Target Practice: Poisoned Arrow (The Bitterness Thread)

[statsgirl]

I started reading a fanfic where Slade decides to corrupt Felicity by dating her and getting her to fall for him, and my first reaction was happiness that someone was finally paying attention to Felicity, even if it was a psycho who was only using her to get revenge on Oliver.  I guess I'm still upset about the way she fell off the radar of the show between Heir to the Demon and City of Blood. Diggle did too but at least he got Suicide Squad.

[Chairman Meow]

I started reading a fanfic where Slade decides to corrupt Felicity by dating her and getting her to fall for him, and my first reaction was happiness that someone was finally paying attention to Felicity, even if it was a psycho who was only using her to get revenge on Oliver.  I guess I'm still upset about the way she fell off the radar of the show between Heir to the Demon and City of Blood. Diggle did too but at least he got Suicide Squad.

 

I think I need to read that fic!

 

I'm fairly bitter over the way that Felicity is sometimes treated as though she's an actual PART of the lair, rather than a human being.  Not that she isn't a member of the team... but that everyone else on the show has been given some kind of life or focus outside of how they revolve around Oliver, everyone except Felicity.  I mean, let's get real, EBR is gorgeous and even when they try to 'geek her up' with glasses and panda flats (oh no, not GLASSES!!!!) she's still gorgeous and it makes NO sense that the ONLY male attention she's received in two seasons was a brief flirtation with Barry, and the smarmy guy in the elevator in season one. 

 

I personally LOVE fic in which Tommy is still alive and flirts outrageously with Felicity, both because he genuinely likes her and also to get under Oliver's skin.  Speaking of fanfic, have I missed a fanfic thread for Arrow?

[CabotCove]

Oliver surrounding himself with sidekicks in lieu of the family he never had. Bruce Wayne is the loner one of the playboy billionaires, not Oliver.

 

The batman family is almost 3 times as big if not more, than Arrow family was/is. I would say Oliver is way more the lone hero than Bruce. For a brooding hero, bruce surely loves to surround himself with a lot of support system. Bruce/Batman also has the Justice league while Oliver/Green Arrow has been known to reject joining the league and wanting to do his own thing alone

 

Oliver went to Felicity for help in episode 3, and Diggle officially joined the vigilante mission in episode 4. He was doing it alone for exactly the first 2 episodes.

 

Yeah he has been shown to do things effectively on his own (not that he doesn't need any help, he does), but now its like he can't even breathe on his own without Felicity around. And we are meant to now believe that, this so called "team arrow" as a trio is what this show is mainly about. Maybe its time to update the title since the show is still called Arrow. 

Edited July 11, 2014 by Conell

[BkWurm1]

Why is Laurel a blond? Who decided Laurel should be a blond? Why do I have this irrational feeling that KC looked at CL and EBR and decided, oh, it's because they are blond. I must be blond!

 

Now I'm waiting for EBR to change her hair color.  (Which she would still look great if she went dark) But the idea is just really bugging me and I'm probably reading in all sorts of cranky, petty thoughts but I just get this vibe that "someone" is throwing their weight around and would be forcing the change.  (Cause show runners are terrified that their audience is stupid and can't tell characters apart if they have the same hair color / length)

 

Ignore me.  I'm being cranky and about weird stuff that will never be verified.  .

[TanyaKay]

 

Now I'm waiting for EBR to change her hair color.  (Which she would still look great if she went dark) But the idea is just really bugging me and I'm probably reading in all sorts of cranky, petty thoughts but I just get this vibe that "someone" is throwing their weight around and would be forcing the change. 

 

My question is: how can that someone throw their weight around - I mean on what basis?

[BkWurm1]

My question is: how can that someone throw their weight around - I mean on what basis?

I should be ignored-I was doing some freaking out - you get a bug in your head, ya know? But what I was implying was someone deciding they now want to be the blond with long hair on the show and thereby forcing the show runners to make the existing cast member with less status change their look to accommodate the whims of the contracted lead.

Edited July 13, 2014 by BkWurm1

[statsgirl]

That happened on House -- when Olivia Wilde was hired, Jennifer Morrison's long brown hair suddenly went blonde (and some people still had trouble telling them apart) but fortunately the EPs of Arrow value EBR much more than David Shore did Morrison.

