The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[dtissagirl]

3 minutes ago, looptab said:

Fucking Felicity!

...that was the source of all problems in the first place.

Ba dum tssssssshhh

Edited May 27, 2016 by dtissagirl

[AyChihuahua]

10 minutes ago, Belinea said:

What are they saying? Every time he says something about Texas, it kind of blows up in his face (a little or a lot) and I just sit back and enjoy what is to come next. Because sometimes it takes on a life of its own and I think it is hilarious. 

I guess in the Larry King interview he got into the #NotAllTexans thing again, that POC are being really mean to poor mistreated Texas, the citizens of which have always been really nice to him. He should really just drop it. I have never seen it turn out well when rich white people, especially rich white dudes, lecture non-rich white people on how to respond to injustice.

[tv echo]

Tell-Tale TV review of 423 (her point that a man's story can be about anything made me realize that, like Arrow, Barry's story on The Flash is also partly about love - just a son's love for his parents, as opposed to romantic love)...

Arrow Review: Schism (Season 4 Episode 23)
May 26, 2016 Lissete Lanuza Saenz
http://telltaletv.com/2016/05/arrow-review-schism-season-4-episode-23/

Quote

Arrow ends the season the way it began it, with Oliver and Felicity.

Why shouldn’t it? It’s clear to anyone with eyes that they’re at the center of this show. Sure, this is Oliver Queen’s story, but a man’s story is not an isolated thing. A man’s story can be about anything.

Even love.

Is Arrow just a romance show? No.

Will Olicity ever overshadow everything else? No.
*  *  *
This feels like the beginning of another one. Season 1 ended with the team fractured, and Season 4 ends just the same way.

Felicity found her purpose. Oliver found his purpose.  Diggle and Thea lost theirs.

Or, at least, they lost their hope in a happy ending. They lost themselves.
*  *  *
Felicity’s hope in Oliver was able to counteract Darhk’s magic. Those are Oliver’s words. But, with Darhk’s magic on steroids, in “Schism,” Oliver needed something to counter that.

Like the hopes of an entire city.

Before, he had to balance being Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow. Now he has to balance those two plus the job of Mayor of Star City. And yet it has never felt like Oliver is more ready to take on a challenge than he is now.

He isn’t perfect, our hero. He isn’t done. He’s on a journey.

And, just like at the beginning of the season, Felicity will be at his side.

Because she’s his partner. His soulmate. His other half.

Oliver Queen is finally on the path to being the complete man we all wish him to be. And he doesn’t have to do it alone.
*  *  *
I was already convinced that Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) should be a series regular. But if you weren’t, her delivery of the line “It’s not your call Oliver, it’s mine” should have been enough to sway you.
*  *  *
You can always tell how bad things are by the state of Felicity’s hair – perfect ponytail, everything’s under control, tendrils of hair coming out from all over, things are a mess.
*  *  *
The whole thing where Oliver knew the oath? Never ever happens. Ever.

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[tarotx]

Run Barry run can fix anything and Cisco is allowed to build any tech ever. lol so what is different about hacking having to be faster than believable? Why is that the thing that people can't dispel disbelief? 

And I personally think s4 has been the season with the least melodrama. Oliver lost a big chunk of his Angst without the Lance sisters as love interest and with Moira dead. The world is smaller for Oliver the past 2 seasons so Oliver is the angst and brings it into the Lair and the fight scenes.

Why do people blame Felicity? Maybe it's because Oliver used to be able to come to Felicity and the mood could lift ? Now she's the person he has angst with - so it feels bigger? Or that it's largely contrived now instead of organic and people aren't understanding that?

Edited May 30, 2016 by tarotx

[looptab]

1 minute ago, AyChihuahua said:

I guess in the Larry King interview he got into the #NotAllTexans thing again, that POC are being really mean to poor mistreated Texas, the citizens of which have always been really nice to him. He should really just drop it. I have never seen it turn out well when rich white people, especially rich white dudes, lecture non-rich white people on how to respond to injustice.

Well, no, he didn't. The question was 'what Canadians get wrong about the Us' and he answered with saying that their ideas about  Texas tend to be pigeonholed or something. But I guess bringing Texas up again it's not a good move for him, it'll always circle back to that episode.

[AyChihuahua]

2 minutes ago, looptab said:

Well, no, he didn't. The question was 'what Canadians get wrong about the Us' and he answered with saying that their ideas about  Texas tend to be pigeonholed or something. But I guess bringing Texas up again it's not a good move for him, it'll always circle back to that episode.

I can't watch videos at work. Twitter is saying he was lecturing again.

He should just pick another state to use as an example. ANY other state.

[tv echo]

Here's some positivity with a dash of criticism (moments are ranked chronologically)...

The 7 Best Team Arrow Moments from 'Arrow' Season 4 
Derek Stauffer  Thursday, May 26, 2016
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/the-7-best-team-arrow-moments-60149.aspx 

Quote

2. Oliver and Diggle Make Up

Oliver and Felicity's partnership is a core dynamic on Team Arrow. If it weren't for the friendship between Oliver and Diggle however, Team Arrow would not exist. It is because Oliver learned to trust and care for Diggle that he allowed other people to join his grand superhero mission. Dig is Team Arrow's rock and its foundation. 

