Spoiler Discussion Thread

[Starfish35]

This is from tv echo's spoilers roundup on page 561.

-- Laurel will play a major role in launching the Arrow half of LoT. (WhatCulture article, page 67 of Starling City Times thread)

-- Laurel will definitely "play a big part" on the influence of creating LoT. (Fangirlish video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 66 of Starling City Times thread; and Fangirlish tweet, page 154 of Behind the Mask thread)

-- KC: "I think that she's going to be a big part of the creation of Legends." (TV Equals video of media interview with KC at SDCC 2015, page 165 of Behind the Mask thread)

[Chaser]

It occurs to me that that could mean anything from helping establish the Team on LOT or just bringing Sara back from the dead. Since Sara herself is a huge part of LOT.

[Morrigan2575]

I'm sticking with Laurel bringing Sara back.

[Starfish35]

Yeah, until proved otherwise, that's what I'm going with too.

[apinknightmare]

I wonder how it's going to be framed in terms of the LoT narrative? Is Sara going to be playing a major role in the future, and will Laurel be hailed a big person in history for bringing her back? Uh...probably.

[GreatAtBoats]

I think it's possible we wouldn't see her again on Arrow until after LOT premiers if she is in that episode. When they were shooting there was a photo of KC/CL/CR and the young POC male (sorry I don't remember his or his character's name).  They may simply have been having dinner or something but it made me wonder.  The photo was posted on a Sunday IIRC.

They went out for drinks on a Saturday night, it had nothing to do with filming.

[Velocity23]

Actually i think it had to do with filming LOT. Arrow wasnt filming on Friday night (they just wrapped 4x06) when both KC and CL were showing off their BC gear in pics. And LOT had a long Fraturday filming going on.

[BkWurm1]

Katie seems to be single these days so there is no significant other in the picture

 

To bad.  Her last guy seemed to have some nice connections.  No, I'm not implying she was seeing him for the connections.  I may have had hopes they would lead to bigger things for her but that's just me. 

 

 

Katie sold her house in LA and has an apartment in Vancouver.

Ah, didn't know that she sold the LA residence.  An apartment makes sense for how long the are in Vancouver but for all the other places she's running around to for fashion stuff I wasn't sure if she was in town enough for it to really matter.

 

In regards to SA, it sounds then like his family comes and stays in Vancouver with him rather than just at the house in California.  That's nice to hear.

 

Still being sick and having all the comforts of home AND room service (not to mention maid service).  That's VERY nice. 

[tv echo]

ADDENDUM #3 (TO PREVIOUSLY POSTED ADDENDUM #2, ADDENDUM #1 AND SUMMARY OF S4 SPOILERS)

 

General S4 Spoilers

-- [post-401] Regarding the 401 flashforward gravesite scene, “MG: It’s not a fake-out. That’s not how we roll... It’ll feel organic and very earned. It’s actually very elegant.” WM: "They will stay dead... We want to bring stakes back to the show, and so we’ll be finding a way to handle the Lazarus Pit portion in Season 4 in a new, inventive way that I can’t reveal. But it’ll be cool.” (Variety, ETonline, TVLine, Collider, EW, Hollywood Reporter and DocBrown TV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] On who will die, WM: “We don’t necessarily know who it is right now... We’re still figuring the plan out for the season, but we want it, obviously, to have resonance. If it doesn’t mean something to the characters, it won’t mean anything to the audience either.” (ETonline, Collider, EW and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] The death will occur in six months from 401 within the world of the show, but the producers declined to give specifics about where in the season that will land, only that it will happen before the finale. MG: “There will be time afterwards but we’re not going to tell you when it’s going to happen because that would actually really be a real big spoiler, because then you’re just waiting for it to happen: ‘Oh, it’s episode X.’ We’re not going to say when episode X is." (Variety, Collider and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] On what Oliver will encounter in flashbacks back on Lian Yu, WM: “A couple things. He’s going to encounter who we hope is a love interest, a woman that he is going to fall in love with, and he’s also going to encounter a lot of magic and mysticism on the show and that is going to inform what he is dealing with in Star City in present day with Damien Darhk."  (Variety, TVLine, Collider, EW, Hollywood Reporter and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- MG: “What I really like about Season 4 is, it’s going to have its normal twists and turns, but I don’t think it’s as crazy-toon storytelling like we were doing in Season 3. It was like an orgy of plot twists near the end … It feels like a new show — not a brand new show, but it feels like the show is evolving, as all shows should do to stay fresh and current and new.” (The TeleVixen article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "We've really conceived season 4 as a fight between light and dark.  We really want to think of Oliver this season as someone who is - who has a lot of faith in humanity and wants to step into the light, both as the Arrow and as Oliver Queen. But at the same time, he's going up against what we hope will be the most dangerous villain he's ever encountered." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "I mean, one of the other themes of the season is family, and how does Oliver kinda step into the light in a relationship with Felicity and also protect the people he loves. In the past, he's always said 'I can't be in love and be the Arrow at the same time'.  And this season, he's going to try to do both." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- WM: “The overarching theme of the season is about family, and chosen family versus blood family." (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread, ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- MG: “I would say, so far, it feels pretty organic from our perspective. I think that’s for a couple of reasons. In respect to the world of magic, I think that’s something that lives within the world of Arrow probably a lot easier than superpowers. We’ve already introduced superpowers into the world, so certainly once you’ve seen superpowers on Arrow, it’s a little bit easier. We’ve also laid the foundation for mysticism last year, not just with the Lazarus Pit, but also with Oliver’s [stephen Amell] comment to Ra’s al Ghul [John Barrowman] that he’s seen some things in the world that can’t be explained.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- On villains (other than DD) this season, WM: "We're working to work a few of those [villains of the week] in here and there, but one of the things we really wanted to explore this year was seeing a big bad from the get-go and giving him a lot of room to play and really challenge Oliver and the team. We've done a lot of gradual reveals of the big bads in previous seasons, and by front-loading it, we feel that it presented us a lot of challenges as writers and just to the team."  (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On concern that the new characters don't take over the show and that the main cast have enough time, WM: " It’s always a challenge and we have a show that obviously has been around for a while and one of your tasks I guess, or more your tools for reinventing, is bringing new people on. One of the characters we're really excited about is Curtis Holt and having Echo Kellum there and it's a new dynamic for Felicity to have scenes with but I think ultimately, in our mind, the season is about the core team -- it’s about Dig, Felicity and Oliver, and Laurel and Speedy. None of the new people are going to… They’re all there to explore and deepen our core [cast]. There’s no worries about anyone getting overrun ." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On flashbacks this season (since last season had a geographic switch up), WM: "We’re going to be doing a similar geographic switch up, but really it’s a chance to explore magic and mysticism, which is part of Constantine coming onto the show and why we’re excited about it. It fits into this new element that we’re exploring. We started out with the show being very grounded. There was no magic, no metahumans, no superpowers. In Season 2, we had the Flash, so we had metas and in Season 3 we explored the League of Assassins and what kind of universe that is and now we get to go and skirt some bigger questions that are more about -- not necessarily religious but morality questions and questions of faith. Faith and humanity, specifically." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On flashbacks this season, MG: "One of the things we're trying to do with the flashbacks this year is we want them to tie into the present day in a different way than they typically have in the past... In the past, it's always been someone from the flashbacks showing up in present day, so we're going to create a different connection between flashback and present day stories this season." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- MG: “You will not be seeing Hal Jordan in the flashbacks, I’m sorry to say.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Hal Jordan is such a cool character and you might see some nods to him... But we won't be seeing him on the show. And though it was teased that Oliver might be heading to Coast City, I can't confirm that. There's a little bit of mystery around that." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG: "We’re really proud of our strong female characters on the show… I don’t really know why people get it wrong. All I can really speak to is our approach… First of all, it helps to have an amazing cast. We really have been very fortunate. All the women in our cast, both past and present, even if they’re not ‘superheroes,’ they’re all really strong women. These actresses are a really formidable presence on screen. They really hold the screen. That helps enormously. It’s great to be able to start there.
“Once we put them into sequences and put them in masks and costumes — quite frankly, our approach to them is the same approach — the same way we approach the male superheroes. We don’t really make the distinction on the show, ‘Well, this is a female superhero and this is a male superhero.’ They’re just superheroes. [That’s] our approach — from writing them to the costume design to the props — for all the pieces that go into it. We have a process for how we do these characters. It’s no different for the women than it is for the men. That’s in large part the reason for our success. We’re approaching it with a very gender-neutral eye because it’s not about gender. It’s about making these characters as cool and compelling as possible.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 1: Green Arrow
-- Production code: 401.  Director: Thor Freudenthal.  Airdate: Oct. 7, 2015.

