tv echo

Thanks. As suggested, I reported this problem in the Bugs forum, and it now looks like it was corrected (fingers crossed): http://forums.previously.tv/topic/52748-fixed-last-post-date-is-correct-in-topic-list-view/

The above is what I posted in the Heartaches, etc. thread (in response to discussion about how they used plots originally planned for O/L for O/F in previous seasons). But that made me think of this... If indeed Tina becomes the New Black Canary, then it'll be interesting to see how her introduction to Oliver compares to how BC meets GA in the new GA Rebirth comics. That'll maybe provide a clue as to where Arrow is thinking of going in the future. Tina debuts in 511, titled "Second Chances." In the GA Rebirth comics, there's apparently this dialogue: https://www.inverse.com/article/26336-green-arrow-black-canary-shipping-dc-romance-rebirth Coincidence?

I think the problem is that the head EPs are all so busy with multiple projects that they just don't have the time to devote much thought or attention to Arrow. So they fall back on pre-planned story arcs or comics-based stories.

Other recent vids/pics from T3 Athletics...

What Gotham's Riddler Will Look Like, According To Cory Michael Smith Nick Venable Jan. 18, 2017 http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1613630/what-gothams-riddler-will-look-like-according-to-cory-michael-smith When Gotham's Catwoman Will Start To Show Up, According To The Actress Laura Hurley Jan. 19, 2017 http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1614690/when-gothams-catwoman-will-start-to-show-up-according-to-the-actress

It's amazing what a difference a good role and good writing can make. Take Luke Mitchell, for example... On The Tomorrow People, his character John Young was interesting and charismatic - arguably the best thing on that show. Then on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, his character Lincoln Campbell was bland, barely there and disposable. He had few lines and fewer layers. Now on Blindspot, his character Roman is complicated, conflicted and ambiguous - his sibling relationship with Jane is arguably the most interesting storyline of that show this season.

SA's video is from Jan. 17. The other posts are from Jan. 18...

CW 2017 Midseason Sizzle | The CW Published on Jan 18, 2017, by The CW Television Network

The Walking Dead: Exclusive photo teases new character and location DALTON ROSS JANUARY 18, 2017 AT 12:00PM EST http://ew.com/tv/2017/01/18/walking-dead-season-7-new-character-location-photo/

As I mentioned before, in the midseason finales of both Arrow and Gotham, the hero killed his ex's new love interest. In Oliver Queen's case, his ex's new love interest was a good guy and Oliver was tricked into killing him by the Big Bad. In Jim Gordon's case, his ex's new love interest had been infected with a nasty drug and turned into a bad guy, and Jim intentionally killed him to save his ex's life. As for the exes' reaction, Felicity immediately understood that Oliver was not to blame, but instead blamed Prometheus. Lee, however, did not know that her new husband had turned bad or that her life had been in danger, so she hated Jim for killing him. However, I won't say more, in case you haven't yet watched last night's episode of Gotham (first episode back after the break). I just find these similar but dissimilar storylines on two different DC shows interesting.

So Arrow couldn't use Harley Quinn, but now Gotham will be introducing a Harley Quinn precursor in its season finale... Gotham Mega Buzz: Harley Quinn Is Coming Sooner Than You Think by Megan Vick | Jan 16, 2017 4:00 PM EST http://www.tvguide.com/news/gotham-spoilers-harley-quinn-season-3-finale/

Arrow is currently in 8th place (poll ends Jan. 24)... Poll: Help us rank The CW’s currently airing shows from best to worst SELINA WILKEN JANUARY 17, 2017 http://www.hypable.com/cw-ranking-arrow-supernatural-the-100-flash-supergirl-jane-izombie/

Some of this was already reported... TCA Winter 2017 Tour: Quick Takes from the CW Presentations ByTiffany Vogt Posted on January 16, 2017 http://www.seat42f.com/tca-winter-2017-tour-quick-takes-from-the-cw-presentations.html

We did see Human Target in that Russian flashback scene. Hey, maybe Talia is the mother of Prometheus, Susan and Human Target. They're secret triplets!

I thought the cast of The Force Awakens was cute. But I liked the cast of Rogue One better. All the hype and promotion of Riverdale is actually turning me off from watching the show when it debuts next week.

Well, Oliver did not hesitate to tell Samantha he's GA, invited her into the Arrow cave and exposed the identities of the rest of the team, even though he hadn't seen Samantha in 10 years and she had deceived him about his son. So Oliver's stupidity knows no bounds. Btw, do we even know what Samantha does for a living?

But if they give Iris an independent storyline or make her more than just Barry's love interest/backbone, then there'll be complaints that The Flash is turning into Iris & Friends. I mean, this season is already turning The Flash into more soap opera than superhero show. There's too much focus on Barry & Iris as a romantic couple, then Barry sees a future where Iris is killed, and now the rest of the season will be Barry saving Iris... (*) Oh wait - I forgot. No one will complain because we're not talking about Arrow and Felicity. (* In case anyone can't tell, I'm being sarcastic.)

My ADDENDUM #5 TO SUMMARY OF S5 SPOILERS BY TOPIC (posted yesterday) has been moved to the Season 5 Spoiler Archive thread. Thanks, mods! ETA: Curious, though, that thread (under "SORT BY") indicates the last post added was Dec. 6, 2016, not Jan. 16, 2017.

Here's a wild idea... Prometheus is indeed Justin Claybourne's son - but his mother is Talia al Ghul! So - according to various papp tweets, 515 includes a rooftop fight scene... Yawn. Btw, Canadagraphs was bashing Olicity again...

Radcliffe Reveals His Master Plan for May in This Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sneak Peek by BILLY NILLES | Mon, Jan 16, 2017 11:00 AM http://www.eonline.com/news/822396/radcliffe-reveals-his-master-plan-for-may-in-this-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-sneak-peek

Steven Moffat speaks out on Sherlock's future: "It rather depends on our two stars" MORGAN JEFFERY 17 JANUARY 2017 http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/sherlock/news/a819195/sherlock-series-5-steven-moffat-speaks-out-benedict-cumberbatch-martin-freeman/

Pics and full audio of SA/DR panel at Wizard World New Orleans on Jan. 8 (audio recording is 32:55 min. long, I only transcribed some portions that were not previously posted in this thread)... ComicCon-ing: Arrow Panel at Wizard World New Orleans Posted on January 10, 2017 by Kurt from Nola Nerd Couple https://nolanerdcouple.com/2017/01/10/comiccon-ing-arrow-panel-at-wizard-world-new-orleans/ -- On their most challenging, craziest fight scene, SA mentioned his 309 duel with Ra's al Ghul because he's "not a swordsman" and "it was freezing cold." DR mentioned his S1 fight with China White because her stunt double was an acrobat from the circus, she was "really fast" and he "wasn't." -- SA talked about how he now learns fight scenes for the show. Bamford's team will tell him about the piece coming up and that he needs to learn 8 moves. He'll then learn those moves and they'll shoot the scene. SA: -- SA talked a little about his WWE fight with Cody Rhodes. It was a "top 10 moment" for him. -- Fan gave a shout-out to Blue Bloods, which DR is on. -- DR again jokingly, sarcastically thanked Barry Allen for giving Diggle a son now instead of a daughter. -- SA: -- On whether we'll see any more characters with a Russian background pop up, SA: -- On reading the 509 script and finding out that Laurel was coming back, SA: "It's a good thing, you know, that that was our 101st episode. It's a really good thing that I still read the scripts and go, 'Whoaa!' Like that. And I had no idea. No one was talking to me, and I immediately e-mailed the producers and was like, 'end of 509, laurel, question mark, exclamation point, question mark, exclamation point, question mark, exclamation point.' And, uh, they explained it and that's a pretty cool story arc." -- In response to fan saying he really wanted Prometheus to be Tommy and asking for a teaser as to Prometheus' identity, DR: "That would be dope actually." SA:

