Spoiler Discussion Thread

[dtissagirl]

The brand new lair is giving me hope that Felicity is gonna take even more of a Watchtower-like role in Team Arrow. And Guggenheim can have his funny and give her the Overwatch codename.

 

They can also easily tie Felicity's CEO life to her Team Arrow life by having the company provide the team with tech. Mr. Terrific could be integrated into the team like that too, I guess.

 

And I still want the Felicity twist in 401 to be that she's been secretly helping out with missions during vacation sexytimes. Because that's an easy way to give her motivation outside of Oliver.

Edited July 28, 2015 by dancingnancy

[Sunshine]

I think this is also the purpose of giving Felicity the company.  It provides her with the necessary resources to do the job.  It's obvious that Oliver had no interest in running the business.  This answers the who is funding the heroes question.  It may not make as much sense in-story as out but weak motivations are a hallmark of this show. 

[jay741982]

I've a feeling Felicity might play an even bigger part. If the show picks up Damien Dahrk's affinity for tech from the comics, then that's definitely in Felicity's wheelhouse. The DC wiki even calls him a Wi-Fi fiend. Whose your best weapon in a fight against a villain like that? "Bitch with Wi-Fi," right? Also, Wendy Mericle had mentioned Felicity's ambitions, about wanting to be her own brand of superhero. I'm wondering if that might be less of an individual and more of an organizational thing, pulling all the heroes and masks from all the shows together, becoming Oracle without being called Oracle. She doesn't have to be the floater to do it; she already has personal connections to all the main costumed folks anyway.

I'm loving this idea. I remember when Harrison told her she was destined for great things I thought "I bet she becomes Watchtower and helps form Justice League" Ha Oliver would be in love with Watchtower like Oliver on Smallville

[tv echo]

The new guy - Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific - is also a tech genius.  For all we know, Felicity is going to be used to launch yet another superhero, Mr. Terrific. (sarcastic/joking/worried)  And, according to EK (in that Geeko interview): "Some say he’s the smartest person in DC."

 

After S3, I'm not sure I'm ready to trust the EPs to handle Felicity right yet.

Edited July 28, 2015 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

The new guy - Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific - is also a tech genius.  For all we know, Felicity is going to be used to launch yet another superhero, Mr. Terrific. (sarcastic/joking/worried) 

 

Is there any doubt about this? Not trying to be sarcastic, but I'm pretty sure that's why he's going to be working with her. Knowing Felicity gives him an in to the team, so... I think the only thing we can hope for is that it's not another Palmer Island situation. 

[tv echo]

The Palmer Island situation is what I meant - that Felicity would be used to turn someone else into a 'superhero' since TPTB apparently don't consider her one since she doesn't wear a costume or have a moniker (even though she and Curtis will have the same skill set).  

So someone noticed that Damien Darhk is wearing a wedding ring in that BTS posted by PB. That can't be a mistake right? I wonder if that issue will be brought up in the show?

Please, please don't give him a dead wife that he's seeking to avenge.  We already got Malcolm and Ray with dead wife/fiance as their motivation.

Edited July 28, 2015 by tv echo

[SmallScreenDiva]

Just read Echo Kellum's Geeko interview. This quote, " ... according to the comics, and I think there are some really great comics, he deals with some strife in his life and loses a partner.  That drives him to really just dive into science and start creating different things," does it sound familiar? Sounding a lot like Ray Palmer to me. Ugh! It might still work, though, as long as they have him interact with Oliver and other characters soon enough and not monopolize Felicity. As long as he helps with Felicity's story/growth/character development as well. Hopefully, Arrow's learned its lesson. 

[apinknightmare]

I don't think we have to worry about a Ray Palmer situation, since this guy isn't a love interest for Felicity. All the factors that kept Oliver out of Palmer Tech and away from Ray (Ray being Felicity's love interest, Ray taking over Oliver's company, the writers needing Oliver and Ray to not know each other in order for them to have tension so that Ray would actually believe that Oliver was out killing people as the Arrow and start a manhunt) aren't applicable here. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by apinknightmare

[jay741982]

Well yeah I definitely agree we don't need another Ray Palmer like situation, We know she will still be Team Arrow and obviously spend couple time with Oliver so their is definite hope MR Terrific won't hog her time

[Chaser]

There was also talk of a spin off with Ray very early on, like as soon as BR was cast. I feel that was one of the biggest factors in why it didn't work with Ray. Felicity was Rays support. I remember them spending more time talking about Ray in interviews than Felicity going into the season. I'm not getting that vibe from Mr. Terrific.

