Hopes and Fears: How Will We Survive This Island? (Speculation WITHOUT Spoilers)

[statsgirl]

I think conflict over Oliver's responsibility to the kid and Felicity's feelings of abandonment by her father could be a really good story.  But ... there are some fanfic authors I would like to see handle it rather than the writers of this show.

 

 

Given that it was Oliver's fault Felicity lost her job at QC in the first place and that it's certainly not on her that he lost his job there, I don't really see why him losing his bid for the company has any bearing at all on her working there (a job she should never have lost in the first place).  In my opinion it's none of his business where or for whom she chooses to work and never has been.  It's her life and she can do what she wants with it.  It's bad enough that he screwed with her job last year with the whole EA thing, and then unintentionally lost her her job when he mucked up his job, but that he or anyone else thinks he has any say in what she does with her life/career/anything else just boggles my mind.  Sure, he'll have an opinion, but if it's negative then he really should keep it to himself and, if he's a halfway decent friend, he should try to be supportive and be happy for her getting a decent job again. 

Oliver is the hero of this show, and while he survived all alone on the island, and he likes to think that he can do everything by himself, really he's pretty expecting of others to do things for him and agree with him just because he says so.  In his life, the world revolves around him.  He felt no need to apologize for bailing on Diggle in Home Invasion, he expected Roy to stop looking for more clues and when Roy refused to, Oliver had to arrow him, he got angry when Felicity spent too much time with Barry.

 

So while he should let Felicity live her own life, and not intrude in her working for Ray and whatever more, I don't think he will. He'll think of himself as all noble and self-sacrificing but he'll revert to 'she/he shouldn't be doing this to me.'  He never appreciated what she did for him by spending her nights in the lair on top of her IT job (at least Diggle presumably got paid for his time), becoming his EA and all the problems with that personally and professionally, or by sticking with him through the parade of women in his life.

 

Oliver doesn't have to become a dick to Felicity in this arc, he already has been. Maybe, hopefully, this is his opportunity to realize it.

Edited October 22, 2014 by statsgirl

[DrSpaceman10]

I've been thinking about how the show is going to handle Oliver and Felicity after 3x01, and how they could possibly drag this out for the rest of the season. I think O/F are pretty much only going to have a professional relationship (ie: no heart eyes or hugs) for the first half of the season (at least until 3x09), then maybe they'll start to ramp up their interactions towards the back half of the season.

 

So, pretty much the opposite of season two. Otherwise, I just don't see how they could keep this will they won't they up for the next 21 episodes.

[quarks]

Friends kept a will they/won't they off/on relationship going for ten years. 

 

Not to terrify anyone or anything.

[foreverevolving]

Friends kept a will they/won't they off/on relationship going for ten years. 

 

Not to terrify anyone or anything.

yeeeP. I remember. I also remember being insanely annoyed and bored with it by the time they reached the later seasons.

[statsgirl]

I have a three year limit on will they/won't they off/on relationships. Maybe four if it's really well done and I like the characters.  

 

After that, I'm sick of the plot contrivances and I'm rooting for both of them to find other people who aren't so stupid.

Edited October 22, 2014 by statsgirl

[ohjoy]

I have an even lower tolerance: I maybe could have tolerated four years if they hadn't pulled the gun on crucial tidbits like "first non-fakeout non-dream-sequence kiss" already. Once you start that clock ticking, you've got approximately one season, and then I'm probably out. Unless you start that countdown, and then try to hit the pause button with obstacles like love triangles or unexpected children. Then I'm definitely out until those things are no longer factors. This was exactly what happened to me with Chuck, and even Gilmore Girls (I know Luke and Lorelai were actually together at that point, but that's truly how much I detest those types of contrivances.)

So I'm already on the "just pick a horse" train of thought. I'm preparing to willfully ignore even my favorite characters for the duration of any storyline that makes me want to put my fist through my tv screen. So they'd better find a reallygood hook if they want me to stay.

