Don't You Have Any Happy Stories : Your Favorite Things About Arrow

[Luckylyn]

I realized that I tended to focus on what annoyed me about the show.  So, I wanted to create a thread devoted to people talking about only what they like.

 

-I love Team Arrow as individuals and as a group.  The team chemistry is great, and I really just enjoy their interactions whether they are dramatic or comedic ("I ran out of water bottles" will always be a favorite).  I like their competence, and their passion for the mission of saving the city.   Felicity and Diggle lighten Oliver up but can also verbally kick his ass when he needs it.

 

-I really enjoy the Oliver/Felicity chemistry and that there's a strong foundation of friendship and respect in their dynamic whatever else happens romantic or not.

 

-Diggle's dry humor has made him a scene MVP many a time.

 

-I like that Oliver started out as the Hood and has to work his way to earn being Green Arrow.

 

-Malcolm breaks all my rules on villains.  I don't normally like a villain to linger or come back from the dead, but I can't resist the Barrowman factor.  Malcom's pride at his daughter trying to kill him is the kind of crazy that is just too entertaining.  Malcolm and Thea's story is one of the things I'm most excited for in Season 3.

 

-Sara is just so badass and her journey is compelling.

 

-I love that Thea/Roy/Sin was never ever a triangle.  Roy and Sin got to be good friends without any sexual tension and Thea wasn't jealous.  I liked that Thea and Sin had the beginnings of a friendship and weren't fighting over winning Roy.

[quarks]

1. I love Moira Queen, who always keeps her priorities straight, and doesn't think that arranging to have her husband kidnapped should necessarily lead to divorce.  That's commitment :)

 

2. The cinematography, and the way this show is so careful to frame even the shots that only last one or two seconds. I particularly like the way they so frequently  frame and angle the action shots so that everything looks like it's popped out of a comic book. 

 

3. The color coordinating/filtering system, working with various lights/color schemes to frame the action shots again - I love the way this show moves from red and green to blue and grey, depending upon what they are going for.

 

4. "You have failed this city!" I know it's a cheesy line and that first season Oliver really has no moral grounds to be judging anyone, but I still love it.

 

5. The motorcycle sequences - whether this is Oliver, or Oliver and Sara.

 

6. Thanks entirely to David Ramsey's line delivery, Diggle. More Diggle, please, show. 

 

7. Felicity and Oliver, especially when they are bantering, not angsting.

 

8.  Sin.

 

9. The Arrow Cave. Ok, I have no idea why it hasn't been found by still more people, especially hi Thea, since it seems that everyone goes in and out through the club, but I like that in the first season, it's all dark and angsty looking and very very wet because Oliver isn't a hero, but a serial killer, and in the second season it's suddenly bright and blue because Oliver is a bit more of a hero. And that in the first season it really did consist just of things that Oliver could have easily put together himself. 

 

I also like the way random old tires just happen to show up in the lair so that Oliver can hit them with a huge hammer thing while not wearing a shirt. Thank you show.

 

10. On a related note, the salmon ladder. 

 

11. Also the way Oliver and Diggle practice shirtless. Look. I'm shallow, ok?

 

12. The way Thea transformed from brat to responsible, caring club owner.

 

13. Malcolm's pride and excitement that Thea's willing to shoot him, which is exactly the sort of thing that someone convinced that mass murdering several thousand people is a good thing would say.  Also, the way he makes it absolutely clear that yes, he is willing to sleep with anyone else in the scene. At that very moment, if need be.

 

14. Nyssa. 

 

15. Quentin.  

[Luckylyn]

Random shirtlessness is one of those treats that brings me joy.

 

 

1. I love Moira Queen, who always keeps her priorities straight, and doesn't think that arranging to have her husband kidnapped should necessarily lead to divorce.  That's commitment :)

I am going to miss Mama Queen.  She's definitely a fantastic grey character.

[wingster55]

Team Arrow as just that. 

Thea

Moira

Diggle

Action sequences

Quentin

Tommy

Barrowman/Malcolm

[MostlyC]

Salmon ladder action and gratuitous abs make me happy.

[JayKay]

Sara Lance as a murderous kicked puppy searching for her soul. And The Black Canary, which convinced me to watch season 2. Also the nickname "Sarebear."

Quentin the haunted, sensitive dad and his culinary skills.

Ribbon entrances, pipe fights, staff fights, motorcycle chases, leather pants, voice modulators, and bad guys being unexpectedly put down just in time.

Oliver and his uphill battle to be a functional, well-rounded person.

Malcolm's smarm & charm that makes him enjoyable in any circumstance.

