tv echo

This is interesting... Real-time viewing: Why big moments at the beginning of a show are a total waste RICK PORTER DECEMBER 5, 2016 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/real-time-viewing-why-big-moments-at-the-beginning-of-a-show-are-a-total-waste/

I hate to say it, but I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the last shot of 509 will be Oliver seeing a live Laurel on TV... and then we don't find out until 510 that it's BS.

Ratings for this week's TWD episode (7x07-Sing Me a Song) were 5.0 demo and 10.48 total viewers... http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/12/final-adjusted-tv-ratings-for-sunday.html Season 7 so far: 7x01 - 8.4 and 17.03 7x02 - 6.1 and 12.46 7x03 - 5.7 and 11.72 7x04 - 5.4 and 11.40 7x05 - 5.2 and 11.00 7x06 - 4.9 and 10.40 7x07 - 5.0 and 10.48

https://twitter.com/robinlordtaylor/status/805836295012569089

Prometheus is TR's favorite villain. "For so many reasons." Hmm... clue or tease? https://twitter.com/TylerRitter/status/804073560264146944

In this #DCTV clip posted by DC Entertainment on Dec. 5, Hector looks ahead to the Flash, Arrow and LoT's midseason finales (spoilery)...

The Flash shoots a major spoiler (sort of) 12/5/2016 http://canadagraphs.weebly.com/the-flash-blog/the-flash-shoots-a-major-spoiler-sort-of-for-an-upcoming-episode