[Trini]

 

So they'd better find a really good hook if they want me to stay.

 

What are the "hooks" for this season?

• Finding Sara's killer,
• Laurel becoming Canary? blegh
• Thea's journey... to... ?

[Password]

I have an even lower tolerance: I maybe could have tolerated four years if they hadn't pulled the gun on crucial tidbits like "first non-fakeout non-dream-sequence kiss" already. Once you start that clock ticking, you've got approximately one season, and then I'm probably out.

 

I agree on the ticking time clock. The kiss was not under nefarious reasons, he said he loves her (in a roundabout way) and she actually asked him to say he doesn't love her so she can move on. The EPs either shot themselves in the foot, or have definitely chosen which relationship Oliver will pursue because they cannot fall back on "well they didn't mean it". They can't now add plot contrivance situations that disguise Oliver and Felicity's feelings for each other because of how bold the premiere was. Usually something like that would happen after 4 or 5 seasons in other series, but seeing as it happened this early, they have very few options concerning actually conceivably keeping the two of them apart. I would say at the end of this season the two either get together, or make significant strides to being together in season 4.

[Password]

From the Spoilers thread

 

 

I also think they might be going for an ideal vs. real life with Felicity here. The ideal life being a great job working with Mr IQ and possibly dating him, and it all happening in daylight, vs. the real life being, well, a thankless crime fighting mission while having to deal with grumpy Oliver in the cave.

 

That's certainly how I thought it would work out.

Then we also have to remember Mr Ray has vigilante intentions of his own coming up so that's an interesting choice. One vigilante or the other.

I thought they'd contrast Felicity having a dead normal, 9-5 job with a guy that dotes on her and children in the future, and contrast it with long hours in the Arrow cave (and closed off Oliver - unless he opens up), very little time to herself, but doing something she loves and believes in.

 

In the end I think there'll be an interesting conflict. I actually look more forward to season 3b than 3a, even though Felicity's episode is coming up. Right now everything seems like they need to set up what happens in 3b.

[KirkB]

I don't know how they're going to play him on the show, but in the comics Ray Palmer never really wanted to be a superhero. He was a scientist first and foremost. He usually only put the Atom suit on to help when the world was in trouble, or when someone like Batman or Superman showed up to ask him for help. This Ray appears to be more focused on the business side of things, not even the science so much, it's likely he won't even get his Atom powers until he's ready to leave the show and pop up from time to time on the Flash.

[Carrie Ann]

I hope that what they're going for with all of these characters isn't an Either/Or but a Both. I think Diggle (and Felicity, to a certain extent) have realized, or are realizing, that it's possible and important, to have a full life. Not just being a part of Team Arrow but hating your day job; not just loving your comrades, but having real love, and family, and a social life outside of that as well. 

[BkWurm1]

Usually something like that would happen after 4 or 5 seasons in other series, but seeing as it happened this early, they have very few options concerning actually conceivably keeping the two of them apart. I would say at the end of this season the two either get together, or make significant strides to being together in season 4.

 

I am of two minds, either the season will end with a happy, together Oliver and Felicity (while seeding obvious other complications for the future - my current thought Oliver vowing to hang up his Arrow)  and they will really only be perfectly happy in the off season that we don't get to see

 

OR

 

the season will end with Oliver getting  his head out of his butt but he will be too late and Felicity will be the one gone for some reason during the hiatus.  (Job offer or specific mission or kidnapping if the angst isn't high enough)

[ohjoy]

That's funny BkWurm1, my thinking is somewhat similar to yours. I haven't been able to get past the idea that, if Oliver and Felicity are endgame, then something will likely happen to keep them apart for at least a significant portion of S4, and my bet is that they are not together come the end of 4x01. I'm thinking that either they get past their current issues sooner than expected and get together earlier in the back half of S3, so they can be happy and relatively adjusted for a little while before being split apart again at the beginning of S4

 

OR

 

Their obstacles are drawn out throughout S3 (as is most expected), and until they get together near or in the finale to give them a happy S3 ending before being split apart again at the beginning of S4. Either way, I feel like regardless of how much of the happy relationship is shown onscreen before S4 starts, we'll get about the same amount of happy relationship at the beginning of S4 that we got at the beginning of S3.

