ArctisTor

Maybe I'm alone with this, but I feel like Barry's narration in "The Flash" works better than Oliver's did in "Arrow". I'm not sure why. It could be because of the Peter Parker-vibe I get off of Barry and the "Spider-Man" movies all had some narration.

I do agree in the sense I think she is portrayed as more mature than Jamie in ways, but other aspects of Claire? Like what Boobear was pointing out on the last page, Claire doesn't really seem to know what she wants in life and not just even with the love triangle. This was actually a big frustration to me reading the book and now I see it in the TV series. Like how Claire keeps going on and on about how desperate she is to get back to the 20th century and to Frank and yet, using an example from the TV series, in "Rent" she's upset because these people she's about to ditch without a by-your-leave are excluding her from the conversation? I'm going to leave you Scottish Neanderthals without a second thought the first chance I get..... but why don't you LIKE me?! It came off like something from about any typical YA hero or heroine's mindset, how contradictory they are and they somehow don't see it. You let it slide because they're usually teenagers, so of course that's why they're so clueless in everything up to themselves. Definitely not to say 20-somethings should have all the answers either, but the degree of unawareness I see in book/TV Claire? She does come off a much younger person in some respects, despite being very adult in other ways. I've wondered how different Outlander, book and TV series, would be if all the characters were all actually teenagers or just younger and it was geared more towards the YA crowd. Probably with the rape toned down, if perhaps not necessarily the violence. Would the story and characterization seem more consistent? Would the book have been more palatable to me? Sometimes I think it would.

Actually, after I first read the book way back in college (and never attempted a re-read until very recently), I had automatically assumed Claire wasn't only an unreliable narrator, but unreliable because she suffered from some type of mental illness. To the point that when I'd heard they were making a TV series out of the book, my first thought was, "It might be interesting how they handle the PTSD subject" with regard to Claire. Its not until my attempted re-read several months back that I only realized my initial interpretation that I'd held onto for years likely wasn't the correct one. Mostly because she doesn't display any of the more stereotypical symptoms of PTSD you see in fiction like nightmares, flashbacks, cold sweats, heart palpitations, etc. Things they'd (Gabaldon or the TV series) probably would have made / make a lot more obvious if we are meant to view Claire as mentally unstable. I think I held onto Claire being legitimately mentally ill so long because I just could not accept the possibility a rational woman from 1945 might willingly stay in 1743 and because of love wasn't ever a good enough answer for me. And there's a big part of me that still can't let go of Claire suffering from some kind of PTSD and essentially gazed into the abyss too long until she became this person who can't exist in any other world unless it was one with horror, blood and violence. Like being this unreliable narrator and per many mentally ill persons (in fiction and sometimes real life), she's not aware of her own mental illness or issues There's stuff in the TV series that exacerbates that interpretation in my head, like the mirroring between a blood-soaked Claire on VE Day and the blood-soaked Jamie who'd just merrily been cutting down Redcoats with a big broad sword. Also that war-changes-people speech she gave to BJR (was she talking about herself there too?). Again, even if I realize now the above isn't likely how I was ever meant to read Claire. Though I suppose her excessive drinking, and her lack of friends (in 1945 or 1743) could function as evidence towards PTSD maybe.... do you see how hard my mind tries to explain the 1945 vs. 1743 thing? I just cannot wrap my head around it at all.

That was one of the things that stuck in my craw the most in the book and now the TV series. Jamie had proven several times throughout the story he's willing to risk his life for her. I'm sure if she played up the loving wife card, clearly not that difficult since she's obviously fallen for him, he'd have taken her to those stupid stones without much preamble. She was afraid of breaking his heart? She was going to break it anyway. At least seeing her disappear before his eyes would explain her disappearance and Jamie a product of superstitious 1743 would have understood what happened in a way poor son of a bitch Frank wouldn't have and doesn't as per the last episode. It wouldn't have lessened Jamie's heartache, but he'd have at least understood she didn't belong in his time. My brain fanwanked it saying she subconsciously never did want to go back in the first place, so never considered the obvious of asking Jamie to take her there. Unfortunately, I think it probably was more likely just clunky writing to prolong the melodrama.

