The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[EmilyBettFan]

^ They take a lot of stuff from Arrow and put it on The Flash. Especially the death scene of his dad dying like how Oliver's mum died. Almost word for word the scene is the same verbally.

[tv echo]

20 hours ago, Velocity23 said:

Here's the referenced Netflix report - interestingly, Arrow was included in the Action & Adventure category (closer to the "devour" end of the scale), while The Flash, Gotham, Daredevil and Jessica Jones were included in the Superhero Drama category (closer to the "savor" end of the scale)...

Netflix & Binge: New Binge Scale Reveals TV Series We Devour and Those We Savor
Netflix   June 8, 2016
https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/netflix-binge-new-binge-scale-reveals-tv-series-we-devour-and-those-we-savor-1

Edited June 10, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Arrow’: The Great ‘Olicity’ Debate
BY JULIA VALENTI JUNE 9, 2016 // 10:02 PM
http://fanfest.com/2016/06/09/arrow-the-great-olicity-debate/

Quote

Fans started pairing the couple together towards the end of Season One, beginning of Season Two. As the show progressed, more and more people began jumping on the ‘Olicity’ ship. The two characters had an undeniable amount of chemistry, and with every episode that passed, fans began tweeting to the writers and producers of Arrow, begging for the two of them to be together.
*  *  *
Sparks indeed, began to fly. In the Season Two finale episode ‘Unthinkable’, Oliver brought Felicity to his mansion and stated his love for her as a means to trick Oliver’s arch nemesis, Slade Wilson (Deathstroke). The scene was actually altered for the television airing, but the DVD release contained a deleted scene from the episode. Instead of Oliver sneakily handing her the syringe after stating ‘I love you’, knowing Slade was watching on the cameras he had hidden in Oliver’s home, the two also shared their very first onscreen kiss.
*  *  *
When I stumbled upon this deleted scene, I remember screaming with excitement. This gave me hope for future seasons that the two of them would possibly end up together....
*  *  *
Through the years, fans have been going back and forth about whether Felicity and Oliver should really be together. In fact, this ‘debate’ has gotten so big, that there are times when ‘#Olicity’ blankets social media. Personally, I love it. I’m a big fan of ‘Olicity’ and I have been since the beginning. When Oliver came back from the island, he was full of so much darkness and resentment, that he would continuously push people away. When Felicity came into his life, she showed him what it truly meant to be a hero. A hero isn’t just someone who puts on a mask and a cape and beats up bad guys, no, a hero is also someone who makes sure they are always there for the people they care most about. She also showed Oliver that there are multiple ways aside from killing in order to obtain justice.
*  *  *
I love the concept of ‘Olicity’. I love Oliver and Felicity together. Not only does she really and truly bring out that ‘light’ in him, she also genuinely makes Oliver happy. Sure, he has had his lovers of the past, but he and Felicity genuinely share something special. Also, I just love what Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards have done with these characters. They have formulated a beautiful on-screen chemistry and I look forward to a lot more screen time with the two of them! They are both incredibly gifted and fantastic actors, and their individual characters bring so much to the show.

Edited June 10, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

PB recently did an e-mail interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer... 

‘Arrow’ star is fine with show’s criticism
By: Oliver M. Pulumbarit  June 10th, 2016
http://entertainment.inquirer.net/195914/arrow-star-is-fine-with-shows-criticism

Quote

But its finale drew mixed reactions from viewers, some of whom were unhappy with the “disappointing” episode and the direction of the show.

“Well, that’s fine—everybody has different opinions and can express them freely,” said English actor Paul Blackthorne, who plays Captain Quentin Lance, in an e-mail interview. “But if people are still watching, then that’s the main thing. And onwards, we shall go,” he said. Reruns of the series, starring Stephen Amell as the titular archer hero, will air weekday mornings this month on Warner TV.
*  *  *
How would you describe television’s growth?
There’s certainly a lot more of it now. I first started acting—about 112 years ago!—when I was 11. The proliferation of networks in America has contributed to the quantity, and there’s also a lot of TV genres, for example the [thriving] superhero programming.

There are more opportunities for people to explore. It’s good days for TV; in the past 10 to 15 years, we’ve seen plenty of quality storytelling.

How have fans been reacting to your portrayal of Quentin Lance?
I’ve been fortunate to receive a positive reaction to my portrayal. I think that’s been helped enormously by the fact that it has such great writing… We’ve been passed a very good ball that’s been a lot of fun to play with.

What is the set like behind the scenes?
The “Arrow” set has got that perfect blend of professionalism and utter respect, but a sense of playfulness, as well—which is important to the creative process … So, it’s a lot of hard work, but lots of fun, too.

How do you feel about the success of the growing “Arrowverse”?
The crossover aspect [of] “Arrow,” “The Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow”—it’s exciting times, both for this genre and for these other productions to to mix them up together like that. It’s challenging from the points of view of production and storytelling. At the end of the day, the results are there—and people enjoy watching.

