The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[statsgirl]

6 hours ago, tv echo said:

WTF is wrong with the media reviewers this week?!  C'mon, were they paid to prop up the newbies? Here's another one blaming Oliver (and Felicity and Diggle) for driving away the poor newbies (ugh)...

It feels like OTA is put in the role that Felicity has been in for the first five seasons -- doing what a logical person would do but getting blamed for it because ? -- it doesn't support the masks and costumes enough?

[BkWurm1]

Some of those reviews seemed skewed anti OTA based on my past recollections of the ones that don't generally like Olicity.  Like if you back OTA you are backing Olicity so at least a few of the reviews like the one from Syfy and Den of Geeks, don't really surprise me.  They are likely to work overtime to find a way to dislike the original team.  

Edited December 9, 2017 by BkWurm1

[tv echo]

This article was retweeted by JH and also by Suzanne Gomez (no surprise)...

'Arrow' Star Juliana Harkavy: 25 Things You'd Never Know About Playing My Character
by JULIANA HARKAVY    December 7, 2017
http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a14375457/juliana-harkavy-arrow-interview/

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1. When I auditioned for The Black Canary, I only knew I was reading for a new recruit on team Arrow. It wasn’t until I’d booked the role that they told me who I’d be playing.

2. Playing Dinah has made me a healthier, happier person. Because she is so strong and skilled, I eat cleaner, workout more, and take time to breathe and meditate so I can do her justice.

3. The first time I did the "canary cry," I launched two men across an alley. Even though they were stunt men on wires, it was the most powerful I’d ever felt.

4. Sometimes when I’m out at a store or restaurant, I switch into character, just to see how people really would respond to Dinah.

5. Transforming into Dinah/Black Canary takes one-and-a-half to two hours in the hair and makeup chair every day.
*  *  *
6. The first time I tried using the restroom in my canary costume it didn’t go well. Let’s just leave it at that.

7. I have struggled with anxiety and depression since I was a teenager. Since I began playing Dinah, both have decreased significantly. I really do think I’m drawing strength from her in my real life.

8. I feel like Dinah’s favorite food is Chinese food. Cold noodles with sesame sauce right out of the takeout box. She’s never eaten it in the script, it’s just a weird hunch.

9. A couple months before I got the audition for Arrow, my husband and I had just sold everything we owned, packed our dogs and belongings into a truck, and moved to Los Angles with a prayer and almost no money. When I ended up booking the role, we both cried from joy and gratitude for a week straight.

10. Since I’ve started attending cons and meeting fans, I’ve learned how much Arrow means to so many people. The show/Dinah has helped folks overcome illness, improved deployments, made kids stand up for themselves, and brought families together. I try to think of these people individually before every scene. I think it helps me do my best work.
*  *  *
11. I am super jealous of Dinah’s wardrobe. It’s so stylish. I started taking photos of what she wears so I can buy it for myself, and now I sometimes wear the same clothes to work that I have to change into when I get there.

12. My three rescue dogs are the loves of my life. Our stunt director, James Bamford, is amazing, and arranged for them to be part of the show in a very clever way. So keep an eye out for a little cameo from the fur babies!

13. My stunt double Ivett Gonda is an Olympian in Taekwondo. She kicks like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’m so lucky I get to learn from her.

14. I believe Dinah’s fierceness is how she shows love.

15. The cast of Arrow is truly one of the greatest groups of people I’ve ever met. Every single one of them is kind, funny, loving, and talented beyond belief. We all love each other and I think it contributes to fan’s strong emotional attachments to the characters.
*  *  *
16. One of the funniest scenes to shoot was during season five. Oliver and Diggle are trapped in wet cement, which was actually thousands of gallons of oatmeal. After a couple of days it started to smell putrid, and we were all gagging and laughing the entire time we shot it.

17. Dinah’s favorite color is black. Mine is green!

18. I have a “Dinah Playlist” on my phone and I listen to different songs to prepare myself for different scenes.

19. If I could create a new episode of Arrow I would want it to be an hour-long fight from beginning to end with very little stopping and very little dialogue.

20. I do push ups in my trailer before every scene to pump myself up.
*  *  *
21. Some people already know this because I freaked out and tweeted about it right after it happened, but I recently split the pants of my Canary costume mid-fight. Apparently it’s a right of passage on our show.

22. My canary mask only goes over my eyes, but in order to make it we had to make a cast of my entire head. It was a little claustrophobic but a very cool process.

23. Most days for breakfast, Dinah has an egg sandwich with lettuce, tomato, bacon, avocado, and light mayo.

24. One of my favorite parts about playing Dinah has been getting to know Vancouver. We’ve really fallen in love with Canada. It’s become a second home.

25. Playing Dinah is one of the greatest honors of my life. Every day I go into work it feels like I’m dreaming. I’m just so grateful to have the opportunity to play such a strong, powerful, intelligent woman, and be a role model for so many. Is a blessing beyond belief.

Edited December 9, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I wish they'd write Dinah better again.  I really want to root for JH. 

[Starfish35]

10 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

I wish they'd write Dinah better again.  I really want to root for JH. 

Yeah I'm kind of glad I'm not watching this season because of that tbh.  I really like JH just from what I've read in her interviews and on social media, and from what other people have said about meeting her, she just seems really nice.  But I'm afraid I wouldn't like Dinah so much this season from what I'm reading. :(

[statsgirl]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

5. Transforming into Dinah/Black Canary takes one-and-a-half to two hours in the hair and makeup chair every day.

I really hate it when TV does these long transformation with make up and hair and costume, and then everyone in real life is expected to look like that every day, all day.

Also when women wear four inch heels all day at work or during leisure (thank you, EBR for pushing Felicity going barefoot in her apartment) and we have to wear them too in order to look "professional".

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

19. If I could create a new episode of Arrow I would want it to be an hour-long fight from beginning to end with very little stopping and very little dialogue.

And I'd never watch the show again.

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

9. If I could create a new episode of Arrow I would want it to be an hour-long fight from beginning to end with very little stopping and very little dialogue.

Yeah, this may literally be the worst suggestion for an episode I've ever heard.  But hey, the people in masks would get to be in every shot.  

[TrueMyth]

No, but hear me out. In order to regain team stats after the fallout, the newbs must compete in a grueling thunderdome like VR fight simulation programmed my Cisco and Felicity.  Meanwhile, OTA plays Cards Against Humanity. The fights are in every shot... In the background on Felicity's screen.

[BkWurm1]

2 hours ago, TrueMyth said:

No, but hear me out. In order to regain team stats after the fallout, the newbs must compete in a grueling thunderdome like VR fight simulation programmed my Cisco and Felicity.  Meanwhile, OTA plays Cards Against Humanity. The fights are in every shot... In the background on Felicity's screen.

Only if half time involves Oliver and Felicity making out in the closet.

[JJ928]

23 hours ago, tv echo said:

19. If I could create a new episode of Arrow I would want it to be an hour-long fight from beginning to end with very little stopping and very little dialogue.

This sounds awful. I mean, I guess that'd be good for the cast because it'd be all stunt doubles so actors can have time off, but still awful. I think even fans that cry for all action would be bored to tears of a 45 minute fight, especially since Arrow fights have become repetitive and sloppy. 