SUMMARY OF 509 SPOILERS S5, Episode 9: What We Leave Behind -- Production code: 509. Shoot Dates: Oct. 11-20[24], 2016. Director: Antonio Negret. Writers: Wendy Mericle & Beth Schwartz. Airdate: December 7, 2016. (MG tweet, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- 509 synopsis: "PROMETHEOUS MAKES A DEADLY MOVE AGAINST OLIVER AND THE TEAM — After Prometheus attacks Curtis (Echo Kellum), Oliver (Stephen Amell) realizes Prometheus knows all of Team Arrow’s secret identities and is planning to come for them one by one. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Detective Malone (guest star Tyler Ritter) discover a clue that links Prometheus to Oliver’s past. Antonio Negret directed the episode written by Wendy Mericle & Beth Schwartz (#509). Original airdate 12/7/2016." (SpoilerTV article, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- 509 promo video posted. (Video clip in Nov. 30, 2016 smoaksqueen tweet, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- 509 sneak peek video posted, featuring Curtis and Paul arguing outside City Hall when Curtis is attacked by Prometheus. (Dec. 7, 2016 CBR article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- 509 promo pics posted. (Nov. 23, 2016 SpoilerTV article, page 49 of Spoilers thread, and TVLine article, page 1231 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- 509 dialogue tease: "Oliver: My favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard. *Laughter* Oliver (under his breath): That's true." (Dec. 6, 2016 SA tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- SA: “From the storytelling standpoint this year, we really go episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. Episode 8 is almost like an event... It’s not really a departure from a storytelling perspective, it’s just that it is really different. I can’t really explain it without spoiling it. It’s such a … well, ‘reach’ is the wrong word. It’s such a departure.” (Nov. 28, 2016 Nerdist article, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “There was a lot of temptation to do the crossover at a different time or, like you [suggested], ‘cheat the math... but I actually took an idea that I had for the 100th episode and moved it to the 101st, and that is ‘flashbacks to Season 1,'” as a new clue surfaces linking the villain Prometheus to Oliver’s past. “That was something that I wanted to do for the 100th episode, but there just wasn’t any room to tell a flashback story.” (Nov. 29, 2016 TVLine article, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “There’s an idea that carried over from the 100th episode into the 101st... The flashbacks will be actually flashbacks to season 1… One of the things I wanted to do originally was flash back to season 1 in the 100th episode. Very quickly we realized that we were telling far too much story for the 100th episode and there simply wasn’t any room for that idea. We get to nod a little bit to our 100th episode legacy in our midseason finale.” (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "Going into 509, which is the Arrow midseason finale, you'll see that Oliver [Stephen Amell] has a new sense of purpose... The events of 508 basically forced him to emotionally double down on his mission, so he goes into 509 with a new sense of purpose, and I would say, also, a reaffirmation of his bond with Thea [Willa Holland], because they basically chose each other in 508. That carries through the midseason finale and, obviously, sets up things beyond it." (Dec. 2, 2016 The Hollywood Reporter article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- MG: "I think the circumstance that the Dominators placed him under in the 100th basically sort of forced him to double down on his mission, essentially to have the mental and emotional strength to pull away from the temptation of this alternate reality that the Dominators had created for him. Oliver had to re-commit to his own mission. ... This whole thing has only reminded him that there’s so much more work to do, of course this being Arrow that’s usually the moment where we pull the rug out from under Oliver. I think without overstating things I think that’s very much sort of what happens in our mid-season finale next week where Oliver will re-iterate to Thea and to the other characters how re-committed he is to his mission. However, without spoiling anything, circumstances will transpire in that episode that will make that newfound drive far more difficult for him to make good on." (Nov. 30, 2016 Deadline article, page 193 of Starling City Times thread) -- AK: “[The Invasion! crossover] forced Oliver to double down on his mission and commit to this life with all of its loses and failures and challenges." He’ll need to be stronger because there are some big twists coming in the winter finale. (Dec. 2, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On whether there'll be more Flashpoint changes, 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, and Dec. 2, 2016 The Hollywood Reporter article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Prometheus unmasked! GB: "Always in our midseason finales, we like to revist the big bad... There's a shocking moment for Oliver." SA: "This year's villain is a villain of Oliver's making. It allows us to revisit some stories we haven't seen on Arrow in a while." (Nov. 12, 2016 CosmicBookNews article on Nov. 18, 2016 Entertainment Weekly issue, page 48 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Prometheus will be unmasked, MG: “You’ll have to watch the episode... Prometheus will make an appearance.” (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- On whether Oliver finds out from the beginning that it's personal with Prometheus or whether that's something where he realizes slowly over the course of the season why and how it's personal, SA: "The reason that Prometheus is doing what he's doing is something that plays out definitely over the first... I'd say during our fall run. I'd say by episode 9 we'll have a pretty good idea of what's going on." (Oct. 5, 2016 IGN article, page 46 of Spoilers thread) -- One 509 promo pic shows Oliver and Diggle inside a building with a "Claybourne Pharmaceuticals Level 6 Area A" sign on the wall. Per Arrowverse Wiki, one of the names that appeared on the list in Robert Queen's book was "Justin Claybourne." (Nov. 23, 2016 SpoilerTV article, page 49 of Spoilers thread, and TVLine article & Arrowverse Wiki link, page 1231 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- Another 509 promo pic shows flashback scene of S1 Oliver in a Claybourne Pharmaceuticals lab with a dead guy on the floor. (Nov. 23, 2016 SpoilerTV article, page 49 of Spoilers thread, and TVLine article, page 1231 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- MG: “We know from the end of episode 507 that Evelyn is working with Prometheus... We get a very quick payoff to the cliffhanger of 507.” (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: "I will say, you will get a payoff to 507’s cliffhanger with respect to Evelyn big time in 509." (Dec. 1, 2016 Collider article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- GB: "There’s a shocking end of the winter [finale] moment for Oliver." (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per Hector in #DCTV video, Prometheus is going to attack Curtis right outside a Christmas party. Oliver realizes that Prometheus knows who they all are, and that's dangerous. Felicity and Malone will figure out a link between Prometheus and Oliver's past when