The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[tv echo]

DC TV Watch: How 'Arrow' Said Goodbye To Quentin Lance in Season 6 Finale
MAY 19, 2018 8:15am PT by Sydney Bucksbaum
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dc-tv-watch-arrow-paul-blackthorne-quentin-lance-dies-1113015

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RIP | When Paul Blackthorne's exit from Arrow leaked a few weeks ago, speculation started running wild about how Quentin Lance would be written out of the series this season. His departure was finally explained at the end of this week's season six finale when he saved Earth-2 Laurel's (Katie Cassidy) life by jumping in front of a bullet meant for her. Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) was trying to shoot Laurel to blackmail Lance into getting the FBI out of Star City, and the erstwhile surrogate dad saved her life. He was taken to the hospital but didn't make it through surgery. He lived long enough to have a heart-to-heart with his other surrogate child, Oliver (Stephen Amell), and the conversation was emotionally heavy enough to signal that Lance wasn't making it out of this alive. What made his death all the more heartbreaking, however, was the surprise Legends of Tomorrow crossover when his real daughter Sara (Caity Lotz) showed up to the hospital only to learn that her father had died. She never even got to say goodbye. Brutal. While Arrow has always made it clear that no character is safe from death, Lance has made it back from the brink so many times that it was the right call to kill off the character rather than having him leave town a la Thea (Willa Holland) and Roy (Colton Haynes). And even executive producer Marc Guggenheim tells THR that "we told all the story there is to tell with Lance. We ran out of story with him." At least now the character can't be put through any more misery, and maybe this will be the final straw that makes Earth-2 Laurel join the good side in season seven.

Live to fight another day | By the end of season finales, Arrow usually wraps up the serial storyline with the villain. This week's episode, however, saw Diaz escape Oliver and the FBI, and by the end of the episode he was still around to plot his revenge. Does this mean that Arrow is continuing the Diaz storyline into season seven? His casual mention of The Longbow Hunters, an obscure DC Comics reference, reveals that there is still more to mine from his history, regardless of how fans feel about the character himself. For those who don't read the comics, Oliver mentioned on the show that The Longbow Hunters are a skilled group of killers that scared even the League of Assassins, but the last ones ever heard of were back in the 1950s. Seeing as how Diaz has hooked up with them now, it's safe to say they're still around and as formidable as ever, just operating in the shadows. A good comic run to read for more intel on the history of The Longbow Hunters is "The Outsiders War, Book 6: Spoils of War," where Diaz aka the Dragon creates and leads a group of villains including Count Vertigo, Clock King, Killer Moth, Brick and Red Dart to take down the Green Arrow. Expect Arrow to throw in a slight twist on the comic origins, so there's no telling how closely the series will follow the source material.

Edited May 19, 2018 by tv echo

[Primal Slayer]

What is it with MG and not letting any of the Lances say goodbye to each other before they die? They ALL get to each other by the time they are long dead. 

[BunsenBurner]

2 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

What is it with MG and not letting any of the Lances say goodbye to each other before they die? They ALL get to each other by the time they are long dead. 

Because he is unable to come up with anything new. Why fiddle with success?  In his mind only. 

[BkWurm1]

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 The last scene that he shot was with Emily Bett Rickards, who plays Oliver’s wife Felicity Smoak. It was a majorly emotional day on the set for them both, especially since when Rickards cries, Amell sympathy cries with her.

This was really interesting to me.  Really shows how much they feed off of each other and how much their friendship matters to how their characters are on screen.  

[Mellowyellow]

6 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

This was really interesting to me.  Really shows how much they feed off of each other and how much their friendship matters to how their characters are on screen.  

I'm always torn on this. On one hand I love their friendship and I think it is one of the reasons why Olicity are so amazing.

On the other hand if they ever had a falling out (cuz sometimes friendships blow up for whatever reason) that would be baaaaaaaad. 

Mind you I don't know that many people who fall out with their close friends so I'm probably just being paranoid! 

[BkWurm1]

39 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I'm always torn on this. On one hand I love their friendship and I think it is one of the reasons why Olicity are so amazing.

On the other hand if they ever had a falling out (cuz sometimes friendships blow up for whatever reason) that would be baaaaaaaad. 

Mind you I don't know that many people who fall out with their close friends so I'm probably just being paranoid! 

It's too late to do anything but enjoy what we have and try not to borrow trouble.  It is whatever it is, lol.

[tv echo]

FLASH-FORWARD TO FALL 2018 COMIC BOOK TELEVISION
by Erik Amaya | May 18, 2018
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/comic-book-television-fall-2018-early-look/

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ARROW  94% 
...
But in the biggest move in the network’s schedule – apart from the two new non-comic book related shows debuting in the fall – Arrow will be moving from its Thursday 9 p.m. perch to Monday as Legends’ lead-out.

