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Geeks of Doom review of 423... TV Review: Arrow 4.23 “Schism” (Finale) By Olympus Athens | @ | May 27th, 2016 at 3:49 pm http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2016/05/27/tv-review-arrow-423-schism

Oliver (to Diggle) in 3x01: “Last girlfriend, she's in the League of Assassins. My girlfriend before that, she shot my girlfriend before that. I'm not - not exactly a catch at the moment.” Felicity (to herself): "First boyfriend, he was presumed dead but had just turned evil. Second boyfriend, he was presumed dead but had just shrunk. Last boyfriend, he was presumed dead twice but lied to me about his secret son - oh and he shoots people with arrows... On the plus side, he saves the city."

SA's Q&A with NY Daily News readers... ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ hero Stephen Amell dishes on his Canadian geek roots, Taylor Swift karaoke and pro-wrestling career in social media Q&A BY ETHAN SACKS Friday, May 27, 2016, 4:05 PM http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/tmnt-hero-stephen-amell-dishes-geek-roots-arrow-karaoke-article-1.2652490

More quotes from 423... Curtis (to Oliver): "No. I know that you're running out of time to get it back. Look. Living in Star City requires a special kind of tenacity. A sane person wouldn't live here. It's a fact that Paul likes to remind me of weekly. We were this close to leaving Star City last October. After three terrorist attacks, we were done, but then the night before we were going to start packing, the Green Arrow popped up on our TV, and he reminded me that this city is worth saving, that my home - that my home was worth fighting for. That guy gave me inspiration. He gave me hope. And if he could give me hope then, why can't he give it to others now?" Oliver (to Star City residents): "Stop! Please. I know what you're feeling right now. I'm feeling it, too, the sense of - of helplessness, of hopelessness. I don't know how we even begin to process what might happen to us right now, but there are a few things that I do know. I know that this city has been through tough times before, and we have pulled through. We survived the Undertaking. We survived the siege. We survived the outbreak, and somehow, someway, we will survive this. A friend of mine told me that living in Star City, it takes a special kind of tenacity, but we do live here, because this is our home. This is our home! It is our friend, our family, our lives, and we will not - we will not throw those precious gifts away by descending into chaos. We will look to each other for hope. We will cling to each other for strength, and if we do that, no matter what happens, then we can all stand here united." Felicity: "You're better than this, Cooper. You're stronger than this. You can still do the right thing. You can still be the man that I loved." Cooper: "I haven't been that guy in a long time." Felicity: "Remember what we wanted to do seven years ago in that cockroach-infested dorm room?" Cooper: "Save the world." Felicity: "Now's your chance." Oliver: "John, I have never done this without you. You're the one who keeps me in line." Diggle: "Oliver, I don't know if you've been watching lately, but it's been the other way around, man." Oliver: "No. (Sighs) It's Thea and John." Felicity: "Them leaving has to be a blow." Oliver: "And they're leaving because of their own personal darkness. I just can't help but think that maybe they were infected by mine." Felicity: "Maybe. Like you said, maybe you can't become a hero without succumbing to the darkness even a little bit. But you were able to defeat Darhk by giving the city its hope back." Oliver: "You're saying it's not black and white?" Felicity: "I'm saying that there is a man who killed Darhk in cold blood. And that same man stood on top of a car and gave the city its hope back. What you're feeling isn't darkness. It's a schism. You're at war with two sides of yourself." Oliver: "I didn't know you'd be here." Felicity: "You thought I was leaving, too? (He looks at her) Not a chance."