 

I realize this is a fairly pessimistic view, but hey, at least it leaves room for me to be pleasantly surprised if Olicity as endgame is actually shown a stable healthy relationship onscreen for an extended period of time any time soon.

[BkWurm1]

The problem of course with dragging the "will they won't they" couple once the first moves are made is that when they retreat to their respective corners, we lose all the little "Olicity" moments that made me find them so perfect in the first place.  Their closeness is part of their dynamic and the inserted distance makes the episodes deeply un fun to watch. 

 

How do we get the "moments" back while at the same time not letting the characters find their HEA (or at least start on that journey)?  Hmm, let me think.

 

Well, there is the "dating in secret" storyline though I can't imagine why not telling the rest of the team what they are up to would make being together ok.

The longing looks that each give the other but never at the same time...that only last so long before Diggle would lock them in a wine cellar or something.

Make them clueless that they are falling back into their old patterns, let them delusionally agree that they can go back and pretend nothing happened (yeah, I don't thinks so)

Actually let them be in a relationship which would let the show go back to the dynamic it had established for the first two years.

 

Any other suggestions?

[DrSpaceman10]

The problem of course with dragging the "will they won't they" couple once the first moves are made is that when they retreat to their respective corners, we lose all the little "Olicity" moments that made me find them so perfect in the first place.  Their closeness is part of their dynamic and the inserted distance makes the episodes deeply un fun to watch. 

 

In my opinion, this is exactly what is happening right now. I don't think O/F are going to be having any typical "Olicity" moments for at least the first half of the season. I feel like we're losing one of the best dynamics on the show because O/F are so distant right now (and for the foreseeable future).

[statsgirl]

Actually let them be in a relationship which would let the show go back to the dynamic it had established for the first two years.

I really think this is the only answer that is going to allow them to behave like adults and isn't going to frustrate me as well as Diggle and Roy.  Put them in a relationship, and let any drama be something they deal with as a couple as presumable Diggle and Lyla do.

[Guest]

When we first started hearing spoilers about Oliver and Felicity's relationship in s3, I assumed that all the angst would play out and they'd probably get together sometime towards the end of s3. 

 

But with the way things are going (early to say after only two episodes but this is my impression based on spoilers) I'm starting to wonder if they'll be together at all this season. I feel like they definitely set them up as endgame in 301. There's no denying that Oliver is in love with Felicity and would want a future with her if he could. But the trouble is I don't see him solving all of his problems/fears in 'time' to fight for her, especially with everything else that's going on this season.

 

But I could also see Felicity being hesitant to jump back into anything with Oliver given his previous reaction was to pull away as soon as there was a problem. So I would find it believable that they wouldn't actually get together until early s4, with maybe some cute flirting and dates and rebuilding of their relationship until then. Then we would have all the wonderful happy Olicity moments and, with their dynamic back on track, the team (and show) wouldn't suffer for it because I'm at the point where Arrow just doesn't need romantic relationship drama beyond this season. They need to pick a lane and stick to it.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Guest

[BkWurm1]

But with the way things are going (early to say after only two episodes but this is my impression based on spoilers) I'm starting to wonder if they'll be together at all this season. I feel like they definitely set them up as endgame in 301. There's no denying that Oliver is in love with Felicity and would want a future with her if he could. But the trouble is I don't see him solving all of his problems/fears in 'time' to fight for her, especially with everything else that's going on this season.

 

So the real question becomes is there enough other reasons to make me stay in love with this show when I'm not getting my Oliver/Felicity or presumably Felicity/Diggle as he is phased out and worse yet, getting more Laurel?

