Spoiler Discussion Thread

[Morrigan2575]

I highly doubt he's going to be a series regular in S3 or S4. His story arc seems defined and limited.

[apinknightmare]

As far as Felicity's job is concerned, I'd much rather see her as a self-employed consultant hired on by Palmer for her knowledge of QC before the takeover.

Of course, that would rely on Palmer knowing she has capabilities beyond EA, but I'm sure that could be worked out somehow in-story.

[abhi]

 

I highly doubt he's going to be a series regular in S3 or S4. His story arc seems defined and limited.

But his story arc has not been defined. We know that his past tragedies will spur him to become a superhero. And if I am not mistaken there were talks that if the pilot for Flash was not picked up then he would remain on Arrow(though how they would have balanced the superpower aspects I don't know). So, why can't they do the same with Atom.

Edited July 7, 2014 by abhi

[Morrigan2575]

His contact is defined as 14 episodes if there was a possibility of series regular his announcement would have included that.

It's highly unlikely that this show will add another series regular let alone another hero. They've already got Oliver, Roy, Sara, Thea potentially and (sadly) Laurel potentially.

The show is about Arrow/Oliver, it is not a Team Book/Series.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[Orion]

He won't stick around beyond this season, maybe occasionally popping in to help out, because the cast is too big already. Oliver, Diggle, Felicity, Thea, Roy, Sin, Sara, Laurel, Quentin, villain of the week, characters in the flashbacks. If they start adding heroes as permanent members of the team there is no way for them to give each enough agency in the story to really matter. Look at what happened when they tried to delve deeper into the Lance Family drama - Slade, Isabel, Felicity and Diggle got shoved to the back.  They can have visitors to team Arrow and even a new hero per season but it would just be to crowded for them to stick around.  Especially with the guillotine ... I mean the Black Canary arcs hanging over the story. Beyond just the story reasons, CW doesn't have the budget to keep named talent around.

 

If the point of the prison on the island is that Oliver keeps putting the big bads in there and eventually they all escape for one final battle in the last season of Arrow then it makes sense that random superheroes will stop by and come back when needed so they can the Unthinkable finale 2.0 where they have this massive battle. But that's just my guess.

[BkWurm1]

Unless they kill off Ray at the end of the season (more likely he's lost in the Amazon) then I'd expect the possibility of a few future guest starring spots in the coming seasons, but nothing more.  It's not like Smallville where they kind of needed to bring back GA as a regular to push Clark forward since they were hell bent on not letting him move toward his cape and tights.  Oliver already has a team built up around him so the need for another hero to talk to really isn't needed.  Plus I think GA in Smallville was brought In as a character who could get his hands dirty while leaving Clark lily white (except for all the choking)  On Arrow, Oliver is allowed to make mistakes and take a few dark turns so again, no need for extraneous characters as anything more than a reoccurring guest in the future. 

Edited July 7, 2014 by BkWurm1

[abhi]

 

Beyond just the story reasons, CW doesn't have the budget to keep named talent around.

But I have a hunch that we will be losing at least 2 season regulars this year. I think Diggle is a prime suspect. We have both Oliver and Diggle as parents and they will take different routes to parenthood. I think Diggle will abandon his crime fighting and take care of his child whereas Oliver will have to abandon his child to take care of his city. And Thea will become speedy and replace Diggle in the Team. Also one more regular will be biting the dust. But I think we will be losing Diggle this Season for sure.

[Morrigan2575]

Unless they kill off Ray at the end of the season (more likely he's lost in the Amazon) then I'd expect the possibility of a few future guest starring spots in the coming seasons, but nothing more

Exactly, he'll pop up in sweeps episodes, probably a Flash crossover episode and maybe even appearances on The Flash but making Ray/Atom a series regular on Arrow would add nothing to Oliver's journey.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[Password]

. But I think we will be losing Diggle this Season for sure.

I certainly hope they don't do anything like this. That would really affect the team Arrow dynamic because I really feel Diggle is the audience. He says what we think and I doubt they're going to mess with the team dynamic because that's what people like about the show.

I think Diggle having a kid is supposed to help Oliver in some way come to grips with his own kid. If they axe Diggle they're just idiots in my opinion.

Edited July 7, 2014 by ArrowLimbo

[catrox14]

You shut your pie hole about losing Diggle;).

 

Unless David Ramsey has some other gig that's better than Arrow they would be fools to let him go.  Thea can be BizarroSpeedy working with Malcolm.  Problem solved.  Call me, writers. 

[HighwayFlower]

This is a show that is replacing Sara with Laurel as the Black Canary.

So with that evidence, poor Diggle is probably toast.

