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The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

Grammaeryn

By Grammaeryn
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Morrigan2575
Morrigan2575

I always find it odd when people blame the writing for LLs failure. I'll give them that for Lauiver because of the whole cheating thing but, let's be honest if SA/KC had the chemistry that SA/EBR had,

lemotomato
lemotomato

Sorry, that argument rings really hollow when the show has had a history of killing off/mistreating other female characters without a peep of protest from those same "concerned" people. Moira Queen, S

ComicFan777
ComicFan777

I know that this is supposed to be Felicity's dark arc, but...Felicity desperately doing whatever she can to save people (damn the consequences down the road) doesn't make me think that she's losing w

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

From the print issue of the new TV Guide, May 18-31 (Double Issue, with David Duchovny on the cover)...

JEERS TO RYAN HARDY AND OLIVER QUEEN...

for going a little too far over to the dark side.  The Following's boozy Fed (Kevin Bacon, right) is beating suspects to a pulp, while Arrow's vigilante (Stephen Amell, left) is willing to kill for the League of Assassins.  Are these guys anti-heroes or actual enemies o the state now?

Edited by tv echo
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strikera0

strikera0

(edited)

I have been reading some reviews for last night's season finale. Unfortunately, they were fairly negative (the one from tvfanatic was particularly horrible and might better be skipped by Olicity fans):

 

Arrow Season 3 Finale Review: My Name is Oliver Queen

By Carissa Pavlica

http://www.tvfanatic.com/2015/05/arrow-season-3-finale-review-my-name-is-oliver-queen/

 

Arrow Season 3 Finale Review: Moving On

By Noel Kirkpatrick

http://www.tv.com/shows/arrow/community/post/arrow-season-3-finale-episode-23-my-name-is-oliver-queen-review-143111999257/

 

It must be May

By Jesse Schedeen

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/14/arrow-my-name-is-oliver-queen-review

Edited by strikera0
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tv echo

tv echo

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EW review of 3x23 - mostly recap, but with general comments on the season overall...

 

'My Name is Oliver Queen'  Arrow Season 3, Ep. 23 | Aired May 13
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD  Posted May 14 2015 — 12:39 AM EDT
http://www.ew.com/recap/arrow-season-3-finale

Arrow’s third season has been a rough one. The highs have been rather high and the lows have been almost insufferable. For some reason, everything never clicked into place and there was some awkwardness throughout. The season’s biggest weakness was undoubtedly its big bad, Ra’s al Ghul. It took 23 episodes for the show to finally reveal Ra’s al Ghul’s motivation—using the Alpha/Omega to kill Damien Darhk. Before tonight’s episode, we were unsure of what Ra’s al Ghul wanted and why he was doing what he was doing. It didn’t help that Matt Noble didn’t make a terribly convincing Ra’s al Ghul.

 

Furthermore, the show never really explained the League’s ideology. It’s all been rather hazy. Hopefully next season, with Malcolm as the new Ra’s al Ghul, we’ll gain some more insight into the purpose of this incarnation of the League.

 

As we’ve discussed throughout, the theme of this season was identity, specifically Oliver Queen’s identity. As Maseo warned him in a flashback, a man cannot live by two names, and we watched Oliver struggle with this throughout. At times, it was frustrating because very moody Oliver isn’t very enjoyable and, more importantly, his identity crisis usually became intertwined with the Olicity of it all. Olicity turned out not to be as fun as some of us may have hoped and started to become too much of the season’s focus.

 

Nevertheless, Oliver’s solo journey paid off. Pitting him against his team not only allowed for us to see different sides of him, but also allowed the rest of the cast to grow as well. Laurel, who was once the show’s biggest problem, came into her own this season as she became a full-fledged, leather-outfit-wearing member of Team Arrow. By the end of the season, Thea had affirmed why she’s one of the show’s best characters. Most importantly, however, turning Oliver into the villain of his story allowed Arrow to explore and give Diggle, and his relationship with Oliver, some much-needed attention. “For three years, you have been a rock; the city’s rock, my rock. For three years, you have been the person I can count on,” said Oliver toward the end of tonight’s episode—and it’s true. If anything, Oliver’s relationship with Diggle was far more interesting than Oliver and Felicity, and there were moments when the show seemed to realize that.

 

Despite the season’s problems, there is something to be said of the fact that almost no one could have predicted this ending at the beginning of the season.

 

So where are we heading next season? Well, Damien Darhk and the rest of H.I.V.E. will most likely be the Big Bad, or at the very least become a thorn in Team Arrow’s side. Hopefully, the ending of tonight’s episode means an end to Olicity drama for sometime. We can expect Thea to become a permanent member of Team Arrow as either Speedy (Oliver’s choice) or Red Arrow (her choice). Before leaving, Oliver also suggested that Diggle start concealing his identity if he was going to continue being a hero, so hopefully, Diggle will have a cool alias when we return next season.

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

Vulture review of 3x23...

