Spoiler Discussion Thread

[way2interested]

So Marc went from saying that they didn't have plans for Smoak Tech/Palmer Tech as of now to them wanting to tell the story? With this, the BB&B pitch, and the loft sticking around, the s6 pitches must be amazing.

[lemotomato]

On 3/22/2017 at 4:14 PM, Carrie Ann said:

I was looking at Twitter and saw the picture from Stephen's Weibo and for some reason, like a Magic Eye picture, it suddenly became clear(ish). I think it's pretty obvious that this is a transition from Flashbacks (Oliver in the foreground) and Present Day (Felicity in the background), where Felicity and Oliver are stuck in the bunker for whatever reason. But what I can see now that I couldn't see before is that Present Oliver's head is directly to the right of Felicity's, you can see the top half of his ear above FB Oliver's arrows, and his shoulder is just below Flashback Oliver's ear. Here's an awesome outline of those things, but they are easier to see by comparing to the actual photo.

I believe they are crouching or sitting, he is facing forward, leaning against her (his back to her chest), and her arm is wrapped around his chest--that's her hand, then, below her head, and she is sort of turning toward him, like she's talking in his ear or trying to see his face better.

Thoughts?

 

On 3/22/2017 at 5:01 PM, SleepDeprived said:

Oh! I can see it, too! Thanks for the very helpful circles. But, maybe,they're not sitting down and, instead, Oliver is carrying Felicity on his back for some reason?

In light of the spoiler about Felicity's chip coming back in 520, I'm bringing back this spec. What if Oliver and Felicity are stuck in the lair because of an EMP-like incident that knocks out the power and disables the chip? That would explain why it looks like Oliver is carrying her.

[apinknightmare]

Yeah, I think that's probably likely.

[Guest]

I can't believe they're actually bringing up Felicity's spinal implant. It's a miracle!

I feel...excitement for this episode? Is that normal? IDK how to deal with this. LOL.

[way2interested]

4 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

 

In light of the spoiler about Felicity's chip coming back in 520, I'm bringing back this spec. What if Oliver and Felicity are stuck in the lair because of an EMP-like incident that knocks out the power and disables the chip? That would explain why it looks like Oliver is carrying her.

I wonder if that's the 519 closer and the whole "staying off of Twitter" would come from the idea that it's a) temporarily paralyzing Felicity again and b) setting up for Olicity in the next episode.

[Guest]

In one of the pics with O/F (the one where Oliver has his mask lifted), it looks like someone is filming him/them with a camera. Am I seeing things? Hmmm.

4 minutes ago, way2interested said:

I wonder if that's the 519 closer and the whole "staying off of Twitter" would come from the idea that it's a) temporarily paralyzing Felicity again and b) setting up for Olicity in the next episode.

I thought the same. 519 cliffhanger could be Felicity saying she can't feel her legs?

[apinknightmare]

4 minutes ago, Angel12d said:

 

In one of the pics with O/F (the one where Oliver has his mask lifted), it looks like someone is filming him/them with a camera. Am I seeing things? Hmmm.

 

No. I'm not sure if that camera is supposed to be in the shot though. 

[way2interested]

Just now, Angel12d said:

I thought the same. 519 cliffhanger could be Felicity saying she can't feel her legs?

Yeah, if something like that is the cliffhanger then I could see Marc wanting to stay away from some potential responses.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

No. I'm not sure if that camera is supposed to be in the shot though. 

Oh. I didn't think of that. Good point. 

[KenyaJ]

3 hours ago, wonderwall said:

Make out already!

[Mellowyellow]

I love her make up in that scene. She's always a beautiful girl but it's interesting they suddenly changed her make up to all hot and sultry. Is this to reflect her going dark?

[TrueMyth]

I'd assumed the dark eyeshadow in the trailer was because she was prepared to be wearing a mask... of course, they rarely show anyone in their grease paint after they come in from the field and Felicity doesn't appear to be wearing a mask for whatever infiltration is going down, so I'm likely totally off base.

[Belinea]

Why is everyone wearing a mask expect for Felicity and her hacker friend? Were there just not enough? 

[bijoux]

What is all this good news? Explosive encounters and face offs, the writers bringing back a thread from Felicity's story last year... People with sharper eyes than mine were arguing that it looked like Oliver was carrying Felicity in that shot SA posted. Maybe the chip goes wonky on her in 520, either in the present or the flashbacks.

