AustenChick

Every time Oliver got emotional, I got teary. Every time Felicity emoted or cried, I got teary. When Diggle talked about naming his baby Sara - tears. Laurel speaks.... and then um. Yeah. Nada. You know, I'm actually trying to like her. But...well. Yeah.

I wonder if Sara and Laurel just had been friends (not sisters), would that story line have been easier to follow? I think O/F crept up to the writers the same way they crept up on the audience. But I saw the potential in season 1 in the ep when Felicity gave Oliver the book Walter found in the Queen mansion. That "Can I trust you?" exchange turned out to be more intimate than probably written. I think EBR even said that. I think it's the acting that made that scene hint at something more than friends. Then in S1, the episode called Dodger, you have Oliver giving Felicity a surprised but admiring glance when she enters the room in a dress. Then they started building those moments in S2, feeding us small, but really romantic moments between them. I mean, notice the music that's used with them and the close ups. Like in S2, ep 7 State v. Queen -- the music when he's saved her and then the close up of when Oliver takes Felicity's hand when she tries to apologize for getting him into a situation that made him kill again. I think I read somewhere that EBR said that she didn't even though they were planning on doing a close up of them grasping hands. Also in Streets of Fire in S2 -- there's a close up of Ollie's hand on her back when they hug, the epic music. There's another close up of Oliver putting a hand on Felicity shoulder before they go get the cure from Blood. While those moments were few, they were built up enough epic love style.

Anyone notice how Felicity's wardrobe became much more attractive by season 2? Season one was odd sweaters, jeans, and button up shirts. Season 2 she was full fledged dress all the time. Do you think that had to do with her being upped to a series regular and an effort to make Felicity more attractive? Or do you perhaps think that could have been a character choice -- i.e. Felicity is feeling more confident about herself after Season 1 and working with the Arrow?

Yeah, I don't think there was ever a plan to make Sara the full fledged BC. If you recall, Sara was only called The Canary. Laurel, I think, will become a version of that as BC in Season 3. About Olicity -- this is what I think -- I think a lot of people were speculating about the finale last year and what Oliver's "I love you" to Felicity meant -- but I think that with this premiere they wanted to answer the Felicity vs. Laurel question once and for all. Oliver has never, ever said as much about his past to Laurel as he has with Felicity. I do think the season three arc is about the two of them relationship wise. I also think that the showrunners wanted to answer that love question so that story could be set aside for now and Oliver could be more involved in whatever antagonist conflict that they're setting up for Season 3.

I think they killed Sara ecause her story is too much like Oliver's -- a person that lost their humanity trying to be a hero. Laurel gets a new and different trajectory story wise -- coping with her sister's death and seeing if she should take over. I think Laurel's training will be like Roy's -- we won't see much of it but over the season into next -- she'll become a better fighter. I also think Sara's back story will help make out a more fully fleshed arc for the character that at least might help us understand how she came to be what she is. Laurel's exploration of this could the motivator for these discoveries.

Ah, so count me in the minority as having loved the episode. I liked Sara, but I think her death was inevitable and works within the present framework of the series. But I do want to say that other posters on another message board wrote something interesting -- that this is how death sometimes is -- a shock, a punch, not heroic. It's tough to see a character we like get that death but as Oliver isn't going to get that journey -- I can see why they gave that to Sara. But again, I see the other side of the matter as well. Sara was the more interesting Lance. Taking my speculation on how this impacts season three in the Speculations Without Spoilers thread.)

Has anyone noticed that each season Oliver has dedicated his mission in relation to a person? Season 1: He was avenging for his father's sins. Season 2: Rededicating his mission for Tommy and trying not to be a killer. It will be interesting where Season 3 will take him.

Also this? Sookie: “Bill, I’ll never forget you.” Bill: “I wish I could say the same, but I don’t know what happens next.” Sigh. That's like, the worst thing to say to someone right before they do you the favor of killing you.

This is coming from someone that was honestly a Bill fan -- I didn't despise him when he refused to take the cure. But asking Sookie to kill him? I don't know. That made me dislike him a lot. Maybe they were just embracing the dick that Bill became over the last two seasons -- but I just couldn't get emotional about that scene because I kept thinking -- Bill is asking to die for the "good" of Sookie. So Sookie agrees to kill him and then has a human husband and babies. All of which means to say, Bill was right? A guy making the decision for a woman is okay? I get the reasons behind his actions, but I can't help but feel they are condescending. Like, that Bill knew what was best for Sookie in the end. (Except for the fact she kept her powers). And the Jessica/Hoyt thing. Did they have to get married? The idea was vaguely moving, but I couldn't get past the idea that Bill needed to make sure Jessica had a man to take care of her.

The back story is hard to swallow, but I think if Oliver and Laurel had more chemistry, it would have been easier to like them more. I do think it's hard to root for a couple when they have such a heavy past working against them. The Oliver/Felicity and the Oliver/Felicty/Diggle dynamic works so well because we saw all those relationships develop on the screen.

As mad as Emmett might be at Daphne, I honestly think that Emmett will be more mad Bay for not talking to him about her decision so that will be a bump in the road for their relationship...

Just had a thought -- what do people think Sara meant when she told Laurel "Oliver needs you?" Did she mean as a friend? Romantically? Or just as part of his support system?

I actually think SA did a great job in season one. I think he just had to grow into the role. I especially liked his work in Betrayal when Felicity gives Ollie the notebook Walter gave her. SA gives a really subtle face shift at looking shocked and heartbroken while pretending to Felicity like he's never seen the book before.

You know you're watching too much Arrow when you start counting the times the Arrowcave is trashed and how many times they had to replace Felicity's computers and also that dressing dummy for the Arrow costume.

My problem with the twist ending is this -- to redeem Daphne of her past actions -- not just the cocaine, kissing Travis, drugs, vandalism, etc, etc -- she had to own up to what she's done. It was a big character move for her. And they just took that away. Honestly, I'm not sure if her character has ever really faced the consequences for her frequent bad decision making. Sure, she got community service and probation for BLACKMAILING a politician -- but that's nothing. Now, she's committed several criminal acts and she's getting no punishment for them. In trying to portray a loving bond between the girls, they sacrificed Daphne's brave chance to redeem herself. It just makes it frustrating to watch because it feels like Daphne will never get truly pay for what she's done. While it was all in the name of grief, what Daphne did was wrong, Now Bay is sacrificing her own future -- and really her relationship with Emmett -- all for someone that let her take the fall. I'm not sure how Daphne can really be redeemed now.