[Orion]

They will never get rid of Diggle or Felicity TPTB understand that two things are driving this show right now Team Arrow - original three Diggle, Oliver, Felicity and Olicity. They won't touch that group. Diggle could go off for a few episodes for Suicide Squad or to spend time with Lyla but not permanently. You do not kill the cash cow - Team Arrow is the non shippers favorite part. Everything that is being built up on the show is being constructed on the backs of that core team (Flash, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and Oliver's journey) If you pull a piece out of the foundation the whole thing could collapse. If anyone will be gone at the end of the season it would be Sara, as much as I would hate that. They are holding on to her if/when Laurel faceplants as the BC. And either Thea or Roy could be in trouble. But Diggle and Felicity are safe at least until the final season. Then all bets are off.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Orion

[Chairman Meow]

As far as Brandon Routh goes, I've only seen him in Superman Returns and Chuck. I didn't dislike him in either, but he's also not enough to make me want to watch again. (Now if they'd cast Zachary Levi on the other hand....;)) It's been a while, but just going off my admittedly poor memory, "bland" is a fair assessment.

 

I'm not a fan of Brandon Routh - I made a "ew, no" face when I saw the casting news.   But thanks to Starfish35, now I can add "Zachary Levi playing the love interest of Felicity" on my list of things that I never knew how much I needed until it was no longer possible.  Because I NEED that.  *grumbles about shattered dreams*

 

I don't have any specific probablem with Routh - and I'm actually kind of thrilled that they, at least, cast someone who looks like a man (rather than a college-freshman-looking-manboy) but in everthing I've seen him in, he's just so cardboard.  And, unpopular opinion alert, that included Scott Pilgrim. 

 

OT:  I hate the word Pilgrim, it always looks like it's spelled wrong to me!!!

[calliope1975]

I can't see the Show getting rid of Digg. TPTB have made a lot of mistakes, but breaking up Team Arrow could be a show killer. Hell, bringing in Laurel to TA has already become a show killer for several viewers. And on a personal note, they better not kill off the black guy! I'd be pissed. 

 

I neither like nor dislike Brandon Routh. He's just kind of there. I am less worried about a real threat to Olicity than I was before if someone like Luke Mitchell got the role. But I'm open to seeing how he does. I liked him well enough in Scott Pilgrim and Zack and Miri but haven't seen him in anything else. 

[Starfish35]

thanks to Starfish35, now I can add "Zachary Levi playing the love interest of Felicity" on my list of things that I never knew how much I needed until it was no longer possible. Because I NEED that. *grumbles about shattered dreams*

Sorry!! It would be great wouldn't it?

I was just on Wikipedia reading about Ray Palmer, and apparently he has a connection to Firestorm. Coincidence or no?

Not sure what to think about the connection to Jean Loring, since that character has already appeared on Arrow and is significantly older.

[Happy Harpy]

Warning: Debbie Downer checking in, because those last spoilers...didn't please me. At all.

 

First of all, I certainly hope they won't begin to introduce people with superpowers. I love Arrow because of the "realistic" take on this and I don't want it to change. So hopefully they'll adapt Atom's or whatever his name's abilities.

 

Second, I agree about too many characters. I'm interested in Oliver's journey, and also Diggle, Felicity, Thea and Roy's since S1. Plus, Sara's, and Slade and Deadshot's villain to anti-villain progression since S2. I can be interested in more characters in the flashbacks, but for the present storylines my agenda is full, thank you.

 

I don't want to see an interloper inside Team Arrow (namely, Laurel). But I don't want another interloper to put a strain on it from outside via QC or through Oliver/Felicity tension (NuGuy).  Isabel annoyed me enough last year in that respect, in the little time she was there.

Moreover, they already did the "Felicity is interested in another guy, tension in Team Arrow ensues" last year. It was fine, because it was short, but I don't want to see a redux spread over 14 episodes.

And above all, I don't want to see Felicity's storyline being reduced to a love triangle/revolving around a love interest. She deserves better than this. What about her parents, her upbringing, something that would be about her? And I don't like at all, as others said, that she might be linked to another QC's CEO, the guy who took Oliver's place. It might not be disloyal, but it isn't healthy imo.

 

I don't want a stupid love triangle to create some Oliver vs Felicity thing, because they're part of a team that doesn't work like this. The writers introduced an undeniable romantic element to the relationship with the use of the L word (cop-out or not) but it should be dealt between Oliver and Felicity only, with Diggle as a sounding board, like the bumps in their relationships were dealt with before. Like adults do, which is why their relationship -even from a platonic standpoint-  works for me. I don't want some cliché will they-won't they, and bringing a love interest is a staple of such storylines imo.

 

As for Oliver having a rival...well, I'd have liked it with cocky Oliver is S1 or S2-A. But Now? Oliver lost his company, his money, his sister is MIA and his mother was freaking murdered in front of his eyes. He's pretty much hitting rock bottom. I think he deserves a bit of a break.