[tv echo]

TV Review: ‘Arrow: Irreconcilable Differences’ (Season 6 Episode 9)
DECEMBER 8TH, 2017 BY NICHOLAS GRAFF
http://sciencefiction.com/2017/12/08/tv-review-arrow-irreconcilable-differences-season-6-episode-9/

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... Overall, a fairly decent episode, keeping up the pretty high standard for the season and proving that removing the flashbacks and making the show less-centered on Oliver “maturing” into the Green Arrow was definitely a step in the right direction.
*  *  *
-Is Black Siren playing games with Quentin, or could she genuinely be having some sentiment for the man? It could go either way with her, but I want to believe she is still part Laurel, and could be turned around.
-So is Vigilante fully evil now? I had always thought he was still good, he just took his version of justice too far, but I cannot imagine him working with the likes of Cayden James and Black Siren and not realizing they are the kind of villains he should be fighting if he was still on the side of good.
-Gonna be some serious tension at HELIX Dynamics with Felicity and Curtis I believe. Same goes for the Mayor’s office if Oliver still allows Rene to work there, though I could see him firing him from that job as well for what happened.
-So Oliver is just full on lying to William now about being Green Arrow, that’s clearly going to blow up in his face. I do find it interesting that the show barely showed William this episode, most likely to avoid having to show Oliver doing exactly that.
*  *  *
So I sincerely hope that the break-up of the team is not permanent, as I like the extended team. On the other hand, I don’t want it all to be magically fixed in the next episode either, as the feud felt real and should take time to fix, and not all be wrapped up in one episode to get back to the status quo (as ‘Arrow’ has done in the past). I have thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this season, and I cannot wait to see what they have in mind for the latter half now that we know exactly who all the villains are, even if we are not fully sure of what they are up to yet. And if this whole “break-up” thing means we get some episodes with Team Arrow Classic I’m ok with that too, it has been some time since we have seen Oliver, Diggle and Felicity handling business like they used to. See you back here in January!

Edited December 10, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another review of the crossover (I focused on Arrow characters)...

Arrowverse crossover: The best of Crisis on Earth-X
Amy Woolsey   November 29, 2017
https://culturess.com/2017/11/29/arrowverse-crossover-the-best-of-crisis-on-earth-x/

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The result was not perfect. “Part 1” and “Part 2” got saddled with a lot of exposition, whether that meant bringing all the characters together or introducing the plot. And I never really got over the discomfort of seeing the actors in Nazi uniforms. On the whole, though, the crossover was a rousing success. In addition to crafting a semi-coherent plot, the writers managed to incorporate plenty of banter and relationship-building. Also, the action was incredible.
*  *  *
Best funny moment
“Crisis on Earth-X” didn’t have any jokes quite as clever as last year’s Brandon Routh Superman reference. But the Flash and Supergirl waiting impatiently while Arrow rides to the battlefield on a motorcycle is the kind of playful character beat that we crave from Arrowverse crossovers.
*  *  *
Best Image
A few images caught my eye, from the low-angle shot of Oliver and Felicity in Jitters, separated by a burning candle, to the wide shot of the destruction after Oliver kills his Earth-X double. The one that made my jaw drop, though, is Joe watching the two Supergirls fight in the sky. Situated right behind Joe, the camera conveys the terrifying feeling of being a witness to violence beyond your comprehension.
*  *  *
Best reunion
As an Arrow loyalist, I can’t deny the rush of nostalgia that I got when Tommy was revealed as Earth-X’s Prometheus. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the heartwarming reunion of my dreams, but just seeing Stephen Amell and Colin Donnell share a scene again was a pleasure. Having Tommy-X commit suicide like Adrian Chase did is a nice touch.
*  *  *
Random other things I loved:
...
-Oliver sadly shaking his head when Barry makes a speed pun
-Blake Neely’s score, especially the use of the Prometheus cue, which never fails to send chills down my spine
...
-Kara’s reaction to seeing Kara-X and Oliver-X kiss
...
-“I’m a better human being just because I’ve loved you.”

Edited December 10, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Tell-Tale TV's reviews of the four crossover episodes - in order of airing (again, I focused on Arrow characters)...

Supergirl: 4 Super Moments and 3 Not So Super Moments from “Crisis on Earth X, Part 1” (Season 3 Episode 8)
November 28, 2017  Samantha Coley
https://www.telltaletv.com/2017/11/supergirl-4-super-moments-and-3-not-so-super-moments-from-crisis-on-earth-x-part-1-season-3-episode-8/

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I get that The CW and the Supergirl writers are all trying to be edgy and topical and relevant to our current political climate, but this isn’t the way to do it.

The Holocaust was one of, if not the darkest moment in human history and it should never be romanticised or used as an allegory for entertainment. This entire episode could have been made virtually the same by making them generic evil doppelgangers.
*  *  *
On top of the tone deaf and insensitive use of “a world where the Nazis won” Supergirl and the other crossover components had the audacity to turn Kara and Oliver into Nazis themselves. Seeing Kara dressed as an SS officer and spouting Nazi ideology genuinely breaks my heart.

I know that Earth-X and the parallel Nazi world is a part of DC comics, but it’s a part that should have been left in the past. Turning Kara into this, even in a parallel universe, is harmful to the Jewish community, to the LGBTQ community, to people of color, and countless others who wouldn’t be alive in a world where the Nazis won.

Arrow Review: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2 (Season 6 Episode 8)
November 28, 2017   Jennifer Ann
https://www.telltaletv.com/2017/11/arrow-review-crisis-on-earth-x-part-2-season-6-episode-8/

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Tommy! Even though Tommy is evil, seeing Colin Donnell back in the Arrowverse is delightful. We get a nice scene with him and Stephen Amell.

Oliver and Felicity relationship woes being, mostly, well-written. Some viewers may be having flashbacks to the Arrow Season 4 crossover, Legends of Yesterday, kicking off the awful Baby Mama Drama, but the Olicity angst is handled much better here.

Felicity: I love you. I just don’t want to be married.

Instead of poor communication (or lying) coming between them, there is a legitimate internal conflict taking place. Oliver wants to get married, Felicity does not. And they talk to one another about it.

Both of them. Together! To each others’ face.

Plus, Felicity gets to talk to Iris, another female character, about her issues! It’s a double rainbow of well-executed character moments.

In fact, Felicity’s interactions with Iris are one of the better parts of this episode because Arrow is currently so lacking in female friendships. The small gesture of Iris putting her arm around Felicity is worthy of a tear (or two).
*  *  *
The Olicity drama works, though it feels a bit like a quickly manufactured hurdle. They just reunited, the marriage talk seems a bit soon.

Also, Felicity saying the end of their first engagement began with her being shot on Arrow Season 4 Episode 9, “Dark Waters” feels like another attempt to retcon the first, dreadful Olicity break-up. It was Oliver’s fault, Arrow, stop trying to sell us something else.
*  *  *
Okay — Reverse Flash’s distorted, blurry figure is still pretty freaky. However, Nazi!Oliver and Nazi!Kara are not scary or intimidating. At all.

This is partly an issue with the performances. Stephen Amell is great as Oliver, especially in his scenes with Tommy and Felicity, but there just isn’t much to his evil version. Amell plays him just like regular Oliver, except he is wearing a different colored suit and saying mean things.
*  *  *
Season 1 Oliver could be a scary, brutal guy. Not sure why we are not seeing a version closer to that considering the dark regime influencing Nazi!Oliver.

The Flash Review: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3 (Season 4 Episode 8)
November 29, 2017  Lacy Baugher
https://www.telltaletv.com/2017/11/the-flash-review-crisis-on-earth-x-part-3-season-4-episode-8/

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Don’t get me wrong: I’m super into this four-show crossover idea. For the most part, “Crisis” has been a good time, full of great character moments, fun in-jokes, and amazing team fights. However, there’s really no reason the shows couldn’t have swapped nights and titles around until the big moments played out on their appropriate programs.