5 hours ago, wonderwall said:

HER

OUTFIT

 

The writers may not have brought it this season - but the wardrobe dept sure did. Felicity looks amazing

Oh my god

I don't get the deal with shoulder cut outs on long sleeved shirts, I really don't. And I don't like the wedge booties. But to be honest, I wouldn't care if she was wearing a bedazzled burlap sack, this all looks great.

5 hours ago, LeighAn said:

I'm thinking they are going to put Oliver and Felicity very at odds in episode 19 to service them working out their issues in episode 20 and that in doing so it could mean some harsh words and verbal blows between the two and Marc thinking he's going to get some heat for that from Olicity fans. Sort of like 3x12 "I don't want to be the woman you love" vibe. 

That's where I'm at. Felicity and Oliver butt heads and Marc-I-predict-audience-reaction-wrongly-all-the-time-Guggenheim expect people to lose it over that, when it's actually what a lot of people have wanted.

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, bijoux said:

That's where I'm at. Felicity and Oliver butt heads and Marc-I-predict-audience-reaction-wrongly-all-the-time-Guggenheim expect people to lose it over that, when it's actually what a lot of people have wanted.

Yeah, this.  I can just picture him braced for hatred cause Oliver and Felicity are at odds and then completely puzzled by the likely positive buzz.  

Quote

What is all this good news? Explosive encounters and face offs, the writers bringing back a thread from Felicity's story last year..

This season suffered IMO because the writers refused to use what they have at hand and they instead concentrated only on introducing the new.  But look how exciting the show can be if the characters we love get to interact in a meaningful way while mining the show's history.  

MG in his Tumblr responses mentioned that they didn't want to bring up something that happened last season (Felicity being shot) in the Gun Control episode and asked ( dumbfounded) what more did people want with Havenrock?  It's as if referencing the show's own history is a bad thing.

 But just like interconnecting the different series in the Arrowverse makes the shows feel bigger, having that shared history with the audience makes Arrow and the characters better and richer.  

It's not human nature to ignore the past.  Sure, the show can't get bogged down in the past (irony given the flashbacks) but the past informs the future.  It's what binds everything together.  It's the difference between TV shows in the 80 where nearly every episode was a contained universe and what enables today's television to tell such compelling stories.  The last thing the writers should do is write away from the show's history.  

Edited April 7, 2017 by BkWurm1

[jay741982]

12 hours ago, wonderwall said:

HER

OUTFIT

 

The writers may not have brought it this season - but the wardrobe dept sure did. Felicity looks amazing

Oh my god

Holy hell she looks HAWT!!

[leopardprint]

I actually hope they have an argument or fight but the writers really have avoided Felicity and Oliver being emotional at all this season (Emotions are gross, punches and sarcasm only) 

Now MG's track record of predicting fan reaction is poor but I'm wondering if Felicity's chip malfunctions and she physically cannot walk away from having a conversation with Oliver. Like he forces her into talking to him, which I would find kind of gross. But so far we think they are trapped together as well so who knows? 

6 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

This season suffered IMO because the writers refused to use what they have at hand and they instead concentrated only on introducing the new.  But look how exciting the show can be if the characters we love get to interact in a meaningful way while mining the show's history.  

I completely agree with your whole post, @BkWurm1. Additionally, the characters are put through the wringer and have very serious things happen to them but then show indifferent to mild emotional reactions. If you have Felicity redirect nuclear bombs and then spend 5 minutes addressing it. Then how seriously am I supposed to take it? Oliver is duped into killing a man and feels bad about it until he gets to make out later that night? So then not that bad? Felicity's boyfriend dies tragically? She spends one night crying about it? So not that tragic?  

I will now make a labored stunts analogy. It's like if GA parkours and shoots an arrow into a redshirt and then the stunt guy just stands there and shrugs.

Edited April 7, 2017 by leopardprint

[Hiveminder]

18 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

I actually hope they have an argument or fight but the writers really have avoided Felicity and Oliver being emotional at all this season (Emotions are gross, punches and sarcasm only) 

Now MG's track record of predicting fan reaction is poor but I'm wondering if Felicity's chip malfunctions and she physically cannot walk away from having a conversation with Oliver. Like he forces her into talking to him, which I would find kind of gross. But so far we think they are trapped together as well so who knows?

