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

[Primal Slayer]

At least we don't have to worry about Black Siren being killed off. And they are probably done killing off anymore cast members until they enter their last season.

[wonderwall]

2 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

At least we don't have to worry about Black Siren being killed off. And they are probably done killing off anymore cast members until they enter their last season.

Spoiler

Um... Malcolm's going to be killed off lol

Edited May 23, 2017 by wonderwall

[Primal Slayer]

But I don't consider that person a cast member

[wonderwall]

14 minutes ago, wonderwall said:

Characters that have stayed dead:

• Robert
• Moira
• Tommy
• Yao Fei
• Shado
• Sebastian
• Isabel
• Laurel
• Poppy
• Andy (killed again for good)
• Amanda

Characters brought back:

• Malcolm
• Sara
• Slade
• Laurel (sorta)
• Andy (killed again)
• Ray

Who else am I missing? I'll add to the list... 

So basically what I'm trying to get at is -- the actors were right to feel worried about their characters getting killed off.

Just now, Primal Slayer said:

But I don't consider that person a cast member

I mean he is... considering that person acts on the show and was considered a regular across all 3 shows.

[Primal Slayer]

Just now, wonderwall said:

So basically what I'm trying to get at is -- the actors were right to feel worried about their characters getting killed off.

So either the show has no credibility because they keep bringing people back or they've only brought back a small majority so they should be worried?

[Chaser]

I would probably feel differently if they didn't push the high stakes death in S4 or the return to "grounded" in S5. Or if it was like Amy Acker playing Illyria or Nina Dobrev playing Katherine, a case of an actress changing everything - mannerisms, walk, vocals - to completely transform. But it's a cheat and KC doesn't have the chops to make up for it.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Chaser

[Primal Slayer]

2 minutes ago, wonderwall said:

So basically what I'm trying to get at is -- the actors were right to feel worried about their characters getting killed off.

I mean he is... considering that person acts on the show and was considered a regular across all 3 shows.

He isn't considered a regular in the credits. Clearly listed as a guest star.

Just now, Chaser said:

I would probably feel differently if they didn't push the high stakes death in S4 or the return to "grounded" in S5. Or if it was like Amy Acker playing Illyria or Nina Dobrev playing Katherine, a case of an actress changing everything - mannerisms, walk, vocals - to play completely transform. But it's a cheat and KC doesn't have the chops to make up for it.

Those characters cant even be compared to what this show is doing or their writing. 

[wonderwall]

2 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

So either the show has no credibility because they keep bringing people back or they've only brought back a small majority so they should be worried?

Oh I definitely disagree with people who say they bring everyone back.  They obviously don't. Therefore it's valid for actors to fear their characters getting killed off. I mean David literally didn't purchase a house as he planned on because of the who's in the grave mystery. So yeah, it's a valid concern. 

So Katie saying it doesn't matter or whatever - it was spoken from a place of privilege and ignorance. But that's just how I view it *shrugs*

Edited May 23, 2017 by wonderwall

[Chaser]

5 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

He isn't considered a regular in the credits. Clearly listed as a guest star.

Those characters cant even be compared to what this show is doing or their writing. 

Didnt you try and compare BS to Faith?

Im just saying this is how it would work for me and since the show can't .... it doesn't.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Chaser

[LeighAn]

Just because they said they won't KILL BS doesn't mean they can't find some other way to get rid of her once the novelty runs off... Just saying.

[Primal Slayer]

Just now, Chaser said:

Didnt you try and compare BS to Faith?

Faith isn't a Doppleganger or a god. Katherine grew up in a different era and time then Elena, the only thing they had in common were their looks and the men they fell for. Illyria was an Old One who completely consumed Fred. E2 Laurel had the same family as E1 Laurel and they are writing her as having similarities. 

I used Faith as an example as a character who went from the dark side and joined the good fight without having to be declawed as something they could do with Siren.

