Spoiler Discussion Thread

[BkWurm1]

Yeah, he was only in seven episodes but he played Adam Knight, a guy who internet conspiracy theorists suspected of being an amnesiac Bruce Wayne but he turned out to be a baddie and another Lana Lang lunatic stalker.

 

The story is that the SV powers that be WERE trying to sneak in an amnesiac Bruce Wayne.  They were going to leave it murky and go for it but DC found out and made them do an about face and suddenly love interest, all around helpful guy with ninja skills becomes dying bad dude with anger issues.  Bye, bye Adam Knight. 

 

wonder if the cure and Roy needing to keep taking it will be the issue between Roy and Felicity.

 



 

Why would that be an issue though? I would think he'd be all about taking it. Although I wouldn't but since he was pretty much suicidal the last time, he'd probably be more amenable.

 

 

I got the impression that the issue between Roy and Felicity is some side project that the others are not a part of so maybe that translates to Felicity trying to keep him on the not permanent cure while they work on a permanent one or maybe she'd been covering up what he'd done during his rage blackout.  Or maybe he has her looking for Thea or something on behalf of Sin.  Something though that Felicity would feel ok with not telling Oliver or Diggle.  Hmm, must think about that one more. 

 

 

Or maybe he has feelings for Felicity. Be warned, Felicity and her popularity are like a shiny new CW toy and it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine a quadrangle between her, Oliver, the Brandon Routh character and Roy. That's how the CW likes it with their romantic leads. I recall a time when both Clark, and Lex were ogling Lana whilst she dated Ian Somerhalder {whoever he played}.

 

I don't see it happening.  I can't see Felicity thinking of him as anything but a kid and her heart is already fixated on a man.   

[slayer2]

 

I don't see it happening.  I can't see Felicity thinking of him as anything but a kid and her heart is already fixated on a man.

Not on her end but I could see him relying on her more and more and developing a mini-crush a la Bart Allen/Chloelicious.

[abhi]

Here's Marc Guggenheim's Tweet

"Arrow Ep. 3x02 is shooting. Co-written by @ketomizu, directed by @wendeystanzler, and co-starring @caitylotz"

https://twitter.com/mguggenheim/status/491371204851531776

 

I don't think I should read into the tweets so much but he has mentioned Caity Lotz as co-starring and not  guest starring. Is that a hint or I am over thinking things?

[BkWurm1]

To me it just seems to imply that she will heavily be in the episode.  Guest star could mean any amount of screen time, even way too little. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by BkWurm1

[Starfish35]

So far nothing released so far is making me want to tune in.

I am not sure what to think right now. I'm on the fence. One day yes, one day no. After the finale, it was a pretty hard no, and I'm not sure I want to be sucked back in for another season of constantly being terrified of what they're about to do, especially where Sara's concerned. But the recent spoilers have me waffling. I'm intrigued about all things Felicity, Diggle, and Thea. Sara is going to be back as Canary, at least for a bit. Laurel isn't going to be insta!Canary, although I still fear an end-of-season promotion by death-of-Sara. So I don't know. :(

Edited July 22, 2014 by Starfish35

[JayKay]

All of the elements for a kickass season are there, but I don't trust these people to utilize them effectively. Some of the things we know about like Malcolm and Thea, SaraCanary, Nyssa, NuOliver, Diggle's storyline expanding, Felicity's character enrichment, Laurel reverting back to stable, competent lawyer, and possibly Ra's are all things I want to see. Plus Captain Quentin cooking. I'd be all in if there wasn't the concern of those things getting bashed up and ruined for the sake of cheap tragedy and drama. I'll probably tune in live but at least this time around I'll know how to recognize the signs of things about to shake apart and can bail accordingly.

[BkWurm1]

I know I am tuning in at least for the start of the season, most likely for most of the season, that much I feel confident about, but I also feel confident that I'll have a better understanding of the ultimate direction of the show by the end of season three. 

 

Or maybe I won't.  Maybe I'll be typing the same words in as of season 4 and if so, then the show probably is doing something right or at least managed to not do something horridly wrong.

 

I'm really looking forward to Thea and Malcolm.  I'm liking the promised Flash crossovers.  I'm happy that Diggle is getting a family and want to see how he handles it.  Quentin is not dead!  Sara is coming back!  These are all very good things. 