-- Remember, this is the episode where Oliver hides a ring in the souffle that he made for Felicity.
-- 401 synopsis: "Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) blissful getaway is cut short when Thea (Willa Holland) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) pay them a visit and tell Oliver they need his help back in Star City. The city has been attacked by 'Ghosts,' assassins led by a dangerous man named Damien Darhk (guest star Neil McDonough). However, when Oliver returns, Diggle (David Ramsey) makes it very clear that he doesn’t want Oliver on the team. Thor Freudenthal directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Beth Schwartz and teleplay by Marc Guggenheim & Wendy Mericle (#401). Original airdate 10/7/2015."  (SpoilerTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "In season 4, in the premiere, we'll be meeting Damien Darhk. He is being played by Neal McDonough." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- AK: "And a lot of times we won't even get a glimpse of who the big bad of the season is until we're deeper in, and so we thought it would be interesting to see Damien come out swinging and say this season is about the Green Arrow vs. Damien Dahrk right away. The first episode is the first battle between them." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Oliver and Felicity's new norm is living in Suburbia USA, a.k.a. Ivy Town, and the first episode takes their relationship to a whole new level. Talk of marriage - the engagement ring in the soufflé?! - and even talk of kids - a funny moment with a married Ivy Town couple - show just how far their romance has gone. But, and it’s a big but, one of them is keeping a secret from the other (and we’re not talking about the ring, either) that prompts the two to have one of the most realistic arguments and moments in the pseudo-lair. More importantly, will Oliver pop the question? (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Scene where Oliver and Felicity are having brunch with their Ivy Town friends, the Hoffmans. Oliver has become quite the chef – slow-cooking eggs to perfection. “Slow cookers are absolute life-changers,” one of their new friends says, without irony. Felicity, being Felicity, chimes in with her own two cents in classic Smoak style, total sarcasm. “I don’t know how that is not a bumper sticker yet,” she says as Oliver gives her a look of befuddlement. Then the conversation turns to a far more serious topic, and the two simply can’t handle the awkwardness. School waitlists, children … it’s all too much! “I’m sure kids aren’t too far down the line,” one of the Hoffmans suggests. "Yeah… we haven’t talked about it,” Oliver says as he forces a smile. Awkward! When Felicity goes away to fetch some more mimosas, that’s when Oliver reveals the massive rock he plans on putting on her finger. The Hoffmans can’t help but gush over the bling, and Arrow fans will be happy to know, the ring has sentimental value. "it's my mother’s,” Oliver tells his suburban friends. (ETonline article & video sneak  peek, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- While Felicity is “deliriously happy” with Oliver, their suburban life of brunching with new friends  -  who bring up kids! - secretly bores her to tears. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Felicity has been keeping things from Oliver. The peace and quiet of their new lives isn’t sitting entirely well with her. (DocBrownTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "When we find him at the start of season 4, Oliver is living in domestic bliss with Felicity... It's genuine. He's very happy with her. The city in the meantime has really declined and we're going to find out that there's big problems there that are going to draw him back. And even though he's kind of, you know, forsaken the Hood for the moment, it can't last for long cause they need him." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "When we last saw Oliver, it was the end of season 3.  He had actually decided to hang up the hood and leave town with Felicity.  The team in the meantime has taken over for Oliver and they've been kicking ass. Thea is Speedy. Her skills have advanced. She's very much part of the team, full fledged member.  Laurel, too, is the Black Canary.  And they are a really tight team. They've been working with Digg, who has a new costume himself and a new identity.  They've been working very hard to fight the new forces of evil that have decided to come to Star City." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "Oliver is going to find himself really torn between this new life that he's created for himself and Felicity outside of the city, and coming back to fight the good fight." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On what brings Oliver and Felicity back to Starling City, WM: "I can tell you it is Damien Darhk-related. It's partially related to Ray Palmer and the power vacuum that's been left in the city after his unfortunate explosion at Palmer Tech. Part of it is the team of Black Canary, Speedy and Dig, who have stayed back in the city. He's passed the mantle onto them and they need his help. It's a confluence of factors. I can tease a little bit that Felicity is also deeply involved in that decision and has her own reasons." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Things are even worse in Star City (renamed in memory of Ray Palmer) ever since Oliver left town for greener pastures. Though Diggle, Thea and Laurel are doing a pretty good job of keeping the city safe-ish, they need Oliver’s expertise when “Ghosts” suddenly start to infiltrate the town. When Oliver reluctantly returns for what he thinks is a temporary visit (his first mission in months has him sporting a ski mask), it takes one person close to him to ultimately persuade him to stay for good. (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Don’t expect Diggle to turn a blind eye to Oliver’s betrayal last season - it’ll be a while before they’ll be pals again. At one point, Oliver tries to smooth things over in the premiere, but Diggle has the harshest response – and he uses the word “dark.” Ouch. (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- In the premiere, Diggle makes a very divisive decision that will certainly come back to haunt him.  (EW article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- In the premiere, there's a scene with Oliver and Quentin at a train station that sums up Quentin's feelings about the Arrow.  (GreenArrowTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- In the premiere, Laurel saves her dad from an attack. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- In the premiere, we find out that at least two characters are keeping important secrets. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where Oliver is jogging in a nice suburban neighborhood, smiles and says "How're you doing?" to a neighbor mowing the lawn, and then heads up the driveway to his nice suburban home. (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Scene where Felicity feeds Oliver her cooked omelette, and he says "Felicity Smoak, you have failed this omelette." (Fan tweet with Playstore video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 621 of Spoiler Discussion thread, and Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- Scene where Oliver and Felicity are in bed together, and Felicity is running her hand up and down Oliver's back.  Oliver: "So what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" Felicity: "A video conference with the Palmer Tech board, who still question whether I'm fit enough to inherit Ray's legacy... Hey, how'd you like your company back as an early Christmas gift?"... Oliver: "I think you're doing a better job of running it than I would." Felicity: "Flirting with bankruptcy."  Oliver: "Exactly. Just flirting."  Then he leans over to kiss her. (S4 preview with EBR, posted as Arrow facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where Oliver says to Felicity, "Damien Darhk is in Starling City." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Scene where Laurel/BC is riding motorcycle alongside Kord Industries truck.  Helmeted Diggle is inside the back of the truck. There's an explosion. (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Shot of Laurel/BC flipping a guy and another shot of her riding motorcylce with Thea/Speedy sitting behind her. (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Shot of Thea/Speedy saying "I told you guys to call me Red Arrow!" (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Thea would rather be called Red Arrow than Speedy. That isn’t accepted though, with Diggle pointing out that a “red arrow” is most commonly associated with cars making left turns. (DocBrownTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Shot of Thea/Speedy shooting arrow with line up to ceiling and then pulling up through the roof. (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Shot of helmeted Diggle walking along and shooting down two bad guys. (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where Diggle, Thea and Laurel are looking a a computer screen.  Laurel says, "These Ghosts, if that's seriously what we're calling them, are stepping up their attacks." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where Thea & Laurel are talking to Oliver & Felicity in the latter's new home. Thea says, "We're in over our heads." Laurel says, "We need the Arrow." Oliver (to Felicity) says, "You're uncharacteristically quiet."  Felicity says, "What should I say?  Our friends need our help.  We should already be in the car." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where Quentin is sitting a table with city officials and he says, "They're not your average everyday criminals. Average everyday criminals don't have cyanide capsules in their teeth so they can off themselves rather than be interrogated." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- In the premiere, DD crashes a meeting of Star City's top leaders, including Quentin.  DD: "Keep your seats." Female: "Excuse me, this is a private meeting."  DD: "Oh excellent. I despise interruptions." Male: "Who the hell are you?"  DD: "Me? I'm the man you're looking for. I'm the one who controls - what do you people call them? The 'Ghosts'? So you're all fretting about this city dying. I'm here on behalf of an organization that wants you to let it die. See, death is a beautiful thing. We die. We go into the ground. Our remains grow into flowers. It's only in the interval after dying that new things can sprout." Female: "That's enough! Get the hell out of - ."  DD: "Cities are like puppies. You see them writhing in agony on streets, you put them down. You don’t let them suffer.” Female: "I'm getting security."  Quentin: "[unintelligible words] Get out."  DD: "That's very rude behavior. None of you seem particularly likeable. But if you do have any friends, or anyone who does love you, I suggest you say goodbye. My people will be in touch." (TVLine article & video sneak peek, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Olicity scenes are spread throughout the episode and have not all been spoiled in the previews/trailers. (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked to describe her fave Olicity scene from the premiere, LB:  "Quick champagne reflexes." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked to describe Oliver and Felicity in one word, LB: "Happy" and "Honeymooning (only without the marriage)" (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked how many Olicity kisses there will be in the premiere, LB: "I didn't count, but they do kiss several times." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if there's any sex in the premiere, LB: " Implied sex, yes. But it *is* network TV." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked to rate the hotness level of Olicity scenes in the premiere from 1 - 10, LB: "They range from 6 to 11. Yes, 11." (For comparison, asked what rating she would give the NP scene, LB: "I mean, that was easily a 9-10 too.") (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked whether Felicity seems unhappy living in suburbia or just bored, LB: "Not unhappy, just not interested in the suburban lifestyle." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if anyone besides Oliver know about him proposing to Felicity, LB: "No names, but the answer is yes." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked whether we'll see Oliver cooking, LB: "A bit. Not a full meal, but he does some stuff." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked whether we actually see Felicity cook the omelet, LB: "More or less." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if what Felicity is keeping from Oliver could affect their relationship, LB: "Probably not enough to matter. They're pretty cool with each other." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if we'll be like yay good job felicity or we're disappointed in you felicity, LB: "More like 'yay good job,' definitely. She was just being secretly awesome." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if Oliver will know what Felicity was hiding from him in this episode, LB: "He finds out pretty quickly." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if Felicity knows to be the new CEO of Palmer Tech already in the premiere, LB: "Yes, she's very much involved with Palmer Tech." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Asked if they explain how Felicity is CEO while she's away, LB: "Yes." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if Oliver and Felicity will be Thea's roommates, LB: "Don't worry -- they have their privacy." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if there are any good scenes between Felicity and Thea, LB: "Not much yet - but it has been hinted at for the future." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if there are any Diggle/Felicity moments and about their relationship< LB: "They work together, but there aren't any big scenes." and "They're on good terms but don't have a lot of personal interaction in the premiere." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked how bad it is between Oliver and Diggle on a scale of 1 - 10, LB: "Starts at an 8 or 9, maybe gets to a 6 by the end." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if Oliver and Diggle will have conflict right when he comes back home, and if Felicity will be involved, LB: "Yes, and only on the edges of the fight." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if we'll see more of Diggle's lifestyle, LB: "Yes we will." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On whether we'll see Sara Diggle, LB: "That is a distinct possiblity." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if Oliver is still clearly the biggest badass or have everyone's skills been upgraded too much, LB: "Considering that the response to an exceptionally tough situation is 'We need Oliver,' I'd say he's still the badassest." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked about the relationship between Thea, Laurel and Diggle, LB: "Mutual respect, definitely. Laurel and Thea have gotten very close since S3." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked what we can expect of Laurel in this episode, LB: "Much butt-kicking. Better Canary hair (no wig!). Interesting relationships with Thea and Lance." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "Definitely a lot of Laurel -- she's much more comfortable as the Black Canary now. And she lost that awful wig!" (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On whether Laurel uses the Canary Cry in the premiere, LB: "I think no. But it's in a preview, so I'm sure we're going to hear it soon." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "[Laurel] and Thea have gotten really close since last season." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "Yes, Canary and Speedy have a few rather awesome action scenes (both together and apart)." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked about Quentin Lance, LB: "All I can say is that he is important to the episode." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "As always, Lance is not Oliver's biggest fan." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked for anything about Thea in this episode, LB: "She's pretty badass... and Oliver is already a little worried about her." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked if the episode will end with the flashback, LB: "Not right at the end -- but there are flashbacks." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked for her reaction to the last scene of this episode, LB: "Surprise and concern." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Dialogue tease from 401: ""It's amazing how everything else can just melt away except for her." (Arrow Writers tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Dialogue tease from 401: "She's sleeping off the whiskey." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Dialogue tease from 401: “If Oliver Queen always made the right choice, he wouldn’t need you.” (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and Seat42f article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- More dialogue teases from 401:
QUOTE:  “When I handle a problem, the problem dies.”
QUOTE:  “I despise interruptions."
QUOTE:  “You certainly have chosen an unusual hobby, Mr. Queen.”
QUOTE:  “We probably should have called first.”
QUOTE:  “The world is too small for someone like Oliver Queen to disappear.”
QUOTE:  “Stop running from your inner darkness, embrace it.”
QUOTE:  “Do I look happy?”
QUOTE:  “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
QUOTE:  “None of you seem particularly likable.”
QUOTE:  “When you wake up, try to remember I am trying to help.”
QUOTE:  “I want you to remember that restraint is what separates us from them.”
QUOTE:  “The monster you were inspired monsters.”
QUOTE:  “Is that all you got?”
QUOTE:  “We’re going to have to work on your definition of cool.”
QUOTE:  “Damn, they have back-up.”
(Seat42f article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG: You know, I’ll tell you, the flashbacks are probably one of the more secretive aspects of the season this year, so there’s not a whole lot I can talk about with respect to the flashbacks... I will say that Amanda Waller [Cynthia Addai-Robinson] will be making an appearance in episode 401, so that’s a new bit of information.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- There's a major Green Lantern Easter egg (no, not a green ring) in the premiere. (GreenArrowTV tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- There's a Green Lantern shout-out in Coast City.  (GreenArrowTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- This year’s flashbacks include an Easter egg and a big twist. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Malcolm Merlin does not appear in the premiere.  (GreenArrow TV article, page 22 of Spiolers thread)

 

(to be continued)

Edited October 10, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ADDENDUM #3 (TO PREVIOUSLY POSTED ADDENDUM #2, ADDENDUM #1 AND SUMMARY OF S4 SPOILERS) (cont'd)

 

