tv echo

This New Zealand ad starts with SA and ends with EBR... NZ'S TV2 ad with Emily Bett Rickards, Stephen Amell, Kat Dennings, Robbie Amell, etc Published on Jul 25, 2015, by EmilyBettRickards Portugal

For Felicity and Olicity fans... How to Translate “Hater” to English - Olicity/Arrow Edition July 23, 2015 http://callistawolf.tumblr.com/post/124849984542/how-to-translate-hater-to-english

I think you are referring to this: That's the fault of my condensed language. What I meant is that Felicity no longer had the night job running TA during their five-month hiatus away from Starling City, and she missed it because it gave her purpose. When S4 begins, she and Oliver are still away, so EBR is talking about how Felicity is feeling discontented. Once they return to the city and the mission, they'll rejoin TA. My impression is that Felicity is the one who is more eager to get back to working for Team Arrow, while Oliver is content to stay away and live as a regular guy. Also, there's this from WM:

DP is the latest actor from the Flarrow universe to join the Heroes & Villains FanFest in November... http://heroesfanfest.com/guests/

From SA's facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/stephenamell/photos/a.147252908693318.37696.146921975393078/892644050820863/?type=1&theater

Arrow Production Office tweeted a bunch of pics with the hashtag #ArrowSeattleTakeover...

I was thinking about the new characters. While I love the idea of Curtis Holt aka Mr. Terrific, it sounds like he's going to have the same IT skill set as Felicity. But because he's a comics character with a costume and a moniker, is he going to be considered a superhero - while Felicity is not? And if they do another superhero fight club promo, will he be included while Felicity is not? Or will he also demonstrate physical fighting skills, which seems to be a requirement for 'superhero' status in the Flarrow universe? Otherwise, is the difference just a costume and alter ego?

Stephen Amell on Arrow Season Four: "The Arrow is Not an Inspiration...But the Arrow is Dead" Russ Burlingame- 07/22/2015 http://comicbook.com/2015/07/23/stephen-amell-on-arrow-season-four-the-arrow-is-not-an-inspirati/

Another fan campaigning for a Felicity Smoak Funko POP! figure... Other pics posted here: https://twitter.com/spicedrum/status/623648571401863168

The end is in sight (at least for this season)... http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/07/upcoming-episode-titles-various-shows_26.html

Well, during all those SDCC interviews, I was happy to hear SA say "My Arrow is my Arrow... the comics Arrow is the comics Arrow." And to hear MG say that their "normal philosophy by this point... is, we use the comic books as a starting off point, not an ending point." Here's another theory debunked by MG... No, Green Lantern, Nightwing and Ethan Hawke Will Likely Not Be On Arrow This Year Russ Burlingame- 07/26/2015 http://comicbook.com/2015/07/26/no-green-lantern-nightwing-and-ethan-hawke-will-likely-not-be-on/

Thanks, everyone. This forum has been a welcoming place for me, so I was glad to give back. I like that latest Access Hollywood interview with MG - I've incorporated it into the above summary. FYI, I'm starting a summary of S4 individual episode spoilers.(*) I'll see how much I have by October... (* Per the updated mod post, pinned at the top of each page of the Behind the Mask thread, S4 production info is now considered a spoiler.)

I've posted a page link in the Spoilers thread (thx for the suggestion) for future reference. Thanks. I started compiling S4 info during SDCC just for myself. Then when I decided to share it here, I knew that I needed to add source identifiers (where the info came from and where it could be located). So it turned into this big project. The most time consuming part was watching the videos and transcribing relevant portions. I can't promise there aren't mistakes. Once I got started (and wanted to quit ;) a few times), I just couldn't help finishing.

Thanks. Uh no.