I do hope this leads to conversation between Felicity and Oliver about Felicity getting a codename and or if she would want a mask. I want the answer to be yes to the codename and no to the mask. It's time the show actually verbalised the you don't need a mask to be a hero. They show it a lot, but apparently some people are missing the big moments.

[Chaser]

Unrelated to Felicitys role, but I was reading a list of underrated TV villains and their number one was David Xantos. He went grey in later episodes but that is a type of villain I could see NM nailing on Arrow.

The BTS shot with NM has him next to a solider, my first thought was about the Diggle connection. I hope they hint at it early on.

Edited July 28, 2015 by 10Eleven12

[tv echo]

I do hope this leads to conversation between Felicity and Oliver about Felicity getting a codename and or if she would want a mask. I want the answer to be yes to the codename and no to the mask. It's time the show actually verbalised the you don't need a mask to be a hero. They show it a lot, but apparently some people are missing the big moments.

Yes, yes to the codename.  TA can't keep using Felicity's name when they're out in the field and talking over the com.

[dtissagirl]

In the comics Mr Terrific is a complete Mary Sue -- 14 PhDs, self-made millionaire, can learn anything super easily [from quantum mechanics to surgery], speaks a bunch of languages, Olympic gold medalist -- they're gonna have to tone it down A LOT on the show for him to work as a live action character.

 

I think this can work if the dynamic with Felicity is that either she's actively trying to recruit him for Team Arrow, or if she's developing tech for the team in secret, and Curtis figures it out and goes OMG I WANT IN.

Edited July 28, 2015 by dancingnancy

[wonderwall]

Yeah, sorry, I'm not getting that vibe from Mr. Terrific either. I don't think that the network wants a spinoff from him, therefore he's going to be the support to the support. I honestly think that he's going to be Felicity's support and I think he's going to be a total mary sue on screen. And I think fanboys are going to love him and say, "See? Felicity isn't needed and is totally expendable, you can kill her off now" :p 

 

Anyone want to bet? 

[AyChihuahua]

I really don't think there is room for any more spinoffs.

[SmallScreenDiva]

Yeah, sorry, I'm not getting that vibe from Mr. Terrific either. I don't think that the network wants a spinoff from him, therefore he's going to be the support to the support. I honestly think that he's going to be Felicity's support and I think he's going to be a total mary sue on screen. And I think fanboys are going to love him and say, "See? Felicity isn't needed and is totally expendable, you can kill her off now" :p 

 

Anyone want to bet? 

 

Not going to take that bet because that's already happening. A friend of mine on Tumblr got that almost exact same statement in her ask box yesterday. It wasn't an ask, just basically this anonymous person ranting about how Felicity is expendable and they should just have Mister Terrific because his more "valuable" anyway as a POC and a gay man.

 

Yeah, I don't think they're looking at Mr. Terrific as a spinoff potential either. But I'm still leery over too much screen time being used on him and his "origin" story. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by SmallScreenDiva

[AyChihuahua]

They are not going to kill Felicity. Guggie might want to, for the DRAAAAMMAAAA and COMICZ, but the network would never allow it.

[wonderwall]

I would too, but Wendy Mericle's interviews have made me pretty zen regarding all this. I'm not too worried. I mean this time last year all the spoilers we were getting about Felicity were regarding her love life, but this year it's regarding her ambitions beyond TA and how there will be more focus on her as a character so I'm excited. I honestly think that they aren't going to focus much on Mr. Terrific. 

[tv echo]

Regarding that spoiler pic of DD with his hand on that guy in soldier garb - What if DD has magical powers like Loki with his staff where he can enslave someone by touch alone?

[tangerine95]

I don't even think MG would kill her off for real,he seems to like writting for her even if he does use her to sell spinoffs lol.But yeah no way would the network let them kill her off.Felicity and Olicity are the thing which brings the show the most buzz by far so she's safe.

