Serena April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) The point is, this definitely isn’t the first time a major ’ship like Olicity has actually come to fruition, but it’s certainly the first time — in my memory, at least — that a pairing that wasn’t initially endgame (I’d say initially that was Laurel and Oliver) overtook the show both due as much to the actors’ chemistry, as fan response. Really? I can think of a couple just off the top of my head just on the CW. It actually happens quite often. Someone who writes for MTV should be a little bit more knowledgeable about pop culture. Edited April 23, 2015 by Serena 4 Link to comment
SonofaBiscuit April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 Yes, Pacey and Joey come to mind... Link to comment
Carrie Ann April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 This person also used "fanwank" when they meant something like fan-service, so, yeah, I'm not sure I'd take them as an authority. (That's one of the nerdiest things I've ever said!) 2 Link to comment
FurryFury April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) The point is, this definitely isn’t the first time a major ’ship like Olicity has actually come to fruition, but it’s certainly the first time — in my memory, at least — that a pairing that wasn’t initially endgame (I’d say initially that was Laurel and Oliver) overtook the show both due as much to the actors’ chemistry, as fan response. That's idiotic, fan preferred couples becoming canon happen all the time. I mean, on The CW it's probably a more common occurrence than the planned endgame pairing being actually popular. Edited April 23, 2015 by FurryFury 2 Link to comment
wonderwall April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 Another Vulture article but this is all about Oliver/Felicity -- Basically it's a recap of their relationship :) The Long, Chaste Road to Wednesday Night’s Big ‘Olicity’ Moment on ArrowBy Jenny Raftery http://www.vulture.com/2015/04/arrow-oliver-felicity-big-olicity-moment.html 3 Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) 3x20 review by Erik Kain, Forbes Contributor (I have a feeling he identifies more with the 'nice guy' than the 'bad boy')... 'Arrow' Season 3, Episode 20 Review: The Fallenhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/04/23/arrow-season-3-episode-20-review-the-fallen/ The weird thing about all of this is that we all knew it was coming. Whether or not we saw the preview for the episode, we could see the Felicity/Oliver hook-up in the works as she bizarrely rebuffed Ray Palmer’s love and affection. (On a side note here, what on earth is Felicity thinking? Her and Ray are perfect together. Oliver is just the “bad boy” fantasy. How dumb.)* * *Another thing that’s been nagging at me: Why Oliver Queen? Why is Ra’s so insistent on making him the Demon’s Head? It feels a bit contrived, even with the prophecy angle. There are so many other less troublesome options available to Ra’s.* * *All told, this was a pretty good episode, just not a very surprising one....* * *And Felicity attempted to kidnap Oliver and rescue him from the League, a plan that died in its cradle. I enjoyed the action sequences and it was good to see Oliver and Felicity finally just do it already, though I think she’s making an awful mistake. Nice guys have it rough—even billionaire nice guys. Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) Jessica Breaux's review of 3x20... Arrow “The Fallen” Review (Season 3, Episode 20)http://www.tvequals.com/2015/04/23/arrow-fallen-review-season-3-episode-20/ Oliver’s time on Nanda Parbat was also the first (and only) time he and Felicity got a chance to be together. Ever since Oliver walked into Felicity’s office that first time, I’ve wanted Ollicity to be a thing. They just make each other better. Part of me is glad they finally stopped dancing around each other and pretending that they aren’t deeply in love. It’s been frustrating watching them hurt each other over and over again. Part of it is stubbornness but most of it is Oliver being an idiot. When Felicity decided to stop playing around and go get her man, I literally breathed a sigh of relief. But instead of that scene being as passionate or as desperate as I thought it would be, it actually seemed more sad than anything else. Instead of that being a happy moment for both of them, it was bittersweet. Yes, they were finally together but the circumstances weren’t ideal. Oliver was saying goodbye to the woman he loves. It’s not a love borne out of necessity like it was with Shado or out of shared tragedy like it was with Sarah. This is a love borne out of genuine respect and friendship. This is a love of the deepest and strongest kind. Oliver knew he wasn’t going home. He knew he was probably never going to be able to see Felicity again. Or at the very least, he was never going to be able to look her in the eye again. For her part, Felicity never gave up trying to save Oliver from himself. She figured he would be angry at her for trying to stop him, but she also knew that she would never be able to live with herself if she didn’t at least try. It kind of broke my heart a little bit. Now that they’ve both declared and consummated their love for each other, I sincerely hope love with be able to save them. Because it doesn’t matter what Oliver says, he’s not going to be alright without Felicity and she definitely isn’t going to be alright without him. Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo 5 Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) Laurel Brown's 3x20 recap (where she tries to be funny)... Arrow Recap: Relive the Sexy Times in Nanda Parbat with The Fallen GIFs http://www.docbrowntv.com/arrow-recap-relive-sexy-times-nanda-parbat-fallen-gifs/ Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) Esther Inglis-Arkell's 3x20 review posted at io9 (she makes Indiana Jones comparisons! plus the excerpts I've quoted)... It Finally Happened On Arrow, And It Was Awesomehttp://io9.com/it-finally-happened-on-arrow-and-it-was-awesome-1699650478 I’ll be honest. For a long time, I thought the show wasn’t going to do it. I thought we would be put in a headlock and forced to watch Ollie and Laurel mate out of obligation like a couple of zoo pandas. I thought the show would just keep trying to delay and defuse the Ollie and Felicity situation. A few episodes ago I started to have hope....* * *The hook-up scene is well done. It’s still steeped in pulp aesthetics, which might not be for everyone (although it sure as hell is for me). The bed that Oliver and Felicity stretch out on (still with their pants on), has a chandelier under a canopy under another canopy and what looks like at least two sets of curtains. And is it red? You know it is. Also I don’t think I’ve seen a camera end a love scene by panning to candles since the regency stuff they used to film in the ‘60s.It’s a good scene, though. Despite the over-the-top setting and circumstances it doesn’t succumb to the old “we cannot hold back our burning passion” cliche. It’s friendly and just slightly awkward, which is perfect for the two people involved. * * * Dig hauls Ollie’s body around like a sack of potatoes, Thea is a Lazarus-addled nut, and Malcolm is the dogsbody, helping as much as he can under orders from Felicity.... Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) Arrow 3x20 Olicity Heart-to-Heart: Let’s Get It OnMARILYN_PORTER THU APR 23 2015 12:03PMhttp://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2015/04/arrow-season-3-episode-20-olicity-heart-to-heart-lets-get-it-on So she goes to Oliver’s room and instead of trying to convince him to leave, she tells him she loves him. That’s pretty much all the incentive Oliver needed, because he removes her glasses and these two get down to business. I watched this scene no fewer than ten times before writing this recap and each time I stare at the TV, unblinking. It’s hot, passionate, tender, loving, desperate, and so incredibly explosive that I almost can’t believe this ran on national television. Felicity removing her bra? YEP. Oliver’s hands moving over her newly revealed skin as though he doesn’t know where to touch first? YEP. Grinding and thrusting and kissing until you feel your skin is going to catch fire? OH, YEP. Guys, we have a new gold standard in television love scenes, at least as far as network television goes.* * *... There’s a touching scene with Thea and Diggle (and is it just me or did anyone get any goosebumps off of Oliver insistence that no matter what happens, he and Dig will always be brothers? Foreshadowing!). Then we get an amazing good-bye scene with Oliver and Felicity. They’re both as reluctant as the other to part. He tells her the only way he’ll be able to survive is knowing she’s out there, living a happy life. It’s emotional and wrenching with a good dose of “there’s more to this story” going on. Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
Password April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 Hmm I wonder what that reviewer means by bad boy. Link to comment
tv echo April 23, 2015 Share April 23, 2015 (edited) Arrow s3, episode 20 recap: Sex, death and big twists in 'The Fallen'By Morgan Jeffery Thursday, Apr 23 2015, 4:00pm EDThttp://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s206/arrow/recaps/a643759/arrow-s3-episode-20-recap-sex-death-and-big-twists-in-the-fallen.html#~paIiXgPilcdnhN It was inevitable that, as it progressed, Arrow would move further and further away from its more grounded origins. Last week saw the debut of the show's first meta-human - and, here, the fantastical Lazarus Pit comes to the fore. In many ways, on many fronts, that's what 'The Fallen' is all about - giving in to the inevitable....* * *The attack on Thea leaves Ollie panicked, vulnerable and helpless. In short, he's an emotional wreck - allowing us a rare glimpse behind the stony facade and allowing Stephen Amell to deliver what it's fair to say is some of his best and most emotive work on the series to date.* * *So Felicity bids Ollie a fond farewell - and I do mean fond. That sound you can hear right now is the echoes of high-pitched squees emanating from millions of shippers around the world.* * *No, some things truly are inevitable - like death, taxes and Olicity - and Oliver is convinced that his fate as the heir to the Demon is one such incontrovertible truth.* * *Oliver Queen is dead - our hero has become the villain. The end? Not a bit of it. With sex, death and pay-offs to developments that have been brewing since the pilot, this episode sees Arrow with its emotional stakes seemingly at their very highest. Edited April 23, 2015 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
