tv echo

Nice screencap from 3x20.. (source) BTW, even The CW Arrow's tumblr page is showing an animated gif set of the 3x20 O/F love scene... http://thecwarrow.tumblr.com/post/117127293571/the-moment-youve-all-been-waiting-for#notes Other gif sets from 3x20: http://thecwarrow.tumblr.com/

‘Arrow’ season 3, episode 20: Felicity’s top moments Caitlin Kelly 11:00 am, April 26, 2015 http://www.hypable.com/arrow-3x20-felicity-top-moments/

I think Oliver hates Malcolm and hates what Malcolm has done to Thea. But he's concerned with keeping Thea safe. Oliver won't be around anymore to protect Thea, so his options are limited. Malcolm loves Thea in his own twisted way, and Malcolm is a trained LOA assassin. Diggle is a good fighter, but Malcolm is better. Diggle also has his own family to protect. Felicity is not a trained fighter. Laurel or Ray? Thea is probably a better fighter than both of them at this point. Roy is elsewhere. Don't get me wrong - I think Malcolm's whole 'redemption arc' and lack of punishment for his horrific crimes is pure plot contrivance to keep JB on the show. But this whole season is filled with illogic.

And that's why I said Malcolm would go along to watch over Thea. In this episode's good-bye scene, when Oliver told Thea that Malcolm would take her back to Starling City, he looked at Malcolm, and Malcolm looked back. Oliver was silently turning over the care and protection of Thea to Malcolm because Oliver would no longer be there to watch over her. I think Malcolm understood and accepted that charge.

Yes, I know, Emertainment Monthly is a college entertainment magazine, but I still like some of this writer's episode analyses (despite her tendency to praise everything)... ‘Arrow’ Review/Recap: “The Fallen” Posted on April 26, 2015 By Nora Dominick ‘17 http://emertainmentmonthly.com/2015/04/26/arrow-reviewrecap-the-fallen/

Plus Thea and Malcolm... assuming she's not crazy, I can see Oliver's sacrifice motivating Thea to take up his cause. Malcolm would go along to watch over Thea.

Five Stages of Watching A Marvel Movie - HISHE Features: OnlyLeigh

Ryan McGee (TV critic for HitFix and ScreenCrush) is no longer writing Arrow episode reviews, but here are some of his tweets about the latest episode (3x20)...

Apparently his wife was there... (source)

Laura Hurley's "deleted scenes" from her 3x20 review... Deleted Scenes From “Arrow S03E20: What worked, what didn’t, and what needs to happen next” http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/post/117371256541/deleted-scenes-from-arrow-s03e20-what-worked

SA sounds drunk (don't know where this was shot)... Stephen Amell Talks Olicity Sex Scene Published on Apr 26, 2015, by clipsbykim

The above released 3x20 script page says: "Heart racing, gazing into his eyes,nothing else matters... as she kisses him. The kiss to end all kisses. Oliver kissing her back." So as scripted, Felicity is the one who initiates the kiss. But as aired, it's Oliver who initiates the kiss. I wonder if the change was due to SA's unscripted action of removing Felicity's glasses.

CR on Mama Smoak... Charlotte Ross in 'Arrow' & Making 'Best Friends' with Homeless Pets APRIL 24, 2015 – 12:17 PM http://parade.com/392754/stephaniestephens/charlotte-ross-in-arrow-making-best-friends-with-homeless-pets/

Pics of DR at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo 2015 (C2E2) on Friday 24th April 2015: http://www.contactmusic.com/david-ramsey/pictures/7e96e2ee/david-ramsey-chicago-comic-entertainment-expo-2015-c2e2-chicago-_4695517

While I don't think jbuffyangel's twin flames/twin souls interpretation is accurate, I do think she's not completely off the mark that the two candles meant something. I doubt that the EPs/director were thinking Plato or soulmates. However, I do think the camera panning to the two lit candles was deliberate and that the two lights were intended to represent Oliver and Felicity. (Just like the way the camera deliberately panned to place the background torch light directly centered behind Oliver and Felicity during their good-bye kiss.) Light symbolism has been repeatedly used throughout this series, both in visuals (like when Oliver & Felicity are hugging or kissing) and in words (like "you need someone who can harness the light in you"). I think they use light to represent humanity - usually (but not always) Oliver's humanity. So I think the two lighted candles were meant to represent Oliver and Felicity's humanity, glowing bright during their most human and intimate connection. The question is whether you equate one's humanity with one's soul - whether Oliver's struggle to retain his humanity is a struggle to save his soul.

This post is proof that I spend way too much time thinking about Arrow... In 3x21, Diggle will say (of Oliver): "There's only one thing left of him now - us." For some reason, that made my mind wander to Harry Potter. Pieces of Voldermort's soul were left in various objects (including living beings such as the snake and Harry), which was why Voldermort was so difficult to kill. As long as a horcrux containing a piece of his soul remained intact, he remained alive. At the end of 3x20, during the branding ceremony, Ra's said to Oliver, "Embrace the pain, for it is your soul finally being unburdened. Oliver Queen is dead. Eventually to be reborn as Ra's al Ghul. But for now, only the Arrow, Al Sah-him, shall remain." So I"m thinking that Diggle, Felicity and Thea are now the (figurative) horcruxes for the remaining pieces of Oliver's soul (what's left of 'Oliver Queen'). As long as they remain alive, Oliver Queen remains alive. In order for Oliver Queen to die completely, Ra's must destroy these three people. As long as they live, hope remains for Oliver that he'll see them again and that he'll someday find a way out of becoming the next Ra's - so a sliver of Oliver Queen remains inside him, perhaps deeply buried. But if Felicity, Thea and Diggle all die, then all hope for Oliver Queen will die. Of course, the other side of the argument is that Felicity, Thea and Diggle are like 'hostages' for Oliver's good behavior and obedience to Ra's al Ghul, so Ra's can't touch them or Oliver will rebel. But perhaps after the brainwashing/drugging/whatever is completed, Ra's will so confident that the process was successful in transforming Oliver into the Arrow, that he won't need these 'hostages' anymore. That hubris could lead to Ra's' downfall.

http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

Non-spoilery MG comments at http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

Caity Lotz will be a featured guest at the Superman Celebration to be held June 11-14, 2015, in Metropolis, IL... http://www.supermancelebration.net/ http://www.supermansupersite.com/04241115.html

SoundOnSight's review (Randy really hates the LOA storyline and how Felicity's agency has been removed this season)... Arrow, Ep. 3.20: “The Fallen” crumbles under the weight of its own absurdities Posted on April 23, 2015 By Randy Dankievitch http://www.soundonsight.org/arrow-season-3-episode-20-the-fallen/

'Arrow' Promotes 'The Fallen' Co-Writer Wendy Mericle To Co-Show Runner By Robert Dougherty Apr 24, 2015 12:15 PM http://www.themovienetwork.com/article/arrow-promotes-fallen-co-writer-wendy-mericle-co-show-runner

3x20 review by the two USA Today romance authors... Romance authors on latest 'Arrow': Can't wait! Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent, Special for USA TODAY 12:20 a.m. EDT April 25, 2015 http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/04/25/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-arrow-the-fallen/26350573/

Pics of PB and CH (and RC) from the Queen's Rebellion in Germany... https://twitter.com/paulblackthorne

From the GreenArrowTV link posted in the Spoilers thread (cutest baby ever!)...