Behind the scenes, co-showrunners Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim will step aside for the incoming Beth Schwartz. The change could not come soon enough with season 6 stumbling as Oliver (Stephen Amell) broke up the team only to find he really needed them — just like the previous two times Arrow used this plot.

Edited May 20, 2018 by tv echo

[EmilyBettFan]

13 minutes ago, tv echo said:

FLASH-FORWARD TO FALL 2018 COMIC BOOK TELEVISION
by Erik Amaya | May 18, 2018
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/comic-book-television-fall-2018-early-look/

Funny that seasons 3 and 4 have 100% but some fanboys try to claim they were so bad! Jokes on them! 

[tv echo]

S6 reviews are starting to be published - here's one from a reviewer who's historically anti-Felicity (for example, he criticized Felicity's continued support of Oliver in 618 as enabling his self-destructiveness), but even he couldn't manage to blame S6's failures on her or Olicity. Even so, some of his comments (like the sentences I bolded below) elicited 'WTF!?' reactions from me. C'mon! Oliver began mistrusting his team after they first betrayed and deceived him. Also, Oliver has changed a lot this season, compared to past seasons...

Arrow season 6 report card: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Mario McKellop   May 19, 2018
https://hiddenremote.com/2018/05/18/arrow-season-6-report-card/

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While “Life Sentence” is one of the best finales the show has produced to date, the season that led up to it was decidedly not. Arrow’s sixth season often lacked momentum and really struggled to tell compelling individual stories. Plus, an ill-advised midseason villain switch up meant that this year’s villains didn’t feel as compelling as they have in the past. And the season-long storyline of Oliver essentially failing to save Star City gave the series a bleak tone that sometimes made it a chore to watch.

But for all its flaws, Arrow season six did produce a number of standout moments. It was compelling to see how Prometheus’ sustained assault on Team Arrow in season five affected them this year. And with the abandonment of flashbacks, it was cool to see the show’s supporting cast to step into the spotlight. And while it took a circuitous, sometimes exhaustive route to get there, the way the show methodically broke down Oliver made for a compelling arc.
*  *  *
While Arrow’s writers deserve credit for trying something new, the whole two different antagonists’ thing didn’t work. The bifurcated narrative lacked grace and gave the season a feeling of aimlessness. Also, repeatedly putting Oliver in the same room with his enemies without killing them was an irritating creative choice. It made Oliver feel weak and indecisive, as did his inability to see through his antagonist’s obviously psychological warfare tactics.
*  *  *
Driven by a toxic combination of ego and paranoia, Oliver began mistrusting his team, leading to the breakup of Team Arrow. Without his allies, Oliver was unable to stop Diaz’s rise to power and his own displacement from the Mayor’s office. Hitting rock bottom, Oliver made a deal with FBI to cop to being a vigilante in order from their help stopping Diaz.

In broad strokes, Arrow’s sixth season was about Oliver’s inability to change. He didn’t want to stop being a hero. He didn’t want to fully dedicate himself to being a husband, father and government official. And he didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that emotionally dedication that made him a strong vigilante also made him a poor leader. Eventually, Oliver acknowledged his flaws but at that point, he had lost almost everything.
*  *  *
Similarly, Diaz never quite came into focus over the course of the season despite Acevedo’s commanding performance. His personality seemed to shift with the winds, making him seem like both the calculating mastermind and an unhinged psychopath. Acevedo’s total commitment to Diaz’s incoherent characterization was compelling but ultimately uninvolving. Had his characterization been a bit more focused, Diaz could’ve been one of Arrow’s all-time great villains. Since he ended the season free and vengeful, I’m hoping the writers will use the break to iron out the character’s wrinkles over the summer break. Grade: C+
*  *  *
On the other hand, the show supporting character’s mini-arcs never got the time they deserved. After being introduced, most of the supporting cast storylines were immediately put into a holding pattern and then were dropped a few episodes later with little fanfare. Seemingly everything the supporting cast did was in reaction to something Oliver, which made them all feel thin by comparison.

Still, they fared better than Thea (Willa Holland), Quentin and Felicity. The extended Queen family seemed really displaced this season and existed mainly to enable Oliver’s poor decision making. Since Oliver has been effectively taken out of the picture, I’m hoping that Team Arrow and Black Siren will experience more growth while trying to hold Star city together next season. Grade C-
*  *  *
With its underwhelming plotting, weak characterization outside of Oliver, indistinct villains, this season of Arrow was a middling effort. It’s consistently strong action sequences, and strong start and finish kept it from being a total wash. But it’s hard to imagine this was any fan’s favorite season of the show. Everything about this season just felt too disconnected to feel wholly satisfying.
*  *  *
Still, the season ended well and left me excited to see what’s going to happen next season. And it’s fortunate that it did because I would’ve considered blowing off the show if it hadn’t. Overall, Arrow season 6 gets a C- and my sincere hope that things get better next year.