BkWurm1 April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 The hook-up scene is well done. It’s still steeped in pulp aesthetics, which might not be for everyone (although it sure as hell is for me). The bed that Oliver and Felicity stretch out on (still with their pants on), has a chandelier under a canopy under another canopy and what looks like at least two sets of curtains. And is it red? You know it is. Also I don’t think I’ve seen a camera end a love scene by panning to candles since the regency stuff they used to film in the ‘60s. Well this reviewer obviously didn't watching it 10 times and in slow mo. Falling down on his job if you ask me. ;) 5 Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) Robert Dougherty's review of 3x20 (gives it "the most negative 9/10 review in online history")... 'Arrow' "The Fallen" ReviewBy Robert Dougherty April 23, 2015 06:30PM EDThttp://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-fallen-review “Everything I did, everything that happened has led me right here, to this moment” – Oliver Queen, speaking for himself and the Olicity fandom.* * *... As the EMTs fight an almost useless battle to save her, Stephen Amell begins shattering the hearts of audiences in watching helplessly, and virtually shrinking inside of himself both before and after he hears the inevitable verdict....* * *... Oliver’s current best friend and old best friend bring the next epic emotional blows, as Diggle cuts the entire League of Assassins philosophy down to size. However, Maseo shoots back by sharing his own grief, giving Karl Yune his most impressive showcase to date in either timeline.* * *I will leave it to others to rate just how steamy that scene is, compared to other CW and TV sex landmarks. I will leave it to those on Tumblr to gif every waking second and movement for as long as Arrow is on the air, and probably much longer. All can trust me when I say that the Olicity and Arrow fandom haven’t begun to start picking up, savoring every word, gesture and action, and that will probably stay true well after the actual season finale. I can only add the requisite praise for Rickards almost lighting up, as best Felicity can under the circumstances, as she builds up to the words Oliver only dreamed he would hear from her – and perhaps far too many fans attacked her for not saying earlier. I can also add the requisite praise for the – for lack of a better word – awe Amell shows as they proceed. And I can also give a shout out to composer Blake Neely for his part as well, while also reflecting on how this “first time” sex scene for Oliver isn’t scored to the perhaps accidentally telling song “Radioactive” like the one he had with his last supposed one true love. Nevertheless, I have to needle a bit on the cliché of ending the scene with a shot of a flickering candle – and the fact that they still have the most jarring cut to Hong Kong yet after that instead of going to commercial....* * *The last 20 minutes do bring another glorious moment of Felicity in command – this time to Malcolm – an actual snippet of Felicity and Thea interacting to a point, a goodbye scene between Oliver and Diggle that almost evokes the most tears of the episode, and a final shot of Oliver and Felicity that is just begging to be put alongside the kiss in episode 301 on Tumblr.* * *I have gone on the record, many many times, stating that what I truly wanted at this point and time from Olicity wasn’t sex. What I truly wanted was a sign that despite Oliver agreeing to stay as Ra’s al Ghul, there was a sign deep down that sex with Felicity and hearing him say she loved him would finally change his way of thinking. That it would make him truly begin to reconsider he was wrong all along to believe the way he did about love, Felicity and his identity all season, and that even as he took the rank of Ah Sah-Him, a part of him deep down had not truly given up that he would ever be Oliver Queen or be with Felicity again. Some of us actually started to think that The Fallen would set up a secret end game plan between Oliver and Felicity where they plotted the downfall of Ra’s from within before parting, and it would be unveiled in the finale like the “I love you” gambit was last year....* * *Perhaps half of it is me just not seeing it, asking for things that are supposedly impossible and missing the subtleties of what I did see. However, Arrow is so laughably unsubtle at almost every turn in the big moments, even and especially in Olicity moments, it really is too late to play the subtlety card -- with Ra's final declaration to Oliver as further proof. Unless there's another fakeout soon that I can't see coming yet, I don't believe right now that the episode did the one thing, more than sex and I love yous, I wanted and needed more than anything to be hopeful and forgiving. Edited April 24, 2015 by tv echo 3 Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) WeMinoredInFilm's very critical review of 3x20 (most criticisms are valid, a few are less valid, imo - still a good read)... ARROW’S “THE FALLEN” (S3,EP20): SO THAT HAPPENEDPosted on April 23, 2015 by Kelly Kondahttp://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/04/23/arrows-the-fallen-s3ep20-so-that-happened/ 3. Did Felicity’s hair change style and color from her first scene to the moment she got on the jet and throughout the rest of the episode? Or was that just me?4. We desperately need someone to put a big map on a table and point to Starling City and then to Nanda Parbat so we can finally get a sense of their distance from one another.5. Missed Opportunity for a Joss Whedon Moment: Felicity could have interrupted Ra’s big dramatic speech by bumrushing him and pushing him into the giant pit he was standing next to. How could she have pulled that off? Well….6. Oliver and Ra’s Are So Alike: Ra’s