The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[tv echo]

Podcast by Craig Wack (Pajiba) and Tatiana Torres - discussion of Arrow 411 begins at the 1:48:35 mark (you can drag cursor forward)...

 

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 13
Posted on 01/29/2016
http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

 

-- They liked the Afghanistan flashbacks better than the island flashbacks because they at least seemed to serve some purpose to the main story.

 

-- They were fine with Waller's death because they were afraid that Lyla was going to die.

 

-- Craig liked the ramp joke because he was thinking they'd need to put some ramps in the lair.

 

-- They liked the Oracle joke reference because it implied there was a Batman in the Arrow universe. Craig also liked it because it implied there could be a "rudimentary Birds of Prey" out there, which "would be a great way to get Laurel off the show."  Tatiana added, "Ugh, thank God, that would be so great."

 

-- Tatiana talked about how Felicity was too angry back in the day to help people, but now Felicity is back and strong, badass, and willing to help people.  She also talked about how Felicity can be kinda goofy and nerdy at times, sometimes putting her foot in her mouth with unintentional inuendoes, but that Felicity is always "strong in the end" - and that it's possible for one character to be both strong and kinda goofy.  Tatiana wished that they could do this on Supergirl, so that Kara could still be kinda awkward and nerdy at times, but still always be strong in the end.  In this respect, Tatiana wished that Kara Danvers could be more like Felicity Smoak: "then I would be totally on board for Supergirl."

 

-- Craig said that in S1, Felicity was the "avatar for the audience" and "her reaction was our reaction". He said that Felicity always called Oliver out "on his bullshit."

 

-- Tatiana said that Felicity is always "uncompromisingly good".

 

-- They were both glad that they didn't turn Felicity into a pill addict, but instead, she got through her self-doubts and "came out stronger on the other end".

 

-- Craig liked that Diggle's daughter actually aged in real time.  He also compared her to Rick's daughter on TWD, who seems to have aged only about 6 months in 3 years. Tatiana thought Baby Sara was so "adorable".

 

-- They noted that, with Waller's death, Lyla could take over ARGUS.  Tatiana loves Lyla and thinks she's so "kickass".  She would watch a spinoff show with Lyla heading ARGUS.

 

-- They wondered about the connection between Oliver's flashbacks and the Diggle flashbacks, which both showed Reiter.

 

-- Craig liked that Felicity's story was about her for once, since her storyline for the past season and a half had been defined by her relationship with Oliver.

 

-- Tatiana thought that Arrow did a better job than The Flash and LoT at serving its characters properly and not just putting them in each episode just to include them.  She pointed out that Lance wasn't in the episode because he's part of Darhk's story and Darhk wasn't in this episode.

 

-- Craig brought up the Laurel training with Oliver scene and asked Tatiana if there was a moment there when she was thinking, 'don't you dare try to match [those] two back together.' Tatiana responded: "I tell you, the pitchfork was in my hand... If they make it so this f**king fight with Felicity and Oliver leads to them trying to hook them back up, I will f**king riot!... Pitchfork in hand, flame in the other one, no, no, a thousand times, no... for f**king real." Tatiana said that if they put Oliver and Laurel back together, she would quit the show, "not because I'm a diehard Olicity shipper... but we were already on that ship - it has sailed, and it was bad, so don't do that again." Craig added, "And it sank, and it sent Ollie to the island."

 

-- Craig noted that since the beginning of the show, the show has veered far away from comic canon ("it's their sandbox, and they're going to do whatever they want in it"), but that they seem to be taking comic canon more seriously lately, so that now "you're like, holy crap, are they really trying to - is there a secret plan afoot, despite fan devotion to the opposite - that they're going to try to put Laurel and Oliver back together?... and you're like, oh, man, if that ever happens, so many people are going to quit this show, it's not even funny."  Tatiana added: "Get the f**k out of here, comic canon." They're still very concerned about the flash forward in the limo with Oliver and ringless Felicity, and what that "whole mystery" means.

 

-- They talked more on the possibility that the show will try to put Laurel and Oliver back together::
Craig: "You have those moments, and they seem innocent enough... But, it's like, the wheels start turning a little bit, you know, just because you know they're trying to throw twists and turns on this... 'Are they trying this? They better not be trying this, I don't want this to happen'... I don't think anyone wants this to happen. I can't imagine, whoever brought the idea to the writers room didn't get immediately laughed out of the writers room."
Tatiana: "Leave the comic canon to the movies. Okay? No one wants that... If anyone wants that, you are wrong!"
Craig: "There are some Laurel lovers out there, so - they're all on tumblr, but yeah, they're out there."
Tatiana: "Love Sara. Sara would be a different story. Laurel is the worst."
Craig: "You just don't want bad things to happen to Felicity."
Tatiana: "At all. She's so perfect.  Plus, Emily Bett Rickards is the best."

