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OK, so he went to duel Ra's to save both Thea and SC. But, IIRC, he didn't know that he would be expected to destroy SC until Ra's told him in 3x22.

I thought Oliver went into this situation originally to save Starling City. Ra's threatens to destroy SC if Oliver doesn't surrender Sara's killer. Oliver goes to duel Ra's. He loses but survives, and returns to train with Malcolm in anticipation of a second duel with Ra's. Ra's finds out Oliver is alive and makes him the offer to become his Heir because of the prophecy. Ra's stabs Thea, forcing Oliver's capitulation. Oliver and Malcolm plot to have Oliver dismantle the LOA from the inside. Ra's tells Oliver that he has to wed Nyssa and then destroy SC with the virus. Oliver sends Malcolm to TA to get help. I agree Felicity will forgive Oliver, but Diggle will take longer to reconcile with Oliver, and that both will have trust issues going forward. I would also add that Felicity has always been concerned more for Oliver's soul/humanity than he has been (you're not a killer, there's got to be another way, you're a hero). Knowing that he didn't succumb completely to the darkness of the LOA will make her happy.

For anyone who cares, Sam Heughan is the winner of Alpha Male Madness 2015 (with 66.34% of the vote)... It's Official! The Most Beloved TV Actor Is... by LAUREN PIESTER and KRISTIN DOS SANTOS Wed., May. 6, 2015 3:06 PM PDT http://www.eonline.com/news/653461/it-s-official-the-most-beloved-tv-actor-is

If it is legally binding, then it could either (1) be annulled during the summer hiatus (shown in the 3.5 comics, referenced in 4x01) and then it would be over before S4 began, or (2) continue into S4 for some plot reason. I don't recall... has MG ever outright lied to us (as opposed to skirting an answer)?

I'm thinking the line in the season finale will indicate that the marriage is legally binding (unfortunately). Otherwise, why would MG have previously said that they haven't decided yet whether to have the marriage carry into S4? If it's clear in the finale that it's not binding, then there's no question.

JustAboutWrite's review of 3x22 (too lengthy to quote all the parts I wanted to quote)... Arrow 3x22 "This Is Your Sword" (Lessons Hard Taught) http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2015/05/arrow-3x22-this-is-your-sword-lessons.html

'Arrow' Recap: 10 Epic Moments From 'This Is Your Sword' Adam Bellotto May 7th, 2015 9:37am EDT http://www.starpulse.com/news/Adam_Bellotto/2015/05/07/arrow-recap-10-epic-moments-from-this-?page=1

Robert Dougherty's review of 3x22 (gives it a score of 2/10 - ouch!) - warning: rest of article inludes a spoiler... Arrow S3: E22 -- 'This Is Your Sword' By Robert Dougherty May 07, 2015 08:07AM EDT http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-s3-e22-your-sword

For comics fans... Arrow Season 3, Episode 22 Watch: DCU Connections And Easter Eggs BY JESSE CARP 6 HOURS AGO http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Arrow-Season-3-Episode-22-Watch-DCU-Connections-Easter-Eggs-71736.html Arrow: Easter Eggs and DC Comics References In "This Is Your Sword" By Russ Burlingame 05/06/2015 http://comicbook.com/2015/05/06/arrow-easter-eggs-and-dc-comics-references-in-this-is-your-sword/

EW's generally positive review of 3x22... 'This is Your Sword' Arrow Ep. 22 | Aired May 06 Posted May 6 2015 — 11:30 PM EDT BY CHANCELLOR AGARD http://www.ew.com/recap/arrow-season-3-episode-22

Stating the obvious (Eonline reviewer gives four reasons why Team Arrow is not dead and Oliver is not evil after 3x22)... Is Arrow's Oliver Really Evil? Why We're Totally Not Buying that Crazy Cliffhanger by SYDNEY BUCKSBAUM Wed., May. 6, 2015 6:00 PM PDT http://www.eonline.com/news/654274/is-arrow-s-oliver-really-evil-why-we-re-totally-not-buying-that-crazy-cliffhanger

Regarding Felicity being given ownership of PT - It's the way this show works... Oliver was head of QC last season, Thea was running Verdant as an 18-year-old, and Laurel became the Acting D.A. even though she was the newbie in the D.A.'s Office.

Vulture review of 3x22... Arrow Recap: Here Comes the Brood By Jenny Raftery May 7, 2015 8:44 a.m http://www.vulture.com/2015/05/arrow-recap-season-3-episode-22.html

Yahoo review of 3x22 (I think the reviewer meant Season 4)... 'Arrow' Recap: Wedding Bells for Oliver Robert Chan May 7, 2015 https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-this-is-your-sword-118343331495.html

In the Behind the Scenes thread, we were talking about the superhero fight club promo, and I speculated about how that promo and related montage poster were probably aimed at attracting new (male) viewers - who might find the costumed characters more appealing. Here's a new interview with MP (there's more than what I've quoted)... Q&A: CW President Mark Pedowitz Gets Guys "How the network's fortunes changed in a Flash" By Jason Lynch May 7, 2015, 8:02 AM EDT http://www.adweek.com/news/television/qa-cw-president-mark-pedowitz-gets-guys-164297

Yes. The LOA priestess says, "There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony, your souls are bound together, forever joined. You will never be free. You will always be held captive by your love for each other." Then Nyssa tries to stab Oliver, but he stops her and says "Continue." Cut to Diggle and Felicity. Cut back to LOA priestess saying, "We offer blessings. The union is sealed."