 

Laurel is the only one of the main cast who has long brown hair.  It's been getting lighter and lighter, but that makes no sense unless she wants to have Sara's hair as well as her jacket.

[BkWurm1]

In the 9th season of Stargate SG1 they brought on Ben Browder. For a good part of the season they had Michael Shanks wear a partial beard (no complaints here) so viewers wouldn't get them mixed up.

[FAU]

 

Laurel is the only one of the main cast who has long brown hair.  It's been getting lighter and lighter, but that makes no sense unless she wants to have Sara's hair as well as her jacket.

 

Now that's just creepy, even trying to look like her instead of actually being her own character but I guess the writers aren't even trying now.

[apinknightmare]

Now that's just creepy, even trying to look like her instead of actually being her own character but I guess the writers aren't even trying now.

 

KC had been blonde (or at least had lighter hair) for YEARS - the brunette was something fairly recent. I think she looks better with darker hair, but maybe she's going light because she likes it/feels more comfortable that way? Not everything is nefarious.

[FAU]

KC had been blonde (or at least had lighter hair) for YEARS - the brunette was something fairly recent. I think she looks better with darker hair, but maybe she's going light because she likes it/feels more comfortable that way? Not everything is nefarious.

 

It's possibly a stylistic choice or one based on the direction of her character, so of course people will analyze these things.

[apinknightmare]

It's possibly a stylistic choice or one based on the direction of her character, so of course people will analyze these things.

 

I know, I'm just throwing in my $.02. The wardrobe people/stylists seem to let her (and maybe others, I don't know) keep some of her personal style on the show, with her nails and all the rings she likes to wear. It's possible that she likes her hair like that, and they just don't care as long as it looks good on camera.

[BkWurm1]

Maybe she has some basic control over her appearance in her contract? I only suggest that cause most shows I've watched in the past are almost obsessive about keeping hair colors and styles different and distinctive (hence part of my surprise when KC went blond).

[calliope1975]

SA has said his hair and beard have to be a certain length. And I remember after the Felicity (tv show, not character) hair disaster, shows started being more stringent in their actors' appearances. But maybe it only applies to certain characters. I'm sure KC cleared her blondeness with the EPs as they didn't make her dye it dark again. 

[BkWurm1]

I figured she was just going blond for the summer. I was surprised she kept the look.

[tv echo]

I think the EPs  envisioned Laurel as a brunette when the show started and that's why KC dyed her hair brown.  Since we've had a brunette Laurel  for two years, what's the character's motivation for becoming a blonde?  My sister left to become an assassin again, my father was seriously injured - I think I'll dye my hair blonde.

 

KC can't have been happy with the Season 2 cast poster where she was relegated to the background.  I think the Season 3 cast poster (whenever it comes out) will be very telling as to how much 'weight' she actually has on the show...

Edited July 13, 2014 by tv echo

[Sakura12]

The only thing is dying her hair blond and being happy to get Sara's hero jacket just looks like she is trying to live her sister's life. 

[FAU]

I think the EPs  envisioned Laurel as a brunette when the show started and that's why KC dyed her hair brown.  Since we've had a brunette Laurel  for two years, what's the character's motivation for becoming a blonde?  My sister left to become an assassin again, my father was seriously injured - I think I'll dye my hair blonde.

 

KC can't have been happy with the Season 2 cast poster where she was relegated to the background.  I think the Season 3 cast poster (whenever it comes out) will be very telling as to how much 'weight' she actually has on the show...

 

It certainly 'fits' just as well as everything else the writers have done with her character.

[Sakura12]

I could see the writers thinking that they've given Laurel every personality they can think of and nothing worked, people like Sara so now they'll just give Laurel, Sara's personality and everyone will love her. Because for some reason they don't know how characters work when it comes to Laurel. 

Edited July 13, 2014 by Sakura12

[HighwayFlower]

Because she has been so vocal about wanting the BC role, the blond hair just looks like more of that, even if it wasn't her intention.