 

Arrow Season Finale Recap: Good Kid, Mask City
By Jenny Raftery  May 14, 2015  8:55 a.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2015/05/arrow-recap-season-3-episode-23.html?mid=twitter-share-vulture

Back at Palmer Technology, Felicity brings a worn-down Oliver a cup of coffee. Felicity opens up a can of you-almost-killed-yourself-in-a-plane-crash worms. But it’s not a heated discussion; there’s little judgment on Felicity’s part. Oliver shares with Felicity that every night since he fell off the mountain, he’s had a dream where she begs him not go (one of which we saw in “Midnight City”). He tells her that sometimes it ends badly, but that most times they escape, just the two of them, and they’re “just driving.”  There’s a look of utter bliss on Stephen Amell’s face as he says the word “driving.” It’s also a reminder that Oliver, although returned from the “island” for three years, is still very much in a prison of his own making. Amell is the king of nuance, and this monologue is one of his best of the series. Emily Bett Rickards is also excellent in this scene. Her spot-on delivery of “Don’t fight to die, fight to live” elevates otherwise-semi-cheesy dialogue....
*  *  *
... Oliver is fighting with the sword that Ra’s used to slay him in “The Climb.” But that’s not the only callback to that episode: When that sword breaks apart, Oliver is left kneeling before Ra’s, weaponless, and Ra’s is about to strike. But, learning from the master, Oliver catches the blade in his hand, just like Ra’s did 14 episodes ago. Oliver then takes Ra’s sword and kills him, telling Ra’s that Oliver will be the next Ra’s Al Ghul. Ra’s has a giddy-but-dying expression and offers Oliver his Ra’s Al Ghul ring. (Um, this was not the proposal fans were hoping to see!)

 

... This seems kind of like a ho-hum resolution to Oliver’s impending death, until it’s revealed that it’s not Ray in the suit: It’s Felicity! YES YES YES YES YES. “If I could figure how to get this thing off, I’d be kissing you right now,” she says. She looks absolutely like the world’s biggest dork in the suit, and I could not love her more than in this moment. My joy is only compounded by Oliver’s huge grin and genuine laugh(!) at Felicity’s moxie. I think this might beat the Nanda Parbat love scene for my favorite Olicity moment of the season.
*  *  *
Remember that dream Oliver has where he and Felicity are just driving?  Oliver finally gets to live that dream: He and Felicity are driving along the coast in a convertible Porsche. Felicity’s not sure where they’re going, but she’s doesn’t seem to care. As for Oliver? “Can I say something strange?” he asks, as the sun sets behind them. “I’m happy.”

 

Me, too, Oliver. For me, this season finale highlighted two of the best aspects of Arrow: being clever enough to add one more twist on the already expected twist (Felicity instead of Ray; guns instead of a sword) and being bold enough to decide when not to have a twist (ending a super-dark season with a literal ride into the sunset and the hero’s declaration that he’s happy).
*  *  *

I kind of wish Felicity wouldn’t have given up her job for a man, especially when she was so great at it; couldn’t she have just used some vacation time? But with Ray “gone” and the ownership papers in her name, maybe that’s what brings her back to Starling City in season four?

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

For comics fans and other fans (some of this stuff is really interesting)...

 

Arrow: Easter Eggs and DC Comics References in "My Name is Oliver Queen"
By Russ Burlingame 05/13/2015
http://comicbook.com/2015/05/14/arrow-easter-eggs-and-dc-comics-references-in-my-name-is-oliver-/

 

Arrow Season 3 Finale Watch: DCU Connections And Easter Eggs
BY JESSE CARP  50 MINUTES AGO
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Arrow-Season-3-Finale-Watch-DCU-Connections-Easter-Eggs-71892.html

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(edited)

Some interesting speculation...

 

Arrow Season 3 Finale: Five Biggest Questions Raised
By Russ Burlingame 05/14/2015
http://comicbook.com/2015/05/14/arrow-season-3-finale-five-biggest-questions-raised/

What will happen to the company?
If Ray is presumed dead, what will happen to the company he has been running, formerly Queen Consolidated? Certainly the question of that ownership transfer with Felicity will come up -- and if nobody can explain the explosion that "killed" him, could that document make Felicity -- who signed it and then ran out of town with the guy she dumped Ray for -- a suspect in his "death?"

 

What will bring Oliver back to Starling?
Well, the above-mentioned "death" of Ray Palmer and threat to Felicity's reputation and freedom could certainly be a compelling reason to come back.

 

Anything that puts Thea in danger would obviously do it, as well, although with Merlyn now leading up the League of Assassins, her safety seems like it's more or less assured.

 

As could any number of things. With Damian Darhk sufficiently provoked, it could be that H.I.V.E. activity in Starling could increase, prompting Diggle to want to mount an assault on the organization that killed his brother.
*  *  *
What about the flashbacks?
We know that somehow, some way, Oliver Queen ends up stranded back on Lian Yu by the end of Year Five. Going into Year Four, he's a free man and headed to Coast City as a stowaway, as far as we can tell.

 

So what of the flashbacks? Will they take place in Coast City? How does Oliver end up back on Lian Yu?

 

And of course -- if he's in Coast City, will we meet Hal Jordan? Typically, when fans ask about the big names, I get skeptical immediately. The success of Arrow and The Flash, though, have given them some very nice toys to play with and there's no guarantee that Hal will even be the movie Green Lantern. Meanwhile, he got everything short of a name-drop on The Flash last night, so...who knows? It seems like a lot of coincidence to me that Hal's comic book best friend is heading to Coast City just after Hal was referenced on a show that shares this one's universe.

Edited by tv echo
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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

(edited)

 

Certainly the question of that ownership transfer with Felicity will come up -- and if nobody can explain the explosion that "killed" him, could that document make Felicity -- who signed it and then ran out of town with the guy she dumped Ray for -- a suspect in his "death?"