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Episode 4x02 (part 21 of 23) -- Title of 4x02 is "The Candidate". (MG tweet, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 559 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- 4x02 will air on October 14, 2015. (Access Hollywood article, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 560 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Mr. Terrific (played by Echo Kellum) will debut in 4x02. He "is a technological savant and inventor who works at Palmer Technologies under the supervision of Felicity Smoak." He will be a good friend to Felicity and is the show's first openly gay character. (EW article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread; Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015, page 64 of Starling City Times thread; and Variety article, page 67 of Media thread) -- Anarky (played by Alexander Calvert) will debut in 4x02. He is "a deranged freelancing criminal who is willing to do whatever it takes to impress a potential employer." (Comic Book Resources article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) --- Jessica Danforth (played by Jeri Ryan) will debut in 4x02. She is a friend of the Queen family. "Her political ambitions will place her in the crosshairs of a menacing antagonist." (Access Hollywood article, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 560 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Episode 4x03 (part 22 of 23) -- Per MG, Malcolm Merlyn will keep the long cape but will get back in the hood in 4x03. (Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Double Down (played by JR Bourne) will debut in 4x03. He is a metahuman who can turn his playing card tattoos into deadly weapons. (TheWrap article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Conklin (played by Ryan Robbins) will debut in 4x03. He is a sadistic and ruthless member of Shadowspire who will be an adversary for Oliver in flashbacks. The flashbacks will also see Oliver take on Baron Reiter (played by Jimmy Akingbola), the leader of Shadowspire. (Variety article, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 563 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Episode 4x08 (part 23 of 24) -- Both episodes 8 for Arrow and Flash will be a two-part crossover event airing in December. (ComicBook article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- AK: "And we do have crossovers planned, both Episode 8’s beginning this year, which will air in December. Our two-part crossover, it starts on The Flash and ends on Arrow. That’s sort of the big crossover event." (ScreenRant article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- The fall season is going to be a build up, and the Arrow/Flash crossover will "tee up" LoT's midseason launch. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 1 of Media thread in LoT forum) -- MG: "The White Canary will be launched in the first few episodes of Arrow... 4x08, our typical crossover episode, will be doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of getting the Legends of Tomorrow characters set up and also seeing where they are with relation to The Flash. It's a big episode." (Eonline article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, the first non-Oliver flashback will be in 4x08. (Unidentified video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 161 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On flashbacks, MG: "We have a plan... but what we do with the flashbacks this year will really surprise people.” They keep talking about their endgame with the flashbacks. We won’t see any non-Oliver flashbacks until episode 8 this year, because they interrupted the Hong Kong storyline too early last year and it killed some of the momentum of that story. (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) (the end!)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Episode 4x01 (part 20 of 23) -- Title of 4x01 is "Green Arrow". (MG tweet, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- 4x01 will air on October 7, 2015. (TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- The action in 4x01 will pick up about five months later. (SA facebook q&a, page 136 of Behind the Mask thread; TV Junkies article, page 18 of Spoilers thread; Eonline article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread; and TVLine video of interview with Arrow cast and WM at SDCC 2015, page 65 of Starling City Times article) -- When asked for three words to describe 4x01, SA said: "What's wrong Speedy?" (SA tweet, page 136 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per SA, they're "altering the trajectory of the entire season in the first episode." (SA facebook post, page 173 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per MG, part of their S4 plan involves "reconstituting the show", lightening things up a bit and unveiling a new green-hooded vigilate tasked with saving Starling City. "How we get to that place will be answered in the season premiere." (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- The opening scene will "Blow...you...away. " (Jamie Bamford tweet, page 23 of Slings and Arrows thread) -- Sometime during 4x01, Oliver is on or near a train. (SA tweets and tweeted pic, page 171 of Behind the Mask thread) -- The solution to Diggle's concealment problem will be unveiled in 4x01. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- DR: “In 4.01, Diggle – de facto the leader of the team – Speedy, and Black Canary are the team, and they are a well-oiled machine. You are going to see that right at the beginning, even without Arrow. It’s a very good piece of writing, because we are doing it even without him, so why does he have to come back? That’s part of the story of 4.01.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 67 of Starling City TImes thread) -- Unlike in previous seasons, we won’t wait until halfway through the year before really meeting this year’s big bad, Damien Dahrk. He’ll be “right in center stage” as S4 begins. (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- DD is the reason Oliver returns to Starling City to suit up once again. MG: “[Oliver] left the city in very good hands... He entrusted Laurel, Diggle and Thea to mind the fort. Damien represents a threat that three heroes are not enough to combat." (TV Equals video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- WM: “[Damien Darhk] is menacing and terrifying, and we are bringing him in from the beginning. That’s one of the things that we are most excited about is that we are starting out with a bang. We are hoping the premiere feels like a finale, and we are starting with our Big Bad coming out of the gate super-scary and super-quick.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- SA's jaw dropped twice when he read the script for 4x01 and texted MG with 3 or 4 pointed questions right after reading, which MG answered.. (SA facebook q&a, page 136 of Behind the Mask thread) -- There is a twist in 4x01 involving Felicity. (Periscope interview with SA, page 152 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On whether Felicity did the wrong thing by leaving with Oliver, DR: “That is interesting because we are going to have something very interesting to say about Felicity in 4.01 as well, and that question will be answered, I can’t give that one away; that’s a big reveal. The quick answer to that is no. I think the answer to that is no, but there is a little twist in terms of what is happening with Felicity at the top of Season 4.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 67 of Starling City TImes thread) -- According to SA, the ending to 4x01 "will be a bigger shocker than Sara getting killed." (Fan tweet, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: “We do something at the end of our first episode that we’ve never done on the show. You’ll know it when you see it.” (TV Fanatic video of interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- PB: "[A]t the end of - during episode one [of S4] - it's revealed that there's a little bit of a dark element going on in Lance's life... born out of that, at least in my mind, is how people will seemingly do bad things for what they believe is the right reason... There's a very interesting play by the end of episode one, you're like 'Lance? Really? Oh!'