Following the events of season 3 that foundation was crumbling. Dig and Oliver were at complete odds but thankfully a few episodes into season 4, Oliver and Dig finally confront their problems. In the episode "Restoration" Oliver and Diggle fought but mostly they made up. Team Arrow had the skills to work together but it wasn't until Diggle and Oliver stopped bickering that they started to act like a cohesive unit.
*  *  *
3. A League of Justice

The second annual Arrow/Flash crossover was a little bit of a mess. The Flash side of the crossover was more a set-up for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow than it was a good episode of The Flash. The Arrow side of crossover managed a lot better. Though the episode saw probably the biggest mistake of Arrow season 4, Oliver lying to Felicity about his son, it still showed that Team Arrow is the most experienced superhero team on the block. Together they worked with The Flash and helped newbies like Kendra and Carter defeat their enemy Vandal Savage. The crossover was all about teamwork and Team Arrow was leading the charge.
*  *  *
7. Divide and Conquer (The Nukes)

It's true that Arrow wrote itself into a bit of a corner when it came to HIVE's nukes. The only way to get out was using Felicity's borderline magic powers of hacking. Still it was a pretty fantastic that Damien Darhk and his nukes were so powerful that it caused the team to have to split up to take it all down. Thea, Oliver and Diggle taking on Darhk's bunker suburb while Felicity, Curtis and Team Arrow guest star Noah tried to hack the nukes was the perfect example of why Star City doesn't just need Green Arrow. It needs a team of heroes. 

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[Midnight Lullaby]

3 minutes ago, AyChihuahua said:

 

He should just pick another state to use as an example. ANY other state.

Well I don't think he picked Texas randomly, LOL

[tv echo]

Heroesdirect review of 423...

Arrow: “Schism”
by EAMMON JACOBS on MAY 26, 2016
http://heroes.direct/tv/arrow-s4e23/

Quote

So after all the death and destruction that we’ve seen so far this season, especially that nuclear strike, Arrow actually ends on a surprisingly hopeful note. In the finale, all of the respective plot-lines get tied up and leave all the main characters in a specific place. There’s no real ambiguity of character fates or dwindling plot strands, everything is neatly tied up – and whilst we expected a huge cliffhanger like The Flash left us with, it’s refreshing to see the writers make a solid decision as to how to end their fourth season. The only problem is, we’ve seen this episode before as a movie… The Dark Knight Rises.

With the threat of nuclear apocalypse, a superhero uses the strength and courage of the city to stop the supervillain. That description fits both The Dark Knight Rises and the Arrow finale. And whilst this is a well written episode and overarching plotline, in the final battle we can’t help but feel like it’s taking direct cues from the final Nolan film. Even when it goes so far as having some of it’s main characters step away from the heroic life they’ve been living for quite some time. Are we being a little too picky? Possibly.

Nonetheless, it’s still an entertaining episode, even if Darhk’s new reasoning for wanting to end the world does seem a little bit hamfisted....

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[AyChihuahua]

5 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

Well I don't think he picked Texas randomly, LOL

Oh, I know. I get that his wife's from there. But he's been to many other states, and every time he mentions Texas, all that crap is brought up again. I'm from Washington State...it's a very nice state, it's right across the border from him, and it's mostly pretty free of controversy. Or maybe California, he does own like four houses there. Any state other than Texas, really.

[looptab]

4 minutes ago, AyChihuahua said:

I can't watch videos at work. Twitter is saying he was lecturing again.

He should just pick another state to use as an example. ANY other state.

I thought so. :) I answered just for the sake of clarity; )

On one level, I kinda get where he comes from. I'm from a region that gets a bad rep for organized crime  and other stuff I won't bore you with - and it does bother me when I hear/read it labeled like that, because there's a lot more to this place. 

[Midnight Lullaby]

1 minute ago, AyChihuahua said:

Oh, I know. I get that his wife's from there. But he's been to many other states, and every time he mentions Texas, all that crap is brought up again. I'm from Washington State...it's a very nice state, it's right across the border from him, and it's mostly pretty free of controversy. Or maybe California, he does own like four houses there. Any state other than Texas, really.

I didn't mean it like that. I meant that since I think it was Texas he wanted to talk about he can't pick another state as an example, it wouldn't allow him to make his point.

[tv echo]

4YourExcitement review of 423..