2 minutes ago, LeighAn said:

Just because they said they won't KILL BS doesn't mean they can't find some other way to get rid of her once the novelty runs off... Just saying.

Oh I know.

[Chaser]

1 minute ago, Primal Slayer said:

Faith isn't a Doppleganger or a god. Katherine grew up in a different era and time then Elena, the only thing they had in common were their looks and the men they fell for. Illyria was an Old One who completely consumed Fred. E2 Laurel had the same family as E1 Laurel and they are writing her as having similarities. 

I need a completely different (awesome) character for this not to feel cheap. Illyria and Katherine were fantastic characters for me. I hated Elena, but loved Katherine. I loved Fred, but Illyria was too awesome for me not to enjoy. 

If this is the E2 counterpart that's similar to their E1 version, its a lose lose.

[EmilyBettFan]

5 hours ago, bethy said:

I would like all actresses - actually everyone involved in the entertainment industry - to eliminate the word "badass" from their vocabulary when discussing strong women characters.

Reading her cons that tv echo writes out for us (thank you cause I'm not going to watch her videos lol) is funny to me cause she talks about the same things and her fans always ask about the same things.

I actually like that Emily doesn't do too many Cons because then her questions are more fresh. Plus I feel she's more articulate when it comes to her character. It's just my opinion but you can really tell who has taken pride in their character and how they talk about them. Whereas everything is almost always bad ass with some people. ? 

[looptab]

Yet, at that point in time, only two of those characters in the definitely dead column were regulars. And four of those happened in S4. *shrugs* 

[EmilyBettFan]

5 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

How did she change her tune about LL and the grave?

And you do know that they have their stunt unit doing plenty of easy scenes to save time, it had nothing about not allowing her to do them. There are plenty that are pure stunt doubles for everyone.

That isn't Colton just chilling on the bike, hard work.

Hell even shows like Glee used stand-ins for the actors to get things done lol. Guess sitting on that choir room chair was to hard to do.

The difference here is Colton doesn't bend his answers around when talking about stunt doubles. There's a video of him on YouTube saying it's all his stunt double doing most if not all. Katie almost always beats around the bush. 

[Midnight Lullaby]

I'm sorry but they even made her stunt double do the shot from behind the first time she put on the costume and she just had to stand there and show her butt to the camera or in 409 when all she had to do was stand ad scream. I don't know if it's for insurance reasons or because the double is better, naturally, to give the impression LL was a fighter but they didn't let her do basically anything. She tried to play it coy in the interview but for me it's ridiculous because you can clearly see when it's not the actors.

[Midnight Lullaby]

I think she didn't believe it was going to be her "because comics" like most people did. Both people that liked and disliked LL at the beginning thought it was unlikely. That I get but I don't think they didn't know around the set that they were serious about writing off one of the main cast members..one thing is the viewers, one thing is working on the show..you know someone is losing their job..

I think she gave that answer because she didn't want to say "Laurel is safe obviously because she is BC." 

[strikera0]

8 hours ago, Chaser said:

LOL this show has zero credibility. I was actually thinking about submitting that as a question to HVFF, about how bringing KC/BC on full time compromises what little narrative credibility they have left. But it's moo, they will talk that company line.

Exactly. The Arrow writers pride themselves on being bold, but the reality is they are huge cowards. They constantly throw in these huge twists (e.g. OMG! Oliver enjoys killing! OMG! Felicity is shot and paralyzed! OMG! Laurel is dead and gone forever!) for shock value, but nothing ever seems to stick. It all ends up getting brushed off with no consequences and sooner or later, the show always goes back to the status quo. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they eventually make Earth-2 Laurel a fully fledged member of Team Arrow again. It would be completely idiotic because it would essentially wipe out the last 2 seasons of Arrow (and parts of season 6), but after everything that has happened, I just can't rule that out. 

[tv echo]

In addition to the 2016 IGN article quoted upthread, here's some more quotes & tweets...