... But whether we end up considering it good or bad is up to the viewer." (Fangirlish video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per JB, you'll need to bring your tissues to watch 4x01 and you'll be going "What?!" Added PB, "especially on the last scene... That last scene is going to haunt the rest of the season." (TVLine video of interview with Arrow cast and WM at SDCC 2015, page 65 of Starling City Times article) -- MG: “We have a really great surprise for the season premiere for the flashbacks, and it’s made talking about the flashbacks very difficult... We pick up basically in real time. It’s been a number of months later since the last flashback. Oliver is in Coast City, as eagle-eyed viewers noted when he boarded the boat at the end of season 3. What happens there and how he comes to cross with [baron] Reiter, that we need to keep secret because it would spoil a pretty big twist in episode 401.” (EW article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread and page 559 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- SA: "We do spend time in Coast City [in the first episode]... I meet an old friend." (TV Equals video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread; and Hollywood Reporter article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Jason Deline is playing a "friend" that Oliver & Felicity meet in the premiere. (JD tweet, page 170 of Behind the Mask thread) -- MG: "You haven't seen the last of Coast City. That's all I'm going to say. That's all I'm allowed to say." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- Per MG, the IMDB's Arrow page listing of guest appearances in 4x01 by Hal "Green Lantern" Jordan, Carol "Star Sapphire" Ferris, Dick "Nightwing" Grayson, and Ethan Hawke are not true. (ComicBook article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) (to be continued)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Arrow/Flash/LoT Crossovers (part 19A of 23) -- Per AK, the singularity that happened in The Flash's S1 finale will be referred to on the other shows, and "the ramifications of it will play out, certainly, on Arrow... you'll have to sorta watch how that happens." (Unidentified video of media interview with AK at SDCC 2015, page 166 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per MG and WM, there will definitely be more Arrow/Flash crossovers because SA and GG have great chemistry. (Unidentified video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 161 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per MG, the crossovers among the three shows - Arrow, Flash and LoT - will continue as organically as ever. MG: ""We're definitely figuring out the number right now... We're gearing up to what we consider the big crossover - the one where we're really crossing over both shows and both casts... It airs in December... And then you'll see, like you did last year, the two shows coexisting in the same universe, and characters from one show will show up in the other, and it'll be very organic- you know, very much the way it was last year." (CBR TV video of interview with MG, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: The first seven episodes of Arrow and Flash will act as a "table setting" for LoT. "We're putting pieces back on the chessboard." (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Both episodes 8 for Arrow and Flash will be a two-part crossover event airing in December. (ComicBook artlcle , page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- The fall season is going to be a build up, and the Arrow/Flash crossover will "tee up" LoT's midseason launch. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 1 of Media thread in LoT forum) -- Sara will take a dip in the Lazarus Pit before LoT. MG: “On Arrow, we’ve got some business [to handle]... Ray didn’t explode in a catastrophic explosion and Sara needs to not be dead.” On whether the new Ra’s al Ghul, aka Malcolm Merlyn, will be the one to resurrect Sara, MG: “He’s got a strong point of view on [that]... It’s going to be handled head-on. We’re doing a really great episode that really tackles the question of Sara, death and resurrection. On Arrow, nothing is easy, so it’s not as simple as dumping her in the water.” (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Ray Palmer will return for at least part of Season 4 of Arrow. (Gamespot video of interview with BR, page 550 of Spoiler Discussion thread; and io9 article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- The resolution to the question of what happened to Ray after the explosion will be resolved in the earlier episodes of Arrow. (Blastr article, page 65 of Starling City Times thread) -- Everyone thinks Ray is dead at first, but he's just really small. (LoT First Look Trailer, page 2 of Media thread in LoT forum) -- Per WM, Felicity is going to be the one that brings Ray back to the show. (IGN video of interview with SA, EBR and WM at SDCC 2015, page 157 of Behind the Mask) -- Felicity will be instrumental in discovering that Ray managed to shrink himself in the lab acccident that saw an entire floor of PT exploding into his face. (WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- The whole story of Sara's resurrection will be covered on Arrow. (Seat42F video of media interview with MG at SDCC 2015, page 167 of Behind the Mask thread) -- MG: "No, we’re going to cover that whole story [of Sara's resurrection] on Arrow. She’ll be ready to go for Legends by the time Legends starts up." (io9 article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: "The White Canary will be launched in the first few episodes of Arrow... 4x08, our typical crossover episode, will be doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of getting the Legends of Tomorrow characters set up and also seeing where they are with relation to The Flash. It's a big episode." (Eonline article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "The Lazarus Pit will definitely be reappearing in the first, you know, few episodes [of this season of Arrow], and that's about all I'll say about that." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- CL believes that the Lazarus Pit is the most likely method of Sara's resurrection, which will have effects on Sara. (TV Equals video of interview with CL at SDCC 2015, page 2 of Media thread in LoT forum) -- CL: "Well, the person who goes into the [Lazarus] Pit isn't necessariy the same person who comes out... Sara was dead for awhile. So I feel like she's going to be a little crazy and have some issues. She already had issues, so now it's going to be like 'oh God'." (Unidentified video of media interview with CL at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per SA, Oliver's reaction to Sara's return "is going to depend entirely upon the state that she's in. You know, we teased a lot of things about what the Lazarus Pit does to you in season three. And we haven't quite explored them yet with someone who came out of the Lazarus Pit, um, Thea. But Thea went into the Lazarus Pit kinda still alive, but just sort of, you know, in a state that modern medicine couldn't bring her back. If Sara comes back to life, and one assumes it happens via the Pit, Sara's been dead like a year. So that's a very different thing." (TV Equals video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Laurel will play a major role in launching the Arrow half of LoT. (WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- Laurel will definitely "play a big part" on the influence of creating LoT. (Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Fangirlish tweet, page 154 of Behind the Mask thread) -- KC: "I think that she's going to be a big part of the creation of Legends." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On Sara's reaction to Laurel's trajectory, KC: "I feel like she'd be so proud, also maybe a little worried." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread; unidentified video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Seat42F video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per CL, Sara would approve of Olicity. She was always saying to Oliver before that he should be with someone who doesn't wear a mask. She's always known that it was a thing that would be good for him. (Unidentified video of media interview with CL at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, may actually pop up on the Flash and Arrow first, before going to LoT. Described as charismatic and wise beyond his years, Hawkman is a natural-born leader with an abundance of charm and confidence - well, that’s because he’s 5,000 years old. Much like the comic book iteration, Carter retains his memories of his past lives each time he is reborn, though his lover (aka Hawkgirl) is born anew. In other words, Kendra Saunders will have no idea who he is at first. (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Time travel on LoT will not be used to retcon something on Arrow. (Seat42F video of media interview with MG at SDCC 2015, page 167 of Behind the Mask thread) -- MG: "The concept of time travel that was introduced on Flash is going to be applied consistently within the Berlanti-verse. So that said, we’re not doing to use time travel on Legends to retcon something on Arrow." (io9 article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- AK: "We wouldn’t be Flash without Arrow. It’s like there wouldn’t have been The Avengers and all that without Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man. So everything that we’re doing…I mean even Supergirl, even though it’s not connected, it’s all coming out of the success that we had with Steven with Arrow. And we certainly continue to…Legends is essentially crossovers every week. That was sort of where it was born out of. It was so much fun seeing everybody get together. And we do have crossovers planned, both Episode 8’s beginning this year, which will air in December. Our two-part crossover, it starts on The Flash and ends on Arrow. That’s sort of the big crossover event." (ScreenRant article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Oliver being joined by other superheroes, MG: "In many ways I feel like Oliver's journey reflects our journey with the show. You know, we really never intended or envisioned Oliver birthing a whole movement of superheroes. And now since we have three shows' worth of superheroes and a large team where there's an ensemble around him. We always thought it would be him and Diggle down in the foundry.... Oliver is as surprised at what his crusade engendered as we the writers are." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- MG: "[Legends of Tomorrow is] going to have the lightness of Flash. It's definitely tonally more similar to Flash than it is Arrow. That said, it has a cast that is older than Flash. So it'll have like a gravitas to it that Flash doesn't have. So our hope is that it'll... it's like Avengers the TV show. It's fun for the entire family... I wouldn't encourage really young kids to watch Arrow, but I encourage them to watch Flash. Families can watch Legends of Tomorrow without any problem." (CBR TV video of interview with MG, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per MG, the answer to how Deathbolt got his powers (he didn't become metahuman in the Star Labs explosion) is coming on one of the other two shows, not on Arrow. (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) Arrow/Flash/Vixen Crossovers (part 19B of 23) -- Vixen will include guest voice appearances by SA (Oliver), GG (Barry), EBR (Felicity) and CV (Cisco). (TV Insider article, page 1 of Media thread in Vixen forum) -- Per MG, Vixen will take place circa Arrow 3x16. (MG tumblr post, page 1 of DCTU thread in VIxen forum) -- Per MG, Vixen will take place around episode 3x15 or 3x16 of Arrow. "We knew, of course, at that point that Oliver would be going off to the League of Assassins and changing his costume as a result, so this takes place just right before that." (ComicBook article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: "The thing that's most fun about Arrow and Vixen is - [Oliver's] there with Barry Allen, the Flash. And usually it's Oliver who's going 'I don't believe in metas, this doesn't make any sense' and Barry's like 'well, it's science, I totally get it.' The dynamic is switched because Vixen's [powers] are magic-based, they're mythical. So that's something Oliver understands. That's something Oliver buys into. And it's the thing that Barry as a scientist can't wrap his head around. So their normal dynamic in dealing with someone with powers is completely flipped, and that's a lot of fun." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) (to be continued)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Shadowspire: Baron Reiter and Conklin (part 15 of 23) -- Jimmy Akingbola has been cast in the recurring role of Baron Reiter. He is the leader of the nefarious group Shadowspire. He will be Oliver’s adversary seen in flashbacks. This grizzled, hardened and commanding man, who has no conscience and few compunctions, offers Oliver a job in his underground organization." (Deadline article, page 559 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Although Baron Reiter is known as Nazi super villain Baron Blitzkreig in the DC Comics world, MG wants to “disabuse people of the notion that we cast a black man as a Nazi, because that’s not actually what we did.” In S4, Baron Reiter acts as a foil for Oliver in flashbacks, while DD fills that role in present day. MG: “We wanted a really great villain for Oliver in the flashbacks... We wanted to come out of the gate strong with someone great and we wanted to, quite frankly, cast the best actor. As it turns out, our best actor was African-American.” Also MG: “We took the name Baron Reiter without any intention of turning him into Baron Blitzkrieg... Baron Blitzkreig is the evil Nazi super villain. Baron Reiter is not going to become Baron Blitzkreig in the show.” Therefore, Baron Reiter will have a completely different background and will have no Nazi affiliation. (EW article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread and page 559 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- MG: “We have a really great surprise for the season premiere for the flashbacks, and it’s made talking about the flashbacks very difficult... We pick up basically in real time. It’s been a number of months later since the last flashback. Oliver is in Coast City, as eagle-eyed viewers noted when he boarded the boat at the end of season 3. What happens there and how he comes to cross with [baron] Reiter, that we need to keep secret because it would spoil a pretty big twist in episode 401.” (EW article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread and page 559 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Ryan Robbins has been cast in the recurring role of Conklin for S4. Conklin is "a sadistic and ruthless member of Shadowspire who will be an adversary for Oliver" in flashbacks. This flashback arc will also see Oliver take on Baron Reiter, who is the leader of Shadowspire. Conklin will make his first appearance in 4x03. (Variety article, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 563 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Jessica Danforth (f/k/a "Patty") (part 16 of 23) -- New character named "Patty" will be introduced. She will be a 50something, longtime friend of Moira's and a candidate for Mayor. She was once close to Oliver and Thea. (TVLine article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- "Patty" is deeply committed to Starling City and willing to risk her life to stand up for the people. She is also a mother and cares for her daughter above all else. (Eonline article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Jeri Ryan has been cast to play Jessica Danforth in 4x02, a friend of the Queen family. "Her political ambitions will place her in the crosshairs of a menacing antagonist." (Access Hollywood article, page 18 of Spoilers thread and page 560 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Jeremy Tell AKA Double Down (part 17 of 23) -- JR Bourne has been cast as Jeremy Tell, a/k/a Double Down, a DC comic book villain. Tell is a metahuman who can turn his playing card tattoos into deadly weapons. He will appear in 4x03. (TheWrap article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) Roy Harper (part 18 of 23) -- Per CH, Roy is returning to Arrow but not as Arsenal. (Fan tweet from Wolfsbane 3-Teen Wolf Convention 2015, page 169 of Behind the Mask thread) (to be continued)