Edited May 20, 2018 by tv echo

[BunsenBurner]

^^^This person clearly watched the Earth 2-53 versions of Arrow. 

Edited May 20, 2018 by BunsenBurner
Needed an s added

[BkWurm1]

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 The change could not come soon enough with season 6 stumbling as Oliver (Stephen Amell) broke up the team only to find he really needed them — just like the previous two times Arrow used this plot

By the time OLIVER broke up the team, it was down to just him and Felicity.  The reason this season didn't work is because of the insistence of blaming Oliver.  If the show had done more than just show Oliver was not the reason for the break ups, but had also doubled down on his team former teammates realizing THEY were the ones that were shortsighted, petty and unfocused, this could have been such a great season, have them one by one learn their lessons and finally humbly come back to Oliver with him welcoming them back and then in turn sacrifice his freedom for them, the teammates he would do anything to keep safe, ugh, I would have been weeping.  But, yeah, that is not what we got at all.  Him going to jail is presented like just punishment for his crappy leadership when that wasn't what happened on screen at all.  

Edited May 21, 2018 by BkWurm1

[EmilyBettFan]

I think people have pre-conceived notions of Oliver no matter how good he is in a season or what they see on screen. Case in point, some people who watch this show and write crap like that are stupid.

[JamieLynn832002]

Maybe he just somehow managed to watch the show the writers seemed to think they were creating and not the drivel we got stuck with? 

[tv echo]

FANGIRLISH’S FEELS OF THE WEEK: MAY 13TH – MAY 20TH
Posted on May 20, 2018 By Lissete Lanuza Sáenz
http://fangirlish.com/fangirlishs-feels-of-the-week-may-13th-may-20th/

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WTF Moment of the Week
*  *  *
Lariel: They let Ricardo Diaz LIVE on Arrow? Now, I have been complaining that too often the Arrowverse kills off the villains. Cayden James, Adrian Chase, Damien Darhk, Vandal Savage and Ra’s al Ghul all bit the dust on Arrow. Damien and Savage bit the dust twice, since they were also killed on Legends (three times over for Savage). Ricardo Diaz should have joined them, but no. The whiny weasel of a crime lord lives on.

Edited May 21, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 118
Posted on 05/21/2018  Craig Wack & Tatiana Torres
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

-- Arrow 623: Craig thought that the Arrow finale "was not even close to what Agents of SHIELD put together... Arrow was quite frustrating." Tatiana agreed that it was "very frustrating," saying that she's been an "apologist" for many things (like the team getting back together so quickly or Oliver's past behavior), but she can't apologize for this finale because "there were no other redeeming factors." She added: "We have to do this again in the fall?!" 

-- Craig said that, with respect to Diaz and Black Siren, "you were hoping that they were going to tie those plot threads off and be done with it." Tatiana said that no one wants more Diaz, that he's not the strongest villain, and yet we're going to get more of him next season. Craig: "Diaz was a weak villain and only got weaker in this episode." He noted that Diaz was supposed to be this long-term planner, with "backups for backups," but as soon as something goes wrong for him, Diaz "loses his mind... and becomes sloppy... and this blethering rage monster." Craig said that Diaz should've expected that the team would track Quentin and questioned by he didn't do the Laurel proof of life using Facetime via phone, rather than a face-to-face meeting.

-- Craig noted that the bulk of the episode appears to take place over the course of one night. But yet, after the great opening action sequence and title credits, when the show cuts back, everyone has completely changed clothes and some have even changed hairstyles (FBI Agent Watson, Curtis). It was especially noticeable with Curtis, who went through four or five costume/hair changes over the course of the episode. Craig said that it was "getting laughable."  Tatiana said that it's possible there was a lapse of a few hours between the opening sequence and the next scene, but at some point, it did become noticeable, saying: "They literally just did that, and his hair's already back... It doesn't make any sense." Craig noted that many times in the past, we've seen Oliver in the Arrow cave "with the mask off, but still wearing his war paint... Why didn't they just do that?" Tatiana said that, usually she wouldn't let something like that bother her, "but it was so blatantly off."