Team Arrow capers.

Banter.

Thea displaying glimmers of the ruthlessness of both her parents.

Team Arrow bonding and confiding in each other.

Sin the alternative voice of reason and friend to superheroes.

Nyssa al Ghul outdoing, classing and badassing the Nyssa of the comics.

Cheesy things to affectionately mock.

[Genki]

All of the Above

 

+ Oliver and Thea acting like siblings (Teasing, bickering and when they support each other - I guess more S1)

 

+ Olicity Fan gifs because every shot is beautiful, the acting is nuanced, the looks smouldering, all which make the gifs look awesome (and some are so funny)

 

+ Olicity Theme music, which I'm sure reoccured in the season, but especially in the finale

 

+ When Team arrow make jokes or tease each other 

 

+ John Diggle's reactions, (2 Favourite: Walking off on Oliver's lame "ran out of sports bottles", because he couldn't anymore & his shit-eating grin when he got into the elevator with Blood's Bodyguard)

 

+ Felicity & John BrOTP

 

+ Moira with her "beautiful baby boy", actually all of Susanna's scenes that woman was amazing and make Moira into a very layered, complex character

 

+ Thea's growth and her "no you're not" response to Roy breaking up with her. 

[statsgirl]

Great idea!

 

1.  Moira Queen. I will miss her dearly.

 

2. Paul Blackthorne's acting

 

3.  Stephen Amell's body.  Seriously, he's like Greek statue.

 

4.  The relationships between Team Arrow, all four of them (Oliver/Diggle, Oliver/Felicity, Diggle/Felicity, Oliver/Diggle/Felicity).  All eleven if you add Sara into the mix.

 

5.  How much the cast cares about making it a great show.

 

6. Stephen Amell's media presence and how hard he works.

 

7.  BSC! villains like Malcolm Merlyn and Slade.

 

8, Good enough story and character development that it's worthwhile analysing the show.

 

9. Diggle's snarks and facial expressions.

 

10.  Oliver/Felicity as a relationship I can root for.

 

11.  Roy opposing Oliver which keeps the lair from being a lovefest.

 

12. Sara, kickass and vulnerable.

 

13.  Nyssa.  I'd like to grow up to be that cool someday.

Edited September 21, 2014 by statsgirl

[Luckylyn]

6. Stephen Amell's media presence and how hard he works.

 

 

He really puts his all into being an ambassador for the show.  I really appreciate how he and the cast are so willing to engage the fans.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Luckylyn

[Angel12d]

I have so much that I love(d) about Arrow!

 

1. Diggle. He was the first who didn't take any of Oliver's shit. And I love how assured he is in himself. I remember how David Ramsey said that he's already had a similar journey to Oliver so he knows what he's going through but he's already come out on the other side. I love that connection too.

 

2. Olicity. These two surprised me though. I liked them but didn't realize how much until late s2. Love their friendship, the trust between them. The loyalty. And their chemistry is off the charts. I'm rooting for them all the way but I'm more than happy to wait. I'm all about the journey and build up. 

 

3. Quentin Lance. He grew on me so much. I'm looking forward to seeing how he copes being desk-bound as Captain. I imagine he's gonna struggle and I'm interested to see how that plays out.

 

4. Team Arrow. I know it will expand and that's fine but I am all about the original three. Their dynamic is on fire. 

 

5. The salmon ladder. Obviously.

 

6. The stunts. I'm in awe pretty much always. I rewind a lot of the stunts just so I can rewatch. Outside of Slade and Oliver's finale fight which intercut between past/present, my favorite was the one where Oliver and Sara had to fight with each other's weapons and then switched back at the end. That was awesome.

 

7. The soundtrack adds something else to the show. Blake Neely is incredible. 

 

8. Moira Queen. I was pretty surprised by how much I loved her and was so sad when she died. She did some seriously questionable things but there's no doubt she loved her children. Susanna Thompson blew me away with her scenes. What an actress!

 

9. Felicity. I love everything about her and I'm not ashamed to admit that when she arrived on the show I sat up and took notice and was like 'um, this is who I've been waiting for.' And when people hate on her I will just love and support her even more.

 

10. BARROWMAN. Love him. Can't wait to see what happens with Malcolm and Thea. I'm actually pretty excited for their storyline and how Oliver will react to what they've been doing for how many months.

[BkWurm1]

Here are a few favorite moments.

 

When Oliver has hurt his leg but launches himself down the stairs with absolute certainty that Felicity will be there to help support him when he reaches the bottom.

 

When Slade attacked the "secret" Arrow Cave, Oliver's first instinct was to grab Felicity and leap over the side of the stairs to get her to relative safety.

