes Eric Caine from Modesto in a comment on @MaureenDowd's column, "Stone-Cold Loser."
"Stone-Cold Loser"
By Maureen Dowd | New York Times Opinion | Published Jan. 26, 2019 |
Posted January 27, 2019 |
WASHINGTON — Roger Stone has always lived in a dog-eat-dog world.
So it was apt that he was charged with skulduggery in part for threatening to kidnap a therapy dog, a fluffy, sweet-faced Coton de Tuléar, belonging to Randy Credico, a New York radio host.
Robert Mueller believes that Credico, a pal of Julian Assange, served as an intermediary with WikiLeaks for Stone. Mueller’s indictment charges that Stone called Credico “a rat” and “a stoolie” because he believed that the radio host was not going to back up what the special counsel says is Stone’s false story about contacts with WikiLeaks, which disseminated Russia’s hacked emails from the D.N.C. and Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.
Stone emailed Credico that he would “take that dog away from you,” the indictment says, later adding: “I am so ready. Let’s get it on. Prepare to die (expletive).”
As the owner of two Yorkies, Stone clearly knows how scary it is when a beloved dog is in harm’s way. When he emerged from court on Friday, he immediately complained that F.B.I. agents had “terrorized” his dogs when they came to arrest him at dawn at his home in Fort Lauderdale.
The last thing Stone posted on Instagram before his arrest was a video of a terrier, with a high-pitched voice-over, protesting, “Roger Stone did nothing wrong.”
Always bespoke and natty, living by the mantra that it’s better to be infamous than never famous, Stone looked strangely unadorned as he came out of court to meet the press in a navy polo shirt and bluejeans.
As the master of darkness who had been captured in darkness stepped into the bright light of Fort Lauderdale, he was his usual flamboyant, unapologetically meretricious self. He proclaimed his innocence, flashed the Nixon victory sign and reiterated the old saw from his mentor, Roy Cohn, that any attention is good attention.
But it fell flat. Being Roger Stone had finally caught up with him.
He has always said Florida suited him because “it was a sunny place for shady people,” borrowing a Somerset Maugham line. But now the cat’s cradle of lies and dirty tricks had tripped up the putative dognapper. And it went down on the very same day that Paul Manafort — his former associate in a seamy lobbying firm with rancid dictators as clients, and then later his pal in the seamy campaign of Donald Trump — was also in federal court on charges related to the Mueller probe. Manafort’s hair is now almost completely white.
One of Stone’s rules — along with soaking his martini olives in vermouth and never wearing a double-breasted suit with a button-down collar — is “Deny, deny, deny.” But his arrest for lying, obstructing and witness tampering raised the inevitable question about his on-and-off friend in the White House, the man who is the last jigsaw-puzzle piece in the investigation of Trumpworld’s alleged coordination with Russia: Is being Donald Trump finally about to catch up with Donald Trump?
Stone, who famously has Nixon’s face tattooed on his back, is the agent provocateur who is the through line from Nixon, and his impeachment, to Trump, and his possible impeachment.
As Manafort said in the 2017 documentary “Get Me Roger Stone,” Trump and Stone “see the world in a very similar way.” And that way is theatrical and cynical. Do whatever you have to do to get what you want; playing by the rules is for suckers.
In 1999, when I went on a trip to Miami to watch Trump test the presidential waters, Stone orchestrated Trump’s Castro-bashing speech to Cuban-Americans. The bodybuilding, swinging strategist, christened “the state-of-the-art sleazeball” by The New Republic in the 80s, said he was “a jockey looking for a horse.”
Stone, who was mixed up in Watergate at the tender age of 19, “made the transition from the Stone Age of dirty tricks to today,” as David Axelrod puts it.
He watched Nixon rally the silent majority with a law-and-order message and racial dog whistling. He helped Ronald Reagan create Reagan Democrats.
For decades, believing “past is prologue,” Stone urged Trump to be the successor to those pols, revving up angry, white working-class voters who felt belittled or scared of “the other.” It would be so easy to divide and stoke resentment, as Stone and Trump proved when they inflamed the birther controversy against Barack Obama.
“Hate is a stronger motivator than love,” Stone told the documentarians. “Human nature has never changed.”
The tribal tensions in America made Stone’s favorite tricks easier than ever; he didn’t have to operate in the shadows. He wore a T-shirt with Bill Clinton and the word “Rape” at 2016 campaign rallies. As Stone boasted in the documentary, his “slash-and-burn” tactics “are now in vogue.”
Trump has had periods of estrangement with Stone. In 2008, in an interview with The New Yorker, he called the strategist “a stone-cold loser,” a state Trump himself has been relegated to this past week, courtesy of Nancy Pelosi.
Stone will not go gently. When he is asked about the tattoo of Nixon, he says he got it to remind himself, “A man is not finished when he is defeated; he is only finished when he quits.”
At the moment, though, dogged by Mueller, Stone and Manafort are the dog’s breakfast. The pair has given practicing the dark arts a bad name.
"There's one piece of history about Roger Stone that never gets enough press, Ms. Dowd. That is, Roger Stone was involved in the "recount" in Florida and swinging it to George W. Bush. Specifically, he was behind a political group attacking three Democratic state Supreme Court justices threatening Bush's possible victory: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/07/11/fla-may-fine-gop-figure-for-2000-recount-actions/af72ec6a-082e-4292-913c-f8ed14c2fc62/?utm_term=.9e4d3fc6c5f3 These sleazy political operatives, from Lee Atwater to Karl Rove to Paul Manafort to Roger Stone on the Right have been getting away with this disgusting behavior for decades. Trump is a direct result of this cancer. Lock them all up." V of LA
"The ghost of Nixon past still haunts us. Just when you thought it was safe to trust our democracy, we get the Nixon salute and see his face on Stone’s back, just not quite low enough, in my opinion. The president was bad enough, but now it looks as though he’s merely the apex of a vast pyramid scheme so vile and full of duplicity that only Betsy DeVos could fully appreciate it. But it’s clear that the president didn’t accomplish his takeover on his own. He was socially promoted to a position higher than he could have ever reached without dirty tricks, lies and conspiracies galore. If today’s events aren’t disgusting enough, we’re even picking up echoes of Roy Cohen. There’s even a faint whiff of Joseph McCarthy that you can just make out while watching the nightly news. It recalls a time when powerful people weaponized fear and ignorance, and nearly turned us into animals at each others throats. We can only hope that people who voted for the president were among those fearful of going broke during the government shutdown. You can talk to people all day about why an unread, crotch-groping narcissistic moron is not a good candidate for president of the United States, but until they feel it in their guts, and their wallets, they’ll never fully understand. Do we have your attention now? Have you taken note of the sleazy, lying manipulators who manufactured this presidency with your help? Mueller might undo some of the damage, but it's up us not to let it happen again." gemli of Boston
"Imagine assembling a clown show of Trump, Junior, Jared, Manafort, Bannon, Stone, Flynn, KA Conway and some sideshow characters like Carter Page and Papadopoulus. Deliver some memorable campaign promises for America's future like "Lock her up" and "Build the Wall", while encouraging mobs to beat up reporters. Toss in a few surprise tapes about assaulting young women. Then openly conspire with Russian intelligence to interfere in the US election while being watched by the FBI, CIA and 6 European country intelligence services. And make plain as day efforts to relieve sanctions on Russia, support the pro-Russian cause in Ukraine, make over 100 contacts with Russian government officials during the campaign and transition and attempt to set up a secret communication channel through the Russian Embassy that US intelligence cannot monitor. Even after all of this, the chaos and the soaring deficits of the first two years of the Trump Administration, around 40% of Americans still think he is doing a great job. Based on personal experience working in all 50 states, I don't believe that part of the population is going to change much. But we need to take back the government on behalf of future generations and do it soon." Look Ahead of Washington
"Like Trump, Roger Stone is a man with no redeeming qualities and no morals at all. Cohen and Manafort as well. They admire and emulate the tough guys of organized crime without actually BEING those tough guys. But the Russians working for former KGB agent Putin are those tough guys, and that's who the phonies chose to do business with. Stone is blustering but he's counting on a Trump pardon, not realizing 3 things: 1) Trump WILL throw him under the bus. A pardon is unlikely. 2) A Trump pardon means he cannot use the 5th Amendment to keep from testifying--meaning he must tell the truth or face contempt or perjury charges. 3) He will still be liable to state charges, and the new NY AG would love get him in her cross-hairs. Stone is finished and doesn't even know it!"Dad of 2 /NJ
"Roger Stone is a truly mean-spirited figure. No wonder he, like Trump, his soul mate if you will, were proteges of Roy Cohn. One thing is certain, nobody is going to feel sorry for Stone, Manafort or any of Donald Trump's merry band of mean, vindictive misfits. Once our national nightmare is over, it will take a long time to heal, if we ever can. Because Stone and Trump poked the racist beast of a certain segment of the nation, unleashing virulent emotions, conservative-fed conspiracy theories, and disdain for truth, fact checking, and critical thinking. The president, a man who doesn't read, aligned himself with a man who did but used his reading to polish his dark arts, and tries to make ignorance seem cool. As a result, they got an entire political party to totally overhaul its thinking on foreign policy goals, belief in climate science (indeed, belief in any science) and even, I venture to say, the biggie: immigration. Trump, egged on by Stone, has done more damage to our politics, rule of law, and views of government than any foreign invader could have. Stone, more than Trump, grasped an essential truth: the worst damage a country can undergo is from within."Christine McM of Boston
"If Stone and The Donald have used "revving up angry white working-class voters" as a tactic to win elections, one wonders whether they are themselves authentic racists or whether they believe in nothing but power for its own sake. Are they "merely" impersonating bigots or are they true believers? Either way they represent a pestilence that needs to be driven out of the body politic, and yet if they're being disingenuous with respect to their own feelings about white supremacy (a disease that normally infects only the feeble-minded) one wonders how they manage to live with themselves. Can one ever attain enough wealth and power to compensate for the loss of one's soul? Perhaps it's a moot point but I somehow can't get past it."