Edited June 11, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another critique of Arrow - on the plus side, the reviewer doesn't blame everything on Olicity, admits that the comics are soapy and wants a lighter Oliver Queen; however, on the negative side, his criticism of Felicity's hacking skills solving everything is not fair (imo), considering superpowers and time travel are also being used to solve things in this shared universe - but overall, his review didn't make me want to throw things...

CW’s Arrow needs to fix these things to survive its fifth season
BY ERIC FREDERIKSEN | JUNE 5, 2016
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/06/05/cw-arrow-season-4-problems/

Quote

Arrow has a bad, bad habit of setting up a story element and then undoing it later, either as a plot twist, or as plain-old backtracking. Alright, so they kind of had to bring back Oliver himself when Ra’s Al Ghul gutted him with a falchion in season 3. I’ll forgive them that one. Just about everyone else, though?

Malcom Merlyn, Sara Lance, Thea Queen, Ray Palmer, Roy Harper, Andy Diggle – did I miss anyone? At some point, these characters were dead or believed dead, only to pop back up later, sometimes dying again. Some of them are indispensable to the series or to the DC TV stable, so I’m not saying these characters shouldn’t have been killed. Instead, I’m saying that maybe killing characters isn’t a strong plot point anymore, because Arrow has cried wolf so many times. I fully expect Black Canary to return next season, and I’m half-serious about that.

It’s not just death, either. This season had Oliver and Felicity finally admitting how they felt about each other and preparing to marry. Then, Damien Darhk’s goons shot Felicity just right so that she couldn’t walk ever again. Until two episodes later, when someone conveniently invented an Iron Man-esque power-source to power an implant for her. Instead of getting a CW version of the Oracle, with all the interesting character development that would come with that, we had a time-wasting distraction. The whole marriage thing wasn’t any better.

It’s hard to tell anymore which of these are soapy twists and which are backtracking in response to fans, but both are problems. Comics are soapy enough – we don’t need to encourage it.
*  *  *
I love Felicity. The character gets tons of great lines, I like the actress. I like the whole “Team Arrow” concept.

It seems, though, that as the show has raised the stakes, it’s had to slyly admit that a guy with dope archery skills can’t solve world-ending problems. Instead of trying to re-ground things like the show did in the first couple seasons, though, the story has become more and more reliant on Felicity to wave her computer wand, hacking into anything and everything at the drop of a hat. Her hacking skills have become a deus ex machina used to solve big modern problems. As this season demonstrated, though, even magic ends up playing second fiddle to technology.

I don’t want Felicity gone, by any means. And I also don’t want to see Crying Felicity from season 3 again, because she was boring. Let Oliver be responsible for some of his own victories.
*  *  *
I enjoyed Arrow season 4 despite its problems, and I think we’re in a great place for season 5. If the writing team can reground the show, make better use of its assets, and turn the lights back on, things are going to be awesome.

Reviewer's bullet points:
"Enough with the Flashbacks already"
"Stop undoing all your major plot points!"
"Let Oliver solve his own problems"
"Can somebody turn on the lights?"
"A villain is a terrible thing to waste"

Edited June 11, 2016 by tv echo

[EmilyBettFan]

We know Felicity is a genius. Yet they think her hacking is too easy. How about Cisco that can DO everything? I'm so tired of listening to some people saying she's too fast at hacking. They have shown her take almost half an episode to hack into something in season 1. She's not always shown as getting in at the drop of a hat. 

You would think that they would be cheering at this because it would mean less screen time for Felicity if she hacks fast. Whereas opposed to her being blocked by something or someone would give her even more screen time to figure how to get into something.

They don't seem to have problems with Thea or Laurel learning to "fight" and take on LoA members but, they draw the line at a genius hacker and MIT graduate who is known to be smart and doing this seemingly since she was a child. (Building computers since she was 7.) She's the only one on the show that has been at her craft since she was little.

Edited June 11, 2016 by EmilyBettFan

[catrox14]

1 hour ago, EmilyBettFan said:

hey don't seem to have problems with Thea or Laurel learning to "fight" and take on LoA members but, they draw the line at a genius hacker and MIT graduate who is known to be smart and doing this seemingly since she was a child. (Building computers since she was 7.) She's the only one on the show that has been at her craft since she was little.

I think it's because no one remembers Felicity legitimately EARNED her hacking skills. Sorry but this just reeks of sexism to me that Cisco can hack and build costumes and do ALL the things and have an evil doppelganger,  but Felicity can't have actually just simply been blessed with high intelligence and an electrical engineering aptitude since she was a child and  OH AND BTW possesses a fucking degree from MIT that she earned whilst being an actual HACKER in college and then working as an IT person. Nope, those bona fides don't count when it's a pretty blonde girl who wears skirts. Thank gods she wears glasses or they would really never think she was smart at all. 

You know else was a hacker in college before he owned the fucking world. Mark Zuckerberg. Just sayin'.

Edited June 11, 2016 by catrox14

[looptab]

I think the problem most people have is that her skills often end up saving the day, and we can't have that. Heroes must be heroing,and females must be femaling. Oh wait, they have a problem with that also. No clue, then.