BEYOND ALL HOPE: THE TEAM RUNS OUT OF TIME IN ARROW’S SEASON FINALE “SCHISM”
Verena Cote | May 26, 2016
http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/05/beyond-all-hope-the-team-runs-out-of-time-in-arrows-season-finale-schism/

Quote

The end is here. Well, the end of season four that is. In episode #4.23 “Schism” Damien Darhk fights his final battle against Star City, and Oliver learns that heroism isn’t always black and white.
*  *  *
Team Arrow is slowly losing hope. The end of the world is only two hours away and there is nothing they can do to stop Darhk. Oliver turns to Felicity in those last, hopeless moments and the two share a beautiful heart-to-heart. Their connection can easily handle the one or the other lie, and most certainly survived their break up. It’s a relief to see how easily they still open up to each other, especially Oliver, and that some things never change.
*  *  *
As for Felicity, she is quick to assure Oliver that she won’t be leaving his side. They may not have reunited, but they aren’t alone either. The summer offers a chance for both of them to grow and to deal with what happened in the last nine months, separately as well as together. The end of season four offers a sweet parallel to the end of season three: where Oliver and Felicity left Star City to be together last year, they now stay, together, to rebuild it.

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[NumberCruncher]

I'm really having a hard time with people piling on Stephen over one innocuous sentence about Texas in that LK interview.  I get that people love to turn all SJW on him, but in this particular case his quote could have meant an endless number of different perceptions people have about Texans that don't necessarily have anything to do with race.  People are reading a lot into something so stupid.

[AyChihuahua]

8 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

I didn't mean it like that. I meant that since I think it was Texas he wanted to talk about he can't pick another state as an example, it wouldn't allow him to make his point.

If he's intentionally using Texas as his example because he just can't let that thing die, that's stupid and childish. He said something dumb, he got b-slapped for it, now a lot of time has passed and people pretty much forgot. If he's using Texas as an example BECAUSE of that controversy, he's the one not letting it die, but instead reminding people.

[tv echo]

fangirlish review of 423...

Arrow Season 4 Finale Review: ‘Schism’ [New Beginnings]
1 DAY AGO by ALYSSA BARBIERI
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-season-4-finale-review-schism-new-beginnings/

Quote

When it comes to season finales they don’t always have to be world-changing or jaw-dropping in their nature. The mark of a truly great season finale is the satisfaction that comes with watching the season come full circle. Sometimes the best thing a season finale can do is deliver a satisfying end to a season as it hints at what’s to come when the journey picks back up.
*  *  *
Arrow’s season four finale (“Schism”) was quite satisfying given the rocky journey this season. These last few episodes have been solid, and the finale was no different. There was a definite tonal shift following Laurel’s death that seemed to set the show on a distinct path as it heads into its fifth season.

Something I love about Arrow is the parallels between the season premiere and the season finale. At the start of the season we found Oliver trying to find a way to be a hero in the light of day – to inspire hope – and by season’s end we saw that Oliver was able to get to that place of inspiration, which was great character progression on his part.
*  *  *
And that final shot…

LORD. Chills. Legit chills. It gave me goosebumps just to think about what’s to come in season five as we pick back up with Oliver and Felicity watching over Star City and the other central characters taking a much-needed break before they ultimately return (come on, they are going to return).

One of my favorite things about the finale was that it hinted at the more grounded direction that actors of the show have expressed a desire for. That means less magic, less supernatural powers, and more grittiness when the show returns. You know, the stuff that made Arrow that relatable superhero show we fell in love with.
*   *  *
Something that I also really appreciated was how Arrow addressed this whole killing thing directly. Obviously killing has been something Oliver has struggled with since his time on the island, but it’s been a central focus on the show in these four seasons. First it was killing was the only answer; then it was there was another way; and now Oliver has learned that sometimes killing is necessary in order to prevent the further loss of lives.

Basically there’s a fine line with killing that Oliver appears to have gained understanding of. As Felicity told him in the cemetery, there’s a schism within him. That Yin and Yang. But while Oliver used to give in only to that darkness, he’s finally tapped into that light that helps balance him in a way that makes him stronger as a person and as a hero.

One of the criticisms that I’ve seen with Arrow and this nuclear missile storyline was how Felicity hacking into a missile was “unrealistic.” I’m sorry, but logic does not exist on shows centered around superheroes – especially ones with superpowers (looking at you, Flash). If we want tot talk logic, Arrow’s finale was the most believable of all of them.
*  *  *
While it makes absolutely no sense for Oliver to feel this need to go to Russia and uphold his promise to now-dead flashback girl, I’ll take whatever ridiculous logic you throw at me if it gives me Bratva Oliver. While we’ve known for some time that the final season of “island” flashbacks would take us to Russia, the logic behind his decision to do this because of this flashback girl made no sense. But I’m going to focus on the positive as we’re heading into the final season of island flashbacks and how we’re finally going to get to see Bratva Oliver before he finds his way home.

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[Midnight Lullaby]

1 minute ago, AyChihuahua said:

If he's intentionally using Texas as his example because he just can't let that thing die, that's stupid and childish. He said something dumb, he got b-slapped for it, now a lot of time has passed and people pretty much forgot. If he's using Texas as an example BECAUSE of that controversy, he's the one not letting it die, but instead reminding people.

I think he just has a hard time letting things go in general..his behavior in the few days after the mess on Twitter is an example. People were over it already but he wasn't, I guess because he thought what happened was unfair and what he meant misunderstood.