S4, Episode 2: The Candidate
-- Production code: 402.  Director: John Behring.  Airdate: Oct. 14, 2015.
-- 402 synopsis: "When an old family friend, Jessica Danforth (guest star Jeri Ryan), tells Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Thea (Willa Holland) that she is going to run for mayor, both Queens are concerned considering the last three mayors have been murdered. Despite their protests, Jessica makes her announcement so the Green Arrow and Speedy vow to protect her. Meanwhile, Thea begins to exhibit effects from the Lazarus Pit. In addition, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) is faced with a tough business decision and looks to one of her employees, Curtis Holt (guest star Echo Kellum), for help. John Behring directed the episode written by Marc Guggenheim & Keto Shimizu (#402). Original airdate 10/14/2015." (SpoilerTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Remember, Curtis Holt aka Mr. Terrific (Echo Kellum), Lonnie Machin aka Anarky (Alexander Calvert), and Jessica Danforth (Jeri Ryan) will debut in this episode, and that Jessica's daughter, Madison (played by Tiera Skovbye?) may or may not debut in this episode.
-- Elysia Rotaru, who plays Oliver's flashback love interest, will make her debut in this episode. (VanCityBuzz article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Mr. Terrific (Echo Kellum) will debut in this episode.  WM: “He really is a way for us to eventually bring on a new member of the team... and somebody who has a strong tech background, but he’s also somebody for Felicity to talk to and have scenes with.” (EW article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- 402 pics posted of DD, Lonnie Machin/Anarky, Jessica Danforth, Oliver and Thea.  (TVLine gallery, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene where a scared-looking young woman with hands tied who could be Jessica Danforth's daughter faces Lonnie Machin/Anarky, and then Speedy, GA, BC and Diggle crash down through the skylight. (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Scene at Palmer Tech where Felicity picks up a silver metal sphere, says "Oooh, what's this?", tosses it a few times, and then tosses the sphere to Curtis Holt. Curtis catches the sphere and says, "This is an autonomous communications device (puts sphere on metal pedestal) - which is great, except for the fact that it spontaneously explodes." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

 

S4, Episode 3: Restoration
-- Production code: 403.  Director: Wendey Stanzler.  Airdate: Oct. 21, 2015.
-- 403 synopsis: "The growing tension between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Diggle (David Ramsey) puts both their lives at risk when they go after Damien Darhk (guest star Neal McDonough) and a H.I.V.E. deployed meta-human. Meanwhile, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) talks Thea (Willa Holland) into returning to Nanda Parbat to ask her father (John Barrowman) to put Sara (guest star Caity Lotz) into the Lazarus Pit. However, Laurel is surprised when Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) refuses to do it. Wendey Stanzler directed the episode written by Wendy Mericle & Speed Weed (#403). Original airdate 10/21/2015." (GreenArrowTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Remember, Jeremy Tell aka Double Down (JR Bourne) and Conklin (Ryan Robbins) will debut in this episode, and that flashback villain Baron Reiter (Jimmy Akingbola) will debut either in this episode or in episode 401.

 

S4, Episode 4: Beyond Redemption
-- Production code: 405.  Director: Lexi Alexander.  Airdate: Oct. 28, 2015
-- Remember, production codes are in production order, not air date order.
-- 404 synopsis: "Laurel (Katie Cassidy) must deal with the repercussions of taking Sara (guest star Caity Lotz) to Nanda Parbat. Meanwhile, Oliver (Stephen Amell) asks Captain Lance (Paul Blackthorne) for a favor and while he’s not surprised at the response, he is surprised at what he finds out next. Lexi Alexander directed the episode written by Beth Schwartz & Ben Sokolowski (#405).  Original airdate 10/28/2015." (ComicBook article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 5: Haunted
-- Production code: 404.  Director: John Badham.  Airdate: TBA
-- Remember, production codes are in production order, not air date order.
-- Remember, John Constantine (Matt Ryan) and Alex Davis (Parker Young) will debut in this episode.

-- On Constantine, WM: "Absolutely. He is coming in fully as who he was on the show. We’re getting wardrobe. We’re very excited to have him. He’s a tremendous actor. It’s so cool to have that cross-pollination. We are very lucky and DC was very generous letting us have him. It was born more out of the storyline for Sara Lance. We needed someone to come in and help bring her back. He felt like the most exciting possibility and we’re just thrilled to get him. He brings such a different element to the show." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- MG:  "It's really cool. We've got all the props, we've got all the original costumes, and we've got the original Matt Ryan. I think, for us, when we finished watching the first cut of it we were like, 'You know what, this feels like a legitimate crossover. This feels like we crossed over the other show, just the other show is not crossing over with us.'" (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On the possibility of Constantine returning to the show, WM: "Right now, it really was -- it’s born out of necessity for this particular story. I think Mark [Pedowitz] said, and Mark was right, it is a one off and this is what we’re focusing on right now." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 6: Lost Souls [75th EPISODE OF SERIES]
-- Production code: 406.  Director: Antonio Negret.  Airdate: TBA
-- Remember, Donna Smoak (Charlotte Ross) will appear in this episode.
-- Remember, this episode will answer the question of whether the explosion at Palmer Tech is on the same time line as Oliver & Felicity's journey.
-- MG: “It’s so much fun to see Donna’s reaction to Oliver and Felicity being together. I would say that’s part of Donna’s charm; she’s a little bit like a Greek chorus. She’s the ultimate Olicity supporter - the ultimate Olicity ‘shipper.’ The episode where she returns is going to be really interesting because Donna is - let me put it this way: she has a surprising relationship with Oliver. Her interactions with Oliver are not what I think the audience is going to expect. And certainly not what Felicity expects.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 7: Brotherhood
-- Production code: 407.  Director: James Bamford.  Airdate: TBA.  (MG tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Day #1 of shooting was Sept. 21, 2015. (JBam tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- JBam: "If any of you require heart medication, you should stock up before you watch episode 407 of #Arrow. It's intense. Boom."  (JBam tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per SA, this episode used 200 extras. (SA tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Some filming for this episode was done at Diggle's house. (JBam tweet, page 620 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Oliver's flashback love interest (played by ER) appears in this episode.  (JBam and ER tweets, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Sep. 28, 2015, SA said they just wrapped episode 407, and were "ramping up to the crossover with The Flash." (SA Facebook Q&A, page 211 of Behind the Mask thread)

 

S4, Episode 8: Legends of Yesterday
-- Production code: 408.  Director: Thor Freudenthal.  Airdate: TBA.  (MG tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Production on this episode began on Oct. 2, 2015.  (MG tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Oct. 2, 2015, SA and Arrow crew filmed a whole day on the Flash with only Arrow actors. (SA facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "We're going to introduce some very cool characters in episode 408, one of whom will be Hawkman. This season, the crossover is going to be really the place where we launch Legends. It's going to be a very cool, exciting episode where we really see a couple members of the Legends team and their origin story - where they start and how they get launched into this universe." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Dr. Aldus Boardman (Peter Francis James) will first appear in this episode (before going to LoT).  (ComicBook article, page 619 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) will first appear on the Flash 208 crossover (before joining LoT).  (CC tweet, page 620 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- The first non-Oliver flashback won’t happen until Episode 8. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 9: TBA
-- Production code: TBA.  Director: TBA.  Airdate: TBA
-- Donna Smoak will appear in this episode. (TVLine article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

 

S4, Episode 10: TBA
-- Production code: TBA.  Director: TBA.  Airdate: TBA
-- Donna Smoak will appear in this episode. (TVLine article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- SA was filming with a young boy and a hot woman (baby Mama?) in front of a house, believed to be for Episode 10. (Fan tweets, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

(to be continued)

Edited October 10, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ADDENDUM #3 (TO PREVIOUSLY POSTED ADDENDUM #2, ADDENDUM #1 AND SUMMARY OF S4 SPOILERS) (cont'd)

 

Oliver & Felicity

-- [post-401] On the ring, MG: "We were breaking the episode with Greg Berlanti and it came out of something he said about wishing there was a way to dramatize where their relationship was. When we threw it out there, we didn’t really think Greg would go for it, but he was like, “That’s awesome! Totally do that!” When Oliver hides the ring, we’re also dramatizing the fact that he’s with Felicity and they’re together, but things are not the same as they were back in Ivy Town. We wanted to get at that concept that their relationship had changed now that they’re back in Star City, so that’s how we came up with the ring." (Collider, Hollywood Reporter and EW articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Oliver’s proposal plan was a way to signify how serious his relationship with Felicity has become. MG gave credit to executive producer GB for greenlighting the idea in the first place. MG: “It came out of something that Greg had said – ‘I wish there was some way we could dramatize where their relationship was,’ and [co-showrunner] Wendy [Mericle] and I were like, ‘Well…'" (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- A bedroom for Oliver & Felicity is one of the sets being built for S4. But it's not seen in the premiere yet. (GreenArrowTV tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- EBR: "Oliver and Felicity sort of end up saying goodbye to their nighttime 'profession', their saving the city, to go have a life. Come back and it's five months later, and they've spent those five months gone, enjoying their life, traveling, tanning, watching whales, I dunno..." (S4 preview with EBR, posted as Arrow facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Oliver and Felicity's new norm is living in Suburbia USA, a.k.a. Ivy Town, and the first episode takes their relationship to a whole new level. Talk of marriage - the engagement ring in the soufflé?! - and even talk of kids - a funny moment with a married Ivy Town couple - show just how far their romance has gone. But, and it’s a big but, one of them is keeping a secret from the other (and we’re not talking about the ring, either) that prompts the two to have one of the most realistic arguments and moments in the pseudo-lair. More importantly, will Oliver pop the question? (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- SA: “I know that Oliver Queen is certainly at peace at the beginning of the season... He’s rested, happy, and domesticated… it’s interesting who is more at peace with the sort of domesticated set-up, the happily ever after set-up, so to speak, between the two of us."  And EBR: "We get to see them as a couple working as a team... Which is really interesting, and I think really good for our show, and good for them.” (MTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- After MG refers to DD as the "heart of darkness," SA: “If something is going to lure Oliver and Felicity out of their light, happy place, it’s going to be the heart of darkness." (MTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On whether Oliver will be able to maintain his happiness once he returns to vigilantism, WM: "That is really the central question of the season, especially with respect to him and Felicity. What we're really intrigued by doing is a couple things. One, seeing what Oliver and Felicity are like as a couple that works together and also has a relationship. What challenges does that present? We're really looking at this season as one where Oliver is stepping into the light, and we're going to have some jokes in the lair. We're not changing the tone of it too much, but making him a little funnier. He's happy and we want the show to reflect that. And the challenge of the season is going to be, 'Can he maintain that in the face of the darkness that is Starling City in the form of Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough)?'" (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG: "After the end of season three, which I'd describe as an orgy of plot twists, this is a much more back-to-the-basics approach... We're coming in and the show will feel both new and familiar. People are expecting something like [season three's premiere], where it's Oliver and Felicity in a restaurant and things literally blow up, but it's not going to be that. It feels like a new show in many respects. We're starting a new trilogy, essentially." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, they didn't bring Olicity together only to break them up again. WM: "They're going to be together this season but it's no secret that he's going to become the Green Arrow... He's taking up the mission in a different way and that's going to create challenges for them as a couple and as individuals. Watching them navigate those waters and seeing if they make it or not is going to be exciting. They're going to be thrown some big curve balls." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- AK: "It wouldn't be Arrow if we didn't toss a few curve balls...  But yes, they're happy. They're now very openly a couple and living together. It has a very different feel to see whatever struggles they face, at the end of the day, they're two people who love each other. There will be lighter, nice, heartwarming end-of-episode, curled-up-on-the-couch moments for our two lovers who are no longer star-crossed." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- In the premiere, when Oliver and Felicity are in bed together, Felicity jokingly offers to give Palmer Tech to Oliver, saying "Hey, how'd you like your company back as an early Christmas gift?" But Oliver replies, "I think you're doing a better job of running it than I would." Felicity: "Flirting with bankruptcy."  Oliver: "Exactly. Just flirting." (S4 preview with EBR, posted as Arrow facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- The ring in the souffle belonged to Oliver’s mother. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread) 
-- Oliver and Felicity may have more privacy at the Queen loft than they anticipated. Turns out Speedy has been staying elsewhere, given that Ra’s stabbed her in the living room and left her to die and all. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "I mean, one of the other themes of the season is family, and how does Oliver kinda step into the light in a relationship with Felicity and also protect the people he loves. In the past, he's always said 'I can't be in love and be the Arrow at the same time'.  And this season, he's going to try to do both." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- On balancing the O&F element that's hugely beloved by a big part of the fanbase and the other fanbase that wants comic book, action stuff, and not a lot of romance, WM: "It’s always a balancing act. And I feel on the show, having been there from the beginning, it’s always kind of been -- there are really three elements. There’s a procedural element, there’s a comic book element, and then there’s the grounded, relationship elements. The show, I think one of the reasons it’s been such a success, is we’re constantly shifting grounds between the three of those. I totally understand the fans -- if I was a comic book fan, I come from a more drama side of television and I understand there’s passion there and we need that. That informs the show in a big way. Half the staff is very well versed in the comic book universe and we always have DC there as a resource. But I think, by the same token, I come from the point of view of, hey, there are people that like action shows that might not know the mythology all that well, and we want to have some relatability on the show and people that can bring in people that don’t know that as well and I think that’s a viable aspect. There are a lot of fans of the show that don’t know that Green Arrow and Laurel Lance are supposed to be together forever and ever. That said, there is a balance. At the end of the day, we start our stories from an emotional place. That’s a [Greg] Berlanti thing and if we feel it’s emotionally right for Oliver and Felicity to be in a relationship now, that doesn’t rule out anybody else down the road But that’s kind of a process of us checking our guts and going 'This feels right.'” (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow

-- We hear Oliver call himself the Green Arrow.  (Video of JACKtv Philippines promo for Arrow, Supergirl, Heroes Reborn, Flash, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Costume designer Maya Mani had already finished the Arrow 2.0 costume before the S3 finale and it had full sleeves (it's cold shooting in Vancouver). But GB and SA convinced her to try a bicep-baring look more reflective of the Green Arrow comic. Mani: "I wanted it to be tactical, so the shoulders are a little tougher... I also wanted him to be able to remove a layer or be in the layer and still be the Arrow, but not have the full fig on." (Fashionista article, page 27 of Slings and Arrows thread)
-- MG: ""Last year it was like, 'Am I the Arrow, or am I Oliver Queen?' This year it's, 'Okay, I'm the Green Arrow and I'm Oliver Queen. How can I be both at the same time?'" (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, they hope Star City will welcome Oliver's new role: "We're hoping that this will be a change and they will embrace him, but it's not going to be easy. We can't make it easy for him. But it's sort of speaking to him trying to be more of an inspiration and less of the judge, jury, and executioner that we've seen in the past." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Oliver officially becoming the GA, WM: "In keeping where Oliver is emotionally, we want him to take a slightly different tack as a superhero this season. We're going to maybe change the name. I'm not 100 percent sure about that. But he's definitely going to become a very different kind of superhero." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Oliver's new approach as Star City's hero, as the Green Arrow, WM: “We’re hoping that this will be a change in that they will embrace him, but it’s not going to be easy... We can’t make it easy for him. But it’s speaking to him trying to be more of an inspiration and less of the judge, jury, and executioner that we’ve seen in the past." (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG: “We were always very upfront, I think, about our intention that this was an origin story, and we are very deliberate in our choice of ‘he’s not the Arrow, he’s the Hood at first,’ and then he becomes the Arrow, and eventually, he was going to become the Green Arrow. We didn’t have a specific season in mind, as to when it would happen, but certainly, for us, it felt very organic to make this the season that he’d be Green Arrow. Certainly, we’ve been developing… if you look at Laurel’s trajectory… we always said, we were headed towards her becoming Black Canary. There’s just been a slow, organic incorporation of the comic book elements."  However, MG: "We don’t ever bring in the comic book elements just to bring in comic book elements... We don’t sit here with a checklist. I think a lot of fans think that we’ve got a checklist of the comic book tropes, like the chili, and the jokes, and the romance with Black Canary, and go ‘okay, we’ve got that, we’ve got that, we’ve got that.’ It’s really just like we’ve got the comics in the back of our mind… we know where we’re headed with the character. The comic books are there as inspiration, but not as a to-do list.” (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread, and ComicBookResources article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On how different will Oliver's approach and persona be, now that he's taken on the GA identity, WM: "It’s going to be very different. We like to think of the first three seasons as Oliver the soldier coming back from war. We never explicitly said PTSD but the implication certainly was there. In the pilot, he’s sleeping on the floor, he doesn’t have any appetite. This season, we’re going to see him in a very different place. When he leaves at the end of Season 3, he’s hung up the mantel, he’s very loved. He’s very happy where he is and that happiness and lightness and the new found faith in humanity that he has, as a result as this relationship with Felicity, is going to redefine how he approaches his mission and how he approaches his life in general and we’re excited about that. It’s a different Oliver. It’s still the same show and the same character but we’re seeing new colors in him." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On whether we'll see some facets of the comic book GA character more prominently, WM: "The humor. There’s a little bit more humor - and coming from Oliver as well. Stephen [Amell] plays a great straight man. He’s really good at that stuff. The other thing is the costume. It’s not sleeveless, but we tried to split the difference between where he was as the Arrow at the end of Season 3 and moving him towards the Green Arrow, which is the sleeveless costume and the lighter color. It’s fledgling on the Arrow so there’s a slightly different color green as kind of a nod to the comic book character. Those are the biggest things that change the most." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Oliver's humor is back, thanks in part to his new Green Arrow identity and his new lease on life.  WM: “It is deliberate... He’s happier now. He’s in love with Felicity. He’s no longer the post-traumatic stress disorder-suffering soldier he was in the first three seasons. That’s really where it’s coming from.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- DR: “[Oliver] does crack a joke in episode one... He cracks a joke; it’s quite funny. Things are getting lighter! It’s a funny joke, and it’s also funny that he’s making a joke.” (MTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "This season Oliver is happier. For the first time since returning home, he is not in a sort of PTSD, post-war state of mind. He's now very hopeful and very optimistic for the future because he's in love. He is going to have a little bit more fun out in the field, but at the same time, he's going up against the most dangerous villain he's ever encountered. It's really a question of how he stays in the light and doesn't let himself get pulled back into that darkness, despite the kind of gravitas and nastiness of what Damien is trying to do to the city." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "We've really conceived season 4 as a fight between light and dark.  We really want to think of Oliver this season as someone who is - who has a lot of faith in humanity and wants to step into the light, both as the Arrow and as Oliver Queen. But at the same time, he's going up against what we hope will be the most dangerous villain he's ever encountered." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "When we last saw Oliver, it was the end of season 3.  He had actually decided to hang up the hood and leave town with Felicity... Oliver is going to find himself really torn between this new life that he's created for himself and Felicity outside of the city, and coming back to fight the good fight."  (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "It's interesting. He's going to be in a really good place at the top of Season 4. As we saw in the finale last year, he kind of rode off into the sunset with Felicity and he is genuinely very, very happy. I can't tell you where he is, but he's in a city far away from Starling City. He and Felicity are living in domestic bliss ... and he's not regretting leaving behind his vigilante background." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Oliver said at the end of season 3, 'I always intended to do this alone.' And now, he's not. And I think, although he's giving up a little bit of power in that way, he's also embracing the fact there are other people there to help him, and he's actually going to be open to letting other people help him." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Oliver says, "This city should never descend into hopelessness... I am declaring my intention to fight for this city."  (Arrow Season 4 "Aim Higher" promo trailer, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Oliver's dragon tattoo - the one he shared with Shado is gone ("I don't need it anymore," he says).  (TVLine instagram, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Oliver has apparently attained MasterChef-like cooking abilities in the few months since we last saw him. (DocBrownTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per DR, his character John Diggle - who has a wife and daughter - has accepted that it's possible to have a family and also fight crime. That's a lesson Oliver still has to learn, and it will be part of his arc this season. DR: "That's part of what he will be experiencing, and Diggle will have some say in that."  (People article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, it's Oliver and, to some extent, Thea's fault that Lonnie Machin (Anarky) goes in the direction that he goes. (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

 

Felicity Smoak
-- WM: "The season's going to be very much about Felicity and Digg." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- EBR: "I feel like when we find her again, we see her with a void and I don't know if she necessarily knows exactly what it is yet. I do feel that this life that she's chosen in this Arrow realm - before she left her day job - she didn't realize how much she appreciated her purpose and what strength it was giving her to have this new dynamic in helping people and how that good that was making her feel.... I think that when you go away and you live your happy life for a little bit and escape, you can get bored because there's not the testing or the obstacles and maybe she's not helping people in the way she wants to."  (BuddyTV article, page 82 of Starling City Times thread)

-- Per MG, funny Felicity is back “with a vengeance” in S4 and “[Emily Bett Rickards is] on the top of her game. She’s hysterical. We’re definitely writing jokes for her, but she’s also finding humor in lines that weren’t intentionally humorous.” (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On whether there's a happier vibe for Felicity in S4 (than her frequent crying in S3), WM: "There is. We hear that and it’s interesting to get that feedback and I know Emily had the same - we’ve talked about it. The thing that I’ll say is sometimes your characters, like anybody in life, go through crucibles and you come out and now she’s in a very happy place with Oliver. She too is reenergized and excited and in love. Whereas with Oliver, it’s a new thing for him, it’s sort of bringing us back to the first two seasons of Felicity, where she’s not in that headspace where she’s upset or worried all the time. She’s happy. She’s enjoying life and she’s excited about whatever the future is going to bring." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Felicity too will obviously step up. She's going to be a key figure at Palmer Tech. You know, Ray Palmer was killed in episode 323. Felicity will take over for Ray at Palmer Tech, as we saw in last season she signed a little piece of paper that gave her power over the company. And also she'll be a big force on the team, really stepping up. We're very excited about having Speedy, Black Canary and Felicity all working in the lair together." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Felicity will be stepping up and facing challenges as Palmer Tech’s new CEO.  (TVLine article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- EBR: "Felicity was named CEO of Palmer Tech... I think she really likes it, actually.  She's a lot better at it than she thought she would be, which is kinda cool. But she didn't, you know, there's other things that come with being the boss, like firing people - those sort of things, and she's not exactly - she's like 'this isn't what I signed up for, in fact I didn't sign up for this at all'." (S4 preview with EBR, posted as Arrow facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- In the premiere, Felicity already knows she's the new CEO of Palmer Tech and it'll be explained how she is CEO while she's away. LB: "Yes, she's very much involved with Palmer Tech." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Palmer Tech is flirting with bankruptcy, and the company's board questions whether Felicity is fit enough to inherit Ray's legacy. (S4 preview with EBR, posted as Arrow facebook video, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On elevating Felicity's look (now that she'll be upgrading to CEO status at PT), costume designer Maya Mani: "We still want to maintain that sense of fun... [while avoiding a] hard edged suit."  Per Mani, Felicity will continue to wear a high-low mix of H&M, Topshop, Sandro and Victoria Beckham. We'll also get a peek at Felicity's personal style outside of the corner office (and the Arrow lair).  Mani: "Now that we see her in her home, we have more opportunity to show a casual side of her, which in the past we haven’t had a chance to do." (Fashionista article, page 27 of Slings and Arrows thread)
-- Per WM, the discovery that presumed-dead Ray is actually alive is “a huge emotional reveal, especially for Felicity." But don’t worry, Olicity ‘shippers, WM: “It’s more of an emotional reaction to the loss of a friend than any sort of romantic rival. She’s very happy with Oliver when we come back in Season 4, but [she and Ray] were friends and they left on good terms. It’s more just the relief of, ‘Oh my gosh, I thought you were gone and now you’re not. How exciting is that?'” (TVLine article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG and WM hope to reveal more information about Felicity’s dad at some point.  MG: “I think Felicity’s dad remains that topic - we were talking about it in the room yesterday. We’re always talking about it. But, again, we have to find the right story and the right moment. I guess we trust our own process, that it will come to us when it’s meant to come to us… just like with the comics, we don’t sit there with a checklist. We don’t sit there with a list of cards we want to turn over; we have a deck of cards that we know we can turn over, but it’s about finding the right moment, not just doing it to do it." (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- On whether we’ll learn any information about Felicity's father now that Donna Smoak’s visit has been extended, WM: “We’re hoping."  Also, MG: "We’re always talking about it, but we have to find the right story and the right moment. We trust that it will come to us when it’s meant to come to us.”  (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