Edited June 11, 2016 by looptab

[lemotomato]

"Felicity is just a love interest!"

::Felicity hacks a fucking missile while it's headed right towards her, saves the day::

"Felicity has impossible abilities  and she's stealing Oliver's hero-ing thunder!"

[apinknightmare]

I think there are legit criticisms to be made with regards to Felicity's skill set and the way the show uses it. There are things she does that would be impossible even for an MIT grad who's been hacking most her life. But when you're getting ready to level said criticism, you need to remember that you're watching a show that involves a guy with a bow and arrow routinely beating dudes with machine guns. A show where people were healed/brought back to life with a magical hot tub, and where time travel is possible, and you need to adjust your expectations accordingly. If you aren't criticizing those things, then you can't criticize Felicity's computer skills. You can't expect realism in one facet of the show while dismissing it in all the others. 

[tarotx]

I think people always criticize things they are more familiar with and most of us on the internet have at least a limited computer knowledge. People know what she does is hard or even impossible. As for as "This is a superhero universe", Felicity is considered one of the normal people so her skills get flack. Of course mention that she could also be a superhero and there might be a bunch of but but but she's the normal one, her comic character is a non mask and similar cries of Felicity better never get a mask. 

[dtissagirl]

3 minutes ago, tarotx said:

I think people always criticize things they are more familiar with and most of us on the internet have at least a limited computer knowledge. People know what she does is hard or even impossible.

But no one is criticizing Cisco for doing his computer magicks, and no one is criticizing Palmer for building a flying robot, and no one criticizes Wells or Barry for doing whatever crazy high level fake math they do when they write rando equations in transparent surfaces like they're on CSI. Felicity gets flack for hacking because she looks like EBR, but does something that is assumed to be a dudebro skill.

[catrox14]

Part of the problem is that they showed Oliver doing some of his own hacking. The easy thing to do would be to have the show say that Oliver just no longer wanted to do the computer stuff, that he had too many other things to focus on. Oh wait. Oliver did that and they still bitch about it.

Gods did none of these people watch 24 with Chloe hacking EVERYTHING?  

[foreverevolving]

17 minutes ago, dtissagirl said:

But no one is criticizing Cisco for doing his computer magicks, and no one is criticizing Palmer for building a flying robot, and no one criticizes Wells or Barry for doing whatever crazy high level fake math they do when they write rando equations in transparent surfaces like they're on CSI. Felicity gets flack for hacking because she looks like EBR, but does something that is assumed to be a dudebro skill.

passt.. that's because they're comic canon heroes so they get the sexism pass.

[dtissagirl]

There's something else going on here -- the second the writers decided they were gonna use nukes was also the same second they decided Felicity was gonna save the day.

And, look, I think using nukes as a plot device was dumb as fuck, but the writers decided to go for that while knowing there wouldn't be any one with superpowers showing up to stop the missiles.

Neither Oliver nor Dig can do magic. Nor can put on their robot suit and fly up right to the missiles, pick them up and drop them in an intergalactic wormhole opened in the sky by a crazy God. Nor can Lyla/ARGUS be the ones to stop the nukes because the only ARGUS character left whose name we know IS Lyla, and she also doesn't have a robot suit nor can do magic. Felicity [& Friends] was it. She was the deus ex machina by design of the plot device.

Now, you want Felicity to stop being the deus ex machina? Ask the writers to stop coming up with plot devices that box them into needing hacking skills to divert nukes that Oliver can't stop.

[lemotomato]

22 minutes ago, dtissagirl said:

But no one is criticizing Cisco for doing his computer magicks, and no one is criticizing Palmer for building a flying robot, and no one criticizes Wells or Barry for doing whatever crazy high level fake math they do when they write rando equations in transparent surfaces like they're on CSI. Felicity gets flack for hacking because she looks like EBR, but does something that is assumed to be a dudebro skill.

Not just that it's a dudebro skill, it's the perception that Felicity's hacking success upstages the male hero's achievements. From the article:

Quote

It seems, though, that as the show has raised the stakes, it’s had to slyly admit that a guy with dope archery skills can’t solve world-ending problems. Instead of trying to re-ground things like the show did in the first couple seasons, though, the story has become more and more reliant on Felicity to wave her computer wand, hacking into anything and everything at the drop of a hat. Her hacking skills have become a deus ex machina used to solve big modern problems. As this season demonstrated, though, even magic ends up playing second fiddle to technology.

I don’t want Felicity gone, by any means. And I also don’t want to see Crying Felicity from season 3 again, because she was boring. Let Oliver be responsible for some of his own victories.

Notice that the author didn't mention Curtis and his super tech skills. Because he's a man, and there's always room for another male hero. And it's OK for men rescue other men, but if a woman does it, and she's also a non-combatant? Total hysterics.  Reminds me of all the outrage over Felicity flying the ATOM suit in the season 3 finale. If Ray or Diggle or Roy had been the one flying in to rescue Oliver, there would've been high-fives all around by those same critics questioning how Felicity knew how to operate the suit and calling her a Mary Sue.