There had been a previous notice or tweet that the full SA interview with Larry King Now would be released on May 27, which is why I checked the site earlier today - but I only found those 5 clips this morning. However, I just checked again and there's a new, longer video posted (about 24 minutes long): Stephen Amell on Olicity, 'Arrow' fans, & Drake [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/stephen-amell-on-olicity-arrow-fans-drake LK: "By the way, we received over a thousand social media questions for you. That's a record for us. ... How do you explain this?" SA: "I don't know. I don't know. I've had a presence on social media since, uh, since we started with the show. And it's just become an incredibly popular and engaged audience. Loyal. Loyal, too." LK: "Why is Arrow so popular?" SA: "I don't know." LK: "It's a great comic book." SA: "It's a great comic book. I've gotten that question a lot with respect to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well. I don't know what the secret sauce is. I just know that ... when we originally came on the air, we were a counterpoint to a lot of the superhero shows that had been on TV. And we tried to go in a different direction, much like Nolan's Batman tried to take the superhero film in a different direction. And for whatever reason, the pilot popped - and here we are 92 episodes in." LK: "What does the future hold for Olicity?" SA: "Well, we did walk down the path. And we have since broken up." LK: "Laurel was killed off this year. Viewers couldn't hear her dying words. Do you know what they were?" SA: "I do know what they were, but it's going to remain a secret because, much like Greg said, we like to surprise the viewers." LK: "Any chance she'll come back from the dead?" SA: "No." LK: "Simply no?" SA: "Simply no." LK: "A Forbes contributor wrote recently that Arrow has 'jumped the shark' this season. The author claims - he writes that '[t]here's no resurrecting a show that has fallen so deeply in love with its own mistakes. It's kind of a twisted vanity that the writers and producers have stopped caring at all about making a vigilante show.'" SA: "I think that there are elements of the show that we could get back to the roots of the show a little bit. But, it's an interesting paradox because we started out as one show. When I was here last time, it was one show. Now we are three, maybe four, shows within the DC television universe and it's been Arrow's responsibility in large part - especially with The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow - to shepherd these shows into existence. Now they stand on their own and they do their own thing. But we have had to deviate a little bit from the basic elements of our formula. These are simply problems that exist because we've had an opportunity to do 92 episodes of television. Um, Greg always says - Greg Berlanti always says that people tend to vote with their remotes. And our ratings this year tend to be higher than season 1 and season 2." LK: "There's a flip side to the Arrow kind of fandom, in that it can go too far." SA: "I think there are sections of the fandom that take to liking another character by way of attacking - by liking a certain character by way of attacking another character. All that being said, I think that twitter largely is overblown. I'm not saying these people aren't passionate. I'm not saying their opinions shouldn't matter. But I do think their voices tend to be so loud that we think the crowd is much bigger than it actually is. I happen to think that it's much smaller. And I think most people still enjoy a show in the traditional way, which is to watch it and not to tweet constantly throughout it. But, that being said, you know, the internet can be a negative place. The reason I don't consider twitter to be a very viable social media platform is because there's no accountability, there's no requirement for anything but anonymity. And that's not to say that people can't have good opinions there, but I think - I think largely it's noise." LK: "What's your relationship with fans in real life?" SA: "Oh, couldn't be better. And that's why I don't take stuff like twitter that seriously. Because the people that I meet, if they're passionate about the show, in a positive or a negative way, they reason their position out to me in a very relaxed, calm way that's much longer than 140 characters. And then we can talk about it... I think ultimately that having passion one way or the other about a show is important." LK: "@CalliG1695 via twitter. 'Did you expect that Oliver and Felicity would become one of the most popular couples on television?'" SA: "Never in a million years." LK: "@AlwaysBett via twitter. 'How has your relationship with Emily Bett Rickards developed over the years?' She plays Felicity." SA: "Uh, we're best of friends now, as I am with almost everyone on the cast. We spend far too much time together." LK: "@JennyTheJoker via twitter. 'What does your workout consist of to maintain your physique for being the Green Arrow?'" SA: "Depends on the type of year - the time of year it is. Right now, I'm just going for runs and swimming. But I'll do weight training and yoga and all sorts of things. I mix it up." LK: "And finally, hundreds of fans want to know about the future of Olicity. Anything else you can tell us?" SA: "No... (they laugh) Although I hope that if I get the chance to come back three years from now, I get to hear you say 'Olicity' again." LK: "You'll be back." SA: "Thank you very much." LK: "'Olicity!'"