(to be continued)

Edited October 10, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ADDENDUM #3 (TO PREVIOUSLY POSTED ADDENDUM #2, ADDENDUM #1 AND SUMMARY OF S4 SPOILERS) (cont'd)

 

Team Arrow

-- AK: "When Oliver left Starling City it was left to Dig and Laurel to be Team Arrow without the Arrow... You'll see Dig take on a leadership role on Team Arrow in Oliver's absence but Damien Darhk is going to prove to be much more than he can handle on his own, and that's when Oliver is brought back into it. Before, Dig worked for Oliver, and now they are much more equals and they're going to struggle to find their place in this new environment. One of the early episodes, Dig has lost his faith in Oliver so they don't quite have each other's backs and that leads to a mishap. They have to learn to work together again, much more as equals." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- No more Oliver dictating tasks to his fellow crime-fighters, instead it’ll be a much more even playing field - which should lead to interesting strategy sessions this season. WM: “It’s going to be more democratic for sure... Oliver can’t walk away and then come back and expect that Dig and Laurel and Thea have not found a new dynamic and a new way of working. It’s a very different way of doing the show and it puts Oliver in a different position vis-à-vis the team, which we found interesting.” Also, MG: "The biggest fracture point on the team" will be Oliver and Diggle. Oliver, for his part, will try to mentor the newest member of the club, Speedy, whose aggressive fighting tactics may be too close for comfort. (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On the overall dynamic of TA this season, WM: "I’m excited about that piece of it. Dig has obviously been in charge when Oliver was gone but I think it’s a more democratic way of working. Yes, Dig is in charge but Black Canary is a full-fledged bad ass and Speedy is as well. We’re going to come in and there’s two bad ass -- Speedy and Black Canary kicking ass with Dig and they’re fully capable of working without Oliver and he’s going to have to deal with that reality. We explored that a little bit in [episode] 312, when he had to come in after “The Climb” and was wounded. It’ll be a much bigger piece of the beginning of the season." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Since Oliver & Felicity left town, DR: "Digg has been running the show with Canary and Speedy.  We've been the ones policing Starling City." (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- Asked about the relationship between Thea, Laurel and Diggle, LB: "Mutual respect, definitely." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "The team in the meantime has taken over for Oliver and they've been kicking ass. Thea is Speedy. Her skills have advanced. She's very much part of the team, full fledged member.  Laurel, too, is the Black Canary.  And they are a really tight team. They've been working with Digg, who has a new costume himself and a new identity.  They've been working very hard to fight the new forces of evil that have decided to come to Star City." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "When we come back, Black Canary - everybody will have grown a bit, their skills will be more advanced.  We'll really going to see the team on a whole different level, and Oliver's place in it is going to change as well." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "We're very excited about having Speedy, Black Canary and Felicity all working in the lair together." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- WM: "Oliver said at the end of season 3, 'I always intended to do this alone.' And now, he's not. And I think, although he's giving up a little bit of power in that way, he's also embracing the fact there are other people there to help him, and he's actually going to be open to letting other people help him." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

 

John Diggle

-- [post-401] Diggle kept his knowledge of HIVE and their involvement in his brother’s death a secret from the rest of TA in 401.  Per WM, that secrecy is “really tied to his inability to make any headway. It’s his brother’s murder that he’s been trying to solve and the fact that he himself has been unable to get anywhere has both made him feel, I think, slightly ashamed and also he’s run into so many dead ends. There hasn’t been anywhere for him to go until now. He will eventually talk about it, but I think up until this point there hasn’t been a lot of reason to do so.” (Variety, Collider, Hollywood Reporter and EW articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] Per WM, while Diggle and Lance have both served as Oliver’s moral compass (or at least attempted to hold him accountable) in the past, this season will see “Oliver finally have a little moral high ground to stand on. It’s also interesting to see both of those characters go to a dark place. They’ve both been through a lot of things but we haven’t really seen Digg have to, for lack of a better term, dig deep to find out what he’s capable of in the name of finding out about his brother. It’s a cool thing to take these characters on this journey and see where they end up and to really challenge them in that way…  We will have some cool things where Digg and Lance find themselves on the other side of Oliver going on independent missions.”  (Variety and TVLine articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "The season's going to be very much about Felicity and Digg." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- In the premiere, Diggle makes a very divisive decision that will certainly come back to haunt him.  (EW article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "Diggle's been charged with keeping the team alive and keeping the city safe in Oliver's absence... He's not happy to see Oliver when they're reunited. He's still angry at what Oliver did to Lyla and the threat he posed to baby Sara. He's also going to dealing with HIVE and what that means to him, and the family history with his brother that we set up in season two. He's got a lot on his plate. He's in a darker head space where Oliver is in a lighter one. It's going to be a different dynamic, and that's going to deepen their relationship over time."  (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "[Thea and Laurel have] been working with Digg, who has a new costume himself and a new identity.." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Digg will be getting a costume - will be getting a very cool mask. He will have a code name." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- MG: "I’ll tell you this: he will be getting a codename later in the season. I kept trying to find an organic place to do it in. That said, you know, the name is going to be familiar and unfamiliar. The one thing I want to make very, very clear is that — and I’ve said this with interviews in the past about Diggle — is that Diggle is his own character in the DC Comics universe. So he’s not going to be called Guardian. He’s not going to be called Vigilante. He’s not going to be called Batman. He will have a codename, a name that’s not completely unfamiliar to fans of DC comics, but at the same time, I think it will be very clear that there is no indication that we’re turning him into a specific DC character." (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Diggle's new costume, DR: "I like it!  I know there's a lot of criticism that it looks like a Magneto helmet.  But by the time you see Diggle in action - we also get into what the helmet can do - you won't be thinking of the X-Men at all. There is a very cool gun too. The gun and the helmet, by the way, are S.T.A.R. Labs creations. [Laughs]" (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per DR, once viewers see Diggle's helmet function in real time, “I don’t think people will be thinking about X-Men or Magneto at all.” It’s all part of the characters’ - and the show’s - evolution.  "There’s always another level,” and things like the new costume or the new Arrow Bunker are all expressions of the increasingly complex roles on the show. (Yahoo article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On where Diggle's new fighting look comes from, DR: "It is a combination of what makes sense to him – his background is Army Special Forces, Army Ranger, urban tactical warfare, there's Kevlar, there’s camouflage, there’s a gun, there are a couple of weapons – and the most talked about element... so far, has been the helmet. These are S.T.A.R. Lab creations. S.T.A.R. Labs had a lot to do with this, and obviously I would suspect, although I don’t know this for sure, Diggle probably had some input in it. But certainly, S.T.A.R. Labs had a great hand in it, and we'll see as the season progresses everything that the gun and the helmet can do, and I think it probably makes sense for Diggle to have some sort of concealment in the field, everyone else does. But it also makes sense that it's not as assassin-y, if you will, as the Canary outfit, or Arrow's outfit or Speedy's outfit, which are all kind of connected to the kind of more covert, assassin type of apparel and Diggle's background is urban warfare, which makes sense in Starling City. The outfit absolutely makes sense, which is what I like about it. It probably, in some ways… just maybe, it makes more sense than a bow and arrow, in an urban environment." (Access Hollywood article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- DR: "Damien is the big bad this year, and he's linked to the group who hired Deadshot to kill Diggle's brother years ago. We find out some very interesting information about my brother, and, this being Arrow, there are some huge twists." (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- Diggle also is integral to the H.I.V.E. story, which is what brings big bad Damien Darhk to Star City.  DR: “Diggle has a personal reason this season to be more involved and more active in the field,” since it was H.I.V.E. that hired Deadshot to kill his brother, Andy. (Yahoo article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, Diggle’s search to find out why his brother was killed will “take him to a dark place.” He’ll be keeping secrets from TA  and, essentially, doing “all the things he once condemned Oliver for. How’s that going to reverberate?” The writers are excited to explore what happens when Diggle is no longer the moral compass Oliver can refer to. (Yahoo article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per MG, the possibility of there being Diggle/Andy flashbacks this season is currently at “maybe,”and there’s a reason for that.  MG: "In Season 1, we broke format and did a flashback from Moira’s perspective, in Episode 21. That worked out so well, we did more non-island flashbacks in Season 2... And that worked out so well, we thought, ‘Let’s do more in Season 3’ - but for my money, we ended up doing too many. Every time you did a non-island or non-Hong Kong Flashback, you stop that story so it prevents that story from gaining momentum.” As such, the first flashback to break away from format this season won’t happen until Episode 8. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- DR: "Diggle is an Army guy, Special Forces. He’s all about the unit.” The Arrow (newly christened Green Arrow this season) has always been a lone wolf, so there are multiple levels of friction, but DR says the bad blood won’t last forever.  DR" “Oliver, this season, learns to respect [his leadership skills], and that’s one of the things that brings them together.” (Yahoo article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Oliver and Dig’s relationship is majorly frosty, with Dig lobbing a particularly harsh statement Oliver’s way about the darkness inside him. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- On how Diggle feels about Oliver leaving town, DR: "Well... I don't know if he's mad at Oliver. He's at a place where he understands that Oliver is a person that doesn't work well with a team and [Diggle] is a military guy, right? Special forces, Army Ranger, he's all about [the unit], he's all logistics and sharing with the squad and you're only as good as your weakest link. This is Diggle's background. This is who he is, so Oliver learned just the opposite on the island. He learned to trust his instincts and do everything by himself and not to trust people, not to trust a team, so this has been very difficult for these two men to kind of come together and meet for the past three years. They both have needed each other a great deal, however. So, I think at the beginning of the season, you're going to see that Diggle has a certain mind about Oliver. It's not anger, but it is, at this point, an almost indifference." (Access Hollywood article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On whether Diggle can forgive Oliver for kidnapping his wife, DR: "Him kidnapping Lyla and siding with Malcolm Merlyn... those were the straws that broke the camel's back. So how do they come back together? It can't just be saying sorry. There has to be some real, heartfelt stuff, and the writers have put Diggle in position to see another side of Oliver." (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- On Oliver and Diggle's fractured relationship, WM: “We’re going to resolve that. It’s something that we wanted to explore, seeing them at odds, and really honoring what Oliver did at the end of Season Three, which was pretty egregious... It’s going to take some time, but they will get back on the same track." (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread, and ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Scene in early episode where Oliver/GA and Diggle are on a train, Oliver says "We need to stop the train", then Diggle says "Got any ideas?", and Oliver replies "Yeah, blow it up." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- DR: “The stories that make [Green Arrow] richer are the stories of the team around him. And that’s what people come back for: the richness of the stories.” DR credits the writers with creating characters that are “interesting enough that you could write half a season on [each of] them,” but - though he’s too humble to say it -  it’s the performances that keep the show grounded. And that’s why Arrow already has two spinoffs and room for plenty more. (Yahoo article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Laurel Lance AKA Black Canary