 

Thea has a lot on her shoulders right now. 

[Guest]

So the real question becomes is there enough other reasons to make me stay in love with this show when I'm not getting my Oliver/Felicity or presumably Felicity/Diggle as he is phased out and worse yet, getting more Laurel?

 

Thea has a lot on her shoulders right now. 

 

Lol do you want an honest answer?! Because I'm very much feeling the same way right now. I've said before if Oliver/Felicity isn't working then the other side of the Team Arrow dynamic needs to, so I really hope for some Felicity/Diggle soon. Actually I just want O/F to reach a point where it's not painfully awkward. 

 

But there is Malcolm/Thea which looks to be really interesting, especially when you bring Oliver into that dynamic. And there's Roy…I guess. Doing Roy things. Haha I am not helping.

[Password]

I think David Ramsey's interviews concerning Oliver and his journey this year are (hopefully) indicative of what Oliver will learn this season. He keeps saying Oliver needs to learn balance, that being a superhero and having a gf (and/or babies) can be done and that he'll learn that this season.

I think it's very significant that Oliver said in the second episode, and in the same episode as Felicity, that he wants more out of life. I was surprised because 1) it was early in the season and 2) he used Felicity's words almost verbatim. Their story will be intricately linked this year so, I expect there will come a time Oliver will make himself available again, and then the choice will be Felicity's to make.

Count me in as someone who doesn't look forward to their awkward, stilted interactions. Sigh, the show had to go take away the Olicity fun.

[dtissagirl]

I feared that giving Felicity a life away from Oliver would translate into subtantive less Oliver/Felicity scenes, and I think this is what's gonna happen in season 3A. These writers don't know how to balance storylines, nor they are ever subtle with anything. I'm sure Felicity is gonna be in the foundry scenes because they're not completely nuts, and Team Arrow is what makes this show special.

 

But because of they way Felicity/Oliver has been set up in 301-302, it would be hard for them to keep up with any super close friend/parners/confidants moments like they had in season 2. [And the cute rom-com stuff from early S2 is gonna happen with Palmer instead of Oliver.] The Felicity-centric episode might be the exception, but other than that? I don't see how they can interact in the same way anymore.

 

Amell said

he hasn't filmed with Brandon Routh since the premiere

, so I'm guessing until 309, most of Felicity's screen time will be with Palmer and not Team Arrow. Unfortunately, none of this interests me very much.

[Tangerine]

So Ray is obviously Sketcher McSketcherson, which means that his earlier creepy behaviour is supposed to be seen as creepy and not romantic? That's...positive I suppose.

If he does turn out to be evil, I'd like Felicity to be the one to figure it out. She's going to be working pretty closely with him, and she's too smart to not pick up on it.

That being said, maybe he's not evil. Maybe his interest in the weapons has a noble cause and the dramatic score and evil look was just a red herring. Either way, Ray actually just got a bit interesting.

[statsgirl]

I don't think Ray will turn out to be evil in the end.  And only partly Because Comics!  but mostly because the writers like to think they're sooo clever.

 

Just as meeting Felicity in Tech Village was a nod to BR's Shaw, so is the side eye he gave the plans for the weapon.  I just have this feeling he'll end up a good guy in the end.

[apinknightmare]

I don't think Ray will turn out to be evil in the end.  And only partly Because Comics!  but mostly because the writers like to think they're sooo clever.

 

Just as meeting Felicity in Tech Village was a nod to BR's Shaw, so is the side eye he gave the plans for the weapon.  I just have this feeling he'll end up a good guy in the end.

 

Yeah, I think he's a good guy. I wonder if he got wind of some nefarious goings on in the Applied Sciences division and is trying to suss out what they were up to. Not so he can do something with those plans, but so that he can make sure that no one else does.