I hope it doesn't play out like that. Hopefully, it's played like they're both stuck and can't avoid the conversation. 

If we didn't already know the sex was FB, Felicity's chip malfunctioning would be a dead giveaway. 

[ComicFan777]

While I would like to see a storyline that involves Felicity's chip malfunctioning and her overcoming that difficulty at some point, I don't think it would be a good storyline right now.

Given MG had to have Felicity physically walk out for the break up, it seems somehow wrong (don't know the right word for it) for olicity to work towards getting back together right when she is temporarily paralyzed.

[way2interested]

27 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Now MG's track record of predicting fan reaction is poor but I'm wondering if Felicity's chip malfunctions and she physically cannot walk away from having a conversation with Oliver. Like he forces her into talking to him, which I would find kind of gross. But so far we think they are trapped together as well so who knows? 

I think that that's one of the inevitable reactions/interpretations (even if they are trapped together or even if she's the one to start talking to him) that MG wants to avoid reading post-519.

Although, I can at least picture the idea that if her chip malfunctions it becomes one of the catalysts to talking about last year in general.

Edited April 7, 2017 by way2interested

[Mellowyellow]

Maybe her chip malfunctioning will give Oliver an opening to freak out and hover over her, closing the distance they have had this season. 

She has been running around all peachy trying to move on. He was worried about her in 516 but she told him to back off and trust her.

So now maybe when her chip frizzles he'll just panic and not take no for an answer anymore. 

[leopardprint]

I'm not even sure that there is much support for this, btw, because Oliver has specifically not pushed her so far when he has asked her about Helix...etc., but maybe he feels he has to or just takes the opportunity when presented. Though not sure what it says about their relationship if they have to be trapped together to talk. Oh tropes, I love and hate you. 

[BkWurm1]

18 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Though not sure what it says about their relationship if they have to be trapped together to talk. Oh tropes, I love and hate you. 

That their attraction and love is just so strong that unless she keeps running, she can't help herself?  ;)

[apinknightmare]

31 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Though not sure what it says about their relationship if they have to be trapped together to talk

Their relationship isn't great - that seems to be the point?

[Midnight Lullaby]

I'm not a fan of the idea of her microchip malfunctioning in part because the writers have the ability to make me cringe and it's a topic that requires tact and in part because she's been through so much that making that happen now, on top of everything, just makes me sad.

Also it seems a bit late to make it happen now, unless they plan to solve it in one episode or to have her unable to walk on Lian yu with all the villains and I wouldn't like to see her helpless in that kind of life threatening situation.

[insomniadreams88]

I think we also have to consider what else is going on at the moment. With Chase out there and whatever's going on with Helix, it's not like Oliver and Felicity would decide to just take time to talk about their relationship right now if they're not trapped, right? 

[leopardprint]

Oliver took the time while Susan was kidnapped...?

Edited April 7, 2017 by leopardprint

[BkWurm1]

1 minute ago, leopardprint said:

Oliver took the time while Susan was kidnapped...

He probably also finished his laundry and word search first.  #priorities.  

[apinknightmare]

3 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Oliver took the time while Susan was kidnapped...

When did he talk to her about their relationship? 

[leopardprint]

He took the time to talk to Felicity while Susan was kidnapped because there was nothing else important going on. ?

[insomniadreams88]

11 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Oliver took the time while Susan was kidnapped...?

Yes, he took the time to talk to Felicity then, but this is clearly going to be a conversation that needs more time than that. 

[Sunshine]

I think 5.20 will be Felicity and Oliver trapped with the noobs trying to get to them.  Diggle is with Lyla working on their issues but I expect him to show up at some point since there are supposed to be OTA stunts in the episode.  The episode could end with Felicity still paralyzed. 

In 5.21 there is a scene outside the PT/Robert Queen Applied Sciences building.  They might have to retrieve a new chip along with Curtis' design specs to help Felicity.  (The fact that they are shooting a scene outside the building with Robert Queen's name on it makes me also think Oliver could be remembering dishonoring his dad at the groundbreaking in S1.)