 

Since I'm mentioning the stairs, I loved the almost innocent look on Felicity's face that time when she locked Oliver in so she could make sure he wasn't just going to go out and kill, kill, kill.  And even more love came from the stand up she did when Oliver was trying to intimidate her.  I don't ever remember being more proud.  Even Diggle approved.

 

I love that even when Oliver felt he couldn't give in to Felicity and Diggle's plea not to sacrifice himself to SLade, Oliver couldn't bear to let go of Felicity until the last moment, arms extended, hands brushing against each other, fingers sliding out of grasp.  Love that moment so hard. 

[Ceylon5]

A few other favourite moments, off the top of my head:

 

• Thea teasing Oliver about smiling for a change
• Nyssa and Felicity introducing themselves to each other
• Thea & Oliver teasing their mother about how she always went on and on about how wonderful a contemporary of Oliver's (Carter Bowen) was ("Now how did he manage to study and cure cancer?")
• The Team Arrow conversation which began with Felicity worrying about being sent to Guantanamo, and somehow segued into how she dyes her hair.  That whole conversation is hilarious.
• The whole series of scenes in S1E14 where Felicity and Diggle get to know each other.
• Felicity giving Oliver a thousand words about being made his "Girl Wednesday".  Again, that whole conversation is hilarious, including the part a bit later where she tells him that she can't bring him and Blood any coffee because someone had broken the coffee machine violently. (She should have just abducted the coffee machine and taken it to the lair).
• Felicity replying "Thank you for remarking on it" to Oliver telling her she's remarkable.  Such a great line!
• Nyssa's entrance using that ribbon thingy.  That was brilliant.

[AnalyzeAndCritique]

I adore all things Team Arrow. I'm a sucker though for the theme of team be it sports, law enforcement, or people who adopt their own "family." Team Arrow is a win in my book. 

 

The stunts are always fantastic on this show. 

 

I liked the Oliver and Moira dynamic. The conflict of loving someone while knowing they were doing horrendous things was well-written and acted. 

 

I like what Diggle and Felicity bring to Oliver's life - steadiness and light. They balance him out.

 

I like Diggle.

 

I like Felicity.

 

I enjoy Thea. I'm excited for Thea and Malcolm. 

[pootlus]

Oh, so many things.  Trying to think of the non-obvious ones.

 

The action! I'm thinking primarily of the weapon-swap but there are many, many other examples.

 

Thea/Roy's relationship.

 

The way Thea changed from being an annoying drug-addled brat to a responsible adult who got betrayed by her mother and brother.

 

Quentin's ongoing self-denial about Oliver's identity.  Quentin and Sara's relationship.

 

The Oliver/Diggle bromance.

 

Diggle and Lyla  - "when we talk we get divorced". Hee!

 

Diggle generally especially his facial expressions.

 

Nyssa.  Sara and Nyssa.

 

Felicity's open admiration of Oliver.

 

Anytime anyone gets up close and personal with Sally.

 

Sin calling Roy "Abercrombie".

[dtissagirl]

This thread has put a smile on my face. Thanks for creating it, @Luckylin!

Nodding my head along the posts, but I'll add a favorite: Deadshot. I just gratuitously love that dude to a ridiculous degree.

[MsSchadenfreude]

This is fun and I've realized that I love quite a lot about this show.

 

Starting in the shallow end of the pool: Diggle's arms the size of bowling balls, Oliver's abs, Manu's chest, anytime any of them are shirtless for any reason, all the training sequences whether they make sense of not (Hello! big tire in the center of the lair for no reason) and special shout out to the salmon ladder.  Sally, the show just wouldn't be the same without you.

 

Moira Queen - I didn't always like Moira and I found some of her decisions quite appalling, but she was always fascinating to watch and I will miss her dearly on the show.  I will also miss all of the Queen family dynamics between Moira/Thea/Oliver.  But we will still hopefully get lots of good stuff with Oliver/Thea in the upcoming seasons.

 

BARROWMAN - really for any reason, but I am looking forward to his relationship with Thea this season.  I will forever regret that I won't get to see any Malcolm/Thea/Tommy family bonding scenes.

 

Walter for not being the stereotypical evil stepfather.  I loved that he cared so much for Thea and Oliver even when things went south with his marriage to Moira.

 

Any combination of original team Arrow.  Diggle/Oliver, Diggle/Felicity, Felicity/Oliver, Diggle/Felicity/Oliver

 

When Team Arrow pulls off their little capers like the Merlyn job or bombing QC applied science building.  I really liked Teen Arrow (Thea/Roy/Sin) as well.

