Sunshine

Not to mention a room full of fans

I think this season though that SA is off on most Mondays. He has filmed on a couple of Mondays though so no way of knowing. The Monday you are referring to he filmed Monday-Wednesday that week and did Celebrity Ninja Warrior on Thursday.

Not really sure what the end for S5 is other than not the destruction of Star City. If it's for Oliver to embrace both sides of himself wouldn't it make sense for Oliver to admit to Chase that he is a hunter now? Gives him 5 episodes to come to terms with whatever he did and move past it. Admitting it is the first step. BFS said when he was writing it that it was cathartic. 520 sounds like it is a pivotal episode perhaps for more than just Olicity. 5.21 is Honor Thy Fathers which sounds to me like the upward swing if Oliver honors his.

Evelyn is back this week - 5.17.

In 5.16 the first thing Felicity sees at Helix is a prototype of something they were developing at Palmer Tech. Wonder if anything else was taken that could have helped Helix's technical capabilities and allowed them to grow. Is this how Felicity had an inadvertent role in creating Helix? Is this the shocking something she learns in 5.18? Does she figure out who is behind Helix? Do they have a file on all things Oliver Queen and Team Arrow? Is this how Prometheus is getting his information? Assuming 5.20 is a re-birth for Felicity/Olicity I would think she would have to own up to what she's been involved in by then. She's doing murky things but discovering things she was creating for good put to evil use might make her rethink things.

I don't actually see those things as being different. Oliver lying to Felicity did cause it. Felicity understands on an intellectual why he thought he had to lie. I think she's getting ready to understand it on a more basic or gut level.

I have always been under the impression that her arc, especially since SA's spoiler, was about justifying Oliver's lie. I just can't figure out how they make it comparable. They are not in a close personal relationship unless it blows up in her face post 5.20, assuming that is a new beginning.

NCAA had games Tuesday & Wednesday. Might be a possible cause. From now until April 3, it's televised on Thursday-Sunday. The championship game is on a Monday.

I am wondering if the newbies might be left on their own for a couple of episodes, possibly 5.18-5.20, so they have to figure out how they work best. Oliver might be pushing people away once he's freed. In 5.18 he's considering utilizing the Bratva. 5.19 Dangerous Liaisons could refer to Bratva, Helix, or ARGUS. Felicity has her new "friends" for a couple of episodes at least. In 5.20 she's with Oliver. The 3 newbies seem to be staging a rescue of some sort. Lyla is in 5.19 & 5.20. Diggle is probably with her/ARGUS.

5.18 is called Disbanded. Maybe the 3 of them try to be a team while the original 3 fight their fights.

He's still Claybourne's son. I think mom's name was Morrison but she changed it to Westfield. Somewhere down the road he changed his to Adrian Chase.

So how does Sampson (Cody Rhodes) fit into this episode?

Snoozan could have been meeting Oliver for dinner. She gets kidnapped by Chase. Felicity locates Talia. Oliver calls her to cancel the dinner (not unusual) and tell her he has to leave town for a couple of days. The call goes to voicemail so he leaves a message. LOL! In this case it's easy enough to fan wank but I think the show just isn't very good with details. They've never officially reunited. They made peace and she promised not to tell but they were interrupted before they could kiss and make up. Chase reveals the outcome of the impeachment vote. Oliver runs off to see Thea. Next Snoozan's on her way to dinner. We presume with Oliver. She's kidnapped. Oliver rescues her but there's not so much as a hug in that elevator afterwards. Oliver is kidnapped. Is Oliver freed/rescued in 5.17 or 5.18? According to the paps CP filmed during 5.18 & 5.19. (One told someone in a DM that they haven't been together for a couple of episodes.) Maybe she's hanging around awaiting his fate and when he's freed she realizes the writing is on the wall similar to Ray in 3.19/3.20. She could actually be here through 5.23 in a reporter capacity or as a crime victim.

I must have watched a different episode. Nothing made her invaluable to Oliver. I guess she could testify against Chase. At this point it is probably he said vs she said. She hasn't outed Oliver. Why do either of those make her invaluable unless she's going to help restore Green Arrow's reputation?

Yeah. I'm leaning towards Chase not being behind Helix. I like the rest of your theory, especially Felicity destroying them. I keep reading people thinking she's going to be arrested but other than Lyla/ARGUS interfering I don't know how she would get out of it since it would be a federal crime. Presidential pardon because of S4 and the missiles? LOL!

Talia told Oliver Adrian came to her 2 years ago looking for training. He knew all about Oliver including the fact that he had killed Ra's. That's why Talia trained him.

As of this moment, Chase/Prometheus is my favorite Arrow villain ever. Hope I can still say that after 5.23. :-)

Seems like it but I would think those would be federal terrorism crimes. How do you get out of that?

Awesome episode.

Not enough Felicity.

Maybe we're focusing on the wrong thing. He neutralizes Oliver using Susan. Felicity puts herself in danger by getting into bed with Helix to save Oliver.

Is Simon going to just let Susan walk away? She knows her kidnapper's identity.

Could Malcolm Merlyn be his father? He could not defeat Oliver physically so he plays mental games with him? He's back, at least in flashbacks, beginning in 5.17. He could be working with Talia.

Lyla's in 5.19 too so maybe they have some issues that get resolved in 5.20. Lyla has always been characterized similar to Oliver because of Amanda Waller's influence.