[dtissagirl]

1 minute ago, lemotomato said:

Not just that it's a dudebro skill, it's the perception that Felicity's hacking success upstages the male hero's achievements. From the article:

Notice that the author didn't mention Curtis and his super tech skills. Because he's a man, and there's always room for another male hero. And it's OK for men rescue other men, but if a woman does it, and she's also a non-combatant? Total hysterics.  Reminds me of all the outrage over Felicity flying the ATOM suit in the season 3 finale. If Ray or Diggle or Roy had been the one flying in to rescue Oliver, there would've been high-fives all around by those same critics questioning how Felicity knew how to operate the suit and calling her a Mary Sue.

Yup yup. I think we posted at the same time, but it's just what I was talking about in the last post.

Bottom line is -- if people only want OLIVER to save the day, tell the writers to not use nukes. Or alternatively, accept that the writers really really like it for Felicity to be crucial in saving the day.

[apinknightmare]

The funny thing is that as far as the show is concerned, Oliver did save the day. The nukes that Felicity (and Curtis) stopped were one of the methods by which Damien Darhk was going to use to end the world, and in-show she was only given a passing thanks for stopping it. As long as Damien Darhk was alive, the threat remained. Oliver's the one who killed him. So, Felicity's had just about the same level of input into saving this day as she has in the last 2 seasons (not counting the first because the day wasn't saved, haha). 

Edited June 11, 2016 by apinknightmare

[kismet]

My biggest issue with her hacking is its boring to watch. I like that she can do it, but i don't want to watch it. I like her banter while hacking and her on comms, but aimlessly typing is boring and it seems way too simple yet takes down nukes. So I prefer it quickly but then it's not really realistic.

I also don't think it became so obvious until everyone else on the show was in the field. So now the only one that does their thing remotely is FS. If they found a balance between masks & nonmasks in the field/lair then perhaps the heroing can be spread across fields & lairs.

[TimetravellingBW]

Yeah a big problem has been the increase in Masks. In Season 4 with Laurel and Thea somehow (??) up to Oliver's fighting level, Oliver seems less elite and skilled and his victories are shared out between four people. (Instead of just him and Dig in Season 1 and 2. Even Roy in Season 3 was very much the sidekick of the team and still learning). But Felicity is the only hacker/tech person in the lair most of the time - Curtis has only helped out on a couple of occasions - so she gets more focus and credit because she is the only one who can do certain things, especially as the writers keep writing situations where only tech can save the day. (I.e. the nukes). That isn't Felicity's fault, that's the fault of turning Team Arrow into a Halloween clubhouse. 

And also yes, the fact Felicity wears short skirts and polka dots and has a blonde ponytail also means people look at her and go "the stuff she does is too hard! That's not realistic! She could never do that!" If she was a guy who'd graduated from MIT early, been taking apart computers since he was a kid and the son of genius hacker no one would blink. (That reminds me why Felicity is such a great character as a representative of girls in STEM, which is something needed more in TV imo). Also having a science hero who can do *impossible things* with technology is a trope as old as time. Any vaguely sci-fi show relies on it. (Samantha Carter from Stargate is a great example, but difference was that show balanced everyone's talents so the four team members were all world-class in their areas - they didn't have extra Airforce personnel on the team that made O'Neill useless).

Edited June 12, 2016 by TimetravellingBW

[EmilyBettFan]

These articles to me just target her and then it's an all out male fest on the comments saying she should leave once again. Also for Curtis to replace her. Good luck getting a fan favourite to leave the show for someone who is kind of a carbon copy of her. These people need to go back and look at how Felicity joked. She talked fast in some cases but Curtis takes it overboard.

[way2interested]

French interview with EBR from the con (warning, it's translated, so the wording is a bit more off than usual EBR interviews) 

ARROW SEASON 5: EMILY BETT RICKARDS, "I HOPE FELICITY AND OLIVER WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN"

http://www.mcm.fr/arrow-saison-5-emily-bett-rickards-j-espere-que-felicity-et-oliver-seront-a-nouveau-ensemble-interview-a535664.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=post&utm_campaign=internal_sharer

Quote

TO BEGIN, TALK ABOUT THE SEASON FINALE. WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN YOU READ THE SCRIPT FOR THE LAST SCENE, PARTICULARLY ON THE STARTING THEA DIGGLE AND THE TEAM?DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT THE WORK OF THE ARROW TEAM IN SEASON 5? DO DIGGLE CAN STILL BE PART OF THIS LIFE WHEN HE RETURNS TO THE ARMY?

I felt that this was a sensible story, whereas last year it was Oliver and Felicity and who left a year later, it's the opposite. I thought it was cool, but I was surprised. I was "oh how are we going to start the season 5? Everyone is gone!" . I hope they get back together, I'm not sure they will but I hope. I think they will do what is the basis of our history. For Diggle, I'm not too sure that the army it will work, I think he has not finished with the hero's life. I think he will end his service and return. But who knows, maybe he will be frightened?

NOW THAT FELICITY WAS FIRED, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WHEN SHE IS NOT BUSY BEING OVERWATCH?

