bijoux

I don't know about all my specs, but I called Oliver killing Poppy months ago and I will forever be proud of that.

It's my headcanon that little Felicity was an absolute killer batter on the softball field. So much so that after vocal protests Donna was eventually forced to take her off the team because the other kids were absolutely frightened when they had to pitch at her. Killer hit combined with no doubt junior version of her determined face struck fear in other 8-year-olds.

409, Dark Waters.

@dtissagirl, that is the best way to describe my feelings on the subject as well.

Moreover, my read on the situation was that he thought he had to. It was supposed to have been what made him survive the past five year and, what's more, be a part of his redemption. But as you've said, that got tangled with a lot of self-loathing so things got muddled.

First of all, thanks for your hard work collecting the spoilers as always, @tv echo. The thing with the big bad feels like it will be someone the team has crossed paths with in the present timeline. Meaning it's not somebody random and it's not someone with a past grudge. It's someone who strikes directly because of the teams actions. And I won't lie, it does make me cast suspicious glances in Malcolm's direction. I'm assuming the next two points are connected and that the overarching theme refers to Oliver's public life. It's not that I'm advocating for the current helmet, but isn't part of its purpose identity concealment? You don't get much of that if his face is clearly visible. It should be changed, no argument there, but can't it have a tinted visor, one through which Dig can see, but he can't be easily seen? I completely missed that Lady Cop will be back. To be honest, I'm not really sure how she ended up. I'm starting to get a feeling that "James" will be a flashback character. Maybe Oliver's superior in the Bratva.

I don't care one way or another about this film, but that's some high level of discourse there.

I actually never took him going away with Sara as chosing her over Laurel. It was a way to get Laurel to break up with him because he wouldn't man up and tell her he couldn't offer her what she wanted. I don't doubt that Sara and Oliver felt a kinship before the island, but I think them going off on Queen's Gambit was probably more about their feelings for Laurel than for each other. On Oliver's side there was cowardice and on Sara sibling rivalry and resentment. That decision is probably the most relevant Laurel's been to their lives. And if that's not a sad and sobering thought, I don't know what is.

That's a great approach. If you can do your own stunts, great. If your stunt double does most of them and you give them credit, also great. From what I've seen Willa does the same.

The most gratifying stunt to me was Oliver taking down two Ghosts simultanously using his bow and arrows. I really love him in awesome archer mode in the field. Whoa. That's an excellent catch. They should have focused on her more since she connects the damn flashbacks to the present. That was all on Oliver's end. Felicity even told him that they were not together, but that was his decision. She never wanted Oliver to chose between himself and the Arrow, she just followed him at the end of last season when he decided he couldn't be the Arrow anymore.

What's his approach?

I didn't see it happening that way at all. Oliver was romantically done with Laurel as of the start of the second season and, barring screaming, you're a poopy face, at her completely clear about it. They stated they could only be friends in season 2 premiere, then he actually, physically pushed her away when she tried to kiss him. And once she started dropping by the Arrow cave in season 3, he all but put up a sign saying "No Laurels allowed in my playhouse" on the door. Nothing he's done after the first season could be qualified as stringing her along in my book. I can see it applying to their relationship pre-island, but even then Laurel should shoulder part of the blame because while I was willing to believe she was willfully ignorant about the cheating once upon a time, her last episodes made me certain she damn well knew about a lot, if not all of it. She just chose to accept it in the interest of hanging onto Ollie. Being a cheating scumbag is on him. Chosing to remain with the cheating scumbag is on Laurel.

My favorite bit is the 40:60 part. Suuure. And I don't even think actors necessarily have to do their own stunts. If they're believable enough physically before the stunt double steps in and the scene is then shot so that you can't spot the difference, I don't really give a damn.

Macha's got a bit of adorable AU silliness. It's really upbeat and she gets some things so right in short, epistolary form. Like Oliver sending Thea emails instead of texting for one. The Unbearable Hotness of Being

I don't know if it's the wedding @EmeraldArcher's went to, but this one has been making rounds on social media. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseypippin/unbreakable-vow?utm_term=.kf27Ljn4#.qmqgVkd6

They did in 409 when he called her out on her bondage outfit. A sentimental favorite of mine.