[writersblock51]

I suppose there are some folks out there who are thriled that that she now has blond hair and is working out.  I've read some of the comments whenever she or the show post something on twitter or FB, and there are some 'finally!' or 'it's about time!' or 'Laurel is the real Black Canary!' type of stuff.  Those comments are outnumbered in every instance I've seen, but I know there are fans who equate blond hair and working out with being BC. 

 

The blond hair thing is stupid, though.  Sara's hair is blond, Laurel's is brunette.  BC wears a blond wig, so KC/Laurel lightening up her hair is eye roll worthy, IMO. 

 

I think this is a mileage may vary thing.  I believe the show and KC subscribe to the blond + workout = BC idea but, as I posted upthread, it's an idea that will likely cause more damage to the show than it will help.

 

Going forward, I plan to use the Blackmail Canary nickname for Laurel, if and when she takes on her sister's life.  If Laurel becomes Manhunter, that would be better and easier, I think, to accept. 

[HighwayFlower]

I love Blackmail Canary. If it happens, she will always be that to me too.

[Sakura12]

Blackmail Canary wouldn't even need master level marital arts skills, she won't have to waste the years it would take for even to be near Sara's level. She can put on a suit now and blackmail everyone until they do her bidding. 

 

I really wonder if they are going with Laurel doesn't need her own identity or her hero name she can just take Sara's and all will be fine. 

[quarks]

So I just rewatched Betrayal and put up my post about it, and I am now bitter all over again that we've lost the nuanced, complex character of Moira Queen who never bothers to tell her driver that she's attending the 50th birthday party of a friend and fails to bring that friend presents, but we're keeping Laurel Lance.

[Starfish35]

Yes I would have far far rather kept Moira than Laurel.

[statsgirl]

As a character and the actress portraying her, Moira is much, much better mileage.  The longer Laurel is on, the more useless to the main show she is.

In the 9th season of Stargate SG1 they brought on Ben Browder. For a good part of the season they had Michael Shanks wear a partial beard (no complaints here) so viewers wouldn't get them mixed up.

They also had alien Vala lampshade (?) it, commenting on the apparently limited gene pool of Earth humans.

 

I know, I'm just throwing in my $.02. The wardrobe people/stylists seem to let her (and maybe others, I don't know) keep some of her personal style on the show, with her nails and all the rings she likes to wear. It's possible that she likes her hair like that, and they just don't care as long as it looks good on camera.

They seem to have let her have whatever she wanted in clothes and jewelry in s2, and it pushed the character into an even more unrealistic zone wearing clothes that may have fit her fashion blog but were inappropriate for a junior attorney.  (Her McQueen tweet last week "I want to empower women.  I want people to be afraid of the women I dress" just seemed wrong to me.)   Maybe they're doing that because they don't know what to do with Laurel and this is the trade-off but I don't think they will be able to write a consistent, cohesive Laurel as long as they let KC do her outlier fashion thing on the show.

[Starfish35]

Clothes, jewelry, makeup, hair..... She looked like a runway model's idea of business professional. :( Especially with the weight loss. (And no one will ever convince me that was for the show.)

Edited July 14, 2014 by Starfish35

[catrox14]

Blackmail Canary must remain forever more as the only appropriate name for Laurel Lance. I applaud you.

[TanyaKay]

Clothes, jewelry, makeup, hair..... She looked like a runway model's idea of business professional. :( Especially with the weight loss. (And no one will ever convince me that was for the show.)

 

exactly - I mean she has been posting photos for last 4 months about how she is working out and bulking up her arms for season 3, if she had lost that weight for the show, we would hear it till the cows come home - about how she is worthy of an Emmy that she has lost weight to be in character. I think she lost that weight for her fashion blog launch. She probably thought that if she looks wasted enough, she will get some big modelling contract or something which she sadly did not and then people start commenting that she looked horrible so she gained back some weight.

I am not into fashion but even I know that heroine addict chic is very 1990s and no one is doing that in 2013-2014.

Going by KC's photo, looks like she has eased up on botox as well - I actually saw some movement on her forehead in the photos.

I know, I'm just throwing in my $.02. The wardrobe people/stylists seem to let her (and maybe others, I don't know) keep some of her personal style on the show, with her nails and all the rings she likes to wear. It's possible that she likes her hair like that, and they just don't care as long as it looks good on camera.

