Ariah

Oh come on, we knew it was coming. She does look strange (it's the lipstick I guess) but it was inevitable. As for insta!Canary - there may be a large time gap (half a year, maybe more) between 309 and 310. It's going to make the transition a little bit more believable. Now I keep my fingers crossed for this Canary to be shipped away to a distant city. That, or I'll fast forward A LOT.

When I discussed the show with my friend (who's also watching) and told him about some of these theroies, he said "You're giving the writers too much credit. it's not that kind of a show where everything clicks". I'm afraid he may be right... (And Felicity's dad was mentioned in season 2, not 1).

MG, please, let it not be about Laurel getting back with Oliver... Please! Let it be about Tommy... Oh. I'm at a loss with Ray. But, let's face it, Atom's superpowers are... kind of lame?... I'm still hoping they will change it somehow and make him more connected with OMAC.

So the drop in ratings will not be attributed to Laurel... Too bad.

Well, let's hope playing off Stephen, Ramirez shows some more skill!

Oliver did tell Tommy in season 1 to be good to Laurel or he'll "snap his neck" (joking! not) I'd actually pay good money to see him giving a similar talk to Palmer. And then Felicity finding out. And being angry at Oliver, because she's her own woman and doesn't need a man to look after her that way. (But i still think the cut on Palmer's cheek is not connected to the Olicity turmoil, but rather some oter fight. Bonus points for it to happen during the "work-date")

Anyone posted this yet? https://twitter.com/Loli_2807/status/532338022818148352/photo/1 Looks like Ray is in a fight. Now I think some of us would want that to be a courtesy of one Oliver Q., but there is a photo that would suggest otherwise and it involves Uzis.

Quentin Diggle Ray Palmer Merlyn (for real) (gasp!) Felicity.

But the title Oracle would make little sense in the light of the events of 305. Felicity did little guiding this episode, much less then she usually does. I'm hoping the Oracle title will make a reappearance in an episode where Felicity actually does something Oracly ;] (btw, the Barbara on Gotham is not the Barbara who become the Orcale ;) We're off by 20 years and a generation)

I'm still holding out hope that's not the endgame, because A. scriptwise you put obstacles in the path of the main couple, and Ray-Obstacle-Palmer is here, B. CW did once a show with Green Arrow (Smallville) and there Oliver Queen married . Still, the fear remains.

Actually, both Felicity and Oliver may punch Ray. Hey, Diggle may help.

I have made my peace with the fact that Laurel will become the BC - it's inevitable, like death and taxes. One should not fear death, one may fear taxes. But I am afraid the writers will try to force her upon Oliver. I don't mind (too much) Laurel as the BC, but I will mind - to the point of quitting the show - if the "romance" between Laurel and Oliver will rekindle. Let's not get that way, shall we, Arrow writers? On the hopes front: I'd like to see Felicity punch Ray once she learns he's not as transparent as she thinks. Pretty please, with a cherry on top.

Also, let's not forget that (if Oliver didn't lie outright during their first meeting), other IT people directed him to Felicity because she was the best. So, even if she was at QC for a short time, she still let herself be known as a miracle worker.

Bewitched? Only if Stephen Amell plays the husband on that show. Then I'm all in.

Since in the past seasons it was Oliver who got all the action, it's time for Felicity to have some fun. The kiss scene with Ray looks pretty-pretty. Cupid seems fun but I hope she won't get after Laurel... And now I'm sure she will. Not really happy for Diggle's speech about how Oliver should not have two kinds of justice: one for them, one for the bad guys. It's connected to Roy and his "incident" with Sara (presumed), so I guess it's from a scene when Oliver refuses to do anything about seemingly guilty Roy. Also, I think Oliver gets upset about Roy or Laurel, not Felicity kissing Ray (or Ray kissing Felicity for that matter). That would be too childish.

Yes, I was rewatching the episode with my friend and we rolled our eyes at that "Only I know Sara's dead" line. Let's not only add Nyssa, but also the whole League of Assasins to the list. It's getting crowdy. Soon Only Quentin will be in the dark.

My other hopes for this season: - Mama Smoak should have a cameo in one or two episodes (but not more) - It's Felicity's time to say "I love you", preferably to a semi-conscious and almost dead Oliver - Salmon Ladder. 'Nuff said.