Blastr (2013) - KC: "I think at the end of the day, Oliver and Laurel are meant to be. They're each others 'ideally' first and hopefully at some point, each others lasts. No one can really ever compare to Oliver the way that Laurel sees him and I think Oliver feels the same way about Laurel. So Felicity may be there, it may be a fling, I have no idea, but you know, 'Bring it, Felicity!' [laughs]. Laurel has got this.”

THR (2014) - KC: "The thing I've always felt and thought about Laurel and Oliver, since we shot the pilot, and this is just my take on it, they're soul mates. To me, she knows him better than he knows himself and vice versa."

IGN (2014) - KC: ". I’ve always said that I think the two of them, from when we shot the pilot, are soulmates. Even though romantically they may not be together at the moment, or at this time in their lives, I think Laurel knows Oliver better than he knows himself."

Inside Pulse (2015) - KC: "! I think people go through different things in life, different phases, and timing is everything and right now romantically Laurel is not thinking romantically, I don’t think. She is focused on something else and Oliver and Felicity have a connection but, at the end of the day, I do think that they [Laurel and Oliver] are soulmates. I always will think that even if Oliver is involved with Felicity or not. Needless to say, just because it’s your soulmate, that doesn’t mean you end up with them. Sometimes soulmates just remain best friends. ... And with the writing, they [Oliver and Felicity] have good chemistry but I think at some point maybe far later down the line we may explore that… getting back into Laurel and Oliver romantically but it is absolutely not in her wavelength at all right now."

Regarding KC's comment in her 2016 IGN interview (posted upthread) that she still thinks "Oliver is the love of Laurel's life", on Feb. 10, 2016, MG said: "Katie's comment will be addressed directly in Ep. 418. I actually wrote that scene this morning." (Fan tweet posted on Apr. 8, 2016):

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The teaser video in this article is just a 20-second video montage with no speaking - so we'll have to wait for the actual interview videos to be posted at https://www.youtube.com/user/Spaetvorstellung ...

HANNOVER SPÄTVORSTELLUNG INTERVIEWS AT MCM COMIC CON - TEASER
Added by chrisdvanne from May 23, 2017 
https://www.summer-glau.com/news/interview_with_summer_at_mcm_hannover_comic_con_teaser/2017-05-23-1142

Quote

Tim Fischer from Spätvorstellung - Das Kinomagazin got the chance to talk to the celebrity guests who have attended last week's MCM Hannover Comic Con. Watch below the teaser video that has been posted online today and stay tuned for the full length videos of the interviews.

Tim Fisher told us Summer didn't give any interviews while at Hannover Comic Con, so he didn't get the chance to do an exclusive interview like he did with Katie Cassidy, for example. So, to talk to her during her two Firefly panels was plan B.

Quote

Here is a teaser of our videos from the MCM Hannover Comic Con: enjoy in the coming weeks interviews with Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Katie Cassidy, Echo Kellum and Scott Adkins.

UPDATE 23/5/2017: Added the information about the interviews that Tim Fisher kindly send us.

Edited May 23, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Video of JB panel on May 20...

John Barrowman at Motor City Comic Con!
Published on May 22, 2017, by Endless Wonders

-- When asked which character other than Malcolm he would like to be in the Arrowverse, JB said: "Diggle's wife."

-- When asked what other show he would like to be on, JB said: "Supernatural."

-- When asked whether he had more fun playing Jack Harkness or Malcolm Merlyn, JB refused to choose because they are two completely different characters. He said that Captain Jack "changed his life and made him a household name in the U.K." and is "loved by a gazillion people around the world." He also said that Captain Jack led to him being Malcolm because the Arrow EPs "loved Captain Jack" and that Malcolm made him known in the U.S.

