The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[Carrie Ann]

I just took SA's words literally--that Ray and Felicity will be in a committed relationship before Felicity and Oliver will be. That seems pretty obvious--I don't think they will stay in some "what are we" mode for very long. Neither R or F seems like the type. As for the "if ever," that just seems like his usual CYA/teasing thing he does. But if, as others were discussing yesterday, the EPs received budget info for next season this month, I suppose it's possible they've made a decision w/r/t Ray's status for next season. And I suppose they could end up prolonging that relationship.

[TrueMyth]

I think I can finally get my head around the narrative of the season.  From the article with the producers:

 

It was something that Greg [berlanti] and Marc and I talked about - that it was important to have a different villain this year and someone who was going to be doing something completely different and in Season 1 we had the incomparable John Barrowman [as Malcolm] who had his mission. Obviously last year, Slade’s mission was one of vengeance. For this year to have Ra’s, who is presented as this giant malevolent force, but then to come up and basically offer the keys to the kingdom to our hero, it just felt like a different way to go and a different relationship for Oliver to have with the villain.

I suppose I see the merit in not having someone threatening Starling's destruction again as the season ending crisis.  I could even give them props for making it an internal conflict.  If the theme of this season is identity and Oliver can't be both Oliver Queen and the Arrow, then he picks the Arrow because that's what the city needs.  Intro the mid-season cliffhanger in which being the Arrow is not enough to save the day (kicked off the mountain for you, Oliver!) and the city doesn't need the Arrow because of the rise of all these other heroes.  Now Oliver can't be Oliver Queen or the Arrow.  He gets THE OFFER to become a figure of legend.  Ra's spins him a glorious tale of how the LoAs acts as a dark force for balance to do good in the world.  Oliver is seriously tempted and must finally decide who he wants to be.

 

I feel like that's the story the producers feel they've been telling.

 

It's too bad that is not the story I've seen on my television.  1) I don't fully believe that he can't be both Oliver Queen and the Arrow, 2) Even Oliver doesn't believe that because, if he had truly given up on Oliver Queen for the Arrow, he would not have gone to fight Ra's because that was obviously an emotional reaction of "must save Thea," 3) If the Arrow is impotent and other heroes are stepping up, why can't he go back to being Oliver Queen?, 4) Why in the world does Ra's think Oliver is the guy to take over?  I know they wanted this to be a shocking offer, but I need some reason to hang Ra's's plan on.  Maybe if Oliver had held his own a bit better in the duel?

Edited February 26, 2015 by TrueMyth

[wonderwall]

I honestly can't wait to read the review from Laura Hurley from the Examiner. 

 

I wish she reviewed on a more notable site that would catch the EPs attention because all of her observations are spot on. 

[ban1o]

 I can see the problem with this season. They tried so hard to be different then season 1 and 2 and not having another "terrorist attack" big bad villain but I think they succeeded at that (With the exception of Slade's motivations but whatever). What they are doing right now, they aren't succeeding at imo. 

Edited February 26, 2015 by ban1o

[statsgirl]

One of those producer interviews, I can't remember which one just now, said that they're writing ep 21 now.  Maybe this is the time to get on twitter to the other eps and writers (not MG) and other places to tell them what we don't like while there's still time to tweak the rest of the season.

[kes0704]

I think the writing is clearly on the wall that they've changed directions on the show. There's a reason Amell seems less than enthused about this season and that his PR appearances haven't hyped up the show all that much.

I was wondering about that too. I know in Dallas SA made the "darkest before the dawn" comment but maybe that was the misdirection and what we saw in Ep 15 is the new plan.

[apinknightmare]

I was wondering about that too. I know in Dallas SA made the "darkest before the dawn" comment but maybe that was the misdirection and what we saw in Ep 15 is the new plan.

 

I think it's more likely that this is the dark part before the dawn. 

 

Even if they never, ever, ever completely go there with Oliver and Felicity, they will tease it until they die to keep shippers coming back for more. 

[bethy]

I think it's more likely that this is the dark part before the dawn. 

 

Even if they never, ever, ever completely go there with Oliver and Felicity, they will tease it until they die to keep shippers coming back for more. 

 

Or they'll tease it to the point that the shippers tire of being toyed with, stop watching, and lurk on boards until they hear that there's something to watch for.  Hypothetically. 