Stephen Amell: 'I look at a weight and I start to build muscle' about 11 hours ago Tara Brady http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/stephen-amell-i-look-at-a-weight-and-i-start-to-build-muscle-1.2661794

BuddyTV review of 423... 'Arrow' Season 4 Finale Recap: The Final Showdown with Damien Darhk Derek Stauffer Wednesday, May 25, 2016 http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/arrow-season-4-finale-recap-ol-60138.aspx

fangirlish review of 423... Arrow Season 4 Finale Review: ‘Schism’ [New Beginnings] 1 DAY AGO by ALYSSA BARBIERI http://fangirlish.com/arrow-season-4-finale-review-schism-new-beginnings/

4YourExcitement review of 423.. BEYOND ALL HOPE: THE TEAM RUNS OUT OF TIME IN ARROW’S SEASON FINALE “SCHISM” Verena Cote | May 26, 2016 http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/05/beyond-all-hope-the-team-runs-out-of-time-in-arrows-season-finale-schism/

Heroesdirect review of 423... Arrow: “Schism” by EAMMON JACOBS on MAY 26, 2016 http://heroes.direct/tv/arrow-s4e23/

Here's some positivity with a dash of criticism (moments are ranked chronologically)... The 7 Best Team Arrow Moments from 'Arrow' Season 4 Derek Stauffer Thursday, May 26, 2016 http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/the-7-best-team-arrow-moments-60149.aspx

Tell-Tale TV review of 423 (her point that a man's story can be about anything made me realize that, like Arrow, Barry's story on The Flash is also partly about love - just a son's love for his parents, as opposed to romantic love)... Arrow Review: Schism (Season 4 Episode 23) May 26, 2016 Lissete Lanuza Saenz http://telltaletv.com/2016/05/arrow-review-schism-season-4-episode-23/

I joined PTV in May of 2014. Before that, I had lurked a little at TWOP mostly to read spoilers, but I really didn't start actively posting until sometime after I joined PTV. When I first joined PTV, my recollection is that the Arrow forum was not that busy at the time - or at least significantly less active than it is now. Even if you limit the time period to season 4, my point about the last Felicity complaint still stands. This season, we had several episodes dealing with Sara's resurrection (involving Laurel), Diggle dealing with Andy (including flashbacks), Thea's bloodlust and even a Quentin-centric episode, but it's Felicity who gets slammed for having too much screen time for a supporting character.

You're right. Rapaport is just going to the HVFFs - I just kept seeing his name as a guest. But he went to 1 HVFF in 2015 and he went/will go to 3 HVFFs in 2016.

Three If By Space review of 423... Arrow 423 Review: “Schism” Bit Off More Than It Could Chew By: Alisha Bjorklund May 26, 2016 http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2016/05/arrow-423-review-schism-bit-off-chew/#.V0hZNfkrLIU

Arrow Season 5: What The Superhero Show Needs To Do To Improve Kayti Burt 5/26/2016 at 2:21PM http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/arrow/255739/arrow-season-5-what-the-superhero-show-needs-to-do-to-improve Here are her bullet points: Either abandon or restructure the flashbacks. Lose the supernatural aspects & return to gritty realism. Bring back the class warfare framework. Give us better villains — or no supervillain at all. Start taking more narrative chances.

Once again, a reviewer complains about the Olicity story being "annoyingly dominant" on Arrow and the show having "melodramatic soap-opera leanings", and yet when I read about the old and now new GA comics, the GA/BC romance is heavily featured (with some of the cheesiest dialogue I've ever read)... Review: Arrow – Season 4 BY RICHARD GRAY · MAY 26, 2016 http://www.thereelbits.com/2016/05/26/review-arrow-season-4/

http://www.nielsensocial.com/nielsentwittertvratings/daily/

David Rapaport is really getting his name out there as a result of the Berlanti superhero shows. I mean, he's even guesting at comic cons now.

