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Celebrating 25 Years Of The West Wing

Social Media and Behind the Scenes: AKA Everything Else Not "News and Media"

Zalyn

By Zalyn
in Arrow

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dtissagirl
dtissagirl

What bugs me is the implication that if you are not patient, you're watching it wrong. Naw, son. You don't get to tell me how I watch TV. I'm an actual pro at doing it.

WindofChange
WindofChange

Oh wow, Emily. I'm impressed because this is really brave and I'm really proud that she said this in such an eloquent way.

dtissagirl
dtissagirl

Ha. Reading those stage directions, and realizing how EBR went the opposite way [curious and skeptic rather than faint by hot guy] makes me understand 100% how fucking lost they were at that time, and

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wingster55

wingster55

If they kept the L/O romance and Tommy didn't die...who would you have be the sacrifice so to speak? Because something drastic like death had to jolt Oliver out of killing anything with a pulse. 

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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

(edited)

I think it would have been Thea who would've kicked it. Maybe Moira, but Thea had more of an innocent to be sacrificed for the hero's journey role than Moira.

 

I get a feeling that they came up with the idea that Oliver would start S2 in the island again pretty soon during S1... and that someone close to him would have to die so that his reaction would be as drastic as running away to the place he considered hell.

 

From the original cast -- they wouldn't kill Laurel, Diggle wouldn't prompt such a reaction at that point yet, Walter and Lance aren't candidates. That left Tommy, Moira, and Thea.

 

I think they went with Tommy because 1. it helped kill L/O dead and 2. it's a sorta ha-ha inversion of killing a guy instead of a girl to kickstart someone's hero's journey.

 

But if L/O worked and Tommy got Dark Archer status, Thea would be toast, I think. And I also think Barrowman wouldn't have come back, at least not in S2. Maybe later, once Tommy went full evil on Oliver for killing Malcolm.

Edited by dancingnancy
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quarks

quarks

(edited)

I think the original plan was to kill off Quentin in the first season instead, to drive another wedge between Laurel and Oliver and racket up the distrust between Oliver and the police - just as Oliver was finally ready to move into a non-killer mode and just Lucas was changing his mind about Oliver. There's some hints in the first nine episodes and a couple of cut scenes that the show was moving towards this and planning on bringing Lucas into a larger role. Right now, of course, the response to killing off Quentin would be "but there aren't any cops left!" but in the first season, we had five - Quentin, Lucas, Frank, the tech guy and McKenna, so killing off Quentin would not have had the same "but there aren't any cops left!" issue. 

 

And from a purely production, behind the scenes standpoint, from Paul Blackthorne's interviews right after the end of season two, he was not sure that he was returning for season three, which suggests that he may not have had a six year contract.

 

The other major possibility would have been Joanna - who was only moved off the show after Arrow decided to back away from Oliver/Laurel and even from Laurel. Prior to that, in a couple of episodes, Joanna had as much screen time as Thea did. If the show had stuck to the original concept, with Laurel and Oliver both solving crimes and taking down criminals in their separate ways - something mostly abandoned after episode four, and after episode 13, abandoned for nearly a season until episode 11 of the second season - I expect that Joanna would have stayed on board, and then gotten killed off in the finale.

 

The show also could have killed off Thea, Walter or Diggle - who in the original concept played a much less prominent role. Thea would have added angst and possibly led to Oliver's hero journey; Walter would have driven another wedge between Moira and Oliver; and Diggle would have hammered in the lesson that soldiers get killed too. But I think any thoughts of killing off Diggle ended once he was brought in as Oliver's partner in episode three.

 

ETA: DancingNancy makes a good case for Thea, and prior to this year's SDCC, I would have agreed with it, but from what Holland is saying now, she was told from the beginning that her character would eventually become a superhero.  That wouldn't, of course, have prevented Arrow from killing her off, but it does suggest that her death in the first season wasn't in the original plans.

Edited by quarks
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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

I have a feeling they told everyone with a comic book background that they had ~a destiny~ when they hired the S1 regular cast. Even Colin Donnell. They gave him the full 6-year contract, so they sure had big plans for him.

 

I also wonder if the network told them they had to cull the S1 regulars/recurring in exchange to upping EBR, Colton and Manu to regulars in S2 + bringing back Barrowman.

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wingster55

wingster55

I agree Thea would have been the most likely candidate..I wonder how (because she would have to) she would've learned. But I disagree with 

Diggle wouldn't prompt such a reaction at that point yet

 

that. 

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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

(edited)

I don't think at that point Diggle dying would’ve sent Oliver running to Lian Yu. Not because I think Diggle didn't matter to him, but I they both had a very detached, militaristic view of what they were doing. Oliver would've been sad, but he would've dealt with it. Now that Oliver and Diggle are more like brothers, and Diggle has a family, I think Oliver would be devastated if Diggle died.

Edited by apinknightmare
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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

(edited)

I think to send Oliver back running to Lian Yu, the person who died had to be someone who Oliver knew pre-island. The island was his penance for failing those people, so if one of them died, he [felt like he] deserved to go back to the same hell.

 

Diggle [and Felicity], otoh, thematically brings Oliver BACK from that place, but he doesn't send him there.

Edited by dancingnancy
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SmallScreenDiva

SmallScreenDiva

(edited)

I suspect the original plans were to keep Slade on for longer - there's a reason he didn't die at the end of season two - but Slade was caught in the season two ratings slide that started in episode 10, then really hit in episode 14 and stayed for the rest of the season with the slight exception of "Birds of Prey." My own thought is that this ratings slide wasn't related to Slade, but that's me, and I don't have access to the same data that Berlanti and the CW do.  But the end result of this is that Oliver's great rival is no longer a former friend, but the father of his best friend and his half sister - not quite the same relationship.