Five Ways Arrow Should Embrace The Green Andrew Steinbeiser- 07/26/2015 http://comicbook.com/2015/07/24/five-ways-arrow-should-embrace-the-green/

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific (part 13 of 23) -- In 4x02, the show will introduce the recurring character of a 20something African American male who is a technological savant on par with Felicity. (TVLine article, page 18 in Spoilers thread) -- Per MG and GB, Mr. Terrific will be coming. He will be working with Felicity, will be a good friend of hers, and will be gay. (Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Echo Kellum has been cast as Curtis Holt, a/k/a Mr. Terrific. He "is a technological savant and inventor who works at Palmer Technologies under the supervision of Felicity Smoak." He will debut in 4x02. (EW article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- Mr. Terrific will be a friend to Felicity and the show's first openly gay character. (Variety article, page 67 of Media thread) -- EK: "Yeah, he’s a very intelligent person. Some say he’s the smartest person in DC. I feel like in terms of Arrow, him and Felicity will definitely form a partnership. They’re both very intelligent – into everything (to do with) science, so I think they’ll definitely form a great bond. But according to the comics, and I think there are some really great comics, he deals with some strife in his life and loses a partner. That drives him to really just dive into science and start creating different things. Science is at the forefront of everything he does. His gift is that he’s intelligent – super supremely intelligent." (The Geeko interview part 1 with EK, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- EK: "I hope to bring the character out. I’m a very geeky and science orientated person myself so what I hope to do is present a realistic point of view of the character and drive people to root for him. And to know that everything he’s doing is for the good of humanity and trying to forward humans to a better place in life. I hope that I can accurately show that on screen and really just have the fans be pumped for Mr. Terrific." (The Geeko interview part 1 with EK, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- EK: "I originally got the audition from my manager and my agent. The character was a different name (a code name) and I knew it was a major recurring character on Arrow. I went in and auditioned for David Rapaport casting and they called me back in with Marc Guggenheim and some of the other producers. I auditioned for them a couple of different times and then found out two or three days later that they wanted to offer me the part. I was very excited. Then they told me…”OK, what you’re reading is not really the character, the character is this“. I heard Mr. Terrific and I was definitely a fan of his – always supporting black characters being in comic books – so I was very stoked. When they said they wanted me to play the role I was surprised and thought “oh my god, are you serious?”. (I was ) extremely happy. So obviously I said yes and its just been an whirlwind since its been announced. The fandom is so great. They’re just so encouraging. They welcome you with open arms. Its just been such a great insanity! I feel so at home and so loved and I want to give my love to everybody who takes the time out of their day to say anything. I feel so blessed to get to be on an amazing show such as Arrow and to get to play such a complex and awesome individual as Curtis Holt. I mean, it’s a dream come true. Its literally a dream come true. I used to pretend I was a superhero with my friends or we would read comic books and then go out in the backyard and pretend we have these powers. To actually be able to portray that on screen is such a huge dream of mine and I feel kind of like its still surreal, even though I’ve already started filming. It just feels so surreal. I’m living a dream. I can’t believe it. The fandom, man, they’re just like the cherry on top. I just hope that I can bring something they really enjoy to the screen." (The Geeko interview part 1 with EK, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Curtis' dynamic with Felicity, EK: "I think their initial dynamic is their love for science, computers and technology. I think that’s the thing that really connects them as they realize that they have a similar point of view. Also, the aspect that Curtis sees Felicity’s heart and he realizes that she’s a good egg. I think that’s what kind of draws them (together). And she also sees that about him; that he has a good heart and he’s a good egg too. I think that draws them together on top of their love for science and technology and makes them become fast friends. So they’re kind of like peas in a pod in a lot of ways." (The Geeko interview part 2 with EK, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- On a Mr. Terrific costume, EK: "Ummmm (laughs), I can’t say 100% if I have or not. But I can say that you will definitely see something from Mr. Terrific in one of the first couple of episodes. You will see something that touches on that." (The Geeko interview part 2 with EK, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) Lonnie Machin AKA Anarky (part 14 of 23) -- Per MG, Anarky will be joining Damien Darhk. (Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Alexander Calvert has been cast as Lonnie Machin, a/k/a Anarky. He is "a deranged freelancing criminal who is willing to do whatever it takes to impress a potential employer." Anarky will debut in 4x02. (Comic Book Resources article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) (to be continued)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Damien Darhk (part 12 of 23) -- Neal McDonough has been cast as Damien Darhk. (TVLine article, page 63 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: “We just needed an amazing actor; someone who commanded the screen. With Matt Nable and John Barrowman and Manu Bennett, the bar is set really high. So we needed someone who could play at or above that level and in Neal, we found someone who has, if you’ll pardon the pun, the darkness and can project that menace that we need in a great villain. It’s a cliché, but it’s true: Your hero is only as good as your villain." (Unidentified video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 161 of Behind the Mask thread; and Yahoo article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: "When we found out Neal was interested, it... energized us in a way you can't even imagine because Neal is such an amazing actor. The first thing we did was we wanted someone who was a great actor, but then, what Neal also brings to it is an intensity and a darkness that is - I hate to say darkness because it's such a pun, but a darkness to the character of Damien. And Damien's a different kind of villain than we've had on the show before. He's not as stentorian as Ra's, he's not as looney toon as Slade, he's not as -- and people will be surprised I use this word -- but he's not as noble as Malcolm Merlyn. He's pure evil. We wanted someone who was truly, truly malevolent. We've never done that on the show before. All of our Big Bads always thought they were doing - the wrong thing for the right reason. This guy does the wrong thing for the wrong reasons... It's a bad situation to have this guy coming in. And the other thing that we're doing that's different is, in past seasons, you've had to wait 'til usually the mid-season finale to meet the Big Bad and have Oliver confront the Big Bad... We are coming out of the gate strong. We're not waiting and actually, that itself has really energized the show and it infuses even the quote-unquote villain of the week episodes with an epic-ness that they wouldn't otherwise have." (Access Hollywood article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread and page 561 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Unlike in previous seasons, we won’t wait until halfway through the year before really meeting this year’s big bad, Damien Darhk. He’ll be “right in center stage” as S4 begins. (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per MG, they've usually introduced the Big Bad in the middle of the season. This season, however, "we're coming out of the gate with our Big Bad, and we're coming out strong... Right from jump, you're going to see that this guy is not to be messed with, and we're not hiding him in the shadows, we're not keeping him off the board waiting for the midseason finale. We are - we're coming in guns blazing, and he's coming in guns blazing." (CBR TV video of interview with MG at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per SA, DD is already in Starling City when they begin S4. (TVLine video of interview with Arrow cast and WM at SDCC 2015, page 65 of Starling City Times article) -- DD is the reason Oliver returns to Starling City to suit up once again. MG: “[Oliver] left the city in very good hands... He entrusted Laurel, Diggle and Thea to mind the fort. Damien represents a threat that three heroes are not enough to combat. When we’ve written the villains — the big bads of the season — we always took the approach that they were heroes of their own story. They were doing the wrong thing for what they consider the right things. That’s not the case with Damien. He’s not nearly as moral. We wanted a villain who was pure evil because we’ve never really done that on the show before. That’s what Damien represents. He’s the prince of darkness.” (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: "Oliver knows precious little about Damien Darhk... I don't know if he even understands when Ra's referred to a 'hive of operatives' that he meant an actual HIVE, he meant HIVE. So - that's Diggle knowledge. That's not Oliver knowledge... Damien brings elements to Starling City that, again, will, I think, help fuel our flashback story this year with Oliver." (TV Equals video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- MG: "He's very, very different from any kind of villain we've had on the show before. He's got... the malevolence of Ra's al Ghul combined with the sort of, you know, twinkle in his eye of John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn, with a bit of the slick twistiness of Slade Wilson. He's his own animal. And quite frankly, so much fun to write. We've been having a lot of fun with him." (CBR TV video of interview with MG at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WM, DD has powers we've never seen before, but he's not metahuman. His powers are beyond metapowers, and it's scary and supercool. (TV Fanatic video of interview with WM at SDCC 2015, page 166 of Behind the Mask thread) -- "He's a very different kind villain. Malcom, [slade] and Ra's, they were all guys who did the wrong thing for what they thought was the right reason," Marc Guggenheim teases. "Damien doesn't care about morality. We wanted a big bad who is really pure evil." Still, fans can expect to see him have "a sense of humor," enjoying the amount of power he wields. (Eonline article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, DD is "the guy who doesn't have any morality." As compared to the other Big Bads, Slade Wilson and Malcolm Merlyn "all had a certain code, they thought they were doing a good thing but had a bad way of going about it. Damien doesn't have any code. He's just pure evil." He has a "heart of darkness." (TVLine video of interview with Arrow cast and WM at SDCC 2015, page 65 of Starling City Times article) -- MG: "We're going older than the Damien from the comics... It's in keeping, quite frankly, with our normal philosophy by this point - which is, we use the comic books as a starting off point, not an ending point. Our version of Damien is... different from the other