 

it was weirder in the flashbacks. I mean in 2x19 when they showed Oliver's baby mama's pregnancy. She was shown with two shaded nails and 56 rings. If I recall correctly, the multishade nails trend is about three years old. No one in 2006 or 2007 were doing those nails and wearing 56 rings. It just reflected poorly on the show - that's all.

[catrox14]

I would be VERY surprised if the show allowed her to change her hair without a good reason related to the show especially since she is a co-lead(on paper). It might be a CW thing because the guys on SPN have stated how they are not allowed to grow heavy beards or cut their hair, and Amell has said his hair must be just so.

[AnyoneButYou]

SA has said his hair and beard have to be a certain length. And I remember after the Felicity (tv show, not character) hair disaster, shows started being more stringent in their actors' appearances. But maybe it only applies to certain characters. I'm sure KC cleared her blondeness with the EPs as they didn't make her dye it dark again. 

Yeah, I think the WB and the CW (at least in the first few years) had a "Felicity Clause" becuase of Keri Russell's hair fiasco. The WB blamed the show declining ratings on Keri chopping her hair off, so no one was allowed to cut their hair without network approval. I remember Kristin Kreuk complained about not being able to cut her hair short because of Felicity. As soon as she left Smallville, she chopped her hair off.

 

Also, Erica Durance complained about not being able to go back to her natural brunette because the Smallville producers wanted her blonde since Lana was brunette. As soon as KK left the show, she got to dye her back to her natural color. I don't even know how anyone could confuse ED and KK since ED is like a foot taller, but whatever. Producers and networks are weird about actors' appearances.

 

I think Katie Cassidy just does whatever she wants, though, for some reason. Laurel has been morphing into KC for a while now.

[catrox14]

I think Katie Cassidy just does whatever she wants, though, for some reason. Laurel has been morphing into KC for a while now.

 

I would argue that Amell, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have a lot more weight to throw about certain aspects of their characters and even they can't get dispensation to make that kind of a change. I can't fathom why Cassidy would be able to change appearance unless the network gave her the OK

[wonderwall]

To be honest I don't understand why people get ridiculously excited about the characters looks. Fanboys were bouncing off the walls when SA started growing out his beard and now they are all excited about Laurels blonde hair and are saying that she'll be wearing the fishnets soon. What the hell? I mean they're just appearances and hold no meaning whatsoever. So when KC dyes her hair blonde I smh because she doesn't understand the fundamental issues with her character and so this leads me to believe that she won't be playing laurel any differently which disappoints me. And fishnets shouldn't even exist on the show. It may be okay in the comics but it's borderline tasteless in a television show.

Also after the synopsis release I've been seeing many people say that the writers are now pandering to the shippers... at least oliver and felicity developed their relationship but laurel? laurels mere existence and direction (becoming BC and a part of team arrow) is the definition of fan pandering

[TanyaKay]

I think Katie Cassidy just does whatever she wants, though, for some reason. Laurel has been morphing into KC for a while now.

 

I guess no one cares what she does. Her hair were considerably lighter in second season and she lost a tonne of weight and she did not need to do either - there was no explanation as why did that happen on the show. Her wardrobe also became much flashier (anyone remember hot pink trousers in the DA's office in the earlier episodes of the season 3?) I do agree that LL is morphing into KC - perhaps KC has it in her contract that as she is a fashion blogger, she will do her own styling. Some times actors do that but in her case it backfired - at least she looked like a Lawyer in season one even when she did not act like one but it was a sartorial disaster in season 2.

If I recall correctly, Leighton Meester had blonde highlights during the second season of Gossip Girl (She had dark brown hair for all the other 5 seasons) and there was no explanation for that either.

Another example is Friends, when the show started Jennifer Aniston had dark hair and that iconic 'Rachael cut' and by the time it ended, she had long blonde hair and had had just about every color in between in all the ten seasons, it happens. For some characters, things are more stringent (like Felicity's glasses and colorful clothes - they are part of her character) but for some, they are more lenient.

Sometimes they just let actresses do whatever they want to.

[catrox14]

I think in the case of Jennifer Aniston, well it's Jennifer Aniston, Friends ruled the airwaves, and Rachel Green was a fashion maven and began working for Bloomingdale's and Ralph Lauren, so it made perfect sense for her character to change styles.