The thing is, Mama Smoak was right. Brother Eye did not last 10 seconds against Felicity! (gif not mine)

Frankly, I fell in love with 90% of this episode and I want to have it's babies. Basically it was the comeback to the dynamic I loved in season 1 and half of season 2, with Team Arrow together in the Foundry, Laurel marginally present and a villain of the week with a return-potential. Papa Smoak was mentioned as a) very smart and b) present till Felicity's 6th year of age. So she should remember his face (sort of). I still think he'll resurface in mid-season finale. Or close to the actual finale. Felicity being able to save herself was all sorts of awesome - it's a direct comeback to the Count situation. Perhaps Felicity gathered that Oliver will kill Cooper if she remains passive. And she didn't want that to fall on Oliver's conscience (again). Also, her hiting Cooper in the jaw must have been cathartic. The Roy dream in the end was a total mood-slasher. And it would seem a miraculum-Roy was present in the dream (the strength, the zombieness). I'm behind the theory that Roy is channeling someone else's emotions and positions himself in these situations as a viewer, not perpetrator. Ray... Oh, stalkery, no-boundries present Ray. Oliver never visited Felicity at her place, Digg only waited for her outside in the car. Guys know their boundaries, Ray does not. Still, he comes off as less creepy and more socialy inept. Like an absent-minded scientist who forgot that people have lives other than work-mode. And when Felicity asked him wheather he had created something small that grew out of proportions - I think it will become significant. Maybe the blueprints he wanted her to find on the burned HD were using his technology? I mean he invented something, QC stole/ bought it from him and turned it into a totally different, scary thing. Also, I must say that Oliver tonight was... really great. From saving a random woman on the street in his civil-mode (see? you can be Oliver Queen and do good!) to sheepishly admiting he's never fallen out of love for Felicity... My heart broke for them in that final scene, when it was so painully obvious they were talking about themselves ("lovers?" "I have to go"). I admire Felicity's stern mindset that she's not going to take a step forward Oliver (I also wonder what must happen for her to give them a second chance - Oliver seriously hurt?) Before the events of 3.01, she would have hugged him, he would have touch her arm reassuringly - now they no longer have that comfort. Somehow I believe Felicity limits her physical contact with Oliver, because she's afraid she can break and give in. Oliver is also less open with her, though his smiles this episode were a nice change. Only Felicity can make him smile like that... Thea - I can't decide wheather she's working with Malcolm and knows her brother is Arrow, or is Malcolm playing them both and setting up the stage for the grand finale. We'll see. And I don't know if the new rules allow me to say what I want to say about Laurel, but... here goes: I actually though making her a DA for the night will result in some good decision making and showing the grace-under-pressure thing... But it didn't. She failed the city. Good that it was addressed and not swept away too soon. Still - a chance to make the character competent was lost. Because you see, Dear Writers: you can't have a character who is incompetent as a vigilantee, incompetent as a lawyer and equally incompetent as a daughter. Make her good at something! (and let thsi not be barking orders...) Whew. Ok, now I'm waiting for the influx of MamaSmoak talks about the billionaires in her daughter's life fanfics!

Good one! Really, really good one. I hope it's not something in the line of Tags for comic canon.

The biggest secret about Oliver unraveled on The Flash? Let's see... Pehaps Caitlin Snow's fiancee was his brother?... Ok, joking aside, I think it's important to differenciate between Oliver's secret (the thing he keeps from people) and a secret about Oliver (the one he doesn't know about). The way it's worded in the interview can be interpreted both ways: "We discover something about Oliver" -> so we, the audience shouldn't know that yet "which is probably one of the biggest secrets we've ever revealed on the show" -> ambiguous as Lian Yiu. Maybe Oliver is metahuman? And his reflexes are, actually, not only a product of the training, but also something else? ...Or his middle name is Theodore.

Oh dear, Laurel as DA for the night. Also, putting much pressure on Felicity there, Detective (sorry, Captain!) Lance!

SmallScreenDiva, I'd read that fanfic, if it won't make the cut to the tv screen!

Yes, the paternal types I gave were sort of for fun (accept Wells, I actually can get behind this). But the whole thing with the missing father leaves a lot for the writers to develop... If they want to.

He might have. He just didn't know the things would escalate to such extremes. Frankly I don't think him being a hero in the comics is that defining. We had Shado, who was kind of a villain in the comics, transformed into a dead love interest... I posted a little thingy in the speculation/hopes threat, but I'll just drop it here for good measure: what if we'll find out in the final minutes of the episode that Felicity is in fact the daughter of someone we already know? (MamaSmoak will take a look at an old photo in her wallet and it will show: Detective Lance / Ra'S al Gul / Dr. Wells from Flash)