 

Wow, I had not even considered that. Although I'm not sure what the point would be - if he'd already signed the company over to her, what would be the point in killing him?

Edited by apinknightmare
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tv echo

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(edited)

ComicBookResources review of 3x23 (liked it overall)...

 

‘Arrow’ Recap: His Name is Oliver Queen, and He Wants a Happy Ending
Thursday, May 14th, 2015 at 4:35am PST - by Marc Buxton
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2015/05/14/arrow-recap-his-name-is-oliver-queen-and-he-wants-a-happy-ending/

... While the character work remained strong, particularly when it came to Oliver and Felicity, the final battle with Ra’s Al Ghul fizzled.
*  *  *
All this brings us to the moment when Ra’s has Oliver on his knees. He mocks Starling City’s protector, and is about to deliver the killing blow when Oliver just kind of slowly stabs Ra’s. Yeah, I know Oliver was trained by the Demon’s Head, but this is the man who easily impaled Arrow and tossed him off a mountain. It just seems as if the episode was running short on time and had to rush the final fight. It’s an anticlimactic victory in the face of a season-long build-up, and it flattens an otherwise-good episode.
*  *  *
With Ra’s defeated and Team Arrow so capable of defending the city, Oliver makes a momentous decision: to hang up his bow and be with Felicity Smoak. It’s an earned moment that could really have been an ending to the entire series. However, you know it won’t be long until Oliver is called back into action. But in the meantime, he certainly deserves some happiness.
*  *  *
And if all that weren’t enough, we’re also treated to the transition into next year’s flashback storyline. This week, we see Oliver say farewell to Tatsu (whom I pray returns next season) and board a ship bound for Coast City. With talk of a missing Ferris Air pilot on “The Flash” and Oliver headed to Coast City, could we be seeing the introduction of Hal Jordan when “Arrow” returns? It may be fan wish fulfillment, but it certainly seems to be the case, doesn’t it? Especially considering the quest for Diggle’s new heroic identity seemed to begin this week, and he strikes you as someone who can overcome great fear.
Edited by tv echo
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Chaser

Chaser

I don't even know where they are getting That Olicity was a huge focus. lol at people I just can't anymore.

In a way, it was a huge focus. They tied it into Oliver's theme this year, his humanity. In prevous seasons he has had a love interest, but they have never really put such importance on it. Even Laurel in S1; There was always another woman and his screentime with Laurel decreased as the season (really seasons) went on. So it was less there. But this season every Oliver and Felicity scene was underlined by this cental theme. At the start of the season, it wasn't as pronounced (other then Draw Back Your Bow), but as the season went on and Oliver struggled more with who he was it natually became more focused and even interactions that really weren't about them became about their relationship to the audience.

 

Does that mean it took over the show? No. I would say Arrow had only a few episodes where Olicity is given a huge focus. The Calm, Draw Back Your Bow, The Fallen and My Name is Oliver Queen. They had important moments throughout the course of the season, but it was not overloaded at all. And frankly those who say it was, are ignoring Laurel's 3 episode arc, Thea's growth and her relationship with Oliver, Roy's journey, the emphasis on Oliver and Diggle's brotherhood, Ray's whole storyline and the villain arc.

 

I understand if you aren't a fan of Olicity you are going to focus on that, but its ignoring  75% of the season.

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Carrie Ann

Carrie Ann

Here's the review MG was awkwardly begging Alan Sepinwall for a few weeks back. He may wish he'd never asked.

When you're brooding 90% of the time (with Felicity and Ray accounting for virtually all of the other 10%), it not only can get monotonous (and at times self-parodic), but it means you're asking the audience to take you very seriously. So when things don't work it feels like an even bigger misstep. And season 3 unfortunately had a lot of things that didn't work, including an incredibly forgettable flashback story arc, the amount of time spent on Laurel, Ra's not being charismatic enough to work as a seasonal big bad, and the exhausting number of rug-pulling twists in the second half. (And that's not even mentioning more minor annoyances like DJ Turn Down For What, whose status didn't particularly improve when he was revealed as a League member.)

 

There were things "Arrow" did well this year, of course, particularly in showing Diggle adjusting to more responsibility both at home and on the hero job, and in letting Roy take the fall for Oliver. (That was both a good character moment for him and led to a necessary pruning of the cast.) But the season never really kicked into gear like either of the previous ones. I don't know if that's the larger creative team being stretched too thin (even though Marc Guggenheim remained focused entirely on this show), or "The Flash" shining an unflattering light on its parent series, or if "Arrow" just picked two big storylines this season (in both the past and present) that sounded better in concept than they turned out to be in execution.

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I do like the last part of Sepinwall's article though...

Down seasons happen. It's not an anomaly. And I like where we left things, with Diggle unequivocally in charge of the group (now with Thea as Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow), and Oliver and Felicity finally getting to be a happy couple for a little bit. Obviously, something next season will force him to put the costume back on, but maybe it won't be in quite as relentlessly tragic a fashion as before. Stephen Amell can smile. He's good at it! And look how strongly the fans have responded over the years not only to Felicity, but to how Diggle and Laurel and Roy have behaved when they get to hang out with the STAR Labs nerds. I wouldn't want "Arrow" to reinvent itself as a tonal copy of "The Flash," but I do think it could learn a thing or two from the new hero in town.
Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

Digital Spy's positive review of 3x23...