 

The kick ass women on this show whether that is from literally kicking ass  or just otherwise being awesome. 

 

Nyssa always knowing how to make an entrance.  "I am Nyssa Al Ghul.  Heir to the Demon!"

 

Quentin's relationship with both of his daughters.  He's such a dad!  

 

The way Deadshot drawls out "John" whenever he talks to Diggle.  Diggle/Deadshot as frienemies for the win!

 

Oliver's crazy lies to Felicity in season one.  "I ran out of sports bottles!"

 

Just the utter ridiculousness of Oliver's actions sometimes.  Shooting Roy in the leg with an arrow and then everything that happened after that. "Diggle, can you come to the house and help Roy. He was shot by an arrow…pause…it's a long story."

 

The amazing (and also crazy, but mostly amazing) stunts.

[Velocity23]

I must say one thing i loved very much were interaction of Walter with both Felicity & Thea.

 

And Felicity & Quentin Lance interactions. 

[Sakura12]

These are not in any particular order.

 

The stunts on this show are movie quality and I love it that so much that most of the cast are able to do their own stunts so it looks even more real. 

 

I love that the older generation Quentin, Moira, Malcolm and Walter (in S1) are given actual meaty storylines since they are all played by great actors. 

 

Sara being the wounded bird badass that loves men and women. I loved watching the Arrow and the Canary kicking ass and taking names.

 

The very little we got of Sara and Sin's sisterly relationship. I wish we got more.

 

Nyssa for also being able to show a softer side the deadly assassin. Her love for Sara you can tell is really genuine. Also loved when she just tranqed Laurel for no reason. 

 

Oliver and Stephen Amell's dedication to the show. Watching Oliver regain his humanity is one of the things I enjoy most about this show.

 

Deadshot because he's one of the only villains so far that has been given a compelling story. Malcolm has as well except for his magical resurrection. (if they are not going with the Lazarus pits then go with Captain Jack changed his name to Malcolm Merlyn)

 

Felicity for being the intelligent woman that is also a little awkward giving us some really great moments with everyone. 

 

Diggle for being the voice of reason with great one liners and his arms. 

Edited September 21, 2014 by Sakura12

[JayKay]

Teen Arrow! How did I forget about them! Also how Diggle was a leader figure to the Suicide Squad. I like large and in-charge Diggle. Moira's quiet dignity and sardonic wit will be missed. Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts...

I also liked Helena's last scene in the jail. She seemed humbled and mellow and her dynamic with Oliver changed to something likeable and interesting.

The scene with Diggle sitting in his car in front of Felicity's house is one of my favorites. It was understated and real and highlighted genuine friendship and loyalty in the "show-not-tell" method. Plus adorable.

I love this thread.

[SmallScreenDiva]

Yay for this thread! I love the stuff already mentioned. I'll have a longer list for later but I just wanted to add this moment, a throwaway scene between Diggle and Felicity. It's from an ep from the first season, I can't remember which. Team Arrow talks about China White and the Triad, then Oliver leaves. Felicity looks at Diggle and says something like "Now I want some Chinese food." And Diggle nods rather enthusiastically, like "yeah, all this talk about the Triad made me hungry." I just remembering laughing at that and really solidified my love for D and F.

[Sakura12]

I loved the scene when Oliver's all gung ho about not hurting Helena and leaves, then Sara turns and asks Diggle and Felicity what they think. Felicity says "If the Huntress shows up, you should totally kick her and ass" and Dig enthusiastically nods his head in agreement. I loved that scene because it shows that while they all respect Oliver, they know his decisions are not always the best ones and they both hate Helena. 

[Chaser]

Diggle and Felicity. Her getting on Oliver's case for not helping Diggle. Her supporting Diggle. Diggle watching over her. Diggle showing his support when he went to her side in TOD. I love this and need more of this please. 

 

Moria/Sara/Felicity - Showing that you can be strong in different ways.

 

Sin/Thea/Roy - I loved this very unconventional friendship. 

 

Walter - Just Walter.

[TanyaKay]

What I absolutely love about this show without reservations?

Felicity

Felicity

and Felicity again. I am not really a shipper person but Felicity has turned me into one, I adore her character and the actress who plays that character. I want to be her friend and talk to her about stuff. That is the highest compliment I can pay to anyone, real or imaginary.

Sassy Felicity.

Felicity's panda flats (yes, they deserve a special mention)

What else.

Oliver doing parakour is all kinds of wonderful. I loved the first montage of Oliver doing parakour in the island before he was rescued.