Stu Freeman of Brooklyn
"No Stone left unturned, no creatures hiding under rocks. Spring IS coming, the flowers will bloom, the stench will dissipate, the gloom will dissolve. Thank you, Mr. Mueller." Stu Freeman of Brooklyn
Phyllis Dalmatian of Kansas
"Stone is Johnny two-face: he threatens to harm a security dog then uses his own two dogs' reaction to his early-morning arrest as proof of the FBI's perceived heavy-handed tactics. He trumpets his dedication to "the truth" while lying (all his life) and throughout the Mueller investigation--threatening former criminal associates if they cooperate with--i.e. tell the truth to--the feds. He professes patriotism while working in league with his country's greatest adversary to undermine an American presidential election. It is no wonder anyone this duplicitous should be an acolyte of Richard Nixon and a life-long driving force in the Republican Party. That's the way the GOP grows its alleged leaders--by rewarding them for wrecking American values without demonstrating any consciousness of guilt. "CMary of Chicago
"Concerning stones method of arrest, he merely found out how it is to be treated by law enforcement in many zip codes in this county, no sympathy whatsoever."No Party of FLA
"Why is it so many Americans believe whatever they are told? People like Trump and Stone commit crimes and lie in plain sight and many of our countrymen lap it up like duck soup. Was it growing up in the era of Disney and Spielberg that has made so much of the public susceptible to political special effects? "Of course President Obama is a Muslim, my TV said so." You can't fool all of the people, but you certainly will have no trouble fooling half of them. These remain dangerous times."Socrates of NJ
" Looking back....as you do in this piece....there is really only one question “Was your desperate focus on stopping Hilary from being elected worth it?”
David Martin of Paris
"Meanwhile, Trump can't stop telling us about women in vans with duct tape on their mouths. Perhaps his past is catching up with him involuntarily." Jerry Summer of NC
Another day, another Trump associate is arrested... What was that you were saying about HRC's emails again, Ms Dowd? Nick Adam of Mississippi
#donald trump#politics#trump administration#republican politics#legal issues#president donald trump#trump#trump scandals#republican party#russia investigation#2016 election#politics and government#white house#must reads#robert mueller#roger stone
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Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger: Shattered Grid Finale Thoughts/Review
*WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SHATTERED GRID FINALE, I RECOMMEND NOT TO READ THIS POST. THERE ARE SPOILERS. A LOT.*
The Introduction:
Kyle Higgins and company of BOOM! Studios sent us on a roller coaster ride for the past six months from Shattered Grid’s Prologue in Issue 24 back in February, right to this anticipated finale which makes Countdown To Destruction seem small. Kyle and his team kept us buying the comics, may it be online or barging down the door of your nearest comic book store for a physical copy for your rapidly reducing shelf space.
I can safely say Shattered Grid #1 was worth the wait and build up and Kyle, with help from illustrators Daniele Di Nicuolo and Deigo Galindo and colourists Walter Baiamonte and Marcelo Costa for bringing popping colour to the series. There is so much to cover in this double-sized special at a cost of US$7.99 (EUR: 8.99), so sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy.
The Story:
The starts with an explosive opening with the rangers from MMPR-Ninja Steel (including Hyperforce and Beast Morphers [AKA: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters]) battling Drakkon’s forces, with some new additions to take out the tower on the moon. The first two panels are not easy to look at as the Rangers already lost some of their allies; one from Zeo and the other from Super Megaforce, along with a few Megazords. Zedd’s former zord Serpentera is causing trouble (looks like Drakkon made fuel alterations). However, thanks to Jen’s access to the Time Force archives, she was able to bring up blueprints and create a hybrid zord dubbed hilariously despite the seriousness: the Whatever-We’re-Calling-It-Megazord (seems like even Kyle and the gang had trouble making up a name). This Megazord consists of Kendall’s Plesiozord, RJ’s Wolf Zord, Kat’s Super Zeo Zord and the Hyperforce Ranger’s Megazord - Chronos Hyperforce Megazord. Then add Drakkonverse Trini’s Black Dragon armour to make it match the size of Serpentera.
While Jason orders Noah to summon the Q-Rex Zord (no, not Eric’s zord), he makes the final move to send the tower crumbling, but sadly, sacrificing his life in the process AFTER admitting his feelings to Lauren (shame Jayden wasn’t there. He might want a few words.) Unfortunately, Serpentera makes a dessert meal out of the Q-Rex, crushing Jason inside. The loss of the tower meant it causes the powers of every single sentry to vanish and the hybrid Megazord delivers the killer blow, completely disabling Serpentera. Sadly, the victory is shortlived as Drakkon appears in his new form (and a giant), completely breaking the Grid and causes insane damage to the Multiverse.
We then move onto the rescue team loading the last of the prisoners onto Terra Venture. Heckyll is certainly redeemed, but I won’t be surprised if he’s still a bit of sarcastic asshole in the next event. As the group makes their escape, Grace and everyone sees the crack in the universe occurring and the entire cosmos literally shatters, which somehow casts Terra Venture out of the Grid or the existing universe.
The scene moves on and we are shown, literally a Power Rangers version of Smallville or Superman. Drakkon is living with his ‘parents’ coincidentally named Zordon and Rita *shivers*. Drakkon leaves his home and goes all Superman, revealing on his chest some kind of gem or crystal. Outside, we surprisingly see Jen piloting the Tigerzord and beside her is the Dragonzord. The city is being attacked by two giant animal spirits or Energy Beasts that have been terrorising Angel Grove. Drakkon quickly deals the attackers and is soon being interviewed by the reporters. It’s kind of hilarious seeing Trini and Zack acting a little like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. To our further surprise, we see the apparition of the real Tommy Oliver in the camera lens.
To cut things short of this Power Rangers version of Superman, this is a world Drakkon created, a world where everyone loves and worships him. Next, we hear voices telling the apparition of Tommy to take the chance and that chance is literally breaking through the barriers. Yes, everyone! Tommy Oliver is alive after being dead for six months! Right now, he went around restoring the other rangers memories and left Kim until last. We learn that upon his death, after being shot with the Chaos Crystal tipped arrow courtesy of Ranger Slayer (read GGPR Issue 12), his essence was taken outside Space-Time and literally had to watch as everything unfurled. Tommy then shows The Emissaries! The assholes who rejected Zordon’s plea for help. Much to my pleasure, as evil as it sounds, Drakkon beat up the Emissaries, but managed to escape the Grid itself and into the Nether Space where Tommy was residing. We are told Drakkon took an artefact they were protecting: the Heart of a Master and was granted the powers of a God. So, to fix everything, the Rangers need to take back the Heart.
To cut short, the Rangers managed to recover the Heart, rendering Drakkon powerless. The Emissaries open a portal for them to escape before the world Drakkon created collapsed. However, Tommy offered Drakkon a second chance, to redeem himself. Really, all he needed was a friend, but Drakkon turns him away, leaving him to die in the world he created. The Rangers find themselves in a form of the Morphing Grid, which took the form of the Command Centre. As the Emissaries explain they each have a connection to the Morphing Grid and have to RESET everything, not rebuild it and risk losing the memories of all that happened. That is when Kim learns what Jen meant: ‘You can never truly get back what you’ve lost’, it’s kind of bittersweet. Everyone learns that need to put the world back together, not for themselves, but for the ‘good of everyone’.