Edited February 26, 2015 by bethy

[Sakura12]

Isn't that what most shows do with The Ship, they stall, block, stall, block for 5 or more seasons until most people stop caring about the characters and the show, then they put them together to get the fans back. 

[bethy]

Isn't that what most shows do with The Ship, they stall, block, stall, block for 5 or more seasons until most people stop caring about the characters and the show, then they put them together to get the fans back. 

 

Seems like. It's too bad someone won't take a chance and actually try letting a relationship develop organically without all the crap and see what happens. Show runners act like "Oh, we put them together and the show tanked!" where in reality the show was on its way down and they tried patching it with "Ooo, look! We're getting them together!" and it was just too little too late.

[apinknightmare]

Seems like. It's too bad someone won't take a chance and actually try letting a relationship develop organically without all the crap and see what happens. Show runners act like "Oh, we put them together and the show tanked!" where in reality the show was on its way down and they tried patching it with "Ooo, look! We're getting them together!" and it was just too little too late.

 

Like Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope - most perfectly handled relationship on any show I've ever watched. 

 

I agree that the show runners are tempted to tease and drag out until no one cares anymore. But I suppose the point of my original post was that O&F was just made canon 15 eps ago, so I figured people wouldn't be so tired of the teasing yet, haha.

[tv echo]

The name of this website (Heroes and Heartbreakers) somehow seems appropriate...

 

Arrow 3x15 Olicity Heart-to-Heart: Up, Up, and A.T.O.M. Away
MARILYN_PORTER  THU  FEB 26 2015 11:30AM
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2015/02/arrow-3x15-olicity-heart-to-heart-up-up-and-atom-away

Not going to lie, folks.  It doesn’t look good.  But the very fact that it doesn’t look good means that there’s hope yet for this ship of ours.  For one thing, the mere fact that Felicity had sex with Ray I think expands the likelihood of her having sex with Oliver when he finally gets his head out of his colon.  We’re in the dark valley right now and as Stephen Amell told us at Dallas Comic Con, its always darkest before the dawn.

 

(On the bright side, Olicity fans now have this handy scene to splice into their fan videos.)

Edited February 26, 2015 by tv echo

[KenyaJ]

Oops. Forgot where I was. Moving this to the bitterness thread.

Edited February 26, 2015 by KenyaJ

[bethy]

Like Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope - most perfectly handled relationship on any show I've ever watched. 

 

I agree that the show runners are tempted to tease and drag out until no one cares anymore. But I suppose the point of my original post was that O&F was just made canon 15 eps ago, so I figured people wouldn't be so tired of the teasing yet, haha.

 

Taking this to the relationship thread - just realized I was headed deep into off topic territory!

[tv echo]

We Minored In Film always has great reviews and this is no exception (entire article is worth reading, love the headline)...

 

ARROW’S “NANDA PARBAT” (S3,EP15) & THE SEARCH FOR OLIVER QUEEN’S BRAIN
Posted on February 26, 2015 by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/02/26/arrows-nanda-parbat-s3ep15-the-search-for-oliver-queens-brain/

A reader of this site recently joked that maybe there was something we don’t know about in that missile which exploded nearby Oliver and Felicity in the restaurant during the season premiere because ever since then Oliver’s IQ seems to have been on a downward spiral. The truth is that Oliver is usually an egotistical jerk, but the show works double-time to make him sympathetic. Now, they have, as Felicity said, placed his head thoroughly up his ass, setting us up for a story that would seemingly have only one obvious conclusion which is that Oliver will say thanks, but no thanks to an offer to become the head of an international terrorist organization.  But, wait, are they going to go Angel Season 5 with this? [Angel Spoiler Alert]  Could Oliver end up trying to do good from the inside of evil?  Is The League of Assassins the new Wolfram & Hart?

Edited February 26, 2015 by tv echo

[statsgirl]

Isn't that what most shows do with The Ship, they stall, block, stall, block for 5 or more seasons until most people stop caring about the characters and the show, then they put them together to get the fans back. 

The problem is that by that point, so many of the fans have given up that the ratings go down and the show-runners can say "See, it's the Moonlighting Curse, we shouldn't have put them together at all."

 

 

. I think you'll see those two committing before you see Oliver and Felicity committing," says Amell. "If ever."

It's the "if ever" that worries me.  Since SDCC, he's always been so positive that it's only Felicity for Oliver this season, and while he's teased long journeys, he's never been "if ever" before.