 

Laurel Lance meh. I'm still going with Laurel is going to steal Sara's identity

[AnyoneButYou]

I don't know. I have a feeling KC dyed her hair blonde and was all excited about it because "comic reasons" when in reality it was because Katie wanted her hair blonde, and maybe the producers just figured it wasn't worth fighting about. No one seems to fight her about the 56 rings she wears on the show, and I'm pretty sure all of them are KC's rings. They certainly don't fit in with her character.

 

I sort of just get the feeling that KC has made her unhappiness with her character known and the producers are picking their battles with her. It's obvious she wants it all. I'm just speculating this all from her complete silence at the beginning of last season to her complete turnaround where she's talking about the show constantly now. She wants to be the superhero. She wants to be the love interest. I don't think the producers necessarily know if they should give it all to her because of ratings reasons, so they're just giving her some of the superficial stuff to appease her.

Edited July 14, 2014 by AnyoneButYou

[patchwork]

Unless it's a continuity thing like the new season's picking up from last season's cliffhanger but their hair's different I tend not to think much about changes in hairstyle. I just figure the character changed their hair because they fancied a change and it's not a big deal.

 

Though I suppose I should be honest and confess that my hair has been every colour of the rainbow and I change it on a whim.

 

I personally think KC looks better with dark hair and it works well in cast group shots. If she has a Felicity Clause it's probably more about length than colour because everyone knows short hair on women is for sidekicks, never for the lead.   

Edited July 14, 2014 by patchwork

[tv echo]

What the actor or actress wants in terms of hair color and clothing preference should be irrelevant.  They're hired to portray a character and serve a story.  It's the director's or producer's vision of the show that should determine how that character looks and dresses.  If a character changes hair style or color, or dresses a certain way, there should be some character-driven or story-driven motivation for it.

 

Maybe Laurel's motivation is that she wants a new hair color to show her new outlook on life after 'overcoming her drug/alcohol addiction', getting past the personal drama, and surviving a life-threatening situation?  However, if my loved sister had left town to be an assassin and my father had been seriously injured, and my city had been nearly destroyed, I'd be more worried about them and about rebuilding the city, and less worried about my looks.  I certainly wouldn't be going out and getting blonde highlights for my hair - even five months later.

[quarks]

To add to what @AnyoneButYou said above, with Cassidy the show is dealing with an actress who did not get the role she was promised or thinks she was promised - and from the drastic changes between what Laurel was doing in the first couple of episodes to whatever she happens to be doing in later episodes, plus what was said before the show aired, I tend to believe Cassidy on this one.  Her screentime has been drastically reduced, and last season she had to watch other actresses take over her love interest and Black Canary roles. She said that was difficult and disappointing, and again, I believe that.  Add in that she's been facing ongoing criticism from TV reviewers, vitriol from fans which only got worse this season, and even issues with her own fans who are disappointed about the writing for Laurel (and they have a point), and I can definitely see the producers and the network saying, yeah, in this case, we can let the hair go. I don't personally subscribe to the theory that the producers love Cassidy/Laurel (as a Lost fan I remember what happened when those showrunners genuinely did love Kate/her actress, and Grimm where the showrunners really do not want to recast/get rid of Juliette for a number of reasons whatever the fan response, and that's not what's been happening to Laurel here) but they are human and do work with her on a daily basis. 

 

Regarding her wardrobe: it's possible that the show is just saving money by letting Cassidy model clothes lent out by designers. Several shows do this, and the producers keep mentioning budget issues for this show, so maybe?  

[tv echo]

Regarding her wardrobe: it's possible that the show is just saving money by letting Cassidy model clothes lent out by designers. Several shows do this, and the producers keep mentioning budget issues for this show, so maybe?

Again, unless Laurel has a trust fund, she's living on a government job salary and, before that, on a nonprofit law job salary, so where's the money coming from for her designer duds?  At least Rachel Dawes in the Batman movies looked and dressed the part, and those movies had a much bigger budget.  Laurel often looks and dresses like she should be on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Edited July 14, 2014 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

Well, to be fair, Felicity doesn't exactly dress like your typical EA, either.