Anyway, I think Felicity's temporary paralysis will be over before 5.22 starts.  I don't think they're putting her in a party dress while in a wheelchair.  

[Carrie Ann]

505 is about the only time this season that they've talked to each other about their relationship, right? But Oliver has been cautiously trying to talk to Felicity about whatever's going on with her since, what, 512? 516 was the most direct he's been so far, but again, that was a convo about Helix, not about their relationship. And my guess is that when they're trapped together, that conversation will also start out being about her actions with Helix and will develop into a conversation about them and their relationship. Based on what we've seen this season and what has been implied by Stephen and the EPs, being trapped together is what it would take to force them to forego whatever agreement they have about keeping certain boundaries in place with each other. So what it says about the relationship--that they don't relate to each other like they used to and something needs to change--is the whole reason for doing the Trapped in a Room trope plot in the first place.

It is intriguing that Felicity's chip could play a part in that, but I do hope that they handle it carefully. Given that they appear to need a rescue from the rest of the team, I don't assume that the chip malfunctioning is the only thing keeping them in place together.

[bijoux]

5 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Anyway, I think Felicity's temporary paralysis will be over before 5.22 starts.  I don't think they're putting her in a party dress while in a wheelchair.  

If there is a glitch, I expect it to be solved before the end of 520 to be honest.

[insomniadreams88]

2 minutes ago, bijoux said:

If there is a glitch, I expect it to be solved before the end of 520 to be honest.

Me too. And maybe this time, when the chip starts working again, Felicity will choose to stay and continue to talk to Oliver instead of walking away? 

[theOAfc]

8 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

In 5.21 there is a scene outside the PT/Robert Queen Applied Sciences building.  They might have to retrieve a new chip along with Curtis' design specs to help Felicity.  (The fact that they are shooting a scene outside the building with Robert Queen's name on it makes me also think Oliver could be remembering dishonoring his dad at the groundbreaking in S1.)

I  always assumed that a second chip would be very hard to make because of how expensive it would be and that this is the reason  why felicity and curtis didnt make more chips to help people that are paralysed. Wouldnt it be kinda selfish for them to quickly make a new one for Felicity while not bothering to help other people all these months? I hope they instead just manage to fix the one they already have.

[leopardprint]

I think if the chip malfunctions it will be done by hacking because that can be undone without surgery (hopefully by Felicity herself). Any other type of damage (EMP, physical) would require access to the chip itself and I would think they would want a handwavy, quick fix. Ugh, I wish the show wouldn't bother to address such sensitive issues if they are going to be so flippant.

Edited April 7, 2017 by leopardprint

[bijoux]

5 minutes ago, tv echo said:

smoakd asked:
ALSO - Will we be seeing Noah Smoak again soon? I'd love to see more of him and Tom Amandes is fantastic
Not in Season 5, unfortunately.  But we love Tom and the Noah character.

trustthisdialect asked:
Hey Marc, loving this season. I have to say you all should be so proud of the 100th episode, it was tv gold. Also that Oliver shoots Billy twist was amazing. I felt so bad for him and Felicity it brought me to tears. Sorry about all the irrational shipper stuff you keep getting. But I have to say I know you guys have a bunch of characters on your roster and actor contract issues but I absolutely loved Rory and wondered if there was any hope of seeing him again?
First, THANK YOU.  I really appreciate it.
Totally a chance of seeing Rory again.  We love the character and we love Joe.  We discussed bringing him back at the end of Season 5, but the story took us in another direction.  Still totally on the table for Season 6.

I wasn't really hoping for Noah, but I did harbor hopes about Rory.

Quote

alanna-the-lionheart asked:
Can you tell us how many words are in the episode title of 5x23?
It’s not a word.  It’s a name.  :)

Yup, totally Lian Yu. 

[Cleanqueen]

What if the chip doesn't malfunction but it's something that Felicity just brings up in the flashbacks...like this is her first time having sex with a chip in her spine? Or Oliver brings it up when she attempts to do the Salmon Ladder. 

[Velocity23]

So Felicity gonna be involved in stunts in 5x19, 5x20 and 5x22 also! 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5852273/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Edited April 7, 2017 by Velocity23

[leopardprint]

5 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Quote

 

Yup, totally Lian Yu. 

Or Star(ling) City? 

