Heartaches, Bromances, True Love and Team Arrow: the Relationships Thread

[apinknightmare]

That part was a little iffy for me. I didn't know what was happening. Digg has no use being in the foundry, so I figured he'd leave the team? IDK

Am I misremembering, or was he not out in the field with Oliver all that often anyway? I know he didn't always stay behind, but he stayed behind a lot.

[GirlWednesday]

So does felicity now have three love interests? Oliver, Barry and Ray?

[HighHopes]

So does felicity now have three love interests? Oliver, Barry and Ray?

Possibly four if you count the boyfriend in her flashbacks.

Go Felicity Smoak, you get your men and Oliver Queen can sit alone in the dark of the foundry and pine for you. 

[Chaser]

 I ship Oliver/Fern this season.

[GirlWednesday]

Someone back in the day suggested that Sarah, Oliver, Felicity would have been a nice triangle. I'm ok with Nyssa being friends or more with Felicity. No sister swapping rule should apply to Nyssa too. LL is just a void of suckitude that I can't imagine any interesting relationship to get behind.

Edited October 10, 2014 by GirlWednesday

[DrSpaceman10]

 I ship Oliver/Fern this season.

 

I'm kind of worried about the Fern, 

I don't see it in any of the pictures for the next episode :(

[Chaser]

He keeps it by the bed so its the first thing he sees in the morning and the last thing he sees at night.

.

.

.

.

. I just made myself emotional Lol

[wonderwall]

I'm kind of worried about the Fern, 

I don't see it in any of the pictures for the next episode :(

Poor Ferny, fridged just so Oliver and Felicity could mourn over it together in order to further develop their relationship.

 

DO THE WRITERS HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMANITY ANYMORE!? :p

[catrox14]

.  The kiss between Oliver and Laurel doesn't even look like two people who know each other.  Ugh.

 

I've seen hotter kisses between people who didn't know each other. 

 

But in a way that kiss was rather telling. Oliver and Laurel really DO NOT know each other as the people they are NOW.

Edited October 10, 2014 by catrox14

[pootlus]

Loved the exchange in the hospital with Lyla, Diggle and the doctor:

Doctor: "bla bla bla husband"
Lyla: "Ex-husband"
Diggle: (simultaneously) "Boyfriend"

I think it's fair to say that their relationship status is "undefined" - I'm interested to see where it's going to go.

[Chaser]

I did enjoy (most of) the Diggle and Oliver interaction. Diggle/Lyla was cute, but I was disappointed at Diggle's reaction to Oliver carrying in Felicity. It just seemed muted; I expected more concern. However, his total non reaction to Felicity popping up like a Jack-in-the-Box was hilarious.

[SleepDeprived]

speaking of the kiss. if you listen carefully, you can hear both of them moaning/sighing during the kiss.

 

Oh? And exactly how many times did you put this scene on repeat in order to be able to hear that? ;)

 

BRB, scouring YT to check out the scene again. Strictly to fact check, of course. For science.

[wonderwall]

Oh? And exactly how many times did you put this scene on repeat in order to be able to hear that? ;)

 

BRB, scouring YT to check out the scene again. Strictly to fact check, of course. For science.

Could you pls upload the video on this site so we can all fact check? 

 

For science, of course. 

 

The moment both Diggle and Roy went "Yep, I ship it like fedex" 

[SleepDeprived]

Here you go, @wonderwall. I've always been a big proponent of encouraging scientific endeavors.

 

 

I concur with @foreverevolving. There was sighing in there. As well as one or both of them seemingly inhaling each other's scent. Also, a long lingering moment that I, objectively (through the use of the scientific method), found to be hot and sexy. (Do I sound creepy? I swear, I'm usually a little more sane than this.)

[Password]

This kiss was just so emotional. Even better than the kiss was the lingering, breathing each other's air thing. Sigh these two though.

[Ariah]

I completely forgot about that Laurel / Ollie kiss with the light (and awkward hand-work). Must be the indicator how much I care...

 

Anyhow, I have been thinking (again), and thought of yet another reason why Olicity seems to be treated seriously by TPTB of Arrow and may have elevated to the endgame couple of the series...

You've all made excellent points, quarks made a great post and I agree with it all!

 

And the yet another reason i though of was the direction of this episode - it was easy to make the whole Olicity date and subsequent hospital kiss into a blunder or a comic relief. And yes, the date itself was a bit of a comic relief, but still it remained anchored in serious confessions. The kiss in the end of the episode worked well in the romantic department - both characters were into it and both felt good, even if the outcome was sad.