kinds of Big Bads we've had on the show before. He's not as stentorian as Ra's al Ghul. He's not as unhinged as Slade Wilson... He probably has the closest parallel with Malcolm Merlyn, but I think he's got a malevolence to him that Malcolm did not have. Malcolm was basically always thinking 'I'm doing what I'm doing to save the city', whereas Damien is just - Damien’s pure evil. He’s a form of evil we haven’t seen on the show yet. …We always, you know, sort of approached our Big Bad for the first three years as: we wanted them to be the hero of their own story. You know, we wanted them to not be evil, and then this year we decided we were going to go different. We really want someone who is truly malevolent, and Neal just - he brings that home." (Unidentified video of media interview of MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 168 of Behind the Mask thread; Whedonopolis video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 169 of Behind the Mask thread; and Hypable article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- On DD fitting in S4, MG: "He fits in huge. He's going to be our Big Bad of the year. He is a different kind of villain than we've seen on the show before. He's got a malevolence about him that our other prior Big Bads didn't have. They all thought that they were doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Damien doesn't care about the reasons. Damien just cares about his agenda." (DC All Access video of interview with Arrow cast, page 562 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- WM: “We are very excited about Damien, obviously, with the casting of Neal McDonough, and we are excited because he is a completely new kind of villain. We have never seen on the show before, and we are going to be exploring elements and powers that are not meta-human, but still completely new to the show. He is menacing and terrifying, and we are bringing him in from the beginning. That’s one of the things that we are most excited about is that we are starting out with a bang. We are hoping the premiere feels like a finale, and we are starting with our Big Bad coming out of the gate super-scary and super-quick.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- Per WM, the LOA will still be a part of S4 but not as big as they were in S3. DD was a LOA member, and " a lot of that mythology will play in his back story." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) (to be continued)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Thea Queen AKA Speedy (part 9 of 23) -- When asked for three words to describe 4x01, SA said: "What's wrong Speedy?" (SA tweet, page 136 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per WH, Thea will finally take on the Speedy superhero identity in S4. (Hollywood Reporter article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread). -- Per WH, now that Thea has put on the red costume, they are “pushing [the name] Speedy as hard as they can, she wants to call herself Red Arrow.” Thea's getting "an amazing amount of self-esteem" out of being a hero. (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WH, Thea wants to be called Red Arrow "as a homage to her big bro, but Speedy kinda stuck". She wants to be the first one on the show with a cape. She'll be part of Team Arrow, but she's new to it all so she's got a bit of a learning curve to work through. Diggle has several years on her, and Laurel's got about a year on her. She'll also be dealing with the fallout from her time in the Lazarus Pit. (FanBolt article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WH, Thea's transformation into Speedy is the fulfillment of a storyline planned from the pilot episode. "Before signing on, they told me that the character would move on to being a superhero eventually... They weren't a hundred percent sure it was going to be Speedy or not," though the mention of "Speedy" as a nickname in the pilot was a deliberate hint. But while her superhero identity was a long time coming, WH appreciated her character's slow, but deliberate, origin story. "One of my favorite things about this show is, no one wakes up one morning and goes, 'I'm gonna go save the world,' and puts on a costume. Everybody goes through something that leads them to this point." (ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WH, putting on the costume will be good for Thea because it's giving her a purpose finally and making her feel like she has meaning. (TV Equals video of media interview with WH at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On Thea becoming Speedy or Red Arrow, WH: "It's the greatest thing ever, honestly. It's like the childhood dream come true. The first time I put on the costume I cried... happiness, complete happiness." (DC All Access video of interview with Arrow cast, page 562 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Per WH, with both her brother and her father out of town, Thea will probably form a stronger bond with Laurel and Diggle now that she's aware of everything that's going on. (TV Equals video of media interview with WH at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On Oliver's relationship with Thea, SA: "Well, I mean, he's good with Thea, as long as she's good with herself, I suppose." (Laura Brown video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 155 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per WH, Thea's resurrection via the LP might have effects. "I don't think people would be resurrected and be normal after that." (ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread; and Fangirlish video of media interview with WH at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per MG, Thea will not be HIV positive like Speedy in the comics. (MG tumblr post, page 169 of Behind the Mask thread) Malcolm Merlyn AKA Dark Archer/The Magician/Ra's al Ghul (part 10 of 23) -- Malcolm will remain a series regular in S4. (TVLine article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, Malcolm will factor into Arrow, Flash, and LoT. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per MG, Malcolm will keep the long cape but will get back in the hood in 4x03. (Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- JB was not allowed to say when we'll see Malcolm when S4 begins. However, "when you see him, it will be, which is what I love about Malcolm, it's always [an 'Oh My God' moment]." (Seat42F video of media interview with JB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with JB at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Examiner article, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- JB: "I do know that he’s going to be even more evil and badass than what he was. And also… there will be magic involved because I am The Magician.” (Yahoo article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- A big theme in S4 is the existence of magic. This will change everything, and JB says Malcolm will be at the center of that because he’s “Merlyn the Magician.” (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Malcolm, JB: "I think it'll be interesting to see how his relationship with the League takes off. It'll also be interesting to see if Malcolm as Ra's will help protect Team Oliver." (DC All Access video of interview with Arrow cast, page 562 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Malcolm's attitude to TA, per JB, that deal Oliver made with Malcolm "introduced [him] more to the team." Also, "I believe I have a soft spot for every one of those people on that team and I haven't figured out but maybe it's because of Tommy knowing most of them or it's because I look at Oliver as being like a son. My daughter, I knew I was training her to be part of it. I will protect them, but if I have to kill someone, I will. It's as black and white as that, but don't mess with them. Don't get in the way, because I will put my neck out on the line and protect them." (Seat42F video of media interview with JB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with JB at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Examiner article, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- JB: The “earthquakey trust” between Oliver and Malcolm will continue, and Malcolm may take TA under the wing of the LOA a bit. But when “push comes to shove,” Malcolm will sacrifice anybody to survive and get what he wants. Malcolm has a soft spot for Oliver, whom he’s always thought of as a son, and the rest of his crew—but “he’ll still kill them if he has to.” (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Oliver feeling any great regret from having placed Malcolm at the head of the LOA, SA: "I've read three episodes of the season, and we haven't seen an interaction that would allow that to play out yet. I don't think that this is a bargain that Oliver enjoyed making, just like he didn't enjoy taking Diggle's wife and endangering their child. But he did it because in his mind, the ends justified the means." (ComicBook article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WM, although the main storyline will be with DD, they're going to have a lot of fun with Malcolm coming in and messing with Oliver's plans and also with DD since they are enemies as well. (Unidentified video of media interview of MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 168 of Behind the Mask thread; and Whedonopolis video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 169 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per WM, the LOA will still be a part of S4 but not as big as they were in S3. Malcolm "will still be out there and still be a threat." (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) -- On whether the new Ra’s al Ghul, aka Malcolm Merlyn, will be the one to resurrect Sara, MG: “He’s got a strong point of view on [that]... It’s going to be handled head-on. We’re doing a really great episode that really tackles the question of Sara, death and resurrection. On Arrow, nothing is easy, so it’s not as simple as dumping her in the water.” (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) Nyssa al Ghul (part 11 of 23) -- On Oliver's marriage to Nyssa, SA: "I don't think that weddings at knife-point in Nanda Parbat, lorded over by a sorceress, really count in the great scheme of things. Felicity did have that funny line in the finale about annulling the marriage, but no, that doesn't actually play." (Seat42F video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and ComicBook article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- SA: "I think that there is an uncommon truce between them [Oliver and Nyssa], coming from the fact that I killed her father, and the only reason she was upset was that she wanted to be the one to do it. That being said, I installed her mortal enemy as the new leader of the League. So I'm sure when I see her, it's not going to be high-fives and hugs." (ComicBook article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per MG, they're "certainly hoping to have more scenes between Laurel and Nyssa again." (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, they're going to explore Nyssa's situation in Nanda Parbat and where we left her - those storylines will stay in Nanda Parbat and possibly come back to Starling City as well. (Unidentified video of media interview of MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 168 of Behind the Mask thread; and Whedonopolis video of media interview with MG and WM at SDCC 2015, page 169 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per WM, the LOA will still be a part of S4 but not as big as they were in S3. There will be some interesting stories with Nyssa. (TV Overmind video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 68 of Starling City TImes thread) (to be continued)