 

Arrow season 3 ends: Is this Oliver Queen's happy ending?
By Morgan Jeffery  Thursday, May 14 2015, 10:28am EDT
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s206/arrow/recaps/a647441/arrow-season-3-ends-is-this-oliver-queens-happy-ending.html#~pcG8jVGLL0RmwW

Given all that's come before, the episode has a lot to accomplish - perhaps too much. It could easily have been - and perhaps might have benefited from being - twice the length, but given just 42 minutes in which to deliver a satisfactory denouement, the writing opts to take a very particular path.
*  *  *
No matter how hard he fights to deny it, Ollie has a heart and it's only by embracing his humanity - by setting himself apart from the cold and calculating Ra's, rather than attempting to emulate him as he did in 'The Climb' - that he can hope to emerge victorious.

 

The way the rematch plays out embodies everything that 'My Name Is Oliver Queen' is about - it's a finale where small but significant character moments take precedence over grand, sweeping action and epic plot twists.

 

So while surprisingly little screen time is dedicated to the attack on the city, this makes room for almost every character's season arc to reach a rewarding - and in most cases, surprising - conclusion, while also signalling where we might be heading next.
*  *  *
His retirement is without question temporary, but what's crucial here is Oliver resolving something within himself that he's been struggling with not just this season, but ever since the pilot.

 

He's at last willing to recognize that a person in a mask - whether that's him, or Diggle, or Laurel, or Thea - can be more than a killer and more than a vigilante. They can be a hero.

 

With this in mind, season 4 of Arrow looks set to fire the show off on a different path once again, perhaps towards the light - perhaps towards... the Green Arrow?

Edited by tv echo
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Oh great - now I'm dreading the Flash finale...

 

Arrow 3×23 Discussion: A happy ending, for a mediocre season.
MAY 15, 2015
https://girloncomicbookworld.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/arrow-season-3-episode-23-discussion-a-happy-ending-for-a-mediocre-season/

But it really was quite the happy ending. They literally drove off into the sunset (was it the sunset, I don’t remember maybe it was midday).  So is Oliver Queen and the Arrow no longer going to be in the show now, now that he’s gone off with Felicity???? Well obviously not, but it will be interesting to find out why and when he comes back (maybe The Flash season finale does something to the entire universe to ruin this happy ending).
Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

Damien Holbrook's short but sweet article on 3x23...

 

Arrow Finale Sets Up a Surprising New Path for Ollie (and the Show)
Damian Holbrook  |  May 14, 2015 3:00am
http://www.tvinsider.com/article/1731/arrow-finale-showrunner-interview/

In the final moments of Arrow's third-season finale, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) announced that he was hanging up his longbow to basically run off with Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and be hot together. And given what he's been through this year—almost dying, being forced into the League of Assassins, the murder and Lazarus Pit resurrection of Thea (Willa Holland), all of that Ra's al Ghul ugliness, and a massive bio-weapon attack on Starling City—we can't really blame him. Plus, like he said, the city is in good hands with his Speedy kid sister, Black Canary Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and pretty much everyone else in his social circle assuming some sort of superhero identity. The guy could use a happy ending (keep it clean, kids).
*  *  *
Clearly, he is redeemable—even Digg (David Ramsey) will probably come around. And at least part of that road is the winding coastal one we saw Ollie and Felicity speeding down as they drove off, smiling into the sunset. "I think the finale answers that question, or at least give a strong indication of where we're headed in Season 4. We're not going to leave the audience hanging that far out there," continues Guggenheim, adding that a world without the Arrow leads to an entirely different question: Where can the show go from here?

 

Guggenheim isn't ready to spill those details just yet (although we already know that part of next season will involve setting up the Flash-Arrow spinoff, Legends of Tomorrow), but he does admit that he and his fellow EPs Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti all see this surprisingly upbeat twist in Oliver's journey as a chance to restart the show. "It felt like we were writing a series finale. Greg, Andrew and I have been saying that this finale feels like the end of three seasons of TV, not just one season," says Guggenheim.

 

"We always felt like this was the end of a trilogy," agrees Berlanti. "And next season will be the beginning of a new chapter."

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

io9's review of 3x23 (pretty good read, funny in parts, and spot on in others)...

 

You Will Not Believe The "Winner" Of The Arrow Finale
Esther Inglis-Arkell  5/14/15 8:30am
http://io9.com/you-will-not-believe-the-winner-of-the-arrow-finale-1704417201

... General Shrieve’s brilliant plan of being in a room with three righteously pissed-off martial artists with nothing left to lose does not work out for him....

The three divide up Akio’s ashes in little pots, and go their separate ways... The storyline was wrapped up last week, so now I’m focusing on the odd little details, like the fact that the guy who cremated Akio brought out his ashes in three pots, like a waiter bringing forks for the entire table at a restaurant when only one of the customers ordered a slice of cake for dessert. “You’ll probably all want to share this.” And to give him credit, he was right.
*  *  *
Oliver had planned to destroy the virus by crashing the plane that he, Ra’s, and Nyssa were all flying in. (Because, as we’ll see, Nyssa never stops getting the shit end of the stick on this show.)...
*  *  *
So although Oliver constructed an elaborate plan, he only succeeds because Ray Palmer has nanotechnology which can inject a vaccine into people on the street (that’s terrifying, by the way), and because Felicity Smoak can fly over like she’s freaking Iron Man with less stubble, and save Ollie from his fall.

