Zalyn
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Posts posted by Zalyn
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I like Thea, but I'm kinda hoping Slade turns her to the dark side just to see what Willa Holland would do with that kind of role. Ollie having to fight his sister would also be kind of awesome as well as horrid.
Whooaaa... that would be super-cool. It would certainly fit given what we know of her background now. I could totally see her bitterly embracing the dark side as Slade's protege - Dark Speedy? - given that she's not in a good place now and being told
about who her dad is
would probably push her over the edge for a bit. What if she disappeared with Slade for a bit then reappeared as a masked villain taunting Arrow?
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So much this! Smallville is probably a case study for ignoring the natural growth pattern of a show in favor of bowing to cannon names and expectation. Arrow seems to be more open to going with what works, but how far will they go? I half expect at some point to have the rug yanked out from under me and for everything I love to be swept away. Here's hoping I'm just paranoid.
Ah, I've heard about how Smallville went; been meaning to see it at some point in its entirety. Part of the challenge is that most comic book stories were created in a completely different time; it's like how the James Bond character has had to be reinvented twice in my generation, and while I like Daniel Craig's version, I'm sure there are old school fans who don't like the direction he's gone in because he's less "dashing ladies' man hero" and more "angsty emo guy."
Standard heroes didn't have to deal with things like fleshed out family members (if they had them at all) and deep existential questions (perhaps that was what drug addiction storylines stood in for). One thing that really attracted me from the start was how Oliver's mom and sister immediately started complaining that he wouldn't come home for dinner and such; it changes the power dynamics significantly but also makes it much more of a real story. At the same time, it means that decisions by Oliver have real consequences for his relationships with everyone else.
One thing I really liked about Merlin was that it played on viewer knowledge and expectations: it was like the writers knew what was going on in my head (I like reading multiple King Arthur interpretations, such as Mists of Avalon and Winter King) and deliberately played with me. That kept the story fresh and surprising for me as a viewer while also rewarding me for coming in with knowledge of the canon.
I also think it says something that the original character - Diggle - and the basically-original character - Felicity - are so wildly popular. They are fresh and not burdened by having to be something they're expected to be and can instead be glue to hold everyone together.
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Oh! I just remembered that I would also like to see her relationship with Sin used more too. The backstory of how they ended up together was great, and it would also be a good way to strengthen Sara's connections to Roy and Thea too (especially regarding the recent turn - I could totally see Sara and Thea having a nice conversation).
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Love the topic title!
Maybe Slade can have his plan defeated in the finale and escape, setting him up for a great ambush return a couple seasons down the line. I find those comebacks to be great inspirers of "OHSH*T" moments when used properly. I also wouldn't put it past him to have a backup plan or two.
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A thread for my favorite news show, how exciting! (I consider MHP to be my favorite panel discussion show)
RM is awesome for her focus on educating viewers about political wonkery in interesting ways. She's a great resource for helping get friends up to speed on issues when they aren't political nerds like me.
Glad to be here!
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I'd really only be happy if it turns out that this is what Quentin has been doing. That he knows that Oliver is the Arrow, but just wants to maintain plausible deniability... and also, perhaps there's a lingering worry over what Oliver might do to anyone who discovers his identity. It's too dumb for him to genuinely not know. I understand that the writers apparently hate writing secret identity stuff, but if that's the case, then maybe they shouldn't be working on a show that has a masked vigilante with a secret identity as its central concept. Just a thought.
Agreed. I really appreciate what Blackthorne is bringing to the character; even when Lance was fixated on hunting "The Hood," he still acknowledged that the black arrows were not his MO, and therefore should not be considered as evidence that he was there. His character has grown enough in these two seasons to be in a place where he could accept Oliver as Arrow.
And I think it would do so much more respect for Lance's character if he got to do an "Of course I knew who you were, Oliver. Do you think I'd have trusted you to save my daughters if I didn't?" (a la Helena) rather than a surprise reveal (a la Tommy or
Roy
). I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next episode!
