Mrs. de Winter

Aren't there more flowers here than we saw in the flash forward? I remember thinking there were not a lot of arrangements in the original shot we saw - it seems like too many here. And it seems like people got photos too easily...

I wonder if the "kill him" piece is where Oliver makes amends with a big dramatic moment where he gives Felicity the right to decide whether or not whoever they have said he needs to kill lives or dies.

Looks like it must be colder in the future given Oliver's outfit.

If the speech is by island Oliver I assume most people will just change the channel 3 minutes earlier than they usually do since the island is a whole lot of who cares. None of these spoilers are enticing me to watch the show anymore. Didn't WM say we would get some idea of where everyone is before the big death happens before the episode where the death occurs? Am I remembering that wrong or did they just decide not to do it?

Wow that was – something. So basically they spent all of five minutes on Felicity’s dad just so they don’t have to hear again about how they promised it and then didn’t deliver because technically they had Felicity’s dad on the show. And I am equally convinced we will hear next year about how much they wanted to revisit the story, but gosh darn it TA is just not available (and why would he be when they wasted him like crazy). I did enjoy Oliver’s line to Felicity about not always having to be funny. I choose to believe it was, in part, the writer’s talking to a certain contingent of the fandom who whines about the fact that Felicity gets to be a real live girl and not just comic relief on the show. I wish I could believe this is the end of the LOA, but I am guessing there will be some stupid reason they have to be reformed at some point. The anvils were a flying – the line about changing will certainly come up again. I am also betting Felicity’s line about Oliver and his impossible situation and best way out will be revisited. Oh, and Darhk will magic a new arm for Malcom, or something similar, right?

I keep wondering what Nyssa wants with Katana (since it looked like in the preview they are together). Could a "cure" be why Nyssa is going to see Katana? Wasn't she the keeper of the magic herbs last season when Oliver survived his fall off the cliff? Could Nyssa get some sort of "cure" (and takes Katana hostage) and go to Oliver with an offer?

Diggle and Felicity episode? What a concept! EBR and DR were both fabulous. Why can't we have nice things more often? SA's face when Felicity reveled Goth Felicity was priceless. How can this Oliver be the same guy who lied to Felicity? Stupid plot points are stupid. I am curious how this Felicity becomes "kill the son of a bitch" Felicity. In my version Oliver telling Laurel about the time travel is set up for the fact that the timeline demands some sacrifice and Laurel will be it. I mean Laurel has cheated death twice now - once with the pit by bringing Sara back and once when the timeline was changed. A sacrifice must be made and it is her turn!

The Diggle and Felicity scene better be more than a quick chat on the phone. It has been absolutely ridiculous how little interaction they have had this season. In one of the interviews with DR he says Diggle would tell Oliver to give into "the man, to the husband, to the lover and go be by her side." Is husband just a poor word choice or an overstatement? Or could the wedding have been real and DR slipped?

I like the side effect idea and that it happens because Felicity taking action to help herself. My fear that her injury will become something for everyone else to fix and solve and suffer over is high. Felicity is an inherently strong person - and they better not forget that.

So if Felicity is hallucinating do we have any idea why (I didn't see anything, but perhaps I missed it)? The implication seemed to be that it was for more than one episode from the autograph guy. There doesn’t seem to be any head injury from the preview. So if she is not just hallucinating while in surgery, why would she be hallucinating at all? Is it possible DD does something to her while she is in the hospital so that she is under his control (and this is a side effect)? Is it a result of whatever high tech thing goes on in 4-11? A side effect of “dying” since she already died in one reality (are their side effects from what Barry did)? Plot device with no logical reason for being?