I didn't mean they're literal survivalist/NWO types, but just referring to the dystopian nature of the cop and her speech and what looks to be that whole arc. I'd say they managed to hoard some supplies at first, but when that ran out, they were at a loss. They possibly sought other groups for alliances or aid, possibly in exchange for security. My guess one of those groups was the people at Terminus. There are speculations the cops were the former security/militia at Terminus, but there was some sort of revolt and the cops split off from Terminus. Yes, they're different. The girl on the gurney is black (and about to lose an arm), the girl biting out the throat of the cop on the floor is white. The white walker girl biting out the cop's throat also has both arms. According to the trailer, they do seem to ally with Rick's group, at least believing Rick's group has the cure. Presumably Gareth is talking to Rick there re: going to Washington c/o Bob's pleading for their lives and the reveal they have the cure. If it proves the cops are an enemy of Terminus, we could get an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario between Rick's group and the Termites. There was a rumor that train car A was for arrivals and train car D (possibly where the screaming was coming from) was for departures. My impression was the cops were running the place as security and, in theory, just as they did at Terminus. Some last ditch hold-out attempt in the end of the world, they just took a very Orwellian approach to it. Right now I'm leaning more towards all the young persons in scrubs (most seem in their 20s to older teens) are just to bolster their ranks to fulfill multiple positions in the hospital and, possibly, persons that would make the most optimal offspring for the survival of the human race (in this case, young, healthy people). Also, in theory, any persons they could turn into a meal (which would probably be the weak or injured among the group). I'd hate to put it in these terms, but when I first read those filming spoiler reports about Carol hit hard by a car and her stunt double looking really rough? Then the cops collect her, put her in the back of their station wagon? All I could think was, "It sounds like they just picked up roadkill." There would be a real irony in these cops with their prim, stern Orwellian "system" turned out they were the actual cannibals all the while. For all the lady cop's starkly neat appearance for the ZA (compare to how anyone in the prison looked in the quiet times, cop lady's appearance is almost obsessively, shockingly tidy), in reality, she and her ilk devolved into an unthinkable kind of savagery to survive. If they had been part of Terminus not long ago, maybe they were the cannibals and, despite how the Termites treat Rick's group in the trailer (literally invoking images of cattle lined up for slaughter and undoubtedly very purposefully so), is nothing but pure theatrics from the Termites to scare Rick's group into submission. In theory, it could have been how the cops had treated the Terminus people before any revolt? IMO, Gareth seems to acquiesce almost a little too quickly to the possibility of a cure, something he couldn't possibly be certain was anything but pure bullshit on Eugene's end to save their skins unless he had some considerable knowledge in medical sciences, and cooperatively willing to travel to Washington with Rick's group to deliver that cure and save the human race. It might suggest someone who might not be all bad or wasn't all bad once. While, on the other hand, we have this super-prim lady cop who smacks Beth Greene, who spent most of her time in the series thusfar singing & taking care of Judith and couldn't be more than a buck and a quarter soaking wet, across the face with the butt of her pistol. A really extreme reaction. Maybe Beth, staring cop lady down defiantly, really did screw up something major for cop lady somehow, but that still seems an extreme reaction to me. It suggests to me there's a lot going on under the surface of that prim & proper cop appearance and it isn't pleasant stuff. I suppose I haven't taken it out of the realm of possibility yet the scariness of the Terminus stuff may be misdirection or red herrings. The true horror, the real Heart of Darkness, of s5 or at least 5A may lie in the Orwellian dystopia hospital. it's been eluded by both Kirkman and Gimple Terminus aren't the actual (or main) bad guys of S5, but that it may even be Rick's group the aggressors here.