Instead, The Flash — the brightest, lightest show in the CW’s lineup — gets stuck with the darkest, grimmest chapter of the “Crisis” story thus far. As a result, it’s really easy to forget that this is even supposed to be an episode of The Flash at all.  Largely because it feels like it should be an hour of Arrow.
*  *  *
The fact that Iris and Felicity get to take active roles in both fighting Nazis saving their friends (despite their distinct lack of superpowers) is awesome.
*  *  *
Even though I barely watch Arrow anymore, I’ve always been a big Olicity shipper, and I absolutely loved that Oliver had to blow his cover because he couldn’t risk harming a girl who looked like Felicity. I am not made of stone.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Review: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4 (Season 3 Episode 8)
November 29, 2017   Jennifer Ann
https://www.telltaletv.com/2017/11/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-review-crisis-on-earth-x-part-4-season-3-episode-8/

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I do appreciate the crossover somewhat addresses the Nazi persecution of the gay community. But, it is not until “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3” we see a Jewish Earth-X character and “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4” before the word “Holocaust” is said.

That is just not acceptable.

Felicity Smoak: My grandparents didn’t survive the Holocaust so the world could be ruled by Nazis.

Unfortunately, there is no profound statement being made here, or really any statement at all. “Crisis on Earth-X” treats Earth-X Nazis as generic villains, using their symbols as ‘black hats’ for the bad guys without fully engaging or exploring the ideas those symbols represent.
*  *  *
So, why use Nazis at all? For the surprise of seeing the Earth-X version of a popular character wearing a yellow star with a gun pointed at her head? Or watching our heroes line up on the edge of a mass grave?

Or maybe because they are a narrative shortcut to establishing a set of villains for this particular story. No need to spend screen time explaining who the bad guys are, because everyone knows Nazis are evil. Right?

Except we now live in a world where this seems to be up for debate.

The writers have a responsibility here to either treat the subject with the sensitivity it deserves, or not use it at all. It is a shame a crossover so strong in wonderful character moments and fun action sequences is ultimately bogged down with Nazi trappings.
*  *  *
On the negative side, the deaths of Nazi!Kara and Nazi!Oliver are lacking in emotional punch. Neither character is well-written (or performed). Their relationship seems more of a gimmick to shock viewers than to reveal anything important about those characters or their Earth 1 counterparts.
*  *  *
I don’t watch The Flash, so I don’t have much to say about Barry and Iris getting married. Other than Iris West is amazing and Barry does not deserve her.

I do sporadically watch Arrow, but I am exhausted from hashing out all the Nazi stuff. Instead, I’ll just repeat what I said in my review for Arrow Season 6 Episode 8, “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2.” The sudden relationship drama feels a bit manufactured, but is well-executed.

Also, Felicity Smoak is a treasure and Oliver does not deserve her.

Oh, and finally seeing John Diggle show up is a welcome delight. After all, it wouldn’t be a crossover if he didn’t barf at least once.

Edited December 10, 2017 by tv echo

[Featherhat]

44 minutes ago, JJ928 said:

This sounds awful. I mean, I guess that'd be good for the cast because it'd be all stunt doubles so actors can have time off, but still awful. I think even fans that cry for all action would be bored to tears of a 45 minute fight, especially since Arrow fights have become repetitive and sloppy. 

I wonder if it's an attempt to appeal to the Comics!Action!Only! crowd? For the "woohoo" best BC ever!" effect and she's just gone way overboard with it. Because JH is in great shape but doesn't do many of her own stunts and she wouldn't get to do any of the slow sultry line readings she seems to do all the time? Because even out and out action movies have dialogue, character moments and non fight scenes (and often a romance squeezed in). 

[leopardprint]

45 minutes ago, tv echo said:

-So Oliver is just full on lying to William now about being Green Arrow, that’s clearly going to blow up in his face. I do find it interesting that the show barely showed William this episode, most likely to avoid having to show Oliver doing exactly that.

 

28 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Also, Felicity saying the end of their first engagement began with her being shot on Arrow Season 4 Episode 9, “Dark Waters” feels like another attempt to retcon the first, dreadful Olicity break-up. It was Oliver’s fault, Arrow, stop trying to sell us something else.

So I never commented on this about the crossovers but I thought it was a glaring omission that Felicity didn't refer to Oliver, you know, LYING the entire time they were engaged as one of the reasons she was adverse to it. It's very curious that Felicity hasn't expressed an opinion about Oliver lying to his son but I think they just want us bury the BMD with Samantha. 

[apinknightmare]

17 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

So I never commented on this about the crossovers but I thought it was a glaring omission that Felicity didn't refer to Oliver, you know, LYING the entire time they were engaged as one of the reasons she was adverse to it.

I think they left that out because she's forgiven him for the lying, and if she used that as a reason for being skittish about marriage (apart from just turns of bad luck/timing regarding weddings), she wouldn't have worked it out/gotten past it by the end of the crossover, and it would've led to lingering issues between the two of them when there aren't supposed to be any anymore.

[leopardprint]

12 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

I think they left that out because she's forgiven him for the lying, and if she used that as a reason for being skittish about marriage (apart from just turns of bad luck/timing regarding weddings), she wouldn't have worked it out/gotten past it by the end of the crossover, and it would've led to lingering issues between the two of them when there aren't supposed to be any anymore.

I think that's probably right, but she also didn't end the engagement because she was shot and paralyzed, even if she gave Oliver an out in the hospital. She's also supposedly moved on from being paralyzed and shot, etc. I just think these things are all tied up with each other. They could have had Oliver mention he's worried she doesn't fully trust him instead of not loving him as much which she has explicitly stated in the past was not the issue between them and then she could have said that she did trust him at the end when she decided she did want to get married. 

Edited December 10, 2017 by leopardprint

[catrox14]

2 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

I think that's probably right, but she also didn't end the engagement because she was shot and paralyzed, even if she gave Oliver an out in the hospital. She's also supposedly moved on from being paralyzed and shot, etc. I just think these things are all tied up with each other. They could have had Oliver mention he's worried she doesn't fully trust him instead of not loving him as much and then she could have said that she did trust him at the end when she decided she did want to get married. 

Felicity was being pretty specific about her reasons. The last time she was proposed to and got engaged was followed minutes later by her being shot, nearly dying, and being paralyzed. That's the trauma she remembers when it comes to engagements, not the breakup at this point which she seems to have already dealt with and moved past as evidenced by her accepting a key to his apartment, getting to know William, and resuming a relationship. The trauma of being shot and paralyzed is with her everyday for the rest of her life and she's walking solely because of the implant. IMO, they are not minimizing the reason for the breakup, but showing that Felicity has moved past that and is open to trusting Oliver again. I also think the betrayal and broken engagement lingers in the subtext of the scenes between Iris and Felicity and Oliver and Felicity.

[Morrigan2575]

I only watched the crossover once but, the impression I got wasn't that she was limiting her issues or totally ignoring the lying. IIRC Felicity said that her engagement was the start of everything going bad not the only thing going bad. I thought she basically lumped all of it in together (getting shot, wheelchair, finding out Oliver lied and breakup). 

Edited December 10, 2017 by Morrigan2575

[catrox14]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

-So Oliver is just full on lying to William now about being Green Arrow, that’s clearly going to blow up in his face. I do find it interesting that the show barely showed William this episode, most likely to avoid having to show Oliver doing exactly that.