I think she wants to find a way to sell the chip she has in her spine, making it accessible to everyone. I think it works too well in his spare time. And it probably will coincide with Palmer and Palmer Tech technologies to grow Tech Palmer and his creations, but I do not know if we can do that in our Arrow. But I think it would be a good opportunity to do so.

VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR MANY FANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT SHIP "OLICITY" WHERE DO YOU THINK THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FELICITY AND OLIVER WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF SEASON 5?

I do not think they will be in a relationship. They are kind "we work together, we were in love" , it's complicated. They are trying to move on, but I hope we will review together again.

STEPHEN AMELL SAID HE WOULD RETURN TO BASES IN THE SERIES FOR THE NEW SEASON WITHOUT SUPER POWERS OR MAGIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR SIDE?

I preferred the start of the series, because it's OUR series and that's what we do best, but when we decided to introduce the super powers and all that kind of stuff, you could not back . But the concern is that it gives our series another sensation, like having a new lair. I do not think it's necessary to have a new den each time to make the strongest series. I think we did a good job with CQC and all other sorts of weapons and pistols in hand. I think it gave a true meaning to the series. When we brought the magic in Arrow, we did not make the best of ways. I'm thinking against it was very cool a perspective comics fan, really enjoyed it otherwise. But we do not really feel like in our series. A little left out and scattered in some way.

I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU HEARD, BUT THERE ARE SOME FANS WHO THINK OF ARROW "OLICITY" DESTROYED THE SERIES. STEPHEN AMELL RESPONDED TO THIS AND DEFENDED THE SHIP "OLICITY" BUT YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? DOES IT UPSET YOU OR YOU DO NOT WORRY ABOUT NEGATIVE OPINIONS OF THE FANS AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?

I think this relationship strengthens the series. The direction in which we develop this relationship is true. I think their separation, why they met and fell in love, they work together, all these things are true and honest. This is something that Stephen and I are very protective and we are very protective of them too. When they were together, we made sure they always open and honest conversations without adding drama to an already dramatic series at the base. To hear from the fans? I am more than happy that they have an opinion, I am really delighted! If they think that, they explain to me, no problem. I'm not Olicity and Stephen is not either, all we do is try to make the best series. But people may not like everything. The reason why people like to watch the series is that they have an opinion and express that they like. We just want everyone to be involved in our series, it is by asking questions, crying or laughing hysterically. If you are committed is that you watch the series for good reason. Do you think Felicity and Oliver will be together again?

[Midnight Lullaby]

I'm honestly really tired she gets asked about people hating on Felicity and Olicity. I lost count of how many said they hate Laurel's BC or that Oliver's GA is basically Batman but I guess Felicity is just a topic that gets them more hits.

[bijoux]

How soon is Willa going to come out with, "we need to go back to the basics"? :) It's obviously company line and in this instance I couldn't be more thrilled for it.

[lemotomato]

1 hour ago, way2interested said:

I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU HEARD, BUT THERE ARE SOME FANS WHO THINK OF ARROW "OLICITY" DESTROYED THE SERIES. STEPHEN AMELL RESPONDED TO THIS AND DEFENDED THE SHIP "OLICITY" BUT YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? 

Poor SA. He was pretty damn clear in the Larry King interview that he wasn't defending the storyline/'ship as much as he was defending EBR/Felicity from being attacked, but people are too lazy to actually check the source video instead of relying on Internet hearsay. 

[Password]

8 hours ago, bijoux said:

How soon is Willa going to come out with, "we need to go back to the basics"? :) It's obviously company line and in this instance I couldn't be more thrilled for it.

Yes I have to say I'm loving that SA, DR and EBR is pushing the "back to basics" spiel because I expect good things. 

I've been watching Daredevil and I have to admit I enjoy the gritty street fights and the connection the heroes have to the public far more than magic and superpowers.

[TimetravellingBW]

10 hours ago, bijoux said:

How soon is Willa going to come out with, "we need to go back to the basics"? :) It's obviously company line and in this instance I couldn't be more thrilled for it.

I also suspect the line is a polite way of saying the cast and crew have had enough of facilitating all the supernatural, fantasy stuff that's come with the Flash and LoT, and want to go back to what actually made Arrow successful. (Rather than being stepped over because of shiny new toys - and then getting unfavorably compared to the shows they made sacrifices to accommodate). 