I don't think he is a bad person, I don't think he is a racist either, at all. I think he said something stupid and being famous it became a huge deal even if he didn't have bad intentions. But I think sometimes he is too stubborn for his own good.

[tv echo]

BuddyTV review of 423...

'Arrow' Season 4 Finale Recap: The Final Showdown with Damien Darhk 
Derek Stauffer   Wednesday, May 25, 2016
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/arrow-season-4-finale-recap-ol-60138.aspx

Quote

Before Arrow season 4 began, fans were promised a happy and more lighthearted season. That really didn't pan out. Instead, season 4 saw a big break-up, the death of a major character, a nuclear bomb killing an entire town of innocents and magic run off the power of departed souls. In no way did Arrow provide a happy-go-lucky time. But what Arrow lacked in smiles (though there were still some jokes and cheer) it made up for in quality. 

Arrow season 4 as a whole probably doesn't surpass the gold standard set by season 2, but it got pretty close to the high bar the show set in its sophomore year. A large factor in that uptick in quality has come from Arrow's newest villain Damien Darhk. All of Darhk's plans and powers come to a final confrontation and a fantastic conclusion in this season finale. So let's get into it.
*  *  *
Rather than what would actually happen in this situation where a mob would either ignore Oliver or tear him to literal pieces, everyone stops and listens. Oliver tells the crowd to believe because they've survived terrible events before. It's a good speech. Well, actually, it's just an "okay" speech, but it really doesn't matter because the world is still toast.
*  *  *
Damien is stopped from killing Oliver by the arrival of thousands of Star City residents. They start hurling things at Darhk and telling him to leave their city because they "don't want him anymore." The impending nuclear apocalypse has turned the citizens of Star City into petulant toddlers.

They are passionate toddlers, however, because their hope and belief in Oliver makes him stronger. The hope and faith of the people negate Darhk's dark magic. Oliver is apparently Tinkerbell now as belief and applause make him stronger. Darhk's magic is gone and he is no longer a god-like wizard. He's just a super-talented and trained assassin. This leads to some good 'ole fashioned fisticuffs. It's not just Oliver and Darhk either. Darhk calls his Ghosts and Diggle (who has arrived just in time) calls the people of Star City. An all-out war rages in the streets between the Ghosts and citizens armed with lead pipes. Somehow, the good guys are not immediately slaughtered.  
*  *  *
Meanwhile, the other half of Team Arrow finds the hacker who is directing Darhk's missiles. It is Cooper, Felicity's punch-able ex-boyfriend. Darhk is magically torturing Copper to keep up the missiles. If Cooper stops, Darhk will kill him instantly. Felicity convinces Cooper to stop and save the world and when he does, he instantly dies. Felicity spends about two seconds mourning his death, which is two longer that I did. 
*  *  *
You'd think everyone would now celebrate, but it doesn't work out that way. This is Arrow, so everyone has to be moody about saving the world. In the reverse of season 3's finale, everyone on Team Arrow but Felicity and Oliver decide that they need to take some time off. Diggle, Thea and even Quentin all leave Star City to sort things out. Maybe they will return and maybe they won't. Hopefully, only Quentin will decide to make the change permanent.

Oliver is offered the position of mayor because apparently giving speeches during riots equates to be able to run a city. Oliver then goes back to the cave where Felicity is waiting for him. While the costumes of all the other heroes are now hung up, Oliver and Felicity are here and they are going to stay to keep saving Star City.

And that's the end of Arrow season 4; an improvement in almost every way from the disappointing season 3. In fact, these last few episodes of the season have been every bit as good, if not better, than the season 2 arc finale that everyone (rightfully) raves about it....

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[NumberCruncher]

4 minutes ago, AyChihuahua said:

If he's intentionally using Texas as his example because he just can't let that thing die, that's stupid and childish. He said something dumb, he got b-slapped for it, now a lot of time has passed and people pretty much forgot. If he's using Texas as an example BECAUSE of that controversy, he's the one not letting it die, but instead reminding people.

I didn't get the impression at all that he was using Texas as an example because of his earlier comments.  I got the impression he was using it because he has family there who likely have discussed with him the stupid things people say.  He wasn't lecturing so I'm not sure where the Twittersphere got that either.  His answer to LK's question was literally one sentence: "How they view Texans".  He didn't even expand on it.

[tv echo]

Stephen Amell: 'I look at a weight and I start to build muscle'
about 11 hours ago   Tara Brady
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/stephen-amell-i-look-at-a-weight-and-i-start-to-build-muscle-1.2661794

Quote

Comic books turn out to be something of a family trade for the Amell family. When Stephen relocated from Toronto to Los Angeles, he was following in the footsteps of his cousin Robbie who plays Firestorm in Arrow spin-off The Flash.