 

And here a scene from the film 27 dresses comes to my mind:

in this film, Heigl's character is hopelessly in love with her boss. At the very end of the film, she tells him that and he goes in for a kiss... which turns out to be an awkward gymnastics. They are completely uncompatible and the kiss is not good at all.

. If Olicity was treated as an afterthought, or a mere stepping stone towards Laurel / Ollie romance, the writers could have made them kiss and decide it doesn't work.

 

Instead, they made them kiss, realize it's what they really want, but take a step back.

 

I'm actually looking forward this season's romance, if it has Ollie realizing that he can be both the Arrow and Oliver Queen - and that he's willing to be both for Felicity.

He should also understand that it's not nice to force a decision on the woman he loves ;) 

 

 

 

[foreverevolving]

Oh? And exactly how many times did you put this scene on repeat in order to be able to hear that? ;)

 

BRB, scouring YT to check out the scene again. Strictly to fact check, of course. For science.

I actually heard it when it aired live (my ears are seriously tuned in to this sort of noises- i find them super sexy and romantic- and they tend to be a endgame romance indicator!, at least from the couples i have watched on TV). however in the midst of it all, it was one of those "small" detail that got filed into the "remember later" box, cause you know:

Olicity goodness and feels and Sara... (nope still not over that one) Sara went on a romantic vacation with Nyssa and she is coming back.

 

It reminded me of the first two kissing scenes between Doug and Carol on ER (first one on season 1 when the actors barely knew each other, and the second one at the end of season 3). so yea,

Edited October 10, 2014 by foreverevolving

[TanyaKay]

Here you go, @wonderwall. I've always been a big proponent of encouraging scientific endeavors.

 

 

I concur with @foreverevolving. There was sighing in there. As well as one or both of them seemingly inhaling each other's scent. Also, a long lingering moment that I, objectively (through the use of the scientific method), found to be hot and sexy. (Do I sound creepy? I swear, I'm usually a little more sane than this.)

 

A couple of more things I noticed after the 117th rewatch.

Oliver gulps after the kiss - like he is overcome with emotion and Felicity is wiping something off her face as she leaves - probably a tear.

 

Oh boy, I have never been this emotional over a fictional couple, these two idiots sucked me into this vortex so bad!

[statsgirl]

And that is why the show would be shooting itself in the foot to go back to Oliver/Laurel because Comics!

 

Not to say that they won't though.  Kudos to SA, EBR and the director for selling that kiss.

[Orion]

That kiss is even more impressive because in the middle of it Oliver had to turn her sideways so the light could flare and then dim and then flicker between them. If they didn't have great chemistry that would have been really strange staging. But because the kiss is so hot you don't really notice it.

 

How SA holds his hands in the same position and moves his thumb like he's still stroking her face after she's gone is heartbreaking. But the shudder sigh and his voice being choked up when answers his phone kills me.

 

Since everyone has better hearing apparently than me since I missed the moans and sighs the first time. Can anyone make out what Oliver says before he says, "Felicity" and kisses her? It seems to start with a "D" maybe  "don't" or "dammit" But I can't tell.

[apinknightmare]

Since everyone has better hearing apparently than me since I missed the moans and sighs the first time. Can anyone make out what Oliver says before he says, "Felicity" and kisses her? It seems to start with a "D" maybe "don't" or "dammit" But I can't tell.

I thought he said, "Oh, Felicity." Maybe it's 'don't'. It's tough to make out. ::rimshot::

Edited October 10, 2014 by apinknightmare

[statsgirl]

I think he says "Don't, Felicity".  (And then moves into the Much Ado About Nothing move of "Peace, I'll stop your mouth with a kiss.")

 

I like as they're walking to their places, Oliver looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders, and Felicity looks like she's trying not to cry.

 

Thinking about it, Oliver really is a mess right now in terms of a relationship but to his credit, he tried to tell Felicity that "not now, maybe not ever".  On his part, better than stringing her along in hope.  On her part, I think she'd already given up when she heard his speech to Diggle which is why she was so adamant that once they talked, it was over.

 

 

and they tend to be a endgame romance indicator!,

Except.... comics!