Diggle because he is sane, smart and takes no bullshit from anyone. The man rocks a jacket and a gun look like it's nobody's business. I also love his relationship with Felicity. One of the healthiest relationship written between a man and woman with no romantic of familial interest.

Loved Walter Steele & Sin because they are not your regular run of the mill characters and they both were universally loved despite being on screen for short periods. Sin's 'juices my zombie fetish' is still one of the funniest lines.

Sally the salmon ladder for obvious reasons.

Clueless Oliver is a lot of fun to watch, esp when he is being sassed by either Felicity, Diggle or Thea.

Tommy Merlyn. He was my second favourite character after Felicity and I hated that he was killed at the alter of Laurel Lance. I would have loved it if he stayed alive and dumped Laurel. Yes, he was way too good for her.

Moira because Susanna Thompson is a real queen.

[KenyaJ]

Olicity. These two surprised me though. I liked them but didn't realize how much until late s2. Love their friendship, the trust between them. The loyalty. And their chemistry is off the charts. I'm rooting for them all the way but I'm more than happy to wait. I'm all about the journey and build up. 

 

Quoting, because you said everything I was going to say about them and their relationship. The foundation of respect, loyalty, and trust between them is what makes their relationship so special to me.

 

Nodding my head along the posts, but I'll add a favorite: Deadshot. I just gratuitously love that dude to a ridiculous degree.

 

Deadshot is my favorite villain on the show, hands down. I love the grudging respect he and Diggle have for each other, especially since Diggle started out wanting to put a bullet in his forehead. And I give Deadshot all the credit for Felicity and Olicity. Thanks for shooting up that laptop, Floyd!

 

I adore Diggle and Felicity's relationship. I love her going to him to try to bring him back to Team Arrow, her being enraged on his behalf when Oliver was too self-centered to realize Diggle was in pain at the beginning of S2, and her wrapping his scarf around his neck and kissing him before he went off to the Russian prison. I love his admiration and approval every time she stands up to Oliver, his "you're insane and I love you for it" look when he escorts her out of Merlyn Global, his sweet support of her in TOD, and his willingness to share his "aspirins." They have one of the best purely platonic friendships I've ever seen on television.

 

I adore Walter and hope he comes back at some point in the not-too-distant future. His relationship with Thea was so sweet and supportive, and I wish we'd gotten more of his relationship with Oliver.

 

I loved that Moira did so many morally questionable things, but her love for her children was never, ever in question. And even when she was doing reprehensible things, she always had a vulnerability and softness to her that made you love and care about her, no matter what she was doing.

 

I love Quentin.

 

I love the way the show treated Sara and Nyssa's relationship so matter of factly. And I love that they are both such badass women. They could rule the world together.

[pootlus]

Moira because Susanna Thompson is a real queen.

 

Looking back Susanna Thompson had some of the clunkiest lines to deliver, and she never ever failed to hit her marks.  Moira Queen was a complex, morally grey character and a large part of that was ST's ability to deliver a consistently great performance. Why the show would ditch its greatest actor is still something of a mystery to me.

[dtissagirl]

Something else I love: Sin's relationship with Sara, and Sin's relationship with both Roy and Thea. I particularly love it that Sin and Thea aren't adversaries, and that there's not even a hint of a romantic triangle. Teen Arrow legit amused and entertained me for the little while they were sleuthing together.

[Morrigan2575]

Great thread. Mostly everything I love has been covered but I'll add some of the missing stuff.

I loved S1 Slade and the Slade/Oliver friendship as well as Slade just being Snarky with Oliver.

I also loved Tommy, especially the Tommy/Oliver friendship. Pilot Tommy was so sleazy but I have to give credit to Colin and the writers because they did a good job of evolving the character and making him sympathetic.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[BkWurm1]

I adore Diggle and Felicity's relationship. I love her going to him to try to bring him back to Team Arrow, her being enraged on his behalf when Oliver was too self-centered to realize Diggle was in pain at the beginning of S2, and her wrapping his scarf around his neck and kissing him before he went off to the Russian prison. I love his admiration and approval every time she stands up to Oliver, his "you're insane and I love you for it" look when he escorts her out of Merlyn Global, his sweet support of her in TOD, and his willingness to share his "aspirins." They have one of the best purely platonic friendships I've ever seen on television.

 

Just had to repeat this. 

 

There are lots of "platonic" friendships on shows but very few that are genuine friendships with no possible agendas.  Felicity and Diggle aren't potential love interests, they aren't going to some how morph into enemies or rivals, he's never going to be revealed to be as her father or as a long lost brother (though on this show...), she's not his protégé, she's not his employee or servant, she's his friend. 

