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SUMMARY OF 504 SPOILERS: S5, Episode 4: Penance -- Production code: 504. Shoot Dates: August 9-18, 2016. Director: Dermott Downs. Writers: Brian Ford Sullivan & Oscar Balderrama. Airdate: Oct. 26, 2016. (MG tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- 504 synopsis: "OLIVER STEPS IN FOR DIGGLE — Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Lyla (guest star Audrey Marie Anderson) team up on a secret mission for Diggle (David Ramsey). Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) finds out and disapproves of the plan and opts to stay behind. When Tobias Church (guest star Chad L. Coleman) launches a deadly assault against the city, Felicity must decide if she wants to send the recruits out sans the Green Arrow. Dermott Downs directed the episode written by Brian Ford Sullivan & Oscar Balderrama (#504). Original airdate 10/26/2016." (SpoilerTV article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- MG's Billy Joel Song pick: "504 – You’re Only Human." (Oct. 10, 2016 MG tumblr post, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- 504 promotional pics posted. (TVLine article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- 504 dialogue tease: “You alright over there? Because I’ve been doing a lot of talking and you haven’t, which is very weird“. (ArrowWriters tweet, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jul. 7, 2016, Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "Off to script on #Arrow with my favorite Oliver/Dig story we've ever done. Get ready for some feels!" (briforsul tweet, page 39 of Spoilers thread) -- In 504, Oliver decides to break Diggle out of prison, to the dismay of the rest of Team Arrow. (Oct. 24, 2016 DC All Access video, page 213 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- MG: "We pick up with Diggle [in the premiere] and he’s in Russia. He’s operating in Chechnya, but as member of the Special Forces. He is searching for that moral compass that he lost at the end of season 4. Without spoiling too much of what happens to Diggle, I will say that he discovers that Chechnya is the wrong place for him to discover his moral compass. Things do not go according to plan for him, and there’s something that happens in the first three episodes that’s fairly significant in terms of Diggle. It’s the circumstances that will ultimately bring him back to Star City, but he’s not going to be the same. He’s not going to be able to live his life the way he had been living it before. Things are going to get very, very complicated for him, for reasons I don’t want to spoil, but it leads to a very Dig-and-Oliver-centric episode in 504." (Oct. 4, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 45 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "At the end of 502, Diggle gets arrested and 504 deals with how Oliver handles that circumstance... It’s not so much about changing their dynamic as it is what lengths will Oliver go to for his best friend.” (Oct. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- DR: "Episode 4 is a big episode in how he comes back and the help he gets." (HVFF-San Jose, Aug. 27, 2016: heroesfanfest tweet, page 43 of Spoilers thread) -- DR said that he returns to find a new Arrow team and "he's going to have something to say about that." He's going to have feelings about "getting these new recruits back out into the field... how he feels about Canary, when she was in the field. So he's going to have strong opinions about it." The way he comes back is "very interesting" and the story of how he comes back is "very very good." Episode 4 is "a very big episode in terms of how Diggle comes back to the team." He's glad to be back, but it's a whole new team. (HVFF-San Jose, Aug. 27, 2016: Video #1 recorded by steven alvarez, page 1 of Season 5 Spoiler Archive thread) -- jbuffyangel: "Then he [MG] said that Episode 4 is a HUGE Diggle and Oliver episode. He bashed his fists together to reference they will be FIGHTING. ... Then he said, 'We have something planned for Diggle. I can’t tell you what it is. I think fans will be shocked, but I think they are going enjoy what we are doing.'" (SDCC, Jul. 23, 2016: jbuffyangel recap of conversation with MG, page 40 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "Flashpoint, uh, does affect Season 5 of Arrow. In, um, a subtle way at the beginning and maybe more at the end. And you'll get it - um, episodes 3, 4, 5-ish." (HVFF-San Jose, Aug. 28, 2016: Video of full SA panel, page 1 of Season 5 Spoiler Archive thread) -- MG: "In the first five episodes, we face head-on the decision that Felicity made [that led to the destruction of Havenrock]." (Sep. 9, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 43 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to fan concern about language saying Felicity killed thousands in Havenrock when it was Darhk who killed them, Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "All I can say is: Episode 504." (Sep. 23, 2016 briforsul tweet, page 44 of Spoilers thread) -- On Havenrock, EBR: "She's carrying this huge amount of guilt, and she's not letting it go in any way. All it's doing is festering up and around episodes 3-5 [of Season 5] we're going to see her break." Also, because of Havenrock, EBR understands that Felicity can no longer be light. (Sep. 1, 2016 NKD Magazine article, page 1129 of Spoiler Discussion thread, and page 467 of Social Media thread) -- On Aug. 10, 2016, SA posted instagram video indicating that they're shooting episode 96. Wearing all black, SA: "Great thing about this year is that we really did get Oliver's humanity and kindness"; then he pulls a black rubber mask over his face. (lemotomato post, page 1116 of Spoiler Discussion thread, and SA instagram video, page 1117 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Aug. 11, 2016, Arrow production office tweeted "Cell reception here is terrible.... #Arrow" with pic of guys inside prison cell. (ArrowProdOffice tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 11, 2016, Arrow production office tweeted "All Stunts on deck #Arrow" with pic of stunt guys on mobile bridge on a road over water in the middle of the city. (ArrowProdOffice tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 12, 2016, SA tweeted pic of himself with bloody nose and comment: "Worth it. Episode 96." (SA tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 12, 2016, MMcL tweeted: "Tonight we did some gnarly things. Also: for those living under a rock, Stephen's a total champ." (MadisonMcLaugh tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 12, 2016, Rick Gonzalez posted pic of himself with Josh Segarra and comment: "#BoricuasEnStarCity #JoshSegarra ???? #Vigilante #WildDog #ArrowSeason5." (officialrickg tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 17, 2016, SA said that they were shooting 504. He also said that he got kicked in the face while fighting with a stunt woman and that they shot a scene where there's "a bunch of blood in his mustache." (Aug. 17, 2016 SA facebook video, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 18, 2016 (early morning), SA posted: "Putting the finishing touches on Episode 504. 3 AM is late for a Wednesday. Or is it early for a Thursday? In any event... Things are shaping up nicely. Getting my snot locker x-rayed tomorrow because I trust my friends on this page. Thank you, Facebook." (SA facebook post, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 18, 2016, What's Filming tweeted: "Heard that tonight's #Arrow location at Byrne Creek SS is being used for a prison scene involving Diggle." (WhatsFilming tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 18, 2016, papp tweeted: "#Arrow is currently preparing for a shoot tonight at Byrne Creek Secondary." (VanFlarrowFan tweet linked in What's Filming tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 18, 2016, SA tweeted pic of outside of building with comment: "Night shoots." Looks like same shoot referenced in What's Filming tweet. (SA tweet, page 42 of Spoilers thread) -- On Aug. 18, 2016, EK posted b-t-s pic of himself with EBR, MMcL and JD. (echokells instagram pic in echok tweet, page 462 of Social Media thread)