 

I have to say, that’s excellent symbolism. The repeated fight, the repeated fall, and the personification of Oliver’s humanity saving him from making the same fate. Good stuff.
*  * 
But you know what I really didn’t see coming? The actual Arrow in Arrow. Malcolm Merlyn has been working on the plan with Oliver this entire time, and when Ollie kills Ra’s, it’s agreed that Malcolm gets to be the new Ra’s al Ghul. Meanwhile, Thea has come to terms with him being her father and murder puppeteer and thanks him for making her stronger. And Nyssa, freaking Nyssa, accepts her lover’s murderer as the head of her order.
*  *  *
More importantly, Malcolm Merlyn killed Ollie’s father, terrorized his mother (although not before giving her a really good time. I’m just saying. You can’t argue with that face and clearly he has a work ethic), forced his sister to kill someone, orchestrated a terror attack against a city, forced him into a duel to the death, and not only did Malcolm get away with everything but now he’s the head of an ancient order of assassins and he’s immortal.

 

Is anyone else getting the feeling that the title of Arrow doesn’t refer to Ollie at all? I think we’ve been watching the wrong guy for three years.

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

JustAboutWrite's lengthy and detailed analysis of 3x23...

 

Arrow 3x23 "My Name Is Oliver Queen" (What's In A Name?)
http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2015/05/arrow-3x23-my-name-is-oliver-queen.html

Felicity's words to Oliver are always very deliberate and they're always very powerful because she tells him what he does not dare to believe about himself. She tells him in this episode that he needs to stop viewing his fights as death marches, like he did in "Streets of Fire." He needs to stop embarking on suicide missions. He needs to fight, yes. But he needs to fight in order to LIVE, not to die. And what does Oliver Queen need to keep him alive?

I'll give you a hint: it's a four-letter word that rhymes with "dove." Yes, as Oliver and Ra's duel, the latter notices a change in his apprentice's style. That's because Oliver is doing exactly what he did in "Unthinkable": he is fighting to live and fighting because the love of Felicity Smoak is propelling him. He's fighting to have a future. He's fighting because Felicity believes in him and that is all he ever needs, really. The last time Oliver picked up the sword that he uses in this episode, he was prepared to die and his last thought before dying was of the life he could have had with Felicity. When Oliver is dueling against Ra's in this episode, he's fighting so that he can have a future with Felicity.
*  *  *
At any rate, Felicity is who saved Oliver, really. Felicity is who constantly saves Oliver. You can say what you want and wax poetic about Oliver Queen/The Arrow/The Vigilante being a hero. But the real hero is the woman who can fight a war without using a weapon, who can cripple her enemies with her words, and who can save the man that she loves when he didn't even realize he needed saving. That's a hero. And Oliver knows it, by the end of the season. He realizes where his happiness is -- where his LIFE is -- and he seizes the chance to be with her. Because when you're someone like Oliver Queen and you find that kind of happiness, you would be a complete and utter idiot to let it go.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

All of the ladies of Arrow are mentioned, but I only quoted the part about my favorite...

 

Arrow's Season 3 Finale Was All About the Ladies and We Couldn't Be More Into It!
by SYDNEY BUCKSBAUM Wed., May. 13, 2015 6:56 PM PDT
http://www.eonline.com/news/656557/arrow-s-season-3-finale-was-all-about-the-ladies-and-we-couldn-t-be-more-into-it

First, let's all take a moment to worship at the ground Felicity walks on. If it wasn't for her, Starling City would be a mass grave right now, and all our heroes would have failed.

 

The MVP of the night was able to find all four locations of the Alpha Omega virus in the city, figure out a way for Ray (Brandon Routh) to use his nanotechnology to disperse the inoculation to protect all the civilians from getting infected, convinces Oliver he can and will defeat Ra's without dying himself, gets Captain Lance (Paul Blackthorne) to spring the police into action...AND flies as the Atom to save Oliver!

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

This is a great rundown of the top 10 Olicity moments from S3 (from #10-The Fern to #1-Oliver's Last Thoughts of Felicity)...

 

'Arrow': The Top 10 Olicity Moments from Season 3

By Derek Stauffer on Thursday, May 14, 2015

http://www.buddytv.com/slideshows/arrow/arrow-the-top-10-olicity-moments-from-season-3-31201.aspx

When Oliver told Felicity he loved her in the season two finale, fans knew that wasn’t the end of their story. Unequivocally Arrow season three has been the year of Olicity. Arrow has seen the two crime-fighting lovebirds, get together, break up, date and even marry other people. Though ultimately they ended up together. They even got to drive away into the literal sunset in “My Name is Oliver Queen” Throughout the tumultuous relationship rigmarole there have been several great moments but here are ten of the best.

*  *  * (go to above link for rest of article)

Edited by tv echo
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wonderwall

wonderwall

(edited)

I don't know if this was posted yet, but I really really really agree with this entire list:

 

How 'Arrow' Can Right The Ship Again In Season 4

By Robert Dougherty May 15, 2015 08:31 AM

http://www.themovienetwork.com/content/how-arrow-can-right-ship-again-season-4?index=0

 

#2 Don't let the Arrow destroy Oliver's smile again

While Oliver chose himself -- or at least the himself with Felicity -- in the finale, he still seems to believe he can't be both Oliver Queen and the Arrow. As such, when the Arrow inevitably has to come back and defend Starling, let us hope Oliver's logic doesn't lead him to think he has to stop smiling, being in love and being an open friend once the hood goes back on. A life where he finally sees he can do all of it -- not choose one or the other no matter what the choice is -- needs to be his next big milestone.