I'm posting this here because Nina Dobrev's role in the new Vin Diesel movie, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, is apparently a lot like Felicity Smoak (watch the featurette below!), so the point of my post is - I guess you could say - Felicity Smoak's legacy in Hollywood... http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/xxx-return-of-xander-cage-movie-review-though-silly-in-parts-deepika-padukones-hollywood-debut-is-a-treat-for-her-fans/ http://www.melty.fr/xxx-3-vin-diesel-et-nina-dobrev-sur-une-photo-officielle-du-film-a517162.html (English translation) xXx: Return of Xander Cage | Featurette: Nina Dobrev | Paramount Pictures International

Some of these shows sound really interesting... USD POLL : What CW shows in development do you hope makes it to series ? Posted by DarkUFO at January 16, 2017 http://www.spoilertv.com/2017/01/usd-poll-what-cw-shows-in-development.html

To read the original Summary of S5 Spoilers By Topic and all Addenda, go to Season 5 Spoiler Archive thread... ADDENDUM #5 TO SUMMARY OF S5 SPOILERS BY TOPIC S5 Directors and Number of Episodes -- On how many more episodes he's hoping to direct, James Bamford: "That’s it for the season. The rest of the season is booked. It’s pretty much usually booked at the beginning of the year. We have a bunch of new directors. Not new, per se, to the business, but new to the show. They bring with them different talents and viewpoints. I’m looking forward to working with all of them." (Nov. 30, 2016 CBR article, page 49 of Spoiler thread) -- Eric Goldman tweeted: "While they are doing more shows with shorter runs, Pedowitz says he feels the DC shows lend themselves to 22-23 episode seasons. #TCA17." (TCA Winter Press Tour, Jan. 8, 2017: TheEricGoldman tweet, page 243 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) S5 Theme of Legacy -- On why it was important to make Oliver's past actions as the S1 killer a key element in S5, WM: "We’ve been talking about legacy and now in Season 5 the show is becoming reflective a bit. The creators have always kind of known where we were going by Season 5. Oliver is definitely taking stock in terms of his life. It also points out that the show, at its core, is about a guy who puts on a mask, and goes out and acts like judge, jury and executioner in terms of fighting crime. And in terms of the real-world context, that has real consequences. We felt collectively and morally, we shouldn’t shy away from it." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity's dark turn being tied into the S5 legacy theme, MG: "As with all things Arrow, it’s not initially what you think it is and it will ultimately relate to the overall season theme of legacy, but in this case something very specific to Felicity." (Jan. 8, 2017 Collider article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) Arrow's Legacy -- On whether there is something in particular that she's particularly proud of that points to Arrow’s legacy, WM: "I would say, one of the most interesting and most challenging aspects about the show is that we didn’t allow it, from the get-go, the show was never one specific genre or type of storytelling. And that makes it very hard to break and very challenging to write., but I think that’s what keeps it interesting. ... We have so many elements coming into any given episode. There’s the procedural element, the superhero element, the fun of that. We always have an emotional core to the storytelling. and I think that’s a good part of the secret sauce. Always making sure we know why Oliver’s punching someone in Act Five. It’s not just about the action. It’s about his emotional story for the episode. and his larger emotional arc. And for me, that’s what set it apart. Coming on from the beginning, as I did, it was mind-blowing. That was very different for TV at that time. Previous shows I worked on, you always knew what you were doing. It was a law show, or it was Desperate Housewives, there was a template for how this stuff had gotten done. ... For this show, there was none. There was no template. We were constantly reinventing the wheel. That makes I think, for very compelling storytelling and people staying interested. You don’t know what you’re going to get." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Back to Basics With Crime and Corruption -- On bringing the show back to the more street-level stories after last season’s more otherworldly plots, WM: "Yeah, I mean, I absolutely do. I think the show lives in … Star City, it lives in the underworld of crime we established in Seasons 1 and 2. We necessarily went towards R'as al Ghul and the League of Assassins and then magic and Damien Darhk in Seasons 3 and 4; this season is a "back to basics," as you said, but I think it has more resonance [now] because we did move away from it in past years. For as much as we really enjoyed it, but if we would have stayed [with the same approach] through Seasons 3 and 4, then it wouldn’t be a return now. It would just be the same thing we had been doing. It’s been really fun to go back to this style of storytelling, but it was fun to explore other areas as well." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- James Bamford: "In the show, we’ve tried to recapture certain aspects of Season One and the grit. It was really nice to be able to start off the season and set the tone and somewhat reinvent – or bring back – the original Arrowesque feel. I’m here to help the other directors in following through with the intent coming into this season. Of course, I’d love to do more episodes, but you can’t do everything." (Nov. 30, 2016 CBR article, page 49 of Spoiler thread) Unspecified Episode Plots -- On Dec. 7, 2016, when asked for two truths and one lie for new episodes in 2017, SA: "There's a road trip - a boys' trip, as a matter of fact, where we're looking for a girl. Uhhm, there is a resurrection. And, there is, um - something we dedicated early in the season is destroyed." (SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 13, 2016, Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "In the middle of writing an emotionally exhausting, forebodingly dark, joyously unorthodox episode of #Arrow. Loving every minute of it." (briforsul tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 8, 2017, from fan report on SA/DR panel at Wizard World New Orleans: SA said that the whole team goes back to Russia in a future episode. He and DR stressed the whole team, which fan guessed was a joke about the newbies and Tina coming along. (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: way2interested post, page 1291 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 12, 2017, SA: "We have a couple of episodes coming up that are really fun. Um. A couple of episodes that I'm barely in the Arrow suit, which is not to say that the action is lower. It's just different." (SA facebook video, page 519 of Social Media thread) S5 Flashbacks -- In 2012, the EPs expected the series to end after 5 years, with the image of Oliver spying the fishing boat that would rescue him from Lian Yu, at the close of his torturous five-year odyssey away from Starling City. However, now that the show is expected to run past five years, that has changed. MG: “Spoiler alert. That’s going to end up being the Season 5 finale." Also MG: “It was really just a hope at that point [in 2012] that the show would run five years... and we always thought that we would intercut the final moment of the series with the first moment of the series, that it would form one big Moebius strip. ... There’s still a part of me that wishes we could do that... But I wouldn’t want to artificially extend the flashbacks [beyond five seasons], and I also wouldn’t want to artificially cut the show short. It would’ve been a beautifully elegant thing, and Five Years Ago Me would’ve loved it. But things change, and I do think it’ll make the Season 5 finale pretty awesome.” However, this doesn't mean that S5 will end quietly and poetically with bedraggled Oliver peering over that craggy ridge, setting eyes on salvation. MG: “Look, we have some incredibly clear for what we want to do in the Season 5 finale... At the same time, we always leave ourselves room to be like, ‘…and throw this cliffhanger in, throw that twist in.’ Usually the craziest ideas on this show tend to be the ones that the ideas sort of linger, and we never really quite set on them. Like, ‘Oh, maybe we’ll kill off Tommy?’ We don’t fully commit until we’re pretty much breaking the episode.” (Dec. 4, 2016 TVLine article, page 1243 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- MG: "But the island story, which is a continuing story unlike the other flashbacks I’ve mentioned, will end in Season 5." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "We basically went into this season with the expectation that we would get a sixth season and we basically decided that this would be the last year of the island-centric flashbacks. I think, going forward flashbacks are still a part of the show and we’ve seen in plenty of episodes we’ve done non-island, non-Russia flashbacks with Felicity…and we’re doing that again on 5.13, we’re going to flashback to Renee’s period before he was Wild Dog. That’s a tool in our toolbox. I don’t think we have an expectation to do a flashback every single episode of season 6, but again, it’s part and parcel of the show and we’ll just continue going on the way we are." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider tweet & article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On what's coming up this season with the Bratva flashbacks, WM: "We’re definitely … we’re having so much fun in Russia. It’s been one of my favorite seasons of flashbacks, being in the Bratva. It’s something we’ve long wanted to tell and I think it’s very compelling and different. We’re not on the island. That said, we know we’re going to sync up with the pilot at some point so I can definitely tell you we’ll be back on the island. Can’t say for how long but we will definitely be back there at some point." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether we'll see flashbacks of Oliver in other places besides Russia, WM: "Regarding other flashbacks … yeah. On the island and … maybe a few other places, but I can’t tell you where or when. They may or may not be four years ago. They might be a bit more recent than that." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Effect of Flashpoint -- On whether there'll be more Flashpoint changes for Arrow, MG shared that “there’s a fair amount of discussion” about the subject in 509. MG:“[The characters] deal with — in some humorous ways, actually — some of the ramifications. For example, I think Curtis is concerned that maybe he was straight, originally.” On whether Barry’s voicemail is directly tied to Flashpoint or referencing more changes that the speedster makes down the road, AK offered this cryptic tease: “The message from the future relates to Flashpoint, but it also may relate to something else coming up.” (Dec. 1, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether we've seen the end of how Flashpoint impacts Star City, or whether there is still more to come in the second half of the season, WM: "I think so. It’s one of those things … and speaking as someone who doesn’t come from a comic book background or even much of a sci-fi background … that is a tricky thing to talk about. ... He’s reset reality on another show! I think for us as storytellers on Arrow, where we try to stay more grounded and not try to veer too much into that territory, I think I can’t say that it’s over, but I will say that anything we would do in the future we would try to keep as grounded and … contained as we have this season, with respect to … especially with Digg and his son." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Big 4-Shows Crossover Event (Arrow/Flash/LoT/Supergirl) -- GB: "The [100th] episode is very much a love letter and, uh, kind of a 'what if' for Oliver. And there's lots to reflect on and, obviously, there's been a lot of big traumatic things that have happened to him in his life, so... it has it's own kind of 'It's a Wonderful Life' feel, which I like." (KSiteTV video interview of GB at 100th Episode Celebration, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On why Arrow's 100th episode was also the crossover, MG: "That was the challenge was just how much to service the 100th episode-ness and how much to service the crossover... I think it’s pretty obvious that we chose to go 100th episode, but it was totally a challenge. It was Greg [Berlanti]’s idea to have our five Arrow people and basically enter them into — we call it the matrix, lowercase 'm' — the Dominator matrix, and that allowed us to have our cake and eat it, too. This was sort of Oliver’s version of Flashpoint and it’s a little bit the version of Oliver’s version of 'The Girl Who Has Everything' from last year’s Supergirl. There’s a reason why these stories are iconic or familiar tropes even in comic books. It’s because when you show the protagonist the path not taken and you basically put them in the situation where they can choose to stay on that path or go back to their life with all of its ugly aspects and challenges, and they choose the selfless choice of returning to that ugly past, it makes your character stronger because it forced Oliver to double down on his mission and commit to this life with all of its losses and failures and challenges." (Dec. 2, 2016 The Hollywood Reporter article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) LoT Crossovers -- JB tweeted: "I leave uk on the 30th and start filming #Legends / #Arrow on the 1st of Feb." (Jan. 2, 2017 JB tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darhk return in LoT 210, titled "Raiders of the Lost Art." (Jan. 9, 2017 CBR article, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) New Team Arrow -- SA:"We have an episode coming up called Bratva, where the team goes back to Russia. The whole team." DR: "Whoa, whoa." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: NolaNerdCouple audio of SA/DR panel, page 520 of Social Media thread) -- Per EK, they'll "really dig into the team aspect" and "will take on" Prometheus in the back half of S5. (Dec. 30, 2016 The Next Level Showcast podcast, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) Oliver & Felicity ("Olicity") -- On whether she thinks Oliver & Felicity are better when they’re not together, WM (laughs): "That is like the most loaded question!" On being reminded this season that Oliver & Felicity are such great friends and teammates, WM: "We are. We made a choice at the top of this season not to … not to get them back together right away, for sure. And to leave that question up in the air. Which I think is a really real thing to happen. Going back to the real and roundedness, these are two people who have been thrown into this mission, and it’s not really a traditional workplace, so to speak. It’s a very unique situation. And we wanted to honor the reality of, it’s always hard to work with somebody you really care about. In season four, we saw them work together while trying to maintain a relationship. Now, they’re working together in the context of not knowing what their future is, romantically. ... I think both sides provide — having them together and apart — certain types of storytelling opportunities. This season has certainly given us different ones. But I think ultimate the key thing, and i think is true for so many series, especially ones where you’ve been fortunate enough to go to 100 episodes and beyond, that you have that central core relationship and as writers you have that opportunity to explore it. And you can take it many different directions. We definitely have some ideas about where we’re headed in Season 6. We’ll see where that goes." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow -- For Oliver in particular, going through the Dominators’ Matrix-like construct — or his version of For the Man Who Has Everything — has certainly made him stronger. On Oliver leaving that seemingly perfect life behind, AK: “It forced Oliver to double down on his mission and commit to this life with all of its loses and failures and challenges." (Dec. 2, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On Oliver struggling to be a mentor to the newbies, WM (laughs): "It’s true. I think he’s done it in the past very reluctantly. Even when he took on Sara and Roy, it was never something I think he willingly did. especially since, when he came back to Starling City in the pilot, this was his mission. It started with his father, it was very personal, it was about his family and his legacy. So for him to bring someone else into this world, I think for him it feels … wrong, and it feels dangerous. It speaks to the reality of what he does on a day-to-day basis. One of the things we’re really excited about this season is evolving [Oliver’s] character. It’s not going to necessarily get easier for him, but its definitely … there’s a certain level of growth he takes on, and it’s a role that he’s going to grow into, in a positive way, throughout the season." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "We’ve been talking about legacy and now in Season 5 the show is becoming reflective a bit. The creators have always kind of known where we were going by Season 5. Oliver is definitely taking stock in terms of his life. It also points out that the show, at its core, is about a guy who puts on a mask, and goes out and acts like judge, jury and executioner in terms of fighting crime. And in terms of the real-world context, that has real consequences. We felt collectively and morally, we shouldn’t shy away from it." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On the back half of this season, SA: "It's, uh, some pretty big Mayor stuff... a lot of Mayor stuff. We have a couple of episodes that I would call for the show, you know, thematically or wardrobe-style, um, a little bit of a departure, compared to what we normally do." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: Video of SA/DR panel in Angeliqueb123 tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread, and Geek Squire video, page 519 of Social Media thread) -- On whether Oliver was already assessing the other superhero teams for weaknesses, SA: "I think Oliver has already researched kryptonite, for sure... Like, kryptonite. And how do I take away his superspeed. And I might need to waste these guys at a certain point and I'm gonna need to have my bag of tricks." DR: "What about some of that element in the next crossover? That would be kinda dope... Just that Oliver Queen would think that way is an interesting twist." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: Video of SA/DR panel in Angeliqueb123 tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread, and Geek Squire video, page 519 of Social Media thread) -- SA: "And the answer to the first question is, if we ever saw a version of the goatee, we'd be able to do it after the end of Season 5." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: Geek Squire video, page 519 of Social Media thread) -- On Jan. 12, 2017, SA said: "We have a couple of episodes coming up that are really fun. Um. A couple of episodes that I'm barely in the Arrow suit, which is not to say that the action is lower. It's just different." (SA facebook video, page 519 of Social Media thread) Felicity Smoak AKA Overwatch -- On whether Smoak Technologies will finally arrive in the present, MG tweeted: "One day, I'm sure, yes." (Nov. 30, 2016 MG tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oliver killing Malone, WM: “One thing Felicity is not going to do, I can tell you for sure, is blame Oliver. She recognizes the manipulations that have led to this situation... Her heart is broken in that last moment for Oliver and for Malone and for herself.” Rather, when it comes to directing her anger, WM: "Felicity has set her sights on Prometheus... This season we have said we’re going to take her to a darker place, and you’re seeing the genesis of the reason why, right here.” To that highly, dangerously ambitious end, per WM, Felicity “is going to meet some people who are both a bit tied to her past but also very much tied to this new future she’s contemplating... and that’s going to draw her away from the team and lead her to do some things that are pretty morally questionable.” Surveying this long-planned shift for Team Arrow’s heretofore reliably sunny, quippy Overwatch, WM: “It’s a color for Felicity that we’ve always known she had the potential for, but we never had the right story to play. We’re excited about it.” (Dec. 11, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, there will be “significant fallout” of Malone’s murder, a tragic accident that steers Felicity to “a darker place” as she sets her own sights on Prometheus. That, coupled with the question of the Big Bad’s identity, “is a gift that keeps on giving for the rest of the season,” per WM. (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On how dark Felicity is going to get, MG promised they only planned to take it to a place that’s “appropriate for the character.” MG: "This is something I was talking to the writers about in the writers’ room — Felicity is a wonderful character because she brings some light into the show. So it’s a darker — it’s an edgier story for Felicity, but at the same time, it’s still Felicity. You want to keep the character." (Jan. 8, 2017 Collider and JustJaredJr articles, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity's new arc being the sum of all the hardships she’s experienced over the years, especially Havenrock, which MG says is “is a big component” they’ll be addressing again in 511: "It’s the sum of a bunch of stuff, and Billy was sort of the final straw. It’s also the sum of the fact that Felicity’s been living in this darker world for the last four-plus years now and one of the things we’re exploring is how much what Oliver and Diggle and Roy and Laurel have been doing as vigilantes affected her and affected her way of thinking about things." (Jan. 8, 2017 Collider and JustJaredJr articles, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity's new alliance not being her father, The Calculator, MG: "“We talked about that. We love Tom Amandes and we love that character, but there was a real appetite on my part and Wendy [Mericle]’s part — we had done her dad last year and we’d definitely love to bring him back and we’d love to bring back Charlotte as Donna, but we were kind of craving new characters. We were craving a new story, something we haven’t done before." (Jan. 8, 2017 Collider article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On who “the people a bit tied to Felicity’s past” are, MG nixed the notion that Felicity’s sketchy father, The Calculator, might be an ally in her own anti-Prometheus agenda: “I would definitely love to bring him back, and I would love to bring Charlotte Ross back as Donna, but [we were like], ‘Let’s tell a new story, something we haven’t done before.'” Beyond that, he would not elaborate, except to say: “As with all things related to Arrow, it’s not what you initially think it is, and it will ultimately relate to the season’s overall theme of ‘legacy.’ But it will be very specific to Felicity.” As for those who are concerned that Felicity’s “darker” direction was triggered by a guy she could barely call her boyfriend, MG affirmed that it was in fact born of “a bunch of stuff” — including the Havenrock tragedy, which will be addressed directly in Episode 11 — “and Billy was the final straw. It’s also the sum of the fact that Felicity has been living in this darker world for the last four-plus years now…. How has that affected her way of thinking about things?” (Jan. 9, 2017 TVLine article, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- In response to skeptical fan who commented that "You said Felicity had a story that would resonate through 5x12. You also said it was too big to spoil. I'm not seeing it. At all," Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "Hold tight. Almost there. I know you're skeptical but I swear there's a plan to all of this. Wish I could say more." (Dec. 7, 2016 StilettoRoyalty and briforsul tweets, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to fan who asked what they introduced in 502 that's still paying dividends in 512 for Felicity, Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "Malone's death uncorks what Felicity bottled up (re: Havenrock). Events in 510-512 force her to re-examine her life (or lack of) as of late." (Dec. 12, 2016 briforsul tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity going darker, Matt Mitovich tweeted: "I would say Havenrock laid a foundation of sadness. Billy death BUT MORE SO how it spun out Oliver maybe pushed her over edge." (Dec. 11, 2016 MattMitovich tweet, page 1257 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Matt Mitovich: "Dark times coming up for Felicity... But yes, Felicity is headed for darker times. As a result of all that's been going on, she's gonna kinda break away from the team and, uh, do her own morally questionable vigilante type stuff." (Dec. 12, 2016 TVLine's Ask Ausiello facebook video, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 1261 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On who Felicity is going to turn to as she goes darker, Matt Mitovich: "It's not going to be any of the usual people. That's one thing that Wendy Mericle made very clear, that - Felicity's going down a very different path now. So she's not going to be turning to, you know, Oliver, her mom. She's going to find a new set of cohorts to hang with while she deals with her issues." (Dec. 19, 2016 TV Line's Ask Ausiello facebook video, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Felicity's new team, fan tweeted: "There are rumors about Cupid, China White and Lady Cop being part of her 'team.' Sort of a Dark Birds of Prey?" (Jan. 8, 2017 oli_verdant tweet, page 1289 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Fan report from Wizard World New Orleans: "Stephen- opted to answer my question with a spoiler so….. last warning….. Okee Dokee… he said that around episode 15 or so that Felicity’s character was going to parallel Olivers in that she will have a secret that she will be keeping and other people will know about it. Oliver will be kept out of the loop… and que the spec!!!" (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: bekaoperetta blog post, page 51 of Spoilers thread and page 1289 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Detective Billy Malone (Felicity's New Boyfriend) -- On Nov. 29, 2016, Tyler Ritter tweeted pic of Detective Billy Malone's Star City Police Department business card with his contact info. (TR tweet, page 512 of Social Media thread) -- On Dec. 7, 2016, Tyler Ritter tweeted: "Had one hell of a ride with @CW_Arrow cast and crew! @StephenAmell gave me an epic send off and @EmilyBett was simply the best. Thank you! ??" (TR tweet, page 513 of Social Media thread) John Diggle AKA Spartan -- Per DR, there are three things that need to be done for Diggle in order to define his legacy by the end of this season: his guilt over killing his brother, how he feels about Lyla and ARGUS - Lyla being 'Amanda Waller" - and his relationship with the new recruits. (CCXP-Sao Paolo Expo, Dec. 3, 2016): Video clip in alwaysbett tweet, page 1242 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On whether she still loves writing Diggle, WM: "That’s a great question! I do love writing Diggle. He’s very straightforward and plainspoken, which I really admire." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Diggle emerges from his latest imprisonment “with a much bigger drive, and not the same fatalism that he had earlier in the season: “He’s going to come up against Colonel Walker” as well as “grow closer to Adrian Chase.” (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Lyla Michaels AKA Harbinger -- On Dec. 19, 2016, Audrey Marie Anderson tweeted: "Wrapped on ICE last Friday! Who knows, maybe Lyla can show her face in the Arrow world in the new year? #Arrow #ICE." (AMA tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 1268 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Diggle's Children: Sara and John Jr. ("JJ") -- On whether John Jr. from Flashpoint is the Connor Hawke we saw on LoT, the answer is basically still TBD. MG:“We go back and forth on that... That was certainly a notion of ours. It’s hard for me to honestly answer the question without committing to a version of time travel, because in order for that to be the case, then Flashpoint would’ve had to have happened. You start to get into the very, very complicated time travel rules that, quite frankly, I as a writer don’t have an appetite to answer unless we tell a story one day that deals with John Jr., and even then, I don’t know if we would directly address that issue head on. Anyone who watches Legends knows that, by design, we don’t spend a lot of time discussing temporal mechanics — some people like that and it annoys the hell out of other people.” (Dec. 23, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- DR: "You know, John Diggle now has a son... Well, it's too bad! Uh, Flash, Barry... he messed it up for everybody. For everybody. So now Baby Sara - Baby Sara was awesome! She was awesome. Every time I was doing a scene, you know, and - listen, every time you do see a scene with me and Baby Sara, you see a whole lot of Baby Sara and a whole little amount of Diggle. Right? They just turned the camera around and Baby Sara, she's like (makes cute facial expressions) ... Who is this kid, man? So, anyway, if you guys don't know, Barry - you're gonna know now - um, Barry did some things in The Flash, um, called Flashpoint, he changed some things in the past and it affected all of our lives. And it affected Diggle particularly in that he no longer has a child, Baby Sara. He has another child, John Jr., who's very cute too, but he ain't no Baby Sara. No, but he's cute... I think that was to connect it to the - there's another storyline in the alternate universe where, um, my son takes on the mantle, far in the future, of the Green Arrow. You guys probably know that. And, um, so I think they wanted to connect that tissue with me having a son. Though I see no reason why Diggle couldn't have had two children. Right? But no. So, um - so, yeah, that happened with my family. And Diggle finds this out - the fact that he once had a daughter - he found out in the crossover episodes." (CCXP-Sao Paolo Expo, Dec. 3, 2016): alwaysbett video, page 512 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Thea Queen AKA Speedy -- On whether there are plans to have Thea suit up more in the second half of S5, WM: "She will definitely be in and out of costume a few times this season, which I think is fun. It’s a role [Willa Holland] knows how to play and those are skills she’s not letting atrophy. I will say something that’s always been true on Arrow from its inception is … one of the biggest and best moments in the pilot was when we learn Moira Queen had her own son kidnapped. She was the one that was capable of this kind of malevolence and darkness. In a lot ways that was the seed for a lot of these strong female characters. ... You talk about Willa, and we think she’s been amazing as Thea in the mayor’s office. We really like her in that role. She is really Oliver’s only remaining family member, and that gives her a certain level of gravity and emotional importance that is ... that will keep her on the show … we want to write to her because she has so much significance for Oliver." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific -- On how long it takes to become Mr. Terrific and then back to Echo, EK: " 3 hours to become him, 30 minutes to become me." (Jan. 6, 2017 EchoK tweet, page 518 of Social Media thread) -- Per EK, his Mr. Terrific suit will get an upgrade in the back half of S5. (Dec. 30, 2016 The Next Level Showcast podcast, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- On whether he has any input on his costume, EK: "I didn't have any input on it, but obviously our costume designer Maya Mani is one of the best in the industry. She has a pulse on it, she does Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow. I can[sic] wait for people to see the final costume. That's going to happen this season. I think it's really bad ass and really true to the comics. I think that she just gets it and that's why I'm okay not to have any input. She is someone that we trust fully with her vision." (Jan. 2017 issue of Urban magazine, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- On whether Mr. Terrific is based on the comic book character, EK: "He is definitely based off the comic book character. He has a lot of similarities, but he is his own version of that character. I am glad that they gave me the role to formulate him how I see fit." (Jan. 2017 issue of Urban magazine, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- On what it was about Curtis that motivated him to take on the role, EK: "I just felt like Curtis has a lot of depth. He is really silly and funny but also extremely intelligent and that's something that I was very excited to play with. He is very similar to me in a lot of ways. Whether it be his undying loyalty to the people who are close to him or his tech prowess, it drove me to the character. I just thought he had a lot of different levels and he would be fun to play." (Jan. 2017 issue of Urban magazine, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- On whether he had to do any special training, EK: "I have always been in pretty all-right shape. I was skinny a couple of years ago because I had been running a lot. I have always been very fit and active in my life, but I did have to take it up a notch for this role. They got s trainers and I started doing Krav Maga, boxing and little bit of Wing Chun - Definitely mixing it up and having a lot of fun. Doing all that cool stuff, it's been really invigorating time." (Jan. 2017 issue of Urban magazine, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- On Curtis seeming to have the ability to keep the other characters grounded and in touch with their humanity outside of Team Arrow and whether Curtis was always supposed to become a vigilante, EK: "First of all, I think the writers are phenomenal. They really go where they feel like the story is telling them to go. They really follow the chemistry on the screen and how the audience react. The[sic] create some unique perspectives from that point. Early on in the show, I didn't know that I would become a part of Team Arrow. I know they had hopes to one day make this character Mr. Terrific. I'm happy with the way things have gone. I know I've been having a blast playing off all of the new members of Team Arrow. We just have so much playing off each other and dynamics of the new team. I feel like we are willing[sic] hitting our stride with the show. I feel this is our best season ever. The writers have done a kick-ass job and I applaud them." (Jan. 2017 issue of Urban magazine, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) Evelyn Sharp AKA Artemis -- On how long Artemis has been working with Prometheus, MG: "“Rewatch episode 5.06... If you view the end of 5.06 and her final scenes with Oliver as, ‘Oh, she’s lying,’ I think you see when she decided to team up with Prometheus. Basically in the commercial break between Act 5 and Act 6 [of that episode], that’s when she made the decision to join up with Prometheus. So while people were watching car commercials, that’s what she was doing.” (Dec. 1, 2016 CBR article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) Rene Ramirez AKA Wild Dog -- MG: "[W]e’re doing that again on 5.13, we’re going to flashback to Renee’s period before he was Wild Dog." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider tweet & article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- WM: "But I also really enjoy writing Wild Dog this year. He’s a close second right now. I think Rick Gonzales is tremendous and versatile. He’s a blast to write for. The character has a very specific point of view, which is always fun to tackle as a writer." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Wild Dog getting the best one-liners, WM: "We do like to give him those little jabs. He’s just really good at them. That’s the thing about Rick, not that … the whole cast is great. But he just brings a different energy and a different tone, and he nails that stuff. He’s amazing." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 13, 2017, SA posted pic and video of him and RG training together. (SA tweet and facebook post, page 520 of Social Media thread) Captain Frank Pike -- On Jan. 7, 2016 (514 or 515 filming?), Adrian Holmes tweeted b-t-s pics of himself with PB, SA and RG with comment: "Off to a great start with these blokes! #happynewyear #arrow @cw_arrow @officialrickg @paulblackthorne @stephenamell #nights #nospoilers." (adrianholmes tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) Prometheus -- On how they're approaching Prometheus compared to Oliver, James Bamford: "There’s a duality happening with Prometheus’ origin in a way with Oliver. Oliver and Prometheus are basically a yin and yang, if you will. Two sides of a coin. I can’t really go into the approach of the character without giving too much away." (Nov. 30, 2016 CBR article, page 49 of Spoiler thread) -- On how Prometheus and Oliver differ in terms of their fighting styles, James Bamford: "Prometheus is trained internationally. He has a huge repertoire of different skills and weaponry and, of course, hand-to-hand combat. We took one of our performers in the Prometheus wardrobe and experimented with different movement types and what was more intimidating. We combined different martial artist skills, once again depending on what was required for the moment as opposed to sticking to one style. Especially when they are “masters,” I don’t like them to rely on one particular skill or be boxed in." (Nov. 30, 2016 CBR article, page 49 of Spoiler thread) -- Per SA (recapping 509), Prometheus is Justin Claybourne's son. (Dec. 7, 2016 SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Talia al Ghul plays a “crucial part” in unraveling the Prometheus mystery. (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to fan saying he really wanted Prometheus to be Tommy and asking for a teaser as to Prometheus' identity, DR: "That would be dope actually." SA: "That would be dope. Yeah, that would be really cool. That would be really cool. No." Mod: "You gotta tune in, you gotta tune in." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: NolaNerdCouple audio of SA/DR panel, page 520 of Social Media thread) Adrian Chase and the Vigilante -- On the police sketch of somebody wearing ski goggles that appeared in 501, Josh Segarra: "That's what I think is going to be interesting, is what parts of the comic are we going to get to put on the show?... I know the answer to that but the audience don't. But that's what been great is that we're trying to keep it as much as we can in that world, but also keep it exciting because I don't want any plot twists to be a thing where people are expecting something and don't get them. That's always sad, when you think something is going to be great and then it's a letdown. So I'm hoping that we get the right pieces along the way." On Chase's depression and mental illness, JS: "That's a good question. Why isn't he showing his pain? That will be answered." Per JS, while it would be a while before he got to suit up as Vigilante, he "a thousand percent" pawed through the script for "Invasion!" -- the show's hundredth episode -- to see what part Adrian got to play alongside Supergirl, The Flash, and the rest of the DC/CW superheroes. JS: "The biggest question that I have for myself as an actor is 'why does this person become the person that they are?'... So what's going to be hard is that in the middle of the season I get to introduce Vigilante. So now I'm getting to tell that backstory and we get to tell the biggest pieces and get to show him becoming who he is before episode 7." (Oct. 26, 2016 ComicBook article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Vigilante comics info: While in the comics, the Vigilante tends to be fairly similar to Wild Dog in his aggressive, brutal approach to fighting crime, he's a more complex and layered character. Adrian Chase is only one of the people to use the name Vigilante; he would eventually be consumed with guilt over his own abandonment of the rule of law, and would take his own life. Later, another Vigilante would take his place -- and yet another debuted today in the pages of Vigilante: Southland #1. (Oct. 26, 2016 ComicBook article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Diggle is going to “grow closer to Adrian Chase.” (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 12, 2017, SA said: "Working out with T3 Athletics. Worked out with Josh Segarra today. I'd suggest, if you're ever doing a personal training session, bring a friend. Josh and I did this one exercise today where it was just three different grips of pushups and comibined, we had to do a hundred. So I went, and then he goes. Then I go, and then he goes. And by the end, you're alternating doing two, three pu - chinups at a time. Fantastic stuff, as always, from Tom at T3 Athletics." (SA facebook video, page 519 of Social Media thread) -- On Jan. 13, 2017, Josh Segarra posted pic of Vigilante comics panel. (mrjoshuita instagram post, page 1303 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Susan Williams -- The conspicuous “vodka shot” in 509 was not a clue to any agenda Susan might have, but it was more a nod to her ongoing investigation of Mayor Queen’s past. WM: "Were we too obvious with that? ... I would call that foreshadowing more than anything else... Susan is certainly on that [Oliver-in-Russia] train, for sure.” (Dec. 13, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Oliver and Susan had sex in 509 after she went in for the kiss, Matt Mitovich: "I spoke to Wendy Mericle... the other showrunner on Arrow - she says Oliver and Susan did not have sex after that." (Dec. 19, 2016 TV Line's Ask Ausiello facebook video, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Oliver did not bed reporter Susan Williams in the immediate wake of accidentally killing Felicity’s boyfriend. WM: “I understand that some on Twitter have a radically different opinion... But in my mind, they did not [have sex]. The intention was that they did not.” SA also assured a fan via his Facebook page that Oliver and Susan had not done the deed. That said, WM: “They had that kiss." (Dec. 30, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- After S5 resumes on Jan. 25, WM: "[Oliver and Susan are] going to go ‘all in’ [on the relationship] at some point, for sure. But one of the things that’s interesting about [Susan] is that they do have a genuine relationship — she really does care about Oliver, and vice versa — and yet she has been on this track of trying to find out who he is and what he’s up to. And not just as the mayor, but beyond that.” Per WM, in exploring the man behind Mayor Handsome (including his apparent side trip to Russia while “stranded” for five years on Lian Yu), Susan “is going to be asking some hard questions... and that’s going to put both of them into physically and emotionally dangerous territory.” (Dec. 30, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On reporter Susan Williams, DR: "You know she's up to no good, you know that." (CCXP-Sao Paolo Expo, Dec. 3, 2016): Video clip in alwaysbett tweet, page 1242 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Dec. 3, 2016, it was reported that Carly Pope "was in once in the last week or so." (Chaser post, page1242 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 6-7, 2017, in response to fan who asked what was the last episode Carly Pope filmed for Arrow, papp tweeted: "just before Christmas break." In response to follow-up question of whether it was re-shoots or new scenes for 514, papp tweeted: "new scenes." In response to fan who asked if CP was done or not yet, papp tweeted: "she's not." (pursuit23 tweets, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 9, 2017, papp tweeted: "Told that everyone's favourite reporter is back this week for #Arrow filming as well #SusanWilliams." On which episode she's going to be in, 514 or 515, papp tweeted: "they finished 14 already." (pursuit23 tweets, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- Per her IMDB page, Carly Pope is in 503, 505, 506, 507, 509 and 512. (CPope's IMDB link in tv echo post, page 1263 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Tina Boland -- TVLine: "Described as 'brash but tactful, Tina isn’t impressed by anyone, let alone vigilantes like Green Arrow. She’s tough, speaks her mind and has the skills and experience to back it up,' reads the breakdown. She will first appear in the back half of the season, our sister site Variety reports." (Nov. 1, 2016 TVLine article, page 1302 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Variety: "[Juliana] Harkavy will have a recurring role as Tina Boland, a detective formerly of Central City. Boland is brash yet tactful, tough, speaks her mind, and is not the easiest person to impress. She also has a problem with vigilantes like Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and his new team of recruits: Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez), Artemis (Madison McLaughlin), Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum), and Ragman (Joe Dinicol). Harkavy’s character will join in the back half of the season." (Nov. 1, 2016 Variety article, page 1302 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Per WM, SCPD Detective Tina Boland will form a connection with Oliver, seeing as “she has been through her own hell, her own sort of ‘island.'” (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Video of another actress' audition for Tina Boland role mentioned trying to find "Carlos" and that Tina used to be on his team. (Anna Koval audition video in Jan. 4, 2016 way2interested post, page 1284 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Nov. 8, 2016, Canadagraphs watched Arrow shooting some 511 scenes: "... When I returned they had moved to an alley that leads into the alley behind the restaraunt they were at. In the alley was the 'Green Arrow' (never saw him standing or from the front, so unsure if it was Stephen or his new stunt double.) and 2 actresses both dressed the same. One was Juliana Harkavy, the newest addition to the Arrowverse as 'Tina', and the other, her stunt double. Just like the Green Arrow I saw, I never saw either of them from the front, so unsure which was which. Shortly after they all moved into a small parking lot off the alley that was impssobile to get any view of and they shot scenes were GA tries to convince Tina that there is a better way to do things. This is essentially the START of her being brought into Team Arrow I think." (Dec. 7, 2016 Canadagraphs blog, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Nov. 30, 2016, EK posted a "mannequin challenge" that included SA, DR, EBR, EK, JD, JH and Bratva guys, and also posted b-t-s pics and video clip from the set of a Russian bar, showing SA, EBR, DR, WH, EK, PB and RG. (DC Comics instagram posts, pages 508 and 509 of Social Media thread) -- On Dec. 4, 2016, JH and Thomas Taylor of T3 Athletics both posted same pic of JH training at T3 Athletics, alongside RG, Jeremy Jordan and David Harewood. (JH and t3athletics instagram posts, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 4, 2016, JH posted pic of her on-set chair with her name on it. (JH instagram post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 9, 2016, JH posted: "This is the best I've ever felt, and it's not because I'm at my thinnest, it's because I'm at my current strongest. Working with @t3athletics and @james2bambamford the past two months has been both physically and mentally transformative." (JH facebook post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On Dec. 17, 2016, JH's twitter account described her as "@CW_Arrow's newest recruit." That description was subsequently deleted. (JH twitter account, page 1264 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 11, 2017, in response to fan who asked in which episode she and Felicity become BFFs, JH tweeted: "Episode 54ever ????." (JH tweet, page 1299 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 11, 2017, in