ADDENDUM #2 TO SUMMARY OF S5 SPOILERS BY TOPIC S5 Theme of Legacy -- WM: "[T]his season we’re going to be really exploring legacy. This is a season where Oliver’s going to be looking back and going, 'Have I actually accomplished the things I set out to do in season one?' He’s going to have to answer for that this season." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether they chose the theme of legacy because Oliver was on an island for five years, WM: "It was a lot about that. Actually, we are closing the chapter on that -- what we started in the first season. We're looking back and it's very nostalgic, it's also very fun and thinking about where Oliver was and how far he's come or how not far he's come, how little he's changed and how much he has actually changed. So yeah, it was rooted in that. It was rooted in this idea of Oliver taking stock, looking back and thinking, 'Okay, I came here with this very specific mission, to right my father's wrongs and how far have I come with that?'" (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Back to Basics With Crime and Corruption -- On having four years of experience and being able to look back at S1 and think 'We can do this better now,' WM: "I think so. I think one of the privileges of having been on a show this long is you know all the things you’ve tried and the things that have worked and the things that haven’t. But I think the fun part is that in season five, there are some things you wanted to try in seasons one, two, and three that you knew you couldn’t do until now. That’s part of the fun. At the same time, you get to go back and look at the things that worked and homage them. Or, you don’t want to repeat them but you want to explore them from a different vantage point." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On some of the things they've been wanting to try since S1, S2 and S3, WM: "I think one of the things in particular is finding new ways to do action. The action on the show has become, again, we evolved it. We’re in a universe now where we’re dealing with metahumans. We’re dealing with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. It’s not as straightforward as it was when we premiered which was we were the only game in town. We’re trying to at the same time keep the scope and the scale high and keep the production values up. We also want to go back and make it more personal." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On what the show does well, SA: "I think that we're a street-level show. We're a crime-fighting show. We're the superhero show with no superpowers. That's how all of this was designed originally. And it changed, for a variety of reasons, which is kind of the nature of episodic television, but the action feels a lot meaner, a lot grittier this year. The pace feels good. In the one instance where we sort of dip into the idea of a meta human, it feels like a meta human from the Arrowverse. I don't know, I'm very bullish on the show this year. You obviously have to try stuff with a show every year, but this year it feels like we've learned some of our lessons and we're just focusing on what we do well." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Unspecified Episode Plots -- On whether there was a classic S1 episode to which we can expect an homage, WM: "Yeah, I think episode 106 with the Royal Flush gang, the one where Oliver and Diggle really struggled over the question of whether or not he should be killing people. We will definitely be exploring that territory in season five." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) S5 Flashbacks -- MG: “I would describe Oliver’s initiation into the Bratva as spanning the length of the first chapter of the season... The end of the first chapter of the flashback story this season is Oliver becoming a member of the Bratva. People who watched season one know that that’s not the end of that story because there’s becoming a member of the Bratva and then there’s him eventually becoming a captain of the Bratva. That’s a story we’ve been looking forward to telling, how he becomes the captain.” (Oct. 12, 2016 Nerdist article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On it being the last year of flashbacks and seeming to be a long way to go to get to the bearded, traumatized Oliver we saw in the pilot, WM: "You’re not wrong. We have to take him from where we saw him at the end of Season 4 with Taiana (Elysia Rotaru) and having just put down Baron Reiter (Jimmy Akingbola), and then taking him to where we see him in the pilot. One of the things that is helpful is knowing that the pilot is the endgame. We finally go to Russia, and see him in this completely new world. I know it is something the fans have always had questions about — where does he get the Bratva tattoo? How does he become a captain? — but the main questions for us this season are how did he become so dark? What was the source of his PTSD? And how does he become this one-man army we see in the pilot?" (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "There are a couple of things. First we cast Dolph Lundgren, which is very exciting. He's going to be part of the Russian flashbacks and he's just a total badass. It's a fun piece of casting and watching kind of he and Stephen go toe-to-toe is going to be very entertaining. But really, I think the thing we're most excited about is going back to Russia and seeing how Oliver became a Bratva captain, how he got that tattoo and seeing what was it that happened there that brought him to the place where we saw him in the pilot where's basically this soldier, who's completely destroyed, has PTSD and wants to sleep on the floor. How did he get to that place? And it's a very gritty, dark underworld with the Bratva. We're really going to try and make it as real and 'grounded' is the word we keep using, but it's really true. We want to make it feel very 'Eastern Promises' -- as gritty as real as the Bratva, actually is. Hopefully the audience loves it. We're very excited about it." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On what he's most excited to finally get done, SA: "I would like to see Oliver build his bow that we saw in Season 1. Yeah. That, for sure. That's the big one. I'd like to know exactly what happened the moments before we meet Oliver in the pilot." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether he thinks we're going to get those moments in flashback form, SA: "I would imagine so, yes. And thus far it's been great. It's very fast-paced in Russia. It's dark and gritty. I had one of my first scenes with Dolph Lundgren the other day, and he was a real pro." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On what it is about the Bratva flashbacks that he finds so compelling this season, SA: "Russia has a real hard edge to it this year. That's just exciting. That to me is more our show." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Closing a Chapter and Beyond S5: Flashbacks and Flashforwards -- On what it means moving forward that this is the last year of flashbacks, MG: “That’s really next year’s problem... My instinct is that we’ll shake some stuff up as we always do in season six. Last year, we experimented with episodes that didn’t have any flashback components. We’ve been experimenting all along with episodes that have flashback components that aren’t tied to a serialized narrative. The way I look at it is those are all now tools that we have in our toolbox. We can do episodes that flash back to an non-island period, we can do episodes that don’t have flashbacks, we do a mini-arc of flashbacks, we might even do a flashforward one day. More than anything, it will just open up our storytelling opportunities if we could choose for each episode an approach that’s appropriate.” (Oct. 12, 2016 Nerdist article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "The other thing, too, is that we now have this firm final finish date. [Season 5, episode 23] will be the last time we have a flashback -- at least, in the order that we've been flashing back. Flashbacks, or some variation thereof, will always be a theme in the show, but it doesn't always have to be my flashbacks. Maybe we go to some flashforwards. Who knows? They have a much harder driving force behind them this year because we literally have a list, no pun intended, of all this stuff that we have to get done." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Flashpoint Affecting Arrow Generally -- GB: "And Arrow, you'll find out a few over the first couple of episodes some of the mild [effects]. They're not significant, but they become a little bit more emotionally significant." (Aug. 11, 2016 Eonline article, page 1169 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Flashpoint Affecting Arrow Specifically (Felicity, Diggle, Oliver, Laurel) -- On Diggle, WM: "And yeah, Flashpoint will have an impact on him, especially in respect to his family life." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Flashpoint Affecting Flash, LoT and Supergirl (included for potential relevance to Arrow) -- LoT: On whether the Legends are aware of The Flash mucking around with his timeline and creating Flashpoint, MG: "Not yet. The things that are happening in 2016, in the here and now, aren’t affecting our Legends outside of time. Suffice it to say, the Legends will eventually find out about Flashpoint." (Oct. 13, 2016 Variety article, page 209 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) Big 4-Shows Crossover Event (Arrow/Flash/LoT/Supergirl) -- MG: "I'm giving you an exclusive -- because you're the only one who's asked... Arrow episode 508 is called 'Invasion!' with the exclamation point. And Legends of Tomorrow 207 is going to be 'Invasion!'. I'll leave it up to you to guess what The Flash is called." (Oct. 23, 2016 Comicbook article, page 212 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Arrowverse actors spotted shooting the 4-shows crossover event: SA, GG, MB, CV, DR, EBR, VG, BR, DP, CL, FD, Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Nick Zano. The casts from all four shows filmed some interior scenes inside a airport hangar. (Oct. 13, 2016 JustJaredJr tweet & article, page 209 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On how the other characters will react to meeting Supergirl, their first alien, AK: "Some people, like Barry [Grant Gustin], already know her, so Barry’s completely cool with her... Some people are instantly charmed by her; I think Sara’s [Caity Lotz] got a little crush on her. Diggle [David Ramsey], as always, just when he thinks he’s seen it all, there’s a moment in it where somebody says, ‘This is Supergirl,’ and they say, ‘What’s so super about her?’ and she just lifts off the ground. Dig’s like, ‘I’m convinced.’ ... Part of Oliver’s [Stephen Amell] journey in those episodes is he’s kind of hit his breaking point for things he’s willing to accept... He’s had Mirakuru soldiers, the Lazarus Pit, magic, and Damien Darhk, but flying aliens who can incinerate you with their eyes is one beyond the pale for him. He’s keeping his distance, which is a very Oliver thing to do. Even Kara comments, ‘Does he not like me?’ Barry’s like, ‘No, that’s kind of how he treats everybody.’” (Oct. 11, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 207 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- In the comics, specifically in Invasion!, the Dominators are technologically advanced aliens who form a coalition with various other races to invade Earth and eliminate the threat posed by unpredictable metahumans. MG: “I will say that their goal is very closely related to what was established in the comics, and it does have to do with metahumans... It’s very, very faithful to the comics.” Per MG, the Dominators' arrival will force the Arrowverse’s superheroes to team up for their “most ambitious” crossover yet. MG: “I think it’s massively different... The first crossover we did was two separate storylines that had a slight tangential connection to each other. Then last year, the crossover we did was a two-parter that told one complete story with a beginning, middle, and end across Flash and Arrow, but it also had the work of setting up Legends of Tomorrow." Also MG: "This year, ... we’re doing by far the most ambitious crossover we’ve ever done. It’s basically a huge three-part story that also brings in Supergirl, so it’s crossing over all four shows. It’s telling one big epic movie of a story. It’s not setting up any other spin-offs, it’s just big, bombastic, huge action. There’s also some really poignant character moments. There’s a lot of plot lines, particularly I would say in Flash and Legends, that come to fruition in the crossover. It’s by far the most ambitious thing we’ve ever attempted. I want to say it’s by far one of the most ambitious things anyone in network television has ever attempted. It’s completely insane.” (Oct. 13, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 209 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- When asked for a hint about Arrow's 100th episode, MG: "I would love to hint something new, but I will say, we came up with a way to get - there are actors who we couldn't have in the episode because we couldn't make their schedules work, um, because they were busy off doing other things - [COUGH]Colin Donnell[COUGH]Chicago Med[COUGH] - um, uh, and if it works, I think we got a way to actually get them in the episode or at least represented in a way that sorta honors their participation in the previous 99 episodes. So I'm excited about that. It's a real love letter to the fans... It's everything a 100th episode should be. It also happens to be the middle episode of our three-part crossover. And it actually does, I think, a good job in both." (Oct. 7, 2016 The Hollywood Reporter article, page 480 of Social Media thread) -- Per SA, CD will not be back for the 100th episode. SA: "There’s a nice nod to Colin, but he’s literally a series regular on another show... We tried to make it work, but we couldn’t make it work.” Also, Raisa the maid will not be back for the 100th episode. (Oct. 24, 2016 GATV article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, the crossover will actually kick off at the end of an episode of Supergirl, where Cisco and Barry basically enlist Kara’s help. MG: “Some people call it a four-way crossover because it involves four shows; my ulcer requires me to call it a three-part crossover,... The story that’s being told has a beginning, middle, and end: a beginning in Flash, a middle in Arrow, and an end in Legends. But Supergirl is very much a part of the whole thing, so we are crossing over four shows - four shows in three parts.” (Oct. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On how the 4-show crossover is split into three parts, MG: "There’s going to be an episode of Supergirl that ends with Supergirl going over to the cross-over. Some people call it a four-way cross-over because it involves four shows. My ulcer requires me to call it a three-part cross-over. The story that’s being told has a beginning, middle and end. It’s a beginning in The Flash, a middle in Arrow, and an end in Legends, but Supergirl is very much a part of the whole thing. So, we are crossing over four shows, but in three parts." An on how Supergirl will enter into the Arrow-verse, MG: "Last year, Supergirl established that The Flash was able to make his way to what I call Earth-CBS, and it stands to reason that with the proper breach technology, the reverse can happen. Once the heroes realize that they’re up against aliens, they decide that they need an alien on their side and, fortunately, Barry knows a really nice one. I don’t think it’s a big shock that, between Barry and Cisco, and all of their experiences with Earth-2 and the multi-verse, that they can pluck her from Earth-CBS." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “Last year, Supergirl established that Flash was able to make his way to what I call Earth-CBS, and it stands to reason that, with the proper breach technology, the reverse can happen." In the crossover, the heroes will team up to fight against the Dominators, who in the comics were a technologically advanced alien race that wanted to invade Earth and eliminate the threat posed by unpredictable metahumans - and they have similar motivations during the crossover. MG: “Once the heroes realize that they’re up against aliens, they decide that they need an alien on their side... Fortunately, Barry knows a really nice one. I don’t think it’s a big shock that between Barry and Cisco, and all their experiences with Earth-2 and the multi-verse, that they can pluck her from Earth-CBS.” (Oct. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On the challenges of tackling the milestone of the 100th episode and having it also be a cross-over, MG: "That was the challenge. The challenge was that we’ve only got 42 minutes, and it’s the middle part of a three-part story. At the same time, it’s the 100th episode. When the news broke that the 100th episode was also going to be the cross-over episode, people were up and down my Twitter and Greg’s Twitter. In a very positive way, people didn’t want to feel like the cross-over was hijacking what should be a really seminal episode and moment for Arrow, which is wonderful. I don’t want to spoil it, but Greg came up with an idea that really does allow us to have our cake and eat it, too. I haven’t seen the episode all cut together yet, but it has some incredibly iconic moments. It is a love letter to the show. It draws on all previous 99 episodes. Everyone who we could have in the episode, from a scheduling point of view, is in the episode. Even the people who we couldn’t have because of having conflicting schedules are represented. At the same time, you’ve got The Flash and Supergirl, and that’s an enormous amount of fun. The recruits also play a very large and important role in the episode. I’m really excited about it. There’s one moment in it that I think is probably Stephen’s finest performance, to date. This one scene, that really has two moments within the one scene, will just break your heart. It will take your heart, pull it out, and stomp it on the floor. It’s very, very affecting, and it’s all on Stephen’s back. It’s incredible. Willa [Holland] is amazing in the episode. Everyone obviously brought their A-game to it. I’m really, really excited about it. It’s the 100th episode." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, the biggest challenge the producers faced in creating the crossover was not actually bringing all these heroes together, but also telling the story within Arrow’s upcoming 100th episode. MG: “When the news broke that the 100th episode was also going to be the crossover episode, people were up and down my Twitter and Greg [Berlanti’s] Twitter I think, in this case, in a very positive way... People didn’t want to feel like the crossover was highjacking what should be a really seminal episode and a seminal moment for the show Arrow, which I think is wonderful. Greg came up with an idea that really does allow us to have our cake and eat it, too.” In addition to original cast members Jamey Sheridan, Katie Cassidy, and Susanna Thompson returning, MG revealed that John Barrowman and Neal McDonough will both reprise their roles as Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darhk, respectively, in the 100th episode. MG: “I haven’t seen the episode all cut together yet, but it has some incredibly iconic moments... It is a love letter to the show, it draws on all previous 99 episodes pretty much. Everyone who we could have in the episode, from a scheduling point of view, is in the episode. Even the people who we couldn’t have, because of conflicting schedules, are represented. At the same time, you’ve got Flash and Supergirl; that’s an enormous amount of fun. Certainly the recruits also play a very large role, an important role, in the episode. I’m really excited about it.” By recruits, MG is referring to the new Team Arrow, which includes Curtis, Wild Dog, Ragman and Evelyn Sharp. (Oct. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- MG had high praise for SA's performance in the 100th episode. MG: “There’s one moment in it that I think is probably Stephen’s finest performance to date... This one scene, that really has two moments within the one scene, it will break your heart. It will take your heart, pull it out, and stomp it on the floor. It’s very, very affecting. It’s all on Stephen’s back. It’s incredible. Willa [Holland]’s amazing in the episode. Everyone obviously brought their A game to it. I’m really, really excited about it. It’s the 100th episode!” (Oct. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- Per EK, he gets to share a scene with the Flash’s Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes). EK: “We're having so much fun and we're crushing it. It's so exciting.” (Oct. 5, 2016 Entertainment Tonight article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Per RG, Wild Dog will be in the 4-show crossover event. His character is not impressed with the world of superheroics that joining Team Arrow will bring him into, and he has serious problems with the super-powered types he'll have to fight alongside during the four-shot Invasion! crossover. RG: "I can’t speak on that, but what I can say is that Wild Dog will be in the crossover, and he has a huge dislike for metahumans... So we’ll definitely see him not exactly rub well with The Flash and Supergirl and that’s just another glimpse into his psyche and his ideas and thinking about the world and the idea that there are people out there who have these sort of powers and who they are. Instead of saying ’Wow, these people can do these things,’ he says, ‘no, I don’t like you because this is what you bring to the table. This is what you represent to me.’” (Oct. 10, 2016 ComicBook article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 6, 2016, papp tweeted: "the mansion , it's not an actual wedding that account trolled Olicity fans." (pursuit23 tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 6, 2016, on whether EBR and DR are filming more or less, papp tweeted: "Less." (pursuit23 tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 7, 2016, SA posted pic of himself with KC with comment: "#Arrow100." (SA tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 8, 2016, on whether SA was filming with GG "yesterday" or with "caity/katie" in the mansion, papp tweeted: "Both." (pursuit23 tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 8, 2016, on still filming for crossover, papp tweeted: "I know Arrow still has 1 or 2 days left on theirs as well. Supergirls doesn't start for a few days still. Still on ep 7." (Canadagraphs tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 8, 2016, CL posted pics of herself with KC, both in black dresses with party makeup, on what looks like the interior mansion set. (CL instagram post, page 1167 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 8, 2016, papp tweeted pic with comment: "Another pic from last nights shoot for #TheFlash Stunt team work - Barry, Green #Arrow, get thrown by an explosion Diggle and Speedy watch." (canadagraphs tweet, page 205 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On Oct. 9, 2016, CL posted pic of herself in formal wear with the comment: "My dad made his acting debut with a cameo as Joe the bartender." (CL instagram pic, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- B-t-s pics of CL with her father and KC in front of a bar posted. KC is wearing a ring on her left ring finger. (Pic in Primal Slayer post, page 1167 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- B-t-s pic of KC wearing engagement/wedding ring posted. (Screencap pic from KC's facebook video in Primal Slayer post, page 1168 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 10, 2016, fan posted video clip of EBR, MB and BR with comment: "So my auntie works on The Flash on the costume truck and this past week on the Monday it was my birthday this was filmed on Tuesday where they’re filming the huge crossover between the four shows. So for my birthday she got me videos of the cast saying happy birthday. So here are my tears!" (Iced tumblr video in SmallScreenDiva post, page 481 of Social Media thread) -- On Oct. 10, 2016, RG posted pic of Wild Dog mask and Flash mask with comment: "Just gonna leave this here. #ArrowSeason5 #TheFlash #WildDog." (officialrickg tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 10, 2016, papp tweeted "The "wedding" that that account trolled about involves Laurel & Oliver. Being that his dad & mom R back Id assume Flashback" and on whether there's an actual wedding, "No, hence why i use the word Trolling" and on whether Laurel is married to Oliver in that other timeline/universe, "No idea, but the show happens in 1 timeline, one where his family is dead so kinda impossible to be a real wedding." (pursuit23 tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 11, 2016, papp tweeted: "Big day at #Arrow McMansion set in Delta today. Extras Holding at its own McMansion nearby." (yvrshoots tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 11, 2016, papp tweeted "#Arrow filming at the mansion in Delta today" and "I never did a 180 I wasn't the one tweeting about weddings & I always had it in 'wedding'" and on it's being a wedding full of dead people so not present day Earth, "Which I've been saying since that account first trolled with the wedding tweet" and on whether it's an Oliver/Laurel wedding, "It's not real so don't worry about it lol" and "From my understanding it's a 'filler' episode . Chance to bring in core for 100th episode. Who knows tho, like I said" and "the wedding madness was started by someone to some extent incorrectly tweeted about a wedding / rehearsal scene." (pursuit23 tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 11, 2016, SA posted b-t-s pics of himself with WH and himself hugging EBR who's wearing a formal blue dress with her hair up. (SA tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 11-12, 2016, JBam tweeted "First we block a scene...then our wonderful cast add magic to it....for instance....thanks @EmilyBett !!" and "And......this, our ??th episode of #Arrow has been so full of magical performances from each and every one of our cast from all of our shows." and "THANK YOU @CW_Arrow @CW_TheFlash @TheCWSupergirl @TheCW_Legends CAST! You are all gold." and "THAT'S A WRAP ON MAIN UNIT SHOOTING FOR THE ??TH EPISODE OF #ARROW!"(JBam tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 12, 2016, SA tweeted: "It's really difficult to describe how cool today was. Special shout out to @Willaaaah - she was awesome. #Arrow100." And JBam tweeted: "There's at least 4 scenes which are included in this praise...." (SA and JBam tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 17, 2016, SA said: "Um, even though technically I am done the crossover in earnest, uh, it won't really be until - kinda like the the end of this week, possibly next week, when I am really officially done." (SA facebook video, page 484 of Social Media thread) -- On Oct. 19, 2016, JBam posted pic of editing room screenshot from 100th episode, showing some kind of explosion in the Arrow Bunker, with Felicity, Barry, Cisco and Curtis in the shot. (james2bambamford instagram post in FYeahEBRupdates tweet, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 19, 2016, papp posted pics of Felicity with Sara and Mick Rory, as well as pics of the Atom, Speedy, Spartan, Firestorm and The Flash. Papp tweeted: "Felicity/Emily Bett Rickards in 4-way crossover - #TheFlash #Arrow #LegendsOfTomorrow … Oct 6 shoot." (yvrshoots tweet & article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 21, 2016, EK posted pic of himself (as Mr. Terrific) with Ragman, Flash, Wild Dog, Supergirl and JBam. (EK instagram post, page 212 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On Oct. 24, 2016, SA posted pic of himself in GA suit sitting at bar with GG in Flash suit and SA's daughter. (SA facebook post, page 1189 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Other Crossovers Generally -- On whether they can draw on things that The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow did, WM: "We have. Yet on Arrow we have to be so specific because we’re more grounded. When the show launched, they said there would be no superpowers and now we have those in our universe. It’s a question of how you do that and what are the right stories to carry those powers." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 17, 2016, SA said: "Hey, Facebook, what is happening? I am back... after 5 weeks of crossover craziness that consisted of 5 different episodes of television. Not 5 different shows, but 5 different episodes of television being filmed simultaneously. I have emerged from the deep, dark forest of my mind of crossover land - crossover landia." (SA facebook video, page 484 of Social Media thread) Other LoT Crossovers -- LoT S2 trailer posted, including scene with Oliver Queen. (LoT S2 promo video, page 204 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- LoT 201: Nick Zano interview video includes two scenes with Oliver Queen. (LoT Nick Zano interview, page 204 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On how they will use WMiller, JBarrowman and KC, MG: "On 'Legends of Tomorrow' Wentworth and John will be members of the Legion of Doom. Katie is a far more interesting question because we actually have a story for Katie on 'Legends of Tomorrow' that I am super excited about. It could be the thing I’m most excited about. But it’s early, and we’re not ready to spoil what that’s going to be. I think it could be really, really awesome." (Oct. 11, 2016 IMDB article, page 206 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) Other Flash Crossovers -- Flash 302: Felicity appeared in The Flash "Paradox" trailer. (Oct. 4, 2016 The Flash "Paradox" promo video, page 203 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Flash 302: Felicity appeared in The Flash "Big Mistake" trailer. (Oct. 4, 2016 The Flash "Big Mistake" promo video, page 203 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) Vixen Crossovers -- Felicity will be in S2 of Vixen. (Oct. 13, 2016 LuluLemonLime83 tweet, page 209 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Felicity, Cisco, Firestorm, Atom, Flash and BC appear in Season 2 of Vixen. (Video clip in Oct. 14, 2016 CW_Arrow tweet, page General Character Narratives and Shifting Relationships -- WM: "I think one of the things that’s exciting is we’re able to honor where we’ve come. We’ve taken these characters on this evolution. We want to honor how they’ve evolved and yet we also want Oliver to look at his history from that vantage point and we want all the characters to look back and think. Felicity, Diggle, all of them, think, 'Where was I four years ago? Have I accomplished what I set out to accomplish?'” (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) New Team Arrow -- MG: "I think the fun has been asking ourselves how we can sort of rebuild the show from the ground up again... Oliver lost his team at the end of Season 4 and by doing that, we created an opportunity to redo things." (Oct. 12, 2016 TVInsider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Wild Dog, Artemis and Ragman, MG: "They make for a very nice combo platter, especially when you add in Curtis Holt." Although they may have second thoughts about the whole do-gooding thing after they get a load of their leader. MG: "We are setting up the idea that Oliver is not just going to recruit them, he’s also going to train them... That excited us because this is an opportunity for Oliver to be a douche...which is something we enjoy writing occasionally." (Oct. 12, 2016 TVInsider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Diggle's departure affecting the team, WM: "Yeah, that's a big move. Dig has been with them since the beginning and so for him to decide to leave was obviously significant and he, as you know from watching the [Season 4] finale, he did it because of his guilt about killing his brother Andy. So we're going to find him at the beginning of the season in the military still, still not part of the team and in fact, the effect that it's having is pretty profound. Oliver is in a very oddly optimistic place, but sort of -- call it optimistic or call it denial, he's pretty sure that both Thea and Dig are going to come back to the team eventually. So he's in this very optimistic place and Felicity is a little bit more of a realist and she's saying, 'It's time to move on. We have to start looking for other people.' And when we start the season, Oliver's out there all alone. He has Felicity in the bunker, but that is it. So the effect is pretty profound." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On merging the new characters with the old characters, RG: "I love the idea of us bringing in this energy to their well-oiled machine. I like the idea that we’re breaking up the energy. The energy of each recruit is very different." (Oct. 12, 2016 Collider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Oliver & Felicity ("Olicity") -- On Billy Joel song or any song to describe Olicity, as well as, Arrow (in general) this season, MG: "I can’t think of a song that won’t get me into trouble with somebody, but if I had to pick one it’s… 'Getting Closer.'” (Oct. 10, 2016 MG tumblr post, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "We're not necessarily going to see them reconcile this season... "[But] I think there will always be lingering feelings between these two." (Oct. 10, 2016 TV Guide article, page 1170 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On whether there are still romantic feelings between Oliver & Felicity as the season begins, WM: "I would describe it as two grownups who have had a conversation between seasons who have agreed to work together, and I think, if we're all being honest, no matter what happens with them, the chemistry and the love that's between them is undeniable. So, you know, we originally wrote to the Felicity-Oliver romance based on what we were seeing on camera. ... What happens is you watch dailies, you watch cuts and you think, 'Oh wow, those two have chemistry, let's write to that and see where it goes.' And, at this point in the evolution of their relationship, we happen to be writing away from the romance, but you can never rule that out completely." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Felicity is ready for a relationship, WM: "That’s an excellent question as well. I think she’s trying to figure that out. I think that Oliver is a tough act to follow. I think Oliver quite possibly in her mind at the end of season four might still be the love of her life, but I think she feels that she owes it to herself to figure out whether that’s true or not." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oliver not knowing about Felicity's dating Detective Malone, MG: "That's a good question... It speaks to the fact that Oliver has had a lot on his plate lately and...also, I think Oliver is trying to adopt a more hopeful tone, be more optimistic. And in that optimism, he's hoping that he and Felicity will get back together. So perhaps there is a little bit of denial at play that he hasn’t clocked the new spring in Felicity's step." Per MG, "it is just a matter of time" before Oliver puts two and two together. And when he does, this Green Arrow may not be so green with envy. MG: "I don’t think Oliver reacts the way most people would expect him to react." (Oct. 12, 2016 TVInsider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- We will soon find out how Oliver feels about Felicity’s new boyfriend, especially as he’s unwittingly working with him at the moment. MG: "Eventually, yes... I don’t think I’m spoiling anything to say that pretty much every secret on this show eventually [comes out]. Felicity’s boyfriend is certainly no exception - not that she’s keeping it a secret from Oliver, but at the start of season 5, Oliver doesn’t know.” (Oct. 14, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Fan's tumblr post purported to have inside source that revealed that after Oliver finds out about Felicity's new boyfriend (in 505?), he has a one-night hookup with the female reporter played by Carly Pope, but immediately regrets it. Same source also said that female reporter leaves show by 507. (CleanQueen and dtissagirl posts, page 1180 of Spoiler Discussion thread, and wonderwall post, page 1181 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On when the secrets come out that Felicity has a boyfriend and that Felicity is working with Green Arrow, MG: "It’s the classic thing of no secrets stay a secret forever on Arrow. Oliver is going to find out about Felicity’s boyfriend in Episode 505. Because I’m spoiling that, I’m not going to spoil when Felicity’s boyfriend finds out that Felicity is working with Arrow." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- GATV tweeted: "Oliver is going to find out about Detective Billy Malone being Felicity’s boyfriend in Episode 505 “Human Target.” Better hide @TylerRitter." (Oct. 19, 2016 GATV tweet, page 1184 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow -- On how Oliver is handling being in the mayor’s office, WM: "He’s sort of not dealing with it at all. He went into it with very big ambitions, but we come to find in the premiere that those ambitions ran into reality and, for the time being, the most effective way he can help the city is by being the Green Arrow. Over the season we’re going to evolve that. We haven’t seen him in a real-job capacity since Season 2 and now that he’s grown up a bit and evolved as a character, it’s fun to see him tackle these real-world problems." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On how Oliver is handling doing everything on his own as GA, WM: "He likes to be out on his own — it’s where he started. This season we’re really trying to honor our roots and go back to ideas and themes that we had in season one, and this is one of them. He’s still got Felicity in the bunker but Dig and Thea are gone, and Black Canary (Katie Cassidy) is unfortunately gone. But he’s out there fighting the good fight on his own. That’s quickly going to change, mostly because Felicity starts to turn him, but he also starts to think about the reality of what this life is like. It takes a toll on you physically and emotionally and Oliver starts to realize it isn’t something he can do on his own." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On the effect on the people left around him of Oliver's increased violence, WM: "It’s having a huge effect. At the end of Season 4, he went dark — no pun intended — when he killed Damien Dahrk and that sort of opened up that side of him again. He starts to handle things in that way and it has an impact on the people around him who have different opinions and not everyone is in agreement that that’s the way to go." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On in the beginning Oliver felt guilty thinking he’s the cause of Sara’s death and now he feels guilty over Laurel’s death and what Thea’s been through, WM: "I do think he’s back where he started in the sense that he’s asking himself have the methods he’s chosen worked? He’s lost people along the way. He lost his mother, he lost Tom and he lost Laurel. Now Thea and John Diggle both at the end of season four said, 'I don’t want to do this anymore.' I think he’s in a period of reflection and really self-assessment and wondering did he make the right decisions in the past?" (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "Being mayor is not working out too well for Oliver because he doesn't have a team to rely on. He says this in the early part of the season: sometimes saving the city takes priority over running it. He's ostensibly using the office of the mayor as a means to get actionable intel to use as the Green Arrow. As a result, his approval rating as mayor, his reputation as mayor, is less than sterling." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Oliver is making Star City a better place by meeting his job as the mayor with his job as an Arrow, or whether he's still struggling, SA: "You like to see that, because in each instance, Star City has suffered in some way, shape, or form in each season. I would like to see this year, especially it being our fifth year as sort of the end of the chapter, I'd like to see it as making some positive in-roads and fixing it. Obviously the state of Star City and how it's always flirting with danger is one of the mechanisms of our show, but it would be nice to put one in the win column." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Felicity Smoak AKA Overwatch -- On 2 truths and lie about Felicity in S5, MG: "1) She’s dating someone who isn’t Oliver 2) She’s going to deal with someone who’s family died in Havenrock 3) She’s going to become the next Black Canary." (Oct. 10, 2016 MG tumblr post, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On how the guilt from the destruction of Havenrock is going to affect Felicity moving forward, MG: "Guilt is one thing, but it’s hard to dramatize, so what we’ve chosen to do is to personalize it. The notion of Havenrock becomes a very concrete, personal story for Felicity that is different from her just moping around or feeling bad for herself. We have come up with a way to put a face to that tragedy, and it’s a face that Felicity will have to confront head-on." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- Felicity will be feeling some guilt about Havenrock, which she’s reminded of on a daily basis every time she faces Ragman. On whether she'll tell him of her role in his city’s destruction, MG: "We talked a lot about that storyline, and Rory’s point of view and Felicity’s point of view... It was fun to actually get a chance to articulate the anti-Felicity point of the view and the pro-Felicity point of view. It made for a very interesting moral dilemma, and we got a chance to play with that.” (Oct. 19, 2016 Yahoo article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On how Rory will react to finding out that Felicity is responsible for what happened in Havenrock, MG: "I feel like he’s got a very human reaction. He reacts to it the way I think you might expect him to, but not in an overblown way. I think it’s very grounded and very human. We talked a lot about that storyline, and Rory’s point of view and Felicity’s point of view. I will say that a lot of times, you write something and you do a storyline and it has a very different reaction than the one you expected. I think we were all taken aback, not in a bad way but just surprised, that there was so much outrage over Felicity’s actions in Episode 421. People were upset at Felicity, somehow, for saving Monument Point, at the expense of Havenrock. It was fun to actually get a chance to articulate the anti-Felicity point of view, and the pro-Felicity point of view. It made for a very interesting moral dilemma, and we had a chance to play with that." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Felicity regrets her decision to stay, WM: "She’s very glad she stuck by Oliver and has stayed in the bunker, I think for her own purposes and also to make sure there is someone there to help him and keep him in check. Her biggest regret is Havenrock and living in this new reality where she guided a missile toward a city and killed 20,000 people. This is going to be the thing that takes her through the first half of the season." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Detective Billy Malone (Felicity's New Boyfriend) :( -- Detective Malone's first name is Billy. (Oct. 12, 2016 TVInsider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread, and Oct. 12, 2016 Arrow episode 502) -- On what kind of man can measure up to Ray and Oliver, WM: "That’s a really good question. I think we wanted to have a guy, straight shooter, honorable, kind of man of the people and someone that is completely different than Ray and Oliver. He’s not a superhero, doesn’t have any aspirations to be a superhero but in his own way, he is a hero. He loves her." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity's relationship with Detective Malone, MG: "My best comment on that is that you’re gonna want to read my forthcoming book, How to Piss Off the Entire Internet. (Laughs.) At the end of the day, I love our fans, we have incredible fans — they are so passionate and I love their passion. Even when they’re angry at us, it’s still passion and still engagement with the show, and that’s great. Where I tend to part ways with some fans is, I write for the kind of viewer I am, I suppose; when I watch TV, I just want to be entertained. I recognize with social media and everything, that’s not enough for some fans. Some fans - not all of them, but some - don’t want to be entertained, they want to have influence on their entertainment. I think for better or for worse, we don’t write for those fans. I think the fact that we did put Felicity in a relationship… we’re not idiots, we knew it probably wouldn’t go over well with a segment of the fandom, but that can’t be why we don’t do something." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Detective Malone, Tyler Ritter: "He's a detective in Star City, which is the roughest city in the world… he's seen some things!" (Oct. 5, 2016 CBS8 article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Per fan who claims to be friends with someone involved with Arrow: "Recently we had a long discussion where I shared some of my current frustrations. One of them is the Felicity BF situation. Not because I’m a shipper - I don’t feel like Olicity is threatened. That isn’t it. It’s that I see no story purpose for this guy. The wedge between Olicity doesn’t need to come in the form of another man. I’d like Felicity’s story to be about her. But anyways, I digress. I had this discussion with my friend. And I feel a lot better after having it. ... I now sort of understand the purpose. I don’t agree, but I get it. I also am confident that this story (including the BF) is going to get more interesting. It (meaning Felicity’s new relationship) definitely isn’t going to last very long. Of these points I am certain. I know I said I don’t have inside story info…but this time…I kinda do? Like I said, I haven’t completely changed my mind and I’m still a bit tentative, but I do know there’s good stuff coming; interesting stuff that moves the story forward in a way I feel really good about, and I think many others in fandom will feel good about, too. And that makes me feel better." (fanmommer tumblr post in jbuffyangel article, page 1179 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- MG: "It’s the classic thing of no secrets stay a secret forever on Arrow... I’m not going to spoil when Felicity’s boyfriend finds out that Felicity is working with Arrow." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) John Diggle AKA Spartan -- From EW Radio interview with MG, fan tweeted that Diggle's storyline will carry through to 512. (Oct. 13, 2016 StilettoRoyalty tweet, page 185 of Starling City Times thread) -- EW Radio tweets from interview with MG: "'Things don't work out for Diggle either'" and "The Diggle storyline is going to carry througout most of the season and in to the crossover." (Oct. 13, 2016 EWlive tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "Dig went back to the military to regain what he thinks he lost, which he thinks is his moral center after killing his brother in Season 4. He looks at the military as his home base — it’s where he cut his teeth as a soldier and, in his mind, everything is very black-and-white where if you kill someone, it’s an order and there is no moral dilemma, at least in Dig’s mind. When he goes back, he finds everything is not as simple and straightforward as that." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Diggle gets some cool badass moments in the first few episodes back, WM: "Yeah, Dig is a badass. When he decides to come back to Star City he’s going to have a cool interest." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "And yeah, Flashpoint will have an impact on him, especially in respect to his family life." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Lyla Michaels AKA Harbinger -- On how Diggle's marriage is doing, WM: "[Laughs] I think that in season four, we really explored how would Lyla react to this news that Dig killed his brother. At the end of the day, Lyla is a soldier and Dig is a soldier and I think that is going to keep their relationship on solid ground for a long time to come." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Lyla (AMA) will appear in 504. (504 episode synopsis in SpoilerTV article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Sara Diggle :( -- Flash 302: We learn that Barry's time travel actions (Flashpoint) have permanently changed Diggle's child from a daughter, Baby Sara, to a son, Baby John. (Oct. 11, 2016 The Flash episode 302) -- On whether we'll see Diggle and Lyla’s reaction to The Flash’s actions having turned their daughter into a son, MG: "I always say that, on Arrow, there is no secret that doesn’t eventually get discovered." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On how Diggle will react to Flashpoint changing his daughter to a son, DR: "Much more compassionately than you might think... Diggle can't miss anything he's never had and 'Flashpoint' changes history -- it changes his history directly -- so he never can really miss Baby Sara anymore, becuase he never had her, but he is concerned about Barry. Barry's actions were reckless, and with all that power, being reckless -- to someone as disciplined as Diggle -- comes as a shock." (Oct. 24, 2016 ComicBook article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) John Diggle, Jr., AKA Connor Hawke -- Flash 302: We learn that Barry's time travel actions (Flashpoint) have permanently changed Diggle's child from a daughter, Baby Sara, to a son, Baby John. (Oct. 11, 2016 The Flash episode 302) Thea Queen AKA Speedy -- WM: "One of the things we’re really excited about Thea is that she has struggled as much as Oliver to leave her family’s legacy behind. In season five she’s going to be figuring out she’s a lot more like her mother than she ever thought." (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific -- Per MG, the costume worn by Curtis in 503 is not his "final costume." MG: "We decided to give some of the recruits what we call proto costumes. They have to earn the final one. In terms of all of these characters becoming or being vigilantes, Curtis has the furthest to go. The evolution of Curtis, from comic relief and sidekick to butt-kicking superhero, is a big throw, in my opinion. The only way to do it properly is to watch him try, and then watch him fail, and watch him fail, and watch him fail. So, it’s going to be a real struggle for him, as we go through the fifth season." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On how Paul is not aware of what his husband Curtis is doing and if we'll see that story unfold, MG: "Yes, absolutely! We’re definitely going to be telling that story. I’m not going to tell you when." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "[W]e knew going into this season that we were going to have Curtis start transitioning into Mister Terrific, but we also knew that that's a very, very big turn for him because he's the one who's got the least experience fighting people... Even Laurel … it was always sort of said that Laurel had taken self defense classes. Curtis is an Olympic-caliber athlete, and that's all well and good, and certainly makes him more suited to do this than say I am, but it's still a tall order and that's something that we've always wanted to acknowledge in the storytelling. You should definitely anticipate poor Curtis taking his share of licks because he's got a long road ahead of him." (Oct. 12, 2016 AccessHollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "And with Curtis, he’s got the longest road to go — he’s not vigilante material. He’s got the Olympian background but he probably still has the most to learn and the furthest to go in terms of being a vigilante, and we’re going to try and honor the reality of that as much as we can in a superhero show." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- EK: “He’s definitely going to become Mister Terrific this season... I can’t wait for people to see it and I can’t wait to see how he grows within that. It’s going to be a fun journey for all the fans who are watching. ... It’s him not wanting to be the victim that really inspires him." Also EK: "Going through all the things he went through last year got his brain moving on what he wants to be doing with the rest of his life. Anyone would be rethinking life having gone through nuclear annihilation. So that accompanied with not wanting to feel helpless out on those streets of Star City is what pumps him up to want to get into the field and protect others and make sure he can protect his friends, family, and himself. ... There are going to be some challenges, for sure... Like Oliver [Stephen Amell] says, he’s the person who has probably been out in the field the least, who has the least amount of training. You’re going to see that come through. He’s going to have some growing pains, but the thing about Curtis and his alter ego is that you will see his determination. He’s determined to get there, he’s determined to be that badass hero that saves lives and helps humanity and the city. ... It’s played smart, though. I like the fact that it’s not he just puts on a suit and all of a sudden he’s kicking everyone’s ass. That’s not who he was, and he’s definitely going to have to build to get there. And he will. ... Curtis’ husband is definitely going to have some trepidation about what’s going on. It’s going to cause some ups and downs between them, in terms of your husband being out late nights and wondering what’s going on. But I think they’re strong enough that they can fight through that and have each other’s backs.” (Oct. 5, 2016 Nerdist article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Evelyn Sharp AKA Artemis -- MG: "Evelyn is such an interesting character because, A: we’ve got the history that comes from her involvement in [episode] 419 but also the fact that there’s a lot about her background that we don’t know. There’s an interesting mystery that is present in her character." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- On how much they're drawing from previous iterations of Artemis in the comics or cartoons in helping to flesh out Evelyn's character, MG: "We’re trying to take some inspiration from Artemis’ look for her costume. It’s tricky because we decided we wanted to go with Evelyn as opposed to a brand new character for Artemis, but we’ve established this character as Evelyn, not as Artemis, last year, so we’ve got to be careful in terms of not violating anything we’ve established for the character before." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Oct. 23, 2016, MMcL tweeted: "With my girl Tally, Artemis' double, and our @JamesBamford. Bambam, this show, Artemis and my life are all better for knowing you." Also on Oct. 20, 2016, her stunt double, Tally Rodin, tweeted pic of herself suited up as Artemis with comment: "Yesterday Artemis was unleashed! Absolutely love doubling @madisonmclaugh as Evelyn Sharp/Artemis on Arrow ?? Last night was Season 5 Episode 3. Shout outs to an amazing team that really helps me grow and makes me feel like family." (MadisonMcLaugh tweet and tally instagram post, page 491 of Social Media thread) Rene Ramirez AKA Wild Dog -- MG: "Wild Dog is a very different challenge. It's a challenge of just getting this guy to listen to him and follow anything resembling an order and that's going to be tricky... I will say, it's been a great deal of fun sort of watching Oliver interact with someone who does not follow orders at all. That's a real issue for Oliver as one might imagine... His patience is tried in Season 5 with Wild Dog... It's a real challenge." (Oct. 12, 2016 AccessHollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "Certainly I think writing for Rick Gonzalez’s character Rene has been a lot of fun, because he’s such a loose cannon. He could give a f*ck about Oliver. He doesn’t listen, he doesn’t take orders well, and we know from four years of experience how Oliver reacts to something like that." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per RG, Wild Dog's relationshp with Oliver will continue to be a rocky one even once he joins Team Arrow. Wild Dog isn't exactly comfortable with authority. (Oct. 10, 2016 ComicBook article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- RG: “He definitely is the lone wolf and wants to continue to be... You’ll see in Wild Dog’s mind he wants to take the information and skill training and run. ... Do I want to give [Oliver] my respect? Probably not... I think everyone has to earn Wild Dog’s respect.” Also, RG teased that Wild Dog may look at Artemis (Madison McLaughlin) along the lines of a little sister; however, Curtis is a very different story. RG: “He’s just a goofball to [Wild Dog]... He doesn’t respect him.” (Oct. 12, 2016 ScreenerTV article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- RG: "[He] will definitely have more of a connection with John Diggle... We’ve seen John Diggle become the person who is the voice of reason, the straight shooter everyone has to respect because his reasoning and his truth resonates. ... Wild Dog is someone who’s ex-military, who’s been through a lot. We’re picking up somebody who has a wealth of pain in his life but still wants to do the right thing... But I don’t think he’s mentally in a place to know how to do the right thing.” (Oct. 12, 2016 ScreenerTV article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Wild Dog wants to return the favor or quit when he gets his ass kicked by GA, RG: "Wild Dog definitely wants to return the favor. With Green Arrow, everything is black and white for him. There’s no denying the abilities of Green Arrow and everything that he’s accomplished. In the world of Star City, especially among the vigilantes out there, people know the abilities of Green Arrow, what he’s been able to save the city from, and the type of power that he possesses. There’s no denying that. That’s something that Wild Dog definitely takes into consideration. Green Arrow is somebody who’s formidable, and he’s probably one of the most formidable people on the planet. Of course, that’s knowledge, experience and a skill set that Wild Dog would like to absorb from him. But, does he like him and respect him? Not really. There’s not many people that Wild Dog respects. That’s the journey of Wild Dog, in terms of wanting to be somebody you can get along with. Him breaking down those walls inside of himself is what we’ll hopefully get to see this season." (Oct. 12, 2016 Collider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On defying GA and going after Cody Rhodes' drug dealer character on his own, RG: "It was not intimidating for Wild Dog, at all. I think Wild Dog looks forward to that. That was so much fun. Working with Cody was awesome! He killed his part. He came in as a pro, knew what he was doing, and new how he wanted to do it. He just had a certain swag and energy about what he wanted to do with his character. I certainly appreciated it, and I know that Stephen and the rest of the crew did, as well. I think it’s awesome that you’ll get to see Wild Dog go up against that type of strength. That’s going to be pretty fun. I think that also speaks to who Wild Dog is, the type of abilities that he has, his skill set, his mental strength, who he deems himself to be, and how strong he thinks he is. I can’t wait for people to see that episode. It’s going to be so much fun." (Oct. 12, 2016 Collider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- RG: "Wild Dog is not the easiest person to get along with. He definitely wants to create discord. He’s a pessimist and he’s stubborn, with a brooding, ominous energy. Ultimately, he does want to help people and do the right thing, he just feels he can do it in his own way. Being a part of this crew is fun, but at the same time, Wild Dog likes to do his own thing and create havoc. I’m not going to lie, that’s fun to play." (Oct. 12, 2016 Collider article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether we are going to see anything about Wild Dog’s background as we move forward, RG: "Yes, I think we will. I think, in terms of the relationships that he makes — in terms of the way he interacts with people on the show — we’ll start to get a glimpse into who he is, what he’s been through, and we’ll slowly start to let those layers peel back. Ultimately, we’re going to show the discord he naturally creates with everyone because of the way he thinks and the choices that he… makes, in terms of his relationships and decisions that he makes on the field. We’ll start to see who he really is and what makes him tick." (Oct. 19, 2016 CBR article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Wild Dog gets along with the other new recruits, RG: "No. Wild Dog doesn’t really get along with anyone. That’s just not his thing. He struggles to really get along with anyone. As far as the recruits go, if anything, Madison McLaughlin’s character Artemis — she feels more like a little sister to him, someone who’s still really green about everything. Wild Dog is someone who has some sort of background in military, somebody who has his own skill set, is formidable in his own right — obviously not at the level of Green Arrow — but he’s been through a lot, he has his own experiences, and so he walks into the group feeling that, knowing that there’s stuff that I bring to the table that you guys have never ever seen or understood, so there’s no real respect for the rest of the crew. He could not have respect for Curtis Holt, Echo Kellum’s character, because he knows that he’s so green. He’s learning everything! Even the respect he has for Green Arrow is not really that deep. I think he’s a very black-and-white person; he gives respect where it’s due, like, “You are the Green Arrow. You got rid of Damien Darhk. You have the skill set. I want to learn it from you and I want to move on.” And I think that‘s the discord that he’s going to create in the group. With someone like Curtis Holt, that’s a goofball to him! That’s not somebody who he can respect. This will all be unfolding this season. People will see that happen fairly quickly." (Oct. 19, 2016 CBR article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- Per RG, Wild Dog will be in the 4-show crossover event. His character is not impressed with the world of superheroics that joining Team Arrow will bring him into, and he has serious problems with the super-powered types he'll have to fight alongside during the four-shot Invasion! crossover. RG: "I can’t speak on that, but what I can say is that Wild Dog will be in the crossover, and he has a huge dislike for metahumans... So we’ll definitely see him not exactly rub well with The Flash and Supergirl and that’s just another glimpse into his psyche and his ideas and thinking about the world and the idea that there are people out there who have these sort of powers and who they are. Instead of saying ’Wow, these people can do these things,’ he says, ‘no, I don’t like you because this is what you bring to the table. This is what you represent to me.’” (Oct. 10, 2016 ComicBook article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 10, 2016, RG posted pic of Wild Dog mask and Flash mask with comment: "Just gonna leave this here. #ArrowSeason5 #TheFlash #WildDog." (officialrickg tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Rory Regan AKA Ragman -- Felicity will be feeling some guilt about Havenrock, which she’s reminded of on a daily basis every time she faces Ragman. On whether she'll tell him of her role in his city’s destruction, MG: "We talked a lot about that storyline, and Rory’s point of view and Felicity’s point of view... It was fun to actually get a chance to articulate the anti-Felicity point of the view and the pro-Felicity point of view. It made for a very interesting moral dilemma, and we got a chance to play with that.” (Oct. 19, 2016 Yahoo article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On how Rory will react to finding out that Felicity is responsible for what happened in Havenrock, MG: "I feel like he’s got a very human reaction. He reacts to it the way I think you might expect him to, but not in an overblown way. I think it’s very grounded and very human. We talked a lot about that storyline, and Rory’s point of view and Felicity’s point of view. I will say that a lot of times, you write something and you do a storyline and it has a very different reaction than the one you expected. I think we were all taken aback, not in a bad way but just surprised, that there was so much outrage over Felicity’s actions in Episode 421. People were upset at Felicity, somehow, for saving Monument Point, at the expense of Havenrock. It was fun to actually get a chance to articulate the anti-Felicity point of view, and the pro-Felicity point of view. It made for a very interesting moral dilemma, and we had a chance to play with that." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Rory's reaction to Felicity's confession, Joe Dinicol: “I will say his reaction is fairly unexpected. I think it’s very interesting how he reacts. It’s very specific. It’s a real window into the kind of guy he is. ... Even from him walking away when she told him… he’s a very thoughtful guy, very introspective; he doesn’t take things very lightly, sometimes in a good way, sometimes a bad way... When it comes to this, I don’t think his reactions are ever knee-jerk. He weighs things very carefully. He will certainly do that with this, and then what side he comes down on, we’ll see. ... After his family was killed, he’s at a point of reckoning. Like I said, things weigh on him, and… he wants to live honorably in the eyes of his father, and he doesn’t quite know how to do that... At first, he goes after the people that were sort of responsible in a sort of haphazard way; I think what Oliver does is offer him a way out of this, or a way through it, and that — and also Felicity telling him that she’s a part of it — he’s really being faced with the decision of how he’s going to move forward, of how he’s going to move through this stuff. He’s got a lot of tragedy, a lot of devastation to work through. I think he knows that he can’t do it by flying off the handle. I think he knows he needs people; he needs a family… This team is offering him something that I think he desperately needs.” (Oct. 26, 2016 CBR article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) Frank Pike -- Lt. Pike (Adrian Holmes) is now Captain of the SCPD. (Arrow 501) Prometheus -- On when Prometheus will become more of a threat to Oliver and the team, MG: "Episode 506 is when things really start to kick into a higher gear. It’s a 23 episode season. This is true for all the shows, especially when you have a big bad that’s introduced in the first episode, but you have to strike a balance between it becoming the Prometheus show and becoming very repetitive, and teasing it out. Episode 506 felt right to us because 505 felt like the end of a chapter, and then 506 kicks things into another gear." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On what makes Prometheus different from the foes Oliver has faced so far, MG: "It’s a little hard to answer without revealing too much about Prometheus, so I’ll have to be a touch vague, but we couldn’t have done this character in Seasons 1-4. We kind of had to wait ’til Season 5 in order to do this character, so that alone makes the character very different. Yes, he uses a bow and arrow, but as we start to see in future episodes - and he already used three different weapons in 301 alone - he’s busy; he’s not just an archer, he’s got so many other tricks up his sleeve. They’re not magic tricks like Damien Darhk, but the character’s backstory and his raison d’etre and mission statement are all things that could only be done in Season 5." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- On whether Prometheus is something that we're going to learn who he is later on, kind of like they did on 'The Flash' in Season 2, you find out later on and it's a bunch of people it could be, and whether it's mystery they're hoping to do, WM: "Our goal is definitely to keep you guessing, for sure." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "Prometheus is a villain that is a byproduct of Oliver Queen being Green Arrow. That's something that you get to do once you're five years into a show. In a lot of ways, I think the most success that we've had with a villain, in my mind, was with Manu Bennett as Deathstroke. One of the reasons is because we got to tell a really personal story. We got to tell the story, sort of the dueling time of their time on the island and then their time in the Starling City at the time. Because Prometheus is a villain of Oliver's creation, so to speak, I feel like it will bring in that personal element as well." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Oliver finds out from the beginning that it's personal with Prometheus, or whether that's something where he realizes slowly over the course of the season why and how it's personal, SA: "The reason that Prometheus is doing what he's doing is something that plays out definitely over the first... I'd say during our fall run. I'd say by episode 9 we'll have a pretty good idea of what's going on." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Per papp, Prometheus is not Tommy Merlyn. The actor has already been cast for Prometheus. (Oct. 5 & 6, 2016 y2john imdb posts quoted in Lily-n11 post, page 1188 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Adrian Chase -- On DA Adrian Chase's story and whether we'll see him in costume, MG: "Episode 507 is where we show our cards the most, in terms of Adrian. What’s fun about the way we’re writing and portraying Adrian is that we’re writing with the knowledge has a certain amount of comic book knowledge. And if you’re not a comic book fan, it will just fly over your head and that’s totally fine. It’s like an adult joke in a Pixar movie. But if you are familiar with the comic, you’ll probably interpret certain scenes in a very specific way, and that’s fun for us. I don’t think we’ve ever really used their comic book trajectory and destiny, in this fashion, before, as part of the storytelling." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) Tobias Church -- MG: "I think Chad is terrific and that's a fun character to write for. I think one of the things that makes Church a compelling villain is he's not just about taking down the Green Arrow... He's got a much sort of larger agenda in play. He's got bigger sights than just the Green Arrow. He's got other plans. ... We sort of laid in a few hints to it in [episode] 501. I would say that his plans are not exactly global. It's not world domination, but there's a reason he came to Star City and that reason does expand beyond the boundaries of Star City, and you'll have to keep watching to see what the holy heck it is I'm talking about." (Oct. 12, 2016 AccessHollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "He has a very simple drive. He’s a gangster, he’s a drug dealer and he wants to make Star City his newest playground. It’s very straightforward and again, an homage to the types of villains we saw in Season 1." (Oct. 5, 2016 Variety article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "He is one of our big bads and he's just a super badass. I mean, Chad is fantastic. He's a tremendous actor and … he took this role and ran with it and we've been really excited. The cuts have been coming in very strong and his performance is especially notable. We needed him to be scary and formidable and to provide some serious, you know, deliver some beat downs to the Green Arrow and he delivered." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On what chip on his shoulder does Tobias Church have against the Green Arrow, WM: "His problem is very practical. He has a very specific goal of coming in and taking over Star City as a criminal and the Green Arrow is the one thing standing in his way." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Konstantin Kovar -- Kovar's full name is Konstantin Kovar. (Name spoken by Oliver in Oct. 5, 2016 Arrow episode 501) -- WM: "There are a couple of things. First we cast Dolph Lundgren, which is very exciting. He's going to be part of the Russian flashbacks and he's just a total badass. It's a fun piece of casting and watching kind of he and Stephen go toe-to-toe is going to be very entertaining. But really, I think the thing we're most excited about is going back to Russia and seeing how Oliver became a Bratva captain, how he got that tattoo and seeing what was it that happened there that brought him to the place where we saw him in the pilot where's basically this soldier, who's completely destroyed, has PTSD and wants to sleep on the floor. How did he get to that place? And it's a very gritty, dark underworld with the Bratva. We're really going to try and make it as real and 'grounded' is the word we keep using, but it's really true. We want to make it feel very 'Eastern Promises' -- as gritty as real as the Bratva, actually is. Hopefully the audience loves it. We're very excited about it." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Kovar (Dolph Lundgren) will appear in three episodes. (Oct. 5, 2016 SlashFilm article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Kovar, MG: “You’ll meet him in episode 6... His first day of dailies were so strong that we figured out a way to expand his involvement, not in a huge way but slightly beyond the original three episodes that we had initially contracted him for... We knew we were going to have this character, and originally he was only going to be in three episodes... So we thought, if it’s only for three episodes, maybe we can spend some money and stunt cast. I hate using that phrase, but when you are going to get someone for a limited period of time, it opens you up to a wider variety of actors since you’re not asking them for a long-term commitment. Brian Ford Sullivan, one of the writers, threw out Dolph’s name. I was like, ‘That’s never going to happen, but yeah, sure. Why not try?'” Also MG: "By virtue of this character and the way we’re writing him and the way Dolph is performing him, he’s a wonderful mix in a way that we often haven’t had on the show in that his character is very erudite, but at the same time, he’s Dolph Lundgren so he’s very physically imposing... That’s a combination that we haven’t always had on the show.” (Oct. 12, 2016 Nerdist article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) Susan Williams -- Per her IMDB page, Carly Pope is in 503, 505, 506 and 507. (Sunshine post, page 1166 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Fan's tumblr post purported to have inside source that revealed that after Oliver finds out about Felicity's new boyfriend (in 505?), he has a one-night hookup with the female reporter played by Carly Pope, but immediately regrets it. Same source also said that female reporter leaves show by 507. (CleanQueen and dtissagirl posts, page 1180 of Spoiler Discussion thread, and wonderwall post, page 1181 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Derek Sampson -- The villainous Derek Sampson (Cody Rhodes) is a drug dealer pushing a strange narcotic called “stardust,” which is named after the wrestler’s WWE alter ego. (Oct. 17, 2016 CBR article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether his Derek Sampson character is someone we can hope to expect see pop up on other DC shared-universe shows, Cody Rhodes: "I think hope is a great word. I don't want to give any spoilers away. The episode is one of those where when you watch it -- and I hope everyone watches this episode, I'm so proud of it -- and I think when you watch it you'll have you answer. And I think it's a pretty positive answer. The episode is rooted a lot on team building, as Oliver continues to build up his new team. But other things are also getting built. So there's more than a shred of hope, there's a lot of hope." (Oct. 18, 2016 IGN article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On who is Derek Sampson and why is he terrorizing Star City, at this point in time, Cody Rhodes: "Derek Sampson is a drug dealer. Star City finds itself with a lot of escalation in crime. All of these heroic elements in Star City, and everything the Green Arrow has done, brings out the worst in folks. I think about Vertigo and how that hit the streets, and then this situation where the drug Stardust, that Derek Sampson is pedaling, has hit the streets. I know a lot of people are aware that this season is back to the streets and we’re lifting the veil on who’s out there on the streets, and Derek Sampson is one of those individuals. How Derek Sampson begins the episode versus how we end the episode is really cool. He’s imbued with an ability. It’s almost an origin story, but a small one." Also on wanting to have some sort of ability on a superhero show, Cody Rhodes: "Yeah, you really do! Without getting too ahead of myself, I will say that it’s not the best ability. If you’re a foolhardy, braggadocios male figure who wants to charge forward in every fight, it has its pros and its cons, that’s for sure." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On what Derek Sampson thinks of Oliver Queen, Cody Rhodes: "As far as the character [Stephen Amell] plays, Derek Sampson and him are the last two people who would ever have a drink together. Oliver Queen is very entitled and privileged, and he’s the worst type of silver spoon because he actually worked hard, in terms of when he was on the island and with the training. He’s earned it. So, this drug dealer just hates Major Queen." (Oct. 19, 2016 Collider article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On what the deal is with Derek Sampson's face, Cody Rhodes: "There’s the face and body. That’s kind of a trial by fire for a first-time actor, to go through four-and-a-half hours of makeup. I can’t imagine how [wrestler and “Guardians of the Galaxy” star] Dave Bautista feels when I look at what he’s done as Drax. You’ll see in the episode that, obviously, something goes wrong. Sampson starts off as a second-rate drug dealer and ends this episode in a much different, and much scarier, mindset and attitude. He’s endowed with an ability that, for a foolhardy, drug-dealing male, may be the worst ability to give them." (Oct. 19, 2016 ComicBookResources article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) "Tina" :( -- Casting call is for the Recurring Guest Star with Series Regular Option: Role of "TINA" in 511. (CastItTalent webpage in dtissagirl post, page 1163 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- In September 2016, Rapaport Baldasare Casting announced a video casting call for a principal, recurring guest star role in 511, with series regular option, and started accepting self-taped, video auditions, worldwide it seems for an actress, 20s-30s, to fill the role. (Oct. 1, 2016 Auditionsfree article, page 46 of Spoilers thread -- Arrow 511 "Tina" audition videos by Veronica Narang, Martell Elliott, Juliana Scaminaci, Luna Tieu, Katherine Caruso and Laris posted. (Sep. 22, 27, 29, Oct. 3, 2016 "Tina" audition videos, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- Candy Washington might have been cast for the "Tina" role. (Oct. 11, 2016 Cleanqueen posts, page 1172 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Ellen Hollman might have been cast for the "Tina" role. (Oct. 11, 2016 dtissagirl post, page 1172 of Spoiler Discussion thread) New Black Canary :( -- On how much Oliver's vow to Laurel to find a new Black Canary is going to be weighing on his mind this season, MG: "Forefront in his mind is this notion of recruiting this new team, and as the season progresses, eventually it will turn Oliver’s attention towards the specificity of that promise of a new Black Canary, and we’ll have to see what happens." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) Return of Laurel Lance -- On Laurel's appearance in the S5 premiere, WM: "She's in the first one. I can't tell you how, but it's a fun – her reasons for being there are very emotional. I think it's definitely a moment of sadness. ... I'm not going to commit. I'm going to let you see it and find out what happens, but I'll tell that it has a huge impact on Oliver's decisions and will resonate throughout the season. You can't lose someone like Black Canary and not have it have a dramatic impact on everybody for many, many episodes to come." (Oct. 5, 2015 Access Hollywood article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "Well, we find out something very interesting about Black Canary and that character and the idea of Black Canary in our premiere. And then it feels -- again, this term has been used too much -- but it feels like we are as a show focusing on the things that we do well." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 5, 2016, papp tweeted that Laurel is dead, that we'll only see her as a flashback or evil E2 version, and that she won't be back in her current BC form. (Canadagraphs tweets, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- On how they will use WMiller, JBarrowman and KC, MG: "On 'Legends of Tomorrow' Wentworth and John will be members of the Legion of Doom. Katie is a far more interesting question because we actually have a story for Katie on 'Legends of Tomorrow' that I am super excited about. It could be the thing I’m most excited about. But it’s early, and we’re not ready to spoil what that’s going to be. I think it could be really, really awesome." (Oct. 11, 2016 IMDB article, page 206 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On what he can tease about KC's return, MG: "I will say it’s really been wonderful watching her in dailies again. I’m excited about our plans, but midseason is so far off, I have to be particularly stingy in terms of details." (Oct. 12, 2016 Mashable article, page 184 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Laurel's return: WM: “I can tease that she’s coming back... We’re really excited to have her, and it’s absolutely going to be a surprising, cool way that we bring her back." SA: “We find her in a very unexpected spot at a very, very retrospectively expected time." Per MMcL, Evelyn’s reaction to the Canary would probably be similar to her own response when she first met Katie Cassidy, saying: “Probably a bit star struck… they’re big shoes to fill... Meeting Katie, she was the sweetest; she totally embraced me and really welcomed me, and I have a feeling it would be a really similar encounter with Evelyn and the Black Canary.” GB revealed that we’ll be seeing Laurel in several alternate ways, saying: “She gets to play a couple of different things this year. She’s not just playing a character this year. She’s a couple of different things." On whether Black Siren is still on the table, GB nodded that yes, she is. (Oct. 25, 2016 GATV article, page 1191 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Other Possible Returns or Debuts -- On what restrictions, if any, the show has for using Suicide Squad characters, MG: "It's always a case by case thing, so I never like talking about like, ‘Oh, this is what we can do going into the future.’ I don't know what the future holds because I haven't approached that case by case situation." (Oct. 19, 2016 IGN article, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- As of Oct. 17, 2016, SA said that he didn't know if Constantine or Roy Harper would be returning. (SA facebook video, page 484 of Social Media thread)