[ban1o]

Yeah, I think he's a good guy. I wonder if he got wind of some nefarious goings on in the Applied Sciences division and is trying to suss out what they were up to. Not so he can do something with those plans, but so that he can make sure that no one else does.

yeah I was thinking something like that 

[El Seed]

Because I love both characters without reserve, I hope during a crossover episode with The Flash, Quentin and Joe West team up and during their no-fucks-given tour de force, one of them utters the line, "I'm too old for this shit."

[ban1o]

So I went on reddit and there's this really popular theory there that Thea killed Sara. I know someone has linked something like this before but here http://picosong.com/fg4V/ 

 

Basically they changed the pitch and it sounds a lot like Thea. Although I personally don't think they even got the correct actor to say "hello Sara" It's interesting. 

 

Also another point that could possible support this is in one of the early scenes from tonight's episode when Oliver is questioning some guy on the street he says "I was up on the roof with some buddies. This lady, she showed up, she told us to go; looked like she could handle herself, ya know?". What If the lady who showed up was Thea? He never mentions anything about what she looked like, any assumption of blonde hair, leather, or a mask was made by Oliver.

 

Anyway I personally don't think it's Thea and don't want it to be Thea but this is just what I saw on reddit. 

[SleepDeprived]

Nah. I really, highly doubt that Sara's killer will be Thea. She has absolutely zero motivation to kill Sara or, even if she didn't know that it was Sara, why would she kill the lady in the blonde wig, wearing a mask and skin tight leathers? Not even if Malcolm told her to do it would I think it would in character for Thea to kill the Black Canary. Besides, given the right software, you can change the pitch and tone of the modulated voice that we heard of the person on the roof with Sara to sound like anyone else.

 

But, yeah, after hearing that guy Oliver cornered in the latest episode say something about a woman telling them to clear the roof, I'm doubling down on my long-shot spec that it's Talia al Ghul who did the deed.

[quarks]

And on the plus side - with the QC stock going up, won't Oliver's iffy wealth increase?  He presumably still owns his shares, even if they've been magically diluted or whatever their reasoning was.

 

 

I'm hoping this is exactly what happens.  When we last checked Oliver's stock situation, he, Moira and Thea still owned shares in the company, but the stock had been devalued so it was worthless. Ray said that the stock had gone up by $10 a share, which to me sounds like a major bounce, but I guess that was the point, and  presumably now that someone is actually working there who at the very least wants to hide his real plans, and very probably also wants to make money at it, I'm figuring the Queen stock will go up and they will start getting dividend payments, allowing Oliver to focus on crime fighting and maybe buy still more trick arrows - it looks as if they're trying to introduce a new trick arrow every other episode.

[Sunshine]

There is a much discussed phone call in 3.03 that seems to have people up in arms. I assume they are laying the groundwork for Felicity to eventually be this show's version of Oracle/Watchtower/whatever. If so, Laurel/BC and Felicity are going to have many such interactions.

[tv echo]

I wonder if Malcolm is trying to set Thea up to go after the Arrow.  Malcolm knows Oliver is the Arrow.  He has not told Thea.  Thea has not told Oliver that Malcolm is alive.  I'm sure Malcolm hasn't forgotten that Oliver defeated him, so he would want revenge.  That would explain why he let Thea 'win' that fight and return with Oliver to Starling City.  Then would Malcolm's need for revenge be greater than his 'love' for Thea?  I picture a costumed Thea and a costumed Oliver fighting on a rooftop.  Oliver is about to kill Thea, but her mask comes off and he realizes she's his sister.  

[ban1o]

I wonder if Malcolm is trying to set Thea up to go after the Arrow.  Malcolm knows Oliver is the Arrow.  He has not told Thea.  Thea has not told Oliver that Malcolm is alive.  I'm sure Malcolm hasn't forgotten that Oliver defeated him, so he would want revenge.  That would explain why he let Thea 'win' that fight and return with Oliver to Starling City.  Then would Malcolm's need for revenge be greater than his 'love' for Thea?  I picture a costumed Thea and a costumed Oliver fighting on a rooftop.  Oliver is about to kill Thea, but her mask comes off and he realizes she's his sister.  