-- JB said that "good writers allow you to put a little bit of your personality into it so you're not playing all the character, you're playing the personality." He then said that, with Malcolm, he was allowed "to question myself" and said that when he shot one of his early Malcolm scenes, instead of facing the other actor as the director requested, he went to the window and told the story about his wife Rebecca dying, and when he told it, he "allowed one tear to dribble down the side of my eye." JB: "Now that was not for one of the other 12 characters in the room. That was for you at home, so you knew that there was a little bit of a heart pumping in there. And a soul... I love planting those little Easter eggs and those little things because - you know you did, I heard you - you watched that sequence and you went, 'ohh, I hate him but I feel so sorry for him, and that means I love him.' And then you love to hate me. And then I was on the show all this time! It was awesome."

-- JB said that he found it "very easy being an asshole" "very easy being mean on camera." He added that he "loved beating the crap out of Willa."

Edited May 23, 2017 by tv echo

[Mellowyellow]

BAHAHAHAHA that's frigging hilarious!!!!

Yes bring it indeed Felicity!

I will admit I've always loved how Laurel would try to flirt with Oliver while he gave her stank face and then flashed heart eyes at Felicity like she was a freaking rainbow. I thought it was really funny and was very true to how pushy/aggressive, yet pathetic Laurel was written/portrayed. She's a character I recognise through asian soaps (the obsessive ex from our Hero's youth whom he never loved enough but she keeps chasing him) so she didn't annoy me as much as she seems to annoy you guys. 

That flashback was hilarious. Oliver kisses Laurel and they will blah blah blah. Then Oliver takes off on a plane to run away from her!!!! Heeeeeee!!! That will never not be funny!!!!!

[tv echo]

The first pic is EBR - remember, she was on Very Mallory in 2015 (link in tweet will take you to video of her episode)...

Screenshots from EBR episode:

[Mellowyellow]

Oooh what was that show about @tv echo?

[tv echo]

It was just a 4-minute episode in which an animated EBR visits an art gallery owned by a rich woman who invented an app which you can use to find out if someone is cheating. EBR is being helped by gallery employee Mallory, when suddenly EBR turns into a crazy, mean, bitchy version of herself, who uses a chainsaw to create an art installation. When the gallery owner returns, EBR turns back into her usual sweet self. The end.

Edited May 23, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

FYI...

[Cleanqueen]

I can't even remember a single decent stunt that KC did on screen, do you consider screaming and then winking a stunt? I don't know how someone looks uncoordinated while running, but KC managed to do that on screen. 

I'll never forget how she pretended that this tonfa weighed a ton...

This one is my fav one...if she was learning martial arts and kickboxing this should've been an easy choreagraphed sequence to do...yet the stunt double is all over it.

This one is so bad, they didn't even bother with the transition from Atlin to KC. They're like whatever, who cares if we see Atlin's whole face in this shot

I can't find a gif of my fav LL failed stunt, it was in 4x06 and she missed the punch so badly I'm shocked it made it in the final cut of the episode.

However, I like this one because her fans use this as evidence that BS is supposedly a skilled fighter. Punching someone half way on the floor isn't being a skilled fighter, one-two punch and a kick does not make a skilled fighter.

 

[Starfish35]

1 hour ago, Mellowyellow said:

She's a character I recognise through asian soaps (the obsessive ex from our Hero's youth whom he never loved enough but she keeps chasing him) so she didn't annoy me as much as she seems to annoy you guys. 

I think if that had been intentional, it would have been fine, but that wasn't the writers' intentions with the character - it was just something that came out of how KC played it based on her head canon.  And that's what annoys me, that she so stubbornly clung to her own head canon on this in spite of the writers clearly going a different direction.  

[Primal Slayer]

I dont know any regular person who spin kicks during a fight. It isnt a super fancy move but it littlebit fancy.

[leopardprint]

5 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

I don't know any regular person who spin kicks during a fight. It isnt a super fancy move but it littlebit fancy.

Do you know regular people who use bows and arrows during fights? ???

[Primal Slayer]

Just now, leopardprint said:

Do you know regular people who use bows and arrows during fights? ???

Lol that's my point though. 