-- However, there were some good things about this episode. Craig did think that the action was "well choreographed and well executed." He also liked what they did with Felicity, in terms of what Oliver was going through, and said that "it's fun when the audience's thoughts come out of her mouth." Craig noted that when Oliver was going around apologizing to everyone (but Curtis), Felicity asked him what was going on with his "apology tour."

-- Tatiana was annoyed: "I understand that you're doing it to get everyone else immunity. Right? Like, I totally get that motivation. But you're telling me that you're finally telling your wife, the love of your life, the person that you've struggled for five years to, like, have a good relationship with - not because you guys don't belong together, but because of everything that life throws at you. Um, and you're telling her this master plan and you don't even, like, give her a kiss good-bye, 'I love you, I'll see you when I get out' kind of thing?" Craig: "Here's my son. Take care of him." Tatiana: "Yeah, it was very weird... It seemed very not them... I feel like the Felicity and Ollie that we've come to know and love would have been more, um - closer in the end, especially knowing that they don't know when they're going to see each other again... So that was weird... Like, it's a small thing, but being how important the Olicity relationship is to this show, it was really jarring to see them not seem to be together in any way - I mean, they're together - like, he barely even gives her a hug... 'By the way, I'm going to prison,' and then, like, doesn't even hug her, which is very weird."

-- Craig thought that this was going to play out in either one of two ways. Either this was all part of a plan by Oliver and the FBI Agent "to bring Diaz out in the open and try to capture him." Or, Craig feared that they'll "drag it out." Craig then mentioned the crossover spoiler that was announced at The CW Upfronts. Craig's fear is that shooting for the crossover will delay resolving this Diaz storyline until later in the season. Craig wondered why they didn't shoot the crossover now, so that they didn't have to interrupt their regular shows' episode shooting later. Tatiana said that she loves the crossover, but she didn't want the shows to suffer because of the crossover: "The crossover should be something special." Craig thought that Supergirl did a better job of "navigating" the last crossover than Flash or Arrow did. He said that a lot of the problems that Flash and Arrow had this past season were the result of what those shows had to do to contend with the fact that their stars weren't available "for large stretches of the early part of the season... That's part of the reason that Arrow is in the pickle that it's in right now." 

-- Craig noted that, just looking around at a lot of the reactions to the finale, "there weren't a lot of people who were happy... when the credits rolled at the end of this episode." 

-- Tatiana: "It kinda cheapened things knowing that Diaz is coming back, because he's not a good villain. Nobody wants to see more of him. You have to deal with Quentin dying - he technically dies off-screen. Sara comes back, just to cry. We don't necessarily get Laurel redemption, but she's also not a bad guy, which is annoying. Um, you get no Olicity, even though supposedly he's going to jail. And the team seems more - not fractured in that they hate each other, but like, there definitely doesn't seem like Arrow-ing going to be happening, because Diggle seems totally cool with working at ARGUS. And then Rene should retire. And then you've just got Curtis and Dinah? Okay... I feel like, in a finale, you tie a bunch of stuff up. And I feel like nothing was tied up." 

-- Craig: "And they only managed to make things murkier, particularly on the Laurel front." He didn't know if Quentin's death was going "to put her further on a redemptive path... to redeem herself in the eyes of her dead Not-Dad? ... Once again, it just feels like a lame way to keep Katie Cassidy around for another season."

-- Tatiana: "It definitely feels like they were rushing to turn in the paper at the end of the season... Nothing kind of really came together."

-- Craig noted that they "didn't even breathe word of the missing money," when that was "the most important thing in the world" to Star City, but it was just ignored. He wondered that, if the city's broke, were the garbage men on strike? Tatiana said that that would've been "a good opportunity for a new villain to spring up." This villain would've thought he was saving the city. Craig agreed, saying that then you would have an interesting villain, who would be a villain but a villain who thought he was "the hero of his own story." 

-- Craig said that this finale "encapsulated" the entire season, because there were some "highlights" and "some flashes of what made Arrow a show that people enjoyed" both in this episode and during Season 6, but also a lot of "missteps and bad storytelling that completely ruin[ed]the effectiveness of what they're doing."

-- Craig noted that next season will have new writers and a new showrunner, so we'll see what happens in Season 7. Tatiana mentioned that SA said "on IG the other day that he just had a meeting with CW brass that went very well for him," so she wondered if they were going to give him more creative control next season. Craig said that SA "is the one creative force that's been there from the beginning." Craig: "Hopefully, he'll get the ship going in the right direction and bring back some of that enjoyableness... that part of Arrow for the past six years."