 

 I'm looking forward to Felicity and Oliver planning a date and I'm fine with all that then being saved for later while Felicity plays with Ray.  I think the potential scenes between them could be fun and ripple effect perhaps meaningful for Olicity.  Right now I feel very good about the whole slow burn thing but I also know that what I feel now could be radically changed if the show runners suddenly decide to go a different direction.

 

I know very little about this super awesome been waiting 46 episodes to set up storyline with a twist that might surprise people that they have planned for Laurel and yeah, that kind of terrifies me that I'm misreading the seeds of this show's destruction as currently good and positive things to look forward to. 

 

I've made peace with what ever happens with Laurel re the jacket as long as Sara doesn't die and is happy with her choices.  The magic jacket isn't my preference and I'm crossing my fingers for the unexpected hinted at by the producers to actually be something unexpected but if its just the lawyer morphing into ninja birdie (provided my caveats re Sara) then I'd keep watching. 

 

But if the show still means to make Laurel Oliver's end game love interest, I will stop watching not just cause I'd like the show to go a different way but because I can't respect or root for the lead character if he DOESN"T go a different way.  The ick factor of their history for me is unfixable. 

 

But we are not there yet.  Right now, the show seems on track, so right now, I am looking forward to watching.

Edited July 22, 2014 by BkWurm1

[FurryFury]

Re: Slade

As many things as this show did wrong, Slade's story was probably the worst. Yes, even worse than Laurel (for me), because at least I never liked her in the first place and was never invested in her story. But after season 1, Slade was one of my favorites, and the first half of s2 made me really psyched over him and Oliver battling out. After all, a story of friends turned enemies is a classic one, and told well, could be truly compelling. 

However, what we got was a disappointment. Slade/Shado was never fleshed out, and it badly needed fleshing out because it was his motivation. He never really seemed like having a real plan or a direction, just doing what the writers wanted to screw things up for Oliver. The whole story with Blood and Isabel was just horrendously written and made me want to face palm. And I never got to see a real relationship, a real connection between Slade and Oliver under the layer of Mirakuru rage - but I'm sure it should have been there.

 

I want to say they wouldn't just return still-Mirakuru'd Slade and make him have another go at Oliver or Felicity because it would be such a cliche and a waste of Manu's acting skills, but truthfully, I don't know with this show anymore. Despite my rage and disappointment at their treatment of Sara and Moira's death and Laurel's constant shilling I'd probably be still watching if they didn't screw Slade up so much and left him on the show in some capacity.

[Morrigan2575]

SDCC will be a huge factor in my decision to watch / not watch S3. It's already getting too busy, I don't think they learned their lesson even after admitting their fault and saying they were going back to S1 style (smaller/tighter stories).

Pros: Katana, off the island, Felicity development, Olicity progression, Sara/Canary back (hopefully a regular), Thea finally getting a story, Brandon Routh/Ray, Tommy in flashback

Cons: Baby mama drama, Laurel still around (YMMV), Mirakuru still around, Roy Amnesia, too many characters, Merlyn being back (YMMV).

[FurryFury]

Sara/Canary back (hopefully a regular)

 

It seems to be unlikely at this point. If they wanted her as a regular they could have done this either in the middle of last season or just after it. But with MG's comment about 3 episodes, I doubt she'll be even heavily recurring in s3, never mind a regular.

[quarks]

I'lll be around - I'm addicted - with the caveat that I said exactly the same thing as Scandal season three got started, and by the end of that season I was cheerfully out of there. Then again, as far as I was concerned, season three ended on a Happy Place for me after a season that left me continually aggravated, so it was a good place to stop.

But Arrow still has Oliver/Felicity, Thea, Malcolm wanting to sleep with the entire cast when not trying to murder them, Diggle (more Diggle please show), Lyla, Sin and Nyssa. So reason to tune in.

What might lose me is if any more of the main cast - and I do mean any, including Roy - die while leaving Laurel still on the show. I tolerated it with Tommy because I could see the reasons. With Moira, though, auugh.Also excess of Amanda Waller. I know you have all said in the comics she's very cool, and I believe you guys, really, but I don't like her on screen.