also likes to turn his back to people while delivering dramatic monologues. Edited April 24, 2015 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) This is the second review I've read that makes an Indiana Jones comparison, but my favorite part of this review is quoted below (review also includes some nice still shots from this episode)... Arrow: The Fallen Recap – Rebirths and Olicity Romantic MomentsBy Autumn Topping @SilverPetticoat · On April 23, 2015http://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2015/04/23/arrow-the-fallen-recap-rebirths-and-olicity-romantic-moments/ One of the greatest aspects of the entire episode was the return to the epic scope of the Oliver/Felicity relationship. In order to get to this moment, much of the season dragged and faltered with too much time spent on similar scenes between the two. Finally, their arc can move forward and moving forward works much better for their authentic development.* * *To be honest, I don’t think most couples sleeping together this quickly work because I like the long game (like Scully and Mulder) best, but it works if the couple is able to create other obstacles. So you kind of knew a new obstacle was on its way.* * *Instead, they just kiss and Felicity walks away, tears in Oliver’s eyes. This is the beginning of these lovers’ new obstacle. If choice will no longer keep them apart, it comes down to forced circumstance, love thwarted. Now they can love one another from a distance, until the day they can be reunited once more (if ever). If I’m being honest, their “goodbye” scene was kind of my favorite of the whole episode. Steamy, right? Evil eyes, right? Edited April 24, 2015 by tv echo Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Mordecai & Corrina make a lot of really snarky criticisms, and Corrina is a Raylicity shipper so that affects her comments on the romantic aspects of this episode (plus another Indiana Jones reference!)... Same Geek Channel Review: ‘Arrow’ Episode 320 “The Fallen”Posted on 24 April, 2015 by Mordechai Luchinshttp://geekdad.com/2015/04/sgc-arrow-320/ Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) Incidentally, this review is accompanied by a really nice pic of SA (unrelated to this episode)... Arrow: 3×20 Review – The FallenBy: Alisha Bjorklund 2 hours agohttp://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/04/arrow-3x20-review-fallen/ As determined as Oliver is to get his way, Felicity is doubly so. She outright states, “I’m going with you” and leaves no room for argument. This is the first, and definitely not the last, scene where Felicity takes control and shows off just how brave and ballsy she can be. By the end of the episode, she earned the title of “#1 Bad Ass.”* * *As for that lovemaking scene, that was about reciprocation. Not just in the physical sense of sharing each other’s pleasure, but also emotional reciprocation. Felicity expressed her love and opened up (like Oliver did on the jet) about how much good he’s done for his city, for his friends, and for her. He’s done so much good, despite his dark past, and Felicity is grateful for that. Even though she knows leaving him will devastate her, she’s still grateful for it all. So they let the love and passion consume them like fire. They forget, even if just for just a little while, everything that is crumbling around them to embrace the light and bask its glow. Even in the afterglow, when Oliver and Felicity toast, a fire still burns bright in the darkness. That fire is Felicity Smoak. In one of the most bad-ass moves we’ve seen on this show, Felicity drugs Oliver so that she can try her last-resort plan to get him out of the League. Felicity refuses to give up without a fight, and she can’t leave Oliver. She won’t. We already know that she can’t be happy if Oliver isn’t in her life. So Felicity lies to him, out of love, and risks everything for one final attempt to make their story a happy one.* * *Part of the reason Oliver (and the viewers) loves Felicity so much is because she’s a fighter. Not in the I’m-a-lethally-skilled-vigilante sense, but she’s instead a fighter for what she believes in and what she wants. She takes initiative, she doesn’t give up, and she’s willing to face fear and say, “You won’t get the better of me.” And then Felicity really secured her #1 Bad Ass title by being so brave in the goodbye-not-goodbye scene. She still supported Oliver, even when they were about to part for (seemingly) forever. He told her—despite knowing it wasn’t possible—to go on living her life, happy. It’s especially difficult to watch him say that because he’s basically forcing them both to live a lie. Felicity can’t be happy without Oliver, but Oliver will cling to the idea that she can be so that he can endure a life as Al Sah-him. But that’s part of being in love. They both hope that, despite the reality of their situation, they can make the most of it and find some semblance of happiness without each other. Edited April 24, 2015 by tv echo 6 Link to comment
BkWurm1 April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Robert Dougherty's wish for some sign that Oliver was ready to embrace a relationship with Felicity is kind of naïve. After the season we've had, that's finale kind of stuff. Link to comment
Chaser April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Robert Dougherty's wish for some sign that Oliver was ready to embrace a relationship with Felicity is kind of naïve. After the season we've had, that's finale kind of stuff. Sometimes I wonder if Arrow is the first TV show he has ever watched. I really can't say I'm a fan. 2 Link to comment