“Ironically, I’m seven years older than he is,” says Amell. “But I meandered around Toronto and worked in the Canadian industry for seven or eight years. Robbie just went straight to Los Angeles. so he got started way before I did . . . I was talking to him last night about all the things he turned down during pilot season. I better not get into this, out of respect for the actors that did get those roles, but his career is a lot more dynamic than mine.”

Amell made his screen debut in 2004 as a spinning instructor in the Canadian-American transplant of Queer as Folk. At the time he was working as, well, a spinning instructor. These days he looks as if his biceps would scarcely fit over the handlebars. Tellingly, when a waiter brings him a coffee, the nicely-mannered Amell gives a polite yet firm “no” when offered sugar.

“I have put on a bunch of size since since I took on the role of Arrow,” he says. “My body changed for sure. You know how some people say they just look at a sandwich and they gain weight? I look at a weight and I start to build muscle. Don’t get me wrong: I have to lift a lot of stuff. But muscle happens very fast.”
*  *  *
His first Hollywood break came in 2010 when he was cast as a killer in CSI:Miami. He was sitting in the audience of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he got the news: a story he has recently related on the same talk show.

“Before they start they warn you to switch your phone off,” says Amell. “But I had a good feeling and the receptionist at the casting agent had given me a tip-off. So I left my phone on vibrate and took it out just to check if the call was coming from my agent’s number. But there’s a guy standing over me mouthing the words: ‘turn off that phone’. Honestly, nothing will ever match the excitement of getting that CSI: Miami job.”

He has subsequently had recurring roles on shows like New Girl, Hung, and 90210. These shows have fans but they don’t have anything like comic-book fans. When Amell was unveiled as Green Arrow, alter ego of billionaire castaway Oliver Queen, not everyone was happy.

“People were pissed,” he laughs. “They were mad. They wanted Justin Hartley because he played Arrow on Smallville. He’s the most recent incarnation of the character so that was the first reaction that most people had. That’s how it goes. People were pissed when Christian Bale was cast as Batman. And they were even more pissed when Ben Affleck was cast as Batman. But I think the general consensus coming out of Batman V Superman was that Affleck was awesome. So now the same people are really fired up to see Affleck in a standalone Batman movie.”

 

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[Midnight Lullaby]

He talked about people being wrong in stereotyping Texans then and now. I'm sorry, I can't help but make the connection, LOL.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Midnight Lullaby

[lemotomato]

Is the full interview with Larry King available? 

[NumberCruncher]

16 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

He talked about people being wrong in stereotyping Texans then and now. I'm sorry, I can't help but make the connection, LOL.

I'm not arguing that his prior comments haven't impacted his stance now but he's not wrong that stereotyping people is not a good thing.  His error then was pointing that out at the worst. time. EVER.  I don't get the impression that he's racist but he shouldn't have tried to mitigate the outrage over a sensitive racial issue by derailing the argument the way he did.  He likely still believes that stereotyping an entire state (with a large population of POC itself, ironically) is wrong...which it is.  But unlike last time when it shouldn't have been used to belittle the anger people were feeling, this isn't really worth the social media uproar.

Edited May 27, 2016 by NumberCruncher

[SonofaBiscuit]

NM

Edited May 27, 2016 by SonofaBiscuit

[Midnight Lullaby]

2 minutes ago, NumberCruncher said:

I'm not arguing that his prior comments haven't impacted his stance now but he's not wrong that stereotyping people is not a good thing.  His error then was pointing that out at the worst. time. EVER.  I don't get the impression that he's racist but he shouldn't have tried to mitigate the outrage over a sensitive racial issue by derailing the argument the way he did.  He likely still believes that stereotyping an entire state (with a large population of POC itself, ironically) is wrong...which it is.  But unlike last time when it shouldn't have been used to belittle the anger people were feeling, this isn't really worth the social media uproar.

Oh I'm not saying his comment now is worth the social media uproar, that I didn't see by the way. I saw a couple of ironic comments about him speaking up for Texas again but no outrage. At all. 

It is wrong to stereotype obviously. The issue was a privileged man defending privilege not realizing what he was saying because of his privilege. I don't think he is racist, I think he wasn't that educated on the subject to realize his comments might be offensive to people that are part of a minority and have to deal with racism.

I was just saying that since when he strongly believes in something he doesn't seem to let it go no matter what and I think he still believes his original comment was valid (even if I do believe he felt bad if he hurt anyone with it) his comment now wasn't random, but him reiterating his opinion.

[calliope1975]

There are amazing and terribad people in every state. I lived in TX for the majority of my life. I experienced some super racist comments and events while living there. I still love the state as well as the other states I've lived in where I've had racist experiences. The likelihood of SA ever having those same types of experiences are very, very small. I get that people are asking him questions, but I hope he can find a better answer. 

Edited May 27, 2016 by calliope1975

[tv echo]

3 hours ago, lemotomato said:

Is the full interview with Larry King available? 