[insomniadreams88]

I briefly thought the finale title might be "Purgatory" if not Lian Yu but that's too long for the blacked-out title. I think Lian Yu definitely fits. 

[Cleanqueen]

9 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

Or Star(ling) City? 

doubt that since the final fight doesnt take place in star city.

[finnaire]

I guess I don't see how using Lian Yu as the episode title is such a big spoiler.

[tv echo]

43 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

In 5.21 there is a scene outside the PT/Robert Queen Applied Sciences building.  They might have to retrieve a new chip along with Curtis' design specs to help Felicity.  (The fact that they are shooting a scene outside the building with Robert Queen's name on it makes me also think Oliver could be remembering dishonoring his dad at the groundbreaking in S1.)

I don't know if this will be relevant, but the tie-in novel, Arrow: A Generation of Vipers, indicated that Robert Queen was interested in scientific stuff (and MG has said the novel is part of canon). Here's the excerpt from the book:

Quote

”Robert Queen was good at finding talent and keeping it to himself,” Felicity looked up quickly at Oliver. “Nothing personal.”

“He didn’t build Queen Consolidated by accident,” Oliver replied. “And he hired you, didn’t he?”

“Very true,” Felicity raised a finger. “Your father was the only one who believed in Jackson Straub’s crazy ideas – wormholes, practical plasma generation – years before Harrison Wells opened S.T.A.R. Labs. Well, fake Harrison Wells. Reverse Harrison Wells.” Felicity squinted in annoyance. “I don’t know how you guys keep all your multi-versions straight.”

Edited April 7, 2017 by tv echo

[Sunshine]

28 minutes ago, Velocity23 said:

So Felicity gonna be involved in stunts in 5x19, 5x20 and 5x22 also! 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5852273/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I'll be surprised if she's not in 5x23 also.

[Sunshine]

57 minutes ago, bijoux said:

If there is a glitch, I expect it to be solved before the end of 520 to be honest.

I do too.  I was just thinking of possibilities if it went longer than an episode.  

I think in an episode titled Honor Thy Fathers (5.21) that a scene with Robert Queen's name on a building would be about Oliver and/or Thea.

[Guest]

If we don't get a stunt of Oliver and Felicity swinging through the air again as a parallel to when they were on Lian Yu in 201, just cancel everything.

LOL, I'm joking. I feel like I need to state that these days. Haha.

[statsgirl]

I can totally see these writers thinking that as Oliver and Felicity's relationship ended as she walked away from him, it's going to start again when the chip malfunctions and she can't walk.  (For the record, I think it really ended when he pushed her too hard in the fake marriage and she realized that couldn't trust him to respect her wishes.

3 hours ago, leopardprint said:

Now MG's track record of predicting fan reaction is poor but I'm wondering if Felicity's chip malfunctions and she physically cannot walk away from having a conversation with Oliver. Like he forces her into talking to him, which I would find kind of gross. But so far we think they are trapped together as well so who knows?

 

2 hours ago, ComicFan777 said:

Given MG had to have Felicity physically walk out for the break up, it seems somehow wrong (don't know the right word for it) for olicity to work towards getting back together right when she is temporarily paralyzed.

I think it's kind of a poetic justice.  Also I expect the chip to malfunction for only that episode to force them to talk to each other.

Felicity has a pattern of running away when she feels like she is being rejected as a person, as opposed to being put down in terms of her technical abilities which she will fight for.  Maybe it's because of her abandonment issues although the writers have probably forgotten about those.  But she does not put herself forward to fight for her relationships. Look at Time of Death -- she was upset about Sara but she worked on her tech issues, not her relationship with Oliver.  Or her insecurity about leggy model-type Isabel, or "gorgeous Laurel" in s1.  And now Oliver is just off a relationship with another leggy model-type, Susan

So it makes sense to me that Felicity wouldn't talk about her relationship with Oliver unless she was forced to, and unable to walk away forces her to do it. But I'm probably wrong though, given this show.

Edited April 7, 2017 by statsgirl

[ComicFan777]

I think it all depends on how it is written, but having paralysis in part as a vehicle for them to talk or not almost feels like it has the potential of trivializing paralysis.  If something does happen to Felicity's chip, I hope that it is handled well with a lot of sensitivity.