So I do not want to see his support system endangered, and his support system is Felicity and Diggle. I don't like what seems to be brewing for the former, and I don't like, either, the conspicuous absence from the spoilers of the latter.

Maybe TPTB know they can't get rid of Team Arrow, but I have the feeling they're going to put it through the doom-and-gloom treatment, drench it in angst and make the relationships inside of it "messy" until the whole is unrecognizable and emptied of its substance.

It would be a huge mistake. During the last episodes of S2, everything would have been so dark and depressing if not for those moments when Diggle, Felicity and Oliver came together, fought together, and won together, even when it was a battle and not the war. Team Arrow is Oliver's light, it needs to stay his sanctuary of unconditional friendship and loyalty. And free of soapy drama.

 

Maybe the writers are planning many exciting things and "real" storylines, and can't talk about it for now. But the fact that they give as much as 14 episodes to a love interest evokes the giant S1 Triangle of Doom. Hence the above rant, sorry about it.

[SonofaBiscuit]

I'm not a fan of Brandon Routh - I made a "ew, no" face when I saw the casting news.   But thanks to Starfish35, now I can add "Zachary Levi playing the love interest of Felicity" on my list of things that I never knew how much I needed until it was no longer possible.  Because I NEED that.  *grumbles about shattered dreams*

 

 

I too never realized how great Zachary Levi would have been until it was just mentioned here.  I'm not too sure about Brandon Routh.  I'm another one who doesn't like or dislike him, but I was just envisioning someone with much more charisma.  I wanted someone basically the opposite of Oliver - warm, friendly, open, etc.  I've not seen those qualities in Brandon Routh, but maybe he'll surprise me...I'm willing to give him a chance and see how it goes, anyways. 

[Morrigan2575]

I wanted Justin Hartley but knew that would never happen.

[statsgirl]

Please let Felicity meet him in the role of an IT consultant (with her own company?) and not as his EA or other kind of employee.

I'm not really thrilled with the casting of him but on the bright side if he doesn't have a lot of charm and charisma we won't have to deal with another ship war breaking out and the likelihood that TPTB try to make him a permanent love interest for Felicity and an Olicity killer is now almost zero. That was my main concern with a LI.

Good point.  

 

I'm iffy about this (maybe because I wanted Luke Mitchell, maybe because I'm still not over that Matt Bomer got fired from the Superman movie and Brandon Routh got the gig) and his whole purpose in Chuck was to stall the ship (yuck). I hate characters who are brought on to stall the ship with the fire of a thousand suns.  I try to tell myself that he'll also be a business and vigilante rival of Oliver and take deep calming breaths.

 

Not that impressed with is acting but maybe if they give him a circumscribed role he'll do.  Maybe that's the reason I'm not thrilled, because I can see him in the love interest role but not more than that as someone else (Zachary Levi) could have done, and that makes me worried they'll make it about Oliver being jealous about Felicity and now more.

 

Mostly I'm afraid of them messing it up. 

[apinknightmare]

IDK, I can't get too down about it, because we haven't even seen Brandon Routh in character yet. We don't know how Ray and Felicity are going to meet. Maybe Oliver might even like the guy? It's not like Oliver lost QC to him, Oliver lost QC because he was a horrible businessman and he took off after the Undertaking. If he's interested in getting QC back, maybe Ray could teach him a thing or two?

I think S3 is going to be a string of learning experiences and maturation for Oliver. Learning experiences don't have to be filled with angst and jealousy. Yeah, the writers might choose to go that route, but there's no sense in worrying about it until they do. Things might turn out a-okay. Maybe we'll all be surprised.

[Password]

I really hope they don't allow Felicity's back story and storyline be overawed by this apparent love triangle. She's so much more than Oliver's potential man pain and I hope she doesn't get lost in the plot.

[Orion]

Just remember that the last time they told us there was a love triangle (Oliver, Tommy, Laurel) we didn't even realize that's what it was. ;)

[Password]

Just remember that the last time they told us there was a love triangle (Oliver, Tommy, Laurel) we didn't even realize that's what it was. ;)

 

Exactly.

[writersblock51]

Oh, so much to talk/rant about today with this latest announcement...

 

First, though:

 

I will cringe and weep if they make her his EA and then have her date him but that is for a whole other reason. More likely she'll be back in the tech side of things, right? I'm looking for reassurance here.

 

This was actually my 2nd thought when I read the TVLine article.  Please, please, please don't have Felicity be an EA again - and then have the rumor mill - again - about her sleeping with her boss.  Even if I don't end up watching the show, I'm sure I'll catch wind of that crap and it will piss me off.  A lot.