[wonderwall]

Right before Oliver answers the phone, you can hear that his breath is shaky :/ Oh god, I think I just teared up :(

 

Also, the soundrack for Oliver and Felicity is so on point. It's poignant and heartbreaking and simple. Ugh. 

 

Emily and Stephen both did such a fantastic job emoting here.You could see their desperation and heartbreak. God that scene was rough. 

Edited October 10, 2014 by wonderwall

[apinknightmare]

I think he says "Don't, Felicity".  (And then moves into the Much Ado About Nothing move of "Peace, I'll stop your mouth with a kiss.")

 

I like as they're walking to their places, Oliver looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders, and Felicity looks like she's trying not to cry.

 

Thinking about it, Oliver really is a mess right now in terms of a relationship but to his credit, he tried to tell Felicity that "not now, maybe not ever".  On his part, better than stringing her along in hope.  On her part, I think she'd already given up when she heard his speech to Diggle which is why she was so adamant that once they talked, it was over.

 

Except.... comics!

 

I think Felicity knew it was over after their date. Shortly after, he told her about being scared of being Oliver Queen, then she heard him explain his mindframe to Diggle. I think that's when it finally sunk in that the result of that talk was going to be the same no matter how long she put it off, and that's why she let herself shed a few tears over it.

 

I wrote this previously in another post, but I appreciate the fact that Oliver didn't want to lie to her and make her believe that he doesn't love her when he does, but given the fact that he's standing there telling her that they can't pursue a relationship, it was an utterly selfish thing to do to tell her how he felt in that one moment when she was asking him to let her go. I'm glad she walked away.

Edited October 10, 2014 by apinknightmare

[statsgirl]

I think Felicity knew it was over after their date. Shortly after, he told her about being scared of being Oliver Queen, then she heard him explain his mindframe to Diggle. I think that's when it finally sunk in that the result of that talk was going to be the same no matter how long she put it off, and that's why she let herself shed a few tears over it.

And that's why she didn't want to have the talk because until they did, it was a beautiful dream she could hang on to.  Felicity is pretty amazing because she sees her own relationships clearly (and also some others like how Oliver and Diggle need each other) , unlike Laurel whose relationships with both Oliver and Tommy were what she wanted to see them being, and Moira who settled in her relationship with Robert.

 

I agree it was selfish to tell her that he loved her but it was also the truth and except in his outrageous lies, which she didn't believe, their relationship has always been based on truth. Again, unlike certain others on the show.

 

She was asking him to let her go but I think it would have been worse for her if he had said he didn't love her and leave her thinking that it was all an illusion in her mind.

[apinknightmare]

And that's why she didn't want to have the talk because until they did, it was a beautiful dream she could hang on to.  Felicity is pretty amazing because she sees her own relationships clearly (and also some others like how Oliver and Diggle need each other) , unlike Laurel whose relationships with both Oliver and Tommy were what she wanted to see them being, and Moira who settled in her relationship with Robert.

 

I agree it was selfish to tell her that he loved her but it was also the truth and except in his outrageous lies, which she didn't believe, their relationship has always been based on truth. Again, unlike certain others on the show.

 

She was asking him to let her go but I think it would have been worse for her if he had said he didn't love her and leave her thinking that it was all an illusion in her mind.

 

She told him to tell her that things would never work out between them, too. He could've shut the door on them in any number of ways that wouldn't have involved him denying that he loved her or denying that he never had any feelings for her. But he said the one thing that in his mind would keep the door open even though she was begging him to shut it.

[statsgirl]

I think she was asking him to lie to her so that she wouldn't keep hoping.  Do you think he should have?

[apinknightmare]

I think she was asking him to lie to her so that she wouldn't keep hoping.  Do you think he should have?

 

I don't think she was asking him to lie to her so much as she was asking him to make a decision and stop giving her hope. Ever since he didn't take the out she gave him on Lian Yu, the door's been open for a romantic relationship. That's five months it's been open - just a crack at first, but they were pushing it open with every wall they broke down between them. Oliver led her to that door when he asked her out, led her to believe he was ready and willing to finally step into that other room when he told her maybe he had been wrong about being able to be with someone he could care about.

 

Then the explosion happened, and he backed away.

 

She's just asking him to shut the door if they're never going in that room. Shut the door, and let her go find someone else to go in there with her. Because she loves him, and she needs that literal closure. Then he stands there and tells her that he's not going to go in that room with her, but he's not going to shut the door, either. If Oliver is truly committed to being the Arrow and he knows in this moment he can't have that life, he can't go in that room, then telling her they're not ever going to go in there isn't a lie - he believes it in that moment.