Jervis: "The woman you love is going to die. I just need to figure out which one it is." Jervis: "I'm determined that you'll live on and suffer without your love as I have. Choose." Jim: "No. I won't choose." Jervis: "You will. You will. You'll certainly spill. I'll make it easy for you. On the count of three, instead of telling me who you love, tell me who to kill. Or I shoot them both of them, which would be such a thrill."

I think it looks like EBR...

This pic was posted on SA's facebook page yesterday, but we don't know on what date it was taken (it could've been taken during the crossover filming)...

I thought that Jim was trying to save Lee by misdirecting Mad Hatter and that the show wanted Lee to think that he was trying to save Val, so as to set up another roadblock to any reconciliation between Jim and Lee. Jim knew that Mad Hatter wanted to kill the woman he loved, so he guessed that Mad Hatter was trying to trick him into revealing who he really loved by forcing him to reveal who he wanted to save. So by telling Mad Hatter to kill Lee, he would (in Mad Hatter's mind) be revealing that he loved Val more. If I'm wrong, then the show did a terrible job of showing Jim as having any feelings for Val beyond being a convenient sex partner and Val as having any feelings for Jim beyond being a source of information. At the same time, I've been under the impression that Jim and Lee still have feelings for each other. The only drawback I see of Jim telling Mad Hatter that Barbara was his one true love is that Mad Hatter might've then just shot both Val and Lee out of anger (I mean, the guy's crazy), and then gone after Barbara. I happen to like Jim Gordon, but I'm tired of the trope of forcing the hero to decide between saving two women (or between saving the woman he loves and a good DA, train/bus of people, etc.).