Edited by wonderwall
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tv echo

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(edited)

#Arrow Season 3 Finale Recap: Fight to Live
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-season-finale-recap-fight-to-live/

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, but Oliver and Felicity is the most important relationship on Arrow. No, it’s not all romantic implications. It has to do with the bond that was cemented between the pair long before they realized or acted on those romantic feelings. Back when they were just joining forces and becoming partners and becoming friends.

 

Felicity has always been the one that can get through to Oliver. I’ll continue to preach — even from my grave when this show has long since ended — the importance of Original Team Arrow. While Diggle has been the Oliver’s moral compass, Felicity has been the one that can break down the walls that Oliver throws up. She can get through to him. And she proved as much in the season 3 finale when she confronted Oliver about sacrificing his life to defeat Ra’s.
*  *  *
But something else that Felicity is able to do when it comes to Oliver is constantly save his ass. Whether it’s using her genius smarts to locate vital information (as she did in this finale) or physically go after him, Felicity has and will always protect Oliver. And that was once again proven when Oliver was shot by a cop and fell down a waterfall, but the Atom caught him before he hit the water. Only it wasn’t the Atom.
*  *  *
One of the complaints I’ve seen from some people is that Olicity is ruining the show. I pointed this out in one of my previous articles, and I’l say it again: Are we not watching the same show? Oliver and Felicity’s relationship is not ruining the show, it’s making it better.

 

I’ll be the first to admit that there was a lot of drama surrounding Oliver and Felicity this season. Some people are concerned that this will be a permanent staple in the show. But what they fail to realize is that this drama was part of Oliver’s journey this season.
 

This season was about Oliver’s identity crisis and how he wanted to live a happy life with Felicity, but he felt that he couldn’t. Oliver kept choosing not to be happy when the option to be happy was right in front of him the entire season. That’s the point. That’s the reason for all of the drama. It was done intentionally because the story called for it.

 

He had to choose to be with her. And he finally did.

 

This is what we call character development, folks. And Oliver Queen now has it in spades.

 

What was the end result? Not only was Oliver happy — truly happy — for the first time, well, ever on the show, but we are now one step closer to Oliver Queen becoming the Green Arrow.

 

tumblr_nobhibrK2y1sxoekjo1_500.gif

 

tumblr_nobfg1fi9l1tt6g9yo2_500.gif

 

Yes, to more of Oliver smiling!

Edited by tv echo
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Starfish35

Starfish35

(edited)

#2 Don't let the Arrow destroy Oliver's smile again

While Oliver chose himself -- or at least the himself with Felicity -- in the finale, he still seems to believe he can't be both Oliver Queen and the Arrow. As such, when the Arrow inevitably has to come back and defend Starling, let us hope Oliver's logic doesn't lead him to think he has to stop smiling, being in love and being an open friend once the hood goes back on. A life where he finally sees he can do all of it -- not choose one or the other no matter what the choice is -- needs to be his next big milestone.

I didn't read it, but that point I 1000% agree with.

Edited by Starfish35
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Chaser

Chaser

I have a few friends/family members who I would call general viewers of the show. I was curious so I asked them about this season. No one is really happy with it, but not on there list of complaints is Olicity or Felicity for that matter. Their issues are the logic-fails (Ra's, Malcolm, Laurel), lack of Team Arrow and how dark it got.

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wonderwall

wonderwall

My family don't like Felicity anymore because they think she's 'annoying' now :p But then again they also don't like the show anymore, think that everyone's acting sucks, and my brother wanted Nyssa to marry Oliver so I don't really take their opinion seriously. *sigh*

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tv echo

tv echo

How did the first date not make the list?

I guess there were more than 10 top Olicity moments this season.

 

I don't know if this was posted yet, but I really really really agree with this entire list:

 

How 'Arrow' Can Right The Ship Again In Season 4

By Robert Dougherty May 15, 2015 08:31 AM

http://www.themovienetwork.com/content/how-arrow-can-right-ship-again-season-4?index=0

It had not been posted yet, and I also agree with the entire list.

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ThreeIfBySpace's generally positive review of 3x23...

 

Arrow: 3×23 Review – My Name Is Oliver Queen
By: Alisha Bjorklund 17 hours ago
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/05/arrow-3x23-review-name-oliver-queen/

... I have a strong urge to rename this episode “My name is Convenient Plot Development.”
*  *  *
It’s no secret that I love and respect Felicity Smoak. And after tonight’s episode, I’m certain that she is a goddess. Not only did she find all four locations of the bioweapon attack and help Ray figure out how to use his nanotech to protect Starling’s citizens, she also managed to convince Oliver that he could defeat Ra’s (by fighting to live) and she saved him from a watery grave using the ATOM suit. Is there nothing this woman can’t do? I’m beyond impressed, not to mention beyond amused by the absurdity of her learning to use the suit flawlessly in about five minutes. The best part is that Felicity got to save Oliver this time, not the other way around.

 

This episode was full of great acting from the entire cast. From Laurel and Captain Lance’s emotional performances during the alcoholics talk to Oliver and Felicity’s talk about identity (lots of parallels with previous episodes going on there). We even got some great quips from characters like Malcolm, Nyssa, and Diggle. And since we haven’t discussed her yet . . .

