Featherhat

They could have got JM if the show had been around right post SGA but not after he was cast in GOT most likely, even though he went through a couple of fallow periods. I think Caspar Crump could have been an ok Vandal Savage, but not the Vandal Savage that they ended up writing, especially not one tied to the Hawks in that good awful Not!Quadrangle + Rip. They probably were limited in their choices of who to cast, but the other shows managed to cast better S1 villains and this had a guaranteed 16 ep commitment. Still they've nicely cleared it up this season. The show is actually making the LOD more interesting than they were in their last appearances on their original shows and they play off each other fantastically. They still have a connection to the wider 'verse and personal connections to some of the team without it being too overblown (for now, unless Sara and Amaya go vengeance insane at the cost of the mission).

Possibly, ship wars do tend to create twitter/tumblr/other media buzz and generate clicks to websites and therefore more articles. I'm not sure they generate increased ratings though, and they also turn off the comic dudebros they've been courting lately who hate romance unless its someone there to tell GA how amazing he is and look sexy doing it. (Apprently that's why Reddit still can't stand Felicity, because "she tries to wear the pants on the team" and dares to disagree with the Hero) Sigh.

I haven't watched Arrow very regularly since late S3, although I do read recaps (so I've seen Malcolm but not much of Darhk before. I think you get a decent impression of both of them from this episode. In fact I vastly prefer this Malcolm to whatever the hell his plan was in S3 of Arrow. I really liked that you got the feel for the differences between the 3 of them and what they want and how they are willing to go about getting it. I knew I was going to enjoy it from the moment I heard "My name is DD and I was murdered by GA." I liked that they gave a "plausible" explanation for how RF ended up both in existence and why he would need "henchmen" and I loved seeing him terrified for once. The whole set up with them fighting, distrusting and then coming together to achieve their goals (like heroes!) was a lot of fun to watch.

Yeah I think that was basically mentioned around the time. They wanted to do their version of BB/TDK etc as those movies were so popular and everyone was really into "gritty no super powers heroes/anti heroes" co, hence all the "it's not a comic book show" at the beginning, and partly to differentiate from Smallville I guess. Then Avengers smashed records and The Flash was born not long after and they started to introduce meta humans, mirakuru and magic (although there is obviously a place for differing styles as shown). The characters DC is willing to let be used sometimes seems random to me, I'm not sure why Atom couldn't have been Blue Beetle for example.

I guess the nam must be all that matter so many purists because Tinah doesn't exactly have the "correct" version of the comics backstory does she? Neither did Laurel come to that. Sara didn't/doesn't either but she had Syn and was kick ass *AND* complicated at the same time, had the correct surname but the first name threw some into a tizzy. If KC hadn't allegedly kicked up a legal fuss about not being BC I guess they could have made her Dinah Sara Lance. It's not like they used DLL as LL's name very much at all until she put the costume on. But I guess that started when Arrow was all "what no we aren't a superhero/comic book show!" We're a dark and gritty adult action show, thank you very much, like TDK!" Probably (and better ratings) but as mentioned before the EPs seem curiously muted about her compared to the noobs at the beginning of the season. No interviews or articles about their amazing new BC and how bashert she was etc. Either they're trying to introduce her under the radar so as not to piss of various sections of the fanbase and holding off bigging her up until they've made her a SR or not (would be a first) or they *really* didn't want a BC, it's all WB mandated and they don't give enough of a stuff to plug her that much.

Well considering that and the previous article, she probably is desperate for love (which actor isn't) and either doesn't read or doesn't care about whatever else they say or agrees with them and then has a PR company or backlash telling her to delete it. I'm not surprised she's retweeting a lot after her main debut or is definitely angling for a regular role but big meh.

Or she knows that the chances of her getting a regular contract in S6 depends on people liking her as BC and that only goes up if she's a LI/Ship Tease position so an article about GA/BC forever is in her best interests to share around. And hey Felicity/EBR already knocked the "destined LI" off the spot to become leading lady, theoretically it can be done again. No idea if she actually read the article or not and it probably wasn't malicious intended. This is also her biggest gig to date and she probably isn't used to fandom wars/arguments very much

You mean the part where Comics!Ollie was cheating on her from Day 1 and then they got divorced? She's probably excited to see articles about her/her character since this is her biggest role to date and hasn't totally got to grips with do's and don'ts of actors in fandom yet. And as Midnight Lullaby says, angle for a regular gig next year and her chances only increase if she gets "this BC is awesome, Felicity sucks!" notices. Life of an actor I guess.