I'm confused. I had the impression that William absolutely knows he is the Green Arrow.   Didn't they have a conversation about him coming back and being safe? I'm totally confused. Even SA said in an interview that William knows. What have I missed? 

[apinknightmare]

7 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I'm confused. I had the impression that William absolutely knows he is the Green Arrow.   Didn't they have a conversation about him coming back and being safe? I'm totally confused. Even SA said in an interview that William knows. What have I missed? 

The last it was addressed was when Diggle was in the hospital on Thanksgiving - William asked him if he was going out as the Green Arrow for his dad, and Digg said he was. Then William asked how the Green Arrow was at the stadium (Billy Joel concert) if Digg was in the hospital. Oliver stepped up and said that the Green Arrow wasn't there, then Felicity took William out to get the car. 

[leopardprint]

17 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I'm confused. I had the impression that William absolutely knows he is the Green Arrow.   Didn't they have a conversation about him coming back and being safe? I'm totally confused. Even SA said in an interview that William knows. What have I missed? 

Williams knows Oliver was the GA but I think that William still thinks Oliver is retired from being GA since he asked and Oliver is lying about going back in the field while Diggle recovers. Or at least that's what I was referring to, maybe I misunderstood what the reviewer was saying. 

Though there must have been some press about Nazi squadrons appearing in Central City and the GA fighting them while Diggle was squeezing tennis balls in Star City? 

Edited December 10, 2017 by leopardprint

[catrox14]

Just now, apinknightmare said:

The last it was addressed was when Diggle was in the hospital on Thanksgiving - William asked him if he was going out as the Green Arrow for his dad, and Digg said he was. Then William asked how the Green Arrow was at the stadium (Billy Joel concert) if Digg was in the hospital. Oliver stepped up and said that the Green Arrow wasn't there, then Felicity took William out to get the car. 

Okay so he's not told him again about having to fight Nazis as the Green Arrow? Does the world  know the Nazis were there? I know they wiped the minds of the wedding attendees but what about the big battle in park? What happened with all that? Surely that will come up, now that the rest of the team has left. 

[apinknightmare]

1 minute ago, catrox14 said:

Okay so he's not told him again about having to fight Nazis as the Green Arrow? Does the world  know the Nazis were there? I know they wiped the minds of the wedding attendees but what about the big battle in park? What happened with all that? Surely that will come up, now that the rest of the team has left. 

If it was brought up at all, it wasn't more than a passing mention that I missed. I don't think it was.

[Midnight Lullaby]

I don’t think any of that will come up. It would be a mess to explain why “Oliver” was running around in Nazi gear and killing people. They treated the crossover as a movie, it’s done and the only things that have relevance beyond that are the two weddings imo.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Midnight Lullaby

[catrox14]

1 minute ago, apinknightmare said:

If it was brought up at all, it wasn't more than a passing mention that I missed. I don't think it was.

That's some bad continuity. At least, explain why Channel 52 isn't all over that news LOL. Weird.

[Featherhat]

4 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

I don’t think any of that will come up. It would be a mess to explain why “Oliver” was running around in Nazi gear and killing people. They treated the crossover as a movie, it’s done and the only things that have relevance beyond that are the two weddings imo.

Stein's death had a big impact in LOT MSF and on going as well. 

[leopardprint]

3 minutes ago, Midnight Lullaby said:

I don’t think any of that will come up. It would be a mess to explain why “Oliver” was running around in Nazi gear and killing people. They treated the crossover as a movie, it’s done and the only things that have relevance beyond that are the two weddings imo.

That would make for some crazy opposition research in the next election. 

[Midnight Lullaby]

3 minutes ago, Featherhat said:

Stein's death had a big impact in LOT MSF and on going as well. 

Yes, of course. Not watching Legends I wasn’t thinking about it.

[tv echo]

Here's the Bleeding Cool article that MG retweeted today...

Arrow Fans Immortalize Olicity and Help Keep Vancouver Beautiful
Posted by Dan Wickline December 10, 2017
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/12/10/arrow-fans-immortalize-olicity-vancouver/

Quote

Felicity Smoak is a very interesting character in the Arrowverse. In the comics, she was the head of a software company who opposed Firestorm and went on to marry Edmond Raymond, becoming Ronnie Raymond’s stepmom. She first appeared in The Fury of Firestorm #23 (1984) by Gerry Conway and Rafael Kayanan. In 2012, the third episode of the television series Arrow introduced an IT person at Queen Consolidated that Oliver asked for help. It was a one-time character and they cast Emily Bett Rickards to play her. But the chemistry between her and series start Stephen Amell was so electric that the writers brought the character back again and again until she was suddenly a regular and an active member of Team Arrow.

As fans tend to do, they began to ship (derived from “relationship” — wanting to see two characters get together) and the term “Olicity” was born. These fans ignored the comic continuity that put the Green Arrow with Black Canary, and by the third season, it happened. The pair has driven down some bumpy roads along the way, but Olicity is no longer just a ship — the couple is now married on the show.
*  *  *
Amell tweeted out the picture below the other day. Fans of the show, and specifically Olicity, got together and raised over $7000 to benefit the preservation and continued beauty of Stanley Park in Vancouver so they could put a sign on a bench in the park. The sign reads: “In celebration of the unthinkable. Olicity. ‘We found ourselves in each other.'”

Edited December 10, 2017 by tv echo

[Mary0360]

14 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Here's the Bleeding Cool article that MG retweeted today...

Arrow Fans Immortalize Olicity and Help Keep Vancouver Beautiful
Posted by Dan Wickline December 10, 2017
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/12/10/arrow-fans-immortalize-olicity-vancouver/

You know who also ignored comic continuity Bleeding Cool writers- the writers did. Why? Because the Green Arrow and Black Canary they had had poor chemistry together and werent strong acting partners for each other like Amell and Bett-Rickards. The writers made the choice to change the narrative to Olicity and fans responded. 

[BkWurm1]

Quote

The sign reads: “In celebration of the unthinkable. Olicity. ‘We found ourselves in each other.'”

Hats off to the authors of this dedication.  They really did craft a beautiful sentiment. 

The last line, yes it's a quote but it also really explains how Olicity happened in the show as well.  Olicity exists because the characters became who they are because of how Oliver reacted to Felicity and vice versa and how that shaped not just the ship, but the whole soul of the show.  Because Oliver is the soul of the show and where his heart goes is where the show goes.   

[tv echo]

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 98
Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres  12/10/2017
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

-- Arrow 609: Tatiana: "Everyone was happy for like 10 minutes!" Craig: "And Thea was adorably pocket-sized." Tatiana: "And then everything comes crashing down." Craig: "Then it just goes downhill from there."

-- Craig brought up the controversy over Oliver's actions, with some defending OTA's surveillance of the newbies and others criticizing them. Tatiana noted that, if Oliver had confronted the newbies, someone could've just lied. However, she thought that OTA could've confronted the newbies, listened to their responses, and then spied on them to see if they lied in their responses. She also said that the newbies "knew what they were getting into" when they signed up and that "Oliver only trusts Felicity." Tatiana said that Curtis was the only one who "had a leg to stand on" and he was drunk the whole time. She also said that Diggle was right and that Rene should've gone to someone on the team (if he didn't want to talk to Oliver) or talked to Quentin before turning traitor. She thought that Curtis had already moved on from Paul "two episodes ago."

-- Tatiana was just glad that Oliver "didn't turn on Felicity after everyone had quit." She did like that Team Arrow will go back to OTA for awhile. She also liked the idea of the newbies having their own team because they're so "cocky" and "take Oliver for granted," so she'd like for them to try it on their own.