I agree. I think Thea might be in the dark for a while tbh. 

[KirkB]

You're probably right, but that will be the last straw if Thea finds out Malcolm has been lying to her too.

[Pyramid]

You're probably right, but that will be the last straw if Thea finds out Malcolm has been lying to her too.

In that scenario, she'd find out that both Malcolm and Oliver were lying to her. It would be a massive blow to her, I hope they don't do that. Kid deserves a break!

[tv echo]

I agree - except that Thea has also been lying to Oliver.

[Pyramid]

I agree - except that Thea has also been lying to Oliver.

Good point. They really need to do something about that. It could become an issue or something ...

[ban1o]

LOL yeah  if Thea continues going on about lying and the importance of truth she's kinda being a hypocrite now. She's been spending the past 6 months with a criminal/terrorist who everyone thinks is dead and the police would be after and isn't telling anyone lol. I hope the writers realize this. 

Edited October 23, 2014 by ban1o

[KirkB]

She never said she WASN'T with Malcolm though. :)

 

Seriously, someone needs to start a Liars Anonymous for these people.

[ban1o]

Also I was thinking. Thea knows that Roy is working for the Arrow, am  I correct in assuming this? 

[Password]

She must suspect as much because she found a bow and arrows in his house.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Limbo

[KirkB]

Last season she knew he was going out and risking his life to try and help the Arrow but I'm not sure she knows he actually IS.

Edited October 23, 2014 by KirkB

[ban1o]

Last season she knew he was going out and risking his life to try and help the Arrow but I'm not sure she knows he actually IS.

Mmm yeah that makes sense I was just thinking if she knew for sure he was working with the Arrow then it would look kinda suspicious that Oliver and Roy are suddenly "best buds" but I might just be speaking from an audience perspective haha. 

Edited October 23, 2014 by ban1o

[SmallScreenDiva]

She knew Roy had always been a huge fan of the Arrow, so him taking up a bow and arrow to be more like a hero wouldn't necessarily raise red flags for her, I think, with regards to who the Arrow is.

[statsgirl]

Does anyone think this isn't going to come back and bite Oliver, hard?

 

I can agree with Diggle that that was not the time to tell Thea, but I hope he tells her soon. Once she's back and settled.  It's going to go better coming from  him, and you know if it's not from Oliver, it's going to come from Malcolm at the time he can use it best.

There is a much discussed phone call in 3.03 that seems to have people up in arms. I assume they are laying the groundwork for Felicity to eventually be this show's version of Oracle/Watchtower/whatever. If so, Laurel/BC and Felicity are going to have many such interactions.

I'd be okay with Laurel and Felicity being team members together. What I'm not okay with is Laurel treating Felicity like her servant.  Zero empathy, Laurel.

Edited October 23, 2014 by statsgirl

[Sunshine]

I have no empathy with Laurel. She has no empathy with any of the characters that I can see. She's pretty condescending towards all the characters.

[KirkB]

Does anything think this isn't going to come back and bite Oliver, hard?

 

I can agree with Diggle that that was not the time to tell Thea, but I hope he tells her soon. Once she's back and settled.  It's going to go better coming from  him, and you know if it's not from Oliver, it's going to come from Malcolm at the time he can use it best.

 

Probably, but I wouldn't be surprised if Thea finds out Oliver is the Arrow at the same time she finds out Malcolm knew and didn't tell her, which turns her against the both of them.

[Axel]

So Ray is obviously Sketcher McSketcherson, which means that his earlier creepy behaviour is supposed to be seen as creepy and not romantic? That's...positive I suppose.

If he does turn out to be evil, I'd like Felicity to be the one to figure it out. She's going to be working pretty closely with him, and she's too smart to not pick up on it.

That being said, maybe he's not evil. Maybe his interest in the weapons has a noble cause and the dramatic score and evil look was just a red herring. Either way, Ray actually just got a bit interesting.