[leopardprint]

27 minutes ago, Cleanqueen said:

I'll never forget how she pretended that this tonfa weighed a ton...

 

OMG, Why is she holding it like that??? Is that the Billy Club version of holding a handgun sideways? Question, I've seen a lot of action shows/movies and I feel like the stunt fighting on Arrow is fairly mediocre, are they supposed to be good? I'm just saying it might not be all KC's fault. Like what is the goon behind her doing? 

Edited May 23, 2017 by leopardprint

[Guest]

Do you think we can move the LL/KC talk to the LL thread? 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Guest

[Cleanqueen]

I tend to think Arrow's fight sequences are pretty decent but to me season 4 was the worst and that had a lot to do with stephen taking  a back seat and others getting focus. 

[wonderwall]

Moved to the LL thread 

Edited May 23, 2017 by wonderwall

[Delphi]

41 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Do you know regular people who use bows and arrows during fights? ???

I personally never go into a bar fight without a recurve bow and dual batons. 

[BkWurm1]

11 minutes ago, Delphi said:

I personally never go into a bar fight without a recurve bow and dual batons. 

Or me, my throwing tablet.  

[wonderwall]

1 minute ago, BkWurm1 said:

Or me, my throwing tablet.  

[SmallScreenDiva]

1 hour ago, leopardprint said:

Question, I've seen a lot of action shows/movies and I feel like the stunt fighting on Arrow is fairly mediocre, are they supposed to be good?

They were pretty good when Arrow first came out. That sequence with Oliver mowing down a dozen of Malcolm's goons is memorable. I'd say even up to Season 2 they were good. The show did some great stuff with Oliver, Sara and Oliver & Sara in terms of stunts. Then it kinda started going downhill, IMO, in Season 3 with more masks. Group fights, while they may be some fans' wet dream, are just not well enough choreographed on Arrow. 

[Delphi]

 Season 1 had great stunts.   It really helps that a lot of actors belong to the Require No Stunt Double trope and even Willa and Colton possess a believability to it.   I honestly think if anything Bam Bam has gone downhill but no one has three balls too tell him to step up his game and stop phoning his job in. 

[Starfish35]

I thought I read somewhere that they had a different stunt director in season 1.  Does anyone remember?  *off to google*

ETA:  Never mind, I can't find it.  Maybe I dreamed it. :/   But yeah, I agree that the stunts have gone way way downhill since season one. 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Starfish35

[statsgirl]

Hee.  I second the Bam Bam has gone downhill but they're too busy patting themselves on the back for how wonderful he is to realize it.

I really miss Oliver's parkouring in s1.  I think the group stunts are the worst because they see to put so little thought into it and there were so many in seasons 3 and 4.  It's just a bunch of people fake hitting each other.

But I've gone rather off on fights altogether.  There's just too many superhero shows and movies and they all rely on big fight scenes.  I know that when I go to a Marvel movie, I know I have to force myself to sit through 20 minutes of fight and battle scenes before I can actually get to a plot.

[Starfish35]

I still enjoy a good fight scene and/or good stunts, but....the Arrowverse recently hasn't done much to impress me in that area.  Even on Legends, it seemed like they cut back on Sara's fights/stunts this season, to the point where I started wondering what was going on. 

[leopardprint]

Really, if you think about it, Felicity's fighting style of "grab nearest heavy object and wack someone on the head with it" is the most realistic and effective. 

The group fight scenes are my get up for a snack or check my phone time. 

Edited May 23, 2017 by leopardprint

[Starfish35]

Yeah the group fight scenes are the worst.  

[theOAfc]

Quote

Really, if you think about it, Felicity's fighting style of "grab nearest heavy object and wack someone on the head with it" is the most realistic and effective. 

Yet somehow its the only thing reddit finds unrealistic in the show,while fangirling over the legendary Laurel Lance "ninja" transformation. Logically,grabbing heavy objects and hitting people's heads with them is literally the most believable thing a character like Felicity(or any character ) would do. Its also one of the the most believable things a grounded (lol) show like arrow can present.