I wonder if MG’s tweet doesn’t have another purpose. While I think it was a specious argument as presented, I wonder if it is more about what is coming up rather than what happened in the past. SA posted the video of what seems to be Oliver electrocuting someone after Felicity has been hurt. The show does seem to believe that Oliver has kept to the no kill rule except in extreme circumstances (e.g., Felicity in danger, Ra). Now it looks like he will possibly kill when angry and/or for revenge. I wonder if MG was less focused on the past with that tweet than he is on what is coming up so he can do a “see I told you” in the future. My bigger worry is that there is going to be some twist that makes Mama Smoak look bad because this show seems to feel mothers have to always be keeping secrets from their kids. Like Papa Smoak did come back at some point and she kept it/him from Felicity. Felicity forgives her mom, Oliver sees this and thinks he can tell her about the kid but in the meantime Papa Smoak tells Felicity first and Felicity ends up feeling betrayed on all fronts.

Felicity's dad comes mid-season, correct? And doesn't he deal in information? So what are the odds he finds out about Oliver's secret and tells Felicity? Because right now I don't hold much hope Oliver man's up and tells her the truth.

On the plus side, I find myself less concerned that Felicity is the one in the grave. Not because anything here proved it is not her, but because Felicity deserves so much better and I am this close to hoping EBR finds something else (better) to do and decides to leave this show. Laurel can have Oliver's lying ass. I used to think he didn't deserve her heinousness but now - they may just be perfect for each other. Other than the blurry video do we have anything that indicates that Oliver proposes next week? I really don't think I can forgive him if he proposes a week after deciding lie to Felicity because some other lying witch told him to. EBR said she had not tried on the ring - please let this still be true. I also assume, having cheated death, the rest of the season will see death coming for Oliver for no other reason than he is too stupid to live.

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit - even with Ray which surprised me. Was thrilled we finally got to hear some POV from Felicity. She was harsh but given the circumstances it made sense and she recognized at the end that she was out of line. I am not put off by how short she was with Oliver - if it continues, or if the next time he is short with her she is not understanding like he was, then I will have an issue. Loved the Diggle and Oliver interaction and choose to believe that Diggle's "what looks good on paper isn't what works in real life" comment was meant to be at least a semi-meta statement on a few things on the show.

Ray was just using tech and resources that were developed and acquired with company money for personal use (his suit) - up to and including purchasing an entire company to be sure Felicity was working for him. Felicity is using money the board knows it is paying her - so at least she is doing it above board unlike Ray who apparently is fine with misappropriating funds. And Ray relied on others to make the company successful as well - including Felicity. On another note - are Felicity and Oliver at the loft when they hear from Ray in the preview? Someone pointed out that the toy duck that Baby Sara has might be on the table. Maybe they are watching Sara because Diggle is already doing his undercover thing? Didn't WM mentioned Diggle doing things that Oliver is not aware? It makes me wonder if he makes a move to go undercover to get info on HIVE before or after they find out about Ray.

Of the candidates I choose Malcom – because the throw down between Malcom and Felicity would be fabulous (one of the only good things about last season was watching the two of them). While I love PB and am okay with Lance no, no, no - a thousand times no - on anything that puts Laurel near the Smoak women. Do we think Diggle is going undercover with HIVE? He seems to be dressed like on of DD henchmen in the stills for the next episode...

I am not at all surprised that Oliver kept the information from her – and it doesn’t bother me that he did. I just thought it was an interesting choice that Felicity and Diggle get brought in immediately and Laurel is again on the outside – particularly since this was supposed to be the start of them being better friends to each other. It is hard for me to take this friendship - or attempt at friendship - seriously when they can't even go one episode without highlighting that lying to each other seems to be their default position. It was also interesting to me that the reconciliation of their personal relationship happened at Oliver’s office. It seems like an odd choice for a personal exchange like that. But I guess there are friends and then there are friends.

Just to confirm in case I am missing something: Laurel berates Oliver for keeping things from her and not caring enough about her family. In the end Oliver says they should try and be better friends and they hug it out and all is well. Of course Oliver does this while keeping from her the fact that one of her family members is working as a double agent for him with Damien Darhk. A secret that he includes Felicity and Diggle in right away. So once again it seems like Laurel is not really part of the inner circle. So what really has changed when it comes to Laurel's place on the show and in Oliver's life? Or do we think he comes clean about her father in the next episode?