[tv echo]

Actually, I've seen EAs in large. high-powered firms dress pretty fashionably (not that differently from Felicity).  Also, Felicity

was given that $1M severance pay by Oliver after Season 1 so she has the money to spend

.

 

But I can give a handwave to the way all the women are dressed on Arrow.  It's the CW after all.  More significant is the way the show has screwed up some character development.

Edited July 14, 2014 by tv echo

[icandigit]

Yeah. But, EBR doesn't have fashion blog she's trying to pimp. At least not that I know of.

[Velocity23]

But wasn't some of that money spent on renovating the improved lair in Olivers absence?

[apinknightmare]

Yeah. But, EBR doesn't have fashion blog she's trying to pimp. At least not that I know of.

The clothing that KC wears on the show isn't anything like the clothes that she posts on her blog though.

But I can give a handwave to the way all the women are dressed on Arrow. It's the CW after all. More significant is the way the show has screwed up some character development.

Yeah, ultimately I don't really care what any of them wear or what color/style their hair is (although I'm glad SA has to keep his scruff). It's the writing that worries me most of the time.

Edited July 14, 2014 by apinknightmare

[icandigit]

What about the billion rings.

[writersblock51]

The rings drive me nuts, for her job, especially.  But I'm not a ring person.

 

I don't care overly much about the hair color KC is sporting BUT I do think it matters to her in that she's more than aware of the effect it has on her fans (and fans of Sara).   I think she knows the hair color 'matters' enough to boost her as BC in terms of expectation, regardless of the reaction from fans of the show.  Ditto with her workout photos.  She & her trainer have been posting multiple shots of her workouts, whereas Willa, EBR and Caity have maybe one or 2. 

 

So add the hair and the workouts, and yes, I think KC knows she's changing her image for the show.  Whether she's becoming BC or not, I think she's signaling that she wants and expects to.

[dtissagirl]

So add the hair and the workouts, and yes, I think KC knows she's changing her image for the show.  Whether she's becoming BC or not, I think she's signaling that she wants and expects to.

THIS. And let's not forget all the pics wearing black leather jackets she's been posting lately as well. This is KC's idea of method acting, apparently. Excuse me while I burst a muscle from LOLing.

[statsgirl]

"Dress for the position you want to have" is the advice my old college professor gave me.

I think Katie Cassidy just does whatever she wants, though, for some reason. Laurel has been morphing into KC for a while now.

Yes.  And it makes me bitter.

 

It also hurts the show because Katie Cassidy fashionista is a long, long way from who Laurel Lance should be.  It wouldn't matter if they moved her off the show sometime this season but if she's staying, it mocks the idea that there is an actual plan for the show.

 

(Michael Shanks got tired of his long hair on Stargate SG:1 but they didn't want him to cut it because James Spader had long floppy hair in the movie so he told them he had to get it cut  because he was in a Shakespeare play and so they let him.  On the same show, Amanda Tapping jokingly complained that she wanted to grow her hair longer but couldn't because every season ended on a cliff-hanger and so her hair had to be the same at the start of the next season as it was at the end.  When the show finally ended, she grew her hair out and you can see it longer on SG: Atlantis.)

 

 

Regarding her wardrobe: it's possible that the show is just saving money by letting Cassidy model clothes lent out by designers. Several shows do this, and the producers keep mentioning budget issues for this show, so maybe?

It's possible but I think they should at least keep an eye on what she's wearing (a white coat to break into a government building?) so it doesn't look ridiculous.  

 

Fashion designers sometimes have two sets of designs, those for the runway and people who get photographed a lot like the Kardashians, and another, toned-down set ordinary people can wear every day.  If KC is wearing designers clothes for Laurel, they should be from the second group rather than the first.

[AnyoneButYou]

My job isn't nearly as stuffy as Laurel's, but we have rules about jewlery and nail polish - neutral nail polish and minimal jewlery. So, it makes me cringe whenever the camera pans to KC's hands (and they do this a lot), and I see black nail polish and 56 rings. They just don't go with her job at all. The hair wouldn't normally bother me, but because she plays Laurel, it bothers me because now everyone's like, "This means she's Black Canary!"