tv echo

I really liked the following analysis from the TV Overmind 3x20 review (posted above):

Now I'm thinking that Oliver isn't fully brainwashed/indoctrinated/whatever, but just pretends to be Evil!Oliver in order to survive. Maybe he hurts Diggle in order to save his life. He was told to "eliminate the threat", so if he didn't do anything, someone else in the LOA would've killed Diggle. So it could be that Oliver stabs Diggle severely enough that Diggle appears dead (like the Roy death fake-out), but Diggle thinks that Oliver really did try to kill him.

Spoiler Room: Scoop on Scandal, Big Bang, SHIELD, and more BY NATALIE ABRAMS Posted April 24 2015 — 3:42 PM EDT http://www.ew.com/article/2015/04/24/spoiler-room-scoop-scandal-big-bang-shield-and-more

Loved Laura Hurley's review (as usual). I agree 100% on everything she said about What Needs To Happen Next.

jbuffyangel's review of 3x20... ETERNAL FLAME - THE FALLEN ARROW 3X20 REVIEW http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/117175706408/eternal-flame-the-fallen-arrow-3x20-review

Incidentally, this review is accompanied by a really nice pic of SA (unrelated to this episode)... Arrow: 3×20 Review – The Fallen By: Alisha Bjorklund 2 hours ago http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/04/arrow-3x20-review-fallen/

Switching gears, I don't recall - but has someone commented on the Buffy/Angel aspect of the latest O/F development yet? You know, Oliver has sex with his true love and the next thing you know, he's turning evil (based on 3x21 promo).

Mordecai & Corrina make a lot of really snarky criticisms, and Corrina is a Raylicity shipper so that affects her comments on the romantic aspects of this episode (plus another Indiana Jones reference!)... Same Geek Channel Review: ‘Arrow’ Episode 320 “The Fallen” Posted on 24 April, 2015 by Mordechai Luchins http://geekdad.com/2015/04/sgc-arrow-320/

This is the second review I've read that makes an Indiana Jones comparison, but my favorite part of this review is quoted below (review also includes some nice still shots from this episode)... Arrow: The Fallen Recap – Rebirths and Olicity Romantic Moments By Autumn Topping @SilverPetticoat · On April 23, 2015 http://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2015/04/23/arrow-the-fallen-recap-rebirths-and-olicity-romantic-moments/ Steamy, right? Evil eyes, right?

You have to handwave it. Just like you had to handwave that light-hearted scene where Laurel and Cisco were yukking it up over her Black Canary name... a moment that should've been more somber because it should've reminded them both of her dead sister. I actually don't think the name of the Canary Cry is the problem. I think the bigger problem is that this season was supposed to be about Laurel's identity journey culminating in her deciding to be her own kind of hero - and yet she's copying everything of Sara/Canary's.

WeMinoredInFilm's very critical review of 3x20 (most criticisms are valid, a few are less valid, imo - still a good read)... ARROW’S “THE FALLEN” (S3,EP20): SO THAT HAPPENED Posted on April 23, 2015 by Kelly Konda http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/04/23/arrows-the-fallen-s3ep20-so-that-happened/

Robert Dougherty's review of 3x20 (gives it "the most negative 9/10 review in online history")... 'Arrow' "The Fallen" Review By Robert Dougherty April 23, 2015 06:30PM EDT http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-fallen-review

I would hate it if Barbara teams up with the Ogre to get rid of Lee, and then Barbara pretends to be an innocent kidnap victim so Gordon doesn't find out she's responsible... Gotham - Episode 1.22 - All Happy Families Are Alike (Season Finale) - Promotional Photos Posted by DarkUFO at Tuesday, April 21, 2015 http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/04/gotham-episode-122-all-happy-families.html

So Gonzales has a secret as well... Agents of SHIELD - Episode 2.19 - The Dirty Half Dozen - Sneak Peek Posted by Paradox at Friday, April 24, 2015 http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/04/agents-of-shield-episode-219-dirty-half_24.html

Another great fan video (beautifully edited) using one of my all-time favorite songs -- pay attention to when the singer changes from the female voice to the male voice... Oliver & Felicity || A Thousand Year {S1-S3} Published on Apr 23, 2015, by Smoaking Queen

http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

MG's clarifications about this episode at http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

Deleted.

The EPs have said that Ra's is evil. He might've thought Sara was just a fling for Nyssa, but last year's events proved it was more than that. If Ra's' twisted thinking is that Nyssa's close relationship with Sara proved that she is now unfit to be the next Ra's because she might never have a child and continue his bloodline, then I can see him engineering Oliver's ascension. Oliver was the first guy to challenge Ra's in 67 years. So Ra's sees this young fit guy challenging him, he deliberately doesn't stab him through the heart giving Oliver a chance to survive (maybe Maseo saved him on Ra's orders), and then uses the prophecy to proclaim Oliver his Heir. Ra's then deliberately drives Nyssa away in order to force her and Oliver into a corner where they have no choice but to marry (perhaps both to save Nyssa's life and return/save Sara). Next he'll force them to have a child. It would be evil and diabolical. But can you think of a better reason for why Ra's is so insistent on having Oliver as his Heir? ETA: Maseo confessed to Ra's about helping Oliver's friends try to escape with Oliver (killing three LOA members in the process). So why wouldn't Maseo confess to Ra's about saving Oliver's life, unless he did so on Ra's' orders?

Felicity is currently in 2nd place (behind Regina of OUAT), Nyssa is in 8th place, and Laurel is in 11th place ... USD POLL : Who is the best female character in the scif/genre season of a currently running scifi/fantasy show? Posted by DarkUFO at Friday, April 24, 2015 http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/04/usd-poll-who-is-best-female-character.html

I hope that this season ends happily for Oliver and Felicity. Then, if the EPs make their relationship go to pieces next season, I can just stop watching and pretend that the series ended after three seasons.

The EPs have said that seasons 1-3 are a trilogy of sorts. That, plus the title of 3x23, indicate to me that this season will end happily for Oliver and Felicity. I mean, why would you end your trilogy unhappily for your main couple? So I can see this trilogy wrapping up various storylines for the various characters in a good way - and then the last scene of 3x23 ominously sets up the Big Bad for season 4. If the EPs hadn't made that trilogy comment, I would be more inclined to think that this season ends in a shocker or cliffhanger - for example, the driving off into the sunset scene is in Oliver's imagination as part of a montage of lost hopes, as he fully takes charge of the LOA (because Ra's is dead) and is married to Nyssa.

On page 3 of this thread (here), I posted the youtube video of the love scene as it aired in the U.S.

Nice gif commentary on Oliver's cluelessness as to what makes Felicity happy... http://amell-daily.tumblr.com/post/117191854928/oliver-you-idiot-you-are-her-happiness

In the ETonline article posted in the Spoiler thread, the following non-spoilery explanation is provided: "As we teased, there was a very good reason why Felicity never reciprocated Oliver’s 'I love you’s' until tonight. 'That was very deliberate,' [MG] added. 'We were holding that back this season, the same way we were holding back them sleeping together. We wanted it to be part and parcel for that moment.'” ETA: What apinknightmare said above.