[tv echo]

Based on all the spoilers so far, I'm going to give Season 3 a chance.  Arrow, with all its flaws, is still a more entertaining hour of television than a lot of crap that's on TV.  But Season 3 will probably decide if I continue to watch the show.

 

Looking on the bright side, it could've been worse.  I doubt I would've watched Arrow past Season 1 (assuming it was even renewed) if they hadn't amped up Diggle's role and brought in Felicity, thus forming Team Arrow, which, in turn, made Oliver more likeable.  Just imagine the show if the cast was still limited to focusing on asshole Oliver and abrasive Laurel, and their sad love triangle with poor Tommy.

Edited July 22, 2014 by tv echo

[Morrigan2575]

It seems to be unlikely at this point. If they wanted her as a regular they could have done this either in the middle of last season or just after it. But with MG's comment about 3 episodes, I doubt she'll be even heavily recurring in s3, never mind a regular.

I'm still hopeful that they're going to announce CL as a series regular at SDCC.  I can't see any other reason why CL/Sara would be listed in the CW Upfronts if she wasn't a major character in S3.  This is where the Network goes to sell their network/shows/schedule to the media/ad buyers and set ad rates.  

[slayer2]

I don't think she'll be a regular, she has too many other commitments. I mean the girl can do EVERYTHING, she's a quadruple threat by now. Why would she want to get tied down on Arrow?

Edited July 22, 2014 by slayer2

[Sakura12]

The fact that they keep introducing new characters shows me that the every DC character they can get invasion isn't going to stop. Then they just get the character and fail to think of an interesting backstory and present day storyline for any of them. I don't seem much evidence of this being a tighter written season, I still see multiple storylines happening at once. This is also the beginning of the season, last season was okay in then too. After that it was lets throw all the balls at the wall, who cares why, then change the balls to different colors and throw them at the wall too. 

[Velocity23]

I think she will be a regular, just that she will miss a few episodes. 

[strikera0]

I don't think she'll be a regular, she has too many other commitments. I mean the girl can do EVERYTHING, she's a quadruple threat by now. Why would she want to get tied down on Arrow?

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what other commitments are you talking about? I just checked CL's IMDB and there are no new projects listed as in-development for her and the movie she was filming wrapped weeks ago. I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way because I would be thrilled for CL if she's going places outside of Arrow, but this isn't the first time I have seen posters mentioning how busy she is and it makes me wonder if there are some (casting) news that I missed...

[Sakura12]

That's what I was wondering too. I only know about 400 Days with Brando Routh which finished filming weeks ago. 

[poetgirl925]

Right now I'm in for S3 and I hope SDCC news is promising re: the new season and various characters' stories. Laurel as Black Canary out of the gate would have been a deal breaker but it seems they're not going to do that. If things start heading south mid-season I might give up. I hung on in S1 because of Diggle and Felicity and the team angle, but I bailed three quarters of the way into S2. Not even the fact that the episodes were automatically downloading from iTunes made me want to watch and it was July before I grudgingly decided to try again. The spoilers are interesting me so far. However, it's always around the mid-season things start falling apart.

Edited July 22, 2014 by poetgirl925

[Morrigan2575]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what other commitments are you talking about? I just checked CL's IMDB and there are no new projects listed as in-development for her and the movie she was filming wrapped weeks ago. I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way because I would be thrilled for CL if she's going places outside of Arrow, but this isn't the first time I have seen posters mentioning how busy she is and it makes me wonder if there are some (casting) news that I missed...

I haven't heard anything.  She landed the Indy film 400 Days with Brandon Routh right after Arrow S2 filming ended and that film wrapped up already seeing as how both BR and CL are filming Arrow S3.  Other than that, nothing is listed on IMDb and she hasn't mentioned anything on her twitter (at least nothing that's been picked up and noted on Arrow blogs/forums/etc)

 

What I do know is that: CL/Sara was listed in the CW Upfronts Press Release as part of Team Arrow, she mentioned at Chile Con that her S3 status was a secret and she couldn't talk about it; She repeated it at the Denver Con but SA hinted that of course she's back in S3; AK tweeted that BR needed to take care of CL while filming the movie b/c Arrow needed her back; after Candagraphs caught a picture of CL on set for 301, MG announced that CL was back in S3 on twitter; they recently gave an interview saying they have her for 3 episodes and hopefully more. One more, she was asked on twitter if she would be at SDCC and she responded "maybe ;) "