There had been a previous notice or tweet that the full SA interview with Larry King Now would be released on May 27, which is why I checked the site earlier today - but I only found those 5 clips this morning.  However, I just checked again and there's a new, longer video posted (about 24 minutes long):

Stephen Amell on Olicity, 'Arrow' fans, & Drake [VIDEO]
http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/27/stephen-amell-on-olicity-arrow-fans-drake 

LK: "By the way, we received over a thousand social media questions for you. That's a record for us. ... How do you explain this?"
SA: "I don't know. I don't know. I've had a presence on social media since, uh, since we started with the show. And it's just become an incredibly popular and engaged audience. Loyal. Loyal, too."

LK: "Why is Arrow so popular?"
SA: "I don't know."
LK: "It's a great comic book."
SA: "It's a great comic book. I've gotten that question a lot with respect to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well. I don't know what the secret sauce is. I just know that ... when we originally came on the air, we were a counterpoint to a lot of the superhero shows that had been on TV. And we tried to go in a different direction, much like Nolan's Batman tried to take the superhero film in a different direction. And for whatever reason, the pilot popped - and here we are 92 episodes in."

LK: "What does the future hold for Olicity?"
SA: "Well, we did walk down the path.  And we have since broken up."

LK: "Laurel was killed off this year. Viewers couldn't hear her dying words. Do you know what they were?"
SA: "I do know what they were, but it's going to remain a secret because, much like Greg said, we like to surprise the viewers."
LK: "Any chance she'll come back from the dead?"
SA: "No."
LK: "Simply no?"
SA: "Simply no."

LK: "A Forbes contributor wrote recently that Arrow has 'jumped the shark' this season. The author claims - he writes that '[t]here's no resurrecting a show that has fallen so deeply in love with its own mistakes. It's kind of a twisted vanity that the writers and producers have stopped caring at all about making a vigilante show.'"
SA: "I think that there are elements of the show that we could get back to the roots of the show a little bit. But, it's an interesting paradox because we started out as one show. When I was here last time, it was one show. Now we are three, maybe four, shows within the DC television universe and it's been Arrow's responsibility in large part - especially with The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow - to shepherd these shows into existence. Now they stand on their own and they do their own thing. But we have had to deviate a little bit from the basic elements of our formula. These are simply problems that exist because we've had an opportunity to do 92 episodes of television. Um, Greg always says - Greg Berlanti always says that people tend to vote with their remotes. And our ratings this year tend to be higher than season 1 and season 2."

LK: "There's a flip side to the Arrow kind of fandom, in that it can go too far."
SA: "I think there are sections of the fandom that take to liking another character by way of attacking - by liking a certain character by way of attacking another character. All that being said, I think that twitter largely is overblown. I'm not saying these people aren't passionate. I'm not saying their opinions shouldn't matter. But I do think their voices tend to be so loud that we think the crowd is much bigger than it actually is. I happen to think that it's much smaller. And I think most people still enjoy a show in the traditional way, which is to watch it and not to tweet constantly throughout it. But, that being said, you know, the internet can be a negative place. The reason I don't consider twitter to be a very viable social media platform is because there's no accountability, there's no requirement for anything but anonymity. And that's not to say that people can't have good opinions there, but I think - I think largely it's noise."
LK: "What's your relationship with fans in real life?"
SA: "Oh, couldn't be better. And that's why I don't take stuff like twitter that seriously. Because the people that I meet, if they're passionate about the show, in a positive or a negative way, they reason their position out to me in a very relaxed, calm way that's much longer than 140 characters. And then we can talk about it... I think ultimately that having passion one way or the other about a show is important."

LK: "@CalliG1695 via twitter. 'Did you expect that Oliver and Felicity would become one of the most popular
couples on television?'"
SA: "Never in a million years."

LK: "@AlwaysBett via twitter. 'How has your relationship with Emily Bett Rickards developed over the
years?' She plays Felicity."
SA: "Uh, we're best of friends now, as I am with almost everyone on the cast. We spend far too much time
together."

LK: "@JennyTheJoker via twitter. 'What does your workout consist of to maintain your physique for being the Green Arrow?'"
SA: "Depends on the type of year - the time of year it is. Right now, I'm just going for runs and swimming. But I'll do weight training and yoga and all sorts of things. I mix it up."

LK: "And finally, hundreds of fans want to know about the future of Olicity. Anything else you can tell us?"
SA: "No...  (they laugh) Although I hope that if I get the chance to come back three years from now, I get to hear you say 'Olicity' again."
LK: "You'll be back."
SA: "Thank you very much."
LK: "'Olicity!'"

Edited May 27, 2016 by tv echo

[lemotomato]

Thanks, @tv echo!

[looptab]

I need to go back and check what he had to say about the magic stuff at the beginning of the season.

Mostly, I think he must be fed-up with the "Flash is better" kind of comments.

[NumberCruncher]

Silver lining:  We'll never have to worry about Stephen ever giving Erik Kain the time of day which is great because he's pretty much the worst Arrow reviewer ever.

[looptab]

I'm so bitter that of all the reviews, of all the reviewers, that [insert expletive here] is the one talked about. 