With that, the MMPR Rangers, Tommy, Lauren, and Jen place their hand on the Heart, not before making some closures. Jason and Lauren admit they will miss each other, after admitting their feelings. Then for the delight of the Tomberly fans, Kyle and company give us the kiss we’ve all been dying for. Tommy and Kimberly finally kiss. With that, they all access the power of the Heart, all embracing the white light.
We are then shown a small snippet of Beyond The Grid and it turns out Terra Venture, containing Grace Serling - 1969 Red MMPR Ranger, Mike Corbett - Magna Defender 2, Andros of KO-35 - Red Astro Ranger Tanya Sloan - Zeo Ranger II: Yellow, Cam Watanabe - Green Samurai Storm Ranger, Heckyll of Sentai 6 - Dinocharge Dark Ranger and Kimberly Ann Hart of Drakkon’s Universe - Ranger Slayer. They have all been casted out far from the Grid and it turns out to be a different reality. The preview closes with Grace vowing she will ‘never lose another ranger again’.
Thoughts:
Kyle Higgins and his team did it. They completed Shattered Grid, the biggest 25th Anniversary event of Power Rangers history and they ended it on a sweet and bitter ending note. I’m still laughing at the world Drakkon created, I can just feel the Superman vibe so strongly, even though he is far from the morals Clark Kent/Kal-El uphold. It’s been quite the roller coaster and is the best Power Rangers adventure I have followed. BOOM! Studios really did bring me back into my old childhood and even gave it a sense of maturity. The world building was amazing and there is so much lore to explore now. Also, we have to see what reality Grace and co. ended up after being cast out due to reality itself shattering. Beyond The Grid begins on September 26th.
Rating:
5/5. Pick it up now!
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Arrow season 7 Wishlist
Okay so since season 6 was the first time I really got into the fandom, I decided to do this wishlist.
These are all things I want to happen (although a lot of them probably won’t). These are in no particular order.
1. I want Felicity’s company to actually go somewhere. I don’t care what it’s called just as long as it’s not put on the back burner. It wouldn’t be that hard to incorporate it into the story (they did it with Queen Consolidated and even Palmer Tech). I just want to see more of Felicity’s life outside of Oliver Queen.
2. Stop dumbing down Felicity to prop up Curtis. The reason why the Curtis and Felicity relationship worked in season 4 is because Curtis was hardware and Felicity was software. But then they went and basically gave Curtis all the same skills as Felicity. And, it seems like, there have been several scenes this season where they made it seem like Felicity is totally incapable of doing things without Curtis’ help. As a woman, it’s honestly so insulting to see this character being reduced to make a male character look better.
3. Bring season 1 Oliver back. I’m not talking about the killer. I mean, Oliver isn’t stupid and he’s a perfectly capable fighter. Stop making him seem like he literally can’t function without a whole team. In the past couple seasons, they’ve made him so stupid for plot and I’m tired of it.
4. Enough of this plot-over-characterization bullshit. Season 6 was probably the worst season of the series because of this. I want more character-driven plots in season 7.
5. I think it’s time to slim down the cast. Rene and Curtis were fine when they were first introduced, but they’re both like totally irrelevant now. And with Roy coming back, you can only have so many members of Team Arrow before things get crowded. I would be totally fine if Team Arrow was just Oliver John, Felicity, and Dinah (and Roy I guess although I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about him coming back considering how his storyline wrapped up this season).
6. Get rid of B*ack S*ren. This goes along with point five, but I decided to make it a separate point because I have a lot to say. The reason they got rid of L*urel L*nce was because they had run out of things to do with her. The character had run her course, so they had to cut her loose. Then, they brought in BS to pander to the smallest (but loudest) part of the fandom. At first, I was willing to give BS a chance because she was a villain so at least that was something different, but now it looks like they’re going full circle with this redemption arc. But if they redeem BS and make her a hero then they’re right back where they started with LL (and LL didn’t work, that’s why they killed her off). If they really want to redeem her, fine, but then they need to send her back to Earth Two or something. They either need to keep BS as a villain, or get rid of her for good.
7. Now here’s where I really get crazy: Olicity baby. I get the people who say they want Felicity’s company to be established first, but I think it would be great to see her building her company and raising a baby at the same time. I think it would also make for a great character-driven story of Felicity trying to do it all (but not failing miserably because she wouldn’t). And I think it would be a great parallel to season 2/3 of Oliver trying to reconcile all the different parts of himself (except Felicity’s arc wouldn’t be as dark because she’s not as self-loathing as Oliver).
8. No more tell-not-show storytelling. Arrow has gotten into this really bad habit of telling and not showing storylines. For example, in seasons 3, 4, and 5, we were told a lot that Felicity, Laurel, and Thea were all best friends but we never saw it. We got a few moments here and there, but most of those moments were on the implication that we were just supposed to already know that they were friends.
9. More female friendships. The kinda goes along with point number 8. There has been a serious lack of female friendships in Arrow. The female characters stories have pretty much always revolved around the male characters and it’s getting really annoying. I want to see more Ladies Supporting Ladies.
10. This one I’m pretty sure will never actually happen, but I’m putting it on this list anyway because it’s still a wish. I want Felicity and Alena to be sisters (them sharing a dad with different moms). It would allow Felicity to have a relationship outside of Team Arrow. It would be great fodder for character-driven stories of seeing their relationship grow and develop. I think it could also provide an opportunity for Felicity to finally forgive her father. If they did it right, they could do it as Felicity letting go of her insecurities in order to finally let go of the pain he caused her when he left instead of her forgiving him to prop him up and make him look better.
Normally, I don’t like to speculate because I think it always ends in disappointment, but I thought, just this once I’ll share my thoughts. I’m hoping that, now that the show will be primarily run by a woman, that the female characters will finally have a chance to define themselves outside of the male characters. And just based on the episodes Beth has written in the past, it really feels like she’s in favor of character-driven stories and developing the plot around character growth. She also doesn’t really do action sequences just for the sake of having action sequences, but uses them to actually further the plot. And I know that, based on her Twitter, she loves Ladies Supporting Ladies. Unfortunately, she’s not gonna be able to fix everything from the clusterfuck that was season 6, but I hope she’ll at least try. I don’t think this show is a lost cause and I’m hoping that having a lot of new writers and a new showrunner will be for the best.
#arrow#arrow season 7#oliver queen#felicity smoak#olicity#anti curtis holt#anti rene ramirez#anti black siren#anti laurel lance#beth schwartz#fandomlife-universe
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We Will Rejoice! | Isaiah 41:14-20
Main Idea: We will rejoice because God is our redeemer, God makes us winners, and God makes good things out of nothing!
I. God is our Redeemer (v14):
“14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”
If joy is a steady feeling that everything is going to be okay because Jesus is in control, fear is a steady feeling that nothing is okay because everything is out of control.
We could describe Israel as a people in peril and prison which has brought about fear.
Already God has told them to fear not because he is the one who helps them (v13).
God tells Israel in v13 to fear not because he is the one who helps them.
In v14 he says the same thing again, but he gives the reason: Because he is their “Redeemer”!
This is important because Israel had come under the possession of Assyria.
God doesn’t say that he will one day buy them back. They are currently his possession.
God follows up “Fear not!” by calling Israel a “worm”.
He is helping them to have a picture for what it looks like to identify with him as their redeemer.
This is the very expression that the Messiah applies to himself on the cross (Ps 22:6).
To be a worm is to be in a state of contempt or affliction, whom all loathe and tread on.
God is saying: “Even though you are undeserving and though you are despised, you are so precious and valuable that I, the ‘Holy One of Israel’, have made you my own possession!”
II. God Makes us Winners (v15-16):
“15 Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; 16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.”
In every respect Israel was a failure yet God tells them that they were going to be winners.
God’s people will ultimately overcome every enemy as a thresher gets rid of the unused agriculture - in such a way so as to “thresh” (trample) and “crush” (pulverize).
Our ultimate victory is that God has crushed our sin. That is how we’ve been redeemed.
Anything that stands against us ultimately will be like “chaff”; “winnowed”, “carried away”, and “scattered”.
God’s people are simply the instrument. God is the one accomplishing the victory.
He makes us winners and for that we will always have reason to “rejoice in the Lord”.
He is the one who has accomplished the good work so he is the one who will get all the “glory”.
III. God Makes Good Things out of Nothing (v17-20):
“17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, 20 that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
God desires to do a grand work in the lives of those who know they are hopeless without him (“poor and needy”).