 

But he left it open, because he still has hope, even though he's telling her he doesn't think he'll ever be able to go in that room with her.

 

I think ultimately Felicity was looking for him to tell her he didn't love her, but I don't think she would've believed him, especially after that date and the story about how she made him feel human again (I mean, come on). So he could've just told her he would never be in a relationship with her - which would've been the truth, since he'd already decided he was going to be the Arrow. Maybe that will be the topic of the sequel to that conversation in the next ep, and maybe that's why

she goes to Central City to visit Barry, who knows.

 

I get why they did it from a storytelling perspective, I just think it was a shitty thing to do character-wise.

Edited October 11, 2014 by apinknightmare

[AnalyzeAndCritique]

 

I had forgotten it too, probably to rid my mind of this extreme awkwardness.

 

For a person who has been working in front of a camera for over 14 years and poses for photos literally every other day for her fashion blog, Katie Cassidy's awkwardness as an actress is mind boggling. I mean if you are that bad at something, why do it. What is even more baffling is that people continue to hire her.

 

I heard the rumour that after her topless scenes in some films, she was approached by the 50 shades people for its sequel where she'd play Christian Grey's ex and I am hoping that they offer her a lot of money and she moves on to that film instead of sticking with Arrow. I would gladly watch Arrow minus Laurel/KC because the chances of me gritting my teeth would drop by a good 90%.

 

 

Your dentist will be upset he can't afford the European vacation over Christmas. ;)

 

Everything you all have said about the kiss is beautiful. TGFYT Thank God For YouTube!

[dtissagirl]

And if the fern/bed flirty flirty is any indication of what the five months between their conversation in the island and present time have been like, Felicity is not just reacting to the events in the episode. She's reacting to pretty much six months of foreplay/frustration/whatever you wanna call it. Only for Oliver to finally take a definitve step and then back off mere hours later.

I gotta give it to Felicity, girl showed more conviction, and restraint, and self-respect than most people in her position would.

[apinknightmare]

And if the fern/bed flirty flirty is any indication of what the five months between their conversation in the island and present time have been like, Felicity is not just reacting to the events in the episode. She's reacting to pretty much six months of foreplay/frustration/whatever you wanna call it. Only for Oliver to finally take a definitve step and then back off mere hours later.

I gotta give it to Felicity, girl showed more conviction, and restraint, and self-respect than most people in her position would.

 

Isn't that the truth. Especially after he kissed her and gave her the face cupping, spit stringy, face smelling, breathe you in "don't Felicity" kiss and an I-won't-say-I-don't-love-you I love you.

 

Bless her, she's my idol.

[Carrie Ann]

And if the fern/bed flirty flirty is any indication of what the five months between their conversation in the island and present time have been like, Felicity is not just reacting to the events in the episode. She's reacting to pretty much six months of foreplay/frustration/whatever you wanna call it. Only for Oliver to finally take a definitive step and then back off mere hours later.

 

Seriously. We missed a lot in the hiatus, obviously, but the crazy pacing of this episode still made it feel like whiplash. Like, they've been building toward this for five months, buying beds and ferns and touching faces and shit, and he STILL hadn't made his move, but he finally did and all it took was one little thing to make him swerve all the way back around? "If the last 12 hours have taught me anything." Oh really? Twelve hours in your life, which were frankly not much crazier than any other day of your crazy life, and you're going to just cash out and walk away?

 

If someone had posited this series of events in the hiatus, I would have said, "Nah, that wouldn't be enough to do it. It'd have to be something bigger than that." Because Oliver spent five months struggling with his feelings for Felicity, wanting to do something about them but thinking it wasn't "the right time," and if he finally decided that it was, I don't think that would be such a light decision that he could flip back on it so quickly. He would have thought through all of these possibilities; he would take steps to avoid pitfalls like losing his focus. And he would do these things not to protect himself but to protect Felicity, and what they already have. Which is why the kiss and the "don't ask me" line, while gorgeous, and while I've watched them *mumble mumble* times, still leave me puzzled and sad. It just doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't feel like the Oliver I love. The Oliver I love would probably have just been silent when she asked him to say Never; or he would have said something like, "I can't; I'm sorry." That might not seem like a huge difference to some people, but it is to me.