-- Craig brought up (again) the "Laurel redemption arc" and noted the conversation between her and Quentin in this episode and that she let Quentin go free, rather than kill him. Tatiana really doesn't want this to happen and hopes that any such Laurel redemption only happens right before her death.

-- Bottom line: Tatiana is stressed because "everything is awful" now. Craig is almost gleeful because he's being proved right (he thinks) about the "Laurel redemption arc."

Edited December 11, 2017 by tv echo

[leopardprint]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

-- Tatiana was just glad that Oliver "didn't turn on Felicity after everyone had quit."

What does this mean? Why would Oliver turn on Felicity? 

[tv echo]

More media reporting on the Olicity bench...

'Arrow' Fans Raise Over $7K and Honor Olicity on a Park Bench
By NICOLE DRUM - December 10, 2017
http://comicbook.com/dc/2017/12/10/arrow-fans-raise-money-for-olicity-bench/

Quote

Fans of the Olicity relationship on The CW's Arrow are a passionate group. They've been outspoken about the character pairing and while sometimes that enthusiasm has come across negatively, the fandom recently turned their energy towards doing something not only to honor their favorite character pairing, but to benefit Vancouver's Stanley Park as well.
*  *  *
The bench, which has a plaque that reads "In celebration of the unthinkable Olicity 'we found ourselves in each other,'" was officially installed in Stanley Park last week, though the efforts to bring the park to life began this summer. Back in June, a group of Olicity fans created the Olicity Fandom Bench project to, according to the project's Tumblr, create "something special to unite the fandom during the hiatus." That something special ended up being a campaign to raise money for the bench, with Stanley Park being chosen as Arrow is filmed in Vancouver. The project detailed that the bench would not only help unite the fandom, but would provide a "mini tourist attraction for fans all over the world who visit Vancouver." The original goal of the project was to raise the $3,000/$4,000 CAD to pay for a 10-year dedication of the bench, but the project exceeded its goal within 2 days.
*  *  *
But while Olicity fans have eagerly anticipated both the reunion of their favorite character pairing as well as the installation of the park bench's dedication, they couldn't have predicted how both would collide. Oliver and Felicity got married during the last moments of the Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Earth-X" in Vancouver's Stanley Park. The bench was dedicated just a few days later on December 1.

ARROW FANS COMMEMORATED OLICITY IN A PERMANENT, AND CHARITABLE, WAY
Matthew Jackson  December 11, 2017
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/arrow-fans-commemorated-olicity-in-a-permanent-and-charitable-way

Quote

Well, after five and a half seasons, it's finally official. Ever since Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) became a regular part of the team, a contingent of Arrow fans have been shipping her and the show's title hero, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell).

The "Olicity" ship was among the most popular in fandom, and while not everyone agrees that they're the best match, it refused to go away. So last month, during the Crisis on Earth X crossover event, Felicity and Oliver married alongside their friends Barry Allen and Iris West. It was a touching moment, and some dedicated Olicity fans just decided to make it even more meaningful.

As Amell tweeted over the weekend, a group of fans in Vancouver (where the show films) put some money together and had a plaque installed on a bench in that city's Stanley Park. A plaque, of course, in honor of Olicity. It reads: “In celebration of the unthinkable. Olicity. ‘We found ourselves in each other.'”

This wasn't just some silly fan project, either. In creating the plaque, the fans actually raised over $7,000 for the continued preservation of the park. See, fandom isn't all Twitter wars and endless subreddits. We can get together and do really cool things sometimes.

Edited December 12, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

I only quoted the Olicity portions, but Ruth also wrote about music for Stein/Jax, WestAllen, returning/new characters (Tommy, Citizen Cold, The Ray, RF), and Edelweiss!...

Crisis on Earth X - Crossover Music Notes (Arrow 6x08, etc)
Austencello (Ruth)  December 11, 2017
https://austencello.tumblr.com/post/168451622884/crisis-on-earth-x-crossover-music-notes-arrow

Quote

Oliver is emboldened by this and Joe’s touching toast to propose to Felicity at the rehearsal dinner.  As he stumbles into the proposal and becomes clearer in his asking, the Olicity theme (”The One I Love” - 2x23, more commonly known from 3x20 “Convince Him”) plays in the piano and strings, the original instrumentation for their theme. This is the theme of declarations of love and firsts stemming from 2x23 “I love you.” The music changes to Felicity’s humorous strings (”Fearsome Five” S4 - often played in awkward situations starting in 3x03) as Felicity responds no in a very confusing way and then to  sadder/minor strings, piano, and clarinet (used a lot more for the two of them this season) as she responds loudly that she does not want to marry him and walks away. 
*  *  *
In the second episode, Oliver brings up the proposal and is confused why Felicity would say no when she accepted his proposal back in season 4.  As he  tries to communicate his confusion and Felicity asks him to respect that she doesn’t want to be married, “Someone You Love” (3x12) plays.  This theme is used for Oliver and Felicity when they are going through hard times in their relationship despite their love for each other whether it is Felicity telling him that she doesn’t want to be a woman he loves when he returned from the dead teaming up with Malcolm Merlyn, responsible for Sara’s death and Thea’s manipulation (3x12), “My whole world exploded” 4x08 (crossover) when Felicity finds out that Oliver lied about William, 4x09 - as they discuss marriage in the cages of Damien Darhk and she tells him that she would have said yes, or “Let each other go” at the end of their vows at their fake wedding, 4x16 - “you are my always.”  This echoes Felicity’s declaration here that she will always love Oliver. There was never a doubt that Felicity and Oliver deeply love each other.  Half of these instances include declarations of love and marriage.  This theme is hitting barriers when they are not on the same page on how to move forward.
*  *  *
Felicity and Oliver literally go through hell on both earths until they are reunited in the Legends episode. Evil Oliver threatens Felicity’s life to a darker (low trombones and orchestra chimes) variation of Oliver’s Arrow hero theme.  Oliver is a twisted evil version while Felicity is a hero standing up for herself, Kara, and the world.  Our Oliver comes in time, threatening evil Kara’s life and then the Nazi versions are whisked away just in time. Both Oliver and Felicity are shaken especially on how they left things unresolved and shaky between them.  As Felicity runs into Oliver’s arms, a shortened version of “The one I love” Olicity theme plays in the strings, harp (Felicity’s instrument) and added flute (used in their scenes together in Season 1 and 2) as Oliver declares he just wants to be with her. The music swells as the melody goes up plus new harp arpeggios and they kiss.  They realize their hurt feelings and opinions earlier were small compared to not being together.  
*  *  *
After the Nazis are defeated and all the teams go home, Barry and Iris mention that they will just get married with a justice of the peace. Felicity mentions that Diggle is ordained and Barry runs him over.  After Barry and Iris say their vows, Felicity interjects asking Diggle to marry her and Oliver and then proposes to him.  The music keeps the piano and strings from the WestAllen theme and seamlessly moves into the Olicity theme (”The one I love”).  The cellos (yay!) and piano play the theme over harp as Felicity proposes, sharing that she believes in Oliver to get through anything and Oliver says yes. His arrow hero theme plays in the horn as they ask John to marry them, then the violins play the Olicity melody (in a similar way to 5x20) as the horn plays a counter-melody giving it a heroic and epic nature as Oliver echoes some of his vows from 4x16: “I am a better human being for having loved you.” As the two couples kiss, all four show themes play in a similar fashion to the opening credits beginning with the Flash running theme over Arrow strings since their wedding did bookend the crossover and ending with the Arrow gliss, ending the crossover in a theme of love and triumph.
*  *  *
The event that brought the shows/friends together was Iris and Barry’s wedding. As everyone (or almost everyone) celebrates at the rehearsal dinner, the song “I will always come back” plays as everyone gathers.  Kudos to @olicityaddicted for noticing that this song played for Oliver and Felicity in 4x01 right before Oliver was going to propose with the souffles.  It could be foreshadowing for Olicity or Barry trying to convince Kara that love is important or a theme for Barry and Iris and their relationship but it’s fun to hear again. 
*  *  *
One subtle but powerful moment was the haunting soprano singing Edelweiss over unsettling electronics and minor strings as Sara and the team are in the camps meeting evil Quentin Lance.  Edelweiss is probably one of the most famous songs thanks to the musical The Sound of Music and how Captain van Trapp uses the national song of loving his homeland as a rebellion to the Germans to escape with his family is iconic.  Every member of the team stuck there is a violation according to the Nazis in who they are or who they love. Sara doesn’t even know this perverse version of her father and yet represents the team in standing for her beliefs without flinching and in the face of impending death. 