 

My 1st thought upon the news was, "Oh no, not him."  I personally think Brandon Routh is a very funny, nice person who comes off as such in every interview I've seen him in.  He is bright, self effacing and funny.  And I don't think he's the worst thing about 'Superman Returns' either - but a stronger actor may have been able to elevate that script a tad.  Maybe.  But then he was Agent Shaw on "Chuck" and I wanted to like his work, I truly did.  I was a huge fan of the show and had been impressed with all of the casting up to that point (ok, maybe the Undercover Agent of the Week at the Buy More wasn't great... but...). 

 

It was a thankless role, really, and there was probably only a handful of actors who could have worked with the role AND convincingly broken through the Chuck/Sarah chemistry (talk about another TV couple that just clicked, wow).  Unfortunately, BR was in the role and I was unimpressed throughout.  Even when he was angry and evil.

 

So him in the role of Ray Palmer/Atom is already in the negative for me.

 

14 episodes - why?  Unless the show truly wants to:

1) break up Team Arrow

2) break up all possibilities of Olicity

3) have yet another superhero take up a lot of screen time for his own story

 

...I don't see the point. 

 

Part of my bitterness is because I had been hoping 'Daniel' would be Ted Kord/Blue Beetle.  And wow, Zach Levi would have been a perfect for THAT role.  Oh well.

 

Speculation about Diggle having a decreasing role/breaking up Team Arrow is downright depressing.  I certainly don't want to watch that happen.

 

To sum up, I'll just requota @Sakrura12
 

 

There is still nothing about next season that is making me want to watch. Laurel being more involved in the show is the big issue for me, but the rest of storylines don't seem all that interesting and exciting either. Daddy issues/baby mama issues, along with the children (which don't belong on this show at all), more Laurel, more Oliver manpain/guilt with the China storyline, possibly hooking up with bland Waller, Laurel becoming Black Canary with Sara probably returning to give Laurel more of her outfit and permission to use her name while being a souless killer, cliche triangle with a shipper blocking love interest, a villain with the same name as a previous campy villain and Merlyn being alive just because he's John Barrowman.

 

I would love to be wrong about BR's take on the Atom, I really would.  Perhaps the problem isn't really him but the writers.  Or, namely, my lack of faith that they'd do the stories justice. 

Edited July 7, 2014 by writersblock51

[KirkB]

Palmer may not be a superhero here. He may just be the tech savvy billionaire who takes over Queen Consolidated. Then maybe near the end of his run, or even in his last episode, he mentions having an idea (maybe one given to him by Felicity) about using white dwarf star matter to shrink things. Ray Palmer being on the show, even without a costume, will be enough of an easter egg for comics fans and mean nothing to non comic fans anyway.

[writersblock51]

Moved from the Hopes & Fears thread:

With today's casting news for Felicity's Love Interest/Oliver's personal & professional rival, I'm very concerned about how much of what I love about the show will be messed around with to the point it can't be fixed.

 

Team Arrow - while we don't know the details of how the new character will intermingle with Felicity and Oliver, it stands to reason that there will be tension between the 2 of them.  And that it will translate to tension in Lair v 2.0.  That's not necessarily a bad thing BUT if Felicity's loyalties and relationship decisions are called into question (likely amped up from what they were with Barry in S2), then it's just a rerun of what they've all been through.  And I don't think it's an organic development for the team.

 

Oliver & Felicity/Olicity  - by many indications, the network and DC are supportive of Oliver and Felicity pursuing a relationship, whether in S3 or down the road.  I don't think it helps the characters or the show to use the triangle/thrown in LI to muddle things up, using the tired Will They or Won't They trope.  Furthermore, I am very concerned that Felicity getting a love interest means that Oliver and Laurel will make another go at things.  and I think that would be a disaster for the show.

 

Oliver's Confidence - the man has lost nearly everything by the end of S2 but he's with his team and considering his future.  The show has done a horrible job of explaining how the company and the Queen family's fortunes all disappered.  It wasn't the least bit realistic or logical.  So I would have hoped that his getting his company back wouldn't have been a season long battle.  The QC Board surely heard about Isabel's demise and part of the whole mess.    How much more does Oliver have to lose?  It's not entertaining to watch the same person constantly fall steps behind.

 

Overall, there's not a lot about the upcoming season that has me excited.  I am curious and optimistic that the new Vertigo will be done well.  But this show seems fixated on versions 2.0 of everything.  So, to me, Vertigo 2.0 is possibly a good thing but Black Canary 2.0 is an complete clusterf*ck.

 

I also prefer that the show stay more grounded in reality.  I'm curious as to how the new casting will handle the super-power element.

[TanyaKay]

 

  But thanks to Starfish35, now I can add "Zachary Levi playing the love interest of Felicity" on my list of things that I never knew how much I needed until it was no longer possible.  Because I NEED that.  *grumbles about shattered dreams*

 

Holy fuck ... now all I can do is picture Zachary Levi as Felicity's love interest. I mean why do you guys do that me. I want it so bad, it's not even funny!.

