apinknightmare

This would be so incredibly stupid, because they've already established that Ra's heir doesn't have to be blood-related. And it seems as if Nyssa was going to be the heir until Ra's objected to her emotional attachment to Sara and her drive for vengeance for her death. So, if that's the case, then why wasn't the issue of an heir brought up before? Wouldn't she have known it would be an issue? Ra's was aware of her sexuality previously, so it seems like she'd be aware that she'd have to have a child to carry on a line if that was necessary. I know, I know. I probably shouldn't try to make sense of any of this since logic doesn't seem to factor in, but...ugh.

I don't know about this, because he had literally just come from the argument he had with Felicity where he asserted, again, that Ray couldn't do both. I'd like to think he was beginning to have a change of heart about it then, but I think maybe he just decided that Felicity was happy with Ray and he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that. But I do agree that all of those things together might have him budging just a bit, because of what he said at the end of the ep when he was drinking with Diggle. The quote was: "You were right, Oliver. Doing what we do, having loved ones at home. It's complicated." "The things that matter always are."

I like the idea of this wedding being a flashback to MS and Felicity's father's wedding day. I also like the idea of it being Maseo and Tatsu - but wouldn't that mean he got free from the League? I suppose they could always get remarried just to be remarried even if he stayed with the League, but given the way Tatsu talked about him in the shack I'm not sure that would happen while he was still a member. So if he's not a member, what would've changed? Can't imagine it being Felicity and Ray, not with him going to his own show. My crack theory is it being Oliver and Felicity on that airplane, haha. Only because of Diggle's mention of him and Lyla getting married in an ATV, and because Felicity caught that bouquet and put it in the foundry. There was one other reason, but I can't remember what it was. And if they did that I'd be more convinced than ever that we were in for some kind of reboot due to time travel, so it wouldn't matter anyway. Could always be a random wedding that they bust up in pursuit of someone. Could be Oliver marrying himself to the League. I hope it's not Oliver and Nyssa. Not for shipping reasons, but for myriad other reasons that would anger and disappoint me.

^This is a nice sentiment, and it would be nice to hear Felicity say those things to Oliver, but I don't think Oliver's issues with pursuing a relationship with Felicity have anything to do with feeling like he doesn't deserve love. I would understand if they did, because look at everything he's gone through, but there hasn't been anything in the text this season specifically with regards to their relationship that indicates that's the case. He's been pretty consistent in saying that he's scared of being happy and being himself, that he doesn't think he can have those things because he has to be the Arrow. Oliver's issue seems to be what he believes Felicity deserves, and it's not anything that he thinks he can offer, because what he wants for her isn't what she wants for herself. He wants her to have a chance at the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids or whatever, but he never asked her if that's what she wanted, and it's easier that way because it makes it easier for him to lie himself into believing he's doing the right thing for himself, for the city, and for her. Much as I don't like the Ray/Felicity relationship for so many reasons, I think it will be good in helping Oliver come to realizations about at least some of his issues. He said he was being honest with her when he wanted her happiness, up until the point where she went out and started dating a guy who was "just like" him. That's got to rattle him, because he's denying himself a relationship with Felicity because he's convinced that's what's good for her (which is shitty, I won't argue that), and there she is, going out with some other dude that presents the same problems that going out with him does. And I think that is going to get through to him more than her trying to convince him that she wants the life that being with him offers - seeing her choose that same life only with some other man.

Unless this is part of the timeline that's going to be wonky because of the air date change, I don't think so. The Flash episode description specifically refers to Ray as Felicity's boyfriend: Maybe the producers decided to leave the relationship intact in The Flash episode for reasons, even though they break up in Arrow 3x18 because they wanted a hospital breakup and all those scenes were too much to rewrite due to a network scheduling issue, I don't know.

Plus, Laurel was training with Ted before she even put on the buckles. So it's not like Ray got curious about the people Oliver associated with and decided to look into the woman who was the Black Canary and just happened to find her at Ted's gym, because she hasn't been training with Ted in months, before Ray would've even suspected her of anything. But why would he have been watching her before that? Makes no sense, but I'm willing to believe whatever he did was creepy, because I find he himself to be creepy.

I don't know, but he clearly did his homework on her. How would he know she was training with Ted? Did he read her emails? Have her followed? Track her like he tracked Felicity?