 

 

I thought he's supposed to turn into a superhero at the end ? I don't think he's evil either. He's just supposed to look questionable. It looks like a Buffy/Wood rip-off.

[BkWurm1]

Brought over from the relationship thread

 

The season opener set up the need for Oliver and Felicity to have this distance between them, I get it, I really do.  For a 100 reasons it's makes perfect sense from a writing standpoint and as long as they adhere to the implied promise of removing the wedge between them and letting their time apart make each of them appreciate each other even more, yes, that would be worth some pained episode watching right now. 

My problem is I've been here on other shows thinking, yes, this makes perfect sense for now and its only temporary only for the show runners to decide to keep it as a permanent part of the show.  No explanations included for why two characters who had always been close and found ways to honestly talk and express themselves to each other suddenly were unable, unwilling or just couldn't be bothered to do anything about it.  Yes blame Smallville but in my moments of doom and gloom, this is what creeps into my brain. 

The rest of this post is going to spiral deeper into my worst fears so I'll bring that over to the non-spoiler hopes and fears speculation thread. 

 

 

On Smallville the show runners found themselves with what they decided was a problem.  They had built up over the course or 6-7 seasons a friendship - actually a partnership in the later seasons - so close and natural that even when both characters were with their supposed loves of their life, it was clear they actually got all their emotional support from each other. The vibe was so strong that guest stars on the show had been known to think the BFF original character Chloe was actually Lois Lane and several times in reviews the review just assumed Clark and Chloe were dating/in love and I can add many tales of infrequent viewers that in passing saw the show and made the same assumptions.  TPTB could have followed the natural chemistry they'd built and shown so wonderfully over the course of many seasons but instead they chose to slowly and over time dismantle the friendship.

 

Arrow seems to me at the same crossroads and it seems that it has taken the IMO better path of following where the story wants to go.  They fully acknowledged the feelings between Oliver and Felicity...and then they blew everything up.  I want to believe this is just a woeful stage in the greater plan but there is a fearful part of me that worries they only wrote The Calm to get the Olicity problem out of the way.  Acknowledge it and then destroy it.  Follow. 

 

 

It starts with taking away the touches and glances, even the stuff that is natural and well within just a friendship boundary.  Like offering comfort when a close shared friend dies.  The next step is to separate them so they have less reason to interact.  That way the deep, meaningful conversations or moments of support and understanding go away.  Ah, but this isn't a comic book, they can't just stick a thought bubble over their heads, no, the characters need to interact with someone so we know what is in their heads, so then other characters are shoe horned in to fill/replace the vacuum left. 

 

Then after time, even when the story narrative screams for a follow up scene or some more intimate conversation, they just ignore the need or give the scene to someone else.  Eventually it becomes clear what seemed like a textbook case of break them up so they can grow and come back closer than ever, was just a stalling tactic to get the audience accustom to no longer having what had been a main dynamic on the show.

In the show runner's minds they appease Felicity's fans by giving her a separate plot line of her own which on one hand seems to show her respect as a character, but in reality, it moves her further and further from the heart of the show so they can phase her out altogether or at least quarantine her from interfering with their original plans.  It also is a sneaky way of transitioning viewers, kind of the frog in the boiling water syndrome.  TPTB, by slowly and over time making their changes, they would be hoping that viewers will become accustom to the new direction of the character and not quit in a fit of anger, after all, are we really sure they won't fix this obvious, ongoing problem?  Mind games people, we're talking mind games. 

 

(And they already did a bang up job messing with my heart and mind with the introduction and execution of Sara)

 

 

Maybe they will lose some viewers, but they might get them intrigued about something else in the meantime until they "get over" where the show is now going, plus they'll keep the story line open just enough so as a viewer, I'm going to see a thousand ways this can organically end with them coming back 100% into each other's lives.  And yet, somehow, that easy path back is never taken.     