Edited December 12, 2017 by tv echo

[statsgirl]

I really like austencello's analysis of the music because I don't know enough about it to know what I'm hearing.

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

 Edelweiss is probably one of the most famous songs thanks to the musical The Sound of Music and how Captain van Trapp uses the national song of loving his homeland as a rebellion to the Germans to escape with his family is iconic.

It's commonly thought that Edelweiss is a real Austrian folk song.  In reality it was written for the 1959 stage production because Richard Rogers felt that Captain von Trapp should have a special long to bid goodbye to his country, and they could use the fact that Theodore Bikel, who was playing the Captain, could sing and play guitar.  It was also the last song Rogers and Hammerstein wrote together because Hammerstein died of stomach cancer nine months later.

From Wikipedia:

Quote

There is similar confusion about another song co-authored by Hammerstein, "Ol' Man River" from the musical Show Boat, which is widely (though erroneously) believed to be a Negro spiritual ...Hugh Fordin in his biography of Oscar Hammerstein speaks of "the ability of the authors to simulate the quality of an authentic folk song... 'Ol' Man River' had the ring of a black laborer's song... Thirty years later, 'Edelweiss' was widely believed to be an old Austrian song, though Oscar... composed it for the Sound of Music."[8]

Theodore Bikel, in his autobiography, Theo (2002), wrote that, after performances, he was approached by native Austrians who said they were delighted to hear that old folk tune again.

[BkWurm1]

On 12/12/2017 at 11:08 PM, statsgirl said:

Theodore Bikel, in his autobiography, Theo (2002), wrote that, after performances, he was approached by native Austrians who said they were delighted to hear that old folk tune again

That's hilarious!  But I get it, if something FEELS true, it can create false memories.  

[quarks]

6 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

That's hilarious!  But I get it, if something FEELS true, it can create false memories.  

Ah! This explains that clear memory I have of a doctor assuring me that dark chocolate can be consumed in unlimited quantities since it cures cancer, heart disease and the common cold, while never making you gain weight. 

[tv echo]

Even a papp was curious about the Olicity bench and went to see it (what, did he think it was made up?)....

FANS: Olicity Fans Sponsor Stanley Park Bench to Honour ARROW’s Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak
By Susan Gittins December 9, 2017 
http://hollywoodnorth.buzz/2017/12/fans-olicity-fans-sponsor-stanley-park-bench-to-honour-union-of-arrows-oliver-queen-felicity-smoak.html

Quote

Blue X marks the spot of the Olicity bench.
Red X marks the spot where the double wedding of Barry Allen & Iris West and Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak was filmed.
 

Edited December 15, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

#FLASHBACKFRIDAY- revisiting commentary on OTA in late 2013...

'Arrow': Oliver's new dynamic with Laurel (and with Dig and Felicity)
MANDI BIERLY  September 17, 2013 
http://www.ew.com/article/2013/09/17/arrow-laurel-oliver-black-canary/

Quote

Another fun new dynamic: The one between Oliver (Stephen Amell), Dig (David Ramsey) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards). “One of the crew members actually pointed this out to us. He said, ‘The scripts are really funny this year.’ It’s not just Felicity. It’s having Felicity and Dig and Oliver together. Having that triumvirate,” Kreisberg says. “All three of the actors are pretty light on their feet. The characters have survived the Undertaking, and they’ve gotten into a bit of a rhythm. One of the things we’re really exploring is that they’ve really become friends. And they really have become family. There’s an easygoing camaraderie about them that allows them to enjoy what they’re doing a little bit more.”

Amell sees a change in Felicity. “They’ve grown her up a little bit, and she is definitely standing up more to Oliver this year,” he says. It’s intentional. “This season, it really is a, pardon the expression, threesome,” Kreisberg says. “Felicity feels like she should get her say sometimes, and she’s right…. Sometimes Felicity and Dig having a discussion or an argument is really kind of elucidating what’s going on inside Oliver’s head. It’s sort of the 21st century version of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy having an argument in sickbay.”

‘Arrow’ (And The Flash) Hit The Target
By Maureen Ryan   December 3, 2013
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/arrow-flash_b_4378775.html

Quote

It’s hard not to think that the “Arrow” message boards will be in a tizzy after Wednesday’s episode: Gustin’s scenes with Emily Bett Rickards, who plays tech genius and Oliver Queen confidante Felicity Smoak, throw off a lot of sparks. But Rickards, “Arrow’s” crucial secret weapon, also has great chemistry with star Stephen Amell and with David Ramsey, who plays John Diggle (Oliver’s bodyguard and the third member of the show’s core trio — both Diggle and Felicity know about Oliver’s crime-fighting alter ego). I cannot in good conscience tell “Digglicity” ‘shippers, “Olicity” advocates or newly minted “Flash-licity” fans not to write all three kinds of fanfic, because the world surely needs them all.

That said, one of the great things about “Arrow” is that Felicity — originally meant to be a minor recurring character — is an important person in her own right; she’s not just Tech Whiz or someone’s future girlfriend. As terrifically played by Rickards, Felicity is a smart, confident, klutzy but fiercely loyal woman with great fashion sense and a moral backbone as strong as one of Oliver’s arrows. Without the central emotional bonds among Felicty, Diggle and Oliver to ground the aspiring hero’s journey, “Arrow” would be a lot more disposable. What “Arrow” understands is that even those who are exceptional and often admirable — heroes, in other words — are still capable of disappointing other people, experiencing doubt and having unrealistic goals.

Edited December 15, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another Olicity bench article...

'Arrow’: Fans raise over $7K in the name of ‘Olicity’ to benefit Vancouver’s Stanley Park
BY JULIA VALENTI   December 14, 2017
http://fanfest.com/2017/12/14/arrow-fans-raise-over-7k-in-the-name-of-olicity-to-benefit-vancouvers-stanley-park/I

Quote

f there is one thing you can say about fans of the ‘Olicity’ pairing – it is that they are absolutely dedicated and passionate! Fans of The CW Arrow pairing recently did something quite spectacular and moving, turning their love for the pairing into something absolutely beautiful; in the form of a dedication to benefit Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
*  *  *
The fans raised over $7,000 for the bench, with the money going towards environmental preservation efforts at the park.

Edited December 15, 2017 by tv echo

[bethy]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

Even a papp was curious about the Olicity bench and went to see it (what, did he think it was made up?)....