[wonderwall]

If someone had posited this series of events in the hiatus, I would have said, "Nah, that wouldn't be enough to do it. It'd have to be something bigger than that." Because Oliver spent five months struggling with his feelings for Felicity, wanting to do something about them but thinking it wasn't "the right time," and if he finally decided that it was, I don't think that would be such a light decision that he could flip back on it so quickly. He would have thought through all of these possibilities; he would take steps to avoid pitfalls like losing his focus. And he would do these things not to protect himself but to protect Felicity, and what they already have. Which is why the kiss and the "don't ask me" line, while gorgeous, and while I've watched them *mumble mumble* times, still leave me puzzled and sad. It just doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't feel like the Oliver I love. The Oliver I love would probably have just been silent when she asked him to say Never; or he would have said something like, "I can't; I'm sorry." That might not seem like a huge difference to some people, but it is to me.

I totally understand what you mean, but see, I love that he said what he said and it's not because what he said was bittersweet or because it definitely was gorgeous... I think it's growth on his part because, yes, Oliver last season and in season 1 would never had said what he said. He would've never been honest about his feelings not to himself much less to his romantic counterpart. That's why I loved that part. Oliver is growing, he was opening up to Felicity because that's what you supposedly do when you love someone. I know this development sort of seems rushed because their entire arc in the first episode was rushed, but if you think about it, Felicity and Diggle are the two people he's most honest to so it really comes as no surprise. 

 

I don't think what Oliver said was out of cruelty, I think he said it because he probably felt he owed Felicity the truth probably like how Felicity felt when she told Oliver about Thea's parentage. Because he didn't want Felicity to get the wrong impression about everything they went through and built up towards. Now Felicity won't question everything they've been through and she can have a clean break if she wants to. While Oliver wasn't ready to tell Felicity the actual depth of his feelings in season 2, I think it's because at that point, he himself didn't really know, he now knows what he feels for her and yeah, he owed her the truth regardless of how painful it may be. 

Edited October 12, 2014 by wonderwall

[Genki]

If someone had posited this series of events in the hiatus, I would have said, "Nah, that wouldn't be enough to do it. It'd have to be something bigger than that." Because Oliver spent five months struggling with his feelings for Felicity, wanting to do something about them but thinking it wasn't "the right time," and if he finally decided that it was, I don't think that would be such a light decision that he could flip back on it so quickly. He would have thought through all of these possibilities; he would take steps to avoid pitfalls like losing his focus. And he would do these things not to protect himself but to protect Felicity, and what they already have. Which is why the kiss and the "don't ask me" line, while gorgeous, and while I've watched them *mumble mumble* times, still leave me puzzled and sad. It just doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't feel like the Oliver I love. The Oliver I love would probably have just been silent when she asked him to say Never; or he would have said something like, "I can't; I'm sorry." That might not seem like a huge difference to some people, but it is to me.

 

I get what you mean, but I'm going to give Oliver a pass on this, and not just because of the pretty, pretty gifs and other fan content I get to watch.

 

A tumblr blogger lays it out much more eloquently than I ever could, but I agree with jbuffyangel about Oliver's headspace regarding being the Arrow and being with Felicity and the potential direction for the season.

 

Highlights:

The reason why the camera panned to Felicity, and showed Oliver’s pained expression as he watched her stand over Lyla and the baby, was because it was highlighting again that Diggle was making a choice that Oliver believes he CAN’T make.

What does Oliver want? What Oliver wants is to be Oliver Queen. That’s a radicule departure from where he was two years ago, even one year ago. He wants to be Oliver Queen now because he has reconnected with his humanity. Being Oliver Queen represents something totally different to Oliver now than it did two years ago. When Oliver came back from the Island, he was shut off. He was the Island. The entire point of Oliver’s speech in that restaurant was the moment he saw Felicity Smoak, he saw a person…he felt the flicker of that humanity again. It’s why he smiled. It’s why for a brief moment, we got to meet Oliver Queen. The REAL Oliver Queen. Not the vigilante, not The Arrow. Oliver.

 

 

He’s terrified of what being Oliver Queen could result in. He’s terrified that if he allows himself to BE Oliver Queen, if he tries to build that life, it could all fall apart. It’s fear. Oliver believes if he’s not 100% focused on life as The Arrow, he risks everything. Not only could people of Starling die, but Felicity could die as well. Being The Arrow protects her, even if it means he can’t be with her. Oliver believes his own worse enemy is OLIVER. By loving Felicity, Oliver fears he will destroy her and he cannot survive that. So rather than try to have everything, Oliver makes the choice to have nothing. He makes the choice to be The Arrow and this is CRUCIAL…because Oliver is going to be shutting down again. He’s going to be losing his humanity again. He’s at risk for losing his soul…again.