he was a murderer. (Dec. 5, 2016 DC Entertainment video, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 233 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Per Hector in #DCTV video: "And this episode will have a twist cliffhanger ending that will leave you gasping in shock. I'm going to re-enact it right now. (Inhales) 'Ohhh... whaat?!' That's what's going to happen on Arrow. You want a cool comic book connect. check out this classic storyline. (Shows pic of GA comic book issue) 'Heading Into the Light' from 2005. It was happening during Judd Winick's classic run. In it, Doctor Light and Merlyn discover Green Arrow's secret identity and start attacking his [unintelligible word] family. Yes, yes, yes, that's a great comic book connect, and you're welcome, Internet. Alright, that's what's happening on Arrow Wednesday night." (Dec. 5, 2016 DC Entertainment video, page 50 of Spoilers thread and page 233 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- SA: "When I read 509 - and this hadn't happened in awhile - I literally went 'uhhhh!' (makes shocked, deep inhaling sound). Reading something that happened in Act 5, I believe. It really took me by surprise." On whether 509 was sad or just shocking, SA: "It just made me go 'uhhhh!' (makes shocked, deep inhaling sound). Like that, so, you can read into that what you will." (Oct. 17, 2016 SA facebook video, page 484 of Social Media thread) -- SA posted 509 promo pic of Oliver wearing suit and blue shirt with comment:"This is the last scene of an upcoming episode. Here's a fun game. What am I looking at?" (Nov. 23, 2016 SA facebook post, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- Per SA, 509 is their "Christmas episode." (Nov. 2, 2015 SA facebook video, page 498 of Social Media thread) -- MG: “We get a little bit of Oliver and Thea acknowledging all the things that happened in the 100th episode." (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “People who have been waiting for Oliver to meet Felicity’s boyfriend won’t be disappointed... I can tease that Oliver is going to meet Malone, and there’s a Felicity-Oliver moment that the fans will really enjoy.” (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per jbuffyangel, MG told her that there is an Olicity flashback scene in 509 "that we are going ot lose our minds over (in a good way)." (Nov. 18, 2016 jbuffyangel post, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- When fan asked SA about the Olicity flashback in 509 at HVFF-Atlanta, he said: "Red pen." He also said that Oliver believes in magic, but it wasn't clear what episode he was talking about. (Nov. 30, 2016 PepperDempsey tweet, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- When asked for three words to describe Olicity in 509, SA tweeted: ""Impossible to say without spoiling. But three words would totally nail it" (Dec. 6, 2016 queenandsmoak tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “I can tease that we are going to finally discover what Paul, Curtis’ husband, thinks about how Curtis has been spending his nights since he decided to become a vigilante." (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- MG: “There’s an escalator fight sequence that I’m particularly enamored with." (Dec. 6, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Brian Ford Sullivan tweeted: "Very pumped for y'all to see the #Arrow midseason finale tonight. Features a jaw dropping, insane stunt sequence that still gives me chills." (Dec. 7, 2016 briforsul tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- SA tweeted: "Tonight on the Fall Finale of Arrow, Oliver (redacted) (redacted). Incredible episode. Don't miss it." (Dec. 7, 2016 SA tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Antonio Negret tweeted: "Insane Action? Shocking Twists? Possible Olicity Moment? Only one way to find out if any of these are true... Watch #Arrow Tonight!" (Dec. 7, 2016 antonionegret tweet, page 50 of Spoilers thread) -- Per her IMDB page, Carly Pope is in 503, 505, 506, 507 and 509. (CPope's IMDB link in tv echo post, page 1199 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 13, 2016, Antonio Negret's wife tweeted: "#Arrow #olicity cat is out of the bag. .@antonionegret is back for 509. Excited 4 my set visit. ???? #ProudWife." (MundoLuLu tweet, page 1179 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 14, 2015, RG tweeted pic of himself with Tyler Ritter with comment: "Detective Malone and Rene Ramirez. No interrogation scene here! #ArrowSeason5." (officialrickg tweet, page 1179 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 15, 2016, SA tweeted pic of computer sitting on desk in what looks like the old foundry set. (SA tweet, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 17, 2016, SA said: "Right now we are still filming 509, although I have filmed some stuff for 510." (SA facebook video, page 484 of Social Media thread) -- On Oct. 20, 2016, EK posted pic of EBR, DR, RG, JD and MMcL in the Arrow Bunker. (EK instagram pic, page 1186 of Spoiler Discussion thread) -- On Oct. 20, 2016, SA posted pic and video of himself wearing his old Arrow suit. (SA instagram post & video clip, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 24, 2016, Antonio Negret tweeted: "That's a wrap on #Arrow #509. Huge thanks to the cast & crew!" (antonionegret tweet, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- On Oct. 24, 2016, SA tweeted: "Shot my last scene on 509 today. It destroyed me. And I'm so proud of it." (SA tweet, page 47 of Spoilers thread) -- In Oct. 27, 2016 facebook video chat, SA: "I actually got the chance recently to put on the Season 1 [Green Arrow] suit. I posted a photo of it and people were like 'oh, throwback, when did you take this?' I took it last week. That old suit - and this is a true story - so I have to wear the Season 1 suit this year, for reasons that I'm not going to disclose." He mentioned that he was told that he had to come in for a fitting because they needed to make him a new S1 suit. However, he objected and said that he was the "exact same size" and didn't need a new S1 suit made. He was told that he still had to come in for a fitting. He agreed but only if they let him try on the old GA suit from 1x23. He came in, tried on the old suit and "it fit him like a glove." (SA facebook video, page 494 of Social Media thread) -- On Nov. 6, 2016, Antonio Negret tweeted: "Two words to describe #Arrow509 - VINTAGE COOL. #Arrow #509." (AN tweet, page 48 of Spoilers thread) Unspecified Episode -- On whether he prefers Arrow or Green Arrow, SA: "You know, I've actually got the chance recently to play that sort of earlier version of the character that we saw in, you know, in the earlier seasons. And I gotta say, I kinda miss that guy. You know what I mean? And I feel like that version of the character was very two-dimensional. And then the counterpoint to that character was a little two-dimensional. Killing. Not killing. No in-between. So I like - I like the version we have now, because he just seems more three-dimensional and more, like, dealing with the situation as it comes up." (EW PopFest, Oct. 29, 2016: Steam Pug and prince mojo videos, page 215 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- On Nov. 16, 2016, MG tweeted: "Between us, it's a flashback to Season 1." (MG tweet, page 1221 Spoilers Discussion thread) -- On or about Nov. 16, 2016 Rick Gonzalez posted a pic of Oliver and Evelyn, with the comment: "Mads!! Very dope pic!! We all miss ya!" (olicitymafia tweet, page 49 of Spoilers thread)