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Laurel Lance AKA Black Canary (part 7 of 23) -- Laurel is a full-fledged member of TA coming into S4. Oliver's acceptance of her as a legitimate member of TA positions her to be a lot more involved in the stories, including an interesting situation with her father, as well as "one big development for her" that MG can't talk about yet. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- On becoming the BC, KC: "When I first met with the producers before I took the show, they had kinda teased that that's where this character would go. I didn't know when. So it was definitely a long time coming. But I think the way that they did it was smart in making sure it was legitimate and as realistic as possible. And Laurel had to go through hardship, and get broken down, in order to come out the other side. So, when I found out it was actually happening happening, I was freaking out because I was so excited. And I wanted it to happen so bad. I mean, I was so happy. And then, last season we saw Laurel go out and fight - but she was really - out of heart because she didn't have the skill. And uh, this season, we'll see her a lot more polished. And for me as an actor, the way that I work, I would be training regardless and yet - I mean, ... I've been working really hard... it feels really freaking cool, you know, I can kick some ass - if anyone messes with me." (Unidentified video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread) -- KC: "We'll definitely see Laurel a lot more polished... being a 'superhero' [in S4]." (Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per KC, Laurel will begin the year as a "more polished" crime fighter. "I wasn't the Black Canary overnight." The process to that persona came at a slower pace, one KC found "more believable." When Laurel finally put on the mask last season, KC thought Laurel fought with "a lot of heart," and when S4 begins, Laurel will have the training and experience to back her up as she attempts to take up some of the slack left by Oliver. (Seat42F video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- KC: "We saw Laurel last year. She obviously is a fighter and has a lot of heart... I've always said that... I think we'll see her this season a lot more polished and, you know, she's been training, she's been working on her skills as much as possible. I think we'll see her just develop and go - become even stronger. And I also think that Andrew Kreisberg made a good point. Laurel always sees the light at the end of the tunnel, um, as opposed to Oliver who, he can get into a dark place. Laurel always tries to see the positive in everything. And I think that she'll continue to do that." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On Oliver's relationship with Laurel, SA: "I know that there will be some issues with Laurel, but I think that we're going to move through those." (Laura Brown video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 155 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per MG, they're "certainly hoping to have more scenes between Laurel and Nyssa again." (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Laurel will play a major role in launching the Arrow half of LoT. (WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- Laurel will definitely "play a big part" on the influence of creating LoT. (Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Fangirlish tweet, page 154 of Behind the Mask thread) -- KC: "I think that she's going to be a big part of the creation of Legends." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- On how proud Sara would be of Laurel's trajectory, KC: "I feel like she'd be so proud, also maybe a little worried." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread; unidentified video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Seat42F video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) Quentin Lance (part 8 of 23) -- Per PB, Quentin and his daughter Laurel will be "on the road to reconciliation." The toughest part of last year for Quentin was not getting the chance to bury his daughter Sara, but he will likely be able to forgive Laurel. (Seat42F video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- PB: "We all do bad things. We all do good things. Clearly Lance has done plenty of bad things and so has Laurel, but they seem to be able to forgive each other eventually." (Examiner article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per PB, forgiveness is not something Quentin will easily offer to Oliver and TA. Though PB hopes to get back to the "cozy conversations" of S2, he says Quentin will take a pragmatic approach to Oliver and his team. "It's one of those things that's best for the city... If these guys are going around doing the best they can, Lance will give them some slack." (Seat42F video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- PB: "It's one of those things where it comes down to what's best for the city. Lance has obviously got his ethics, the law, the system of justice, which he tries to abide to, but at the end of the day, for him, it's all about Starling City and what is best for that city." The city is what matters the most for Quentin, after his daughters. (Examiner article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per PB, it would be a "waste of energy" to continue to try to bring the Arrow down. "Once the stuff starts hitting the fan in Starling City - like I said, the city is the most important thing to him, and if Arrow in whatever guise he is in this year, whatever form he is in, is around to help it, then he'll get over that. And also, Laurel would've talked him through some of that stuff." (TV Equals video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread) -- SA: "Everything is on the table with Lance. So whether he loves or hates Oliver's other persona - at least there's no bullshitting anymore." (Laura Brown video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 155 of Behind the Mask thread) -- PB: "[A]t the end of - during episode one [of S4] - it's revealed that there's a little bit of a dark element going on in Lance's life... born out of that, at least in my mind, is how people will seemingly do bad things for what they believe is the right reason... There's a very interesting play by the end of episode one, you're like 'Lance? Really? Oh!'... But whether we end up considering it good or bad is up to the viewer." (Seat42F video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Examiner article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per PB, the audience will be surprised by a choice Quentin makes early in S4. "He'll do anything for the city, even if he ends up being a dick for doing it." (Seat42F video of media interview with PB at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and ComicBookResources article, page 68 of Starling City Times thread) (to be continued)

