apinknightmare

Since a lot of this thread has been conversation about the "Mom" topic, I'll just say that with the gross way this show handled the biological parenting > loving non-biological parenting in the Thea and Robert/Malcolm storyline, and since Malcolm was given so much leeway because of his sperm donorship, I personally think it's nice that the show is acknowledging through William that a non-biological relationship can be as important as a biological one. Felicity helped William with his homework, with his science projects. They baked together, she helped him understand his father, helped ease him into his new life in Star City. She put his wellbeing over her own happiness before she and Oliver were even back together, she was his sole parent while Oliver was in prison. Even once Oliver was out, she was the one who greeted him home from school, and mostly dealt with his teen angst. She kept track of him even when she wasn't present in his life, and made sure to help him follow his dreams. That's all Mom stuff to me, and I'm glad they're acknowledging that (even if that acknowledgement doesn't work for everyone). Same goes for the Connor/Diggle storyline, even though I haven’t seen anyone questioning Connor calling Diggle Dad (I’ll go ahead and chalk that up to there being an actual legal adoption?).

Arrow has showcased so many awful storytelling decisions, writing inconsistencies and has had characters twist themselves into knots to make plots work that complaining about a character calling someone Mom who actually did serve as a mother figure in his life is wild to me.

Gonna comment because I just rewatched the episode. Mia didn't flip her hair - the fletching on the arrow caught it as she released it.

Mia's a real powerful gal!

I don't think the Mom thing is really that weird or deep. William's bio mom died when he was young, Felicity was the first parental figure he bonded with after her death, when he was having a hard time relating to his father. He went to live with his grandparents, and while it seems like they took good care of him, he missed out on a parental connection for all those years. He sees that this woman who had an immense impact on him is alive, he finds out that he has a sister through her...William calling her Mom is probably just another way of making himself feel a part of their family unit, even if it is an unconventional one.

Because he wants to.

Yes, it's like she's an angry, imperfect person in need of learning a few lessons, which is probably why the writers had her meet her dad. Feeling responsible for Zoe's death might be why she's so upset about it.

You don't have to be best friends with someone to want to get revenge for their murder when you feel responsible for it. Non-fighting self? What? I feel like not telling Felicity about the future is the best option available to the writers. I don't believe for a second that anyone would be able to keep her away from those kids if she knew they were in Star City, so just keeping her in the dark about it explains her absence for however long they wind up being in the present.

Okay, so I'm going with this option after seeing tonight's ep, LOL

I really enjoyed seeing Oliver and the kids together. I hope they stay in the present until the crossover - especially because watching only one timeline is so nice compared to the split. I like snarky Laurel, but her never addressing her murdering in any way other than snarky anecdotes and joking about Oliver being a dick without mentioning that he was a dick to her for helping kidnap his son and kill his mother really grates. I'm guessing she'll wind up betraying Oliver and that's how

Go back to where you came from, Curtis.

"Kids are a miracle...or whatever." William. I love you.

Now...why do you think he's a dick to you, you absolute asshole

Wasn't Dinah killing people a few years ago? It's almost like people change, huh

Ugh, Rene, don't make me feel bad for you I hate you

The cleanup. Yuck.

Steve is so pretty when he's smiling even if he's crying too. That's my * thirst comment for the night. *first

They packed up and didn't turn off the power? Felicity, c'mon

Wait, where was Laurel?

Rene, don't make me laugh pls, I hate you

YOU DON'T GET TO KNOW EVERYTHING, DINAH

😬😬😬😬😬

I don't know - the Tatsu comment doesn't really seem to go along with that sentiment IMO, and I don't know why he would've said it to her in the first episode since they were still kind of antagonistic to each other. Maybe Stephen exaggerated or it got cut out? I figured since Laurel and Mia have a chat that maybe she's able to get through to her in a way Oliver can't so that's how he thanks her? Although I feel like if that was it, the guy who reviews for Hypable would've mentioned it since he exaggerated their scenes in the first episode. Something like that surely would've warranted a mention, so...IDK.

It's tough to say because they gave interviews at the TCAs and they gave interviews during the shooting of this episode (and maybe others that we don't know about), and I don't know which interview that quote would be from. I can't imagine it's from the TCA interviews - I think they'd only filmed 2 episodes then, but I could be wrong. Laurel only really joined up at the end of the 2nd episode, so there wouldn't be time for this kind of sentiment to develop. It didn't happen last ep because she wasn't in it, so I feel like if they didn't cut it it'd have to be in this one?

"There's multiple times when Oliver looks to her and says, 'I didn't expect to be on this mission with you, but I'm glad you're here'. I don't recall him saying anything like this, but maybe I missed it?