 

Someone who is a minor recurring character wouldn't get this kind of attention or secrecy, IMO.  I could be wrong, lord knows it wouldn't be the first time but I really do think they're going to announce CL as a S3 Series Regular at SDCC

Edited July 22, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[SmallScreenDiva]

Richard Keats, who played the Glades doctor who helped out Oliver and Sara last time, appears to have been cast in the first episode (according to IMDB). I don't normally believe what IMDB has right away (especially when it involves certain fans of a certain actor changing her character's name to BC), but I have no reason to think this particular entry is a hoax. So Glades doctor, possible explosion (based on SA's photo where Oliver is full of soot). Something that happens that makes him pull back from pursuing a romance with Felicity ... I'm now kinda worried about my favorite blonde tech whiz.

[FurryFury]

Don't worry about Felicity. The only character safer than her at this point is Oliver.

[SmallScreenDiva]

Oh, I'm not worried about Felicity being killed off or anything, just that she might be harmed in the premiere episode. Then, we'll probably get Oliver being all angsty and decide they can't be together "because of the life that I lead" crap.

[Sakura12]

That will happen whether Felicity gets hurt or not. They have to keep the ship apart for as long as they can or until the ratings start dropping and they need to reel fans back in. 

[FurryFury]

You're right, and I think it's a damn shame. A show with a bigger story and lots of stuff going on shouldn't rely on a will-they-or-won't-they storyline so much. Romance should be just another arc, with a beginning and an ending. Like, say, the first few seasons of Buffy. I think the obvious reliance on Olicity is just a sign that the writers aren't that sure of themselves or the promo department doesn't have anything else to promote (which is, again, the writers' fault - they had lots of stuff that could have a much stronger fan resonance than just romance, and no offense to the shippers, but Olicity isn't that awesome to have such prominence).

[shadow2008]

I still haven't decided if I am going to watch season 3 or not. I am curious about the upcoming Hong Kong flashback story and how Katanna fits into that and I am happy that Thea is finally getting a proper storyline of her own, but I couldn't care less about Oliver's love life, so the upcoming Oliver/Felicity/Ray storyline does nothing for me. I have accepted that Laurel will ultimately become Black Canary. Now that they aren't going the insta!BC route with her and have instead opted for a more moderate approach, I may be able to stomach it (depending on how it's done). My dealbreaker is probably going to be what they do with Sara in the meantime. I am very worried that they will continue to regress her character like they did in the second half of last season and that isn't something I want to watch. I have seen too many characters I once liked get ruined by incompetent writing staffs and don't want to add another character to that list. Maybe I'll just continue to read spoilers and if season 3 turns out to be worthwhile, marathon it on a weekend next summer.

Edited July 22, 2014 by shadow2008

[FurryFury]

Agreed, except that I didn't accept Laurel as BC, and will never accept that. We already have a BC, no need for another one.

[Starfish35]

At this point, if they do announce CL as a regular, I'm probably back in, unless something incredibly off putting also comes up at SDCC.

While I do have concerns about Sara in the light of Laurel's likely future promotion to BC, if they make her a regular she's probably ok for most of the season anyway, and I'm enough of a fan that I want to see her as much as I can.

I'm not as concerned about a character assassination as I am them eventually killing her off. That's not to say that I've put it completely out of the realm of possibility. But right now I'm leaning toward thinking that if they want Laurel to eventually take the name, Sara needs to stay a hero that Laurel will want to continue to be associated with. (Now watch them prove me wrong.)

I don't really care one way or the other on the Hong Kong storyline. Nothing about it has really caught my attention yet (and I'm just getting bored of Oliver flashbacks).

I'm also not even a little interested in an ongoing Mirakuru storyline. While I'd like to see Roy start growing into his role, the news that the Mirakuru is going to continue to be an issue dampened my enthusiasm considerably. I've hated the Mirakuru storyline from the beginning, and I'd hoped we were going to put it in the past as thoroughly as they did season one's List.

I am very interested to see how the Thea/Malcolm thing plays out, and what they do with Diggle this year. Hopefully we get more into H.I.V.E. this year. Love Felicity so always glad to see more of her, even though I haven't really been overly excited about anything I've heard for her yet. If she was going to have a more major arc other than the Ray thing....but right now it doesn't sound like it.