I just can't see any time travel issues that happen and affect the Arrow happening on the Flash. Unless somehow they spin right on over to Starling City. And what on earth would Oliver be doing in CC for the League? Is this some kind of alternate universe borne of Barry messing with time? And if so, how would Oliver even know Barry? If he's in the League, why would Alternate!Universe Oliver help Barry at all? Why would current LoA member Oliver be in Central City? I do not understand what's happening.

There's absolutely no indication of that at all, just spec based on the fact that Oliver's in CC with Barry and maybe a little wishful thinking despite the longshot nature of it all.

If they were going back to the beginning of the season by using some time travel, it would make sense why SA had to get his hair cut. It wouldn't make sense for him to get a haircut to get indoctrinated into the league - half those fools have long hair. But Oliver did have a shaved head at the beginning of the season.... no, no no stopping myself there

That random woman from the coffee shop was explained. It's the woman he got pregnant who Moira paid off to tell him she had a miscarriage.

Naively hoping that it's all a ploy. Because he's not dressed as Ra's, that must mean he's still an underling, in addition to the fact that they actually gave him a League name and named an episode after it. I think he's going to join and we're going to WTF and in the finale he and Maseo and Tatsu and hopefully Nyssa are going to take Ra's down.

I mean...he better be. Can we imagine any scenario in which he legit becomes an assassin at this point? Even if he does use the LP to revive a loved one, no way he throws in with those folks for real.

The Reverse Flash is in the background, yeah.

Remember that pic SA posted in the foundry with that glove thing on his hand? Isn't that glove thing on his hand in this shot? Does it get chopped off or something and Felicity has to build him some kind of BIONIC HAND?! I'd say this is a crack theory but it doesn't feel so cracky

Epic game-changing bullshit = Oliver hopping on Barry's back and going back in time to redo most of this season

It's a paparazzi shot. And I'm not sure what it is - since there are so many Flash players it seems like it'd be on Flash?

Yes and yes. Although...someone please assure me that there's not going to be some kind of time travel mess integrated on Arrow.

Okay, so Oliver looks good in that League uniform. I guess he's just an underling though since he's not wearing a superfab cape yet? And what...he's gonna help out over in central city? What in the actual hell

I think what they were going for is that Oliver and Felicity are comfortable with who they are with each other and to each other - Felicity wholeheartedly believes in Oliver as a person and a hero, and Oliver's faith in Felicity is unwavering. Felicity and Ray do not have that. Not on a romantic level and certainly not on a vigilante and partner level.

It's there, just not in the place they showed him getting stabbed. It's right above his stomach in the middle of his abdomen - a crescent-shaped mark. They also had the exit wound on his back. Not sure why they moved it when it was clearly showed that he was stabbed on his right side, but they've retconned ever since he woke up in Tatsu's shack.

^I keep hoping that Felicity isn't calling Ray out on his keeping things from her and on the fact that he kept the fact that the suit is working from her in the same episode where she's arguing that she's a partner to him in his mission and in his life because we're going to find out that she's forcing herself to look past that in order to believe that she has with Ray what she can't have with Oliver. But I know that's giving the people behind the show way too much credit, haha.

True, but Lance has no reason to think that rolling with the Arrow is what got Sara killed considering she was an assassin and he knew that, and when he was expressing his anger about keeping Sara's death a secret, he spouted off about knowing that vigilantism was wrong and that he shouldn't have gone in with the Arrow. He never mentioned any of this anger being about Sara actually dying, but it was about the Arrow keeping secrets. So it seems like a vendetta more than him getting lost in grief. If a Merlin-esque grief spiral is what they're going for, they're failing. I'm not sure Maseo would've gone for the kill shot - I'm not even sure the mayor's actually dead. He got her in the shoulder - and seems like Ray's going to actually take the arrow for Felicity and he's going to live, so...I think an on-the-verge of death Felicity or Thea is the biggest bargaining chip there is, because Oliver would be desperate for the LP and do anything to use it. Who knows if that's what'll actually happen.

I didn't get the sense that Oliver was telling Ray that Felicity chose Ray over him - he emphasized "chose" when he said "she chose you." So, he's not telling Ray that Felicity chose Ray over him, he's telling her that she chose Ray as a person that she wants to be in a relationship with and because of that he needs to trust her. To be fair, Laurel walked up to the window and looked out of it. Felicity just kind of stood near it while she looked down at the mayor in shock. Not a smart move, but not exactly the same thing.

I think this is true - I'm wracking my brain to think of a toolier tool and I'm coming up with nothing.