 

They share a common goal, they share a common purpose but they are two fully realized individuals that share a genuine affection for each other in the middle of every other variety of strained, stressed and broken relationship.

 

Diggle and Felicity's relationship works and more than that, was worked on from it's inception.  It's nurtured and it's grown right along with their relationship with Oliver. 

 

It is the steady foundation on which Team Arrow rests and it is a beautiful thing that the show could have ignored or inserted false drama, instead they made the radical decision to let them be fully functional in a TV landscape that doesn't exist without the dysfunctional. 

 

Really, this is a rare, rare thing. 

[Morrigan2575]

I was told to put this here, I'm not sure it belongs here because this isn't a discussion about made you happy anymore than what pissed you off.  But we'll give it a shot. 

With S3 starting in about 48 hours, I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the hot debates we had in S2 and see if things we hated or reacted negatively too pre airing has since become something we like/loved or still hated after the finale. These are a few that I remember, feel free to add your own.

Felicity telling Barry about Oliver = Arrow - There was indication prior to the episode that Felicity would reveal the secret, this was hotly debated. At the time I was very much against the idea because only a hero should reveal his/her identity. However, after the episode air the topic didn't seem so controversial, I was ok with what happened because of how it happened.

Barry making the mask for Oliver. Another hot button topic, I didn't like it because (again) the hero shouldn't get part of his costume/identity from another hero. After the episode aired I still didn't like it. I'll go one further, I still don't like the mask.

Oliver's "because of the life I lead speech" - it was hotly debated if this was a general speech or if Oliver was talking about Felicity. At the time I said he was talking about Felicity. After the finale, I'm even more certain he was talking about Felicity.

The Unthinkable plan - A hot debate at the time and if Matt M's blog is anything to go by, still a hot debate. Personally, I did not think Felicity was in on the plan and 3 months later I'm still there. She didn't figure it out until the "do you understand?", IMO.

Subset of Unthinkable - did Felicity not knowing the plan (if you fall on that side) - make her any less of a hero because she didn't have full agency? Simple answer for me, Nope (then and now)

Did Sara look back at Felicity (mean Felicity) when she gave Oliver the "light speech"? - Big debate on this one. At the time I thought it could go either way. After the finale I say yes, she was deliberately indicating Felicity.

Felicity being in the Slade monologue as part of the corrupt those he loves part. - This was huge especially because of the winter break. Shipper baiting? Storyline for Felicity? Is Slade Felicity's dad?

At the time I was certain it wasn't shipper baiting and that it meant something for Felicity. I expected a story where Slade would try to turn Felicity against Oliver. While it wasn't shipper baiting, it didn't give Felicity a good story in 2B and, the further she got pushed to the back the more I worried it was baiting.

In the end it was important to the finale just not the way I expected. They gave the corrupting story to Thea and Laurel but Felicity being in the monologue was a major clue to the finale.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[BkWurm1]

I'll just co-sign your post except for the mask.  I'm fine with where it came from and fine with how it looks. Don't love it, but don't really think about it either. 

[tv echo]

Arrow in costume, and arrows in bad guys,
Diggle with wisdom and wisecracks and Lyla,
Tilted head look on a blonde IT girl -
These are a few of my favorite things.

 

Dum, dum.  Dum, dum.  Dum, dum.

 

Kick-ass Canary, and stalwart Detective,
Mother of mothers, and little sis Thea,
Felicity Smoak, that smart bitch with wifi -
These are a few of my favorite things.

 

Dum, dum.  Dum, dum.  Dum, dum.

 

Oliver fighting, and Oliver smiling,
Malcolm and Deathstroke. and Ra's al Ghul coming,
Team Arrow working together as one -
These are a few of my favorite things....

 

When my job sucks, when the show sucks,
When I'm feeling mad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad!

Edited October 7, 2014 by tv echo

[Luckylyn]

I'm currently pissed about what happened to Sara and decided I needed my happy place.

Here's what I loved about the premiere:

-Team Arrow in all it's combinations and little baby Diggle.  The team is family now.

-The Oliver/Diggle hug was wonderful and well earned.

-I enjoyed the Oliver/Felicity stuff even though Oliver's push/pull is frustrating.  (He remembered the color of the pen she was chewing on when they first met.  I have no will power to resist that sweetness.)

- I loved Felicity being strong and refusing to pine for Oliver.

[tv echo]

After last night's episode, I need to relive this moment...