 

-- They also talked about Oliver's previous and future crossovers to LoT (spoiler alert).

Edited January 29, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Laura Hurley's explanation as to why she didn't write a review for 410...

 

anonymous asks:
hey laura! I just wanted to ask --- did I miss your review for 410 of Arrow? I can't find it anywhere. Thankss!
Jan 27, 2016 7:21 pm
http://laurawritesabout.tumblr.com/post/138181508566/hey-laura-i-just-wanted-to-ask-did-i-miss

[Chaser]

I love the descent into four-letter rants when the conversation turned to Oliver and Laurel.

 

I heard that the Arrow After Show got new hosts. Does anyone know if that's true?

[Ann Mack]

THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF JOHN DIGGLE
by JAY RUYMANN
JANUARY 28, 2016

 

http://untitledtv.com/arrow-john-diggle-character/13923

 

I think this guy considers himself a some type of journalist but after reading his "opinion" piece as he put it I find him extremely bias, delusional and just out right stupid! He is going out of his way to put forth his type of logic as to why the show should get rid of Diggle. He refers to Diggle as Oliver and Felicity's "cheerleader" and he went as far to say "Laurel is the moral compass for Oliver" if she is she's the broke one who's directions he never follows. I laughed to hard at this fool. Such an idiot!  He also has some twitter comments:

 

https://twitter.com/jayruymann/status/693165365631651840

 

https://twitter.com/jayruymann/status/693165365631651840

 

One of his tweets right here explains it all!

 

https://twitter.com/jayruymann/status/693165365631651840

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZ6kULZWIAAQyGt.jpg:large

Edited January 29, 2016 by Ann Mack

[lemotomato]

Podcast by Craig Wack (Pajiba) and Tatiana Torres - discussion of Arrow 411 begins at the 1:48:35 mark (you can drag cursor forward)...

 

Agents of GEEK Podcast Episode 13

Posted on 01/29/2016

http://agentsofgeekpodcast.com/wordpress/

 

-- Craig noted that since the beginning of the show, the show has veered far away from comic canon ("it's their sandbox, and they're going to do whatever they want in it"), but that they seem to be taking comic canon more seriously lately, so that now "you're like, holy crap, are they really trying to - is there a secret plan afoot, despite fan devotion to the opposite - that they're going to try to put Laurel and Oliver back together?... and you're like, oh, man, if that ever happens, so many people are going to quit this show, it's not even funny."  Tatiana added: "Get the f**k out of here, comic canon." They're still very concerned about the flash forward in the limo with Oliver and ringless Felicity, and what that "whole mystery" means.

Thanks for the summary, tv echo! It sounds like a podcast I'd be interested in. 

 

I'm going to adopt "Get the f**k out of here, comic canon" as my motto. Or maybe just "Fuck comic canon" for short. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by lemotomato

[lemotomato]

THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF JOHN DIGGLE

by JAY RUYMANN

JANUARY 28, 2016

 

http://untitledtv.com/arrow-john-diggle-character/13923

 

I think this guy considers himself a some type of journalist but after reading his "opinion" piece as he put it I find him extremely bias, delusional and just out right stupid! He is going out of his way to put forth his type of logic as to why the show should get rid of Diggle. He refers to Diggle as Oliver and Felicity's "cheerleader" and he went as far to say "Laurel is the moral compass for Oliver" if she is she's the broke one who's directions he never follows. I laughed to hard at this fool. Such an idiot!  He also has some twitter comments:

 

https://twitter.com/jayruymann/status/693165365631651840

 

https://twitter.com/jayruymann/status/693165365631651840

That's the same guy that wrote the "Laurel deserves better" opinion piece a couple weeks ago, so no surprise there. Same bad writing style, where he contradicts himself even while he's trying to make his point. Diggle has no role on the show! Except for how his brother turns out to work for the Big Bad, and he gets involved in ARGUS all the time, and he anchored Team Arrow while Oliver was gone! 

 

On a semi-related note, it looks like that site, untitledtv.com, is looking for new writers. Pretty much everyone here on this board has written better reviews and metas than that guy, so someone should give them a shot. 

[dtissagirl]

This is what scientists classify as "bait", of the "click" variety. It baits you, you click it, you perpetuate the cicle of the species.

[lemotomato]

Ugh, I knooow. But sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me. And now you all know not to bother with the article, because it's badly written and nonsensical.

[Ann Mack]

I read what he wrote because some people on Twitterr were tagging him with "You Don't Come For John Diggle" my curiosity got the better of me. It is really is a very bias and ridiculous piece. I really wish if you are going to write for a site that you at least try to display an appearance of fairness toward all characters involved in a show.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Ann Mack

[EmilyBettFan]

They interviewed KC so it's no wonder they have an agenda.