Hell, both groups could be cannibals for all we know. More ironic, I suppose, for these seemingly spartan, buttoned up cops -- that angry cop lady didn't have a hair out of place -- at the hospital and the whole dystopian NWO vibe they're giving off. The cops seem like they're trying to maintain some sort of order and semblance of life as it was, though being VERY Big Brother about it. Yet they turn out not much better than the savage Termites trapping people like rabbits and squatting in a rail yard. It could turn out the Termites might be the lesser evil than the cops at the hospital. Now that I'm thinking about it, it's probably more likely both groups turn out to be cannibals. Mostly because I think the Terminus cannibalism may be revealed early on, I think we have some spoilers suggesting as much. Which might make the audience complacent, including the comics readers, and thinking we've already got the cannibal group/Hunters-equivalent in the story and thinking the story wouldn't introduce another cannibal group. These Big Brother cops maybe even depicted as they're looking down on other groups like the Termites resorting to such savage, unthinkable methods to survive, but secretly and hypocritically also engaging in the same methods all the while. Whether Carol ends up with the TM arc? I don't know, it could be. As it's been all but confirmed we've got cannibals in the story soon, the TM story may not be far behind. From the sounds of filming spoilers, Carol sounds really injured, making her really vulnerable. That certainly would be a memorable way for a character to go out. There are already suggestions and rumors that the Terminus people have some kind of arrangement with the cops at the hospital. It might not necessarily be an arrangement out of choice, especially if it was because of those cops that "NEVER AGAIN" and "NEVER TRUST" graffiti at Terminus exists. This could suggest the hospital cops betrayed Terminus somehow. In which case, the Termites might ally themselves with Rick's group for an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario and believing they've got access to the zombie cure. Morgan did have A LOT of guns, so if they are planning to storm the hospital to rescue their people? Morgan would be a likely option to restock weapons and ammo. Maybe also make the offer to Morgan to come to Alexandria with them. I doubt Morgan would accept, but that would leave the possibility open Morgan could show up in Alexandria sometime later (and when Lennie James has the time in his schedule).

It depends on what Gale Anne Hurd would think the general audience would consider a "surprise". Which could be anything. We know Judith is reunited with Rick and Beth is alive as that's in the SDCC trailer, but the how of either we don't know yet. Again, as the Terminus story is already set-up, the story involving the mystery cops still needs to officially be introduced and wouldn't surprise me it might happen in the very first ep. The Beth story alone is already being set-up as one of the bigger stories in S5 alongside Rick's group escaping Terminus and surviving the Termites. I've seen it posited elsewhere that guy walking with Beth is wearing a bandage, but the photo is far away (it was literally taken quickly by a woman stalking around in the bushes at some distance as the security was so damn tight and the woman was still caught) and poor enough quality, he could easily be wearing a white, long sleeve shirt too. The young black man running behind Beth in the promo is wearing a white, long sleeve undershirt. The young black man also in scrubs doesn't seem to be wearing a bandage or cast on his right arm either from what I can see. It doesn't look like the freshly zombified woman, also in the same scrubs, biting the cop's throat out seems to be wearing one either. My guess was the newly zombified woman and the other woman getting her arm cut off attempted to escape together, but as I've suspected the hospital is overrun with walkers in some parts? Probably as an escape deterrent in the areas the cops can't or won't post guards? They unsuccessfully attempted to evade or defend themselves from the walkers. I'd also guess Beth doesn't have the same problem and manages to escape (the image of her running is, what I think, her in the midst of escape). Except she's either caught by the cops or that's right when the cross cops bring in a very injured Carol. Filming spoilers during downtown Atlanta filming reported Carol was hit hard by one of the cross cars, she's unconscious and two cops place her in their car and speed off. Daryl wasn't in the scene anywhere. A very injured Carol would (conveniently) deter Beth from any further escape attempts as Beth wouldn't be about to abandon Carol there and Carol very likely wouldn't be in any shape to be moved if, as reported, she is hit hard by a car. When Carol regains consciousness, she'd relay to Beth the search for her and that they'd been close on the trail to find her and it's only a matter of time before a rescue group storms in. Beth then could only be vigilant for any rescue attempt, prepare any other captives for this eventuality. Maybe hoard any kind of guns or weapons they can to defend themselves and help Daryl, Rick and posse (Sonequa and Chad Coleman have also been spotted filming with Andrew Lincoln and Reedus recently, all of which at the hospital location). Beth probably staying by Carol's bedside to defend/protect her and upping the suspense for both. However, to not get in the crossfire or run into any walkers, it would make the most sense Beth, Carol and any captives awaiting rescue would be holed up in the same place and somewhere it wouldn't be too difficult to move a possibly very injured person (Carol), somewhere defensible/doors barred as best they can from cops and walkers alike.