[BkWurm1]

Palmer may not be a superhero here. He may just be the tech savvy billionaire who takes over Queen Consolidated. Then maybe near the end of his run, or even in his last episode, he mentions having an idea (

 

Yeah, this is what I expect.  There just doesn't seem to be reason for the show to bring in a shrinking dude.  It's not what I'd call sexy, so I'm confident the show is not going to focus on it. 

 

Team Arrow - while we don't know the details of how the new character will intermingle with Felicity and Oliver, it stands to reason that there will be tension between the 2 of them.  And that it will translate to tension in Lair v 2.0.  That's not necessarily a bad thing BUT if Felicity's loyalties and relationship decisions are called into question (likely amped up from what they were with Barry in S2), then it's just a rerun of what they've all been through.  And I don't think it's an organic development for the team.

 

I'm feeling confident that we will not just get a rehash of the past.  There is no reason to call into question even an iota of Felicity's loyalty or commitment to the team.  After the Slade thing it IMO just won't fly and so becomes something I'm not worried about in that aspect.  I expect there will be changes put to the team and questions about what the long game plans for Team Arrow are going to be,  but I think these are the questions everyone asks over time. 

 

Oliver & Felicity/Olicity  - by many indications, the network and DC are supportive of Oliver and Felicity pursuing a relationship, whether in S3 or down the road.  I don't think it helps the characters or the show to use the triangle/thrown in LI to muddle things up, using the tired Will They or Won't They trope.  Furthermore, I am very concerned that Felicity getting a love interest means that Oliver and Laurel will make another go at things.  and I think that would be a disaster for the show.

 

I'm not a fan of the love triangle but it is a well used trope for delaying a relationship.  I also look at the quality of the love interest they are bringing in for Felicity.  This isn't a lower level cute, funny guy on the level of a Jimmy Olsen or a Barry Allen, this is a respected level LI still fairly early in the shows run (compared to after nine years when shows might throw anything at the wall) which to me translates that TPTB are NOT trying to replace Olicity, but this is just a part of the process.  Cross my fingers how it plays out but as odd as it may sound, I take it as a good sign. 

[JenMD]

 

I'm not a fan of Brandon Routh - I made a "ew, no" face when I saw the casting news.  

Heh, I had the same reaction.  And I don't think I've even seen him in anything but promos from Superman back in the day to base that on, but he just does nothing for me.  Not necessarily thrilled that his DC character has powers, but like KirkB mentioned, we don't know yet what they're doing with the character on the show vs the comics.  Could just be surface similarities. 

 

But now that "Daniel" is out of the way and my Luke Mitchell sized bubble has burst (sniff), can they bring on the casting and spoilers for Felicity's parents, pretty please?  Some indication that they haven't forgotten this big ol' backstory that was too big for S2? 

[Morrigan2575]

That Emergency Awesome guy on YouTube had a good idea. He speculated that maybe Ray/Felicity knew each other in the past, that he could be part of her backstory. I'd like it if that were the case. Maybe they met at MIT? it doesn't sound like Ray would be old enough to be a professor but he could be a Post Grad while she was an undergrad I think that would be cool.

[pootlus]

Call me shallow, but my first reaction to the Routh news was "Oh, yummy."

 

I liked him in Scott Pilgrim, and the meh of Superman Returns wasn't his fault ("Here, here's a boring script, now please do your best Christopher Reeve impersonation").  I'll reserve judgement - if I tune in for S3 that is, which I guess will probably solidify when we hear what comes out of Comic-Con (as much about what is not said than what is said, too).

[MsSchadenfreude]

I like Brandon Routh though he will always be Seth from OLTL to me.  EBR has had chemistry with everyone so far, so I'm sure she will have some type of chemistry with him as well.  Plus he's hot and I'm shallow.  And if he takes his shirt off as much as SA, it may just help me forget the parts of the show {cough Laurel as BC cough} that I'm not looking forward to seeing.

[AnyoneButYou]

I'm fine with the casting. I like Brandon Routh well enough. I'm just glad it's not Steven R. McQueen. I'd much rather have had Luke Mitchell, but it could've been much, much worse.

 

Hopefully, the writers don't forget about him over the course of 14 episodes if they're spread out like they did Isobel. If he gets a good storyline, I think it could turn out fine. EBR hasn't let us down yet in her ability to have chemistry with just about everyone she comes into contact with, so I'm not especially worried about that. As long as Felicity isn't his EA, I don't really think I care how they get together. It's time for Felicity to have a love interest and hopefully time away from the lair and Team Arrow. If this is a means to that, then I'm all for it. I just want to see Felicity have some fun and a life.

[statsgirl]

 

Oliver & Felicity/Olicity  - by many indications, the network and DC are supportive of Oliver and Felicity pursuing a relationship, whether in S3 or down the road.  I don't think it helps the characters or the show to use the triangle/thrown in LI to muddle things up, using the tired Will They or Won't They trope.  Furthermore, I am very concerned that Felicity getting a love interest means that Oliver and Laurel will make another go at things.  and I think that would be a disaster for the show.