25 Male Characters That Made Us Swoon in 2016 ALYSSA BARBIERI Dec. 4, 2016 http://fangirlish.com/25-male-characters-made-us-swoon-2016/

Intentional? Coincidence? Or sloppy oversight? ... Supergirl 202 Snapper Carr (to Kara): "You don't get a chair, Ponytail!" LoT 207 Mick Rory (to Felicity): "Ponytail, you're staying on the ship."

Tumblr Fandometrics 2016's Top Ships December 3, 2016 https://thefandometrics.tumblr.com/post/153998280734/ships

David Ramsey talks about Flashpoint effects on Arrow at CCXP Published on Dec 5, 2016, by alwaysbett -- 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." -- DR said that he liked the crossover episodes, although he hadn't seen the LoT episode yet. He wanted more in Supergirl. -- 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... And that's all I can really say about that."

Arrow 100: 7 Ships That Made Our Hearts Happy NOVEMBER 30, 2016 VERENA COTE http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/11/arrow-100-7-ships-that-made-our-hearts-happy/ Deadshot and Carrie Tommy and Laurel Sara and Nyssa Ray and Felicity John and Lyla Oliver and Felicity Thea and Roy Arrow 100: 6 Storylines That Arrow Got Right NOVEMBER 30, 2016 VERENA COTE http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/11/arrow-100-6-storylines-that-arrow-got-right/ Training Thea Slade Wilson Gone Rogue Introducing Donna Smoak Sara Lance's Bisexuality The Assembly of the OTA Malcolm's Backstory

I'm sure this has nothing to do with Arrow (from a UK news site)... Olivia and Oliver top charts of most popular baby names in 2016 By cslater1972 | Posted: December 04, 2016 http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/olivia-and-oliver-top-charts-of-most-popular-baby-names-in-2016/story-29946503-detail/story.html

10 Hottest TV ships of 2016 December 3, 2016 realrayrays http://www.purefandom.com/2016/12/03/10-hottest-tv-ships-of-2016/

IIRC, the first time the term "Team Arrow" was used on the show was in Episode 212, when Oliver took Roy to the Arrowcave and introduced him to Diggle and Felicity (when Roy joined the existing team)... Roy: “Okay. Alright. How many people know what - who you are?” Oliver: “Too many. But these are the only two that matter. John Diggle and Felicity Smoak.” Roy: “Does this group have a name? Like ‘Team Arrow’, or something?” Oliver: “We don't call ourselves that.” Felicity: “I do. Occasionally.” Oliver: “Stop.” Diggle: “Whatever. (Shakes Roy’s hand) Welcome aboard.”

A video clip from DR panel at CCXP-Sao Paolo Expo (Brazil) on Dec. 3... David Ramsey talks about Olicity at CCXP Published on Dec 3, 2016, by alwaysbett -- Mod noted that some love Olicity and some hate Olicity and asked if the show will have Olicity again. DR: "Well... that's a great question. The show - the show is now in season 5. Um, and you're right - the fandom for the, uh, people that really want Olicity is very strong. The fandom that think they should be more of the comic book lore which has Oliver and Laurel together, um, they're very strong. Um, I think that the writers have to write for 23 episodes. That's a lot of work, that's a lot of - and I think a lot of people don't quite realize that. We work 10 to 14 hours a day, 9 months out of the year, 23 episodes. That's a lot of writing. That's a LOT of writing. That's a lot of story. And, um, I think that the story's very big. So I think - I think Diggle wants to see them together. And I think that, um - I think that he's more human, Oliver, in Diggle's eyes - he's more human when he has to face himself through Felicity. I think that's Diggle's perspective. But I don't know exactly what the writers are up to. Um, I think Stephen was talking to a fan just recently and, um, he said 'you can't always get what you want' to some fans. And, um - and I don't know if even Stephen knows. And I don't know if even the writers know exactly where they want to take it. I really don't know. They don't tell us everything. So, uh - but I can say that I - I - I think that - for me, I like the idea of Felicity not defining herself through her relationship with a man. (Audience claps and cheers) I like that she can be her own person. And she can be strong and feminine... and own a company... without pining - and I don't know how you say 'pining' in Portuguese, but - ... over a man - Oliver or any other man. So, um, so I'll see where they go with that. But me personally, I would like to see all these characters very fleshed out, whether she's with Oliver or not. But I would want for her to be with Oliver on her own terms."