Edited May 22, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

DC on CW Weekly Review: ARROW’s Season Finale All-Out Strike
By Jon Barr - TV Editor -May 21, 2018
https://www.monkeysfightingrobots.co/dc-on-cw-weekly-review-arrow-finale/

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The season finale of ARROW ends on a rather anti-climactic note. So much of the episode feels like a watered-down version of what has come before. The action shots, including the big building explosion, is stuff we saw last week. Diaz sticking around seems like a mistake, like when The Governor stuck around halfway through THE WALKING DEAD’s fourth season. Oliver has really jumped around as far as whether he wants to be the Arrow, or a family man. The ending of him going off to prison is just like the middle of FLASH’s fourth season. Even the death of Quentin is spoiled from years of Laurel or Sara either dying or returning. ARROW’s sixth season finale doesn’t do much but remind us of things we’ve seen many times before.

Edited May 22, 2018 by tv echo

[KenyaJ]

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Katie Cassidy says she didn't rely on father David Cassidy to make it as an actress

“I think [a Black Canary film] would be fantastic as long as they’re casting me in it,” she laughed. “I hate to say that, but the truth is, this is a character I’ve played for six years, so I feel very close to her… I worked my ass off for it. So that would be awesome. I would love it. I’m just putting it out there to the universe in case somebody is [reading] this at some point and wants to make that movie. I would love to be a part of it.”

JH has played BC for more episodes than KC so far, and CL was a better BC than both of them, IMO. But I guess you can't fault her for "just putting it out there to the universe."  ?

[Primal Slayer]

6 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

JH has played BC for more episodes than KC so far, and CL was a better BC than both of them, IMO. But I guess you can't fault her for "just putting it out there to the universe."  ?

Dinah didnt really become BC until S6 where she took up the mantle. So thus far KCs still been suited up longer but she's still played a version of DLL way longer. 

[SleepDeprived]

7 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

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“I think [a Black Canary film] would be fantastic as long as they’re casting me in it,” she laughed. “I hate to say that, but the truth is, this is a character I’ve played for six years, so I feel very close to her… I worked my ass off for it. So that would be awesome. I would love it. I’m just putting it out there to the universe in case somebody is [reading] this at some point and wants to make that movie. I would love to be a part of it.”

JH has played BC for more episodes than KC so far, and CL was a better BC than both of them, IMO. But I guess you can't fault her for "just putting it out there to the universe."  ?

Reach for those stars, girl! Anyway, she hasn't really been the BC for 6 years. She was BC for, like, a year and half (middle of s3 through 3/4 of s4) and then she died, was gone for a while then came back as a villain (not even an actual real villain, though, more like the lackey of the "big bads"). But when did actual show facts ever matter to KC's headcanons?

[SmallScreenDiva]

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

Dinah didnt really become BC until S6 where she took up the mantle. So thus far KCs still been suited up longer but she's still played a version of DLL way longer. 

Dinah didn't get the suit until S6, but she pretty much picked up the mantle as soon as she accepted Oliver's recruitment offer. Sooooo ... from 5x11 onwards? Laurel was BC from, what 4x13 to 5x18? Dinah has had the longer tenure. 

Edited May 23, 2018 by SmallScreenDiva

[lemotomato]

If DCTV didn’t want her as BC, what makes her think the DCEU would even consider her?

[scarynikki12]

I know that actress from Vikings ::takes a moment to check imdb:: Katheryn Winnick really, really, REALLY wants to play Black Canary in the DCEU.  She tells every interviewer she talks to at Comic Con how much she wants the part and has also campaigned for it over social media.  She does look like a live action version of comic Dinah but I don't think she'll get cast either, as I think we'll see them cast someone who will be recognizable to movie audiences and who already primarily works in the movie side of the business, similar to how everyone speculated all sorts of actors (including a bunch from tv) for Selina Kyle in Dark Knight Rises and then they went with Anne Hathaway.  The biggest strike against Cassidy is that she's part of the Arrowverse and the movie side has shown less than zero interest in taking any of the tv people for the DCEU. 

[Primal Slayer]

7 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

I know that actress from Vikings ::takes a moment to check imdb:: Katheryn Winnick really, really, REALLY wants to play Black Canary in the DCEU.  She tells every interviewer she talks to at Comic Con how much she wants the part and has also campaigned for it over social media.  She does look like a live action version of comic Dinah but I don't think she'll get cast either, as I think we'll see them cast someone who will be recognizable to movie audiences and who already primarily works in the movie side of the business, similar to how everyone speculated all sorts of actors (including a bunch from tv) for Selina Kyle in Dark Knight Rises and then they went with Anne Hathaway.  The biggest strike against Cassidy is that she's part of the Arrowverse and the movie side has shown less than zero interest in taking any of the tv people for the DCEU. 

It is sad that Katheryn probably wont be able to play the role. Especially since she is 40 and they would most likely want an actress in her 20s/early 30s.

