apinknightmare

No way does her contract have any stipulations about becoming BC in it; I think it's silly to even consider that. Even being a relatively popular CW actress, she doesn't have the kind of clout to make a demand like that and even if she did, I'd be surprised if any sane person on the business side would ever agree to it. The EPs were just not going to let a Laurel Lance as BC origin story go. AK himself said he thought people didn't like her because she wasn't BC yet. Whether he actually believes that or not IDK, but it looks like we're all on this bus until we jump off of it (or until Laurel gets off at the next stop, please).

It definitely is a possibility. Personally, I'm not going to let myself get too worked up over a picture that (from what I can tell) we can't really date and don't know the context of. I wouldn't be surprised if something stupid happens plot-wise, but I'm going to withhold judgment for the time being.

I'm confused as to why people think she will. Felicity jumped to help Laurel in 3x02 because her sister just died. If Felicity had given her a hard time, that just would've made her look like an a-hole. Laurel's done nothing since that would deem her a leader in the eyes of Team Arrow. In fact, she's done such dumb shit that she's really proven she's the last person that should be listened to when it comes to making decisions. Not that they couldn't attempt to turn that around given the lightning speed with which this show seems to be burning through things, but at this point we haven't seen anything indicating that she's going to be a leader during Oliver's absence (whatever that winds up being). The only way I can see that maybe happening is if Oliver goes wherever he goes of his own free will and without knowing whether or not he'll ever return they all band together with Laurel (LMAO, I feel so ridiculous even typing this, that's why I know it could be a legit scenario) to keep fighting crime in the city.

Doesn't reddit seem to not like Felicity in general though? Or maybe that was just the sentiment I ran into when I went into a few threads. I doubt you'd ever find a favorable review of any ep about her on there. The ratings and demo that episode got are all TPTB are going to read into. People were excited about getting to see more about Felicity - it got them to tune in and tweet and trend - if the storyline was a failure, that's on the writers, and TPTB know that.

Ah. I'm outside in the sun, so all the dark colors and such are difficult to differentiate. Thanks!

Could be. Maybe that's why her outfit looks similar but different (and she doesn't have eyeblack on). Although if it's a flashback, I wonder who the guy standing next to her is supposed to be. Some other random eyeblack-wearing criminal,maybe.

As a former vigilante, Ted's gonna teach her his brand of street fighting, no doubt. After he realizes she wants to go vigilante, he'll probably be teaching her more than boxing.

The arms look the same, but Sara's wasn't that long in the torso, and it didn't have zip pockets. Unless maybe she's wearing it over another jacket or something. It's tough to tell since everything's so dark.

I think it's so funny that with all the heavy-handed symbolism surrounding that jacket that she's not wearing it dressed as BC. It's weird. Unless that's the stunt double's own jacket, but it seems too costume-y to be.

Positives: if that is the new BC get-up, at least she's not wearing Sara's jacket and there appear to be no fishnets. Whose double is the guy wearing eye paint? Anyone know?

Not trying to talk you out of your opinion at all, but I disagree. If we go down that road, then why would it be any better if he did it after seeing Felicity kissing Ray, or finding out that Thea is in cahoots with Malcolm, or finding out that Laurel's still trying to be a vigilante? It's a physical reaction to something a woman in his life has done that's angered or frustrated him either way. I think sometimes you're just pissed and in the heat of the moment you swipe some bottles off a table, or maybe you throw your phone across the room or break a plate because you're frustrated and you need an outlet. It's not the healthiest thing, but I'm guilty of doing it from time to time, and I've never hit a soul.

I actually don't think that scene is a reaction to Oliver seeing Felicity and Ray kiss, just speculating about the circumstances under which it could be. Maybe Oliver's just having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and he loses it a little. That table swipe of anger could just be a reaction to one thing or a lot of them- guess we'll know in a couple of weeks.

It depends on why he does it. If it's because he's pissed they kissed, then yes. If it's because he's pissed at himself for screwing up a good thing because he was scared, eh, I'll allow it. But it's probably got nothing to do with the kiss, haha.

I'm rewatching, and the part where Cooper's pointing the gun at Felicity's face and he says, "You were always good, Felicity. So good. But so am I!" and then those goofy machine guns start firing, it's just so over-the-top comic book cheesey that it makes me cackle and cringe and I love, love, love its ridiculousness.

Ooops, I thought this was the Secret Origin post - moved there!