 

Sara’s death changes EVERYTHING. Diggle will rejoin the team and SHOW Oliver how you can have both. It is possible to BE both. To serve the mission and build a life for yourself. That if he allows himself to love Felicity, Oliver’s fears will NOT be realized. He won’t destroy Felicity. He won’t lose her. He’ll become everything he’s suppose to be. To become The Green Arrow, Oliver needs to be a man AND a weapon. He cannot be a man without his love for Felicity. Not anymore. That’s what the premiere was stating. His entire universe has changed. His humanity is totally and completely dependent on his love for this one woman.

 

I think Oliver was slowly opening up to the possibility of being both Oliver Queen and The Arrow, and he took his first steps towards this and it literally blew up in his face. The Kiss, IMO, is Oliver giving himself a moment to still be Oliver Queen, before retreating back into Vigilante and the Mission.

 

I like that he did this, as unfair as it could be to Felicity, because selfishness and need are very human and at this point Oliver is consciously deciding to switch off his humanity again.

 

She writes some interesting stuff, (which I think has been linked here before) and even has a positive spin on the whole BC=LL situation, which I can't fully support, because I don't think the acting skills are there and i'm burned out by Laurel Lance.

[statsgirl]

Five months of flirty-flirty, and it still took Diggle to push him into asking Felicity out. At last.

 

When  you add it to his speech after losing QC, that this isn't the right time for him to run QC, that he couldn't do that and be the Arrow too, it seems like he was looking for a reason to back out of a relationship with Felicity just as he was grateful for a way to back out of running QC.  He likes flirting with Felicity, he even liked  going to dinner with her, but he doesn't want more, he feels he can't do more. If it were just sex as it was with Isabel, or a surface relationship with secrets and lies as ti was with McKenna, he could do that.  But to be as open and honest with Felicity as she deserves, to have that kind of relationship with her, he can't do that. It's not that Felicity will get hurt by being with the Arrow as much as he feels he will fail with her, just as he will fail with QC..

 

That's why he backtracked so fast IMO. In a way, the kiss and then telling her "don't ask me to say I don't love you" was like holding his hand over the flame to see if he could take the pain of not having her.

 

Maybe Felicity knows that, knows that he wants to dangle the dream before them, and she refuses to be the mutt..

Edited October 12, 2014 by statsgirl

[Password]

Hmm I actually don't agree. The dinner scene was HUGE in my opinion and really gave us a look at what an open Oliver Queen looks like. I don't think any of what he said showed surface level, rather have friends with benefits relationship with Felicity. I genuinely understood that he would immediately back off because reasons. He's afraid, his loved ones keep dying, and now he feels whilst he was being very open with someone, the world quite literally exploded. His retreat is easy to understand because he still has to learn how to deal with his own demons. They include learning how to be himself again. The Arrow is easy to fall back onto but being Oliver is almost foreign.

The kiss and manifestation of love just showed how unwilling he was to lie to her. I don't think he wanted her to think that he doesn't love her because it couldn't be further from the truth. Did he have to say he loves her? Nope. Didn't have to silence her "Nevers" with a kiss either but this is television and we need drama. He could've just allowed her closure and said nope, never going to happen but what would be the point.

He was surprisingly aware of himself emotionally this episode even telling Diggle he wasn't in the right head space for a relationship.

[statsgirl]

I think we're agreeing.  The dinner was what the real Oliver Queen could be, and I think it scared him to open up that much.  That is why Diggle had to push him even to ask Felicity out on a date.

 

And when Roy found the tag in his suit, he jumped on that as a reason.  Odds are 99% he would have missed it anyway, even if he weren't going out with Felicity (in which case the rocket would have hit the foundry) but wow, did he grab that as a reason real fast.

 

While he could do a superficial relationship right now, he believes that he's can't do the real kind of relationship that being with Felicity would be just as he can't be the CEO QC needs (another excuse he jumped on). I think in both cases it's his fear that is making the decision in both cases, although he probably thinks being CEO would be easier than being open in a relationship with Felicity..   .