 

Really curious what your thoughts are regarding the ratings slide in Season 2. That season is regardeda lot of fans and critics as the "best season ever" (I'm not among them; I think S2 finished strong -- last 5 eps -- but there were a lot of eps in the back half where I felt they kinda stalled and were just treading water). Do you have any thoughts on S3, considered by many as the weakest? I understand quality many not have direct impact on ratings, of course.

 

I hope this is OK here since we don't have an all-seasons thread.

Edited by SmallScreenDiva
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quarks

quarks

Well, Google Chrome ate my first response to this, so, second, shorter response:

 

I think the ratings in season 2 declined for a number of reasons - the quality of episodes 14 through 18 as one of those reasons. 

 

I think season 3 has had some of Arrow's best episodes, but the season overall has had five major problems: 1, budget, which limited the sets, number of speaking parts, and stunt routines; 2, network interference, 3, budget, which was not helped by the need to add flying robot suits and Barry's special effects in some episodes, 4, lack of an overall motivating theme, 5, budget. 

 

I suspect the budget and network interference helped cause problem 4, but that's just a guess.

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wingster55

wingster55

Ehhh i dont put too much on spelling mistakes. But then i am not a native English speaker.

 

When it's the name of a co-worker of 3 years...then it's a bit odd (especially as he's spelled it right numerous times before)

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Chaser

Chaser

Isn't Willa's Twitter handler Willah? Or something like that? I thought that may be why he tagged her like that, but really to misspell both their names just sounds like an inside joke to me.

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Ceylon5

Ceylon5

Maybe those are their 'really-don't-hide-our-identities-at-all' code names to go with their 'really-don't-hide-our-identities-at-all' eye make-up/masks (which they were wearing in those pics).

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

The TCA Summer 2015 Press Tour began today and runs through August 13.  The CW is scheduled for August 11:  http://tvcritics.org/press-tour-schedule-overview/

 

Apparently the 31st Annual TCA Awards will be given out on August 8 and the event will be hosted by James Corden:  http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/07/07/james-corden-named-host-of-the-31st-annual-tca-awards/427354/

Nominees: http://tvcritics.org/the-television-critics-association-announces-2015-tca-award-nominees/

 

I wonder who from Arrow (if anyone) will be participating in the press tour and/or attending the awards show?

 

The last TCA press tour was this past winter.  FYI, here's the Arrow press tour info from that event (outdated now):  

http://www.cbspressexpress.com/TCA/cw/
http://www.cbspressexpress.com/TCA/cw/pdf/tca_cw_Arrow.pdf

Edited by tv echo
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Chaser

Chaser

Maybe he finally saw he was mispelling Willa and decided to have fun and mispelled Katie. Soon we are going to see Emilie, Dave, Steven, Jon and Echo won't even be spelled. It will just be ~~~~.

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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

I wonder who from Arrow (if anyone) will be participating in the press tour and/or attending the awards show?

 

I think usually only upcoming new shows get actual panels at the Summer TCA? Though Pedowitz might have stuff to say about Arrow in his overall presentation.

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Chaser

Chaser

A friend of mine asked me if KC could be posting all these set mask selfies as misdirection because she is leaving the show. LOL I guess for some hope does spring eternal.

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wonderwall

wonderwall

A friend of mine asked me if KC could be posting all these set mask selfies as misdirection because she is leaving the show. LOL I guess for some hope does spring eternal.

That poor, poor soul. She needs to learn how to keep her hopes and expectations to a bare minimum 

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EmeraldArcher

EmeraldArcher

Two things stood out to me.  KC is looking VERY blond and her mask is just about the worst at concealing identity ever. Without blacking out her eyes, I swear the mask makes her more recognizable, not less.

I know I'd recognize those freaky, spindly eyelashes anywhere! They're all I see when she's on screen! Ick.

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catrox14

catrox14

(edited)

I know I'd recognize those freaky, spindly eyelashes anywhere! They're all I see when she's on screen! Ick.

I keep wanting to shout at KC/Laurel "There are spiders on your eyes!"

Edited by catrox14
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BkWurm1

BkWurm1

I keep wanting to shout at KC/Laurel "There are spiders on your eyes!"

Apparently they are now selling mascara that will intentionally give you the spider clump look. I have a feeling KC was just being trendy, lol.

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

SA's response to question by Superhero Feed on whether he will sport a goatee in S4 (I don't think this is a spoiler because he doesn't control the EPs or the CW)...

Stephen Amell ‏@amellywood  1h1 hour ago
100% no. Never. Our show could go 14 seasons and a goatee will never appear. Hope that clears things up. Forever. 

https://twitter.com/amellywood/status/626495162491887617

 

Carina MacKenzie ‏@cadlymack  56m56 minutes ago

@amellywood Careful. They'll end up VFXing one onto you in the final scene of the series finale.

Stephen Amell ‏@amellywood  19m19 minutes ago

@cadlymack putting language in my contract.

https://twitter.com/amellywood/status/626507151414919168

Edited by tv echo
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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

didn't he also said, repeatedly, that he will never wear a sleeveless costume?

 

They aren't ever going to make him grow a goatee for the simple reason that he's the lead on a popular show, is hot, and that would look fucking ridiculous.

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Guest

Guest

didn't he also said, repeatedly, that he will never wear a sleeveless costume?

 

Shushhhhhh! LET US HAVE THIS.

 

No but seriously now. The costume is one thing. Growing a goatee like the one that comic book fans are begging for is another. It looks so dumb. Please no!

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Guest

Guest

I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments on that IGN article and they're all crying like a bunch of whiny fanboys. Really?! Are they seriously upset about facial hair? I'm at a loss for words at what I'm reading. Just wow.

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Guest
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