IF that reaction is to the kiss, I don't think it's just about that. I wonder if Oliver walks in on them, then he and Felicity have it out in the foundry later. I can see him being hurt and questioning if she feels the same way about him that he does about her, and her basically telling him where to shove it because she was in it and then he backed out and she told him a) it was over and b) she wasn't going to wait for him to die, and here he is still trying to string her along with the "and you know how I feel about her." Then she walks out on him and he has a lil' fit and BREAKS FERNLICITY'S POT, then he replants it as a symbolic rerooting of their relationship (yeah, I just went there) in a BROWN POT, since he has, like, no flair when it comes to decor. Whatever it is, I feel like it's personal since he's all alone in the lair, and it doesn't look like he's wearing his Arrow suit - I can't tell since it's so dark, but it looks like he's wearing his broody dark mourning v-neck and jeans.

Do you guys think that Oliver actually doesn't know about Felicity working for Ray, and maybe that angry reaction is him finding out about it? I can't imagine she would keep it from him, and I can't imagine that she would've lied about it and that he wouldn't have asked where her new job was, but who knows with this show? SA did say that Oliver does have feelings about it and we would find out what they are in the back half of the season.

I just watched the preview and am I the only one who just finds it so...laughable, IDK that this Ted used to be a vigilante? I mean hilarious because his mask and brass knuckles and line delivery when he admits it. It does look like Oliver's carrying Laurel away from that explosion. I wonder if afterwards he gives her that talk about realizing that what they do isn't a game? This storyline, ugh. Felicity's rebounding hard with Ray. Poor bastard. And the Cupid storyline looks like it might be more amusing than I expected.

I wonder if Oliver broke Fernlicity's pot in a rage and that's why she returns to the foundry in a different one? Picturing him at Home Depot asking about potting soil.

Oliver and Diggle in the foundry talking about happiness and how Oliver should attempt to have a life, Oliver and Diggle in the hospital talking about family and how it changes you, Oliver and Diggle in the foundry after Diggle rejoined the team and told him he wasn't alone, Oliver telling Diggle he didn't want to die in the foundry, several moments in Corto Maltese. They've had plenty of moments and time together, and since Diggle now has a life outside of the foundry and Oliver's got feelings for Felicity (that Diggle is well aware of and encourages), it makes sense that he'd give them time alone and/or not be around as much (because of Lyla and Sara). Oliver and Diggle's bonding time hasn't suffered from any of that (yet).

Plus, Diggle knows how they feel about each other; he even encouraged Oliver to act on those feelings, so it's only natural that he'd make himself scarce to give them a moment. And like @NumberCruncher wrote, Diggle's always been more of Oliver's mentor than Felicity's. I like that Oliver was supportive of her; it's well deserved after all the times she's been there for him.

Was it the best episode? No. Were there multiple missed opportunities? Of course. Was there terrible writing and acting in places, along with the typical plot and timeline inconsistencies? Yes. But this episode felt so much like the Arrow I fell in love with and binge-watched and obsessed over with my friends (only one of whom is still watching, sadly), that I'm willing to overlook it because it was just so entertaining and fun for me. I haven't enjoyed an ep like this since...probably early season 2. Not that there haven't been great episodes since then, because there absolutely have, but I watched without a single bit of trepidation and worry that something was going to happen that would piss me off that I just enjoyed the hell out of it.

So, if Roy did kill Sara and this isn't some red herring, how does the rest of the season play into it? I don't think anyone on the team would take issue with him since they know all about the mirakuru and its effects and they would forgive him, but how does Laurel wanting vengeance for Sara's death come in? Does she find out that it's Roy and does that put her at odds with Oliver and the team? Does she ultimately forgive him and drop the vengeance so that we all know what a good person she is? How does Ra's play into it? Oliver basically told Nyssa that the League needed to stay out of the crimefighting in Starling, so...would they come back and start a mini-war to avenge Sara's death? Ra's didn't seem upset that she died, so I can't really see him coming to town to avenge her, unless it's one of those "you don't kill my people, I kill my people" kind of things. I really hope it wasn't Roy. I want the person who killed her to have been gunning for her specifically while fully aware of what they were doing. Unless it was someone under mind control, in which case I would prefer that person not be Roy or anyone else on Team Arrow. Although I can see why Roy would be a prime mind-control candidate.

I mean, this could be a red herring fakeout situation where we write it off because it's so obvious and he does wind up being Sara's killer, but the dialogue on the rooftop is just generic enough that they might try to pass off Roy dreaming of it as a coincidence.

That part gave me such mom feelings. My mom did the same thing to me when I was younger, always encouraging me to act out a little, get in trouble a bit. Not anything terrible, she just thought I was way too straight-laced and I think she thought we'd be able to ~bond if I was having experiences she could relate to. Yeah, I think this is why he did it. He'd want to protect her, and I think his desire to fix their relationship trumps his feelings about that condo being financed with blood money.