'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Season 3 Begins Production Marc Strom Jul 24, 2015 http://marvel.com/news/tv/24933/marvels_agents_of_shield_season_3_begins_production

SUMMARY OF SEASON 4 INFO REVEALED BY EPS & CAST AT SDCC 2015 + S4 SPOILERS Team Arrow (part 5 of 23) -- TA will be moving into "an absolutely amazing" new hideout, fit for the show's growing ensemble. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- In Oliver's absence, Diggle is "the de facto leader of Team Arrow" and he's leading the team with Speedy and BC, and they're protecting Starling City. They're a "well-oiled machine" and they're very good at what they do. But HIVE takes it to another level. (Seat42F video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and ComicBook article, page 67 of Starling City Times article) -- DR: “In 4.01, Diggle – de facto the leader of the team – Speedy, and Black Canary are the team, and they are a well-oiled machine. You are going to see that right at the beginning, even without Arrow. It’s a very good piece of writing, because we are doing it even without him, so why does he have to come back? That’s part of the story of 4.01.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 67 of Starling City TImes thread) -- Per DR, in Oliver's absence, Diggle will be in control "for a time." DR: "At the beginning of season four, you see a very well-oiled Team Arrow without Arrow. But we will be requiring, obviously, Arrow's help very very soon because we're going to be facing a major nemesis this season - actually, many villains this season." (DC All Access video of interview with Arrow cast, page 562 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- TA 2.0, composed of Diggle, Laurel and Thea (with Diggle in charge), has been handling regular crime in Starling City just fine on their own. (WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- Laurel is a full-fledged member of TA coming into S4. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WH, Thea will be part of TA, but she's new to it all so she's got a bit of a learning curve to work through. Diggle has several years on her, and Laurel's got about a year on her. They are all supposed to be very different in their training and fighting styles, except that Malcolm, Oliver and Thea are supposed to be the most similar because they were trained by the LOA. Those three are also all archers, Malcolm and Thea are master swordsmen now, and Oliver definitely knows how to use a sword. There should be conversations between Thea and Laurel about differences in their styles and "how to come back to reality from it." (FanBolt article, page 69 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: “[Oliver] left the city in very good hands... He entrusted Laurel, Diggle and Thea to mind the fort. Damien [Darhk] represents a threat that three heroes are not enough to combat.” (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) John Diggle (part 6 of 23) -- The producers promised much more focus on Diggle and Felicity, as almost co-leads with Oliver. (io9 article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per WM, one of the things they want to do in S4 is explore more individual stories with Diggle and with Felicity. (TV Fanatic video of interview with WM at SDCC 2015, page 166 of Behind the Mask thread) -- The solution to Diggle's concealment problem will be unveiled in 4x01. (Scans from TV Guide Magazine's SDCC 2015 special, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Diggle is getting a costume with a helmet. (Flicks and the City video of full Arrow panel at SDCC 2015 and ComicBook article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- DR didn't expect the new 'concealment' to be so "well-conceived". But they'd been talking about concealment for Diggle since the end of S1. (Seat42F video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; and Fangirlish video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread) -- In Oliver's absence, Diggle is the de facto leader of Team Arrow, which includes him, Speedy and BC. (Seat42F video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; ComicBook article, page 67 of Starling City Times article; TV Overmind video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 67 of Starling City TImes thread; and WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread) -- According to DR, S4 will be an important season for Diggle because his brother Andy was killed by Deadshot. (Fan tweet, page 18 of Spoilers thread) -- Diggle has a personal connection to HIVE because his brother was killed by Deadshot, who was hired by HIVE, so he has a personal interest in taking down HIVE. And the Big Bad for S4 is HIVE, DD and a few others. So Diggle's going to have a big, personal story this season. (Seat42F video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread; Fangirlish video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and ComicBook article, page 67 of Starling City Times article) -- Per DR, Lyla is going to have some developments with ARGUS that Diggle's not going to agree with. Lyla's going to get more involved in ARGUS and, by association, so will Diggle. (Fangirlish video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; Examiner article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread; and ComicBook article, page 67 of Starling City Times article) -- On Oliver's relationship with Diggle, SA: "[T]hings with Diggle are bad. They're really bad... There's certain lines you can't cross and when you do, you can't go back. And that's what Oliver did. Those were the stakes. So I really hope that that relationship can be repaired, but like you can break your leg, and you can get it fixed, and you can be like 99% of where you were, but you will have always broken your leg. Even if there's a titanium rod in there, something is broken, something is cracked." (Laura Brown video of media interview with SA at SDCC 2015, page 155 of Behind the Mask thread) -- DR: “Diggle is past being angry, it’s not just about he kidnapped my wife and left my child at home. He was pissed, but he just understands that this man does things a certain way, and that’s fine, he just can’t work with it. It’s gonna take some time to mend it.” While that may sound ominous, he followed it up with: “Both these men love each other. Yes, they do.” (Hypable article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per DR, Diggle's problem with Oliver isn't so much with kidnapping Lyla, but the fact Oliver trusted Malcolm more than his own team. Diggle's a soldier, so if Diggle can't trust Oliver in the field, then he'd rather not work with him. "It's going to take some work, but, yes, they will kiss and make up. It's just a matter of time... I don't think it'll be that big, and that's really a producer question... But it is going to be a baring of the soul. Like both of these men are going to have to be completely real and honest wth each other. In that sense, it'll be big." (Seat42F video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015, page 162 of Behind the Mask thread) -- Per DR, while the relationship between Diggle and Oliver is strained, “the bromance will continue, it’s just going to take a minute.” Also: “He’s a military guy, Diggle. He can’t trust the guy in the field next to him, it’s that simple,” Ramsey says. “He trusts Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), a known psychopath, before he trusted his own team. He put Malcolm Merylin at the head of the League of Assassins, one of the greatest and most nefarious military organizations ever created — maybe not the wisest move in the world.... “These types of moves, I think, Diggle has a problem with. [He’s] not angry, he just can’t trust him.” As for reconcilation: “They will be getting to that mending very quickly in Season 4.” (Zap2it article, page 64 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Diggle and Oliver, DR: “They are going to get married [joking]. That would be interesting. They are going to be taking a little bit of time. Both of these guys are alphas and both strong, but Oliver Queen for three years has been doing this on his own, even with a team, he gears off into his own. With a man like John Diggle, who is all about team and the unit, it just doesn’t sit well. This time, after Oliver Queen kidnapped his wife, left his child at home, and decided to trust Malcom Merlyn, who is a known psychopath, before he trusted his team, that’s just a straw that broke the camel’s back to Diggle. It’s going to take a little time for him to get in, but eventually it will. The bromance will continue, if you give it some time.” (TV Overmind video of media interview with DR at SDCC 2015 and related article, page 67 of Starling City TImes thread) -- Per MG, Diggle will not become the Green Lantern. (EW article, page 18 of Spoilers thread) (to be continued)