 

[slayer2]

I love this thread for one (great idea)

1. The Huntress

2. Oliver

3. All the workout scenes they motivate me so well

4. All the badass kickass fighting women on the show at one point or another

5. That they cast Brandon Routh

6.When Barry Allen showed up

7. Sally

8. That I finally get to see Laurel fight back and be a superhero

9. The Lance family

10. The Lance Sisters

11. Nyssa and Sara hotness

12. Diggle with the Suicide Squad

13. Deadshot

14. When people hug (it happens so rarely that it truly is wonderful to see)

15. Moira Queen

16. That magnificent bastard Malcolm Merlyn

Edited October 10, 2014 by slayer2

[BkWurm1]

Moira Kelly

 

I like her too and I quit One Tree Hill when she and the Uncle (What was his name? - speaking of being fridged)  were basically written off the show but I don't remember her on Arrow.

[SleepDeprived]

Moira Kelly will always be Kate Moseley from The Cutting Edge to me. Toe-pick!

 

I think @slayer2 meant Moira Queen, maybe? She's the only Moira I know of from Arrow, anyway.

[Password]

Toooe piiiick!

[slayer2]

Moira Kelly will always be Kate Moseley from The Cutting Edge to me. Toe-pick!

I think @slayer2 meant Moira Queen, maybe? She's the only Moira I know of from Arrow, anyway.

Crap! Sleep deprived brain here (ironically) haha! Thanks! BTW I loved Cutting Edge as well maybe that's why I got confused.

[ohjoy]

The opening scene from the Season 3 premiere. Loved every bit of it: Oliver's leap onto the moving truck, "So it is 'roger'," the teamwork -- and of course, "You Have Failed. This. City." Hee.

[somewhereother]

I thought it might be a good time to balance my bitterness with some love….

 

1. I actually love the format of having the present and 5 years ago running in parallel and eventually looping back on itself. Sometimes the connections are a bit forced, but I think it is a great creative constraint for the show. I like that it has an end point and specific structure that operates similarly to a comic book run. Then if it runs for longer than 5 years, someone else can take it over and rework it.
2. The stunts. They are audacious – even if it doesn’t always come off (yep -motorcycle jousting) – it is exciting to watch them attempt something crazy every week.
3. Quentin, I love that he sounds like he is imported from a completely different show
4. Diggle
5. Sin – Please let her be Canary jr
6. Stephen Amell – Season 3 so far in particular – the kaleidoscope of emotions he portrays between the personas of The Arrow/Oliver Queen and various permutations shifting between them is fascinating to watch.
7. Thea – I love her evolution and she is the character I am the most excited for at the moment.
8. “what colour are your shoes”

[wonderwall]

As much as I've come to detest certain aspects of this show, I will never stop watching it because the EPs are evil geniuses and captured my undying interest with these aspects: 

• Partnerships/Team Arrow: There's something really beautiful about the Team Arrow dynamic. they each bring something unique to the table and they all support one another. Digg/Oliver have a sort of mentor/mentee relationship where Oliver seeks Digg's guidance, Digg/Felicity are brother and sister and will protect one another with everything they have. Felicity/Oliver are each other's emotional and physical support systems, they push each other to be better people and just care very deeply for one another. They're just one amazing team. 
• Action: What else can I say other than the action is deserving of all the awards the television industry has to give? The action scenes are beautifully choreographed and I really appreciate the effort the entire cast go through in order to make them believable and epic. 
• Felicity Smoak: And I suppose by default, the humor she  brings on the show. She is a breath of fresh air and I find to care for her well being more than anyone else's on the show. I so want see her happy as much as I want to know more about her history. She's such a rich character, unlike any other character I've seen on TV. 
• John Diggle: I've come to admire this man for his level-head. He doesn't say a lot, but when he does say something it's usually so spot on and poignant and just plain awesome. His dry sense of humor is just classic and I just wish we get to know more about John. He's truly an amazing character that's just wishing to be explored. 
• Oliver Queen: My battered, tortured, scarred hero. I have such a soft spot for Oliver because he's been through so god damn much and yet he never gives up. This is the one thing I admire most about Oliver. And I want to see him have a happy ending so badly. I want to see him have a family and die only when he's old and lived a proper life. But damn if this family of his consists of Laurel, I'd quit this show so fast... Not because I'm petty, but because Oliver deserves better than Laurel and vice versa. I would lose all my respect for them if they both get back together. 
• Oliver/Felicity (romance): I've never really fallen for an on screen couple as hard as I've fallen for these two. I'm pretty sure I could write a ten page essay on why they're the highlight on my screen. These two are different. They are the epitome of love and not lust. While I could see Oliver caring and lusting over the Lance sisters, McKenna, and Helena, I've only ever seen him be in love with Felicity. If they don't happen or end in the long run, I won't stop watching the show, but I would be really disappointed because it's painfully obvious that these two have something special. 