 

On the other hand, I'm hoping that the feedback on Raylicity will cause them to end it sooner rather than later.  They really screwed up the writing for that one.

[wonderwall]

It's the "if ever" that worries me.  Since SDCC, he's always been so positive that it's only Felicity for Oliver this season, and while he's teased long journeys, he's never been "if ever" before.

 

On the other hand, I'm hoping that the feedback on Raylicity will cause them to end it sooner rather than later.  They really screwed up the writing for that one.

 

It's not against SAs MO to promote things that are on the show as they are right now. The 'If ever' bit was to rile up the fans just like he was trying to rile up fans about his death during the mid season finale. So right now he's trying to sell Olicity as will they won't they, but you'll have to tune in to see what happens between these two. I mean, I'm sure he'd already read the script for episode 15 when he said that he doesn't see Felicity being the one for Oliver changing a few weeks back. It doesn't change anything that he's said since the mid season finale at all. 

 

I don't think you should worry about it :) I'm more worried about SA losing interest in the show because its indicative that things aren't going to get any better. If the actor can see the flaws in the show and becomes less enthused then you know that something's wrong. 

[kismet]

The problem is that by that point, so many of the fans have given up that the ratings go down and the show-runners can say "See, it's the Moonlighting Curse, we shouldn't have put them together at all."

 

It's the "if ever" that worries me.  Since SDCC, he's always been so positive that it's only Felicity for Oliver this season, and while he's teased long journeys, he's never been "if ever" before.

 

On the other hand, I'm hoping that the feedback on Raylicity will cause them to end it sooner rather than later.  They really screwed up the writing for that one.

The "if ever" is really stark coming from SA. He usually spins the press a little smoother. Between that and skipping PaleyFest, Im really beginning to worry about his presence on the show. Probably nothing but a little mid season panic or over-thinking on my part.

[closer2fine]

This is definitely Arrow related....

 

Arrow/Flash Superhero Team-Up Spinoff In Works At CW; Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller, Caity Lotz Star http://deadline.com/2015/02/arrow-flash-spin-off-cw-new-superhero-series-1201382466/

[catrox14]

I hope this is the right thread.  CW Spinoff for Arrow news

 

http://deadline.com/2015/02/arrow-flash-spin-off-cw-new-superhero-series-1201382466/

So here's what I don't understand.  Who the fuck is Caity Lotz going to play other than Black Canary?

[Guest]

Prayer circle that deadline article is accurate.

[closer2fine]

I hope this is the right thread.  CW Spinoff for Arrow news

 

http://deadline.com/2015/02/arrow-flash-spin-off-cw-new-superhero-series-1201382466/

So here's what I don't understand.  Who the fuck is Caity Lotz going to play other than Black Canary?

 

I want to know the same thing. Maybe she'll come back as the real Canary and Laurel will hang up the buckles.

[Sakura12]

Is that for real? If CL is not Black Canary who is she going to play, someone else that looks exactly like Sara Lance?

[NoWayOut]

How's that going to work? If the show is taking place in the same Flash/Arrow universe doesn't that mean Sara's death is already canon?

[Orion]

If this is true it could be the best/worst thing to ever happen to Arrow. Best because we can remove some of the, being kind, less well received characters from this show and some of the extremely over bloated cast over there. Bad because I'm sure they will continue to use Arrow to introduce them before sending new people there. 

 

But dear god we might actually get Original Team Arrow back. I'm actually tearing up at the thought. Joining Angel1D in her prayer circle. Anyone have any sage we could lite?

[closer2fine]

This.  But on the third hand, I guess I don't actually care if it doesn't make sense if it gets Ray off the show...

If it's going to be a midseason like it says in the article, I would count on Ray hanging around Starling until January 2016. 

[Starfish35]

We should probably take the spinoff discussion to the Mind Your Surroundings thread so it's not going on in two places.

[kismet]

How's that going to work? If the show is taking place in the same Flash/Arrow universe doesn't that mean Sara's death is already canon?

moved to mind your surroundings.

Edited February 27, 2015 by kismet

[AyChihuahua]

I read the AV Club interview and looked at the comments. There are nearly 800 comments, the most I've seen on a review, and they're largely negative about both the episode and the entire season.  Just thought I'd share, as we're not totally alone on this.

[Artsda]

I'm confused also how Caity will be Sara. If they play with the timeline, since it is something they do on Flash go back and forth in time maybe it's going back in time before Sara died.

