apinknightmare

Yeah, I think that might be it, it just seemed off because the mayor and Ray Palmer got in on it too. And sorry, I love Quentin and his anger is justified, but going full throttle on the Arrow when we, the audience, know that Laurel initiated the secret keeping and ignored however many openings she was given to come clean just makes this seem so stupid. Oliver is culpable, I'm not saying he isn't, but making him culpable to this extent for a lie Laurel wanted to keep is a bad look for him.

I thought the the press conference and Ray's deciding to go after the Arrow was oddly placed in this episode, because while yes, killing criminals is absolutely wrong because everyone deserves their due process, it seemed to me like all of this dogged determination to bring the Arrow to justice was misplaced and should've come after the mayor got shot and more civilians were being targeted? I know there's a two-pronged approach at work here, with law enforcement coming for Arrow first and then presumably in 3x18 public opinion will start turning, I just thought everyone getting up in arms about the Arrow murdering people would've been better placed once innocent people were getting skewered. Which is what I guess is going to happen with RP and Maseo taking aim for Felicity. Question is, since Maseo obviously knows that Felicity can be used as a bargaining chip against Oliver, if he doesn't manage to get her with an arrow, then what's he going to do if/when he or Ra's comes for her a second time? Seems like it'll be ten times more unpleasant.

I don't mean this as snark, I promise, but I love that we're to the point where if these two are even vaguely friendly/decent toward one another that we start thinking about future hookup plans. I thought the "beautiful dress" line was interesting, until he used that as an opening to bring up the cast. And I'm glad that she's so clearly on his side with Ray and Quentin. I'd be judging her if she wasn't - she knows that Oliver's being framed and Ray turning him in puts her in danger too. I think her going far for him is going to involve her letting him out of jail, because the stills released from the next episode seem to indicate that he gets taken into custody - and with the summary for 3x19 saying that Felicity orders him to lay low because people are still out for the Arrow, I'm guessing his release wasn't on the up and up.

I didn't write that I thought Oliver was supporting Felicity's relationship with Ray because he thought it was going to fail. I wrote that I thought Oliver was supporting Felicity's relationship with Ray because she said she was happy and he wants her to be happy but that he doesn't think it's going to last. He told her as much? My point was that even though he thinks it's doomed to fail because Ray doesn't realize yet the toll being a vigilante is going to take on his private life, he wants Felicity to have him and be happy before he does.

I'm being optimistic against all logic, haha. In all honesty, I don't really see where any of this is going, but I don't think it's anywhere good.

Given the way this show has gone this season, the 3x20 moment being an emotional goodbye wouldn't surprise me. But I really, really don't think that SA with his shipper tendencies and knowledge of the fanbase would tease that moment as his favorite of the season, his favorite O/F scene, and write "Remember 3x20" on someone's script pages if it wasn't legit. I mean, maybe color me disappointed at this time however many weeks from now, but I still have hope.

Well, I'm not sure that's what was intended, but isn't that what he did? He talked about wanting her to be happy, he asked her if she was happy, she told him that she was. He said outright that Ray was too new at the vigilante thing to understand that he couldn't do that and have a personal life, so I don't think Oliver believes it's some long-term thing. I think he encouraged Ray to trust her because he really does want her to be happy for however long Ray's around since Oliver seems to (incorrectly) believe that he might not be able to be around for long.

They've only used her to build up Laurel a few times. She's doing questionable stuff because they need to have a love triangle to make Ray relevant. Or something.

It does. I was the one who was half asleep/confused, because the timeline seems wonky the way it was originally supposed to be.

Yeah, I didn't have a problem with the flirting last week, but the kiss on the cheek? I thought it was mean, bordering on cruel.

Advanced Technology Operating Mechanism

Oh, believe me - I'm unhappy with a lot of things she's done/said this season, but I don't post about it on here. I just flip my stan switch on posthaste when I see people coming for her, haha. I can't help myself.

I guess I didn't get that Oliver and Ray were deciding who Felicity should be with at all in that scene? Oliver did not throw his hat into the ring or indicate that he even wanted to. Felicity was already dating Ray, had previously said she was happy with and wanted to be with Ray, and Oliver correctly indicated that she chose to be with him (which is true, since technically Oliver didn't have to be a choice in order for Felicity to choose Ray - she could've chosen to be alone and she didn't). Unless I'm forgetting something? Oliver talking his BS about what Felicity deserves though made me angry, but he ultimately didn't give her any grief about being with Ray and went to Ray and called him out for not trusting his girlfriend, so...my standards are so low for this show that's about what I think I can expect these days, haha.

^It would make this big Olicity moment in 3x20 kind of icky, that's for sure.

Sadly, it already was forgotten. Please no.

Also, I have to say, two thumbs down to Felicity with her "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" when Oliver said that Ray was going to get himself killed. Like...when has this dude ever expressed even the slightest bit of animosity that you have a boyfriend? Goodness. I agree with whoever said it - this show wouldn't have a problem with the Moonlighting curse, because they don't have a problem with writing Oliver and Felicity together, but they have a really big one trying to keep them apart. He actually looked smaller to me? This is the first time I understood why he'd say that he'd need some advance notice for shirtless scenes. You can tell he hasn't had any in a while, bless him. STILL HOT, WOULD CARESS (and other stuff)

Well, they couldn't call it a double date since Barry's fifth wheeling it. But I like your theory better, haha.

Honest to god, I had tuned out by then haha. This episode seemed to drag on FOR ETERNITY

He was right to be sort of vigilant in his pursuit of the Arrow at first, because well, he was not wrong in bringing up that Oliver did used to kill people, and if he'd taken that up again, well...you can't just go around killing criminals. So I'm not surprised nor do I blame him for wanting to bring him to justice if he thought he'd truly turned bad or whatever (the common sense fail though, it hurts. The hypocrisy for vigilante judgment also hurts, but whatever). Where he lost me was calling Felicity's loyalty and trustworthiness into question and then telling her that he never withheld anything from her, because LIES! UNTRUTHS! If Felicity had been able to talk some sense into him, I would've been okay with this whole thing, and they could've worked out their differences and I would've been comfortable with them ending things the way that they did. But the way it actually went down is a no for me.

^ Well Oliver did tell Felicity he chose not to be with her because he couldn't have his a private life and a life as a vigilante and that Ray was too new to realize that but it would be true for him too (sure, Jan), so I didn't get that he ever changed his mind. I thought maybe he was telling Ray that Felicity chose him so that Ray would think everything was above board on the feelings meter and he didn't have anything to worry about and therefore wouldn't pull away from Felicity? Or so Felicity would have Ray and therefore be happy a while longer? Maybe?

I thought she was thanking him about proving her right as far as her making her case for him to Ray. Otherwise, I don't know. And I don't know why she'd thank him because he didn't know she stuck up for him, did he? I can't remember, haha.

No, she cried because she didn't want to cut her hair, and then cried and quit the show because she did. It actually looked pretty good on her, lmao.

No, but I think it might be next ep or at least the beginning of the one after since the foundry goes kaboom soon.

I was surprised she wasn't a little irritated/hurt to find out that the suit works and Ray didn't tell her?

So, I'm guessing Oliver has to lie low in 3x19 because he gets arrested in 3x18 and the team breaks him out of jail, so he can't be seen? Maybe that's the thing Laurel does that's "going pretty far" or whatever MG said - she lets him out. Not that she should technically be able to do that, but...this show.