I re-read the EPs' interview comments and it's a little confusing. The EPs have referred to the 100th episode as a "what if" episode and they talked about the "path not taken" by Oliver. They've compared Oliver's "what if" scenario both to Barry's Flashpoint AU scenario (true "what if") and to Supergirl's 'The Girl Who Has Everything' scenario (wish-fulfillment "what if"). However, what is clear is that they wanted to show Oliver making the self-sacrificing, 'heroic' choice to give up a happy, normal life in order to return to the more challenging and selfless superhero life (see Oliver/Barry dialogue below). But did Oliver really have a tough, self-sacrificing choice to make? Once he realized the alien hallucination was a fake reality, would he really have stayed in that 'ideal' life? I don't think that the "path not taken" was whether or not to stay in the hallucination. But if the "path not taken" referred to Oliver not getting on the boat, then that implies a true "what if" scenario - which this alien hallucination wasn't. See, confusing... -- WM: "We are actually going back to look at what Oliver's life would be like if he hadn't gotten on [his father's ship] the Gambit." (Scan of page 40 of TV Guide Magazine, Nov. 21-Dec. 4, 2016 Double Issue, page 48 of Spoilers thread) -- GB: "[The 100th episode] really is a celebration of Arrow and also kind of in the vein and the spirit of the great what if comics." (Nov. 28, 2016 IGN article, page 49 of Spoilers thread) -- GB: "It's a very emotional episode. It's kind of a 'What if?' There's the great 'What if?' comics, they sort of imagine if someone's life had just gone a little bit differently. And, there's obviously some big, dramatic things that have happened in Oliver's life that we get to imagine,' 'What if they didn't happen?'" (Nov. 30, 2016 Access Hollywood article, page 194 of Starling City Times thread) -- 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) -- Per MG, it was Greg Berlanti who came up with the idea to separate Oliver , Diggle, Thea, Sara and Ray, and drop them into the Dominator “matrix.” In the episode, the five characters find themselves put into an ideal world — one where Oliver’s parents are alive and he’s set to marry Laurel (Katie Cassidy). The parallel that jumps to mind is It’s a Wonderful Life, but MG had a more DC-appropriate connection: “This was, sort of, Oliver’s version of Flashpoint or ‘For the Girl Who Has Everything’ from Supergirl... There’s a reason why these stories are iconic or familiar tropes in comic books. When you show the protagonist the path-not-taken — and you basically put them in a situation where they can choose to stay on that path or go back to their life with all its ugly aspects — and they choose the selfless choice, it makes your character stronger.” (Nov. 30, 2016 Variety article, page 183 of Starling City Times thread) -- MG: "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) -- 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 losses and failures and challenges." (Dec. 2, 2016 Entertainment Weekly article, page 232 of Mind Your Surroundings thread) -- Dialogue from LoT 207: Barry: "Superspeed Arrow duels... Our lives aren't exactly normal." Oliver: "I told Kara that I was looking to reclaim some normal. Thinking on it now, I'm - I'm not so sure." Barry: "I know what you mean. We both got a look at what life would look like normal." Oliver: "It would've been happy." Barry: "But not full." Oliver: "No. No, nowhere close." Barry: "To things not being normal." Oliver: "To life being full."

I don't think this article was previously posted (at least, I can't find it)... 'Arrow' Celebrates 100: Cast & Producers On Why The Episode Is A 'Love Letter' To The Show & The Fans November 30, 2016 10:12 AM PST https://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/arrow-celebrates-100-cast-producers-why-episode-love-letter-show-fans/

Huh - so Star City is in WA... https://twitter.com/TylerRitter/status/803679270459490304

https://twitter.com/ArrowProdOffice/status/804525420485885952 https://twitter.com/ARROWwriters/status/804808523007684608

DC TV Watch: What's Next After That Mega 4-Show Crossover DECEMBER 02, 2016 8:00am PT by Sydney Bucksbaum http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dc-tv-watch-whats-next-crossover-951937?utm_source=twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

https://twitter.com/PaulBlackthorne/status/804414440124747776

Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent analyze ‘Arrow’ and this week’s crossovers: Invasion! December 2, 2016 http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2016/12/02/allison-brennan-lavinia-kent-recap-arrow-crossovers/