This is the lone qualification for those of us who aim to live lives full of joy.
God can and will do the impossible:
He will give “water” to those who “thirst”.
He will “answer them” and not “forsake them”.
He will carve out “rivers” in high places; “fountains” in low places; make “pools of water” form in the “wilderness”; and sprout “springs of water” in the “dry land”.
Why all of the water illustrations?
God is saying that in him not only is life found, but abundant life.
God gives growth where there is withering.
Right in that same “wilderness” he provides an abundance of growth.
God has more in store for us than just to save us from sin.
He is in this thing for our growth and for our joy. There is joy in our obedience.
There is joy that comes within the toil and tattering that comes in life.
God prefers the situations that look like nothing and turning them into something beautiful.
He does this so that we may “see and know” that “the hand of the Lord has done this”.
That “the Holy One of Israel created it”.
Reflect: If there is a lack of joy in your life, how do the truths that you are redeemed, you are victorious, and God makes good things out of nothing impact you today?
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WHAT IS THIS FREEDOM?
➖ Eva. Daly Felicitus
🍁
WHEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS IN US, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FREEDOM IN US.
WHAT IS THIS FREEDOM?
➖ The freedom talked about here is the freedom from DEATH.
Luke 15:24 - the father of the prodigal son said, "For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'
So they began to celebrate. This celebration shows the freedom. We celebrate on several occasions and this one. Is there any other freedom greater than this? According to me, there's greater than passing on from death to life. We are talking about the spiritual death in this context. We were all dead in sin and through Jesus Christ our Lord who brought us back to life through His physical death, burial and resurrection, he gave us the hope of life of eternity at the time of his (Lord's) coming.
➖ Freedom from SIN.
Romans 6:23 - "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness and everlasting life."
Through this scripture we understand that once we were slaves of SIN which involved disobedience to God and all other profane acts by us. We were into this slavery because we were not much aware of the LIFE AFTER DEATH and also we didn't even pay attention to what being in SIN would lead us to. Now that we know the wages of SIN is DEATH but those who live a SIN-FREE life on this earth would have ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord, we understand that on showing our obedience to God's word through our actions, we are set free from the life of SIN. Now SIN can't rule us but Christ is the one who rules us. We are saved by grace of our Lord Jesus Christ through FAITH.
➖ Freedom from FEAR.
Many of us have the fear of DEATH and its master SATAN.
Those having faith in the RESURRECTION through our Lord Jesus Christ are free from the fear of DEATH. Those whose master is CHRIST, has no fear of SATAN for the Lord defeated him and DEATH. For the psalmist says, (concerning death...)
"Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you (Lord) are close beside me." Psalm 23:4.
"As for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of death." Psalm 49:15.
In the book of Isaiah we find the death being swallowed -
"He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears." Isaiah 25:8.
As in the words of Jesus, "I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." John 5:24.
Concerning SATAN....
GOD WILL ALWAYS BE ON YOUR SIDE AGAINST SATAN.
That is such a glorious truth that brings us so much encouragement, comfort and victory, that we should share to the whole world with an experience. The Bible says "Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). The Name of Jesus is at which Satan will always flee.
When we submit ourselves to God through Lord Jesus, we should not feel that "we are something and God is everything" but we should feel "we are nothing and God is everything". When we feel we are something, we try to put some efforts to win over something but it is not that easy concerning spiritual realms. It is possible only through the Lord our God who is the spirit.
➖ Submission or Surrenderance should be complete.
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
There are some who ask if there is devil and demons. The Bible clearly specifies the powers of darkness is from the DEVIL / SATAN and his followers.
➖ Are Demons in the World Today?
We affirm that the Bible admonishes Christians to expect Satan and demons to operate now much as they did in both Old Testament and New Testament times (1 Pet. 5:6–11).
The word 'OPERATE' makes it clear that the existence of demon is there. In Scripture, Satan and demons prominently involved themselves with spiritual darkness (Eph. 6:12), deception (2 Cor. 11:13–15), and death (John 8:44).
But after the victory of Jesus over death and Satan, and we being a part of the resurrected Lord in experience, we too have victory over demon.
But what is the power of demon/Satan?
Demons possess the great power of angels (Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24), greater than humans but far less than their Creator. They have the power to carry out the following actions:
Indwell humans and animals (Mark 5:1–16).
Physically afflict people (Mark 9:17, 22).
Terrorize humans (1 Sam. 16:14–15; 18:10; 19:9; Acts 19:13–16; 2 Cor. 12:7)
Initiate false worship (1 Cor. 10:20–21)
Promote false doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1)
Perform false signs and wonders (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:13–14)
Deceive prophets (1 Kings 22:19–23)
Encourage idolatry (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37)
Engineer death (Judg. 9:23, 56–57).
Demons work from a powerful heavenly hierarchy to execute their evil deeds. Words such as “angels,” “authorities,” “cosmic powers,” “dominions,” “powers,” “rulers,” and “thrones” can be used to describe the hierarchies of either holy or evil angels. In context, Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; and Colossians 2:15 most likely refer to various ranks or levels among the evil angels, that is, the demon hierarchy. In context, Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16; and 1 Peter 3:22 most likely refer to various ranks or levels in the holy angel hierarchy.
➖ FREE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
We may have obstacles against preaching the good news of Salvation through Jesus Christ, but we also have various ways of doing that which the Lord Himself would reveal at the right time to us by some means.
Galatians 5:13
For, brothers, you have been called to liberty; use not the liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Preaching is one of the services).
➖ What is the GOSPEL that can be preached?
They are related to our day-today life issues which are linked with our attitude while dealing with them. Through the scriptures we learn how Jesus Christ dealt with them just show us how we can deal with them. Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of God who has sent me and to finish his work".
We can see from this verse that one of the sole purposes of Jesus’ existence as a human is to do His Father’s work. He is so CONSUMED with the desire of preaching the Gospel that it becomes His food. So much more that He considers that He will not live without the food he gets from preaching the gospel and doing the work of God.
Paul’s most emphatic words to Timothy were, “Preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 4:2).
➖ Is preaching the gospel the New Testament (NT) concept?
Let us find something from the Old Testament (OT):
Twice God told Ezekiel: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me” (Ezekiel 3:17; compare Ezekiel 33:1-9).
Ezekiel wasn’t the only Hebrew prophet to occupy the role of a watchman. For God had also told Isaiah: “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees” (Isaiah 21:6).
The Church’s role to alert people of their sins and the consequences of those sins is not only a message found in Ezekiel and Isaiah, but also in Jeremiah, Daniel and the 12 Minor Prophets. It is discovered in Christ’s Olivet Prophecy, Paul’s prophetic warnings and the book of Revelation.
Christ's Olivet Prophecy is the orderly and extended teaching given by Jesus Christ on the Mount of Olives in which his teachings were about the subject 'the End Times'. The words of Paul in Colossians 1:28 compel us to “preach that all may be a part of Jesus at the time of His coming.
Isaiah 58:1 sums up the essence of this particular aspect of the overall gospel message: “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
Remember that sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4).
Here the preaching is in the form of warning.
➖ Is PREACHING THE GOSPEL our freedom?
It is, in fact, a commandment of God to every Christ's follower.
God commands us to preach when it’s convenient and when it’s not, to reprove, rebuke, encourage with great patience and instruction. (2 Tim. 4:2).
It is an effective way to influence people:
Preaching is one of the most effective ways of winning people to faith in Jesus Christ. (Mk. 16:15).
Historically, preaching has become the principle means of leading, teaching, and feeding the flock of God. (Jn. 21:15-17). Here, feeding the flock is nothing feeding the people with the word of God.
➖ WE ARE FREE FROM LAW
Romans 10:4 says: "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes". This will help in understanding what is means that Christians are not under the law.
Paul clarifies the effects of original sin through Romans 2:12 - "For as many as have sinned without LAW, shall also perish without LAW and as many as have sinned in the LAW, shall be judged by the LAW".
Accordingly, all have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory which means all deserve the punishment - Romans 3:23.
Without Christ, we are condemned in God’s sight by the Law that was given through His servant Moses.
Then what about those who are not Jewish that know not the Mosaic Law (including the moral and ceremonial laws)? Do they not come under judgement and condemnation?
This is dealt with by the Apostle in Romans 2:14-15, where he states that the Gentiles have the essence of God’s legal requirements already ingrained and so are just as much without excuse.
14 "The Gentiles do not have the Law; but whenever they do by instinct what the Law commands, they are their own law, even though they do not have the Law."
15 "Their conduct shows that what the Law commands is written in their hearts. Their consciences also show that this is true, since their thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them."