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Hooray Felicity! Besides loving seeing a smart and capable gal on the show, I really enjoy how there is such a clarity of communication between her and Oliver; they just can't lie to or withhold from each other. Diggle and Oliver are pretty candid, but there is still a bit of manly facade going on (which they usually apologize for later, a nice touch) while Felicity can't seem to lie to Oliver and vice versa.
I saw a post elsewhere where someone compared Diggle/Slade and Felicity/Shado as an Island/Starling City juxtaposition - almost as if Oliver is rebuilding that triad of loving relationships (love of all types) around himself. The writers also deliberately juxtapose Felicity and Shado through mirrored dialogue in several places - "My life, my choice" / "Her life, her choice." - which indicates that they want us to compare the two characters in some ways. I don't think that everything needs to be the same (the directions of romantic attraction, for example) since while the characters may have similar types of relationships with Oliver, the setting and their personal circumstances are certainly different. But it's a nice starting point (and excuse to rewatch to catch the connections).
The chemistry between the two actors is great; SA has commented that EBR just brings out something in him. So that certainly contributes. I hope that the show writers give the actors more opportunities to have these great, clear, and vulnerable interactions to let them shine.
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I think it's merely speculation at this stage given the enthusiasm Guggenheim seems to have for Laurel/Katie Cassidy-as-Black-Canary.
There's also the problem of comics-canon, which has (Dinah) Laurel Lance as the Black Canary. This is part of why I'm so interested in how this show shapes up: the tension between the comic-canon and practicalities of the TV show (both in terms of newer audience and actor capability) means that many fans will expect things to turn out a certain way, but they very well might not for valid reasons.
I have mixed feelings about liking Sara so much; she has clearly matured a great deal and has a great deal in common with Oliver. And Caity is amazing; seeing an actress able to do the heavy physical work she does (Salmon Ladder FTW) is somethign we definitely need more of on TV! But she participated in Oliver's cheating on Laurel...
In a flashback from "Heir to the Demon"
when Sara and Laurel were talking shortly before Sara snuck onto the yacht, it seemed like Sara was more realistic about who Oliver was while Laurel relied on an overly idealized fairy tale Prince Charming and marriage idea.
So I wonder if Sara was a troublemaker because she saw the world more as it was while Laurel sees it how she wants it to be. Hmm... the realist and the idealist...
Given all this, I'm not sure how they can pry Sara away from Starling City (and Oliver) if they don't want to make her a regular. I'm afraid that they'll have to in order to keep narrative tension going because she's just too badass!
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Louis' story continues to carry so many interesting elements for the show. I found the marriage negotiation with Sheila Szass to be very real, and to see a person who could be considered childfree presented fairly but in a situation of conflict was very interesting (especially since it was the woman who didn't want children). I have friends who are CF, and they've suffered in several serious relationships in the same way as Louis and Sheila - so very sad!
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Hi! Longtime lurker at TWoP, just binged all of Arrow this past week and am quite excited to find people interested in discussing it.
On a macro-level, I am interested in seeing how the writers juggle comic canon expectations with the practicalities of 1) delivering a relevant story for today's audiences, 2) dark horse characters (Diggle, Felicity), and 3) actor chemistry.
Personally, I resonate a lot with Oliver's story since I'm prior military (never on front lines) and have mixed feelings about the time I spent "out there." It can be hard to talk about the bad stuff with loved ones, even though they want to share. The inclusion of family dynamics and the tension between hardships of the one who was gone (Oliver) and the hardships of those who stayed (Queens, Lances, Merlyns) makes this a much more rich story with great potential.
Looking forward to watching the end of Season 2 with you all!
Felicity Smoak: Bitch With Wifi
in Characters of Arrow
Whoa... Ivo being her dad ... I see potential there for her and Sara to connect more and some good tension with Oliver and Slade. But there'd also be some big pits to avoid in executing it.
That would help keep her from becoming love interest and instead keep focus on her friendship with Oliver and Diggle. I'd prefer to see EBR's and SA's incredible chemistry used to defy expectations and show TV viewers a positive, trusting, loving relationship that doesn't have to culminate in romance... at least not so soon. I'm thinking Josh and Donna (West Wing) or Adama and Roslin (BSG).