That may not be such a bad thing, to have Oliver and Laurel try it again only to fail and then use that to shut it down completely.  What I think would be a disaster for the show is to keep teasing them together for the next three or more seasons. That would be a black hole of suck.

 

I can see using that horrible 'Will they/won't they' trope but I really hope they don't.  It seems that WB like Felicity and Oliver is the star of the show and hopefully the EPs will remember this is supposed to be an adventure show and not a soapy drama.

[writersblock51]

@statsgirl, another go for Oliver and Laurel - only for them to realize it won't work - makes sense, in a way, on paper but it would be awful on screen.  Any more attempts at romance/intimacy/love between the 2 of them is enough to make me want to hurl stuff at my TV.

 

I agree that the network likes Felicity and even recognizes her popularity enough to tread carefully with her.  And that includes how she and Oliver get along, as well as the whole Team Arrow stuff.

 

I think the show crossed into soapy drama stuff in the pilot, though.  And hasn't stopped.

[pootlus]

As long as Felicity isn't his EA

God, yes. I would hate that (as, it appears, would many others here). Felicity is a bloody MIT grad and super-smart, the show needs to not lose sight of that.

I don't really think I care how they get together. It's time for Felicity to have a love interest and hopefully time away from the lair and Team Arrow. If this is a means to that, then I'm all for it. I just want to see Felicity have some fun and a life.

Also in agreement. Be nice to see a bit of Felicity's life outside the Arrow Cave. Bring on Felicity's parents casting!

[quarks]

I just want to see Felicity have some fun and a life.

 

 

And see, for me, this is the main argument against Brandon Routh :)

[JayKay]

I like that he's bland! LOL. I think he could be a perfectly low-key guy for Felicity. I know, I know, she deserves someone who could make her heart rate triple and all that, but stay with me. Remember that scene where Diggle went to Felicity's place and sat outside? Can't you just picture Brandon Routh lounging around inside in a snuggie on the couch drinking cocoa and playing video games, waiting for Felicity to come back? He's so dull; she's the highlight of his day. He's not some RogueRouth that would make Felicity want to tear her hair out with his RowdyRouth shenanigans. Oliver is complicated and mysterious and emotionally erratic - it can get exhausting. Even if it's played as a case of "what does she see in him" with RayRouth, you can bet that if anyone is capable of finding the diamond in the Routh, it's Felicity.

 

And I'm glad that Daniel wasn't Ted Kord because it gives me hope for a real Birds of Prey show, and Ted was a love interest of Oracle's.

[AnyoneButYou]

Maybe bland and normal will be nice for Felicity after seeing Oliver sister swap and Diggle date his dead brother's wife. Get the show back to what normal dating should be like. No more "keep it in the family" BS. Hell, I'd take a scene with a non-angsty dinner date over any of the dating we've seen on the show so far. It just gets tiring after two seasons.

[FAU]

That may not be such a bad thing, to have Oliver and Laurel try it again only to fail and then use that to shut it down completely.  What I think would be a disaster for the show is to keep teasing them together for the next three or more seasons. That would be a black hole of suck.

 

I can see using that horrible 'Will they/won't they' trope but I really hope they don't.  It seems that WB like Felicity and Oliver is the star of the show and hopefully the EPs will remember this is supposed to be an adventure show and not a soapy drama.

 

It's a;ready sucking, they just need to end it and stop dragging this nonsense out even more.

[Sunshine]

It's time for Felicity to have a love interest and hopefully time away from the lair and Team Arrow. If this is a means to that, then I'm all for it. I just want to see Felicity have some fun and a life.

I hate to be cynical but do we really think this is going to happen? I wouldn't mind but this is Oliver/Arrow's story. I know the EPs like EBR but are they really going to spend time writing for her outside of Oliver/Team Arrow? It might be implied but will we actually see it? Since I think the whole purpose is to move Oliver off his "because of the life I lead..." stance, I am thinking we might see it more from Oliver's POV than Felicity's. Sigh. I hope they prove me wrong! I guess I keep reading the character description and seeing Oliver's rival more so than Felicity's love interest even though love interest is what keeps being emphasized.

Is it just me or does S3 seem like it may already have too much going on similar to S2 for any of it to be developed?

Hong Kong Flashbacks

Thea/Malcolm

Ray Palmer/Atom

Fight for control of QC

Superhero

Felicity LI

Vertigo 2.0

Daddy Drama (Diggle/Lyla, Oliver baby mama, fatherless Felicity, Quentin)

Roy?