-- [post-401] Per WM, Quentin's choice to work with DD will also inevitably affect Laurel. WM: "The overarching theme of the season is about chosen family versus blood family and she’s really going to be dealing with Sara coming back but also with her family on her team and also her dad when she discovers [him working with Damien], there are going to be ramifications for her and him as well.” (Variety, TVLine, Collider, EW, Hollywood Reporter and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- This will be a big year for the BC, who, at the start of the season, embraces her vigilante identity and proves a capable member of the team, as well as mentor to Thea. But with her sister Sara’s impending resurrection via the Lazarus Pit - the core focus of episode three, titled “Restoration” - Laurel has a lot on her plate. To make matters worse, she may have to deal with another unforeseen betrayal from a family member. WM: “The overarching theme of the season is about chosen family versus blood family... and she’s really going to be dealing with Sara coming back but also with the family on the team.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per WM, Laurel’s alter ego is now the “full-fledged” Black Canary who will be a crucial part of the team going forward - and that’s not all that will be happening for her.  WM: “The overarching theme of the season is about family, and chosen family versus blood family, and she’s going to be dealing not just with Sara coming back, but also with her family on the team, and also with her dad." (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- MG: “If you look at Laurel’s trajectory… we always said, we were headed towards her becoming Black Canary. There’s just been a slow, organic incorporation of the comic book elements."  However, MG: "We don’t ever bring in the comic book elements just to bring in comic book elements... We don’t sit here with a checklist. I think a lot of fans think that we’ve got a checklist of the comic book tropes, like the chili, and the jokes, and the romance with Black Canary, and go ‘okay, we’ve got that, we’ve got that, we’ve got that.’ It’s really just like we’ve got the comics in the back of our mind… we know where we’re headed with the character. The comic books are there as inspiration, but not as a to-do list.” (KsiteTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "[Laurel's] much more comfortable as the Black Canary now. And she lost that awful wig!" (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per KC, there are changes to the BC costume and her appearance as the BC will be different from last season. (Videos of KC panel at Baltimore Comic Con 2015, pages 210 and 212 of Behind the Mask thread)
-- Per KC, there's more Canary Cry coming up in S4.  (Videos of KC panel at Baltimore Comic Con 2015, pages 210 and 212 of Behind the Mask thread)

-- LB: "Laurel and Thea have gotten very close since S3." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- KC: "Nyssa has definitely trained Laurel ... and she also gets other training from other people on other shows."  Also, per KC, Laurel will be doing crossovers.  (Videos of KC panel at Baltimore Comic Con 2015, pages 210 and 212 of Behind the Mask thread)
-- Laurel will be the one to benefit the most from Sara's resurrection.  Sara's resurrection gives Laurel a second chance at having a better relationship with her sister.  WM: "Her journey this year is tied a lot to her sister."  Laurel is a "key player" in the decision to resurrect Sara.  Also, with Sara moving on to LoT, Laurel will get a bit more of the Arrow spotlight. WM: "We're excited because the series started with the whole triangle of Oliver and Sara and Laurel," Mericle says. "And with Sara coming back and then moving on to go on her own journey, we have the potential to change the dynamic there in a really positive way for Laurel. [We] kind of put the past to rest." (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- On Sara returning, WM: "It’s a super messed up family! [Laughs] I mean, I think it’s really going to be about having her come back and exploring what it means to both Laurel and Captain Lance and what’s cool about it is we’re playing around with the emotional places that both those two characters are in, with respect to Sara. We’re going to end in some surprising places and we’re excited about that. I can’t give away too much because it’s a cool twist that Laurel and Lance will... When Sara does come back and moves on to Legends, it will have some big emotional impact." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Quentin Lance

-- [post-401] Quentin has obviously made a deal with the devil in working with DD, but all is not necessarily as it appears. WM: “You’ll see later in the season that he did not know what he was necessarily signing up for and so we’re going to play it really as a crisis for Lance in terms of why he chose to do it and what it means for him... He’s always been the moral center of the show and someone who’s lorded his morality over Oliver’s - and when this all comes to a head, it’s going to be very interesting to see how those two characters work it out.”  (Variety, TVLine, Collider, EW, Hollywood Reporter and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] Per WM, there will be ramifications to both Quentin and Laurel from Quentin's choice to work with DD. (Variety, TVLine, Collider, EW, Hollywood Reporter and DocBrownTV articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- [post-401] Per WM, while Diggle and Lance have both served as Oliver’s moral compass (or at least attempted to hold him accountable) in the past, this season will see “Oliver finally have a little moral high ground to stand on. It’s also interesting to see both of those characters go to a dark place. They’ve both been through a lot of things but we haven’t really seen Digg have to, for lack of a better term, dig deep to find out what he’s capable of in the name of finding out about his brother. It’s a cool thing to take these characters on this journey and see where they end up and to really challenge them in that way…  We will have some cool things where Digg and Lance find themselves on the other side of Oliver going on independent missions.”  (Variety and TVLine articles, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- In the premiere, there's a scene with Oliver and Quentin at a train station that sums up Quentin's feelings about the Arrow.  (GreenArrowTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per PB, there's more comradery between Oliver and Quentin in S4.  (FilmFad tweet, page 210 of Behind the Mask thread)
-- Per PB, he has a scene with JB in S4.  (FilmFad tweet, page 210 of Behind the Mask Thread)

 

(to be continued)

Edited October 10, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ADDENDUM #3 (TO PREVIOUSLY POSTED ADDENDUM #2, ADDENDUM #1 AND SUMMARY OF S4 SPOILERS) (cont'd)

 

Thea Queen AKA Speedy
-- WM: "Thea is Speedy. Her skills have advanced. She's very much part of the team, full fledged member." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Thea would rather be called Red Arrow than Speedy, but that isn't accepted by the team. (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread, and DocBrownTV article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- Thea is throwing herself into being Speedy and taking risks.  She came out of the LP six months ago, and we'll see consequences and learn about why side effects are just now coming up.  WM: "We're hoping to introduce a new love interest for Thea. Our intention for her this season is not only to explore the side effects of the Lazarus Pit, but also to talk about her life as Speedy and how she balances having a personal life with being a vigilante." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "In the intervening months, she's really stepped up as part of the team. She doesn't need to find her feet as a superhero, so she's advanced and we see her as a badass at the start of season four... We'll explore her needs to deal with the after effects of the pit as well as having some sense of normalcy with having a love interest and pursuing a normal life. It's her version of season one Oliver, trying to discover how to be a superhero and a normal person at the same time."  (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On how the LP affected Thea, MG: "We'll face it head on and it's going to become an important story... And the explanation of why we didn't see anything from her resurrection until season four will also be explained." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Oliver will try to mentor Thea aka Speedy, whose aggressive fighting tactics may be too close for comfort. (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Laurel will mentor Thea. (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- PIc of Thea on her own motorcycle posted.  (Fan tweet, page 620 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- Thea is not staying in the Queen loft, given that Ra’s stabbed her in the living room and left her to die and all. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Thea’s lack of restraint in the field gives Oliver pause for concern — but has anyone else on the team noticed the younger Queen’s eagerness to pummel? (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- LB: "Laurel and Thea have gotten very close since S3." (Laurel Brown tweet, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, it's Oliver and, to some extent, Thea's fault that Lonnie Machin (Anarky) goes in the direction that he goes. (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

 

Malcolm Merlyn AKA Dark Archer AKA The Magician AKA Ra's al Ghul

-- WM: " Malcolm is definitely going to be a wild card. We like the idea of him reverting to the really scary, badass Malcolm. I don’t know if he’s going to keep that promise to Oliver. We’re not at the point in the season yet where we’re really breaking those stories but I think our intention is to have him come in and be a source of surprise and mess with Oliver. He knows all these characters better than Damien does. He also has ties to Damien, because they were both in the League. So we have a lot of opportunities for bringing him in it’s just finding the best and most surprising and fun ways to do it." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Per WM, though Malcolm is not in the premiere episode, "you’ll see him early.” His arc this season “is revolving around Thea and him trying to be a good father, while also being very evil” - which will have its complications. WM: “He’s going to be different with Thea we hope and we would like him to find a way to be a father - he doesn’t know what that means as a character... That [said], we do want to restore him to more of the season one Malcolm, who is going around messing up Oliver’s plans.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Though Malcolm is now the new Ra's al Ghul, he's not giving up his role as Thea's dad.  WM: "You'll see him early, and he's going to be - his arc for the season is really revolving around Thea and trying to be a good father while also being a really evil, badass Ra's al Ghul. I don't know how you work that out, but if anyone can do it it's Malcolm and John Barrowman playing him." They plan to restore him to more of the S1 Malcolm who's going around and messing up Oliver's plans. (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Nyssa al Ghul

-- With Malcolm taking the helm in Nanda Parbat as Ra’s al Ghul, expect Nyssa to return early in the season - and she’s still not happy about her new superior.  WM: “She’s definitely not going to be on board with Malcolm as Ra’s and we’re hoping to take that in a [fighting] direction." (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "She's definitely not going to be on board with Malcolm as Ra's, and we're hoping to take that in a cool, very fighty-fight oriented direction." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- KL: “I know for a fact that Nyssa will be back in season four. Whether or not she makes the crossover into Legends Of Tomorrow… I guess it kind of depends on how it works out between her and Sarah. We shall see.” (MCM Buzz article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

 