I am tired of the double standard when it comes to complaints about Felicity, including the following: 1. "Felicity cries too much." - This has been discussed and rebutted in this forum ad nauseum. Barry cries all the time, but doesn't get slammed for it as much as Felicity. Other characters cry as well. 2. "Felicity was too cheery and happy after [Laurel's death][the nuke strike]." - It's already been established on the show that Felicity uses humor as her defense mechanism and her emotional armor. People respond to death in different ways. If she had been dour and weepy instead throughout the remaining episodes, then she would've been slammed for that. Curtis was also funny and upbeat after the nuke strike, but didn't get slammed for it. 3. "Felicity was too cold after [Laurel's death][the nuke strike]." - Felicity is an analytical person who can compartmentalize in order to get the job done, which she needed to do in order to defuse the potentially apocalyptic situation. (She also did it during the BMD in order to help rescue William.) Oliver also compartmentalizes in order to deal with the pending crises, but, as a guy, he's described as stoic. 4. "Felicity is fickle for [quitting the team][quitting Oliver]." - This has also been discussed and rebutted in this forum ad nauseum. Other characters, including Oliver, have quit the team and then returned. They all had valid reasons for doing so, and so did Felicity. Her break-up with Oliver was also for valid reasons (ymmv). Her emotional and psychological mindset has maybe been clarified by the additional back story about her parents. In any event, this issue has been thoroughly hashed to death in this forum. 5. "Felicity has too much screen time." - Other supporting characters have gotten tons of screen time, with Oliver and/or apart from Oliver. IIRC, just about every episode of Arrow has an A plot and a B plot (sometimes even a C plot). The A plot almost always involves Oliver, while the B plot involves a supporting character(s), although there have been a few exceptions during the course of the series where Oliver was relegated to the B plot. Therefore, parts of episodes - and sometimes even entire episodes - have been devoted to supporting characters (Laurel, Roy, Diggle, Felicity, Thea, Ray, Sara - even Quentin got an episode). Yet it seems that now only Felicity gets slammed for her screen time.

jbuffyangel review of 423 (another lengthy, in-depth analysis) - I agree in part and disagree in part... THE SPACE BETWEEN: ARROW 4X23 REVIEW (SCHISM) MAY 27, 2016 @ 06:30 http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/145001035573/the-space-between-arrow-4x23-review-schism

Craig Wack's review of 423... Arrow Review: Queen Stands Alone BY CRAIG WACK · MAY 26, 2016 http://oohlo.com/2016/05/26/arrow-review-queen-stands-alone/

Comparison of superhero tv show ratings this week: Gotham (FOX) (season finale) - 1.2 and 3.62 (final) Flash (CW) (season finale) - 1.3 and 3.35 (final) Arrow (CW) (season finale) - 0.8 and 2.19 (final) Last week: Gotham (FOX) - 1.3 and 3.84 (final) Flash (CW) - 1.3 and 3.37 (final) Agents of SHIELD (ABC) (two-hour season finale) - 1.0 and 3.03 (both hours) (final) Arrow (CW) - 0.7 and 1.94 (final) LoT (CW) (season finale) - 0.7 and 1.85 (final)

Five additional video clips of SA's May 6, 2016 interview on Larry King Now were posted today (May 27)... http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/guests/stephen-amell SA on Olicity Then, Now and In the Future [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/stephen-amell-on-olicity-then-now-and-in-the-future Is an ‘Arrow’ movie happening? Stephen Amell responds [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/is-an-arrow-movie-happening-stephen-amell-responds If You Only Knew: Stephen Amell [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/if-you-only-knew-stephen-amell Stephen Amell on ‘Arrow’ fandom: Twitter negativity is overblown [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/stephen-amell-on-arrow-fandom-twitter-negativity-is-overblown How Stephen Amell feels about Drake calling himself the “6 God” [VIDEO] http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/how-stephen-amell-feels-about-drake-calling-himself-the-6-god FYI, here's the 2013 interview with SA, GB and Larry King talking about "Olicity": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MImkNo73o-o