Right? He says he did it to “confirm it was there.”  I guess some people thought it was a giant hoax that SA and actual media outlets were perpetuating by writing stories and posting a picture with it? Okay, dude.

Edited December 15, 2017 by bethy

[statsgirl]

Has this been posted? From Fanfest

You Have Not Failed This List! – The Ultimate ‘Arrow’ Christmas Gift Guide!

Green Arrow Q-Fig

‘You Have Failed This City’ T-Shirt

Coffee Mug

Button Set

Looking for something cute and simple to stuff your loved ones Christmas stocking? Look no further! These adorable buttons make for the perfect gift. They come in a pack of 4 and they feature Season One and Two designations on the show. The buttons can be purchased at Hot Topic for $6.99.

Arrow Bangle Bracelet

Looking for a gift for her but not entirely sure what to get? If she is a fan of Arrow, this bangle bracelet will make for the perfect gift for her! It is a charming, hand made, made-to-order bangle bracelet. It features 6mm jump rings, pliers, handmade charm, gemstone charm, arrowhead charm, crossbow charm, and a  love charm. She’s guaranteed to love it! It can be purchased for $8.00 on Etsy.

Edited December 16, 2017 by statsgirl

[tv echo]

A belated review of the crossover (from the official student newspaper of the University of North Carolina Wilmington)...

REVIEW: “Crisis on Earth-X”
Jonathan Montague  December 15, 2017
https://theseahawk.org/15453/lifestyles/review-crisis-on-earth-x/

Quote

The greatest strength of this crossover is that it feels more like a TV movie or a very long episode of a unified show. The characters, each true and consistent to their previous appearances, are woven into the situation quickly in a way that befits the position of the characters in their individual shows. They then proceed to progress key character arcs and plot threads from each show, giving all of them equal attention and importance. Importantly, most of them are resolved with a satisfying new status quo. Some notable examples include Oliver and Felicity’s relationship, Kara and Alex’s breakup recovery and Stein and Jax’s separating Firestorm. Furthermore, every character gets a chance to shine and contribute to the plot, escaping superfluity.

... This crossover consists of interactions that have you laughing hysterically as well as some choice moments that will open the floodgates of your eyes. Some anecdotal proof: as someone who does not cry during movies and TV very often, if at all, this crossover had me in tears.

This event contains some of the best acting featured in any of the shows, with every performer doing justice to the characters that they have helped create. Standouts include Stephen Amell and Melissa Benoist. Not only do they portray their usual characters justice, but they are also enjoyably evil as their Earth-X doppelgangers Dark Arrow and Overgirl. We also get a decent performance from Russell Tovey as the Arrowverse’s newest hero, The Ray, with this serving as the character’s debut. The most praise, however, goes to Wentworth Miller, who injects boundless charisma into Earth-X’s Leo Snart, known there as the hero Citizen Cold. Tom Cavanaugh as the Reverse Flash could have been improved by playing the character slightly more goofy than usual.

Even with this taking place on television, “Crisis” has more than enough spectacle to satisfy even the most demanding of viewers. Every hero gets to showcase their abilities, super or not. The fight scenes are exhilarating, with the Chapel Battle in Part 1 and the City Battle in Part 4 easily standing out. The music is a beautiful combination of the themes from all four shows. Lastly, there are many Easter eggs that true DC Comics fans will recognize.

Edited December 17, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Geffen Playhouse Unscripted - Michael Emerson [PODCAST]
December 13, 2017
https://www.podcastone.com/episode/Michael-Emerson 

Quote

Actor Michael Emerson joins John Horn via Skype to talk about his young departure and rediscovery of acting, finding himself in Shakespeare, the excitement of acting challenges, working on LOST, Arrow, and figuring out how to do theater vs television.

-- ME first talked about his work on audiobooks. ME: "It's some of the hardest acting work that I've ever done... You're in a booth for a long time, and you just have to keep it going." He's recorded All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, and he spent 50 hours in the booth to record it.

-- On the significance of when he did Othello at the University of North Florida, ME: "I was a 33-year-old ex-illustrator who had given up my dream of acting a decade earlier. And I found myself high and dry, bridges burned in northeast Florida. And I thought, well, I have to start over." A landscape guy who did community theater suggested that he audition for them. ME did and got a part in a Shakespeare play. And that got him back into acting. 

-- He had been a theater major and went to NYC, but he was unprepared for show biz (this was in the late '70's). So he took a retail job and then became a magazine illustrator, which he did for many years and he was good at it. He took some weekend illustration courses and had "the nerve" to have an illustration portfolio. ME: "I don't know why I didn't bring that same nerve to the craft of acting." He still has "dear friends from those days."

-- In the early '90's, ME enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's University of Alabama Master of Fine Arts Professional Actor Training Program. At that time, he had done community/equity theater work in Jacksonville, Little Rock, Jackson, Montgomery and Atlanta. So he felt that he was good enough to be a professional actor. He was reluctant to return to NY, "which had never been super kind to me." He knew someone (the brother to ME"s "now wife") who had enrolled in that Alabama program and did "classical work" 8 months of the year and then had a long break to do what he wanted. ME thought that sounded good. Also, he could do it as a graduate assistant-ship so that he didn't accumulate a debt. ME: "I felt like the oldest living graduate student."

-- ME then returned to NYC and gave himself two years to make it in acting; otherwise, he would return "down South" where he had some success. Near the end of his two-year deadline, he was introduced to Moisés Kaufman*, who needed adult men who could a credible English accent for his play, Gross Indeceny: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. ME signed on to Kaufman's project to play one of the three lawyers. But when they were about to "mount production" (about 12 days before show opening), the actor who was playing Oscar Wilde "was tired." Kaufman was going to hold auditions, but ME asked to audition for him and he got the part. That production "changed everyone's life" who was involved. 

(* Kaufman is a playwright, director and founder of Tectonic Theater Project, an award-winning company that was founded in 1991 and headquartered in NYC.)

-- Because he was doing the Oscar Wilde play in NY, ME turned down a part in Michael Bay's Armageddon.

-- ME's first Broadway show was The Iceman Cometh (with Kevin Spacey).

-- ME's career trajectory changed his outlook for the better and taught him that "it's not a race." If it was about becoming a star by age 30, then he "was already screwed." He learned "to be patient and to be kind to yourself and to accept a different path." So he often tells young actors that if they love acting, then they should try to hold on but be "mindful that they might have their break until they're in their middle years, or even later." Therefore, they have to consider if they like it and if they like "the process" that much, "apart from glamour or fame or money or anything like that."

-- ME then talked positively about his personal and professional partnership with Carrie Preston (his actress wife).

-- On how he judges projects now as opposed to how he judged them 10-15 years ago, ME said that he's gotten "pickier" as he's gotten older. He still looks at "the words." ME: "The magic in our world is language, or the spoken word or writing or verbality or something." However, that's not to say that you couldn't play someone who was mute to good effect. He's drawn to "extremes of character, period, dialect, all of that stuff. I want to be the grizzled old pirate with an eyepatch and an accent. These are the things I'm looking for. (Laughs)"

-- On his Lost role of Benjamin Linus, ME said that it was guest role when offered, although he was concerned about shooting in Hawaii when he lived in NY. He expected to shoot for 3 weeks and then return home, but he ended up shooting there for 5 years. ME said that it's kind of a "character actor's dream" to take a guest part and turn it into a regular gig. He said that the guest part was like an "audition." He enjoyed playing that role. He then talked a little about dealing with fans who confuse him with his character and react to him negatively as a result.