 

It's safe to say that I don't give a damn about the comic easter eggs or the villains, just anything comics, or the fast paced plot. I mostly just care about the characters. Characterization is really important to me and so far I think the writers have done well in regards to the original team arrow. I hope they don't mess this up as this is their 'rebuilding' year. 

[GirlWednesday]

Things I liked about season 2 that made me a devoted can't miss Arrow, screw yoga class type of viewer!

Team arrow: in first part of season 2. After oliver decided to be more heroish, everything fell into place! The capers and baddies were fun. The banter between the three was great. There was trust, respect and pure awesomeness between the power of three. Even when they fought, I liked it!

Sarah: I was worried when she came. Too many characters destined to be in the team. Sarah Roy sin Thea... I wanted to enjoy just the three kick butt episode after episode. But Caity was awesome in this role. Tragic beautifully damaged and lost. I liked her story. I didn't even mind the hookup because the girl deserved some happiness.

Season 2.5 was ruined by the drunk but excluding that, everything was fun. Moira was fun, threatening Felicity like a good mama bear. Thea starting on her path. Malcolm cap jack Merlin returned.

I hate where the neighbourhood drunk is taking this show but I'll keep watching for:

Sarah's story( I'm hoping Nyssa comes and steals her body and takes it to pits),

Felicity and the Smoak story,

Diggle

Oliver

Quentin

[Luckylyn]

I just want to chime in about how much I love the Diggle/Felicity friendship.  I want to see more of it.

 

I am happy that the Diggle/Oliver bond is still solid.   The hug in the Season 3 premiere was well earned.

 

And just in general, I adore Felicity Smoak.   She's one of my all time favorite heroines.

[tv echo]

After reading spoilers about upcoming episodes, I needed to take this nostalgic look back at these interviews from last season - just to remind me of some of the things I love about the show...

 

Stephen Amell & Emily Bett Rickards- We're Going To Russia

 

Arrow - Emily Bett Rickards interview [outtakes]

Edited November 10, 2014 by tv echo

[Actionmage]

With the appearance of Sherwood Florist(!), I am hoping that Team Arrow pick up stakes and move wholesale into that abandoned nursery. Mainly because, it's an interesting space ( what we saw) and that if a non-Felicity hacker can write a program to find where Arrow spends his downtime? Anyone who's looking hard already knows and is sitting on the info. Anyone who isn't looking yet, just has to start.

 

A slightly different take on a place in the comics would be fine.

[GirlWednesday]

One beat I thoroughly enjoyed from this week's episode was the moment when Felicity realized the horror of what her type was.  In that moment, she embarrassed herself and had to turn away.  LOVE. because it was a callback to series 1 moments where our IT nerd would just watch Oliver work out during the team arrow pow-wows.

[tv echo]

I'm feeling a bit down about Arrow right now.  So I'm resurrecting this July 2014  interview in which MG said that Oliver and Felicity have had a connection since Episode 3 of the first season and have had this connection for 43 episodes:

I think they’re in love with each other, and when you’re in love with someone it’s very hard for that person you love to tell you something that’s going to make you fall out of love with them instantaneously. But that emotional intimacy deepens their relationship, their connection.

http://www.tvfanatic.com/videos/marc-guggenheim-comic-con-q-and-a/?PageSpeed=noscript

 

Also, watching this video makes me happy:

Edited December 14, 2014 by tv echo

[MsSchadenfreude]

That Flash v. Arrow video is awesome.   I really loved those episodes and I love that song too.

[tv echo]

Trying to stay positive...

 

Arrow - Season 2 - Gag Reel

[quarks]

So I just finished up my rewatch of Season Two last night (what can I say? I'm slow), and I have to say, 2B holds up much better on a rewatch than it did in my first viewing/memory.  Admittedly, the dinner scene from hell remains a low point, and that entire episode does no one except for Diggle any favors, and I still wish the show had come up with a better motivation for Isabel than "Your daddy dumped me!" but otherwise, the show really vamps up from episode 18 on, with so many glorious, scenery chewing moments from Moira (sniffle), Slade, Malcolm, Blood, Felicity and Deadshot. 

 

Also Lyla casually taking out superpowered dudes with a bazooka from a helicopter which never gets old.

 

Also, there's a blink and you'll miss it moment when Arrow casually notes just how shady Harrison Wells is, well before he appears on screen. This sort of seed planting for later plots is exactly what I love about Arrow and Arrow rewatches.