Edited June 14, 2016 by TimetravellingBW

[tv echo]

17 hours ago, way2interested said:

French interview with EBR from the con (warning, it's translated, so the wording is a bit more off than usual EBR interviews) 

ARROW SEASON 5: EMILY BETT RICKARDS, "I HOPE FELICITY AND OLIVER WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN"

http://www.mcm.fr/arrow-saison-5-emily-bett-rickards-j-espere-que-felicity-et-oliver-seront-a-nouveau-ensemble-interview-a535664.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=post&utm_campaign=internal_sharer

FYI, a fan did an English translation that reads a little smoother than the Google translation:
http://olicity-i-believe-in-you.tumblr.com/post/145877400822/mcm-interview-translation-emily-bett-rickards

Edited June 14, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Laura Hurley's thoughts on S4 (in response to following question) - I mostly agree with her...

lisam100 asks:
Hi Laura, what did you personally think of Arrow's season finale and season 4 as a whole? SA said Oliver would be more balanced by the finale. What did he mean by that because I didn't see it as balanced?
Jun 13, 2016 5:46 pm
http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/post/145876727416/hi-laura-what-did-you-personally-think-of-arrows 

Quote

As for Season 4 as a whole…well, for a while, Season 4 was shaping up to possibly be my favorite season to date. I still think that the best stretch of Arrow to date is 2x01 - 2x09, but I was loving Season 4. 

Until the baby mama drama. 

I really can’t express how much damage I think the baby mama drama inflicted on Arrow. Everything about how it started in 4x08 was contrived, and I absolutely hated that Oliver snuggling up to Felicity at the end of the episode after lying to her reminded me of Ollie snuggling up to Laurel when he was upset about getting Samantha pregnant, but I was willing to roll with it as Oliver’s brain compartmentalizing as long as it was a lie of omission. Damage was done, but it was damage that could be fixed without too much melodrama.

Then, the second half of the season revealed that Oliver had been secretly visiting William and Samantha. He was actively lying to his injured fiancee so that he could visit his kid in another city, and he was passively lying with every day that passed that he didn’t come clean. Honestly, he was probably using Felicity’s money to travel. It was so gross that I decided right then and there that Oliver and Felicity needed to break up. I actually caught some social media flak for my vehemence, but I stand by it. I got the willies from looking at him when he casually mentioned his trips back and forth from Central City. The identical second that Oliver revealed that he’d been seeing the kid was the second that I decided that Olicity needed to break up for the sake of both characters. 

Then, Oliver continued to keep William a secret even after Malcolm Merlyn discovered William’s existence. He took the path of least resistance by not immediately telling Team Arrow about his secret kid, and William was seriously endangered because of it. Oliver was not a hero in the baby mama arc, and I couldn’t feel bad for him for how it turned out. He made his own bed, and he had to lie in it. 

I can’t believe that Arrow destroyed Oliver’s development the way that it did during the baby mama arc. The show had been doing such a good job in Season 4 of showing him making progress as both a man and a hero; the baby mama arc portrayed Oliver as a coward, a liar, and incredibly shortsighted. For all his failings, Oliver has never been a coward, but he was a coward when it came to the baby mama drama, and it ultimately uprooted the lives of the Claytons and broke Felicity’s heart. 

Edited June 14, 2016 by tv echo

[Password]

Tears in my eyes at how good that response was. The baby mama drama derailed EVERYTHING.

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Arrow: 6 Reasons Why Laurel's Death Was Actually A Good Thing
A little pruning never hurt the hedge.
Laura Hurley   June 14, 2016
http://whatculture.com/film-tv/arrow-6-reasons-why-laurels-death-was-actually-a-good-thing

Quote

One character that seemed likely to survive from the very beginning was Laurel Lance. As much as she hasn't been terribly instrumental to Oliver on Arrow over the years, she was the live action adaptation of legendary DC comic character Black Canary. Laurel seemed like she might be safe by virtue of her comic counterpart.

So, it was really a ballsy move for Arrow to ignore comic canon in order to kill off the woman who had taken on the mantle of the Black Canary. Arrow demonstrated that it's not afraid to move beyond the status quo of DC canon in order to tell its own version of the Green Arrow. Laurel's death was likely a big blow for comic Black Canary fans, but the show is after all called Arrow. Killing Laurel was a move that proved that the show is not afraid to be bold when the narrative calls for major change.
*   *   *
The three-person dynamic worked, and Arrow managed to incorporate Sara as a non-permanent member and Roy as a sidekick in Seasons 2 and 3 well enough. Season 4 featured a Team Arrow with five members, four of whom were masked fighters out in the field. The team was bloated with an overabundance of muscle that took the focus away from the Green Arrow on his own show, and turned too many of the formerly tight fight sequences into messy melees. Four field members was just too many. Somebody had to go.

Frankly, Laurel was the field member of Team Arrow that made the least sense. Oliver is a master of multiple disciplines after enduring half a decade of hell to be forged into a weapon, Digg has years and years of experience in addition to his sheer size, and Thea went through months of League of Assassins boot camp with Malcolm Merlyn that gave her some believable skills for her itty bitty frame. Laurel would have been useful more as a lawyer than a vigilante, but she could be spared in the field. Team Arrow needed to be pruned; Laurel made sense as the branch to be snipped.
*   *   *
Laurel was the character whose death could have a large impact on the survivors in Season 4 but wouldn't cripple the team or the narrative in the long term. Arrow is the story of Oliver Queen's journey from poorly-coiffed pre-island Ollie to the fully-developed hero Green Arrow, and characters' importances must be determined by their relevance to Oliver. Of the five members of Team Arrow, Laurel had the least relevance to Oliver as of Season 4. 