You can see a bite on the wrist of the girl on the gurney on the same arm that's about to get cut off. My guess is Beth told them all a bite is survivable as long as you amputate the limb quickly enough, as that's what happened to her dad. As others may have pointed out, Beth is actually wearing a cast on her lower arm, not a bandage. Popular spec is the car that abducted Beth in "Alone" hit her while she was waiting on the road for Daryl and the cast is a result of the injury from that hit. "Sweet" scene I'd guess is Rick and Carl reunited with Judith and Sasha reunited with Tyreese. Otherwise I'd say its the reveal of wherever that hospital is Beth is being held captive isn't that far from Terminus. Gale Anne Hurd said there are two big arcs this season, I'd say that's probably Terminus and (Beth with) the cops at the hospital. It'd make sense whatever final reveal in the ep probably would have something to do with Beth as she's tied with the mysterious savior/abductor cops. The problem with Lennie James back in TWD, despite him saying he's very keen on returning eventually, is he's currently filming a series in the UK. It's about scheduling. If he did show up, I can't imagine it would be for very long due to that other commitment.

Beth's arc couldn't get more young adult dystopia story if it tried. It'll probably work too, that trend still makes a lot of money. I admit, it's working on me so far. I'm intrigued. I also agree about Bob probably the top name in the death pool. Having a big dramatic speech like that at Gareth in this show? Not a great sign. Gareth comes off like a giant bucket of sleaze, he needs to die a lot. It can be getting his throat bit out, but I'm not picky. Did Rick turn on the Termites in that scene he's mowing down a bunch of dudes with guns in alley/next to that chain link fence? If so? Fucking A, Rick! To hell with those Termites-that-are-obviously-cannibals. Either Abraham is crying because he's discovered Eugene's "cure" is phony baloney or he's reminiscing about his family and what happened to them. I thought Rosita died or something for a minute there and that's why he was upset, but she's in that shot with the group in the forest.

The second I read about that Burton character, the first thing that popped into my head was, "He sounds like a caricature of Beth and Hershel." Like an over-exaggerated version of a blindly optimistic person. Which could be why he and Beth might get along at first and for the reminder of her dad (missing leg), that they connect from that hopeful angle, but Beth is also not really the stalwartly blind, naive optimist she used to be either. No character can be if they're expected to survive, if Beth is expected to live longer than her dad did, and that'll probably be what her arc is all about. To not succumb in the dangerous temptation of blind hope and optimism, not fall back on old, bad habits, and the importance of keeping her eyes open to reality. As her arc progresses, I can see a conflict growing with this Burton (if he is representing the blind optimist, the more she might try to open his eyes, the harder he might fight her. The blindly optimistic and delusional will fight hard to protect their comforting delusions just like Hershel did Rick in season 2 regarding the zombie pandemic and the situation with the barn) and through that, the more she'll contrast and distance herself from the person she used to be (and arguably her dad was from time to time). Like she told Daryl, "You've got to stay who you are, not who you were." Burton sounds like he typifies who Beth was, but, evolving into a better survivor, she isn't and can't be anymore. Not to say she loses that humane, hopeful side of her character and it's suggested she's going to take up the role as moral center of Rick's group at some point in the future. However, she's got to do it better and smarter than her father. If for anything, simply to not be a Hershel-clone and to be her own character.