Delphi April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 That was actually the first geekdad review I didn't like, mostly due to Corrina's comments. 2 Link to comment
kismet April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Robert Dougherty's wish for some sign that Oliver was ready to embrace a relationship with Felicity is kind of naïve. After the season we've had, that's finale kind of stuff. Usually, I agree with a lot of his points. This one I disagree with. The fact that he agreed to not say good-bye this time made me believe that he was ready to embrace a relationship with FS. Circumstances however did not allow it. There was no way for him to break his agreement with Ras, it would go against his honor code. Nevermind, there was no actual feasible way for him to do it. I loved that FS tried, but it was a hopeless mission. Even, if he had managed to leave on the plane with them. They all would be dead within in days of landing back in SC even if they were on the run. As it was by letting them go OQ did betray Ras & will likely pay a consequence (or Maseo will). So like I said in the relationship thread. I believe that the non-good bye good bye was a way to promise to both audience & OQ/FS that one of them would find way back. 8 Link to comment
tv echo April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) jbuffyangel's review of 3x20... ETERNAL FLAME - THE FALLEN ARROW 3X20 REVIEWhttp://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/117175706408/eternal-flame-the-fallen-arrow-3x20-review And then they end with two candles. Subtle writers. Hanging a neon sign that says “TWIN FLAMES” might be simpler. But hey…dealer’s choice. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, twin flames or “twin souls” dates back centuries to the time of Plato. The moment a soul is created it splits into two halves, the masculine and the feminine. A perfect representation of the duality in the human soul (HELLO IDENTITY THEME). A twin flame is essentially the other half of your soul. We spend our life yearning to be reunited with our other half. When you are with your twin flame you feel complete, because they are a true mirror of yourself. The relationship can be challenging and fraught with difficulties, but it is cemented in unconditional love. A twin flame is like the ultimate soul mate. Without them you are incomplete. Edited April 24, 2015 by tv echo 1 Link to comment
Velocity23 April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Katie Cassidys fashion blog did a photoshoot and interview with EBR. http://tomboykc.com/tkc-profile-emily-bett-rickards/ 2 Link to comment
FurryFury April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) And then they end with two candles. Subtle writers. Hanging a neon sign that says “TWIN FLAMES” might be simpler. But hey…dealer’s choice. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, twin flames or “twin souls” dates back centuries to the time of Plato. The moment a soul is created it splits into two halves, the masculine and the feminine. A perfect representation of the duality in the human soul (HELLO IDENTITY THEME). A twin flame is essentially the other half of your soul. We spend our life yearning to be reunited with our other half. When you are with your twin flame you feel complete, because they are a true mirror of yourself. The relationship can be challenging and fraught with difficulties, but it is cemented in unconditional love. A twin flame is like the ultimate soul mate. Without them you are incomplete. Ehm... I haven't seen this episode, but knowing these writers, it really feels like this reviewer is totally giving it way more thought than they have. I've seen many a shipper analysis, and they all sound like this. I really doubt MG or his co-writers think in terms like 'soulmates' or really ponder the duality in the human souls as it pertains to Olicity. Most likely they've just realized at some point that this is a pairing the viewers love and which kinda works for the story they're telling and decided to give it a shot. Without any deep thoughts or anything. In fact, I suspect many decisions on unambitious TV shows are done like that. Edited April 24, 2015 by FurryFury 9 Link to comment
SonofaBiscuit April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Yeah, I have a feeling that if you asked MG about the two candles on tumblr, he'd probably say that they looked pretty. That's it, no particular deep meaning at all. 3 Link to comment
Morrigan2575 April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Ehm... I haven't seen this episode, but knowing these writers, it really feels like this reviewer is totally giving it way more thought than they have. I've seen many a shipper analysis, and they all sound like this. I really doubt MG or his co-writers think in terms like 'soulmates' or really ponder the duality in the human souls as it pertains to Olicity. Most likely they've just realized at some point that this is a pairing the viewers love and which kinda works for the story they're telling and decided to give it a shot. Without any deep thoughts or anything. In fact, I suspect many decisions on unambitious TV shows are done like that. That's pretty much her modus operandi 8 Link to comment