[wonderwall]

On the one hand, I'm pleased that [expletive] was mentioned so the CW/SA anyone won't give him any access...

...On the other hand, I'm annoyed that [expletive] was mentioned because I don't like him getting any recognition.

Edited May 27, 2016 by wonderwall

[Midnight Lullaby]

I thought the part of the review he read was hilarious. Such a drama queen, LOL.

[thegirlsleuth]

@tv echo, you are the best.

I like Larry King's little "Olicity!" at the end.

[lemotomato]

I'm not sure what to make of SA refusing to talk about Olicity aside from saying that they're broken up. Given that he also kind of gave a negative spin on the Olicity moments in the season finale, I can't help but think that's not a good sign for them in season 5.

[Midnight Lullaby]

I got the impression he wanted to talk about himself, his career and not that much about Olicity or the fans. Those and the LL's question got very short answers.

I don't think it means much for season 5 because I doubt he knew anything when he gave the interview.

[dtissagirl]

I often feel like he's totally okay working a fan crowd [and con press rooms] about Oliver/Felicity, but he doesn't want to do that on~a serious~ interview.

[Guest]

Well, SA was beaming when he watched a clip of himself talking about Olicity in the last LK interview. So I wouldn't read much into it. I'm with @Midnight Lullaby, I think SA went into this interview wanting to talk about himself and his movie career rather than Arrow or Olicity tbh.

[looptab]

It's quite possible he knows something about S5, didn't he say he knew they were going to have Olicity drive off into the sunset by the time of the S2 finale airing?

I do get the same feeling as @dtissagirl, plus it kinda irks me that you talk about the magic and superhero stuff like it's serious matter - they are themes of your show so of course, nothing wrong there - but get all LOL Olicity when the discussion veers to that. But maybe he meant it in an affectionate way/he was simply amused by the context - Larry King - and I'm being excessively negative lately. Who knows.

[Chaser]

4 hours ago, dtissagirl said:

I often feel like he's totally okay working a fan crowd [and con press rooms] about Oliver/Felicity, but he doesn't want to do that on~a serious~ interview.

That is Arrow promotion in a nutshell.

He name dropped EBR and Felicity in the smaller interviews but this serious talk.

As long as I get No Chill Steve at Comic Con I'm happy.

[lemotomato]

16 hours ago, wonderwall said:

Some hard hitting journalism right here lmao

The funny thing about this is that I don't think anyone on the show has ever acknowledged the Arrow subreddit except for Ben Sokolowski, and that was only 2 months ago. I used to lurk there before I found this forum, and I remember back in season 2 they were begging SA to do an AMA ("ask me anything", basically a Q&A). It was even put on the schedule, but he cancelled at the last minute and as far as I know, never went back to make up for it. I mention this because reddit is generally well-known enough to snag whatever personality they want for Q&As, but it seems like they've been ignored by everyone on the show for almost 4 seasons.

So if a group flounces away in the forest, but no one was looking for them to begin with, then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BkWurm1]

10 hours ago, lemotomato said:

I'm not sure what to make of SA refusing to talk about Olicity aside from saying that they're broken up. Given that he also kind of gave a negative spin on the Olicity moments in the season finale, I can't help but think that's not a good sign for them in season 5.

I took it as SA's standard in the moment answer.  He is always doubling down on whatever is happening right then on the show rather than talking about where it will evolve.  Right when he was doing the interview (which happened before the finale) we still have them broken up and the season ends with them broken up.  And until he and the show move forward to the next episode, he's going to keep harping on what most recently happened, just like he kept harping on him being dead and then being turned by the LoA.  I don't think anything should be read into it at all. 

[Midnight Lullaby]

6 hours ago, looptab said:

It's quite possible he knows something about S5, didn't he say he knew they were going to have Olicity drive off into the sunset by the time of the S2 finale airing?

Really? Do you remember when he said that?

I remember that at the Upfronts last year he said when they started filming S2 he knew the season was going to end with Oliver confessing his love for Felicity, but nothing about S3.

[looptab]

34 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

Really? Do you remember when he said that?

I remember that at the Upfronts last year he said when they started filming S2 he knew the season was going to end with Oliver confessing his love for Felicity, but nothing about S3.

I think it was at the upfronts last year - he said that  he knew  it was going to happen since the upfronts after s2. On the other hand I don't think  I've ever heard of him knowing the ending of S2 from the beginning, so either one of us is mixing these two things up, or he did know both of the finales :)

Edited May 28, 2016 by looptab

[lemotomato]

I don't recall SA saying he knew how season 2 would end, but he did say at the end of season 3 that he knew what was going to happen since the upfronts after season 2. Which explained why he answered all the questions about the fake "I love you" hinting that yes, Oliver meant it, and why he was so firm about Felicity being The One for Oliver at SDCC that summer.

[looptab]

Found a link: http://tvline.com/2015/05/14/arrow-season-4-video-stephen-amell-oliver-felicity/

[Midnight Lullaby]

4 minutes ago, looptab said:

Found a link: http://tvline.com/2015/05/14/arrow-season-4-video-stephen-amell-oliver-felicity/

Oh thank you! I didn't remember that. I could swear he also talked about the season 2 ending at some point but maybe I'm getting confused.