I understand that everyone has their favourite characters and that "Felicity buts heads with Oliver over "Laurel's" miraculous return and is then proven correct" won't be to everyone's taste (especially if you'd hoped LL might be returning for good)" but I'm frustrated that "Felicity is ruining the show" comments have increased this week. What's she supposed to do let Oliver's feelings at seeing LL cloud his judgement? Have one wise crack per episode and then disappear? (Yes I think so). She and Oliver haven't dated in nearly 1 season and she hasn't been at the forefront much at all this season until last week's episode. And it's certainly not ERB's fault that they might be on 3rd BC.

Tina is actually an alternate Dinah Drake who's going to go all BS on the crew in revenge for something stupid that her OQ did (and it turns out he is Prometheus). She dies and E2 LL comes back as BS, gets redemption and rejoins the show as Oliver's S6 love interest. FS and WD then start dating.

Given that all CD TV shows returned down I don't think this can be blamed on either actress or a particular storyline. However it probably isn't going to encourage them to write more LL stories that they haven't already planned for.

Umm, ok that's all I have to say right now.

Yeah I guess they're chasing the mystery moments and OMGs! that made PLL such a media phenomenon for years rather than the Arrow style redditors, although one can lead to the other when disappointment over the mystery sets in. That said, many shows since then have tried to replicate that formula and failed, it's far from easy to make it succeed.

I think they maybe were trying to set up the Sara/Oliver for the second half of the season in a more sympathetic light, even if a less "relationship-py" hook up might have made more sense. Also maybe at this point they were thinking Sara wasn't going to get killed off in 3.01 and would either be a regular next season or strongly recurring. I still think that was the intention, whoever eventually decided otherwise, in which case they'd need to retcon Sara into someone who had a more complicated reason for a move that could only ever blow up her family, especially once Dinah's knowledge/involvement came to light. (whilst also making LL look more pathetic, I think it did suck to be KC in S2, even if I don't think she was ever capable of being BC or a viable LI.) It may just have been making viable stalling but I think it might have been better if they'd shown Sara and Ollie were also a narcissistic couple who didn't give a shit on the boat but had both "had their Islands" and were so far past that now that it didn't matter what they had/hadn't felt beforehand. Although in a season with so much Lance Family Drama the fact that neither sister actually had more than a minute's convo with each other is the worst. Also other Dinah and Dinah/Lance issues but I tend to forget about her when she isn't around (and I always *try* to forget River Song sorry).

The way I make sense of LL in those flash backs with pre island Ollie is that she is someone who has always done everything right on schedule in a grand plan for a perfect life. Damn the torpedoes listening to what the other person actually wants as well (both Ollie and Laurel were being extremely narcissistic at this stage): Good school, good grades, good college, good degree, handsome, wealthy boyfriend who's heir to a big company. Followed smartly by getting a place, engagement, big perfect wedding, couple of perfect kid and prestige, status, great career, perfect power family life. There are lots of people who follow (or try to) the same formula when their SO is NOT a billionheir and it's common for people to be "oh well we've finished college, now lets progress to the next part, without finding out if they are both on the same page or thinking about deviating from that "perfect progression path" so whilst she definitely liked the prestige of being Mrs Oliver Queen I don't think it was just/only money. The denial thing is similar and I can see her trying to blank on it as his "official public girlfriend" hoping he will get with the program eventually but that scene with Sara where Sara flat out points out Ollie has a dozen girls on the go (at least) and isn't ready for Laurel's schedule (if ever) is still strange, as she doesn't deny it, explain why she can ignore it but bitches "why can't you be happy for me!" I guess it's denial but it's some serious self delusion that none of what Sara is saying matters and she only wants to rain on Laurel's prefect life parade. I mean Sara is one of those girls and her motives aren't exactly 100% pure here but Laurel's brain couldn't even compute enough to make a response whether it be "so in love she's blind" or "eyes on the ultimate prize". Then again, Sara has a much clearer idea of what Ollie's actually like and she still professed to be in love and go with him on a 3 week cruise that was bound to end in misery one way or the other.

Possibly. I think the main writers/EPs gave up any hope of making her the primary LI mid S2 which co-incided with FS getting series regular status and CL and Sara being so awesome and basically BC without the official name (she even had a Sin). I do think it wasn't a great match on either side. KC had done some popular work previously on SPN, NuMP and Harpers Island. She was the next pick for CW Princess status. Except the writers saddled her with a truly toxic backstory and minimal fighting skills. I think they originally thought Rachel Dawes to Arrow's small screen Batman but even that was a bust, not totally KC's fault at all. Some fans say she got better before her death but isn't that the way of (especially female characters). Right before Sara was killed off in 3,01 everyone was saying how this season had such a big story arc for her..........yeah. Moira is a slightly different discussion but no proof that screen = good storylines. LL/and/orBS might be coming back but it can't go in indefinitely is she isn't coming back for good. Who wants to be a guest star (after being let go) in the show they originally thought was the shot at a leading lady?

