Sunshine

The only problem with the I'm Oliver Queen and the fight on the plane being the dream is how else does he inform TA about the 4 instruments of death? If not Oliver, who? They also have to free up Nyssa to help in the fighting.

I think it's more about Oliver not letting Diggle in on the plan rather than working with the enemy. Is it about trust? Maybe. I can see Oliver thinking a) he might try and talk me out of it; b) I am adjusting on the fly and can't keep everyone informed; c) I am willing to go to lengths Diggle can't or won't; or d) all of the above. I don't think Oliver didn't trust Diggle but he would have known that Diggle wouldn't have signed off on Oliver becoming an assassin. If this had taken months of infiltration Oliver would have been expected to do a lot of killing to prove his loyalty to Ra's. I don't see Diggle going along with that.

There is supposed to be a big scene on a dam. This is probably the climactic fight between Oliver and Ra's and probably occurs later in the episode. I am thinking there will be at least 2 sequences at PT's arrow lair. The first one is when Diggle punches Oliver in his first appearance. The 2nd will be when people aren't quite so stressed - after SC is safe again. This is when I assume Ray lets Felicity know what he did as well as breakups and final reunions (if any) between characters. I don't think the "how did you expect to repair this" shows up at first Oliver appearance.

I actually think SA was using MG's words when he characterized it as a "series finale". There are MG interviews out there that used that term long before SA ever did. I think SA's tweet just got more exposure. MG's final sentence there is interesting though. As for Oliver & Nyssa's marriage and enjoying it...I think (hope?) he's talking about snarky comments similar to the dialogue tease. Or, now that he has a wife to support, maybe Felicity will take pity on him and offer him a job as her errand boy. She already has an EA. SA did say that Oliver & Felicity's relationship would be going to the next chapter from early S2. Early S2 he forced her to be his EA.

Here is to hoping the dialogue tease is Felicity to Oliver and that the appropriate response is something along the lines of "we're not married." Am I asking for too much?

There is an EW interview with MG (I can't get it to link from this device) that says one death sticks. So if there are 2 deaths, someone uses the LP. He also mentions an end to the Thea and Malcolm arc. I don't know if this means Malcolm dies or if the two of them come to some kind of understanding because he is helping Oliver.

According to TVLine's scorecard there is 1 Time Warp left. Maybe Barry steals Oliver to help him. When he rests time it appears that Al Sahim has been dozing. Meanwhile Barry is off to NP to set the captives free. It could happen (but probably wont) ;)

Thea's decision making skills have been about on par with her brother's since the end of S2.

Seriously though, would Oliver at this stage of the game really be sleeping/dreaming? There is too much at stake.

But does Oliver know that his actions are unlikeable? We actually get a very definitive answer from him to that point. Someone specifically asks him, ‘How did you expect to repair all this?’ He’s got an answer for it. It may not be an answer you like, but I do think it’s answer that will make him, if not likable, then sympathetic at the least. Especially when you see what he’s been willing to do and why he’s been willing to do it. I think at the very least there’s a measure of sympathy for Oliver. That really, when we talk about sort of pushing the line with the audience, I think for my money, Oliver doesn’t always have to be likable. Hopefully, that answer will satisfy some people. I think Oliver knows that his actions are unlikeable. Part of me thinks that he doesn't expect to be able to repair what he has done. It was just part of the job. (Hello ARGUS training) I do think he was willing to sacrifice all his relationships to keep Thea, Felicity, Diggle, Laurel and Starling City safe from the wrath of Ra's Al Ghul. I think he would have had no problem killing Nyssa because she is a LOA member. Would he have been willing to force himself upon her I don't know but I hope not. I don't think it occurred to him as something Ra's would demand until it actually happened. He might actually have looked upon Nyssa more sympathetically after seeing her treatment at her father's hands. Guess we'll find out soon.

I disagree with Robert Dougherty's assertion that Felicity forgiving Oliver is going against Diggle. To forgive or not forgive Oliver is an individual choice not a group or "team" choice. Diggle holding that against Felicity or vice versa is juvenile. It doesn't have to negatively affect their relationship. Isn't that like saying you can't like Felicity if you like Laurel or vice versa?

I agree except if they do flashbacks for Sara and Nyssa I want them done on Legends and not on Arrow.

Some fans have already turned on Diggle. How dare he interfere with Oliver's plans. I have read several places that he has become annoying and just needs to STFU.

So, Ra's might be back next year?! I guess SC isn't far enough away that he can't be LP'd if Oliver takes him out. Been waiting for days for a spoiler and what I get is confirmation that the cliffhanger is "How can the show go on" and that they have ideas for Ra's (Matt Nable's) possible return in S4.

No clue how they work except I think they have to be filmed in or actors from British Columbia. I think whether EBR is considered lead or support depends on perception.

Emily is nominated for 2 Leo awards. Best Female Guest for Flash-Going Rogue and Best Female Lead in a Drama Arrow-Left Behind. Link is in the BTS Thread.