Sarah/Nyssa/Sin are all supposed to be back

Suicide Squad (Both Michael Rowe & Michael Jai White tweeted they would be back)

Rumors of Rha's Al Ghul

Flash crossovers (Both Bamford & Writers have tweeted about meetings with their counterparts)

Plenty of stunts I am sure!

Laurel as BC and Team Arrow member(if KC is to be believed)

In the EBR/CH interviews in the UK they said S3 would have backstories and be more emotional. Does this mean HIVE as part of Diggle's backstory? EBR did say she was promised A parent. Is it her mom who we have been told about or her dad who abandoned her? What about Roy? Is he all about Thea or does he get a backstory too?

Will Team Arrow have time to fight crime with all this other going on? LOL!

[AnyoneButYou]

I don't know. I think the producers might know that people want to see Felicity outside of the Arrow Cave at this point. EBR has said that she wants to see Felicity just have a movie night and paint her nails. It's not like they've shown that much of Oliver and Digg's dating life, but we've seen glimpses of them on dates. We've seen both of them in their homes (or someone's home) with their significant others. I think we might at least get a scene of Felicity and Ray on a date. At this point, I think they can probably be enough to at least satisfy me a ltitle. Otherwise, what would be the point of bringing up Felicity getting a love interest? Yeah, he might be a rival of Oliver's, but I think this season we might actually see Felicity whisper sweet nothings to something other than her computer.

 

It might be Oliver's story, but every other character has had their own thing going on including Diggle and way too much of the Lances. I mean, all the producers have to do is look at their nifty wall of fanart and they'll know how popular Felicity is. I don't think we're going to get completely screwed over and not see any of the Felicity/Ray relationship play out at least a little bit. If it doesn't play out on screen at least a little bit, then the producers are complete idiots.

Edited July 8, 2014 by AnyoneButYou

[JayKay]

Can you imagine if there aren't any scenes of Felicity and Ray alone together without the Oliver of it all up in their business? There's being a main protagonist who the world revolves around, and then there's just plain stalking. Maybe we won't see them being domestic, but it would be absurd if they had no personal, private moments together. I'm not too worried.

[AnyoneButYou]

Can you imagine if there aren't any scenes of Felicity and Ray alone together without the Oliver of it all up in their business? There's being a main protagonist who the world revolves around, and then there's just plain stalking. Maybe we won't see them being domestic, but it would be absurd if they had no personal, private moments together. I'm not too worried.

Yeah. It's not like the Barry "relationship." Ray's going to be there for 14 episodes. I can't imagine 14 episodes where we're expecting to see Ray/Felicity spend some time together and it ends up being just Oliver glaring at them and growling. However, I'd rather watch that than Laurel running around in her magical jacket and flexing her biceps.

Edited July 8, 2014 by AnyoneButYou

[Lokiberry]

It seems to me that they lucked out having Flash ready to cash in on the popularity of Quicksilver. Now, they're preemptively introducing their own shrinking character in anticipation of Marvel's Ant Man. The problem is, they don't have the money for the kind of special effects to make it look good. No giant dixie cups, no big ass paperclips, no cgi of Oliver nearly stomping on Ray, and saying, "Sorry dude, I thought you were a bug". So, either they're going to do something cheap and crappy, or he'll be pre-Atom Ray Palmer. If that's the case, why? It would be an easter egg that 99% of the audience wouldn't get.

 

Then there's Brandon Routh. He's already failed as one superhero, why cast him as another? Are they planning to spin him off in his own show? I don't think that'll work if people hate his freakin' guts for cock-blocking Olicity. BR is a bland actor, he lacks Grant Gustin's adorkable charm, which helped him overcome any Olicity based backlash. Besides, Barry was gone in two episodes, Ray will be around half  season, or longer. This is going to be Shaw all over again.

 

This season is starting to give off the distinct whiff of trainwreck. Laurel Blank Canarying it up, Shaw 2.0, Baby Daddy Ollie, Devon Aoki as Katana (did she learn how to act since Sin City?), the inevitable Ollie/Waller hook up, the Ollie/Katana hook up, the Ollie/Baby Mama hook up, the looming possibility of another Ollie/Laurel hook up since she's a superhero too now (and as such will be the only one who truly understands him. In her bones), and on and on.

 

I'm going to bed.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Lokiberry

[SleepDeprived]

you can bet that if anyone is capable of finding the diamond in the Routh, it's Felicity.

 

Be honest, JayKay. How much giggling to yourself did you do when you thought that pun up? I snorted IRL. Thanks.