Felicity was the woman with whom Oliver had fallen madly in love. Thea was the little sister for whom Oliver had already proven he'd give up anything. Diggle was the big brother figure who served as an example to Oliver as a man who had learned to both be a hero and have a life. Laurel...was there. Her biggest connection to Oliver was via their relationship before the island and briefly after the island. Oliver has spent four seasons moving away from his past, and that has resulted in him moving away from Laurel as an essential figure in his life.

Team Arrow can function without her, and Laurel herself admitted that she isn't the love of Oliver's life. She lifts out, and her death won't destroy any necessary aspect of Oliver's life. Laurel was the right choice to die.
*  *  *
Laurel's death was established as a fixed point on all three series. Nyssa told Quentin on Arrow that there would be no Lazarus Pit shenanigans to bring her back. Rip Hunter told Sara on Legends that some tragedies happen in every timeline. Barry and Co. on The Flash met up with Laurel's Earth 2 doppelgänger and came to the clear realization that Earth 1 and Earth 2 counterparts are very much not interchangeable. All shows honored this major event to make the death matter in the entire Arrow-verse, and that bodes well for continuity in the future. 

6.  Too Many Death Fakeouts
5.  It Was A Bold Move
4.  It Was A Payoff
3.  Team Arrow Was Too Big
2.  Laurel Lifted Out
1.  Death Needs To Matter In The Arrow-verse

Edited June 14, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The bitterness is so strong that TV Fanatic might as well re-dedicate their future Arrow reviews to Daredevil...

10 Season Finales That Failed. Miserably.
Christine Orlando June 13, 2016
http://www.tvfanatic.com/slideshows/10-finales-that-failed/

Quote

5. Arrow - "Schism"
*  *  *
Arrow - There was lots of hope going into this season finale, but in the end we were just reminded how awesome and perfect Felicity is, and that Oliver just can't be a superhero without her by his side. Diggle and Thea? Who cares if they never come back. As long as Felicity is around, we're all good.

Edited June 14, 2016 by tv echo

[dtissagirl]

Quote

 we were just reminded how awesome and perfect Felicity is, and that Oliver just can't be a superhero without her by his side. Diggle and Thea? Who cares if they never come back. As long as Felicity is around, we're all good.

I unironically wholeheartedly agree with this, is that okay? Because I do. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[lemotomato]

9 minutes ago, dtissagirl said:

I unironically wholeheartedly agree with this, is that okay? Because I do. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I definitely want Diggle back, But yeah, I agree with the rest, non-sarcastically.

[looptab]

The concept of serialized television, set ups and pay offs seems to escape some people. Where in the episode made it seem that nobody cares whether they come back? Sigh. 

[dtissagirl]

18 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

I definitely want Diggle back, But yeah, I agree with the rest, non-sarcastically.

Yeah, but we know he's coming back, and the bitter folks at TV Fanatic also know he's coming back. So them saying who cares if Dig and Thea never come back was a pot shot that meant nothing.

[lemotomato]

Bitter pot shots are TV Fanatic's stock-in-trade, if their round tables and that awful Carissa Pavlica interview of EBR at SDCC 2015 is anything to judge by. 

Also, their niche for the last 2 years was being the only general entertainment site that was pro-LL, anti-Felicity, so now that LL is dead dead dead, the only thing left for them to do is double down on being anti-Felicity. 

Edited June 14, 2016 by lemotomato

[tv echo]

This site loves KC - btw, there's a poll at the end asking "Do you want the executive producers to resurrect Laurel Lance (the Black Canary) so that Katie Cassidy can return for the upcoming fifth season?"...

‘Arrow’: Katie Cassidy Posts Adorable Selfie With Emily Bett Rickards, Willa Holland [POLL]
June 15, 2016
http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/86870/20160615/arrow-katie-cassidy-posts-adorable-selfie-emily-bett-rickards-willa-holland-poll.htm

[tv echo]

Interview with Nicole Oliver, a guest star on Arrow...

Littlest Pet Shop and My Little Pony's Nicole Oliver Talks Voiceover Work, Arrow and More!
May 16, 2016 by Prutha S. Patel
http://www.watchtivist.com/interviews/littlestpetshopnicoleoliver

Quote

You recently appeared on Arrow as the judge who essentially keeps Damien Darhk in jail for a bit longer. What was it like working with Katie Cassidy and Neal McDonough?
Both actors were incredibly generous and great ambassadors for the show they have a regular role on.  As a guest performer, you sweep in and out, but both Katie and Neal made me feel welcome. I have a lot of respect for Katie- she is playing in what has traditionally been a male-centric arena (superheroes), and she is presenting and representing a strong, thoughtful, multi-faceted female character that can also kick ass. Awesome!

Edited June 15, 2016 by tv echo

[Happy Harpy]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

This site loves KC - btw, there's a poll at the end asking "Do you want the executive producers to resurrect Laurel Lance (the Black Canary) so that Katie Cassidy can return for the upcoming fifth season?"...

Fair enough, if there's a "not even if Hell froze over" option in the poll.