Emily is also nominated for best dramatic female lead performance for Arrow, Left Behind (3.10). The Flash, Going Rogue is Best Guest Performance in a Drama.

I am wondering how this is going to play out too. I don't want her to just hand it over either. I was thinking maybe she would sell him part (half?) of it. Walter and his bank were going to provide funding originally in 3.01. By selling him half or some percentage this could make them true partners. What I heard when I watched the 30 second clip from his NP party was that Oliver and Felicity were going to the next Chapter from early S2. I kept reading he said their relationship was going to the next level. While I don't doubt that their personal relationship will be advancing I do wonder if the 2.10 "You're not my employee, you're my partner" comes into play. If it does, I am thinking he would be the face of the company and she might be more than happy to re-establish the Queen name in SC.

The company could be where Felicity tracks things while keeping the company operating and the others could actually operate out of the basement or somewhere closer to the glades. The others could also zip line in and out. Nobody would notice. ;) I read the New 52 after F&D were added. Oliver was often running around in a business suit attending events. He would change into his GA gear as necessary. I could see a similar thing happening here. For Oliver to become Green Arrow he is probably going to have to start making a difference as Oliver Queen. At some point I would expect him to leverage his name in some social justice endeavors. If Oliver becomes the face of the company somehow, it would give both Oliver and Thea a reason to be there. Laurel Lance was originally going to work for some fancy, schmancy law firm in San Francisco IIRC. She could leave criminal law to work for the company. Or she could go into business for herself and the company could be her main client. Diggle could become head of security. This company could employ them all and hide their vigilante operations. Everyone comes and goes and nobody is the wiser for it although if Quentin is still anti-vigilante he might question it. I guess I don't think S4 is going to be them operating exclusively like they did in S1 & S2. I have been known to be wrong on more than one occasion. LOL! Also, assuming this is the company that becomes Queen, Inc., if Oliver appears to be doing well this could be why Baby Mama and child put in an appearance. Then again, maybe there is more story if Laurel trips over them in Central City. SA did tease one time that he might not be the first one to discover the child's existence. Laurel might know who the girl is and sees the child (if he/she looks like Oliver) and puts 2+2 together.

I think 3.23 will be the end of the absolute darkness in this show. It is never going to be as light as Flash but it will start to lighten up in S4. If not, how does Oliver become Green Arrow? It may still have dark moments (It definitely will in the flashbacks.) but I think part of the end of the trilogy is adding more light/hope to the show. As far as the critics go, I think they tend to break down along comics & entertainment much like the fandom does. The biggest complaints I have seen from comic sites are Olicity/Felicity related and people being unhappy with Ra's making an offer to Oliver that should be reserved for Batman. Entertainment complaints seem to be in regards to speed of comic characters and lack of the trio. (I personally bought into the trio but I am aware that isn't why everyone watches.) The only thing both sides seem to agree on is that the writing for plot not characters doesn't work. I think the "kinda" cliffhanger for S3 is once you wrap up the existing storylines we're supposed to be left wondering "Where do they go from here?"

Just a thought...There were a lot of previous posts about how neither Felicity nor Oliver had the ability/experience to run a company. If they are really redeeming Malcolm and since he's proven capable of hiding out in plain sight in SC, they could use him as a BTS advisor.

Maybe this is the end of Oliver Queen's constant guilt and self-loathing trip? He was lying and pushing everyone away. He didn't know who or what he was anymore . The set up is Oliver choosing Oliver and at least attempting a life with Felicity. If we're lucky we will get more scenes outside the lair for everyone. The original Team Arrow is probably dead in the water. They have been trying to transition away from it all year by expanding the team. Oliver and Diggle will be at odds because of Lyla's kidnapping and Sara being left unattended. Thea is in the field. BC is becoming more of an asset and less of a liability which probably leads to more GA/BC team ups in S4. Diggle will probably be back in the field but with who - Oliver? Thea? BC? Alone? Even if he works with Oliver he is no longer going to defer to him. He'll question him more. Felicity will be tech support for all of them. I do think the company ownership transfer is to make the site the lair and possibly get it back to Oliver. Flashback set up is Oliver leaving Hong Kong for Russia.

Flashbacks are probably just Oliver & Co escaping the trap, saying good-bye to Tatsu, and boarding a ship to Russia. Maybe it's just the last minute or two to wrap it up and set up S4 like the end of 2.23 did with Hong Kong.

I am thinking both Malcolm and Quentin survive the finale if S4's theme is family.

Nothing has been confirmed about it being Team Arrow's base of operations. MG did say they just extended the set because of the number of people who needed to be in it this year. They seem to like using that set - QC, PT, Ray's home, temporary TA location 3.21-3.23. I just think that at least Felicity will be operating from there in S4. The secondary lair has never been set up so besides a weapons cache (arrows?) it would require a lot of work to set up. LOL! You have to have a lot of power for the computers unless he is going old school!