Hmm Ok I'd successfully blocked out 13, maybe she's the opposite of the example I was trying to make, EPs love her so she outstays her welcome. Thinking more about it I do agree Shonda and co cleaned house pretty brutally of NZ and CB especially, though April another of the annoying characters is still there. Well that ended up with several characters who outstayed their welcome because of BTS like but I do stand by the point that in any show, why bring on so many new characters all at once if you aren't basically auditioning them onscreen (a privilege a lot of shows can't manage) to see who works best and I don't think many people would be arguing WD. I do wish we'd seen more of Artemis as well as Rory if for whatever reason Thea can't suit up much right now.

I didn't seriously think he was moving to LOT as you're right as long as most of the current cast stay there isn't much room for him, just looking for possible alternatives to "push to be a series regular on Arrow" or "possible Spin off". It's true that many writers do have fun writing assholes, see Mick Rory for one, the entire scenery chewing LOD for another, but neither the writer nor the actor are selling "charming/mysterious asshole with man pain" or "guy you love to hate who's going to get what's coming to him" either.

It's actually become my favourite this season. It is really just pure entertainment with a lot of very good actors and I really do appreciate a show that embraces "TV can also be really really fun and not just dark and dim, gritty, edgy" right now. And I'm in continual awe that Sara Lance became one of my favourite characters on TV from first hearing about her in Arrow's pilot and Ray is good when not in a love triangle.

Well this season was clearly about the Dudebros and WD is definitely one of those (the most obnoxious kind) maybe they thought the new focus on "it's definitely a comic book show now + lots of (Wild) Dong!" would naturally mean he'd be a fan fave? Plus if he it they'd have a so called "mini Oliver" for if SA needed time off or started making further contract negotiations difficult. And the diversity issue is eased as well, thus solving several issues with one (supposed) stone, just doesn't seem to have been the right stone. I've seen RG in a few other things (most notably a few years ago in Reaper and Rush) and he was fine there but he really isn't clicking here and it then becomes baffling why they pushed him so hard. Surely the whole point of introducing so many new characters at once was to be able to whittle down to the ones that proved they clicked and get rid or limit the others ala House S4? (somewhat successful anyway). Stranger things have happened, but I can't think they wanted a WD spin off, if ex Superman BR couldn't make poor man's iron man work without an ensemble, but maybe they are/were thinking of shipping him across to LOT (please no, nor LL full time).

Hmm if she's filming LOT (not saying she is but maybe) then it might end up being a cliffhanger for next season (since they have less eps than the rest of the DC shows) and a longer arc next season which is exactly what I didn't want. Could be Flash, which would make sense if she's BS again but equally Arrow has to be a front runner, depending on how 5.10 turns out. Of course she doesn't actually have to be filming anything, although she probably is.

These days with the amount of "movie stars" having "career defining roles" on TV/Streaming I don't think movies will count as the big leagues for much longer. I should think KC might get a pilot (if that is what she wants and they don't use her for another spin off etc) prior to Arrow she seems to have been generally well regarded. I think a lot of the casts stand a good chance of getting other good roles in TV and maybe movies (1st season P&R no one would have thought Andy/Bright would be a big star). Most continue to be working actors even if CW proves to be a high point of their career.

Sooo, not only is it not good enough that Felicity is not currently Oliver's Love Interest, she shouldn't even get her season one on? Her first scenes? What is she supposed to do? (Apart from die I guess) one line of (non threatening) comic relief per ep and disappear?

I wish this was true. Yes being gay is much, much more accepted these days but that doesn't mean it isn't a big deal to come out to your family (or on national TV for that matter) especially if you come from a very conservative religious or other conservative background. There have been reports of teens coming out to their parents expecting it to be no big deal because their parents watched Glee and getting a nasty shock. If that scene was in the slightest bit real it was a shock to her parents, (especially as some of them may have still thought they forked over Westminster tuition so Mariah could go to their old AUB church and find Mr Polygamous Charming. I'm glad her family accepted it (at least on camera - they had to considering their own lawsuits) but it doesn't mean it wasn't brave. I've no idea what Mariah actually feels, may it is "just a phase" (oh Lesbian Until Graduation Sterotypes) but she's been publically posting lady loving pictures, quotes and articles since April 2016, add in some soul searching time in private and it's likely been over a year at least. I think if she just wanted some attention and stick it to her family their are easier ways to get it (see: Mykelti) that don't involve something that the LDS and most other Mormon groups have staked out as the Big Huge Sin.

Do we know that for sure? I would have assumed any Black Canary would have had one done, even if they don't plan to LI her at the moment. If she is coming in as a potential regular the network would have had to sign off on her I guess as well. Do we know if JH has any training to be able to do any of her own stunts? I can see why they'd want a more CL type even if the stunt company has a lot of available people, CL looks great doing them and it makes a more believable scene, especially as this is an area where they had problems with KC even though she made an effort to train and tone up.