[wonderwall]

 

I just love this part. I can actually see Oliver reminiscing and reliving that moment in his head. Ugh. Stephen did SUCH a great job with this scene. 

[bethy]

I, uh, may have kinda started watching all the Felicity moments in season 1 (don't judge me) and I was just so struck by the scenes with Felicity and Oliver and Diggle. For instance, the scene where Oliver is spinning his lies about the energy drink - Diggle is COMPLETELY impassive, no expression, standing slightly to the side and behind Oliver while the whole conversation is happening until Oliver says he'd run out sports bottles after Felicity calls him on the syringes. Diggle's face still doesn't move, but he suddenly walks away because he can't take how bad the lie is. And you can TELL that Felicity knows exactly why he did that. It's simply perfect.

Then, in "The Odessey," the series of scenes with Digg and Felicity while Oliver is unconscious. I love the chemistry between those two characters and that you can tell how much Diggle already cares about Oliver as he's talking to Felicity about him. Plus I think both David and Emily such an amazing job with their background responses, which just makes those scenes even richer to me.

[statsgirl]

Someone asked him his favorite Olicity scene and he said that it was one he done in this episode. At NYCC, another questioner asked what kind of scenes he liked doing and he said ones where there is the chance to do some real acting because in the actions scenes, it's just one or two word dialogues, and then he said this restaurant scene was the type of scene he likes to do.

Edited October 13, 2014 by statsgirl

[Angel12d]

I can't stop watching the date scene because it's just so well done. It's such a genuine and honest moment that has been truly earned after 2 seasons. There's something really satisfying about it even though it doesn't end well. I just really enjoyed that brief glimpse into what they could be - their potential. I guess this was the point of ramping up the Olicity in 301 - so we can see how great they are together and that they have something worth rooting for. 

[KenyaJ]

 

I just love this part. I can actually see Oliver reminiscing and reliving that moment in his head. Ugh. Stephen did SUCH a great job with this scene. 

 

I saw this gif and it broke my heart all over again. He had actual hope, dammit. 

 

[apinknightmare]

I saw this gif and it broke my heart all over again. He had actual hope, dammit. 

 

Stop it, all of you! A girl can only take so much heartbreak in four days' time.

[wonderwall]

You know what takes the cake though? This moment:

 

 

He looks so utterly heartbroken. He wants what Digg and Lyla have, he wants a family and a future and there's no doubt in my mind he's looking at Felicity wanting that future with her. But he pulls himself back because he believes he can't have that. It's just such a tragic moment. 

Edited October 13, 2014 by wonderwall

[Angel12d]

Ah! That gif of him in the restaurant kills me. He looks so emotional too.

 

That scene in the hospital is what I feel like SA was talking about when he said that

Oliver won't have any other love interests this year

because it would undersell what they do in the premier. Here he's looking at Felicity and seeing a real future with a family and that's pretty huge for Oliver Queen. I can't imagine how he could possibly go from seeing that to suddenly sleeping with someone else. It would feel wrong somehow.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Angel12d

[catrox14]

Man, what kills me in that kiss scene is the way Oliver says "oh Felicity" just before he kisses her. It's so full of love and desperation and remorse for hurting her and sadness for both of them. just beautiful work from SA there. MY ♥

Edited October 13, 2014 by catrox14

[olicityfan25]

You people are killing me. He is definitely looking at Felicity during that hospital scene in the room with Diggle and Lyla.

[Tangerine]

I saw this gif and it broke my heart all over again. He had actual hope, dammit. 

 

Ok, and how his shoulders collapse a little bit and that sigh after? As if a great big weight was lifted and that speaking the truth has set him free. Like he has been stewing on this for months.

I'm ok....I swear.

[wonderwall]

I'm ok....I swear.

It's okay if you're not. Shhhh, it's okay we're all here for you. 

 

Just like how Oliver is there for Felicity and how Felicity is never going to lose Oliver T_T 

[foreverevolving]

You know what takes the cake though? This moment:

 

 

He looks so utterly heartbroken. He wants what Digg and Lyla have, he wants a family and a future and there's no doubt in my mind he's looking at Felicity wanting that future with her. But he pulls himself back because he believes he can't have that. It's just such a tragic moment. 

 

 

Dammit! i thought i was getting better, and then you posted that and now...

 

 

 

I'm gonna need ice cream, I don't care that it's 2:30am!!

Edited October 13, 2014 by foreverevolving