If they do bring Sara back as a regular, I want to see how that plays with her connections to Nyssa and the League.. And, I admit, I'm curious to see how things with Laurel play out, now that my two biggest fears (her actively on Team Arrow and her as insta!Canary) have, at least for the time being, been put on hold. And I'm actually interested to see how the new love interest works out, as long as they don't play it as a repeat of the Oliver/Laurel/Tommy triangle in season one. And honestly, I'd really like to get more Laurel/Sara bonding, instead of making it all about the guys in their life. But a lot of my interest in Laurel depends on having Sara there, and if she's not, then my interest in Laurel drops to pretty much nothing. :/

We'll see what we learn from Comic-Con I guess.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Starfish35

[Velocity23]

Marc Guggenheim interview with zap2it talks also about caity 

 

http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/arrow_season_3_spoilers_caity_lotz_new_villain_olicity_date-2014-07

[Morrigan2575]

huh, recurring role?  That's very surprising, I've never seen an actor listed in the Upfronts that wasn't a series regular.  In fact that's how the fans/media/actress found out Charisma Carpenter had been fired from Angel, she wasn't listed in the Press Release for S5.

[Starfish35]

Well drat. Now I don't know what to think. I'd almost talked myself into watching, based on the assumption that Caity was going to be a regular. Now I'm back on the fence. :/

[Sakura12]

The Upfronts didn't list whatshername and she's still a regular. I'm thinking even the Media is wishing that Sara is sticking around for the long haul. No one even asked about Laurel until recently. Considering the jacket hand off was supposed to be a big moment for her, everyone was still in denial that Sara is the Black Canary.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Sakura12

[Velocity23]

I think recurring isn't that bad, we had EBR on recurring status in S1. I still think they waiting out KCs contract (how Laurel will be received this year) and they will finally put a resolution on the BC role. How different is the pay between recurring & regular? (maybe its a budget thingy)

Edited July 22, 2014 by Velocity23

[Morrigan2575]

So I've taken to making fun of the EPs by looking back at their S2 quotes and comparing it to S3.

 

S2 Oliver and Laurel fun new dynamic

So Laurel’s energy this season early on is to try to make amends for that. Unfortunately for Oliver, that means she wants to catch the vigilante in her new job as the District Attorney. So as she and Oliver are trying to deal with their respective grief at having betrayed and lost Tommy, their hunting each other at night. It’s a new and fun dynamic for us to put them in.”

 

 

S3 Oliver and Laurel fun new dynamic

 

Things are great. He's got a relationship cooking with Laurel where it's like "You catch 'em, I cook 'em." Because she's a DA, he's setting them up and she's knocking them down. It's a great deal of fun to see them have this completely new relationship. And in the city, crime is down. The city is finally not falling apart.

 

Will update with more, I know I found one the other day off of AK's interview

 

I can't find the damn links but it was the talk of Felicity going over to Flash for episode 4.  He talked about Olicity and Baricity fans, it's the exact same quote from when they were promoting Barry and Felicity's insane chemistry.  In S2 it was future tense now it's past tense..

 

 

New article - http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/arrow-season-3-spoilers-love-triangle-spoil-oliver-felicity-romance-1457662

Edited July 22, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[Starfish35]

I think recurring isn't that bad, we had EBR on recurring status in S1. I still think they waiting out KCs contract (how Laurel will be received this year) and they will finally put a resolution on the BC role. How different is the pay between recurring & regular? (maybe its a budget thingy)

It's not bad necessarily. Caity was recurring in season two and she was in more episodes than KC. It's just more uncertain, and for myself as a Sara fan, feels less like they have a definite plan for the character during the season than like they're trying to string the Sara fans along and keep them interested. But that's probably just the cynic in me.

New article - http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/arrow-season-3-spoilers-love-triangle-spoil-oliver-felicity-romance-1457662

Interesting that this article calls Felicity the love of Oliver's life. I'm sure that's just the writer's spin, but still. We are not talking about Lauriver at all anymore are we?