The Law is the issue that has to be dealt with in order to bring us into a right relationship with God but the LAW doesn't make anyone righteous.
"Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
Christ Jesus redeemed us from the curse that has been brought through the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
LAW brought the curse/punishment, but through Jesus Christ, we got the redemption from sin and death.
What the LAW couldn't do was done by Jesus Christ through his life on earth, suffering, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
➖ WE HAVE NOT BECOME FREE OURSELVES BUT CHRIST MADE US FREE
John 8:36 tells us, "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed".
➖ WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS NOT FREE TO DO?
Here, I'm directly quoting from the Bible of the whole chapter of Romans 14 in Good News Translation for a better understanding.
• Do Not Judge Others
14 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. 2 Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. 3 The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person. 4 Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed. 5 Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. 6 Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. 7 We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only. 8 If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead. 10 You then, who eat only vegetables—why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything—why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him.
11 For the scripture says,
“As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God.”
12 Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.
• Do Not Make Others Fall
13 So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin. 14 My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you. 15 If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died! 16 Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name. 17 For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives. 18 And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others. 19 So then, we must always aim[a] at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another. 20 Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin. 21 The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall. 22 Keep what you believe about this matter, then, between yourself and God. Happy are those who do not feel guilty when they do something they judge is right! 23 But if they have doubts about what they eat, God condemns them when they eat it, because their action is not based on faith. And anything that is not based on faith is sin.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, hope this message has brought us (I include myself here) an understanding about how we, as Christ's followers, are free in and through Christ. If that is true, please share this with your friends and relatives who need to know this truth.
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610 Overview (what matters most)
So now that all the married Olicity goodness from 609 is behind us and they are locked in for the duration of the series, I guess it’s time to move ahead into the rest of the story arcs ready to unfold in the next 13 episodes.
Here is a head cannon---if the Newbies are adamant about starting up their own team, maybe they should take their act to another city. Star City is already spoken for. It won’t do to have another vigilante group save a city that has already been saved. Their objective is not original. If feels like NTA is rebelling through anger and animosity, as if they are teenagers being told they’re grounded but sneak out to the party anyway. They can never follow in Oliver’s footsteps. They haven’t shed enough blood and tears and loss to take those strides. They haven’t gone over the edge and come back stronger the way Oliver has.
**
A couple words about NTA, if I may.
Up first is Dinah. I’m sorry, but the ex-lover/partner vigilante story arc just isn’t working for me. I don’t feel that Vince has any chance at redeeming himself, not like Oliver did. Dinah doesn’t appear to have the same temperament and belief that Felicity had when she took a broken Oliver Queen into her life and helped reshape his soul.
Vince is not Oliver. He does not have it within himself to let his sins go. And Dinah is not Felicity. She is filled with rage and violence. Together, Vince and Dinah are a highly volatile couple. I don’t see a happy union for them any time soon.
Next up is Curtis. Except for those early episodes in 4A when he was still appealing, I haven’t really seen much character growth in him. It’s as if the writers are still trying to figure out what to do with him. So, he’s pissed at OTA, for not trusting him and spying. Okay, but is it any different keeping from Paul the vigilante life he chose? Is it any different that he lied multiple times to his husband every time he donned his lame superhero outfit and took a nightly ass beating? Curtis, ask Oliver and he’ll tell you. Lying to that one person in your life who gives it meaning is not a good idea. Ask Felicity. Ask Paul.
Maybe they should make Curtis exclusively Felicity’s business partner. Except for his T-Spheres, Curtis really doesn’t bring much to the action-packed table out in the field. Would it be feasible for him to not only help Felicity develop new tech that will benefit the world, but also crime fighting gadgets to help keep the Team and the city safe?
Who could they replace him with when and if he does hang up his Mr. Terrific suit? Someone with more (and better) fighting skills? Someone who has basically sacrificed his life to have the backs of those he trusts and loves and believes in? Someone who loves Oliver’s sister with the same intensity Oliver does Felicity? Someone who’s name starts with R-O-Y?
And finally, we get to Rene. I was really liking Rene. To me, he was another comic relief (funnier that Curtis) on the show. He had skills as a fighter. He was finding his niche in the Mayor’s office. And I almost felt an emotional attachment when they brought in the Zoe story. Okay, I understand Rene tragically lost his wife, and that hurts in a way that can completely define one’s heart and how they see the world in the aftermath.
All of that evaporated for me when Rene wimped out and threw Oliver under the bus by letting himself be manipulated, by having Watson push his vulnerability buttons. Again, it was a trust issue for Wild Dog, or a lack of trust. When are these rookies going to realize that Oliver let go of his own demons and decided to trust them by bringing them into the fold?
So NTA? I don’t think that’s going to work out for them. I think having them out there trying to defend the city without guidance or any kind of grounded direction is not a good idea. I think that the real fight on their hands will be with themselves.
**
So what is the answer? OTA. I cut my teeth on this show with Original Team Arrow. Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak and John Diggle. Try as they might, the writers have looked for ways to shake these characters up throughout the series. They used separation. They used lying and betrayal and a great big pile of BMD. John killed his brother and spiraled out of control. Oliver killed Felicity’s not-boyfriend and sent her down a dark rabbit hole. An entire island was blown up in a feeble attempt to make the fanbase worried. They gave John an injury he hid from everyone and then put him in the Green Arrow suit and had him lead the Team. When Oliver found out, more trust issues and disappointment came between two brothers.
It all felt like a writing experiment to me. It went against the grain of established character development. Is there a rhyme? Is there a reason? One of the most disappointing things for me as an Arrow fan (and there have been a few over the past 6+ years) is getting my expectations ramped up, usually after waiting for summer hiatus to end and again at the mid-season break. Then those expectations fizzle out as I’m taken on a tepid journey of bullshit love interests, of WTF magic villains and promising connections that turn into ambiguous annoyance.
Still, despite those misfires, and with some kick ass fight scenes thrown in, OTA is what makes the show stronger. It brings continuity and familiarity. It gives me something to root for as a fan. It gives me, at the end of each episode and each season, belief and hope that no matter what happens, OTA will save the day. They are at the forefront and whatever else comes about on the show, it will be shaped around our heroes.
As it should be.
**
Olicity. Well, they’re married. They have completed one another. They’re love and strength and endgame. All their scenes in 610 epitomized this. They exude a natural essence of love and trust and peace. There is no more, ‘does she love me like I love her,’ or ‘I think you’re missing something.’ There is no more hiding unexpressed feelings, no more out of control angst or uncrossable distances. They are a team in every sense of the word. They know what the other is thinking just by a look. They feel an infusion whenever they touch each other. One breathes in; the other breathes out.
All of this makes a difference whenever danger looms. There are no longer any bad guys or girls out there who can disrupt their flow. Losing one another is no longer an option for them. Each would die for the other. Oliver is a better person, a better hero and husband and father because of the grace Felicity brings to his life. And Felicity’s life has found a balance between conquering her fears and letting love triumph in their place. She is not broken, as she thought for so many years. She is wanted and loved. And neither one will ever be alone again.
**
Cayden James and his cabal of evil cannot win out in the end. Trying to defeat the power of love and trust is like trying to swallow fire. It will only burn on the way down. That’s the thing with villains. They are always overreaching their goals of mayhem and conquest. They think that nothing or no one out there can ever stop them. It’s a game, one they make the rules for, determining who is allowed to win and who will lose.
The only problem is---they always underestimate the other players, the ones who the game is rigged against.
Oliver, Felicity and John will always win. Why? Because they will always have each other’s backs. So bring on 6B. Let our heroes continue to make a difference. OTA is the real momentum that keeps the city safe. NTA will do well to remember that. They very well could be run down in its wake. They need to come along instead of fight against the inevitable.
@it-was-a-red-heeler @memcjo @almondblossomme @hope-for-olicity @flowerandsunshine @dmichellewrites @mortallock @vaelisamaza @cruzrogue @ruwithmeguys @louiseblue1
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Unknown Page
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RubiStar is a tool to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics, but does not have the time to develop them from scratch.