I don't think Mr Terrific is going to be like Ray.If they wanted a spinoff they would have cast a bigger name and would be promoting the character differently.You could see that Ray was going to be a lot more then Felicity's LI by the way the were talking about him.I think he might actually be there to support her story for a change.

[dtissagirl]

Regarding that spoiler pic of DD with his hand on that guy in soldier garb - What if DD has magical powers like Loki with his staff where he can enslave someone by touch alone?

 

I've been wondering about DD being able to control people somehow, but I was thinking about that in regards to Lance. But if he was a whole army of Butt Monkeys -- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButtMonkey-- oh yeah that would be CREEPY.

Edited July 28, 2015 by dancingnancy

[Chaser]

 

I've been wondering about DD being able to control people somehow, but I was thinking about that in regards to Lance. But if he was a whole army of Butt Monkeys -- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButtMonkey-- oh yeah that would be CREEPY.

Butt Monkeys. I just pictured an army of Xanders.

[jay741982]

Regarding that spoiler pic of DD with his hand on that guy in soldier garb - What if DD has magical powers like Loki with his staff where he can enslave someone by touch alone?

Oh that could be good. Imagine DD getting ahold of Diggle or Felicity and enslaving them? That could be a way for Olicity angst from the outside

[calliope1975]

I really don't think there is room for any more spinoffs.

 

Plus, and my cynicism is showing here, but these shows don't have the best track record with POC. I doubt they're grooming EK for a spin-off. 

 

At this point, I can't imagine the PR nightmare that would happen if Felicity was killed off. If Arrow goes for Supernatural numbers of seasons, maybe, but a large section of the fanbase would turn against this show so fast, it'd be like Sleepy Hollow all over again.

Edited July 28, 2015 by calliope1975

[dtissagirl]

Butt Monkeys. I just pictured an army of Xanders.

 

THANKS FOR THE NIGHTMARES.

Plus, and my cynicism is showing here, but these shows don't have the best track record with POC. I doubt they're groom EK for a spin-off.

 

I share your cynicism. He's black, and he's gay. Unfortunately, he's the opposite of what the network wants to sell to their 18-34 male demo.

[lexicon]

Yes, yes to the codename.  TA can't keep using Felicity's name when they're out in the field and talking over the com.

 

There was a moment in "the Calm" when Sara told Oliver that she'd picked up on their chatter on the comms and that he should warn Felicity to change up her frequencies every so often, that at the time screamed foreshadowing to me...

 

Using Felicity and Diggle's name over the comms, during missions is now canonically unsafe. This needs to be addressed in show

[apinknightmare]

Ah, we had so many theories about how that would come back to bite them, and it never did. Chekhov's comm chatter!

[Chaser]

If Mr. Terrific proves popular I think they would keep him in a recurring (or if they finally decide to get rid of Malcolm, move him to regular) role, or possibly float him between the shows.

 

The more I think about it, the more I realize that they are being pretty smart with the villains this time around. DD created and controls HIVE which is a pretty important connection to Diggle. He is known for his genius and tech, which is Felicity's wheelhouse. He has a connection to LOA/LP which could bring in Sara(and by extension Laurel/Lance/Thea). Oliver is tied to all three by his relationship to Diggle, Felicity, Thea and Sara (and no doubt some past connection to HIVE will be brought up).

 

THANKS FOR THE NIGHTMARES.

You're Welcome. :-)

Edited July 28, 2015 by 10Eleven12

[Sakura12]

Maybe Sara needs to mention that to Felicity or Diggle, because Oliver's a dumbass. Or maybe she should've said it like a fortune cookie saying, "you cannot love life until you change your communication frequency" Oliver really responds to those. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by Sakura12

[AyChihuahua]

Maybe Sara needs to mention that to Felicity or Diggle, because Oliver's a dumbass. Or maybe she should've said it like a fortune cookie saying, "you cannot love life until you change your communication frequency" Oliver really responds to those.

HE IS SO VERY DUMB!

[apinknightmare]

Is there anything indicating that Felicity didn't change up her frequencies though, like Sara suggested? It would be smart for them to use code names, but just because they aren't doesn't mean that Oliver never passed along the message. 

 

Unless there was some indication of it that I can't remember?

[BkWurm1]

Until they stop using their real names over com links I won't be satisfied.  Never using real names over anything that could theoretically be intercepted is such a basic level of secret identity/spy craft/ anything sneaky. 