 

If Sara's alive on this show and it's present day, I'm going to be really mad the spinoff gets Sara and we're stuck with Laurel. Heck even the spin off getting Ray and us getting still stuck with Laurel makes me mad.

 

The new show with that cast sounds like it'll be great while Arrow is tanking plot wise.

[formerlyfreedom]

Hey, guys! Remember our No New Topics guideline? Well, we mods talked. NEW TOPIC!

Please go here to discuss the possible spinoff from Arrow and The Flash.

[tv echo]

GeekDad's review of "Nanda Parbat" - I agree with a lot, but not all, of this review (portion quoted, but entire review is worth reading)...

 

Same Geek Channel Review ‘Arrow’ Episode 315 “Nanda Parbat”
Posted on 27 February, 2015 by Mordechai Luchins
http://geekdad.com/2015/02/sgc-arrow-315/

I didn’t see Ra’s asking Ollie to be his successor as a homage to the classic Batman stories by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams. I see it as retrofitting an entire storyline on Ollie when it doesn’t belong anywhere near Olllie.

 

It’s wrong in so many ways that I would take an entire column to articulate why. But let’s concentrate on the lack of imagination.  Create new villains. Create a new mythology for Ollie, much like was done for Season 1.

 

Don’t steal Batman tales. Nyssa Al Ghul has been a neat addition because she’s a little used character. But this stuff with Ollie and Ra’s is ridiculous.

Edited February 27, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow: 3×15 Review – Nanda Parbat
By: Alisha Bjorklund 13 hours ago
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/02/arrow-3x15-review-nanda-parbat/

These two have been dancing around each other for a while. There’s obviously attraction, but both had been resisted acting on it because of their love for someone else. But this episode became a tipping point for both of them. Felicity has been through so much, dealt with unbearable loss and pain over her love of Oliver. So can you blame her for craving the attention of someone who truly cares about her and is willing to show it? I can’t. Oliver’s off to face death, again, and doesn’t depend on her judgment anymore. But Ray does. He flat out tells her that he depends on and values her, and in that moment, Ray is basically offering her everything that Oliver won’t. So she kisses him. And they both realized they can seek comfort in one another.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anything lasting...
*  *  *
Ra’s is making Oliver face something much more dangerous and tempting than anything Slade did. If he accept the offer and gives up what’s left of Oliver Queen, he’ll become an even greater symbol of power than the Arrow. With Oliver’s current mindset, that’s the kind of identity he thinks he needs. But at what cost? One other thing seems quite certain: whatever Oliver chooses, it will alter his path forever.

Edited February 27, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

This is a fun interview with DR...

 

David Ramsey talks life on the set of ‘Arrow’ 
Colleen Bement   February 25, 2015 9:30 PM MST
http://www.examiner.com/article/david-ramsey-talks-life-on-the-set-of-arrow

[BkWurm1]

They are clearly setting up the switch from Oliver/Felicity back to Oliver/Laurel. Look at the way Amell has changed the way he talks about Felicity. I still stand by the idea that the EPs want to spin Felicity off on to the new Atom show and this is a set-up to do that.

This is the one thing that I am not worried about in the slightest.  Won't rule out something weird and radical happening a few years down the road but Felicity isn't going anywhere.  That's specifically been addressed by the show runners multiple times. That and there is no way the CW will let a romance for the main character to happen on another show.  Felicity would at best be in some crossovers. 

 

The problem is that by that point, so many of the fans have given up that the ratings go down and the show-runners can say "See, it's the Moonlighting Curse, we shouldn't have put them together at all."

 

It's the "if ever" that worries me.  Since SDCC, he's always been so positive that it's only Felicity for Oliver this season, and while he's teased long journeys, he's never been "if ever" before.

 

On the other hand, I'm hoping that the feedback on Raylicity will cause them to end it sooner rather than later.  They really screwed up the writing for that one.

SA lives in the current episode when he does his interviews except for I'd say early in the season when he's talking the sweep of the whole season.  

 

I see the "if ever" as him backtracking from basically out and out saying that Olicity will commit to each other in his first comment.  He can't say that now and his line about Ray and Felicity taking that step before Oliver and Felicity implies that they absolutely will, just afterwards.  So he tosses the "if ever" as a disclaimer so he's not spoiling upcoming storylines one way or the other. 

Edited February 27, 2015 by BkWurm1

[NoWayOut]

Stephen likes to throw in these little 'maybe, maybe not' comments in interviews.