[pootlus]

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

It is sad that Katheryn probably wont be able to play the role. Especially since she is 40 and they would most likely want an actress in her 20s/early 30s.

Replying in Mind Your Surroundings thread.

[BkWurm1]

3 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I know that actress from Vikings ::takes a moment to check imdb:: Katheryn Winnick really, really, REALLY wants to play Black Canary in the DCEU.  She tells every interviewer she talks to at Comic Con how much she wants the part and has also campaigned for it over social media.  She does look like a live action version of comic Dinah but I don't think she'll get cast either, as I think we'll see them cast someone who will be recognizable to movie audiences and who already primarily works in the movie side of the business, similar to how everyone speculated all sorts of actors (including a bunch from tv) for Selina Kyle in Dark Knight Rises and then they went with Anne Hathaway.  The biggest strike against Cassidy is that she's part of the Arrowverse and the movie side has shown less than zero interest in taking any of the tv people for the DCEU. 

7

I'm going to say no to this.  I haven't' stopped holding a grudge for Hannah, the dumb ass ship stall character she played in season seven on Bones.  One of those characters the showrunners sell as "You won't be able to help but love her!"  Yeah, no, that's not how it worked out at all.  

[Sakura12]

I forgot about her character on Bones, but yeah I didn't like her on that. She then got the awesome part of Lagertha on Vikings. I just like her for BC because she has two black belts so she can actually fight and at least do some of the action scenes.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Emily Bett Rickards discusses Arrow:

[KenyaJ]

[tv echo]

Emily Bett Rickards Told Us The Arrow-verse Stories She Wants To See More Of
BY LAURA HURLEY  MAY 22, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2423792/emily-bett-rickards-told-us-the-arrow-verse-stories-she-wants-to-see-more-of

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... Not a whole lot is known about Season 7 at this point, but Arrow leading lady Emily Bett Rickards spoke to CinemaBlend about the kind of stories she'd like to see more of in the Arrow-verse, saying this:

"I'd love to have more female-based episodes. Juliana [Harkavy] and I and Katie Cassidy is around as well.

Spoiler

But she's around other shows too.

Juliana and I are sort of holding down the women fort on that team, and it would be nice to get all the women over there and have a solid episodic storyline with all of us. That'd be really cool."
*  *  *
When I asked about her dream cast for a female-centric episode of Arrow, Emily Bett Rickards told me this:

"All the ladies! We could get Caity Lotz back in there, obviously Katrina Law... Danielle Nicolet, Candice [Patton], Katie Cassidy. I would have everybody on that show. I'd just be like, 'Everyone who's a lady, you come here!' And then I'd make them all stay forever on our show, forever and ever and ever. And ever."

Edited May 23, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ARROWVERSE REPORT CARD: WHAT WE LEARNED FROM FLASH, ARROW, AND LEGENDS THIS SEASON
Trent Moore   May 23, 2018
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/arrowverse-report-card-what-we-learned-from-flash-arrow-and-legends-this-season

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To put it simply, this season of Arrow was not great. With the show in its sixth season, moving beyond the five-year plan that had played out with the long-running flashback cycle that brought the first five seasons of Arrow full circle, the series struggled to find its footing. The main arc found Team Arrow largely expanded with new heroes, then torn apart due to infighting that led to two super-teams in Star City.

The show split its narrative focus with too many characters and team rivalries that spun in the mud for weeks on end (the phrase "This doesn't change anything, hoss" became a meme unto itself), and suffered from lack of a compelling villain, only revealing Ricardo Diaz as the "real" big bad in the home stretch. It became abundantly clear that Season 6 was a transitional one. Here's hoping a creative shake-up behind the scenes can right the ship next season.
*  *  *
Cast shake-ups: This show has struggled to find compelling stories for Oliver's younger sister Thea for years and finally wrote her off this season, sending her on the road with her long-lost love Roy Harper.

Spoiler

Interestingly enough, the character of Roy will be returning as a series regular next year, though Thea is apparently gone for good.

This season also saw the Earth-2 version of Laurel Lance get a good bit of screen time after the Earth-1 version of the character was killed off a couple seasons ago. That story was met with mixed reactions, though she seems to be on a path toward redemption in Season 7. Oh, and Diggle is still around, he's just working for Argus now.

Olicity ties the knot: It'd been a long time coming but Oliver and Felicity finally tied the knot this season — literally piggybacking on Barry and Iris' wedding during the annual crossover event. The relationship has always been a point of consternation for some fans (in the comics, Oliver's true love is Dinah Laurel Lance), but the writers committed to it years ago. Now, love it or hate it, it's officially official.