I dont understand how blind someone has to be in order to eat up forced writing in the name of comics. Noone said anything when Laurel or Thea or Curtis turned into instant vigilantes out of nowhere. My favorite is when they say that the show mentioned she trained with Nyssa, in order to justify how her  becoming a vigilante is the most iconic and realistic thing ever,as if the show even tried to present a believable dynamic bectween her and Nyssa that explained how Laurel turned into a fighter. They just ate fries together. Oh,and had milkshake.

 Its all about the flashy toys and the masks for these people. Thats it. Thats all they care about. As if they are 5 year olds or something crying over goatees and fishnets,demanding that the show uses cringy lines like "pretty bird" out of nowhere because *comic canon*. Logic and writing be damned. Show canon be damned. Why do they even watch this show? Its not like they use critical thinking or something. If its comic canon they will love it even if it sucks, if it gets in the way of their comic canon endgame they will hate it even if it works. What makes this even more hilarious is how they have the audacity to talk about how they want a good show and not a bad soap opera like the so called fangirls.

Ha.Ha.Ha.

(btw obviously i dont think that most comic book fans think this way. However i cant help but notice that a very large part of the arrow reddit groupy is literally a bunch of man children who fangirl over cheesy stuff and then turn around and act  all entitled by harassing yound women who like a fictional character that threatens their precious comic canon. )

Edited May 23, 2017 by theOAfc

[way2interested]

14 minutes ago, theOAfc said:

Why do they even watch this show?

It's like if you hate the show and what it's doing so much, maybe you should stop watching and stop making fun of people who like it and still do, since they aren't going to take your complaints seriously anyway.

[strikera0]

1 hour ago, theOAfc said:

Why do they even watch this show?

That's the thing, though. Many of the Laurel/KC stans on Reddit haven't watched the show in over a year, yet they spend countless hours bitching about it. It's absolutely pathetic. 

[wonderwall]

1 minute ago, strikera0 said:

That's the thing, though. Many of the Laurel/KC stans on Reddit haven't watched the show in over a year, yet they spend countless hours bitching about it. It's absolutely pathetic. 

Hey to be fair, KC/LL are back and now they're back ready to witness their fave get 'disrespected' over and over again lol

[BkWurm1]

I think in part what elevated the fights in season one and even season two is what led up to the actual combat.

 Season one often had and ongoing investigation, so sneaking through alleys, and the pre-confrontation parkour moves, some kind of build up that built suspense and gave the fight stakes.  So when he inevitably ran into some dude with a gun, fights were more about advancing the plot.

Also they changed things up.  Oliver sometimes had to do hand to hand but sometimes he took care of everything from a distance.  Or sometimes he'd have a fight but it would be over almost instantly.  Now it's like a rule that he has to always struggle.  Like in Missing when he had four guys around him and he hit them all but none  of them stayed down until Malcolm helped.  Oliver should mop the floor with any random, nameless opponent.  Instead, it's always an equal fight for at least a little while.  

So that falls in the variety category.  Getting an all out brawl every time is boring and predictable.  

The fights are better this year with how they don't just mix Oliver in with all the other fighters anymore, but it's still the same paint by numbers fight where everyone has to have their moment in the fight.  That's not realistic.  And it doesn't allow for much variety.

Speaking of variety, I really miss them doing stunts in the daylight.  And in their civilian clothes.  When everyone suits up, it's no surprise that a fight scene is coming.  It becomes far too rote.  In those situations, invariably I find the sneaking around before they have to fight a lot more interesting than any actual fights.  

 

 

* I was going to move the topic of the fights on Arrow to a better thread, but I looked through everything and we really have nothing that it would better fit under.  It's not about the characters or their relationships.  It's not episode specific.  It's not speculation for the future.  There are no spoilers and it's not really about the other shows.  I guess "behind the scenes" is the best place to talk about it.