SDCC time so looks like spoilers are starting to trickle in. Here are some spoilers The Spoiling Dead Fans are currently "tracking": https://www.facebook.com/SpoilingDeadFans/posts/345471175608027?notif_t=notify_me

1. That's the most logical deduction based on filming spoilers. Beth was abducted by a car with a white cross. Daryl and Carol are chasing after cars with white crosses on them, one of which the exact same car that was speeding off (with Beth) in "Alone". There was also a scene filmed on location in Atlanta where Carol is wearing the clothes she was banished in, standing next to the car she drove off in and she's watching a car with a white cross drive off. Suggesting this is a Carol flashback during her banishment, that she saw a car with a white cross, probably contributes why she's helping Daryl and why Daryl and Carol are wandering around downtown Atlanta as per filming spoilers. 2. I'm not convinced anyone is staying at Terminus as yet. Kirkman has all but confirmed the place is a cannibal colony, not really somewhere anyone would probably want to hang-out, regardless if they kill or chase out all the cannibals. I do think the entirety of the cast move off to Alexandria either by midseason or at season's end and there's some big end of one chapter and the start of another story in the midseason finale. I think that includes Beth too, partly for that anvil-dropping clue spoon she picked up in "Still" (the spoon had Washington DC on it) and my doubts they'd separate the Greene daughters after Hershel's ugly demise. They're going to want to keep the last of that family together as a sign of hope for the future or something.

Maggie knows Carol murdered Karen and David as well. I kind of suspect the reason Carol is helping Daryl find Beth in the first place is her means to atone with Daryl, try to mend their friendship or the distrust there. Though I've suspected Daryl's reaction, as he has familiarity with unhealthy or negative relationships among family (and eventually moving on from those relationships), ultimately may not be far removed from Tyreese's. That he can forgive her, but the relationship will never be the same. It'll probably go that direction if indeed the writers intend, as they've diverged pretty significantly, to continue to move on the characters to separate arcs. That seems to have started last season since Daryl and Carol didn't interact much. That would probably function to close out the Daryl-Carol arc if we are in MMB's last season, just with Daryl-Carol squared away first. I wouldn't be too surprised Carol may have significant, complicated arcs with Tyreese as the season goes on and then maybe Rick towards the end of the season and maybe within any final arc for her. Like kikismom and a lot of others have speculated, I could see a Redemption Equals Death arc happening, maybe sacrifices her life to save Judith or something. Like she'd rather die than allow one more little girl in her charge to die. Though I still think death would be a too easy end for that character's arc, even if death is what the writers usually fall back on. There have been set photos of Seth Gilliam in priest/pastor garb, so he's definitely been filming for awhile. Rumors are he has clues on Beth's whereabouts/those who took her.

The difference there is it wasn't Rick who pulled the trigger and it's doubtful the group would ever see it that way regardless if Rick held culpability in that situation. Carol went behind the council and killed among their own, viewed as reprehensible by everyone we saw react to it and a lot of them really strong reactions. I'm with Emily Thrace. Though I do think her and Tyreese helping save Judith and Tyreese's forgiveness, maybe also helping rescue them at Terminus, will open the door for her back into the group, it's dubious if they're ever going to trust her again. However, her getting killed off seems too obvious or easy, instead I can see her leaving the group voluntarily. Maybe believing there's no place for her in Alexandria so leaves before they get there, Carol never experiencing the promised land, or she gets there and she's never able to fit in. Because the character she's become can work alone and, I feel, maybe more interesting alone than in a group, I could see Carol become some mysterious, lone wanderer like some of Clint Eastwood's Western characters or something.

And here's what my brain does, but considering all the boxing matches in Las Vegas and Felicity presumably from there as her mom was/is a Vegas cocktail waitress? Her mom could have met Ted during one of his matches. Meaning Ted could have a connection to both Felicity (her dad) and Laurel (the guy meant to train her). Ted stays in Starling intending to patch things up with his daughter, but trains Laurel on the side. Or he trains them both to fight. Felicity certainly needs to learn to defend herself the way she spends her nights. Then they'd probably play up a story suggesting there could be more than one other option for future Black Canary, though I doubt the writers would have the cajones to seriously make BC Felicity (and Laurel end up the White Canary or something). Highly unlikely.