 

There was this comment from Fan Expo Canada 2014:

“We learn a lot about Oliver and his relationship with Felicity and the feelings — or lack thereof — for one another in the season premiere."

[kismet]

Prattchris's snarky photo recap of Nanda Parbat is up. :)

 

http://prattschris.tumblr.com/post/112240544655

 

Love that "thats MR. lil bitch to you, young lady". JB always gives such good photo recap moments

Edited February 27, 2015 by kismet

[tv echo]

'Arrow'-loving romance authors have mixed feelings about 'Nanda Parbat'
Allison Brennan and Lavinia Kent, Special for USA TODAY 12:47 a.m. EST February 28, 2015
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/02/28/arrow--nanda-parbat-allison-brennan-lavinia-kent/24167649/

I see Ray as Felicity's Sara, a developmental step on her way to being with Oliver. Plus, I've always hated the heroine who waits years and years for her man and does nothing but send pleading glances. I don't think they're going to let us have Oliver and Felicity for quite a while and I am OK with her exploring things with Ray in the meantime. (I admit that I was shocked that they actually ended up in bed, but maybe it's a way of contrasting her unconsummated relationship with Oliver.) And my guess is that the Ray/Felicity relationship won't last too long. I think he also is going to put "saving the city" first.
*  *  *
The sense in cyberspace was that this was a "game-changing" episode, but I didn't feel that. I felt it was a guilt-saturated episode. Ray Palmer felt guilty, Thea, Roy, even Oliver. (Not Diggle, because he's a rock.) ...

Edited February 28, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Laura Hurley's review of "Nanda Parbat" - great read (I wanted to quote the entire article, but couldn't, of course)...

 

Arrow S03E15: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to happen next
Laura Hurley   February 27, 2015  3:21 PM MST
http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-s03e15-what-worked-what-didn-t-and-what-needs-to-happen-next

Oliver and Digg out in the field together put Arrow and Arsenal to shame, and not just because Digg has about eight inches and eighty pounds on Roy. The two managed to fight with significantly different styles and yet remain in unison through their entire storm of the citadel. Even better, they exchanged a few of those manly heart-to-hearts that are somehow simultaneously stoic and adorable....
*  *  *
Ra’s being a jerk and disapproving of Nyssa’s taste in lovers to the extent that he would disinherit her is one thing, but deciding that Oliver should be his successor is a whole other story. Where did it even come from?...
*  *  *
The narrative needs to remember that not only is Malcolm a genuinely awful person that the good guys should stop protecting, but he only entered Thea’s life within the last year. Robert Queen was her father. Walter Steele was her stepfather. Malcolm Merlyn was the family friend who paid her no mind until he discovered their shared DNA. In the grand scheme, Thea losing her brother was a far greater threat to her emotional stability than the distant death of Malcolm Merlyn...
*  *  *
[T]he writing of the two visiting characters from “Atom” was somewhat inconsistent with the established “Arrow” universe, and the cognitive dissonance as these two programs tried to exist in one episode rankled... Oh, wait... This wasn’t a crossover... Because “Atom” isn’t a show that actually exists... Brandon Routh is not the leading man of his own series. Emily Bett Rickards is not playing Felicity Smoak’s underdeveloped twin sister. The Atom is not a hero who has earned any bit of his swelling score or substantial screentime. “Arrow,” on the other hand, does exist, and the Felicity Smoak that audiences grew to know and love is welcome to step in for the pod person currently wearing her glasses any time now.  Felicity’s current situation is such an uncomfortable reverse of her position in Season 2... Season 3 Felicity has the big office and the big salary and the great job, but she’s been stripped of all agency and appeal for the sake of selling a new character... The problem here is that Felicity is meant to be the multidimensional proactive main character calling the hero into action. She’s not supposed to be the woman with abandonment issues who will wake cold and alone in a sea of rumpled sheets....
*  *  *
Felicity needs to spend more time in the darn Arrow Cave. She’s the one who made the first renovations back before Season 2, and her relocation to Palmer Technologies has left the foundry a far grimmer place. Granted, she hasn’t exactly been her bubbly self as of late, but it seems like the deep bonds between Oliver and his first two partners never existed. Oliver and Digg affirming their brotherhood only makes Felicity’s exclusion from the Team Arrow hijinks all the more upsetting. She was more involved in the action back when she was just an IT girl patiently listening to Oliver’s stories about laptops and sports bottles....