I finally got to watch the episode after getting home last night and it's sort of a mixed bag. Basically, I'm happy because I'm more or less satisfied with character emotional beats which are the main draw for me. I fully support Thea backing away from the team as I have said after the previous episode she's really not emotionally fit to be on it right now. Girl is not someone to have in the foxhole at this junction. I didn't see Dig reenlisting but it makes sense. He's adrift and the army centered him previously, so I get why he would go back to it to find himself again. I loved his confession to Lyla and her reaction to it. It was so very, very true to her. While on the subject of Lyla, I want regular Team Arrow/ARGUS joint operations. Something about seeing her and Oliver being either in synch or on the opposing sides like this episodes just rings real. I want that delved into. Felicity has gone through massive piles of shit this year, but I realized this episode that it really was her year, what with her mother being there, her father showing up and having three villains connected directly to her. And bless her for pointing out that collaborating with Darhk to save her mother doesn't save her mother at all. Plus she was just adorable during the final moments in the lair with the team. My mama and up top. Hee. All that plus saving the world. When I saw on Twitter that Oliver was interim mayor, I imagined the election would be held off until the next season, giving the writers the option to play with him in that role for a while and then have someone else elected. I get all the logistical problems of him in public office, but it's so effing emotionally satisfying to see him step out and show how much he cares about that cesspool he calls home. I loved his happy, glowy face when he took the oath, yet was simultaneously nostalgic because when he announced he was running his support system was all there, yet now he was alone. Insert sadface. I find the way the season ended with him and Felicity puzzling due to the fact to how it started. It's not a bad place at all in my book, I just really expected more of a connection to the pilot, although the biggest one may be them in the broken down lair which they will obviously rebuild together. The Ivy Town house was picture perfect, but this is their home and it's really the house that built them. So now they will build it truly together for the first time. Finally, my biggest letdown is Darhk. They really messed the landing with him. In the end, I don't know anything more about him than I did in the premiere. I still don't get his motivation for global nuclear destruction. In this episode it was painted as it was connected to his desparation over losing his wife but it was very much not an impulsive thing, in fact, from what I've read about his appearance on LOT, he's been planning it for literal decades. McDonough really elevated the material - in fact, my favorite moment of his here was him unbuttoning his suit jacket before throwing down with Oliver, I suspect that was all him - but there needed to be a lot more meat on those bones. While I very much appreciate the city rallying behind both Oliver and GA, and fighting for themselves, I liked the mass fight way better in S2. Nice choice to have the ark guy lead the charge, though. I didn't even realize it was him until this morning. Other small things - it looks like they changed Sara again or maybe that bike ride really aged her. I was kind of snickering about how Oliver's next career should be motivational speaker and then Quention showed up with, That Oliver Queen guy really know how to give a speech. I might have been emotionally compromised. Between that and Dig pointing out how Oliver was the one keeping him in check recently, I truly felt the show demonstrated appreciation for Oliver's growth. The flashbacks were super funny, not least because Oliver killed brother and sister in the same manner. At the same time, Amanda screws up again. She loses the dangerous idol that was in her custody, then apparently tells no one about it and doesn't really go after Darhk from what we have seen. Oh, Amanda. Will we see her continue to make bad choices in season 5 flashbacks?

What I'm getting from all these comments is that the giant crossover should really be an extended therapy session for everyone, but primarily Barry and it should feature a lot of tough love, i.e. verbal smackdowns and possibly a phyical one as well. Not to mention both these threats would affect them as well if they were on the same earth.

You can sort of tell it's her first time. I was just thinking her and William were a match made in bland heaven.

I'm pretty sure the poster says Illicit, no Y. Can I show you to the You Know You're Watching Too Much Arrow When... thread? :D

Last of PB's S4 BTS photos. https://mobile.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=513257638885396&id=171286136415883

But this reply is really funny. In my opinion. :)

I was unaware that it was supposed to be after anything other than Top Gun, especially in light of his appreciation for Tom Cruise's career. the best thing about that interview is Kelly's dress. I want it yesterday. The rest is pretty boring.

What if we're all giving this cavernous space more importance than it actually has? There is a showdown with the Ghosts in the bunker andthe suit cabinets get blown up. What if it's just Oliver (on his own or with Felicity) just surveying the damage there?