Oliver Queen's other names [uPDATED]... S1: Ollie, the Vigilante, the Hood S2: the Arrow S3: the Arrow, "Tommy", Al Sah-Him ('arrow' in Arabic), Heir to the Demon, Warith al Ghul ('heir to the demon' in Arabic), Ibn al Ghul ('son of the demon' in Arabic) No Russian or Chinese names that I've found.

From 3x22... Felicity (about Malcolm): “He’s a mass murderer who’s lied to us so many times, it should be a drinking game.” Ra's al Ghul: "You are Warith al Ghul, Heir to the Demon. Before the night is over, you will be Ibn al Ghul. Son of the Demon." LOA Priestess: "There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony, your souls are bound together, forever joined. You will never be free. You will always be held captive by your love for each other... We offer blessings. The union is sealed."

Although it's implied that Ray signed over ownership of Palmer Technologies to Felicity, I think there's room for the possibility that he gave the company to Oliver and just needed two officers' signatures to make the document legal (you know, maybe the company bylaws require two officers to sign off on any transaction that major, and he already got shareholders' approval). As for Felicity signing the document without reading it, she has been working with Ray for several months now and they've developed a trust relationship. She's probably signed a lot of documents for him by now, probably read them in the beginning and then had to sign a lot of routine documents for him to keep the company running. She probably thought it was just another routine document. He did say to her, "Just a little corporate stuff, Miss Vice President." As for Ray's motive - Ray only took over Queen Consolidated because he wanted something that QC had in order to make his Atom suit work (which is also why he wanted Felicity in the beginning). Now he has a working Atom suit and doesn't need the company. "Palmer Technologies" is just what he renamed QC. As a billionaire, he probably has a lot of companies all over the world and maybe even a main headquarters somewhere called Palmer Inc. (probably the new lair for the Spinoff). He did seem to leave Starling City a lot. As for Felicity's qualifications to run the company - From the name "Palmer Technologies", Ray has apparently converted QC into a technology company. Felicity is certainly more qualified to run a technology company than Oliver was to run QC (or Pepper Potts was to run Stark Industries). This would be more akin to Lucius Fox taking charge of running Wayne Enterprises. Additional Notes: --Ra's may have ordered his assassins to capture (and not kill) Team Arrow so that he could interrogate them as to who leaked his plan. That would explain the assassins' half-assed fighting. --The whole scene between Tatsu and Maseo (the fight, then his death) was one of the best on the show. --Just wanted to add that, with the Roy/Thea scene, we again have a guy abandoning the girl in bed after sex and again have the guy making the decision about their relationship, leaving the girl without a say in it. ETA: Posts below prove that Ray did indeed transfer ownership of the company to Felicity. My other comments still stand.

I am less concerned about the technicalities of annulling the (unconsummated) marriage than I am about why the EPs would even consider letting the marriage continue (since MG has said that they aren't sure yet whether to let the marriage carry into S4)... When I was watching the wedding ceremony, I was thinking 'wow, those words are pretty serious-sounding.' Then I had the extremely cringe-worthy thought that maybe the EPs were going to use some magical crap and have those words (magically) emotionally bond Nyssa & Oliver together going forward into next season. However, given the backlash over the forced wedding, I don't see how they could possibly go this route. "There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony, your souls are bound together, forever joined. You will never be free. You will always be held captive by your love for each other."

Here's a completely insane idea - Felicity or Diggle is exposed to the deadly virus and, dying, crawls into the Lazarus Pit (virus mixes with LP water)... and emerges as a new DC superhero! Or wait - Ray is the one who does this... and emerges with the ability to shrink! Yeah, I know MG has already said that Felicity and Diggle won't be turning into costumed superheroes, but my brain is fried at this point, trying to figure out where this season is going to end up.

They would be getting on the jet to escape the virus which was unleashed on Nanda Parbat (the contaminated area). But I really don't think this is what will happen. It would make Oliver both callous and cowardly.

Ugh... so maybe tonite's ep. ends with Felicity, Diggle, Laurel, Tatsu, Maseo, Ray and nameless assassins collapsed all over Nanda Parbat, while Ra's, Oliver and Nyssa escape in the jet. Oliver leaving his friends behind like that would be difficult to forgive (irredeemable).

Damn... so Oliver does actually marry Nyssa. And his brainwashing is still ambiguous by the end of tonite's episode. Double damn. I wonder if the insane cliffhanger that this episode ends on is Team Arrow being exposed to the virus?

The TVLine comments are actually pretty interesting to read - so thx for pointing them out, AyChihuahua...