UnknownDirected byJaume Collet-SerraProduced by
Andrew Rona
Written byBased onOut of My Head
by Didier Van CauwelaertStarringMusic byCinematographyFlavio LabianoEdited byTimothy Alverson
Production
company
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures[1] (International)
Kinowelt Filmverleih (Germany)[2]
Optimum Releasing (United Kingdom)[2]
StudioCanal (France)[2]
February 16, 2011 (Westwood)
February 18, 2011 (United States)
March 2, 2011 (France)
March 3, 2011 (Germany)
March 4, 2011 (United Kingdom)
113 minutesCountry
United States[3]
Germany[3]
United Kingdom[3]
France[3]
LanguageEnglish[1]Budget$30[2]–40[4] millionBox office$136.1 million[5]
Unknown is a 2011 action-thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella.[6] The film, produced by Joel Silver, Leonard Goldberg and Andrew Rona, is based on the 2003 French novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert published in English as Out of My Head which was adapted as the film's screenplay by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell.[7] The narrative centers around a professor who wakes up from a four-day long coma and sets out to prove his identity after no one recognizes him, including his own wife, and another man claims to be him.
Released in the United States on February 18, 2011, the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $136 million against its $30 million budget.
So after the joy of failure to connect we now have the screen turning blue mid program and the message 'unknown Page error' popping up. Turn on suggestions. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results.
The reason you are seeing 'Unknown' status in your game server panel is due to unexpected maintenance on the server that your game server is located on. We are currently working to resolve this issue and your game server should be online shortly.
Unknown Page Owner Facebook
Plot[edit]
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Liz (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for a biotechnology summit. At their hotel, Harris realizes he left his briefcase at the airport and takes a taxi to retrieve it. The taxi is involved in an accident and crashes into the Spree, knocking him unconscious. The driver rescues him but flees the scene. Harris regains consciousness at a hospital after being in a coma for four days.
When Harris returns to the hotel, he discovers Liz with another man (Aiden Quinn). Liz says this man is her husband and declares she does not know Harris. The police are called, and Harris attempts to prove his identity by calling a colleague named Rodney Cole, to no avail. He writes down his schedule for the next day from memory. When he visits the office of Professor Leo Bressler, whom he is scheduled to meet, 'Dr. Harris' is already there. As Harris attempts to prove his identity, 'Harris' provides identification and a family photo, both of which have his face. Overwhelmed by the identity crisis, Harris loses consciousness and awakens back at the hospital. A Terrorist named Smith kills his attending nurse, but Harris escapes.
Harris seeks help from private investigator and former Stasi agent Ernst Jürgen. Harris's only clues are his father's book on botany and Gina (Diane Krueger), the taxi driver, an undocumented Bosnian immigrant who has been working at a diner since the crash. While Harris persuades her to help him, Jürgen researches Harris and the biotechnology summit, discovering it is to be attended by Prince Shada of Saudi Arabia. The prince is funding a secret project headed by Bressler, and has survived numerous assassination attempts. Jürgen suspects that the identity theft might be related.
Harris and Gina are attacked in her apartment by Smith and another terrorist, Jones; they escape after Gina kills Smith. Harris finds that Liz has written a series of numbers in his book, numbers that correspond to words found on specific pages. Using his schedule, Harris confronts Liz alone; she tells him that he left his briefcase at the airport. Meanwhile, Jürgen receives Cole at his office and reveals his findings about a secret terrorist group known as Section 15. Jürgen soon deduces that Cole is a former mercenary and member of the group. Knowing Cole is there to interrogate and kill him and with no way of escape, Jürgen commits suicide to protect Harris.
After retrieving his briefcase, Harris parts ways with Gina. When she sees him kidnapped by Cole and Jones, she steals a taxi and follows them. When Harris awakes, Cole explains that 'Martin Harris' is just a cover name created by Harris. His head injury caused him to believe the cover persona was real; when Liz notified Cole of the injury, 'Harris' was activated as his replacement. Gina runs over Jones before he can kill Harris, then rams Cole's van, killing him as well. After Harris finds a hidden compartment in his briefcase containing two Canadian passports, he remembers that he and Liz were in Berlin three months earlier to plant a bomb in Prince Shada's suite.
Now aware of his own role in the assassination plot, Harris seeks to redeem himself by thwarting it. Hotel security immediately arrests Harris and Gina, but Harris proves his earlier visit to the hotel. After security is convinced of the bomb's presence, they evacuate the hotel.
Harris realizes that Section 15's target is not Prince Shada, but Bressler, who has developed a genetically modified breed of corn capable of surviving harsh climates. Liz accesses Bressler's laptop and steals the data. With Bressler's death and the theft of his research, billions of dollars would fall into the wrong hands. Seeing that the assassination attempt has been foiled, Liz tries to disarm the bomb but fails and is killed when it explodes. Harris kills 'Harris', the last remaining Section 15 terrorist, before he can murder Bressler. While Bressler announces that he is giving his project to the world for free, Harris and Gina—with new identities—board a train together.
Cast[edit]
Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris
Diane Kruger as Gina
January Jones as Elizabeth 'Liz' Harris
Aidan Quinn as imposter Martin
Frank Langella as Professor Rodney Cole
Bruno Ganz as Ernst Jürgen, a former Stasi operative
Sebastian Koch as Professor Bressler
Stipe Erceg as Jones
Olivier Schneider as Smith
Rainer Bock as Herr Strauss (chief of hotel security)
Mido Hamada as Prince Shada
Karl Markovics as Dr. Farge
Eva Löbau as Nurse Gretchen Erfurt
Clint Dyer as Biko
Many German actors were cast for the film. Bock had previously starred in Inglourious Basterds (which also starred Diane Kruger) and The White Ribbon. Other cast includes Adnan Maral as a Turkish taxi driver and Petra Schmidt-Schaller as an immigration officer. Kruger herself is also German, despite playing a non-German character.
Production[edit]
Friedrichstraße, Berlin, is the scene of a car chase
Oberbaumbrücke, from which the taxi plunges into the river
Apa Unknown Page Number
Principal photography took place in early February 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and in the Studio Babelsberg film studios.[6] The bridge the taxi plunges from is the Oberbaumbrücke. The Friedrichstraße was blocked for several nights for the shooting of a car chase. Some of the shooting was done in the Hotel Adlon. Locations include the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin Friedrichstraße station, Pariser Platz, Museum Island, the Oranienburger Straße in Berlin and the Leipzig/Halle Airport.[8] According to Andrew Rona, the budget was $40 million.[9] Producer Joel Silver's US company Dark Castle Entertainment contributed $30 million.[10] German public film funds supported the production with €4.65 million (more than $6 million).[11] The working title was Unknown White Male.
Release[edit]
Unknown was screened out of competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.[12] It was released in the United States on February 18, 2011.
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 200 reviews; the average rating is 5.81/10. The site's critical consensus reads, 'Liam Neeson elevates the proceedings considerably, but Unknown is ultimately too derivative – and implausible – to take advantage of its intriguing premise.'[13] On Metacritic the film has an average weighted score of 56 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.[14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B+' on an A+ to F scale.[15]
Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ and wrote, 'At times, Unknown stretches plausibility to the near breaking point, but it's so well paced and the performances are so strong and most of the questions are ultimately answered. This is a very solid thriller.'[16] Justin Chang of Variety called it 'an emotionally and psychologically threadbare exercise'.[17]
Box office[edit]
Unknown grossed $63.7 million in North America and $72.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $136.1 million.
It finished a number one opening at its first week of release with $21.9 million.[18]
References[edit]
^ abcd'Unknown (2011)'. AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
^ abcdUnknown at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^ abcd'Unknown (EN) [Original title]'. LUMIERE. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
^40 million according to Andrew Rona at Berlinale press conference, Friday 18 February 2011. See 'Video Press Conference' at Berlinale web site after 30 minutes. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^Unknown at The Numbers. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^ ab'Unknown White Male Starts Principal Photography'. MovieWeb.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^Dargis, Manohla (2011-02-17). 'Me, My Doppelgänger and a Dunk in the River'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
^'Unknown Shooting in Berlin'. EmanuelLevy.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^Andrew Rona at Berlinale press conference, 18 February 2011. See 'Press Conference' video at Berlinale web site after 30 minutes. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
^Fritz, Ben; Kaufman, Amy (17 February 2011). 'Movie Projector: 'I Am Number Four' to be No. 1 at holiday weekend box office [Updated]'. Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
^'Unknown Identity'. MediaBiz.de. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^'The 'Competition' of the 61st Berlinale'. Berlinale.de. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^'Unknown (2011)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^'Unknown reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
^'Unknown–CinemaScore'. cinemascore.com. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
^Roeper, Richard (2011). 'Richard Roeper's Reviews - Unknown Review'. YouTube. Reelz Channel. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^'Unknown'. Variety. 15 February 2011.