apinknightmare April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Yeah, I have a feeling that if you asked MG about the two candles on tumblr, he'd probably say that they looked pretty. That's it, no particular deep meaning at all. I thought it was a good segue into the two lights on the back of the truck in the HK flashback that scene faded into (although I agree with that one reviewer who thought that scene should've come before a commercial break). 1 Link to comment
MostlyC April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 All can trust me when I say that the Olicity and Arrow fandom haven’t begun to start picking up, savoring every word, gesture and action, and that will probably stay true well after the actual season finale. So much this. Link to comment
wonderwall April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) How This Week’s Arrow Showed Us the Real Oliver Queen By Chris King on Apr 24, 2015 http://www.tvovermind.com/arrow/how-this-weeks-arrow-showed-us-the-real-oliver-queen-season-3-the-fallen-256318#87IifdWu1FIRY8Mj.99 And while I thought “The Fallen” was another solid episode in what has been quite an entertaining, if slightly uneven, season of Arrow (although I’ll stand by my claims that this season has done right by most, if not all, of the show’s characters), the reaction I’ve seen from a lot of people on the internet has said the opposite, that this was another disappointing hour filled with fan service for Oliver and Felicity “shippers.” However, those who are claiming that the central couple’s relationship has taken over the show or changed the series’ main character in any way would be wrong: “The Fallen” showed us who the real Oliver Queen is. Edited April 24, 2015 by wonderwall 3 Link to comment
FireFoxy April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) I am so glad the overall response has been so positive for this last episode and Oliver/Felicity's relationship. Critics and reviewers alike seem to have really enjoyed the episode and progress the relationship took. I laugh at those who say that Oliver loves Felicity as a sister and that they have no chemistry. They have obviously not been watching the show because since S1 the seeds have been planted. It takes something really special to deviate from the original canon couple and to their bad luck, EBR and SA had IT. I wonder if those same bitter fans would say the same thing if Lauriver was the dominating ship on the show. Edited April 24, 2015 by FireFoxy 4 Link to comment
Password April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 I wasn't online at the time. Were people as bothered by Lauriver? I ask this baring in mind Lauriver did have a really horrible toxic back story with necessary triangle. I wonder what some would prefer for Oliver in the romance department. Link to comment
Sunshine April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 I wasn't on the boards back then but I don't think the uproar is about Oliver/Laurel. It's about Green Arrow/Black Canary. Some were in denial I think until 3.20. A lot of the complaints I saw about the episode were from either people who love Black Canary ( and think she should be the main focus) or comic fans who felt like the show abused Ra's Al Ghul. In the comics he would have severed Felicity's head for daring to speak to him according to a lot of the comments I read. 1 Link to comment
FurryFury April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Were people as bothered by Lauriver? I'd say they were bothered by it more, but I'm not that strongly invested in the fandom, then and now. 1 Link to comment
Delphi April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) I think it would have been very uncharacteristic of him to just kill Felicity. Ra's is not exactly prone to temper tantrums and angry attacks. He's much more level headed and broad thinking. I think he would be completely impressed by Felicity's strength of character. Eta: I'm specifically talking about comics!Ra's. He's not just some deranged guy decapitating IT girls. It's not in his character. He respects people who stand up to him (Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Nyssa). He may be a 600 year old eco terrorist, but he has a code. Edited April 24, 2015 by Delphi 4 Link to comment
apinknightmare April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 (edited) Yeah, I think Ra's talking to Felicity was completely in character for what we've been told about him so far. I think he'd admire her for coming to him and standing up for Oliver, that's why his advice to her to take her chance to say goodbye to Oliver doesn't seem like shippy fan service or anything to me, having seen how it played out. Nyssa told that story about how Sara laughed at him, so...it seems like the kind of thing he'd do, especially since he was fully aware that he was about to completely burn Oliver Queen to the ground. Go, tell him you love him, say goodbye, because I'm going to take everything you ever loved about him away, etc. Edited April 24, 2015 by apinknightmare 12 Link to comment
statsgirl April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 This Ra's al Ghul has been written all over the place. The guy who killed the random LoA guy just because he lost the swordfight back in the fall is not the guy who let Maseo live despite the betrayal because Oliver needed him for the transition. A lot of people were bothered by Lauriver sex, especially since by then more people were shipping Olicity than Lauriver and it had the taint of cheating since Laurel had just said that she was going to fight for her relationship with Tommy (Felicity was done with Ray in 3x20) and Oliver had been encouraging Tommy to go to Laurel and make up. It was just all round icky emotionally. I wonder what some would prefer for Oliver in the romance department. Playboy. James T. Kirk different woman every couple of episodes. Or the GA/BC as their comics destiny. Those are the two I heard most. 3 Link to comment