R.I.P. Quentin Lance: Word broke before the Season 6 finale that Paul Blackthorne's Quentin Lance would not be returning next season, and in the finale, we found out why. Quentin is shot by Diaz while trying to protect Earth-2 Laurel and dies off-screen on the operating table. He'd been with the show since Season 1 and was a great character to boot, so it was a shame to see him reach such an ignominious end.

Edited May 23, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Ugh - no spoilers (since Diaz survived 623, I don't think it's a spoiler to expect him to return in S7)...

Kirk Acevedo Wants Ricardo Diaz To Kill One Of Arrow’s Big Three
Eric Joseph   May 24, 2018
http://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/kirk-acevedo-ricardo-diaz-kill-arrows-big/

Quote

After reflecting on this, I asked actor Kirk Acevedo what he personally wants for Diaz to achieve in season 7 during our conversation at Motor City Comic Con, and here’s what he had to say:

“I wanna kill off some big people. I’m being dead serious. I want Top Three.”

Upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but blurt out “Felicity?,” to which he replied:

“Yes, that’s my goal. I don’t think that’ll happen. I want to at least get Oliver Queen’s arm. I don’t know if I can ever kill him, but I want his arm. I want damage done.”
*  *  *
So, after Acevedo laid out Diaz’s bucket list, I asked if he’d seen the Legends of Tomorrow episode, “Star City 2046.” And though he had yet to do so, I pointed out how when the Waverider crew met Oliver’s future self, he’d been missing an arm, with a robotic limb in its place. This would perfectly line up that bit of continuity!

Continuing on, I’d mentioned a few of the villains as I did at the top of this article, which prompted Acevedo to continue displaying the same pride in his character that we mentioned before:

“I’m competitive. I don’t give a fuck what the other villains did. I want to do better than all of the other villains. I want to be the top bad guy. But, having said that, I’m tied because I’m only as good as what I’m written.”

Edited May 24, 2018 by tv echo

[apinknightmare]

You’re only still alive because a third-rate lackey catapulted you off a rooftop, my guy. But dream big, I guess. 

[tv echo]

Arrow’s Kirk Acevedo Discusses How Ricardo Diaz Differs From Oliver Queen
Eric Joseph   May 24, 2018
http://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/arrows-kirk-acevedo-discusses-ricardo-diaz-differs-oliver-queen/

Quote

As it turned out, “the Dragon” was the true main antagonist all along, as he extended his tendrils into every facet of Star City’s infrastructure. What’s kind of funny is that Diaz is so ruthless, yet the guy playing him is incredibly kind and sports a smile more often than not. But coming to find this is now somewhat routine for me, as several of the nicest fellas I’ve met have been those who’ve played characters such as Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees.
*  *  *
Given that, I recently asked Acevedo how he does a complete 180 when I had the chance to speak with him at Motor City Comic Con, to which he replied:

“Listen, the villain is more fun to play. He never has to apologize. He has more layers to him than a hero, way more layers.”

As those words left his mouth, I couldn’t help but bring up the unforgettable origin episode his character was given, which factored into what he said next:

“There’s a reason why he is who he is. He was abused, he had no family, you know what I mean? There’s a picture of his father, but that leaves him with…why was he holding on dear to his father? What happened to his father? All these questions. And in that episode, you’re rooting for me, you’re rooting for me to take over the Quadrant, you’re siding with me. I do all these little things in the episode, which you might pick up like when I nudge Katie [Cassidy], ”cause I got you here. I’m happy you’re here.’ You can see I’m caring for her. It’s not insincere.”
*  *  *
Moving on, Acevedo displayed the pride he takes in his craft and in his character by laying out how Diaz differs from Oliver Queen:

“What’s the difference between me and Stephen’s character? He’s a vigilante. He kills people. He breaks the law. You know what the difference is? I don’t hide who I am. He hides who he is, literally and figuratively.”

Edited May 24, 2018 by tv echo

[calliope1975]

DDDiaz could kill all of OTA. He could kill all the characters who have ever appeared on Arrow over the past 6 years. He could  access the speed force and kill Barry (please,) search through time and kill all of the LOT, cross over to other worlds and kill Supergirl and Black Lightning. He could do all of that and would still be an inferior villain to Slade Wilson and Prometheus. And China White. And Lady Cop. And the Dollmaker. And that rando goon who hit Oliver one time. 

Dude's a joke and the more he keeps boasting about being the baddest of the bad, the more insecure he comes across.

[insomniadreams88]

44 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Ugh - no spoilers (since Diaz survived 623, I don't think it's a spoiler to expect him to return in S7)...