 

I like being optimistic about things. So, while I haven't been overly impressed with what I've seen of Routh's previous appearances (he was fine on Pilgrim but we must never talk about that Superman flick he did), I'm still willing to give the dude a chance to win me over with his Ray Palmer. I did it with Grant's Barry Allen, in spite of my loathing of all things Glee and my eternal love for Wally West, and he managed to be an adorable enough character that I'll be checking out The Flash this fall. I doubt they will have Ray as The Atom just yet but rather as in-the-process-of-becoming-The Atom. Which is why his work at QC's rebuilt Applied Sciences division will be "shrouded in mystery". Because (please correct me if I'm wrong comics experts) his shrinking "power" is not strictly a superpower, right? It's an ability he's able to do due to some mumbo-jumbo comic-based science-y gadget/molecular make-up. Much like how Sara has a sonic device as a stand-in for BC's supersonic scream, I'm thinking they will ground the shrink/grow ability to comic-book-science (the galactically distant cousin of real world science) and use gadgets, instead. And he probably wouldn't be doing a lot of shrinking/growing until late into his 14-episode contract, after which he can exit stage right. He can then come back for future guest spots. So, technically, Arrow can continue on with their no actual superpowers mantra... Except for the inevitable Flash crossovers, of course.

 

Speaking of inevitable, why do most think it is set in stone that Oliver will end up sleeping with Waller? I can see him hooking-up with Katana, in the flashbacks, but Waller? Yes, I know he was a man-slut and I wouldn't put it past him to want to sleep with her (because she's hot) but why would Waller sleep with him? The show's Amanda Waller is pretty ruthless and thinks everyone can be used as a pawn. She has shown zero regard for the lives/feelings of others if it conflicts with her agenda. What would compel a power-driven, arrogant woman to sleep with a lowly subordinate she intends to use for nefarious purposes in Hong Kong? His body? Her loneliness? Seduction to bend him to her will? I can't think of any non-ridiculous scenario where The Wall (even if she is the New52 version) would actively want to sleep with flashback-grunge-haired-Oliver Queen.

 

Also, I apologize for this slight OT, but, IMO, I think Fox's Quicksilver is actually the one who cashed in on Flash's popularity/character because that was not Pietro's personality in that movie, but more of Wally West's. Also, I have doubts of the success of the Ant Man movie for Marvel. Because, why? A movie about that dude?

Edited July 8, 2014 by SleepDeprived

[At Leisure]

I completely agree that Ray Palmer's pre Atom persona will be used for most of the 14 episodes that he'll be on. He's an ok actor I guess...was good as the baddie in Chuck though I'm not too sure about him being the right choice as a love interest opposite Felicity. I have a feeling it might be headed down the Laurel/Ollie way with not much chemistry.

But if they do go that way...I'll probably cheer Ray/Felicity on if only for the need of a life outside the arrow cave in case of Felicity's character. Maybe the EPs want to divert the fan obsession from Olicity to a new couple (Raylicity) so that Laurel and Ollie can ignite some much lacking sparks while she dons the well fitted Canary jacket under the loving gaze of Arrow's masked eyes.

[Password]

Maybe the EPs want to divert the fan obsession from Olicity to a new couple (Raylicity) so that Laurel and Ollie can ignite some much lacking sparks while she dons the well fitted Canary jacket under the loving gaze of Arrow's masked eyes.

Beautifully put.

[tv echo]

My initial reaction on reading the Brandon Routh casting rumors was dismay.  I found him so bland and two-dimensional in Superman and Chuck.  And I can't picture him with Emily Bett Rickards.  I would've preferred someone like Luke Mitchell or even Stephen McQueen for the role - but maybe they're too young to play someone who could take over QC.

 

However, I'm willing to give BR a chance.  Maybe his public persona on Arrow will be bland on purpose.  Then, as a secret vigilante, he surprises everyone and reveals hidden depths of character (to Felicity) and acting (to viewers).  It's the whole Sir Percy Blakeney/Scarlet Pimpernel or Clark Kent/Superman dichotomy.

 

I still think that, with the success of The Flash, TPTB may also be testing the waters for another possible spin-off, should this character prove popular with viewers.  It's all about the dollar signs.

[Lokiberry]

My initial reaction on reading the Brandon Routh casting rumors was dismay.  I found him so bland and two-dimensional in Superman and Chuck.  And I can't picture him with Emily Bett Rickards.  I would've preferred someone like Luke Mitchell or even Stephen McQueen for the role - but maybe they're too young to play someone who could take over QC.

 

However, I'm willing to give BR a chance.  Maybe his public persona on Arrow will be bland on purpose.  Then, as a secret vigilante, he surprises everyone and reveals hidden depths of character (to Felicity) and acting (to viewers).  It's the whole Sir Percy Blakeney/Scarlet Pimpernel or Clark Kent/Superman dichotomy.

 

I still think that, with the success of The Flash, TPTB may also be testing the waters for another possible spin-off, should this character prove popular with viewers.  It's all about the dollar signs.

I think so too, but BR is the wrong person for that. He's just like BDPaul  from Orphan Black (don't know the actors real name) who they cast to play  Laurel's ADA boss/marginal love interest. They're both good-looking, but bland and forgettable actors.