Edited July 22, 2014 by Starfish35

[abhi]

I think ,with a recurring contract for Caity Lotz, it is highly unlikely that Sara Lance will continue being the Black canary. Caity Lotz is going to be in lesser episodes in Season 3 since if she were in approximately the same no. of episodes as Season 2, then she would have gotten a regular contract.(and they lost two regular characters this season). So basically, Laurel Lance is going to become BC and this might be announced at SDCC.

 

My enthusiasm for the new Season has completely dimmed. I was pretty confident that Lotz would get a regular contract in Season 3.

[Velocity23]

I thought Caity was billed as a guest star though. I know everybody was excepting the show to make her recurring but no announcment came. They might have lost 2 regulars, but Barrowman is already known as a regular. 

 

Or maybe i am just basing all on the fact that GreenArrowTV listed Caity in the guest star category for their Arrow awards. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by Velocity23

[Sakura12]

Who is this Laurel character they keep talking about? I have yet to see her appear on Arrow. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by Sakura12

[shadow2008]

Agreed, except that I didn't accept Laurel as BC, and will never accept that. We already have a BC, no need for another one.

 

Accept was probably the wrong word to use because I agree that we already have a great BC and really don't need another one, but I have come to terms with it that that's what's going to happen sooner or later. I am not fretting over it anymore.

 

And, I admit, I'm curious to see how things with Laurel play out, now that my two biggest fears (her actively on Team Arrow and her as insta!Canary) have, at least for the time being, been put on hold. And I'm actually interested to see how the new love interest works out, as long as they don't play it as a repeat of the Oliver/Laurel/Tommy triangle in season one. And honestly, I'd really like to get more Laurel/Sara bonding, instead of making it all about the guys in their life. But a lot of my interest in Laurel depends on having Sara there, and if she's not, then my interest in Laurel drops to pretty much nothing. :/

 

I agree about Laurel's new love interest. I am curious about him, too. If it really turns out to be Ted Grant, I can totally picture him as the kind of guy who deliberately tries to piss her off. Who knows, but that kind of character may actually bring out a side to Laurel that is sort of fun and interesting!?

 

huh, recurring role?  That's very surprising, I've never seen an actor listed in the Upfronts that wasn't a series regular.  In fact that's how the fans/media/actress found out Charisma Carpenter had been fired from Angel, she wasn't listed in the Press Release for S5.

 

 

This is just a theory, but I think what may have happened is that the producers/network exercised the series regular option in CL's contract for the second half of season 2 (or maybe there was a clause in her contract where she automatically becomes a regular after she has appeared in a certain number of episodes - most likely 12 or 13) and that's why she was listed as a regular in the season 3 Upfront press release. If I remember correctly, they stopped listing her as a guest star in press releases since episode 2x14. Unfortunately, for reasons unbeknownst to us, they chose to abandon the series regular option for season 3.

Edited July 22, 2014 by shadow2008

[Morrigan2575]

This is just a theory, but I think what may have happened is that the producers/network excercised the series regular option in CL's contract for the second half of season 2 (or maybe there was a clause in her contract where she automatically becomes a regular after she has appeared in a certain number of episodes - most likely 13) and that's why she was listed as a regular in the season 3 Upfront press release, but for some reason, they ultimately chose to not pick it up for season 3.

That's an interesting theory, so she basically became a defacto Series Regular in S2 but it was never announced and then in S3 she goes back to being a Recurring character under a new contract?

[Morrigan2575]

I read your post, it's funny when you look back at their repetition/regurgitation of previous comments. It's the same spin over and over again

[TanyaKay]

I think recurring isn't that bad, we had EBR on recurring status in S1. I still think they waiting out KCs contract (how Laurel will be received this year) and they will finally put a resolution on the BC role. How different is the pay between recurring & regular? (maybe its a budget thingy)

 

Yes, budget factor a lot because you pay more to a regular than a recurring actor. A series regular does not need to be in all episodes, some series regular contracts specify a certain percentage of the episodes (for example, 7 out of 10) but it holds the actor for the entire season, with shooting dates TBD. Those per-episode salaries are considerably higher, because the actor then clears his or her schedule for this particular role. You get paid more for your availability. Katie Cassidy was missing from 3 solid episodes and had about 90 second screen time in at least two. Emily Bett Rickards too had three dialogues in episodes 15.