 

It’s Speedy time! Thea showed up in her brand-spankin’ new suit–conveniently modified from Arsenal’s outfit–and saved Diggle from Ra’s bio-lackey (Can I call him that? He did use his blood to unleash the Alpha/Omega virus). She joined Team Arrow’s ranks rather flawlessly and I’m thrilled that she’ll be crime fighting and city saving in Season Four.
*  *  *
At the end of the episode, for the first time in three seasons, Oliver Queen is actually, for real, happy. Excuse me while I gasp in shock and then cry a little with happiness of my own. Oliver himself finds it strange to be happy, which means it was a long time coming. And really, after all the crap he’s had to deal with, I think he deserves some happiness.

 

So what’s the verdict? I give this episode 9 out of 10. It was a great finale and had many moments that paralleled earlier episodes. The plot arc of identity reached it’s conclusion in many satisfying ways, tying up loose strings while also laying the groundwork of things to come for next season. However, my biggest complaint with this episode was how much I had to stretch my suspension of disbelief. A too many absurd, unexplainable things happened.

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

Interesting idea about why Oliver would adopt "Green Arrow" name...

 

TV Recap: ‘Arrow: My Name is Oliver Queen’ (Season 3 FINALE, Episode 23)
Posted about 19 hours ago by Nicholas Graff
http://sciencefiction.com/2015/05/14/tv-recap-arrow-name-oliver-queen-season-3-finale-episode-23/

- I’m guessing Thea’s codename will always go back and forth between Speedy and Red Arrow, though her adoption of a color before “Arrow” might inspire Oliver to become “Green Arrow” next season when he inevitably returns to Starling City.

- Rumor is that Rip Hunter will appear to save Ray right before the explosion, and hopefully at least some of the suit. I can’t believe we were so close to Ray FINALLY using his shrinking abilities, only to have it end so tragically.
 

- Damien Darhk is mentioned, but still not seen on the show. I’m guessing he and his HIVE allies will be major players in ‘Arrow’ season 4
 

All in all, despite the admittedly low points, the season was still better than a lot of other shows on TV right now, and I applaud the show for always doing things differently, and throwing in many surprises and twists along the way. Here’s hoping next season the shows returns to some more solid ground, with a better villain that can really raise the stakes and expand on the story.

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

'Arrow' Season Finale Recap: Oliver reclaims his identity in ‘My Name is Oliver Queen’
BY LAUREN MORGAN   Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 10:37 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/channel-surfer/arrow-recap-oliver-reclaims-identity-blog-entry-1.2221453

Oh, “Arrow” what happened this season? After a dynamic second season, the show really fell apart this year from its choice of villain to the continued poor use of Malcolm Merlyn to the lackluster writing for what had been one of its best characters, Felicity Smoak. The controversial killing of Caity Lotz’s Sara Lance and the general waste of Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer didn’t help matters but at least the two of them are getting their own show out of the deal. While “The Flash” generally had a very focused strong season, it seems like “Arrow” suffered from the split attention of its makers and the addition of “Legends of Tomorrow” to the CW roster looks like it just might exacerbate the problem.

 

The biggest issue with this season was that nonsensical plot decisions were driving much of the action and forcing a lot of out of character behavior from Oliver and company. From Malcolm’s strange decision to put Thea in harm’s way by forcing her to kill Sara Lance to Ra’s al Ghul elevating Oliver to be his heir because of a flimsily explained prophecy, many of the seasonal arcs didn’t make sense on a very basic level. Shows based on comic book characters require a general suspension of belief but it was hard to get involved with the big stories without noticing how much of what was going on was simply ridiculous even by those standards.

 

Also, the decision to split Oliver and Felicity before their romantic relationship really even got off the ground left Felicity stuck in scenes where she was either crying or yelling or crying while she was yelling which was not the best use of the charming Emily Bett Rickards. Her relationship with Ray Palmer had all of the hallmarks of just being created as a romantic obstacle for Oliver and it wasted what was very nice screwball chemistry between Rickards and Routh. The fact that so much of Felicity’s storyline this year revolved around her romantic life (even her highly anticipated flashback episode dealt with an old boyfriend) was disappointing for giving what had been a dynamic character such a narrow focus.

 

While Tatsu and Maseo came to be involved in the present day story lines, the Hong Kong flashbacks simply felt like they were treading water in most of the episodes. A tiny bit of plot was expanded over way too much time and several episodes would have been stronger if the flashbacks had been left out entirely. Going into season 4, the writers might want to rethink their use and maybe reduce them to only key episodes.

 

Though the decision to elevate Laurel to the position of Black Canary through Sara’s death was not greeted kindly by all of the fans, Laurel at least got the most consistent emotional arc of any of the characters this year. With the addition of Thea as the team’s Speedy, it’s satisfying to see that such a big part of the team will be made up of butt-kicking females next year.

Edited by tv echo
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SoundOnSight's rant about 3x23 and season 3 in general...