Kirk Acevedo Wants Ricardo Diaz To Kill One Of Arrow’s Big Three
Eric Joseph   May 24, 2018
http://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/kirk-acevedo-ricardo-diaz-kill-arrows-big/

Quote

After reflecting on this, I asked actor Kirk Acevedo what he personally wants for Diaz to achieve in season 7 during our conversation at Motor City Comic Con, and here’s what he had to say:

“I wanna kill off some big people. I’m being dead serious. I want Top Three.”

Upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but blurt out “Felicity?,” to which he replied:

“Yes, that’s my goal. I don’t think that’ll happen. I want to at least get Oliver Queen’s arm. I don’t know if I can ever kill him, but I want his arm. I want damage done.”

I hate his "that's my goal." And yeah, KA, that's never going to happen. 

[apinknightmare]

34 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

I hate his "that's my goal." And yeah, KA, that's never going to happen. 

Him liking a tweet about killing Felicity and the shitshow that followed got him more attention than he got all season, so I get this desire because he needs that attention, but I hope good ‘ol #KidVicious leaves the show with his sad smoke machines in tow, completely unfulfilled. 

He's gonna wind up getting offed by Black Siren, LOL. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by apinknightmare

[JJ928]

He deserves to be defeated by Siren lol. He doesn't deserve OTA's attention, he's been lame all season, he deserves a lame ending.

[SmallScreenDiva]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

“I wanna kill off some big people. I’m being dead serious. I want Top Three.”

Upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but blurt out “Felicity?,”

Writer dude, you’re showing your hater status. Also, Avocado knows what “he” wants doesn’t count, right? 

[Starfish35]

I’m not even watching, but wow, that really makes me hope he gets “Sara-ed” in the first episode - shot full of arrows and dumped in a trash bin. ;)

Also, I can see the diehard GA/BC fans now. “Diaz is going to kill Felicity, BS will reform and become BC (what about JH?), and the show will end with GA/BC happily ever after.” ROFL.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Starfish35

[bijoux]

I think it was @Mellowyellow who called DDDiaz a strange little man. The same applies to Acevedo.

[statsgirl]

56 minutes ago, Starfish35 said:

Also, I can see the diehard GA/BC fans now. “Diaz is going to kill Felicity, BS will reform and become BC (what about JH?), and the show will end with GA/BC happily ever after.” ROFL.

I really hope so. I hope the diehards spend all hiatus in their fantasy world ... and then get hit with reality.  Bonus if Felicity and William off him.

[Sakura12]

I only saw him in the finale and wasn't impressed. Also he might've been more threatening if I could understand what he was saying. 

[apinknightmare]

16 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

Also he might've been more threatening if I could understand what he was saying. 

He would not have been.

[scarynikki12]

I prefer not understanding him because @Lady Calypso translates so amusingly. 

[Starfish35]

5 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

I prefer not understanding him because @Lady Calypso translates so amusingly. 

Yes, that was a live viewing thread highlight. :)

[bethy]

All this trash talking from KA is going to make my 12 Monkeys rewatch faster, anyway. I hope none of the scenes with him in them are important because I'm going to be using my fast-forward button more than I like to with that show. 

[Mary0360]

5 hours ago, statsgirl said:

I really hope so. I hope the diehards spend all hiatus in their fantasy world ... and then get hit with reality.  Bonus if Felicity and William off him.

This is how I feel about them denying or claiming David is lying about the spoiler he shared. Keeping thinking that haters, because it's just going to make it more enjoyable when the reveal comes next season! 

 

And yes I either want Felicity to kill Avacado or I want him to end in a truly lame way like being hit by truck or something. See ya later ??. 

[Lady Calypso]

4 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I prefer not understanding him because @Lady Calypso translates so amusingly. 

Why, thank you! I'm just sad I didn't discover this talent of mine until the finale. Though, the only plus to Avocado still around as Marble Mouth is that I continue my new favourite live blogging activity throughout season 7, however long he sticks around. 

8 hours ago, insomniadreams88 said:

I hate his "that's my goal." And yeah, KA, that's never going to happen. 

He can dream and dream, but OTA will likely never die. Plus, he just killed another main character, and that felt like it should have been unrealistic enough. Let's not dream the impossible here, mmkay Avocado? #kidvicious

[kes0704]

6 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Bonus if Felicity and William off him.

Additional bonus points should be on offer if Felicity and Willam takes out Diaz because they cyber hack or science some piece of technology.  Reddit will really hate that. 

[calliope1975]

In the first 5 minutes of S7, I would like a 3D printer to fall on Diaz, killing him. It would be a nice, full circle moment. And then it could print out a tiny dragon that Felicity can put next to her computers.