Anyway in the video he says he doesn't know much about S4 at that point so to go back to what we were wondering about originally maybe when he gave the interview with LK he didn't know much about S5 either. They recorded it a while ago..

[tv echo]

SA's Q&A with NY Daily News readers...

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ hero Stephen Amell dishes on his Canadian geek roots, Taylor Swift karaoke and pro-wrestling career in social media Q&A
BY ETHAN SACKS  Friday, May 27, 2016, 4:05 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/tmnt-hero-stephen-amell-dishes-geek-roots-arrow-karaoke-article-1.2652490

Quote

But the Daily News gave Amell a more formidable challenge to grapple with: answering questions from geeky News readers, many of whom number among the Hollywood hunk's 9.2 million social media followers.
*  *  *
Riley R. Facebook: How much pride do you take in the fact that in Marvel it's called the Marvel TV universe but in DC, with "The Flash," "Supergirl" and "Legends of Tomorrow" it's called THE ARROWVERSE?

Amell: I think that it's a widespread enough now that it shouldn't be called the Arrowverse ... but I'm always going to be in that Iron Man position because I was there first. Ultimately I'm always going to be the wily veteran. There are way more popular characters than Green Arrow in the DC Universe, but there's something about being first.
*  *  *
@miss_sirius1 What has been the hardest scene to film on Arrow, emotionally?

Amell: My final scene with Susanna Thompson (who played Green Arrow's on-screen mother). Not her death scene, but my final scene with her.

The way that it was written, Oliver finds out that this girl from way back has lost their baby, when in fact she did not. We saw that this season. And I'm actually supposed to be sort of relieved in the scene.

But it was my last scene with Susanna after having worked with her for two years, and it shined through in the performance. This was Stephen Amell, sad about the fact that he's not working with Susanna Thompson anymore. But what it's supposed to be is Oliver and Moira having this heart-to-heart talk. It turned into something else, and we were able to parlay it into one of the best scenes we've ever done on the show.

Edited May 28, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Geeks of Doom review of 423...

TV Review: Arrow 4.23 “Schism” (Finale)
By Olympus Athens   |  @   |  May 27th, 2016 at 3:49 pm
http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2016/05/27/tv-review-arrow-423-schism

Quote

... Then Amanda Waller comes and picks everyone up. I guess the tie is to show that sometimes you have to kill for good. But I’m not sure they needed the whole season for that message.

As endings go, it was not bad, but they have had way better. The group being set adrift makes sense after the season they had just survived. The thing is… they have many of the same messages as The Flash, but it works less because they all take themselves way too seriously. I know it is a darker show, but it says something when the most enjoyable parts are when Darhk makes a joke, or Curtis acts like old Felicity, or Anarky acts crazy and funny, or Donna is Donna. I love Arrow and I really want them to find the balance between action and comedy and the comics, like they used to.

It ended fine. I just know what they are capable of, so expected more.

Edited May 28, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Emertainment Monthly review of 423 (I'm sorry but I found parts of this review unintentionally funny)...

‘Arrow’ Season Finale Review: “Schism”
Nora Dominick ‘17/  May 27, 2016
http://emertainmentmonthly.com/2016/05/27/arrow-review-schism/

Quote

One of the strongest points of the Arrow season four finale was the remembrance of Laurel (Katie Cassidy). This season, Arrow proved no character was safe when it killed off Laurel in “Eleven-Fifty-Nine.” The Arrow writers do an incredible job this week of reminding fans that her death is not taken lightly. Each character has a moment in the finale where they look for solace in what Laurel would’ve done. One of the moments that stands out is a Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver scene very early on. When H.I.V.E busts into the Arrow Bunker on a rampage, the team launches into attack mode. A regular occurrence on Arrow, however this fight has a small piece of symbolism. Felicity gets in on the action by hitting a Ghost over the head with Laurel’s baton knocking him unconscious. It’s hard not to take this as a literal “passing of the baton” from one leading female to another. Laurel was the female lead on Arrow and now Felicity is there to pick up her mantel. The epic moment continues when Oliver and Felicity have a heart to heart as they pick up the shattered remains of the Arrow Bunker. As they place the Black Canary suit back in its case, Oliver tells Felicity “We made a decision to come back here, I tried to do things differently and for a time I did and now I am left here to wonder if I hadn’t… would Laurel still be alive?” The writers do an incredible job with the finale especially when it comes to remembering Laurel’s death. Instead of simply having Rickards step into the leading female protagonists shoes, she has been gradually easing into them. Cassidy’s portrayal of Laurel continues to be a career-defining role for her and Arrow has seamlessly transitioned between the two female leads without overshadowing the other completely. The little conversations about Laurel help remind fans her death continues to reverberate to every corner of Arrow.

Edited May 28, 2016 by tv echo