Here's the 2014 BuzzFeed article that's mentioned in the above 2016 Bustle article... How "Arrow" Finally Got Superhero Television Right Oct. 8, 2014 Kate Aurthur https://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/how-arrow-finally-got-superhero-television-right?utm_term=.luYdpx3vD#.pvg7yWEXA

Felicity Smoak Is The Real Hero Of 'Arrow' & Shouldn't Be Pushed Aside By CAITLYN CALLEGARI Oct 9, 2016 https://www.bustle.com/articles/188578-felicity-smoak-is-the-real-hero-of-arrow-shouldnt-be-pushed-aside 1. Oliver Needs Her, And He's Said As Much 2. The Flash Needs Her, Too, And He Isn't Even On Her Show 3. She's A Constant Source Of Inspiration 4. She Defeated The Biggest Bad Arrow Has Seen To Date 5. She Was The One Who Wanted To Return To The Vigilante Life To Help Thea, Laurel, And Star City 6. She Isn't Afraid To Lay Down The Law 7. Or Make Executive Decisions 8. And She Goes Toe To Toe With The Green Arrow Without Flinching 9. She Has Something Even Oliver Doesn't Have: A Superpower 10. She Does Things Every Episode That Scare Her 11. She's The Reason Oliver Beat The Defeated Damien Dahrk Once And For All

Previews of this week's Gotham, Arrow and LoT episodes... Arrow Turns Criminal + Penguin Loves Riddler? Published on Oct 24, 2016, by DC Entertainment

Here's some cute pics...

Madison McLaughlin's stunt double is a woman named Tally...

Don't think this pic was posted yet...

Some Green Arrow #9 reviews... GREEN ARROW #9 REVIEW David Brooke OCTOBER 19, 2016 http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2016/10/19/green-arrow-9-review/ Review: GREEN ARROW #9 Aaron Long October 19, 2016 http://www.comicosity.com/review-green-arrow-9/ GREEN ARROW #9 Review: Opposites Attract Brad Sloan Posted: 5 days ago https://comicsverse.com/green-arrow-9-review-opposites-attract/ Exclusive Preview: GREEN ARROW #9 by Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero on October 14, 2016 http://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/exclusive-preview-green-arrow-9/1100-156127/

From MG's Collider interview (posted on page 47 of Spoilers thread): Since 505 is supposed to be the big Olicity episode, doesn't this MG comment about 505 being like the "end of a chapter" just sound like another ominous hint about the end of Olicity? I mean, what else could they be closing a chapter on after five episodes?

Also, at the end of 501, there was this Oliver/Diggle conversation, which implied that Oliver & Felicity did have a past romantic relationship of some kind... Oliver (via skype): "Felicity thinks that it's time we put together a new team." Diggle (via skype): "And you want to know if I think that's a good idea?" Oliver (via skype): "I do." Diggle (via skype): "I think it is. It wasn't exactly the response you were looking for, right?" Oliver (via skype): "No. No. But I'm not surprised. I need to make peace with the fact that things aren't going to go back to the way they were." Diggle (via skype): "So does that include you and Felicity?" Oliver (via skype): "I don't know."

Not just difficult, but potentially dangerous to Felicity. Ragman first entered the show as someone who was killing people (Amertek execs) he considered responsible for the destruction of his hometown and death of his family. So did Oliver ever stop to consider that Rory would inevitably find out about Felicity's role in nuking Havenrock and maybe go after her life? Also, Felicity only knew that Rory was from Havenrock because she overheard his conversation with Oliver via comms, which means that Oliver never told her about Rory's origins. That shows an unacceptable level of thoughtlessness on Oliver's part for a woman he supposedly loves.

After reading all of the spoilers, I also will not be watching tonight. But I will be curious as to what the ratings turn out to be.

I have always been of the opinion that, if it were not for EBR/Felicity, Arrow would not have made it to 100 episodes. So, yes, it annoys me when Emily appears to have been shoved off to the side in those "cast" pics. From the 100th Episode party pics, you could never tell that DR and EBR were and are essential to the show.

Jessica Jones Season 2 to Feature All Female Directors Lauren Gallaway October 22, 2016 http://themarvelreport.com/2016/10/jessica-jones-season-2-to-feature-all-female-directors/

Remaining 2016 comic cons/events... EW PopFest, October 29-30, 2016 (Los Angeles, CA) Greg Berlanti and Stephen Amell (also Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist and Caity Lotz) - Sat., Oct. 29, at 1:15pm http://www.ewpopfest.com/ Alamo City Comic Con, October 28-30, 2016 (San Antonio, TX) John Barrowman and Summer Glau http://alamocitycomiccon.com/celebrity-guests/ Walker Stalker Con, October 28-30, 2016 (Atlanta, GA) Chad Coleman http://walkerstalkercon.com/atlanta/guests/ Fan Expo Vancouver, November 11-13, 2016 David Ramsey, Paul Blackthorne, John Barrowman, Neal McDonough and Alex Kingston (also Caity Lotz) http://fanexpovancouver.com/guests/ Rhode Island Comic Con, November 11-13, 2016 Katie Cassidy and Summer Glau (also Arthur Darvill, Falk Hentschel, Casper Crump and Mehcad Brooks) http://www.ricomiccon.com/guests Scripted, November 17-18, 2016 (New York, NY) Greg Berlanti - Keynote Conversation on Nov. 18 at 4:15pm http://scriptedsummit.com/2016/speakers/ Heroes & Villains FanFest-Atlanta, November 19-20, 2016 (Atlanta, GA) Stephen Amell, John Barrowman, Matt Ryan, David Ramsey, Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne, Charlotte Ross, Neal McDonough, Echo Kellum, Amy Gumenick, Bex Taylor-Klaus and Cody Rhodes (also Robbie Amell, Rick Cosnett, Teddy Sears and Carole Barrowman) http://heroesfanfest.com/atlanta/guests/ Walker Stalker Con, December 17-18, 2016 (Charlotte, NC) Chad Coleman http://walkerstalkercon.com/charlotte/guests/

Marc Guggenheim Reveals the Title Of Arrow's 100th Episode Russ Burlingame 10/23/2016 http://comicbook.com/2016/10/23/marc-guggenheim-reveals-the-title-of-arrows-100th-episode/

75 YEARS, 75 GREEN ARROWS The mask! The trick arrows! The facial hair! Green Arrow celebrates his 75th Anniversary this year and with a hit show on the air and a blockbuster new comic on the stands, he's never been more popular. Join us as we look back at the Emerald Archer through the years, as conveyed by many of his greatest artists. As tributes go, this one's on target! Published on Oct 21, 2016, by DC Entertainment

Stephen Amell - Good first step! First time back training in close to two months after crossoverpalooza. Good first step! Published on Oct 21, 2016, by Stephen-Amell™