Ray Palmer AKA the Atom

-- Ray being alive will be handled in Arrow.  MG: "We're going to get into it. Bear in mind, his apparent death was five months ago as far as Star City is concerned, so it's acknowledged but it's acknowledged in the way it would be – you know if Ray died yesterday, it would be acknowledged in a very different way than if he died five months ago. So it's played out, but it's not the core of any of the episodes." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- While Star City and TA believe Ray Palmer died in the Palmer Technologies explosion, we know that’s not the case. On Arrow, his assumed passing will be dealt with - except it won’t be a focal point.  MG: “It’s acknowledged... But it’s acknowledged in the way it would be. If Ray died yesterday, it would be acknowledged in a very different way than if he died five months ago.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Damien Darhk
-- WM: "In season 4, in the premiere, we'll be meeting Damien Darhk. He is being played by Neal McDonough." (Official "Inside Green Arrow" video promo, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- This season's villain, Damien Darhk (based on a somewhat obscure comics character that debuted in 1999 from creators Devin Grayson and Mark Buckingham), very quickly exhibits impressive abilities that are birthed by mysticism -- not science. That makes for a different type of antagonist, as evidenced by NM's performance -- much more unabashedly sinister than the show's past major villains. MG: "We found ourselves writing more and more to him... The thing we said to him was, 'You're not only evil, but you enjoy being evil.' There's a real glimmer in his eye whenever he's putting the screws to somebody. It is something we haven't seen on the show before. That's one of the reasons why we wanted to go in this direction. In Malcolm, in Ra's, in Slade -- they all thought they were doing the right thing. They had their own nobility. Not so much with Damien. Damien really could give a fuck whether or not you think he's noble." WM: "He has no conscience whatsoever." (ComicBookResources article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- While NM isn't in every episode, the writers have enjoyed getting him involved as much as possible. MG: "He's really enjoying having no conscience... It's very freeing for him. There aren't a lot of actors who could pull that off, and make it compelling, and make it interesting to watch, each and every week -- the moment we saw Neal on screen, we just found ourselves in the writers' room going, 'Oh yeah, Damien's in this episode.'... He's on the show a lot. It's not every week Team Arrow vs. Damien, because that would get really stupid and repetitive, but we found all these really interesting ways to keep the character of Damien involved in the drama of the show. That's really to the credit of Neal, and us knowing that there's really nothing we can write for him that he can't pull off." (ComicBookResources article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- DD is one villain TA has never encountered before. As Oliver and the gang will soon see, it’s impossible to beat him in typical Arrow fashion, with his mysterious magical powers and H.I.V.E. connection. MG: “There’s a real glimmer in his eye whenever he puts the screws to someone... Damien really could give a f*** whether you think he’s noble.… He’s really enjoying having no conscience – it’s very freeing for him.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Neal brings a very different energy and a very sort of -- it’s both grounded and supremely confident. Malcolm Merlyn was a very confident villain but Malcolm was vulnerable and has suffered loss. Damian doesn’t have those vulnerabilities. He is absolutely dedicated to his mission. We really wanted to explore someone who is a bona fide sociopath and he has a god complex and Neal brings this kind of very interesting grounded energy but he has those eyes that when he wants to be a badass, it’s like he could kill you with a look. It’s a nice balance. It’s different than anything we’ve seen in the show in the past. He’s amazing. He really is. He’s a tremendous actor and a joy to have on set. He’s been amazing." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- This season’s Big Bad, Damien Darhk, makes his powerful presence and grand plans known quickly to Star City’s top leaders. It’s no wonder that no one, including Walter Steele, wants to be Mayor. (TVLine article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- MG: “Damian’s our big bad of the year and, basically, he is part of this organization called H.I.V.E., which is kind of like a highly covert shadow organization... The fun of season four is that we really hit the ground running right from the premiere. You meet Damian. You’ll get a sense of what he’s up to, certainly — what his master plan is — something that is going to be an ongoing mystery during the course of at least the first half of the season. We’re really excited to also be doing a whole organization of villains, not just one person.” (RottenTomatoes article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Damien Darhk has come to Starling City to be our Big Bad for this season and also wreak a lot of havoc. He's a former member of the League, but has taken his powers and his agenda into a much more modern and completely new level, and a very scary level. Damien's going to fight Oliver, and things are going to get pretty scary for him and Felicity." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- AK: "We've always referred to Ra's al Ghul [Matt Nable] as the worst thing that can happen to Oliver and his team, but when you see the first two episodes of season four you'll quickly realize that Ra's was in the nursery compared to what Damien's got in store for everybody,... And a lot of times we won't even get a glimpse of who the big bad of the season is until we're deeper in, and so we thought it would be interesting to see Damien come out swinging and say this season is about the Green Arrow vs. Damien Dahrk right away. The first episode is the first battle between them." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- AK: "He's a different villain for us than what we've done before... Damien really enjoys being a bad guy. His ultimate motivations, we're going to keep a mystery. He's a bit more colorful, a bit more fun and is very dangerous and commanding and leads an army of followers who would die at his command. But he's funnier, more charming, and fits in with our whole shading this year where we've made things lighter. We made Oliver a little more approachable and let him have some more fun. In a way, the villain mirrors that." (Hollywood Reporter article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On what motivates DD, WM: "We wanted to explore someone who really has no compunctions, who is just pure evil. He's a sociopath. He has no morals. He has no center at all. He doesn't really care about what he does in the name of pursing his personal agenda. In the past we've always had big bads like Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson. Look at their stories and what they're trying to accomplish, and you could argue that they're the heroes of their own story. That is not going to be true with Damien. We wanted to explore what it was like for Oliver to go up against someone who is purely evil and is just a wacko, just a sociopath." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- DR: "Damien Darhk takes it up even higher than R'as did... He's so chilly. He's so cool. He's so confident. There's a sinisterness in the smile." (People article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On what kind of energy DD's brought to the show, DR: "Yeah, that’s a good question. He's so cool. His coolness is chilling, right? … That's part of the edge that he brings to the character is that he's incredibly confident, and incredibly cool as Damien Darhk. Nothing really rattles him, and it's a different type of sinister then Ra's had and a different type of crazy than Deathstroke, but still just as sinister and just as crazy. Maybe even more than both. The writers have done a good job, I think, just kind of each year kind of upping the ante. I didn't know how you'd do that [after] Ra's, like how you would get even higher… in terms of sinister and the crazed part of it, but they have, and just in the first few episodes, you see a very determined, very cool, very collected, very chilling Damien Darhk, so the ante's been upped in terms of just how formidable the bad guy has been so far. His control of H.I.V.E. and what he does with that organization – it's just crazy." (Access Hollywood article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On how Diggle and TA will battle DD, DR: "Not by himself and that's one of the reasons why Team Arrow, in its current position at the top of Season [4], which is a well-oiled machine, even without Oliver, has to go to Oliver and Felicity to talk about what they are now encountering because they're not equipped and even when they get together with Oliver, that's the question of the season, right? Are they equipped? What other help will they need? The help of Flash? The help of Legends? What help will they need? Or even the League of Assassins? What role will they play because there's a backstory with Damien Darhk and the League as well, so there [is going to] be different elements that come into play here, in terms of how we face Damien Darhk because no one has faced this before." (Access Hollywood article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Curtis Holt AKA Mr. Terrific
-- MG: "Curtis [Holt] is someone we started talking about [in the writers room] at the end of last year, out of a desire to fill in some gaps in terms of the cast and storytelling." And while the recurring character is a stylish brainiac who technically "fills the same role Brandon [Routh] filled last year," MG assures us that "no one will compare the two. It is really a different performance than Brandon's."  Holt will, however, share one thing in common with BR's believed-to-be-dead Ray Palmer: A close association with Felicity Smoak (EBR), who is now his supervisor at Palmer Tech. Which means fans should prepare themselves for a lot of laughs with these two sharing scenes together.  MG: "Echo has quickly become an MVP of the cast... I think a lot of people will compare him favorably to the addition of Emily in Season 1. He has this wonderful energy." (TVInsider article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- WM: "Echo Kellum came into our audition and just blew us away. We knew immediately that this was the guy for the job... We needed someone who could go toe-to-toe with Felicity in terms of just the quickness, and the wit, and the fun lines... We're just excited to have him. He's going to be living mostly at Palmer Tech but might be joining the team somewhere down the line." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

-- On Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, WM: "He's so funny and such a great actor and has such great fun onscreen chemistry with Felicity. We're really excited about that character because he's eventually going to become Mr. Terrific. We're loosely basing him on the comic book character, but really very much making him our own. We're excited he's going to be an addition to the LGBT cast that we already have in the form of Nyssa." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On whether Curtis will be aware of TA, WM: "Early in the season we're going to make him aware of what Felicity does and her involvement with Team Arrow. But we're going to take a while before he identifies anyone beyond her, or knows who the Green Arrow is. Eventually, I think we'd really like to have him become part of the team, but we're going to piece that out over the season." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

--  WM: “He’s somebody for Felicity to talk to and have scenes with... It’s very magical. They’re great together.” (ETonline article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- Curtis will also be shooting a big gun early this season. (EK tweet, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

 

Baron Reiter
-- On Oliver's flashbacks, WM: "They're both going to be somewhat familiar and very surprising. And he's going to be going up against a big bad named Baron Reiter, who we've cast Jimmy Akingbola to play. Baron's going to be a very interesting influence on Oliver. He's a very formidable villain, but he's also very, very smart and very charming. And we're going to see Oliver go to his darkest place yet in the flashbacks this year." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

 

Lonnie Machin AKA Anarky
-- WM: "We have a couple of new characters that we're really excited about.  The first is a new villain. We're going to bring in the Batman villain, Anarky. He's going to be a lot like Damien in that he's also sociopathic, but we're going to get the opportunity to really see the birth of a villain. We're going to really see what happens, why does Lonnie Machin become Anarky, what happens to him. And the cool thing about it is we're going to set it up so that it really is Oliver and, to some extent, Thea's fault that Lonnie Machin goes in the direction that he goes. And Lonnie will also blame Damien for a lot of what happens to him. So that he's going to be an interesting character in that he's opposed to both our Big Bad and our hero." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)

 

Crossovers with Flash/LoT/Vixen/Supergirl

-- On crossovers, WM: "One of the things we did this year was really have someone in charge of just tracking all the different-- we have such a big universe now. The crossovers are so exciting but they’re challenging as well because you’re balancing where everybody is and these various places in the season. We really do arc stuff out in groups of nine. 1-9 and 10-18 and then the finales. If you don’t know where Barry is, you run the risk of… If you have him in episode 408, you have to make sure all the storylines line up. It gets complicated because you want to make sure you’re honoring the evolution of all these characters. We’re definitely doing that and it’s going to be fun and complicated."  (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "We've already established that Ray is going to be a part of Legends of Tomorrow, so we will bring him back on Arrow. And also Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) is going to return to our show. And we're going to find new and inventive ways to spin them off into Legends." (TV Guide article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- WM: "We're going to introduce some very cool characters in episode 408, one of whom will be Hawkman. This season, the crossover is going to be really the place where we launch Legends. It's going to be a very cool, exciting episode where we really see a couple members of the Legends team and their origin story - where they start and how they get launched into this universe." (Official "A Sneak Peek at Arrow Season 4" video, page 21 of Spoilers thread and page 622 of Spoiler Discussion thread)
-- On Arrow, Flash and LoT, SA: "It's basically one show... The universe now, as it exists, is basically one show." (SA Facebook Q&A, page 211 of Behind the Mask thread)

-- DR: “We can’t be ’Flash'... 'The Flash’ is just so cute, and bright. We work over there too, and the set is brighter… and it’s funny, because when the characters come over to our world in the crossovers, they bring that with them. Like, they’re joking.” (MTV article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- On LoT, DR: "If Diggle's reaction to the Flash was funny, I can't wait until he sees Hawkgirl! [Laughs]" (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)

-- On Diggle's reactions to seeing metahumans, DR: "(Laughs) There’s a little bit of that that we just shot. I think it's pretty funny, because he never seems to get used to what Flash can do, so even though we're not beating that [dead] horse again… we do touch on some of that stuff in terms of when he comes in contact with that particular metahuman again. The things with 'Legends [of Tomorrow]' we haven’t touched on yet, so I'm very curious about Diggle's reaction to the Hawk family – Hawkman, Hawkgirl. I’m very curious about that... I mean, that's great stuff (laughs). One of the things I like about Diggle is Diggle says and does kind of the stuff that regular people would do or say, right? He's one of the more regular members of the team, so I relish those reactions." (Access Hollywood article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)
-- KC: "[Laurel] also gets other training from other people on other shows."  Per KC, Laurel will be doing crossovers.  (Videos of KC panel at Baltimore Comic Con 2015, pages 210 and 212 of Behind the Mask thread)
-- Laurel is a "key player" in the decision to resurrect Sara.  (TV Guide article, page 21 of Spoilers thread)
-- Per WM, they're going to explore what Sara's return means to both Laurel and Quentin and they're "playing around with the emotional places that both those two characters are in, with respect to Sara... We’re going to end in some surprising places and we’re excited about that. I can’t give away too much because it’s a cool twist that Laurel and Lance will... When Sara does come back and moves on to Legends, it will have some big emotional impact." (IGN article, page 22 of Spoilers thread)

-- Oliver found out about the Barry & Felicity kiss in his crossover to Vixen.  (Fan tweet with video from Ep. 6 of Vixen, page 13 of Oliver Queen thread)

-- On Supergirl crossover, SA is game, but cautioned he doesn't know about the ins and outs of a cross-network crossover. "Nothing is ever impossible, but I certainly don't think anything is planned." (SA Facebook Q&A, page 211 of Behind the Mask thread)

 

(the end)

Edited October 7, 2015 by tv echo

[Velocity23]

wow amazing job Tv Echo.

[tv echo]

If you 'like' a post that compliments you, is it considered self-serving like if Old Spock told Young Spock to live long and prosper in the Star Trek movie? ;)

Edited October 4, 2015 by tv echo

[kismet]

I hope WM's showrunning skills live up to the potential she seems to have in answering interviews. So far, I've enjoyed the majority of her interviews because they speak to balance and focusing on characters. It seems like she has a very grounded approach to tackling the writing, which is a good thing. I also like that she seems to believe in the Berlanti school of listen to your gut and checking yourself- "does this feel right". To me that is more promising and hopeful, than MG's mantra of epic game-changing gotchas, wow them out of their seats at all costs (perhaps even pulling the seats out from underneath them to do it).

[wonderwall]

To anyone worried about WMs answer regarding Olicity and bringing L/O into the answer, I have one thing to say to you. 

 

Oliver wants to give Felicity his mother's ring. 

 

That is all. 

[apinknightmare]

It's just his trial proposal!

[tarotx]

I don't see how her answer was even bad. They are asked the question a lot by comic fans. Maybe I just can't see a time Laurel will feel right...

[wonderwall]

It's just his trial proposal!

*GLARES*

 

You know, I can actually see O/L shippers say that Oliver would want to give LL a new ring because he wants to start fresh or something like that...

 

...Regardless, Felicity has been so tied up w/ Oliver's humanity, and is one of the biggest reasons for him becoming GA, that I'm super comfortable w/ this relationship right now. 