Chaser April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 People hated Oliver and Laurel. I checked the responses when I was getting into the fandom. Went on a binge really. I swear people just suffered through it because it was Green Arrow and Black Canary. Worse than the hate tho was the complete lack of buzz. No one was excited about them or talking about them. Even when they hook up people talked more about Tommy and Olicity in the episode then they did about Oliver and Laurel. Olicity broke the internet. They were trending on and off leading up to it. People were talking about, whether they were for it or against it. The response was huge. That is what the network is seeing. The ratings going up and all the buzz surrounding it. For every negative article out there, you will find a positive one. A hundred negative comments in various articles? 4k re-blogs of one GIF on Tumblr. I wasn't on the boards back then but I don't think the uproar is about Oliver/Laurel. It's about Green Arrow/Black Canary. Some were in denial I think until 3.20. A lot of the complaints I saw about the episode were from either people who love Black Canary ( and think she should be the main focus) or comic fans who felt like the show abused Ra's Al Ghul. In the comics he would have severed Felicity's head for daring to speak to him according to a lot of the comments I read. I saw a lot of those comments too (on twitter it was the same handful of people too). The bolded portion I think is really relevant. If every episode has been a fork in Oliver and Laurel, this one was a butcher knife. 7 Link to comment
NumberCruncher April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Hasn't it already been established that no character on the show is 100% like their comic book counterpart? That's why I don't get why people are still whining about stuff like Ra's not immediately killing Felicity "because COMICS". I seriously wonder why they watch Arrow if all they expect is for everything to follow the comics...seems incredibly boring to me, but whatever. 7 Link to comment
FurryFury April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 It's not just the comics, sometimes people are devoted to any source work so much they expect the adaptation to be 100% faithful to it. Which is really stupid, imho. I'm not a comic book reader, but I've been into A Song Of Ice And Fire for years, and I would never expect for Game of Thrones showrunners to adapt every part of the book the exactly same way. TV is just a different medium, you should realize that. The one thing re: reaction to the episode that kinda bugs me... guys, don't call everyone who doesn't ship Olicity a "hater". I mean, I don't watch the show so I've no idea if I would have liked the ep. But as someone who never shipped this pairing or really any pairing on the show, it bugs me a big that any criticism gets lumped into "hating" pile. I mean, I did see some reactions that are clearly dumb hate, don't get me wrong. However, I'm sure there are a lot of people who just aren't crazy about the show being so clearly into a romance. 1 Link to comment
FireFoxy April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 People hated Oliver and Laurel. I checked the responses when I was getting into the fandom. Went on a binge really. I swear people just suffered through it because it was Green Arrow and Black Canary. Worse than the hate tho was the complete lack of buzz. No one was excited about them or talking about them. Even when they hook up people talked more about Tommy and Olicity in the episode then they did about Oliver and Laurel. That's how I remember it too. NO ONE was checking for this ship in the entertainment media industry. They had a huge lack of buzz and while Arrow has an audience they had little social media presence which is very important, especially for a network like The CW. In today's TV and movie industry. social media buzz and presence is extremely important. Olicity changed it all. And bitter fans will just have to deal because as long as the show keeps getting the media attention that it has been getting on different outlets, they aren't going to screw with that formula until they get to the last season and maybe decide to say, screw it!, and kill Felicity and have Lauriver be endgame just like the comics. *shudder* Link to comment
dtissagirl April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 That's how I remember it too. NO ONE was checking for this ship in the entertainment media industry. They had a huge lack of buzz and while Arrow has an audience they had little social media presence which is very important, especially for a network like The CW. In today's TV and movie industry. social media buzz and presence is extremely important. Olicity changed it all. And bitter fans will just have to deal because as long as the show keeps getting the media attention that it has been getting on different outlets, they aren't going to screw with that formula until they get to the last season and maybe decide to say, screw it!, and kill Felicity and have Lauriver be endgame just like the comics. *shudder* Whenever there's a negative backlash to a positive response -- which is Oliver/Felicity in a nutshell -- that's considered a good thing. The negative side rallies the positive side into generating more buzz. It snowballs into a neverending loop of buzz, and for a show on the CW? That's the fucking DREAM of a social media response. The problem is when the negative buzz is in direct response to the show itself [hello, Sara's death]. Even worse, when there's very minimal response, good or bad. That's what happened to Laurel/Oliver before F/O took over social media like a freignt train. 4 Link to comment