Lets stay in the rabbit hole just a little longer and examine what they've already accomplished.  They keep using the great brain of Felicity Smoak on Team Arrow but already have Oliver barely reacting to her and what we do get is negative.  Next week Felicity is very reasonably not around much since she's over on The Flash, so we will probably get another week of Oliver not interacting with her but at the same time, I'm sure they will if they need the technobable, slip a shot of her tapping on a laptop and talking on a phone.  They get to have their cake (insert techno wizardry) and eat it too. 

 

Yes, all this doom and gloom is unwarranted this early ...unless it isn't and we won't know until it's too damn late and I HATE it. 

 

This is a show that is terrible at subtle so I keep asking myself, why aren't we getting those looks of longing between Oliver and Felicity that they would do when the other isn't looking?  Why hasn't Felicity had any conversation with Diggle beyond doing her job? See, I'm afraid not just for the future chances of Olicity but I am freaking out that they are taking away the team dynamic and not just between Oliver and Felicity but between Felicity and Diggle. 

 

Last season and even in season one, pains were taken to show the rich relationship between Diggle and Felicity and this year, we don't even get him giving her a hug after what happened to Sara???

 

Honestly, It think it is the lack of personal stuff between Felicity and Diggle that is freaking me out about her future place on the show.  I can't come up for an in show reason for it.  David Ramsey managed to make even his call to her office infused with his warmth toward her character but that was the actor, the dialogue was completely impersonal and yes, that wasn't the time for a deep conversation, but when are we going to get time for it?? The longer we go without it, the more it reminds me of operation phase out. 

The fifth episode I think will be make it or break it time for me.  Either it will restore my faith or fuel all my darkest fears.  I'm just spoiled enough to be sure it can go either way.  All logic tells me, TPTB wouldn't be so stupid as to choose this grim path, but then they are the ones betting on the Fakecanary. 

 

As long as Felicity stays true to her character and remains an intimate partner and friend at the core of Team Arrow, her mere existence would make any attempt at going back to the tainted well of Laurel and Oliver laughable.  If they ever want to try and survive that poison, they have erase Oliver and Felicity's emotional connection.  They could NEVER do full on romantic Olicity and still as long as she is clearly Oliver's touchstone, they know they can't sell Laurel as THE ONE! 

 

So Yes, it's soo early and yes, it's too early to start panicking and most of the time I'm sure the plan is not to ice Felicity to the edges but ever once and a while I get this deep scared pang.  In the end, I think my fears are so close to the surface because right now, the pieces are falling into place in a way that TPTB COULD remove their Felicity problem.   I truly believe if that is ever made dead obvious, it would spell the end of the show but by then it would be too late. 

 

Sigh.  

Edited October 26, 2014 by BkWurm1

[Password]

I'm not surprised people are worries about Olicity and Felicity's status on the show. IMO the show went to great pains to show us who Oliver is in love with and what he wants from life in the premiere. But the show has sort of created this fear when it comes to characters and character growth at the gain of plot contrivance. I don't think Oliver and Laurel will happen again, but I'd wager many Olicity fans would not only opt out of Olicity but out of Arrow if it did happen. They are being fairly obvious about getting Felicity out of the foundry and into the hands of Ray Palmer...I mean into QC and I love that she has her own thing. But I've not been particularly impressed with Oliver's "conceal, don't feel, don't let it show" in relation to Felicity who he was never inclined to do so with.

 

But, as much as I don't trust TPTB I'm willing to give them a chance to see this through. My biggest fear is that they'll make me dislike Felicity and Olicity to the point where I hope they don't get together, and they very well could by over complicating their relationship, and taking away my pleasure from it. For me it's very simple, once I start actively not being able to stand Felicity, I'm out.

 

But...for now I'm willing to see where it goes.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Limbo

[foreverevolving]

Thanks @BkWurm1. I was having such a lovely ending to my day. now i'm depressed.

I'm just gonna go to the corner and cry.