 

This show claims to try to be more real world and it's great with all the details on props and how to hold a bow and Arrow and sooo many other things, but then they sprinkle in idiocy over super obvious stuff like using names over coms or not wearing gloves so fingerprints are left behind.  Or attorney's for the prosecution having secret chats with the person they are taking to trial.  Just huge no, no's that anyone watching TV should know let alone anyone writing or producing it.  The thing with the names takes me out of the "reality" as fast as Ra's tucking a sword under his arm and pretending to get stabbed.   It's just so sloppy.   

[apinknightmare]

It's definitely sloppy - not arguing that, and they definitely need to not use their real names. Felicity out of all of them is smarter than that. I was just saying that just because they're still using their real names doesn't mean that Oliver never told Felicity what Sara said about the comm frequencies. 

 

I wonder if they're concerned about people not being able to remember multiple names for Felicity and Diggle since they don't have masked alter egos? Or it's sloppiness, like you said.

Edited July 28, 2015 by apinknightmare

[BkWurm1]

It's definitely sloppy - not arguing that, and they definitely need to not use their real names. Felicity out of all of them is smarter than that. I was just saying that just because they're still using their real names doesn't mean that Oliver never told Felicity what Sara said about the comm frequencies. 

 

I wonder if they're concerned about people not being able to remember multiple names for Felicity and Diggle since they don't have masked alter egos? Or it's sloppiness, like you said.

You are right of course, they could have changed up their frequencies and just continued to drop names live. 

 

I've too wondered why they feel the need to have the characters use real names and the best I could come was that they didn't want to give anyone an official call sign when Oliver still didn't have his final appellation.  I have hopes that while Oliver and Felicity were away that Diggle instituted code names.  All we need is for them to have been calling Thea Red Arrow for them to instantly create the distinction of the Green Arrow.  And then with Oliver's return, he can lure everyone back to calling her Speedy, which could be a really cute on going tease between them. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by BkWurm1

[Velocity23]

[Chaser]

Considering they are going up against a Tech Wiz who can probably hack comms, let's fix the codename issue and no more stupidity like Felicity not knowing Malcom bugged the lair. I'm kind of assuming that Felicity is going to be creating the new lair so hopefully she puts some money in security.

Edited July 28, 2015 by 10Eleven12

[SmallScreenDiva]

I don't know why I have this impression but I think a new lair has been created already, and that's where Digg, Laurel and Thea have been operating from the past five months. 

[BkWurm1]

I just want the lair NOT to be on like the fortieth floor next to accounting.  They get a robbery in progress over the scanner but by the time the elevator shows up all the action would be over. 

[Chaser]

I don't know why I have this impression but I think a new lair has been created already, and that's where Digg, Laurel and Thea have been operating from the past five months. 

That would make sense, but I still think Felicity is going to deck it out much like she did with the Foundry. It wouldn't make sense for her to get this company, with all these resources, and not have a little fun.

 

I'm a little curious to see if they comment on how much Felicity was actually doing in the team when they return. I imagine they would have to bring Quentin in to use some police resources or Argus since Lyla will be back for them for whatever reason.  Felicity seemed to handled a lot.  

[Sunshine]

One of my biggest concerns for S4 is, if the new lair has been established by Diggle, Thea, and others prior to Oliver's return, will it mainly be occupied by masks with Felicity running things from afar?  She was helping from Palmer Tech in S3?

 

TPTB said Mr. Terrific is an origin story.  He is supposed to be heavily recurring this year IIRC.  Perhaps, assuming it's successful, they will send him to Legends for S2.  His role on Arrow can still be in support of Felicity's.  Her role seems to be "guide for/creator of" superheroes - Green Arrow, Flash, ATOM, and now Mr. Terrific.   

[kismet]

There are not enough thank yous that can be given to you for compiling & citing the spoilers!! THANK YOU Tv Echo!!!

 

Thank you for finding that part where it compared OQ & BA, and how based up their experiences & training they have differences in understanding meta & mysticism. It probably was the first thing that made me interested in the crossovers. It is interesting to see how BA's science background predisposes him to understand metas, but have some problems with mysticism. Whereas OQ who has experienced mysticism can grapple with that easier than metas. Its a believable & intriguing contrast.