^'Unknown' Helps French Cinema Have an Identity Abroad in 2011'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
External links[edit]
Unknown on IMDb
Unknown at AllMovie
Unknown at Box Office Mojo
Unknown at Rotten Tomatoes
Unknown at Metacritic
Unknown at The Numbers
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unknown_(2011_film)&oldid=1000301041'
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Unknown Page
Unknown Page Number Apa
Unknown Page
UnknownDirected byJaume Collet-SerraProduced by
Andrew Rona
Written byBased onOut of My Head
by Didier Van CauwelaertStarringMusic byCinematographyFlavio LabianoEdited byTimothy Alverson
Production
company
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures[1] (International)
Kinowelt Filmverleih (Germany)[2]
Optimum Releasing (United Kingdom)[2]
StudioCanal (France)[2]
February 16, 2011 (Westwood)
February 18, 2011 (United States)
March 2, 2011 (France)
March 3, 2011 (Germany)
March 4, 2011 (United Kingdom)
113 minutesCountry
United States[3]
Germany[3]
United Kingdom[3]
France[3]
LanguageEnglish[1]Budget$30[2]–40[4] millionBox office$136.1 million[5]
Unknown is a 2011 action-thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella.[6] The film, produced by Joel Silver, Leonard Goldberg and Andrew Rona, is based on the 2003 French novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert published in English as Out of My Head which was adapted as the film's screenplay by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell.[7] The narrative centers around a professor who wakes up from a four-day long coma and sets out to prove his identity after no one recognizes him, including his own wife, and another man claims to be him.
This is an unknown page. Please call 1-800-442-3453 for assistance. Access study documents, get answers to your study questions, and connect with real tutors for UNKNOWN 121212: Writing (Page 2) at Alabama State University.
Released in the United States on February 18, 2011, the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $136 million against its $30 million budget.
Plot[edit]
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Liz (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for a biotechnology summit. At their hotel, Harris realizes he left his briefcase at the airport and takes a taxi to retrieve it. The taxi is involved in an accident and crashes into the Spree, knocking him unconscious. The driver rescues him but flees the scene. Harris regains consciousness at a hospital after being in a coma for four days.
When Harris returns to the hotel, he discovers Liz with another man (Aiden Quinn). Liz says this man is her husband and declares she does not know Harris. The police are called, and Harris attempts to prove his identity by calling a colleague named Rodney Cole, to no avail. He writes down his schedule for the next day from memory. When he visits the office of Professor Leo Bressler, whom he is scheduled to meet, 'Dr. Harris' is already there. As Harris attempts to prove his identity, 'Harris' provides identification and a family photo, both of which have his face. Overwhelmed by the identity crisis, Harris loses consciousness and awakens back at the hospital. A Terrorist named Smith kills his attending nurse, but Harris escapes.
Harris seeks help from private investigator and former Stasi agent Ernst Jürgen. Harris's only clues are his father's book on botany and Gina (Diane Krueger), the taxi driver, an undocumented Bosnian immigrant who has been working at a diner since the crash. While Harris persuades her to help him, Jürgen researches Harris and the biotechnology summit, discovering it is to be attended by Prince Shada of Saudi Arabia. The prince is funding a secret project headed by Bressler, and has survived numerous assassination attempts. Jürgen suspects that the identity theft might be related.
Harris and Gina are attacked in her apartment by Smith and another terrorist, Jones; they escape after Gina kills Smith. Harris finds that Liz has written a series of numbers in his book, numbers that correspond to words found on specific pages. Using his schedule, Harris confronts Liz alone; she tells him that he left his briefcase at the airport. Meanwhile, Jürgen receives Cole at his office and reveals his findings about a secret terrorist group known as Section 15. Jürgen soon deduces that Cole is a former mercenary and member of the group. Knowing Cole is there to interrogate and kill him and with no way of escape, Jürgen commits suicide to protect Harris.
After retrieving his briefcase, Harris parts ways with Gina. When she sees him kidnapped by Cole and Jones, she steals a taxi and follows them. When Harris awakes, Cole explains that 'Martin Harris' is just a cover name created by Harris. His head injury caused him to believe the cover persona was real; when Liz notified Cole of the injury, 'Harris' was activated as his replacement. Gina runs over Jones before he can kill Harris, then rams Cole's van, killing him as well. After Harris finds a hidden compartment in his briefcase containing two Canadian passports, he remembers that he and Liz were in Berlin three months earlier to plant a bomb in Prince Shada's suite.
Now aware of his own role in the assassination plot, Harris seeks to redeem himself by thwarting it. Hotel security immediately arrests Harris and Gina, but Harris proves his earlier visit to the hotel. After security is convinced of the bomb's presence, they evacuate the hotel.
Harris realizes that Section 15's target is not Prince Shada, but Bressler, who has developed a genetically modified breed of corn capable of surviving harsh climates. Liz accesses Bressler's laptop and steals the data. With Bressler's death and the theft of his research, billions of dollars would fall into the wrong hands. Seeing that the assassination attempt has been foiled, Liz tries to disarm the bomb but fails and is killed when it explodes. Harris kills 'Harris', the last remaining Section 15 terrorist, before he can murder Bressler. While Bressler announces that he is giving his project to the world for free, Harris and Gina—with new identities—board a train together.
Cast[edit]
Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris
Diane Kruger as Gina
January Jones as Elizabeth 'Liz' Harris
Aidan Quinn as imposter Martin
Frank Langella as Professor Rodney Cole
Bruno Ganz as Ernst Jürgen, a former Stasi operative
Sebastian Koch as Professor Bressler
Stipe Erceg as Jones
Olivier Schneider as Smith
Rainer Bock as Herr Strauss (chief of hotel security)
Mido Hamada as Prince Shada
Karl Markovics as Dr. Farge
Eva Löbau as Nurse Gretchen Erfurt
Clint Dyer as Biko
Many German actors were cast for the film. Bock had previously starred in Inglourious Basterds (which also starred Diane Kruger) and The White Ribbon. Other cast includes Adnan Maral as a Turkish taxi driver and Petra Schmidt-Schaller as an immigration officer. Kruger herself is also German, despite playing a non-German character.
Production[edit]
Friedrichstraße, Berlin, is the scene of a car chase
Oberbaumbrücke, from which the taxi plunges into the river
Principal photography took place in early February 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and in the Studio Babelsberg film studios.[6] The bridge the taxi plunges from is the Oberbaumbrücke. The Friedrichstraße was blocked for several nights for the shooting of a car chase. Some of the shooting was done in the Hotel Adlon. Locations include the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin Friedrichstraße station, Pariser Platz, Museum Island, the Oranienburger Straße in Berlin and the Leipzig/Halle Airport.[8] According to Andrew Rona, the budget was $40 million.[9] Producer Joel Silver's US company Dark Castle Entertainment contributed $30 million.[10] German public film funds supported the production with €4.65 million (more than $6 million).[11] The working title was Unknown White Male.
Release[edit]
Unknown was screened out of competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.[12] It was released in the United States on February 18, 2011.
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 200 reviews; the average rating is 5.81/10. The site's critical consensus reads, 'Liam Neeson elevates the proceedings considerably, but Unknown is ultimately too derivative – and implausible – to take advantage of its intriguing premise.'[13] On Metacritic the film has an average weighted score of 56 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.[14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B+' on an A+ to F scale.[15]
Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ and wrote, 'At times, Unknown stretches plausibility to the near breaking point, but it's so well paced and the performances are so strong and most of the questions are ultimately answered. This is a very solid thriller.'[16] Justin Chang of Variety called it 'an emotionally and psychologically threadbare exercise'.[17]
Box office[edit]
Unknown grossed $63.7 million in North America and $72.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $136.1 million.
It finished a number one opening at its first week of release with $21.9 million.[18]
References[edit]
Unknown Page Number Apa
^ abcd'Unknown (2011)'. AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
^ abcdUnknown at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^ abcd'Unknown (EN) [Original title]'. LUMIERE. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
^40 million according to Andrew Rona at Berlinale press conference, Friday 18 February 2011. See 'Video Press Conference' at Berlinale web site after 30 minutes. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^Unknown at The Numbers. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
^ ab'Unknown White Male Starts Principal Photography'. MovieWeb.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^Dargis, Manohla (2011-02-17). 'Me, My Doppelgänger and a Dunk in the River'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
^'Unknown Shooting in Berlin'. EmanuelLevy.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^Andrew Rona at Berlinale press conference, 18 February 2011. See 'Press Conference' video at Berlinale web site after 30 minutes. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
^Fritz, Ben; Kaufman, Amy (17 February 2011). 'Movie Projector: 'I Am Number Four' to be No. 1 at holiday weekend box office [Updated]'. Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
^'Unknown Identity'. MediaBiz.de. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
^'The 'Competition' of the 61st Berlinale'. Berlinale.de. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^'Unknown (2011)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
^'Unknown reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
^'Unknown–CinemaScore'. cinemascore.com. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
^Roeper, Richard (2011). 'Richard Roeper's Reviews - Unknown Review'. YouTube. Reelz Channel. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^'Unknown'. Variety. 15 February 2011.
