Axel

It's a promo for all the CW shows and showcases the diversity of their programs : Reign got a lot of shots in it -while it's not exactly a success- but it's their sole "period show", so it represents. What is different ( and very visual) with Arrow/Flash shows, is their masked characters so it make sense to show them more in this kind of promo.

but it's fairly normal and even expected with a character like Felicity, because you know she's exactly the kind of character bond to suffer the Joey Potter Syndrome (everybody might remember Joey like the fan fav of Dawson's creek who stole the show -which is true- but anyone in the fandom past season 3 would say "She was worst ! The writers ruined her ! Most unlikable character ever !" Pretty sure "Everybody hates Joey" was the most popular thing on LJ at time lol.) Because it's expected when a character gets popular because he's the underdog or the comic relief to become divisive and subject to criticism when they step out of the box and expand. It's somewhat unavoidable with the evolution of this kind of character, I don't think it's a bad thing. and one of the reason is that, as fact, there are very little to make you root for Felicity in Season 3 (thing to be passionate about). Because there is very little she struggles with (and why not, she did it in the past seasons). But in season 3 she has an awesome career, she's not under-estimated, her voice and opinions in "Team Arrow" is fairly acknowledged, so is her her intellect (she's so awesome that genius Ray Palmer can't do anything without her help); the hero is totes in love with her, so is the other billionaire of the show etc...the only thing she struggles with are Oliver's decisions. But this, this is not really on her, it's just on Oliver to decide ( and not everyone is that concerned with who Oliver is with specially since he has been shown as fairly versatile with his love interests), somewhere there's nothing for her to "win" : she's pained and affected by what happens to other characters, but she didn't have anything to prove or "conquer" this season. I agree about wanting her to start her own company, if she has to run something, I want it to be "Smoak wtv..", not a version of the Queen Company given to her by her ex-boyfriend. On the other hand, the show still has a few seasons to go, I feel like it would be a better story for a finale season (as a final accomplishment)

Is there a chance it could be Roy (is he confirmed dead or something ) ?

Well, it didn't say the feeling of payoff would be limited to Katie Cassidy/Laurel's fan, I say It's a sign it can be both :p Joke aside I agree with another poster, Sunshine, besides Canary, the things set up during the season that come together could involve Oliver returning with some kind of answer/realization on what he wants to be and to do. ETA Felicity is never going to move on. She can have some interests here and there but she'll never really move on unless they decide to permanently end Olicity, which is not happening anytime soon.

Yes frustration goes with not having your pairing together which is what generates passion and involvement. It's not a list about what are the better written pairings (I keep aside real people), but the ones generating the most buzz on Tumblr. Alternative, impossible, slash-pairings,... -almost- always get more investment and support than "given" couples.

From the Spoiler Thread Big payoff ? Is it the episode where Oliver and Felicity finally sleep together :p

It means passion goes with frustration. Even canon couples in the list have been fanon for a long time (although it was a given some of them would become canon sooner or later).

Honestly I don't see it happening. The show doesn't parallel or compare Felicity and Laurel, we do, and the show never implied the girls moving on was a bad decision. The show is written through Oliver's perspective, so it's more likely supposed to parallel something between Past!Oliver and present : like for example in the past Oliver truly loses his humanity after going to SC ( watching his sister becoming an adult he barely recognizes, the love of his life moving on with his best friend, a stranger running his father's company and sleeping with his mother : all the people he wanted to return to so much moved on and his father and him have been erased and replaced by others people ) which had a direct impact on how Oliver acted when he finally returns to SC in the pilot. This contrasting with Oliver in the present, (who in 3A kinda saw this happening again : his company run by a stranger, the girl he loves moving on, his sister not being who he thought she was anymore etc...) returning to SC after another "death" but this time deciding to fight to get his life back. Just an example. But Ray-Felicity is a pointless relationship done just to delay until 323 and give the characters something to do (something which at some point has an impact on Oliver)

^It would. Even the "confusion" between two half-sibling shouldn't be hard to determine. But their stories have so many plotholes anyway...

Or once Oliver gone, Team Arrow shuts down its business. Felicity takes time for herself, Diggle is already half out because of baby, Roy...is not exactly a team all by himself. That lets Laurel "always saving the world" who decides to take over with the vigilante thing. Then, Team Arrow reunites, if anything, to stop her from being killed at every turn hmmm To frame Thea and cut her ties with Roy, Oliver etc...? And it ends up incriminating Oliver ? Whatever, it will all end up being Ra's ^Or this

Very true. We keep talking about it like if it was gifts but, until the end, it wasn't. Not that I mind if she ends up keeping it, I consider it as a bonus for helping to make the deal.

She works for him. It was on-screen. They work closely enough for her to stand by his side during a press conference where he renames the company. It was on-screen. He drops at her place just to talk about a new idea. And she's quickly more interested by the project than bothered by the fact he came at her place at dawn. On-screen too. Every new scene shows their relationship getting better : from furious (302), to ok when he gave her a job she loves, to sharing a mutual deception (305) and ultimately physical attraction (307)...I don't need more scenes of Felicity crying over his shoulder, drooling over his body or sharing tech nonsense to make it clear.

I don't see, what is there to fanwank here ? Felicity went from disliking Ray to liking after spending two months working and getting to know him, there's nothing unnatural about it. I don't need to see every boring day of their life at work to fill the blanks. Never it has been shown that Felicity didn't like expensive gifts or fashion or would refuse it. The only thing always clear is that she is not kind of person who would change her moral beliefs because of money, not that she doesn't enjoy it . It didn't change. For the record, Felicity is attracted by Ray, before he asks her out. Maybe she didn't spend two years pining for him, but it was made clear when she said he's her "type". The dress is merely play, like when Oliver promised her a bottle of expensive wine to make a research. We all know she didn't do it for the wine but because Oliver picked her interest. It doesn't mean she would have refused it. She didn't accept Ray's invitation for the gifts either. She did because she's interested. Giving extravagant gifts (or spending a lot of money) for someone is just a way the show says you value someone : Tommy for Laurel , Felicity for Oliver and while it's too early to talk about love with Ray, it's the way to say he values Felicity.

For most shows in May but for Arrow and a few shows sure to be renewed it should be in February. I too hope Roy will get better arcs and I wish Sin would return so much. Roy/Sin/Thea were so great.

To be fair every time I look at the Spoiler Thread I see pictures of or from Emily Bett Rickards and David Ramsey, logically they also must have big part in these episodes Well The Promise and The Odyssey are my favorite episodes. I loved the island flashbacks :/ But if it was Harrison, why Oliver would exchange, defy or whatever with the LoA ? To protect him ??? Yeah It will be much better when Oliver will be back and it'll be all Black Canary and Arrow...can't wait for the reactions when the first BTS pics of them will come out :p