 

Arrow Ep. 3.23 “My Name Is Oliver Queen” ends the season with a dull thud
Posted on May 14, 2015By Randy Dankievitch
http://www.soundonsight.org/arrow-season-3-episode-23-my-name-is-oliver-queen/

Remember back in the beginning of season two, when Oliver discovered after Tommy’s death that he was still a vulnerable human being, and had to protect his city as an agent of good? Remember how the show went out of its way to show that Oliver still had a heart? Apparently Arrow did not, because the big revelation of “My Name Is Oliver Queen” is Oliver being reminded by Felicity that his heart is what makes him special – not only repurposing a story this show’s already told multiple times, but doing so in a way that seals the fate of what was once the show’s best character, ending the show’s tumultuous third season with a whimper.
*  *  *
Just mentioning Thea fires me up about how awfully this show treated its female characters this season. Let’s examine: Thea is manipulated by every male in her life, Felicity’s entire story was reduced to what she was doing with which guy this week, and Nyssa was literally robbed of any agency in her own fucking story, a woman who is marked for death at first, then re-accepted, then married away, then demoted because Oliver made a deal with Merlyn rather than make a deal with Nyssa, A WOMAN HE COULD PROBABLY TRUST A LITTLE MORE RUNNING THE FUCKING LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS THAN MALCOLM FUCKING MERLYN.

 

*whew*… But it’s so obvious, isn’t it? Oliver could’ve enacted the same damn plan with Nyssa on board, offering her both the position as head of the demon, and her asshole father’s head on a stick. Instead, Oliver makes a deal with the man who killed Sara and mutated his sister into something violent and dangerous; he literally gives Malcolm the keys to a fucking assassin army, which I’m sure isn’t going to cause any conflicts down the road. In a season full of Arrow making dumb moves, this is by far the stupidest thing he’s done, possibly over the course of the entire series.

 

So what does “My Name Is Oliver Queen” have to offer? A brief, silly Flash cameo? Another repetitive “the people we never see of Starling City are in danger!”? Sure, we get those (and Arrow surviving multiple shots to the chest because of League armor, even though Diggle definitely killed men with guns last week), but we also get a nice dose of Olicity fan fiction, which stands as the one story that stood to grow Arrow the most this season, and instead held it back in the worst ways possible. By the time Felicity shows up in the physical shell of another hero (because everyone’s gotta wear a superhero suit at some point this season, even if it makes no sense!), she’s a literal shell of herself, reduced to the same plots that Nyssa is at the end of the season.

Edited by tv echo
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AES13

AES13

(edited)

Thank you, tv echo, for doing all the work of finding all these reviews and posting/linking them.  I really appreciate being able to find a round up so easily.  :)

Edited by AES13
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WeMinoredInFilm's critical, mixed review of 3x23...

 

ARROW’S “MY NAME IS OLIVER QUEEN” (S3,EP23): STICKING THE LANDING?
Posted on May 15, 2015  by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/05/15/arrows-my-name-is-oliver-queen-s3ep23-sticking-the-landing/

The fact that Oliver was going to kill himself via a plane crash to beat the big bad is actually something Green Arrow once did in the comics. It is a pretty profound idea for Arrow to run with. Marc Guggenheim told Variety, “I hope the audience gets the sense that here’s a good explanation as to why Oliver placed himself in this position. [He] has a pretty definitive answer.” But is “he never expected to have to apologize to anyone” really a good answer? Is his attempted self-sacrifice a true act of heroism? If it had worked it would have been a very clean solution to their problem, although poor, poor Nyssa would have died for no reason. Is it even believable that Oliver would actually be willing to leave Thea without any surviving family members beyond Malcolm? Is it a condemnation of Oliver’s lack of character development that even after 3 seasons he still hasn’t learned his lesson about needing to work with his team and friends instead of going solo as per his default setting? If he had simply told at least one other person beyond Malcolm about his plan they might have thought of another angle he had missed, particularly since without capturing Nyssa Ra’s al Ghul never would have even re-obtained that Alpha-Omega gas in the first place. Maybe his team could have worked together to stun Ra’s and actually release the Alpha-Omega gas in Nanda Parbat.
*  *  *
Let’s just cut to the end – Oliver defeats Ra’s in a completely lackluster sword fight where it was often impossible to tell who was who. Felicity’s speech apparently willed Oliver to victory, and she again saves him, this time in the ATOM suit, after police snipers shoot him off a ledge (what if they’d aimed for his head?). It’s Felicity’s Iron Man 3 moment.* Malcolm’s deal was always that in return for his help Oliver would give him the fancy gold finger thing that designates someone as Ra’s al Ghul. So, there’s that. Nyssa returns to the League, without saying goodbye to new bff Laurel, and bows before Malcolm. Ray Palmer appears to blow up, but was actually just shrunk down Ant-Man style thus finally becoming the ATOM of the comics instead of a warmed over Iron Man/Blue Beetle hybrid. Diggle walks away from everything super pissed. Thea is going to be her own vigilante, which Oliver is surprisingly okay with. And Laurel owns all of her drama with her off-the-wagon dad, causing snarky Twitter jokes about her calling him out on trying to lie her when she seemed to have no problem lying to him and impersonating her sister for half a season. Still, Laurel is a vastly improved character at this point, making it such a shame that they so quickly broke up her pairing with Nyssa.
*  *  *
... As far as “My Name Is Oliver Queen” is concerned, maybe they didn’t have the budget they had for the first two finales, thus making their latest city-wide threat appear to be little more than an isolated incident in one city square. Maybe they were trying to focus more on character than incident, but the end result was easily their weakest finale, even if its final minute was genuinely heartwarming.
Edited by tv echo
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