[tv echo]

ARROW: Emily Bett Rickards talks candidly about the fate of Felicity in S4 [AUDIO]
Posted on 15 June, 2016 by Tanavi P 
http://www.fanisma.com/2016/06/arrow-emily-bett-rickards-talks-candidly-about-the-fate-of-felicity-in-s4-audio/

Quote

I joined @publicFR ‘s Arno Bitan to sit down with the Arrow fan favourite, Emily Bett Rickards who plays Felicity Smoak. Speaking candidly about the storyline for her character, she discusses Felicity’s evolution and how she feels her character should have been portrayed, plus her reaction to Laurel’s death and what life with Oliver might have been like if they’d never returned to Star City.

[tv echo]

Sometimes it's difficult to avoid seeing TV Fanatic articles when I'm searching for Arrow news - but man oh man, their writing is so biased that they even get the facts wrong.  Their latest article includes Olicity among their "TV couples whose ships sunk" and says that Felicity couldn't get past the fact that Oliver had a child with another woman and was jealous, so that's why she broke up with him. Do they even watch the show?

Felicity (in 4x15): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child. I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  What does it say about our relationship if your first instinct is to always hide the truth?"

Felicity (in 4x08, before Barry time-traveled): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child.  I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  I care that you lied to me just now."

Edited June 16, 2016 by tv echo

[Artsda]

‘Arrow’: Josh Segarra Cast As Star City’s Newest Vigilante In Season 5 Regular Role

[EmilyBettFan]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

Sometimes it's difficult to avoid seeing TV Fanatic articles when I'm searching for Arrow news - but man oh man, their writing is so biased that they even get the facts wrong.  Their latest article includes Olicity among their "TV couples whose ships sunk" and says that Felicity couldn't get past the fact that Oliver had a child with another woman and was jealous, so that's why she broke up with him. Do they even watch the show?

Felicity (in 4x15): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child. I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  What does it say about our relationship if your first instinct is to always hide the truth?"

Felicity (in 4x08, before Barry time-traveled): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child.  I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  I care that you lied to me just now."

They like to forget about that part IMO to suit their agenda to write badly about her.

[FurryFury]

13 hours ago, tv echo said:

Sometimes it's difficult to avoid seeing TV Fanatic articles when I'm searching for Arrow news - but man oh man, their writing is so biased that they even get the facts wrong.  Their latest article includes Olicity among their "TV couples whose ships sunk" and says that Felicity couldn't get past the fact that Oliver had a child with another woman and was jealous, so that's why she broke up with him. Do they even watch the show?

Felicity (in 4x15): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child. I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  What does it say about our relationship if your first instinct is to always hide the truth?"

Felicity (in 4x08, before Barry time-traveled): "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a child.  I can't believe that you have a child that you didn't tell me about.  I care that you lied to me just now."

The only thing I carried over from this (horribly written) article is that apparently NCIS writers are Mass Effect fans.

Quote

We'll just have to be content knowing that Tony is out there being a loving father to their adorable little girl, Tali. 

Edited June 17, 2016 by FurryFury

[Starfish35]

Arrow returns October 5.

http://tvline.com/2016/06/17/the-cw-premiere-dates-fall-2016-supergirl-the-flash/

[wonderwall]

While I'm good with the points, I'm not sure about how some of it was written. I bolded the weirdness below. But the rest of the article, the guy made a few good points

5 Things We Want to See From Olicity in 'Arrow' Season 5 
Derek Stauffer
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/5-things-we-want-to-see-from-o-60323.aspx

Quote

Have a Non-Awkward Scene

...

It would be nice if when Arrow comes back for season 5, Oliver and Felicity are in a much better place than they were at the end of season 4. If not together romantically, hopefully they will be friends like they were in seasons 1 and 2. Anything to make Arrow's previously most enjoyable relationship a little less cringe-worthy. 

Have Their Own Adventure 

...

Tell Each Other the Truth About Everything

...

Oliver Helps Felicity Get Her Company Back

...

Get Back Together 

This is the big one. The first half of season 4 of Arrow proved a lot of things but one of the most important ones was about Oliver and Felicity. The two are just simply better together, in a relationship and being happy. There is much less needless angst and annoying tears if Oliver and Felicity are together and are in love. The reasons for Oliver and Felicity's break-up in season 4 were needless. It is time to course correct in season 5 by having them get back together and stay together. The sooner this happens, the better.

[looptab]

I think he meant he wishes that when we pick up, they are not still in that awkward post-break up phase, and in a more normal stage. I don't think he was referring to the relationship itself being cringe-worthy. At least I hope so, haha. Or maybe he meant the drama is cringe-worthy? IDK.

Anyway it's not the first time that this guy comes up with stuff like this - I remember an article that I wasn't expecting from him(though I don't remember what it was about) around the time of the final episodes. 

[Thundercatmary]

Well back when 4A was airing there were a lot of people who were on board with Oliver and Felicity, and that's because how they were written. I think this author has a point, it's awhile back so it's easy to forget but I know hardcore comics people who were enjoying them in 4A.