Sunshine April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Prior to the season the EPs said we would have more character development than action. I think part of the problem this season is that it has been 2/3 drama 1/3 action. In the prior seasons it was the reverse. I think Olicity gets blamed for it but regardless of who the LI was this season was going to play out this way. If you are watching for the fights - and a lot of people are I think - you are bound to be disappointed. 7 Link to comment
Morrigan2575 April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Hasn't it already been established that no character on the show is 100% like their comic book counterpart? That's why I don't get why people are still whining about stuff like Ra's not immediately killing Felicity "because COMICS". I seriously wonder why they watch Arrow if all they expect is for everything to follow the comics...seems incredibly boring to me, but whatever.Would Comics Ra's just kill for something like that? What little I know of Comics Ra's seems to be external/long game old world honor in a dark sort if way. 3 Link to comment
Chaser April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Whenever there's a negative backlash to a positive response -- which is Oliver/Felicity in a nutshell -- that's considered a good thing. The negative side rallies the positive side into generating more buzz. It snowballs into a neverending loop of buzz, and for a show on the CW? That's the fucking DREAM of a social media response. The problem is when the negative buzz is in direct response to the show itself [hello, Sara's death]. Even worse, when there's very minimal response, good or bad. That's what happened to Laurel/Oliver before F/O took over social media like a freignt train. Thanks for the breakdown. Link to comment
Delphi April 24, 2015 Share April 24, 2015 Would Comics Ra's just kill for something like that? What little I know of Comics Ra's seems to be external/long game old world honor in a dark sort if way. Absolutely agree, I was going to say honour, but went with code, but still agree. At the end of this season or whenever Oliver reclaims his name I don't expect Ra's to react with anything other than respect and a back up plan to eventually recruit Oliver when he's ready to accept the offer later. I don't think the majority of people arguing the comics! Point have seen anything but the Nolanverse batman movies and maybe a few animated films. 3 Link to comment
BkWurm1 April 25, 2015 Share April 25, 2015 Yeah, I have a feeling that if you asked MG about the two candles on tumblr, he'd probably say that they looked pretty. That's it, no particular deep meaning at all. I wouldn't expect MG to think too deeply but the director might have had some say over the shot and I wouldn't dismiss the director when it comes to visual symbolism. This guy seemed really pumped about the episode, genuinely invested and we've heard in other cases of the director doing some very meaningful stuff, like in the episode after Oliver "died" where we had the fade of Felicity reaching out her hand into the shot of Oliver's hand also reaching out as he is being dragged through the snow. It's a pretty thought no matter what though. I wasn't online at the time. Were people as bothered by Lauriver? I ask this baring in mind Lauriver did have a really horrible toxic back story with necessary triangle. I wonder what some would prefer for Oliver in the romance department. Back in the day I went to the beginning of the Arrow forum thread over on TWoP because I was curious about just this thing and there were immediate negative reactions to Laurel and the idea of her being with Oliver. Their history was so toxic and watching them on screen was painful. People were hoping Oliver could date Joanna her co worker friend instead. There also seemed to be some early buzz about Laurel and Tommy - she was more likeable there at the end (so was he). When the third episode rolled around there were multiple posts saying forget Laurel, how about the blonde IT girl. When the hook up happened between O&L most were outraged over Oliver's betrayal and Laurel's - not so much cheating but weak resolve? People were open to the GA and BC idea before the show came out but once it did, that went away fast. 3 Link to comment
Velocity23 April 25, 2015 Share April 25, 2015 The review of the Fallen by Laura Hurley. http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-s03e20-what-worked-what-didn-t-and-what-needs-to-happen-next 6 Link to comment
tv echo April 25, 2015 Share April 25, 2015 (edited) Loved Laura Hurley's review (as usual). I agree 100% on everything she said about What Needs To Happen Next. Edited April 25, 2015 by tv echo Link to comment
Velocity23 April 25, 2015 Share April 25, 2015 Honorable mention for Stephen Amell in in TVLine's Performer of the Week . http://tvline.com/2015/04/25/tony-hale-performance-veep-season-4-episode-2-gary-selina-fight/ 5 Link to comment
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