response to fan who asked in which episode she makes her debut, JH tweeted: "Awww thank you!! Keep your ?? ?? & u shall ?? soon, promise ????." (JH tweet, page 1299 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 13, 2017, JH posted b-t-s pic of SA wearing a dark suit with comment: "Didn't catch this happening fast enough to get a good pic, but earlier in the night @stephenamell noticed two fans standing outside set in the cold. In between takes, he stepped outside with two cups of hot chocolate, walked down into the snow, hand delivered the cocoa to the fans, then walked back up to set like nothing to shoot the next take. No one else would have even seen this random act of kindness take place. This was one of many moments that have made me so proud to be part of the @cw_arrow team. Just thought I'd share!" (JH instagram post, page 51 of Spoilers thread) New Black Canary -- On Jan. 12, 2017, in response to ComicBook.com's idea that Felicity can be the New BC, MG tweeted: "Nope. Sorry." (MG tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether a Black Canary might suit up as soon as by S5’s end, WM: “There’s definitely a possibility... Look, it’s hard to do a show about Green Arrow without having a Black Canary. I don’t know if it will happen this season or when, but… we are going to be true to origins in the DC universe, and she’s always going to be there.” (Jan. 10, 2017 TVLine tweet & article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to fan who said that "it would be awesome if the Black Canary came back," SA: "And I agree. Lots of consternation within the fanbase about what's important the Black Canary - in the Green Arrow-verse. And I will say that - forgetting about the show for a second - if you just look at the canon of Green Arrow, John Diggle wasn't actually a character and he's indispensable. Felicity Smoak wasn't really a character and she's indispensable. So we picked and plucked from various parts of the DC universe. But if you're just getting into the canon of Green Arrow - the comic book character, not necessarily the show, but the comic book character - ... Black Canary is easily the most important feature next to the Green Arrow. Period. Full stop. Forever. So it would be very nice to have the Black Canary back. I would agree with that." Subsequently, SA clarified: "The PS - was passive aggressive, ha. On the video I talked about how within the framework of the comics, not our show, the BC is probably the second most important characters in the GA canon. It was a commentary on comics. Nothing to do with Arrow the TV show. Thanks for your comment." (Dec. 7, 2016 SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread, and SA facebook comment quoted in DrSpaceman10 post, page 1259 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- When asked whether there'll be other Flashpoint effects like the return of Black Canary, DR: "I will say that the Canary's death meant a lot to the fabric of the Arrow universe, to the fans. Um, that scene where - in the hospital where the Canary died, Katie's character Laurel died in the hospital - those tears you see with us are real, everyone was shaken - the crew, everyone. No one wanted to say good-bye to Katie Cassidy... We're all good friends. She lives in Vancouver where we shoot the show, but no one wanted to say goodbye to her. So it was very, very sad. And I don't know if the producers - I think that they did, I mean, I can't speak for them - but I don't know if anyone really expected as large a response as they - as we got from the fans. Um, at least I didn't expect it. And I'm not quite what the writers or producers expected. I'm sure they expected some. But it was a very large outpouring of grief really from the fans as well... So I'm not quite - I think they took some of that to heart and I'm not quite sure what's going to happen exactly with the Canary character, um, but they're listening... I - I - I know some things are -are percolating, you know, because they really are listening to how the fans reacted to Canary's death. And that's all I can really say about that." (CCXP-Sao Paolo Expo, Dec. 3, 2016): alwaysbett video, page 512 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- From reddit poster's 510 summary: "... Scene change, Oliver is lamenting over the fact that he hasn't kept his promise to Laurel and that he's gonna find someone worthy of carrying on her legacy. Scene change: Couple of dudes are drinking and a woman asks a guy if he want another round but the guy says he wants a piece of that. She says they're cliche asf and trying to over compensate for their lack of manhood on a 'defenseless woman'. 'What are you gonna do about it' Sonic Scream 'That' End Episode." On whether the sonic scream at the end of 510 was a metahuman power, reddit poster replied: "Same as E2 Laurel." (Dec. 18, 2016 YonkouProductions' reddit post of 510 summary and comment following same reddit post, page 1264 of Spoiler Discussion thread) Talia al Ghul -- We will first meet Talia al Ghul (Lexa Doig) in 510 and she's expected to appear in multiple episodes throughout the season after that. Her official character description: "Worldly and cultured, Talia is an elite warrior who doesn't pick sides but rather creates her own." (Jan. 1, 2017 Den of Geek article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per WM, Talia al Ghul plays a “crucial part” in unraveling the Prometheus mystery. (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- James Bamford: "Then there’s Lexa Doig. She’s just fitting right in. I think she’ll be bringing something to the role you haven’t seen before. She has a quality of her own. You’ll be interested in how we’ve woven Talia into our mythology. She definitely makes an impression on Oliver Queen." (Nov. 30, 2016 CBR article, page 49 of Spoiler thread) -- On whether we'll see any more characters with a Russian background pop up, SA: "In the back half, we are meeting Talia al Ghul." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: NolaNerdCouple audio of SA/DR panel, page 520 of Social Media thread) -- SA: "I've got a great John Wick-inspired scene coming up on the show, like in, uh - I want to say episode 11, 12...ish, with me and... Talia." (Wizard World New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2017: NolaNerdCouple audio of SA/DR panel, page 520 of Social Media thread) Return of Laurel Lance -- On KC's return to the Arrowverse after Laurel was killed off, GB: "We made a deal at the end of that season to bring her back for a bunch of episodes. Katie is a part of the fabric of the show. Because the show, like a comic book, can move in different ways, and characters go and come, everybody that’s ever been a part of the key and core ensemble has always had a place at the table for our show. There’s the capacity for her to be [in all four shows]. At this moment, she’s in three of them." (Jan. 9, 2017 CBR article, page 197 of Starling City Times thread and page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- When asked about KC returning to the many different series, GB: "She gets to play a couple of different things this year... that's a good tease, right? She's not just playing a character this year - she's a couple of different things." Interviewer interjected: "Black Siren is still on the table, correct?" GB nodded. (KSiteTV video interview of GB at Arrow's Oct. 22, 2016 100th Episode Celebration, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On getting KC back for the 100th episode (508), MG: "It’s terrific. One thing that’s so great about Katie is how amenable she’s been to returning to the show since Laurel died. Also, we haven’t seen the last of Katie on the show because of how big this world has gotten, just because the character is dead in one timeline is not the end of the character. ... Every time we have the opportunity to have Katie back on the show it’s always a special treat. It was very important for her to be part of the 100th episode because she remains such an integral part of the show, same thing with Suzanne Thompson and Jamey Sheridan. There was a whole host of other characters who we would have loved to have gotten back if we could have worked out schedules but it’s one of those unfortunate things is that people do have other lives, other jobs and we sort of went in with our hopes of getting as many alumni back as we possibly could." (Nov. 30, 2016 Deadline article, page 193 of Starling City Times thread) -- On 510, per WM, seeing Laurel (?!) “is a very welcome surprise” for Oliver: “But there will be… whatever the reverse of a ‘silver lining’ is… when he finds out what’s really going on. It will have a lot of emotional resonance, particularly for him and Felicity.” (Jan. 4, 2017 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On 510, WM: “[Seeing Laurel] is something that will draw Oliver’s focus for a bit, coming into the New Year." On whether it will be more than he can handle in the wake of his unwitting role in Billy Malone’s death, or whether it could be a tiny ray of sunshine at the end of an extremely cloudy day, WM: “It’s a little of both... It’s a familiar face, someone he loves and is very happy to see, and now she’s back in the flesh, so it’s a very welcome surprise. And yet as we often say, ‘nothing is really ever as it seems.’ There will definitely be a ‘dark silver lining’ when Oliver finds out what’s really going on.” (Dec. 27, 2016 TVLine article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Laurel is really alive in 510, SA said we'd have to tune in when Arrow returns in January to find out. SA: "Obviously, people don't just come back from the dead. So, there has to be some sort of vetting process to make sure it actually is Laurel. Because the group has seen some, uh, some peculiar things, but we delve into that when we come back in - in the new year." (Dec. 7, 2016 SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- In response to fan who said they wanted to see Oliver and Laurel back together again, SA did not give a reply. (Dec. 7, 2016 SA facebook video post, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On 510, Matt Mitovich: "On a scale of 1 to 10, Laurel is going to be a 9 on the emotional wallop scale. That's what Wendy Mericle told me earlier today. Um, and she said specifically the Laurel storyline - or should we say 'Laurel' (using air quotes) - I dunno, depends on what you believe. (Other person asked, "Who is she?") ... That will be revealed. And, but, uh, that storyline as a whole will do a - will have an emotional resonance as a whole for not just Oliver, but Oliver and Felicity. Felicity, actually, is going to be the biggest skeptic about 'Laurel' (using air quotes), um, while Oliver's a little bit more into seeing his old friend again, under whatever circumstances he thinks she came back." (Dec. 12, 2016 TVLine's Ask Ausiello facebook video, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 1261 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Reddit poster's detailed 510 summary and additional comments spoiled that it isn't Laurel who returns, but Black Siren impersonating Laurel and that Black Siren goes through a redemption arc. Reddit poster also spoiled that 510 ends with a female vigilante giving the sonic scream. (Dec. 18, 2016 YonkouProductions' reddit post of 510 summary and comments following reddit post, page 1264 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Nov. 2, 2016, Canadagraphs tweeted: "Black Siren is BLACK SIREN. 'Dinah Laurel Lance' is not new Black Canary. Katie Cassidy version of BC is dead, buried & bronze statued." (Canadagraphs tweet, page 1260 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 6, 2017, papp tweeted: "#Arrow is filming in studio today . Oh & for the handful of idiot KC fans (not KC fans just the idiot ones ) she's not filming #yvrshoots." Per papp, DR was filming, but not EBR or WH. He also said that EBR was not on set on Jan. 6 and that he didn't know if she was back in Vancouver yet. In response to fan who wondered when KC would be on LoT/Flash, papp tweeted: "Ya she hasnt of yet but who knows now that her movie is done." (pursuit23 tweets, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 9, 2017, KC and papps tweeted that KC returned to Vancouver that day. (KC, pursuit23 and Canadagraphs tweets, page 51 of Spoilers thread) Other Possible Returns or Debuts in S5 -- On Dec. 8, 2016, papp tweeted: "Saw Kelly Hu was picked up by an #Arrow driver so looks like China White is back." (pursuit23 tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 1252 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 8, 2017, fan tweeted: "There are rumors about Cupid, China White and Lady Cop being part of [Felicity's] 'team.' Sort of a Dark Birds of Prey?" (oli_verdant tweet, page 1289 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 8, 2017, in response to question about whether China White would return to the Arrowverse, papp tweeted: "She actually just filmed an Arrow episode so that's gonna be good." (pursuit23 tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 8, 2017, papp tweeted: "Got #autographs earlier this week from #Arrow guest star & former #Supernatural guest Amy Gumenick who came back to finish an episode." (Canadagraphs tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Jan. 8, 2017, papp tweeted: "Saw Kelly Hu & Amy Gumenick wrap filming for #Arrow yesterday in Vancouver so that should be an interesting episode." (pursuit23 tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On or about Jan. 6, 2017, Rutina Wesley, who played Lady Cop, was back in Vancouver, but it's unknown whether or not it was for Arrow. (rutina_wesley instagram post, page 51 of Spoilers thread and page 1290 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Jan. 9, 2017, in response to whether Rutina Wesley filmed for Arrow 'recently', papp tweeted: "She filmed with Kelly & Amy." (pursuit23 tweet, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- Per AK, the Black Flash will appear on multiple DC shows, fulfilling his Grim Reaper function from the comic books. (TCA Winter Press Tour, Jan. 8, 2017: RottenTomatoes article, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) Not Returning or Debuting in S5 -- Per Mark Pedowitz, Constantine (voiced by Matt Ryan) will return as an animated series on The CW Seed, although MP is open to Ryan returning as Constantine on the other DC shows, like he did for Arrow. However, there are no current plans to have Constantine appear on any of the CW shows. (TCA Winter Press Tour, Jan. 8, 2017: RottenTomatoes and Variety articles, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) --- On whether Nyssa might return for a sibling reunion with Talia al Ghul, KL: "There's always talk. Whether or not those talks will ever come to fruition is another matter, but I would love to have a reunion with Talia. I just think having the two sisters either fight side by side together or fight with each other would be epic either way. And then if we could somehow do some sort of flashback with Ra's al Ghul coming in as well... Let's petition to make that happen." On whether CBS' Training Day could spare KL or a visit to The CW, KL: "We shall see. I don't know. It was a pretty brutal shooting schedule in the first season, so I'm probably going to have to lean towards 'no,' but I'm always hopeful and optimistic." (Jan. 11, 2017 CinemaBlend article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) - Per GB, Black Lightning (Fox tv series) will probably not cross over onto the CW Arrowverse shows: “If we’re lucky enough that that show exists, I don’t think those worlds would cross over." (TCA Winter Press Tour, Jan. 8, 2017: RottenTomatoes article, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) Looking Toward Season 6 -- Arrow, Flash, Supergirl and LoT have all been renewed for another season. (TCA Winter Press Tour, Jan. 8, 2017: RottenTomatoes article, page 244 of Mind Your Surroundings thread, and TVBytheNumbers article, page 197 of Starling City Times thread) -- Per ComicBook.com, Arrow will likely have a new face when it returns in S6; the members of the original Team Arrow have been scattered to the four winds this season, but seem to be playing a bigger and bigger role as the season wears on. Meanwhile, the new recruits will likely not be all gone when the show returns next season. (Jan. 8, 2017 ComicBook article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oliver & Felicity, WM: "Now, they’re working together in the context of not knowing what their future is, romantically. ... I think both sides provide — having them together and apart — certain types of storytelling opportunities. This season has certainly given us different ones. But I think ultimate the key thing, and I think is true for so many series, especially ones where you’ve been fortunate enough to go to 100 episodes and beyond, that you have that central core relationship and as writers you have that opportunity to explore it. And you can take it many different directions. We definitely have some ideas about where we’re headed in Season 6. We’ll see where that goes." (Dec. 19, 2016 Blastr article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "Next year, in Season 6, what we'll end up doing is we'll do some episodes without any sort of flashbacks. We've [also] established over the first four seasons of proof of concept that we can do flashback stories that don't involve what I call the island narrative, even when he's not on the island." Also MG: "We still want to make that part of our storytelling, because we do like them. We like when those non-island flashbacks sort of illuminate what's going on in the present day... That'll always be a part of the show and a part of the show's storytelling structure. It just won't be telling a serialized story." (Jan. 8, 2017 ComicBook article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "We basically went into this season with the expectation that we would get a sixth season and we basically decided that this would be the last year of the island-centric flashbacks. I think, going forward flashbacks are still a part of the show and we’ve seen in plenty of episodes we’ve done non-island, non-Russia flashbacks with Felicity…and we’re doing that again on 5.13, we’re going to flashback to Renee’s period before he was Wild Dog. That’s a tool in our toolbox. I don’t think we have an expectation to do a flashback every single episode of season 6, but again, it’s part and parcel of the show and we’ll just continue going on the way we are." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider tweet & article, page 51 of Spoilers thread) -- On the end of the island flashbacks after S5, MG: "I do welcome the shift. I think one thing we’ve been talking about — at this time of the year, we always start talking about next season and one of the things we’ve been saying is that when you go past five years, you have to shake things up and you have to change things around and I think telling a flashback story in five years was always our game, and I’m just excited that we’re sticking to it and I’m excited that it’s a chance to really open the show up next year. One of the things we love doing are those non-island flashbacks stories. We really have always enjoyed them and the fact that we’ll have the room and space to do them, again not every episode but as often as we want to is really enticing." (Jan. 9, 2017 Collider article, page 51 of Spoilers thread)