Of course, that's a huge problem right there, isn't it? The difference between what they're telling us Laurel and Oliver were/are/will be vs. what they're showing us? They're telling us Oliver and Laurel are this Epic Love Story. While what I've ever perpetually seen between them is two sad adults who acted way more like dumb teenagers than mid-20-somethings, two people who didn't seem to know what love or real relationships are about. And now, much older and since gone through some very traumatic stuff, they're STILL drinking their own Kool-Aid believing they had some Epic Love Story when, with what I believe they've shown, was more akin to 90210 than Casablanca. Little more than an embarrassing, painful learning experience both adults should have long since moved on from. Yet it feels like they never got the reality check of the toxicity and immaturity of their past relationship, just keep trying to convince themselves they had Casablanca when it was more like 90210. Problem is, the writers don't seem to get they've written Lauriver into this tedious, maudlin 90210-meets-Puer aeternus corner from the start, so it'll probably never get better. This - aside from a lack of romantic (or about any other kind of) chemistry - is why I just don't care at all for these two together most of the time. Almost every time we get these florid platitudes from Laurel how she knows him best of all or Oliver going on how much he loves her the most, it's getting repeatedly slammed in the face of the huge discrepancy between tell vs. show. Two characters we're supposed to see as mature adults in this epic love story doing epic, heroic things instead come off like those sad, annoying people who can't stop talking about their high school days and still fighting realities of adulthood (and both coming off a lot less mature and a lot less pleasant for it). I don't like being around people like that in real life, much less watching them in my escapist entertainment.

Echoing that. VeritasProductions is very talented. Someone else I'd highly recommend, namely for Olicity fanvids though she makes some general "Arrow" vids too, mrseclipse555. Oliver & Felicity - For You Only (Mrseclipse555) Oliver & Felicity - Requiem for Blue Jeans (101katy) Team Arrow - Fast & Furious (Smoak Arrow)

I don't think she knows much about "Arrow" in general. I'm pretty convinced she doesn't watch the series. Hell, even people who don't care for the Oliver/Felicity relationship can see there's something there. To say there's "nothing" there? Uh huh. Like if she says it with conviction it will magically make it true. I do feel a tiny bit bad that not only EBR's Felicity and Caity Lotz's Canary have essentially stolen what she likely believes was promised her signing onto the series at the beginning. However, EBR and Caity Lotz and the characters they play - through hard work, talent and some decent writing - both have since raised the bar and now essentially demand - if she is indeed destined to be BC and Laurel with Oliver - she AND the writing of her character, at the bare minimum, match them. It seems Cassidy not only believes she and Laurel can match them, but far surpass them because... leather pants? The jacket? Her character's name? Because that's literally all she's got right now. Superficial, plastic trinkets, basically, while EBR, Lotz and the characters they play have brought the real goods ep after ep. It's going to take more than trinkets for KC's Laurel to even scratch the surface to get near EBR's Felicity or CL's Canary, but someone apparently forgot to inform Cassidy of that and just how long and steep her climb and that of the writers actually inevitably would have to be. At least if they make any attempt at an organic story arc for Laurel and these transitions. Unfortunately for them all (and all the rest of us for however long we choose to endure it), it's a climb I believe neither she or the writers have really provided tangible evidence they're up to task for. Though I can believe Cassidy is probably right in the sense Laurel WILL be BC and Lauriver WILL happen again, probably even be endgame. I'm just not remotely convinced, based on what's seen up to date, Cassidy or the writers can do that organically or believably. All I can picture is a sledgehammer, a round peg and a square hole. It's not pretty. Potentially show-killing "not pretty" for how much time and effort this would probably take up to put on-screen.

That is definitely sounding like Ted Kord and that article - with "Daniel" being a rival both "personally and professionally" for Oliver - I'm guessing Kord Industries (which has been mentioned a couple of times in "Arrow" already) does come in and buy up Queen Consolidated's shares. Essentially saving the Queen family company and thus also saves Felicity's job and that of thousands of other employees. An in right there for Ted gaining Felicity's good favor. Though I can almost already see the dichotomy playing out here with Oliver that though Ted will likely be far superior in the business side of things and also the intelligentsia which he'd share with Felicity, that article is making it sound he hasn't yet taken the Blue Beetle persona, but he's on the verge of it (again, if it is Ted Kord we're talking about here). In which case, he'd be a total novice to the superhero stuff unlike Oliver, Dig, Felicity and Roy. In other words, if Ted is pretty much Mr. Perfect in every other thing and making Oliver seem lacking, despite all his high tech gadgetry, he'll be a rookie as a superhero and prone to rookie's mistakes and/or hubris. If he has a tragic past, I'd also wonder how much anger he's carrying around with him and if he's bringing that into any superhero work. Speculating at random here, but I also wouldn't be surprised Ted puts Felicity back into the tech or R&D side of Queen Consolidated. Also would help him gain Felicity's good favor.