 

Plus a series has a specific number of actors they can have as regulars. They lost a series regular in Sussana Thompson but have cast relatively better known actors for multiple episodes recurring characters (Routh, Aoki, Starmore who have all appeared in big budget Hollywood fares) so they really do not have the budget to extend contract to another actor. They will write their stories accordingly to accommodate who they have.

 

I still think it is commendable that they are producing a very slick looking super hero show on a shoe string budget. I mean they are so strapped that they recycle clothes all the time. Diggle has probably two suits and Oliver has three (yes, I notice these things) and I can probably recall every Felicity outfit Emily wore and wore again in each episode in both seasons.

[SmallScreenDiva]

I don't know why we kept a lid on that as long as we did, but I'm glad we finally got it out. I was like, "When are we going to talk about this?" Caity Lotz is coming back in a recurring role.

 

This is from the newest Zap2it interview with Marc Guggenheim. I'm glad they just came out and confirmed CL is really returning in a recurring role. I have no idea how they're going to juggle having a kick-ass BC there and continue Laurel's "journey" to becoming BC. Like someone mentioned upthread, this show doesn't know how to write for multiple characters. If this turns into that mess of a block in S2 with the Lance Family drama taking over the show again, I'm definitely out.

[shadow2008]

That's an interesting theory, so she basically became a defacto Series Regular in S2 but it was never announced and then in S3 she goes back to being a Recurring character under a new contract?

 

Yeah, that would basically be the gist of what happened. After every season, the network/producers decide if they are going to pick up the actor's contracts for the following year. This is just me speculating again, but it may be possible that the second half of season 2 was meant to be a test run for season 3 and if things had worked out as well as they did earlier in the season, they maybe would have announced CL as a season 3 regular at the Upfronts (like they did Barrowman). Sara is my favourite female character on the show, but there were increasing complains about her taking over the show. I'm not saying that this is the reason why they didn't pick up the option, but it could have swayed their decision somewhat.

Edited July 22, 2014 by shadow2008

[strikera0]

I may be the only one, but I am not surprised that CL won't be back as a series regular. I think my guess that she may be featured in a Summer Glau-like capacity (8-10 episodes) next season might come true. Sadly, this tells me that Sara Lance is basically just a BC placeholder until the writers deem Laurel ready to become Black Canary. A Sara Lance death towards the end of season 3 seems like a very realistic possibility to me under these circumstances. :(

[Velocity23]

Just because someone is a regular doesn't save him from death on #Arrow. Look at Tommy and Moira. 

[apinknightmare]

Caity's status really doesn't mean anything to me one way or another. As @Velocity23 wrote above, they could kill her off whenever regardless of whether she's a regular or recurring. IMO, the show's already shown us its intent with the jacket hand off (although what was the freaking point when Sara comes back in the very next episode?), so more Sara is just icing on the cake for me (and it feeds my foolish hopes that the producers are still keeping doors open for the future with regards to her and her alter ego).

[abhi]

Andrew Kreisberg's interview

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/22/arrow-season-three-villain-flash-crossover/

 

Looks like Ra's might be coming to Starling based on the description of the big bad of season 3. And maybe Sara Lance is acting on his behest to recruit Oliver for the League. And with Ra's as the big bad wouldn't Sara Lance have a lot more scenes since she is the main connection between Oliver and Ra's (Flashbacks with Ra's in it, Present time scenes with Ra's and her mission in Starling city before Ra's arrives there). Caity Lotz's "recurring status" and "3 episodes booking" baffles me more with the very high probability of Ra's being the Big Bad.

Edited July 22, 2014 by abhi

[Tallis]

New bit from TV Guide http://www.tvguide.com/News/Mega-Buzz-Chicago-Fire-Scandal-Sleepy-Spoilers-1084751.aspx looks like it will be Felicity's mother we're meeting.

[DrSpaceman10]

 And with Ra's as the big bad wouldn't Sara Lance have a lot more scenes since she is the main connection between Oliver and Ra's (Flashbacks with Ra's in it, Present time scenes with Ra's and her mission in Starling city before Ra's arrives there). Caity Lotz's "recurring status" and "3 episodes booking" baffles me more with the very high probability of Ra's being the Big Bad.

 

Malcolm also has a connection to The League, and he is a regular this year.