Edited February 28, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Short but insightful review from SoundOnSight...

 

Arrow Ep. 3.15 “Nanda Parbat” benefits from the presence of truth
Posted on February 27, 2015By Randy Dankievitch
http://www.soundonsight.org/arrow-season-3-episode-15-nanda-parbat/

Stepping back and viewing “Nanda Parbat” as a whole is kind of a bad idea. On a broad scale, Arrow is a bit of a hot mess right now, juggling multiple story lines and integrating wildly different character arcs with each other, all to varying degrees of success – and in some cases, coherency. A lot of what’s going on this season still isn’t clear; and the decisions made in the last fifteen minutes of this episode by the writers only complicate these matters further, in not-so-fun ways....
*  *  *
Again, the plot mechanics of “Nanda Parbat” are a mess; one scene with Felicity and Ray, who seem to have walked into a completely different show, display that pretty brazenly, a disconnect that other stories are equally suffering from (Ray has a fancy red car all of a sudden, for one; his character development into sidekick is just really being delivered as a series of bullet points at this point). Laurel’s trying to avenge a death, Oliver’s continuing to defend Merlyn for reasons a lot of explaining (A LOT of explaining) can’t quite justify, and Diggle’s wife is cool with him going on a suicide mission....
*  *  *
[A] all of a sudden, the guy murdering Arrow just a month ago offers him his job as head of the League...  Huh?
*  *  *
Simply put, there’s no reason Oliver should still be going to bat for Merlyn –  and the animosity it causes between him and the rest of Team Arrow (which currently consists of Parkour Boy, Laurel the Punching Bag, and 50% less Felicity and Diggle) clouds the fact they wouldn’t let Oliver just leave to return and fight the man who dismissively stabbed him and kicked him off a fucking mountain not a half dozen episodes earlier...
*  *  *
[A] lot of big, show-y moments (Ray Palmer the superhero! Sara gets murdered! Laurel becomes hero! Oliver gets murdered, kind of!) that haven’t added up to anything... Arrow has bungled some stories this season, be it the effectively useless Wildcat, the narrative whiplash (and at times, carbon copy repetition) between Oliver and Ray, Felicity’s horrible flashbacks, or how Sara was murdered...
*  *  *
Felicity doesn’t hold back in her interactions with either Ray or Oliver (I’d love to write a think piece about Felicity losing all agency as a character since she’s become a romantic sidepiece for heroes in the last year, but I’ll save that for someone with more time – let me just say I’m not a fan),...

Edited February 28, 2015 by tv echo

[Guest]

Laura Hurley's review of "Nanda Parbat" - great read (I wanted to quote the entire article, but couldn't, of course)...

 

Arrow S03E15: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to happen next

Laura Hurley   February 27, 2015  3:21 PM MST

http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-s03e15-what-worked-what-didn-t-and-what-needs-to-happen-next

 

Just read this review today. I pretty much agreed with everything she said about Felicity and Ray and the treatment of Felicity's character. 

 

Thanks for posting!

[statsgirl]

 

She was more involved in the action back when she was just an IT girl patiently listening to Oliver’s stories about laptops and sports bottles....

God, yes.  That's what happens when you put more than 4 people in the Arrow cave.

[benteen]

Laura Hurley's review of "Nanda Parbat" - great read (I wanted to quote the entire article, but couldn't, of course)...

 

Arrow S03E15: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to happen next

Laura Hurley   February 27, 2015  3:21 PM MST

http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-s03e15-what-worked-what-didn-t-and-what-needs-to-happen-next

 

Great review and I loved that the writer called out the Malcolm nonsense.  Malcolm is too much of a threat and not only that, he basically violated Thea with what he did to her and yet Oliver is going to ridiculous lengths to keep him alive.

[statsgirl]

I've just been reading Laura Hurley's review of Nanda Parbat. It's wonderful overall, and I think it addresses a number of issues that have been a problem in the writing of Felicity's relationship with Ray this season. Here's a taste:

 

Felicity’s current situation is such an uncomfortable reverse of her position in Season 2. Oliver may have bullied her into taking a directly subordinate position for the sake of his own convenience and to the ruin of her professional reputation, but he did it because she is so awesome that he literally could not save the city without her at his side. Season 3 Felicity has the big office and the big salary and the great job, but she’s been stripped of all agency and appeal for the sake of selling a new character. In her tenure as executive assistant, Felicity brought Oliver exactly one cup of coffee, and even that was a gesture of friendship rather than a service. As a vice president of Palmer Technologies, Felicty had to nag Ray into eating and maintaining basic hygiene. She somehow seems much smaller than she once did, and watching Ray Palmer receive all of the big story beats that only Oliver himself has experienced is painful.