Here's the "Mass Effect" portion of EA's conference at E3. It's pretty much just some conceptual art for armor and some landscapes. The armor does look great.

The Wesley (also known as Creator's Pet). I've also seen Laurel referred to as the Scrappy which I feel is also apropos. Most likely? There'd be little to nothing to invest in. If Felicity/Barry still exists at all, I'd guess that - probably just as much as the Iris/Eddie story in "The Flash" - it's written as little else but a cursory roadblock to keep from paying any significant dividends on the Oliver/Felicity and Barry/Iris stories. I'd also guess Eddie on "The Flash" will barely even be a character or if he is, probably presented from the off as more than a little disposable.

I don't want to say never, however, at this point I think it depends on big changes in the writing staff. I just don't trust what the writing has been for this character up to this point nor Cassidy's attempts to salvage anything of the character as written. Hence, I've got so little faith in the future they're ever going to develop this character or what she's supposedly meant to become in a truly organic way. I'd say 99% of the moments which we're supposed to perceive as awesome have either been very forced and/or come at the expense of other (better) characters, make them look stupid or inadequate, to make her look good. As it stands, she is the epitome of The Wesley of "Arrow" for me and I have serious doubts that's ever going to change.

The last DLC for this series came out March of last year (though there are rumors Bioware announcing something for "Mass Effect 4" in this year's E3 and/or Pax Prime), but I love this series so much - flaws and all - I had to start a topic. I'm hoping I'm not alone with the "Mass Effect" love.

I've made some attempt to understand it and even if that makes sense to me trying to figure out the clusterfuck of the Oliver/Laurel "romance" story, I know that's little more than fanwank on my part. I don't understand the relationship either or why someone we're to understand Laurel to have been and currently be would ever give Oliver Queen a second glance aside from shallow reasons.

All of this. What makes it worse is if they seriously pair Oliver with just about anyone besides Laurel in a romantic sense, as they do seem to be doing with Olicity, they're making things all the worse trying to salvage the Laurel arc. Lauriver being such a big chunk of Laurel's would-be arc and yet I'd rather see Oliver in scenes with just about anyone else but her. Amell and Cassidy just don't work in any sense on screen together. I don't even want to see the characters as friends and if Laurel isn't there even in that sense for Oliver, it's hard to say what I'd be able to see to keep her relevant to "Arrow"/the protagonist's arc, hence partly why I keep falling back on Laurel-as-villain. If at any point I saw anything between these two actors, it was when their characters were at odds with each other / Laurel was acting like a bitch towards him. In most cases, I just don't see these actors connecting on screen at all. There are few other on-screen pairs in just about any series I've seen work on screen less than these two with the kind of supposed epic story these two are supposed to have together. I'm extremely hard-pressed seeing myself ever buying into this supposed epic as I don't believe this on-screen pair will ever be able to convince me of it and the writers aren't at all selling it either. They haven't remotely yet, I don't see how they ever will. Even if we don't factor romantic chemistry at all, which Stephen has with Emily Bett Rickards and several other actresses that weren't Katie Cassidy, Stephen has all kinds of different chemistry with other actors in the cast. I resent Oliver/Laurel not only for the lack of ability to convince me of anything worth watching and yet I'm somehow supposed to want to see them a lot more (sorry, writers/producers/Katie Cassidy, I just don't), but I resent it from taking away from scenes I'd rather see Oliver - who I care about far more than I do Laurel - engage in with other characters (several of which I also care more about than I do Laurel). Actors who Amell has a lot more chemistry with and stories I feel the writing is there.