 

Not only that, but WM said that the writers do what feels right... Do any of you honestly think that there will come a point in time where O/L will ever feel right? After their shitty backstory, Oliver mocking LLs addiction, him almost man handling her, lying to her constantly because he doesn't trust her judgement, keeping her in the dark regarding his secret (which if it wasn't for Slade, I don't think he would've ever told her the truth), them always fighting with each other and butting heads, and whatnot? 

 

Because I don't think so. 

 

:p This trial proposal is going to lead to a real one, then a real marriage with real kids (hopefully this aspect won't happen till the end of the series).

 

Plus, Palmer Tech will have to become Queen Inc. Somehow ;) 

I don't see how her answer was even bad. They are asked the question a lot by comic fans. Maybe I just can't see a time Laurel will feel right...

Took the words right out of my mouth :p

 

My comment was just a pre-emptive strike against the worriers in this fandom :)

Edited October 4, 2015 by wonderwall

[apinknightmare]

She didn't say anything bad or worrisome. I'm sure this particular quote will fuel more talk of Felicity being Oliver's Gwen Stacy, O/F breaking up to make room for O/L, and the same thing that's been rehashed over and over again for over a year. At least we'll have something new to talk about in a couple of days (or less, since we'll probably get a clip or two).

[tangerine95]

Yeah I don't get why some people got worried about what she said.They always say never say never,all shows do that.More telling is all the stuff they say about how they don't follow comic book canon and how you have to go with what's right on the show.

if they give Lauriver hints on on the show I would understand the worrying but they avoid doing that every chance they get.

I remember Julie Plec and her interviews on Klaus and Caroline from TVD.They're on different shows now,she clearly hates that ship and they haven't shared a scene in like 3 years but she still says who knows,never say never,time will tell etc.

[dtissagirl]

I've said this elsewhere, but really, I'm pretty sure the one alternate less-diplomatic answer right now is "Oh, for fuck's sake everyone. Peter Roth made us sign it in blood that Oliver and Felicity are endgame! Chillax."

[Happy Harpy]

Plus, Palmer Tech will have to become Queen Inc. Somehow ;)

This day can't come soon enough. With Mrs Queen as the CEO, of course.

 

And since Ray isn't dead and going to the spinoff, maybe Oliver's city can take back its rightful name on Oliver's show. I'm just saying.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Happy Harpy

[Morrigan2575]

I've said this elsewhere, but really, I'm pretty sure the one alternate less-diplomatic answer right now is "Oh, for fuck's sake everyone. Peter Roth made us sign it in blood that Oliver and Felicity are endgame! Chillax."

Who is Peter Roth?

I didn't think much of her comment. I actually wondered if she was being overly diplomatic because she isn't a Comic book person.

[foreverevolving]

This day can't come soon enough. With Mrs Queen as the CEO, of course.

 

And since Ray isn't dead and going to the spinoff, maybe Oliver's city can take back its rightful name on Oliver's show. I'm just saying.

Ms. Queen..

Sorry it's one of my pet peeve, I hate it when a woman is called either Miss or Mrs. when a man only ever gets called Mr. I hate it because it shows a form of ownership of a man over the woman. by using only Ms. it helps (in my opinion) to create a slightly more equal perspective about women.

Edited October 4, 2015 by foreverevolving

[Chaser]

Not a fan of the clickbait headline. Balancing comic book fans and Olicity fans. Really? 

 

I was listening to some of the things people were concerned about and I really don't get. 

 

"She talked more about LL then she has previously." - She answered a question about LL and gave the same answer she always did. Lance Family Drama. Laurel is now a BadAss. That isn't anything new. 

 

"She teased Oliver and Laurel." She didn't tease anything. She didn't say Olicity is endgame. She never will. She gave the same answer they all do, we go with what feels right.

 

I think what concerned fans is that she brought up Oliver and Laurel when she didn't have too. She could have just talked about blending the romantic element with the action. And comics as an resource, but not a "to-do list". Instead she mentioned the comic relationship between Oliver and Laurel and didn't apply endgame to Olicity. She basically answered the question between the question. That answer wasn't any different then any other one on the subject. 

 

Personally, I liked the line about a lot of fans not knowing Green Arrow and Laurel Lance being together forever and ever. I read it as snarky. The whole line seems to be a comic-fail: they aren't together in the comics and haven't been for a very long time, the fact that it's Dinah and not Laurel, and she said LL not BC. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think MG would be better at handling the comic questions. 

 

I'm curious about when this interview was given. I think she may have heard some people complaining that she only talked about OTA, Olicity, Diggle and Felicity. In this interview she mentioned it being about the core team - and then listed the entire team. Sounds like she is trying to be very diplomatic.  

[dtissagirl]

Who is Peter Roth?

I didn't think much of her comment. I actually wondered if she was being overly diplomatic because she isn't a Comic book person.

 

He's the president of WBTV.

 

Also, something important to consider specifically wrt this interview: pitching O/F fandom against comic book fandom [as if those two things are mutually exclusive, even] is part of IGN's bread and butter.

[Chaser]

Reading some of LB's responses.

 

Are Laurel and Thea dating? That was a legit thought and I made myself laugh. And get sick.

[Morrigan2575]

He's the president of WBTV.

Also, something important to consider specifically wrt this interview: pitching O/F fandom against comic book fandom [as if those two things are mutually exclusive, even] is part of IGN's bread and butter.

Ah, thanks. Edited October 4, 2015 by Morrigan2575

[Ophanim]

Hello, long time lurker, first time posting... trying to stay positive about season 4, but after this interview my enthusiasm gone down a bit. But will judge after I see season 4.  

[dtissagirl]

Reading some of LB's responses.

 

Are Laurel and Thea dating? That was a legit thought and I made myself laugh. And get sick.

 

SHUSH YOU.

 

Repeat after me: NO MORE SIBLING SWAPPING. Of any kind. Ever again. Forever.

[Chaser]

Sorry. LOL 

[NumberCruncher]

Yeah, the insinuation that one can't be both a comic book fan and an Olicity fan is complete bullshit. I can easily come up with a dozen real life examples to disprove that one, the most recent being a guy I ran into in a Target checkout line who was buying Batman socks and Arrow S3 DVDs whom I struck up a conversation with. I wish the comic sites would stop with that nonsense.

And of course WM isn't going to say O/F are endgame any more than MG will. What I did appreciate is that she disproved the notion that the GA/BC relationship is as iconic as Superman/LL or BA/IW. She's 100% correct that a large number of people who watch Arrow don't even know they were married in the comics.

[tv echo]

Peter Roth is often mentioned in Arrow show 'lore' about EBR because he noticed Felicity's debut in 1x03 and was likely a key factor in getting her added to more episodes in S1. The producers and network execs saw the third episode months before it even aired to the public. The EPs and SA have mentioned (more than once) that, after watching this episode, Roth called the producers to give notes, saying something like, "I love the blonde computer girl" or "The blonde computer girl... more - more, please - more."

 

I think I could come up with an organically developed storyline that would eventually put Oliver and Laurel together (despite their toxic back story), but I cannot create chemistry where none exists.  Nevertheless, lack of chemistry has never stopped other shows from putting couples together.  So I remain cautious.

[tarotx]

I personally think more Arrow fans probably watched Oliver Queen get with with the Tech girl in Smallville than who have read the comics enough to understand that Oliver Queen and Dinah Laurel Lance got married. Plus OQ&DLL aren't together as man and wife anymore. They barely even call comic Dinah DLL nor our Laurel, Dinah. So yeah. Especially since there have been 2 Lances who have been Canaries on Arrow.

 

And sure they could find away to have Laurel and Arrow get together but to feel right? Especially to have a happy Oliver with Laurel. They have a long long road to make that happen. Is it worth the work? Sure if Comics are the main thing that matters. It will be a lot of work for Laurel and Oliver to feel right giving not just because their back history (though that's a dozy) but the way the actors play off each other and the fact that Felicity has been shown to be who lights Oliver up. If Comics are important, Oliver being like comic Oliver in vibe should be what comic fans want for endgame more than the romance. They are often decrying romance is taking over Arrow. I just don't see how Laurel can keep Oliver's lighter side glowing The show has to feel right for me. If they can get there I'll stick around. I'm here for Oliver. But is the hard work worth it?

Edited October 4, 2015 by tarotx

[calliope1975]

Hello, long time lurker, first time posting... trying to stay positive about season 4, but after this interview my enthusiasm gone down a bit. But will judge after I see season 4.  

 

Welcome! I'm cautiously optimistic. Last season was such a let down that I was very close to quitting. Based on interviews and spoilers so far, and while they will never admit it, I do think TIIC have heard and recognize how dismally last season was received, decent ratings or not. Fingers crossed!

[BkWurm1]

If you 'like' a post that compliments you, is it considered self-serving like if Old Spock told Young Spock to live long and prosper in the Star Trek movie? ;)

I'd go with impolite if you didn't like what's liked you. Must show proper gratitude, right? :)

[Belinea]

And sure they could find away to have Laurel and Arrow get together but to feel right? Especially to have a happy Oliver with Laurel. They have a long long road to make that happen. Is it worth the work? 

 

Sometimes I think that the only thing you can count on is that the Arrow writers will find a way to make stuff happen without it making a lot of sense. And yes, I am bitter that way. I still believe that they would have loved to have O/L as the main couple but it just didn't work and now they have O/F and they made it happen because of the response and not so much because of their utter love for the pairing. Regardless of what they say I am still dreading them testing the waters to go back to O/L. They could just kill Felicity or make her screw up and the story could end abruptly. 

[wonderwall]

New FB preview clip

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/CWArrow/videos/616756401795729/

 

THESE IDIOTS. 

 

They're so......... *happy sigh*

Edited October 4, 2015 by wonderwall

[calliope1975]

There's a new video on the Arrow Facebook page with EBR and pillow talk scenes of Olicity. I have the weirdest, hardest time copying links/embedding from Facebook for some reason so I'll leave that to someone more skilled than me. Anyhoo, adorable snuggle times!

[Chaser]

CEO Felicity. Here for it.

 

"Just Flirting." Oh Oliver. Reassuring her with self-deprecating humor. Growth. 

 

So we aren't getting Felicity's reaction to Ray's death? Okay. lol

[wonderwall]

There's a new video on the Arrow Facebook page with EBR and pillow talk scenes of Olicity. I have the weirdest, hardest time copying links/embedding from Facebook for some reason so I'll leave that to someone more skilled than me. Anyhoo, adorable snuggle times!

 

You can also watch here: 

 

http://thecwarrow.tumblr.com/post/130497232252/emily-bett-rickards-introduces-palmer-techs-new

[catrox14]

Good lord. How much better could they be as a couple? I mean come on. Just...sigh.

[Chaser]

You can also watch here: 

 

http://thecwarrow.tumblr.com/post/130497232252/emily-bett-rickards-introduces-palmer-techs-new

Best thing about that post is how it's tagged. No mention of Olicity. It's Felicity Smoak. Emily Bett Rickards. ArrowSeason4.

[wonderwall]

Best thing about that post is how it's tagged. No mention of Olicity. It's Felicity Smoak. Emily Bett Rickards. ArrowSeason4.

 

I actually really like that. That video (as amazing as it is as an Olicity shipper) is more about Felicity than anythign else. :')

 

I also hope this will shush the people who wants her to offer the company back to Oliver. 

[Chaser]

FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

 

He skipped the omelet and had Felicity for breakfast. 

[Velocity23]

Awww this clip is from Sundays photoshoot.

[wonderwall]

I also really love the whole "watching whales bit".. It's so EBR :p

[apinknightmare]

Adorbs.

 

Also, I love that their travel photos are duplicated around the house for some reason. On a table in a close-up shot in a teaser, on the mantle, next to their bed. All the same pictures, haha.

Edited October 4, 2015 by apinknightmare