[kismet]

Just read Echo Kellum's Geeko interview. This quote, " ... according to the comics, and I think there are some really great comics, he deals with some strife in his life and loses a partner.  That drives him to really just dive into science and start creating different things," does it sound familiar? Sounding a lot like Ray Palmer to me. Ugh! It might still work, though, as long as they have him interact with Oliver and other characters soon enough and not monopolize Felicity. As long as he helps with Felicity's story/growth/character development as well. Hopefully, Arrow's learned its lesson. 

I don't mind death of loved one being one's motivation for wanting to help. It makes sense to me and is belivable. The problem is that with Ray Palmer they forgot that motivation as soon as they wanted to get him in a romantic relationship with FS. They never should have had that scene in the mayor's office where FS was patching RP up & all of the sudden he was making the suit to protect her & Anna's memory was nowhere to be found. As long as they don't forget about the loved one then it might work out for Mr. Terrific.

 

I also don't mind revenging or avenging a loved one's death on a TV show like Arrow. MM's undertaking as crazy as it was made sense because he did seem to love his wife from the FB, so it was TVlogical that someone with that much money might missuse his resources. Slade's revenge made no sense because we never saw or even heard about his undying love for Shado until they needed a reason, so it came out of nowhere for most of the audience & even the cast it seems from some of their interviews. Again, if they are able to keep the motivation relevant & consistent then revenging/avenging may also work for Mr. Terrific.

[EmeraldArcher]

Slight tangent--So, Oliver's S4 FB, um, hair. That boy totally found a bottle of Sun-in, right? I mean, that wig is definitely a new shade of yellow-orange, right? And cleaner? And very, um, fluffy? FFS, I didn't think he could get any hotter! ;-). [And apparently, I was right--he didn't!]

I guess the shape of it is a slight improvement--although a gigantic improvement over the serial-killer "you're cute" wig--but still.

[tv echo]

Picking up on what MG said in that DC All Access video...

The host asked Marc Guggenheim if it is possible we’ll get to see the Weapons Clans from the Green Arrow comic series to which the executive producer said that the clans are brought up regularly in the writer’s room and they will likely come along at some point, but everything the put into the series is from a story driven, organic flow rather than just deciding what would be cool to see.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/07/29/marc-guggenheim-on-if-arrow-will-introduce-the-weapon-clans/

 

I'm not familiar with the Weapons Clans except that they involve Katana somehow.

Edited July 30, 2015 by tv echo

[dtissagirl]

It's from The Outsiders storyline from Jeff Lemire's run: http://www.comicvine.com/outsiders/4060-60131/

 

They've already used a bunch of the characters involved in the Outsiders wars on the show -- Count Vertigo, Komodo, Shado, Katana, Robert Queen. The whole twist in that storyline in the comics was for Oliver to discover that Robert faked his death, and the island was a set up to turn Oliver into a ~warrior on purpose. I guess they could do that on the show, and then we can point and laugh a lot?

[AyChihuahua]

I am really looking forward to Damien Darhk. I think part of my [huge, enormous] problem with Oliver's actions in S3 is that he was supposed to be paralyzed with fear by RAG, leading to his bad decisions, I guess, but RAG was just a vaguely-creepy moronic weirdo. With such a pathetic villain I don't buy the fear, meaning I don't see why Oliver couldn't come up with 50 better plans to take him down. I think DD is going to be a whole lot scarier, not a weirdo, and hopefully not stupid.

Funny that the big name DC villain, RAG, sucked, while the pretty minor villain, DD, could be totally awesome.

[Chaser]

Ra's just didn't work in the world that was already established in Arrow. The whole magic hot tube of immorality didn't mesh. If they had to bring in Ra's it would have worked better as a series end villain, after meta-humans were established on Flash and LOT and after a few seasons of the LOA lurking in the shadows. But really, Ra's was to big and established. Because of his ties to Batman, in someways I think he is more recognizable than Green Arrow. He was a sucky villain because he was a sucky villain, but I think it was made worse by the expectations already in place.

 

DD could fit better with S1/S2 Arrow. Close proximity to all that Oliver loves, calculating, more grounded (since there won't be as much focus on the LOA connection). 