 

The scene of the restless hero being drawn from the side of a sleeping woman to shoulder the burden of guarding his city is familiar; Oliver has left everybody from McKenna to Laurel to even Sara in such a state of restful undress. The problem here is that Felicity is meant to be the multidimensional proactive main character calling the hero into action. She’s not supposed to be the woman with abandonment issues who will wake cold and alone in a sea of rumpled sheets. “Arrow” has gone out of its way to show that Felicity is unlike any other woman for Oliver; that she can be rendered so passive and treated so casually by another man feels degrading and cheap. It has nothing to do with shipping her with one character or another; Felicity can engage in a passionate love affair with the protagonist or knock nerdy rebound boots in the shadow of a Vermeer with an eccentric genius to her heart’s delight. It’s just hard not to feel offended on somebody’s behalf. Whether it’s Felicity for the indignity of the execution, Oliver for his efforts to be different, the actors for being dealt such material, or viewers for having to slog through it, nobody is being served well by the treatment of Felicity Smoak in Season 3.

[tv echo]

Rich Epstein's usual snarky review of "Nanda Parbat" - I always enjoy reading his reviews, although his snark seems subdued this week.  Also,

if you're keeping up with spoilers (and if you believe MG), you know that both Diggle and Felicity will still be around next season

...

 

Are We Losing Diggle Or Felicity At The End Of The Season? Recapping Arrow 3.15: ‘Nanda Parbat’
By Rich Epstein   Posted February 28, 2015
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/02/28/recapping-arrow-3-15-nanda-parbat/

Laurel tells Oliver that she “can’t believe there was once a time when I was in love with you.” I’m sure he feels the same way.
*  *  *
When he confronts Thea, she tells him “I guess I’m just not as good at keeping secrets as you are.” Like about Merlyn being alive and back in Starling City with her? Or .she forget about keeping that secret for a long time? ...
*  *  *
How she knew how to contact the League of Assassins I don’t know. I can’t imagine that was part of her training. Can you just Google them or something? ...
*  *  *
If Oliver can beat Nyssa, who beat Merlyn, why exactly does Oliver need Merlyn’s help?...
*  *  *
Oliver and Diggle get into the castle and take out a bunch more League members. A whole bunch of League members. The League of Assassins is really looking a whole lot less impressive....

Edited March 1, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

This article talks about Oliver's mental state (no spoilers) - interesting theory...

 

Will ‘Arrow’ address Oliver’s psychological trauma?
Caitlin Kelly 12:00 pm, March 1, 2015
http://www.hypable.com/arrow-oliver-queen-trauma/

This insistence on keeping the manipulative and cruel Malcolm Merlyn around this season echoes the presence of the similarly manipulative and cruel Amanda Waller in this season’s flashbacks. Re-creation of trauma? We would argue so. ...

Edited March 1, 2015 by tv echo

[Morena]

Romance authors' mixed feelings about latest 'Arrow'

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/02/28/arrow--nanda-parbat-allison-brennan-lavinia-kent/24167649/

[tv echo]

Talks about Arrow, The Flash, The 100 and Jane the Virgin...

 

The CW’s Variety of Great Shows Has Made It One of the Best Networks on Television
By Laura Schinner on Mar 2, 2015
http://www.tvovermind.com/arrow/cws-variety-great-shows-made-one-best-networks-television-252088

[tv echo]

The Comics 8 Ball: Top 8 Reasons Arrow has Jumped the Shark
March 2, 2015 | Posted by Anthony Kennedy
http://411mania.com/movies/the-comics-8-ball-top-8-reasons-arrow-has-jumped-the-shark/

[SmallScreenDiva]

The 99 Greatest TV Characters from Yahoo TV: They're releasing names by batches. This list is from 90-99 and features Felicity. This is one of the reasons Felicity Smoak is NOT going to be shipped anywhere else, IMO. I mean, who else gets included in these types of list consistently? Aside from Oliver (and that's actually arguable), who else gets this much buzz for the show?

Edited March 2, 2015 by SmallScreenDiva