-- On his relationship to the showrunners/writers in playing roles like Cayden James on Arrow or Morton Norton on Mozart in the Jungle, ME: "I think my brief on jobs like that is to come in and make something happen... They're hoping that I'm playful enough and focused enough to take a small part and, you know, do something with it. Make it - make it juicier. Spice up their narrative is some way. And, in both of those shows, I think it worked out fairly quickly. It doesn't always work that way. But I was, uh - you know, it's always fun to play the villain because it has more layers. So it's nice to be a full-on true villain on Arrow. The opposite is true of Mozart in the Jungle, where I get to - ... it's like going back to my theater days when I played more comedy than tragedy. And I get to be something flamboyantly silly and broad, and no one's telling me not to. Apparently, it's what they want." 

-- On working on television versus theater or independent film, ME said that "we're living through a golden age of television" because there's "so much content" and it's "so much a writer's medium" now. He said that a lot of the "grown-up work, the grown-up script writing," is happening for television.

-- ME thinks that a "modern day actor" should be ready to "play on all of these platforms" (theater, television, film). He doesn't see a "great divide" between his stage work and his camera work. He just thinks of it in terms of characters and rehearsals.

-- On staying sharp as an actor, ME said that he "tries to mix things up" in terms of his work.

-- On who encouraged him when things looked "grim" for him as an actor, ME said that there were a lot of people (teachers, co-workers).

Edited December 18, 2017 by tv echo

[tv echo]

I had a variety of reactions while reading through this article (laughter, eyeroll, disbelief, major eyeroll, nods, disgust, more eyerolls, bafflement)...

17 Terrible Things Everyone Forgets Oliver Did On Arrow
12.16.2017   by Irina Curovic
https://www.cbr.com/shafted-17-terrible-things-everyone-forgets-oliver-did-on-arrow/

Quote

17. STARTED DATING FELICITY WHILE MARRIED TO NYSSA
...
Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak are married. Whether you like it or not, these two wedding hijackers are now officially a married couple. While this is Felicity’s first marriage, her husband had already been married… well kind of. During his time on Nanda Parbat as Al Sah-him, Oliver was forced into a League marriage with Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter Nyssa.

While the marriage carried no legal validity, under the laws of the League it was a valid marriage. The problem is, Oliver started dating his new wife Felicity while he was still technically married to Nyssa al Ghul. Not that cheating is new to Ollie, but this is a marriage after all. However, compared to other terrible things he did, this one isn’t all that bad.
*  *  *
15. COULD HELP MCKENNA HALL BUT DOESN’T
...
Oliver’s had a number of love interests over the years. You can definitely say that he gets around. In season one, Ollie had a real anime-like harem with Laurel Lance, Felicity Smoke, Helena Bertinelli and McKenna Hall. Speaking of the last two, they had a pretty dangerous encounter. During a pursuit, the Huntress shot Detective McKenna Hall causing her to become paralyzed from the waist down. McKenna Hall then moved to Coast City, which apparently has the best rehabilitation center.

Years later, Oliver’s fiance Felicity was shot and paralyzed too. However, Felicity didn’t move to Coast City because she had a friend who was able to build a chip allowing her to walk again. This is all fine and dandy, but we can’t help but wonder why hasn’t Oliver offered the same help to McKenna? Especially since it was partially his fault she was paralyzed.
*  *  *
13. LIED TO FELICITY ABOUT WILLIAM
...
Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak are finally married, to the delight of some fans and the disappointment of others. But no matter how you feel about this pairing, you have to admit they’ve been through hell and back. After Felicity broke off their engagement the duo has been attempting to re-establish their trust and friendship. And after enduring all the hardships life threw at them, Olicity is back together.

Their break up in season four was mostly a plot device for Oliver and Felicity’s characters to grow and for the show to have more unnecessary drama. However, although it may have seemed rash, Olicity’s break up wasn’t entirely unjustified. After all, Oliver did lie to Felicity. For months he hid his son William from her and it is only natural that she felt betrayed.
*  *  *
7. BRUTALLY KILLED HUNDREDS
...
There was a time when everyone didn’t lose their minds when Oliver Queen killed someone. And it seems like making Oliver soft damaged the show, considering that Arrow’s ratings have been dropping since season three. If you’ve been watching the show from the get-go, you remember the old days when the vigilante known as the Hood ruthlessly punished those who have failed his city.

Back in season one Oliver had no qualms about killing the bad guys, and the estimate is he has killed around 55 people in the first season alone and around 165 people in total, up until now. Oliver’s initial plan to clean up the streets of Starling City involved taking out the criminals on his father’s list. However, over time, his goals changed as did his modus operandi.

17. STARTED DATING FELICITY WHILE MARRIED TO NYSSA
16. KILLED HUNDREDS, CRITICIZED HELENA FOR KILLING
15. COULD HELP MCKENNA HALL BUT DOESN’T
14. SHOT AN ARROW THROUGH ROY’S LEG
13. LIED TO FELICITY ABOUT WILLIAM
12. CHEATED ON LAUREL WITH SARA
11. TORTURED PEOPLE
10. FATHERED A CHILD WHILE DATING LAUREL
9. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
8. CHOSE TO LET HIS FAMILY BELIEVE HE WAS DEAD
7. BRUTALLY KILLED HUNDREDS
6. MADE A DEAL WITH BRATVA TO HAVE PROMETHEUS KILLED
5. LET ROY TAKE THE FALL FOR HIM
4. USED LYLA AS BAIT, LEFT SARA UNATTENDED
3. ASKED DIGGLE TO BE GREEN ARROW WITHOUT REGARD TO HIS FAMILY
2. KILLED BILLY MALONE
1. SKINNED A MAN ALIVE

Edited December 18, 2017 by tv echo

[Lady Calypso]

Number 17 is stupid, because the author of the article even acknowledges it's not technically a valid marriage. 

Also, fuck off with number 9. I guess the author doesn't know anyone with severe depression that may think about suicide. 

Number 16 and 7 are virtually the same.

Number 2 is...

You know what? I'm done. I'm not even going into the others. Number 9 on that list really riled me up.

[insomniadreams88]

First of all, I need people to stop bringing up Oliver and Nyssa's "marriage" like it's actually a thing that can/should have any effect on/be considered when thinking about either of their relationships. 

Also, was McKenna paralyzed? I thought it was just going to take a lot of physical therapy for her to recover and her sister lived in Coast City? 

[DeadZeus]

On ‎9‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 5:40 PM, tv echo said:

19. If I could create a new episode of Arrow I would want it to be an hour-long fight from beginning to end with very little stopping and very little dialogue.

This is obviously kinda overkill. But the current situation is not ideal either.

I mean.. Currently it goes like this.. Talking -> Drama -> Talking -> Talking -> Call from Curtis/Felicity for 2 minute action scene that is loosely connected to the events going on in the episode -> Talking -> Drama -> The End.

More action wouldn't hurt. Heck the mid season finale had 1 action scene for about 2 mins... There is no interrogation going on anymore either... Everyone literally just sits around and talks, wait for the computer to get a hit and then suit up. Ppl are only in the suit for fightscenes but not for just "hitting the Streets"
Then they go back to talking as if the fightscene never happened. It's really weird when you pay attention to it.

And in these 2 minutes they have to fit in Oliver doing badass stuff.. Oh and Wilddog just spraying with his guns.. so cooool!!! -_-

Hour long action is too much obviously, but a bit more each episode could do wonders IMO.