 

Arrow would be smart to stick with the lesser known villains. IMO they are at their best when they are given the room to explore their own character. Sara Lance is a far superior Black Canary to the supposed canon of Laurel's Black Canary. Thea Queen can really impress when given the opportunity. I will take Felicity Smoak over the comics canon of the character any day. Diggle and Moria are stand-out characters. 

Edited July 30, 2015 by 10Eleven12

[kismet]

It's from The Outsiders storyline from Jeff Lemire's run: http://www.comicvine.com/outsiders/4060-60131/

 

They've already used a bunch of the characters involved in the Outsiders wars on the show -- Count Vertigo, Komodo, Shado, Katana, Robert Queen. The whole twist in that storyline in the comics was for Oliver to discover that Robert faked his death, and the island was a set up to turn Oliver into a ~warrior on purpose. I guess they could do that on the show, and then we can point and laugh a lot?

Its obvious that they really can't have Robert Queen faking his death at this point. Unless someone went back & dug him up to ressurect him - its pretty apparent that RQ definitely died on that island trip by a self-inflicted bullet wound. But they could reveal that RQ knew that he had gotten involved in some bad things either intentionally or accidentally & was trying to get out from under them via his son, not just atone for his sins. Perhaps he had visions of training OQ to be more of a warrior, that there were going to be additional stops along their transoceanic trip. He was going to train his son to defend his family & fix his mistakes. The notebook was only the beginning.

 

But like father like son the best laid plans don't always go well. It could explain why he had a more serious affair with Isabel, involving her in the business & not just sleeping with her. I wonder if they could spin that angle that RQ had some plans for OQ to become more trained warrior, that there he had ulterior motives to having OQ on the Gambit with him. Perhaps they could hold that off until s5 & somehow incorporate it into the Bratva. The actor was willing to come back to film some stuff in s3, so maybe they could hire him back in s5 for more stuff. It could also be a way to keep MM relevant to the story by ressurecting old alliances & betrayals of RQ.

Edited July 31, 2015 by kismet

[tv echo]

Some misc. thoughts...

 

Since SA said that Oliver starts every season running and also said (maybe jokingly) "He's running and assisting children and cooking breakfast," I wonder if 4x01 will open with Oliver running but wearing regular sweats during an early morning workout. Then he stops to help a child with something (like get a cat out of a tree) before returning to the apartment that he shares with Felicity.  Then he's cooking breakfast when Felicity comes into the kitchen.

 

Regarding the "one big development" for Laurel, I wonder if she quits her job at the DA's office and either goes back to work at CNRI or another nonprofit organization that works for the underpriviledged. That would ameliorate some of the hypocrisy of her day job vis-a-vis her 'night job'. That would also dovetail with Oliver's possibly new public career as a politician and maybe mayor, where he could work on social justice issues as well. 

 

I know I'm in the minority, but I still don't think the EPs have given up on Oliver & Laurel yet.  I think their distancing Oliver from Laurel in flashbacks and present time was not so much distancing the show from them as a couple but distancing the show from their past toxic history as a couple (forget they were ever this horrible couple!).  As for Felicity being the last thing that Oliver thought of when he was dying and Felicity being tied to his humanity, that's because he is in love with her at present and she has been a necessary part of his journey toward becoming the GA. But people change and what works for them in the past may not work for them in the future. (Just playing devil's advocate.)

 

I can easily see the EPs - if they want - positioning Oliver and Laurel as so changed that they are brand new characters in a sense. Over the next one or two seasons, they could have them get to know each other now, both fighting as GA & BC together, but possibly also working on the same public interest causes together as Oliver and Laurel, and building a new friendship.  I honestly believe that the EPs haven't yet decided on an endgame even if the show only runs five or six seasons, so they're leaving open all possibilities.  Of course, there's still the lack of chemistry problem.  But that hasn't stopped other TV shows from pairing up two pretty people with zero chemistry.  The EPs could also introduce a new character or bring back an old character.

 

I want Oliver & Felicity to stay together to the end. And the show seems to be headed toward that direction. But MG seems to take a perverse joy out of 'surprising' the audience.

Edited July 31, 2015 by tv echo

[dtissagirl]

There's only one way television sets up couples getting together [for the first time, again, in any way]: the two characters start having a lot [A LOT] of scenes together. If Laurel and Oliver suddenly start getting a crap ton of screentime, just the two of them, then I'll start worrying.