^'Unknown' Helps French Cinema Have an Identity Abroad in 2011'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
External links[edit]
Unknown on IMDb
Unknown at AllMovie
Unknown at Box Office Mojo
Unknown at Rotten Tomatoes
Unknown at Metacritic
Unknown at The Numbers
Unknown Page
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unknown_(2011_film)&oldid=1000301041'
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Arrow Season 7 Poster Analysis
Arrow promo department handed me a little crack today.
This poster is my jam.
But we’ll get to the light. Actually, what struck me first was the tagline “Revelation and Repentance.” It’s very biblical in nature. Beth Schwartz said the season theme was redemption. There were many guilty parties in Season 6, whose actions were anything but heroic, but I wouldn’t count Oliver among them.
In fact, Oliver came as close to being a fully realized superhero in Season 6 than he ever has before. Yet, he ends up in prison. So what does Oliver need redemption for? Why is he being punished for the actions of others?
Redemption is a broad concept. It’s not limited to an act of atonement for a fault or a mistake. While there are many characters in Arrow that require atonement for their mistakes *cough*newbies*cough* I do not believe this is the lens we should view Oliver Queen through. Redemption means something very different for his character and the Season 7 poster illuminates how (pun intended).
In the beginning, Oliver was a man in need of redemption for his sins. He was a self centered layabout who cheated and lied.
It was Oliver’s sins that put him on the Queen’s gambit and lead him to Lian Yu – aka Purgatory.
The island burned Oliver to ash and what emerged was a very different man. He was selfless, repentant, and completely committed to helping others.
Oliver was still haunted by demons, but overtime (and with the help of his loved ones) he eventually was able to conquer most of them.
Oliver’s light was on full display in Season 6.
He married the love of his life, was an amazing father to his son, and fought for Star City both as the mayor and the Green Arrow. When his team turned him, Oliver offered forgiveness and understanding, even though those betrayals resulted in great personal cost.
It wasn’t a perfect arc. Oliver made mistakes and perhaps you believe he does require redemption for his sins. He did not discuss his decision to serve a life sentence, in exchange for the FBI’s help, with Felicity.
Oliver Queen is also a murderer. Sure, they were all bad people, but murder is murder. It’s the entire reason he was being prosecuted. Damien Darhk nuked thousands, but it still didn’t give Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, the legal right to kill him. So, if this is how you view Oliver then the first definition of redemption works quite nicely.
However, I view Oliver differently. I’ve always been firm in my belief Oliver shouldn’t kill, but then again I’m not losing sleep over anyone he has killed. When I view the landscape of Season 6 as a whole, Oliver did almost everything I’ve ever asked of him. Even his mistakes were rooted in selflessness (more about that in my 6x23 review). I don’t believe Oliver Queen requires redemption anymore. He has shifted into something else entirely.
He is the redeemer.
Every superhero is essentially a Christ like figure. Look no further than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiering over Holy week and the movie culminating in the crucifixion of Superman.
Wonder Woman hovers above the sky, in a perfect cross like formation, and destroys the epitome of evil Ares, (aka the Devil).
“It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Diana, Wonder Woman
The superhero evolves to a place where they become the beacon of light for those they fight for. They become the best example of humanity. However, this often requires sacrifice.
What did Jesus Christ require redemption for? Nothing. Jesus died for our sins. His death was our redemption. Did we deserve that kind of sacrifice? No, but it’s not about what we deserve. It’s about how much we are loved even though we are sinners.
Need a less Catholic perspective? No problem. Consider The Shawshank Redemption. As the always brilliant @callistawolf pointed out, Andy was an innocent man. He did not require redemption because he did nothing wrong.
Perhaps he was not a good husband, but the punishment far outweighed the crime. But Andy had a light that could not be distinguished. He had hope and it gave others hope. His belief made others believe. Andy was the path to redemption.
Since both Shawshank and Arrow made not so subtle nods to The Count of Monte Cristo this is another prime example of an innocent man nearly consumed by anger and revenge, but ultimately embraces love and peace.
Edmond Dantes is the path to redemption for others as well. Redemption requires punishment or forgiveness for some, while other characters never achieve it.
Side note: Maybe we’ll be able to slot in Arrow characters into corresponding Shawshank & Monte Cristo roles. That’d be nifty.
As I said, the tagline is very biblical in nature which feeds my Oliver-as-the-redeemer theory. The definition of revelation is:
a : an act of revealing or communicating divine truth
b : something that is revealed by God to humans
2 a : an act of revealing to view or making known
b : something that is revealed; especially : an enlightening or astonishing disclosure shocking revelations
c : a pleasant often enlightening surprise
However, Revelation is also one of the books of the Bible. The scary one.
This is the book, written by the apostle John, which details the way the world is going to end, but leaves it confusing enough so we have absolutely no idea when it will happen.
That’s entirely the point though. We aren’t supposed to know when the world ends, but simply understand it will happen. Maybe we will to see the end or maybe we don’t. Either way our time here on earth is finite. There is a clock ticking. Our redemption lies with Jesus Christ. We must repent our sins and look to Him for our salvation. In fact, the word apocalypse means revelation. The Book of Revelation is often called the Apocalypse of John.
What the heck does all this mean for Arrow? I’m not saying Oliver is Jesus because that’s crazy, but symbolically he is. Oliver is Star City’s salvation. He went to jail primarily to protect his wife and child, but also to save his friends from prosecution. Oliver did it to save the city from Diaz - the same city prosecuting him for being the Green Arrow. Did the newbies or Star City citizens deserve Oliver’s sacrifice? No. Not even a little bit, but Oliver sacrificed everything that mattered to him to ensure their safety. Oliver Queen is a martyr. All superheroes become one eventually.
It’s why Oliver is bathed in light. He is the light. It’s always the light. There’s no mask, suit, bow, arrows or team (because prison, duh). Oliver is alone. He doesn’t have any of the tools he uses as a conduit for either his darkness or his light. Everything is stripped away. He is battered and bruised, but the light still shines.
One thing we have yet to see Oliver do is harness his light by himself. He’s always had Felicity or Diggle as his support system. They’ve always been there to pick him up and point Oliver in the right direction. But he’s cut off in the same way he was cut off from all those he loved on Lian Yu. Slabslide is another island.
I hope is Oliver is able to pull himself out of the dark hole by himself this time. This may be one of the final pieces of Oliver Queen’s superhero puzzle. The knowledge that Oliver can lose everything and yet retain his goodness may give him an inner strength he’s never known before.
It will take time and I expect Oliver to screw it up at first, because that’s what he does. Oliver will tunnel deeper into the darkness before he finds the way out. When Oliver was on Lian Yu he had to shut down his humanity to survive, so I expect this is the route he’ll initially go. However, he must embrace his humanity to survive this island. If the poster is any clue then Oliver he will eventually set himself on this path.
Even though the other characters are not on the poster it still hints at their direction as well. The Arrow posters are always equally about the city as they are the characters, because the show never strays too far from Oliver’s mission.
The word repentance means to turn away from sin. The Hebrew roughly translates to “turn away from.” However, whenever we turn away from something we turn toward something else. We turn away from sin and turn toward Christ.
If we replace revelation with apocalypse and repentance means “turn away from” then the message of the Season 7 poster is very clear. Star City and the newbies turned their backs on Oliver Queen, yet he is their salvation. The “apocalypse” is nearing, but we don’t know when or how. (This is standard Arrow story structure because the city is always under attack from the new Big Bad). The city and team must “repent” or turn away from their “sin” (mistakes/wrong doing/betrayals/self absorption/petulant toddler like fits – slot whatever you want in for sin) and turn towards the light – Oliver Queen.
All of this points to a new understanding and acceptance of Oliver Queen from the team, the city and himself. Oliver may be in prison, but his deliverance lies within. And the city’s deliverance lies with Oliver.
If Season 6 was a rejection of the Green Arrow then Season 7 is about acceptance. The city and team will realize they need Oliver and the Green Arrow. They will atone by giving Oliver the chance to live both identities, man and mask, without lies and compartmentalization. All of this brings us closer to a fully realized superhero and the story of Oliver Queen, the repentant sinner turned redeemer, full circle.
#arrow#arrow season 7#arrow poster#oliver queen#arrow spoilers#spoiler theoretical#the shawshank redemption#oliver queen meta#arrow promotional images#count of monte cristo
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