[dtissagirl]

I read parts of it too, except I did it off screencaps on Twitter, because that's a great way to not give them clicks. :)

[statsgirl]

He's an undergraduate student who thinks the show should focus on Speedy and Black Canary, the hot young women (KC and TW) and not the boring old PoC man. 

[eyeroll]

 

Hopefully one day even he will grow up.

[tangerine95]

Pretty sure all that article comes down to is wanting Laurel to get the screentime,storyline and importance Diggle has on the show lol. Now that Felicity isn't dying I guess the idea is that Diggle dying will achieve that.

Edited January 29, 2016 by tangerine95

[tv echo]

WeMinoredInFilm's reviewer hated the use of the Gothlicity hallucination until he read A.V. Club's review of 411 and calmed down...

 

ARROW’S “A.W.O.L.” (S4,EP11): ABOUT THAT HALLUCINATION…
Posted on January 28, 2016 by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2016/01/28/arrows-a-w-o-l-s4ep11-about-that-hallucination/

In fact, Felicity’s confrontation with her hallucination is resolved sooner than you’d expect, and it results in several lovely moments with Oliver. In general, the two of them together have turned into instant “Awwwwww” machines in that their every major interaction seems to be so sweet (outside of that huge relationship-ending fight they had which Barry Allen erased from time in the Arrow/Flash two-parter). She gives him a great speech in the Arrow cave, instantly recognizing that of course he’d blame himself for all of this. Then, at the end of the episode, she shamefully shows him a picture of herself from her college days. They each joke about how much they’ve changed, and you realize that they’re right, even if what Felicity has changed from was a bit laughable.
 

So I guess if I had actually walked through the screen and confronted the producer she would have patiently told me to let it all play out before judging it, and, dangit, she would have been right.
*  *  *
5. It’s so Arrow that Oliver would tell Felicity how it is not healthy or realistic for them to deny the truth her medical diagnosis (her condition is permanent) before pledging to do anything he can to help her walk again since they live in a crazy sci-fi, magic world.

Posting this pic just because it's so cute...

Edited January 30, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 4: 16 WTF Moments From ‘AWOL’
Andrew Pollard   30 Jan 2016
http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-16-wtf-moments-from-awol.php

With Felicity Smoak out of action – y’know, because she suffered extreme nerve damage that has left her confined to a wheelchair – it felt just a tad d*ckish of Thea Queen to drop in a little dig about how Team Arrow could really use Felicity’s help early on in AWOL.

Sure, Felicity is the brains and tech whizz behind the operation, but come on, man, give the girl some leeway. She’s just been left crippled, contemplating the rest of her days stuck on two wheels, and is maybe deserving of just a little TLC.
*  *  *
So finally all of those years of working alongside Felicity Smoak have seemingly paid off for Diggle!

With Shadowspire having taken over ARGUS and cut all communications, Digg shocks us all by remembering something he picked up from watching Felicity at work. That something would be essentially hotwiring a TV in order to get word out to the outside world – namely Oliver and Co. – of what was going down within ARGUS headquarters.

Edited January 30, 2016 by tv echo

[SmallScreenDiva]

WeMinoredInFilm's reviewer hated the use of the Gothlicity hallucination until he read A.V. Club's review of 411 and calmed down...

 

ARROW’S “A.W.O.L.” (S4,EP11): ABOUT THAT HALLUCINATION…

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Kelly Konda

http://weminoredinfilm.com/2016/01/28/arrows-a-w-o-l-s4ep11-about-that-hallucination/

Posting this pic just because it's so cute...

 

And the kid really did say "Andy"! I mean, it looks she said it, the lip movement matched and David's delighted expression told me she nailed it. Wonder how many takes it took, though, LOL!

[tv echo]

L.A. Times' generally positive review of 411...

 

Damien Darhk goes 'A.W.O.L.' as 'Arrow' turns its attention to Diggle for an episode
James Queally JANUARY 28, 2016, 3:50 PM
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-arrow-awol-review-20160128-story.html

It's a formulaic episode in some ways, as Diggle-heavy chapters always feature A.R.G.U.S. and Felicity is the latest character to deal with the "Arrow" trope of characters seeing visions as a result of trauma, but it works just fine. People love Diggle. People love Felicity. Game. Set. Match.
*  *  *
... Watching Diggle run into gunfire to plant the mine that helped save his fellow soldiers also serves as a nice reminder that Dig was a hero long before he met Oliver Queen.
 

The other half of "A.W.O.L." involves a mental scrap between Felicity and an apparition of her former goth hacker self. "Arrow" has used this narrative device repeatedly, sometimes with success (Laurel fending off Sara's ghost while fighting Count Vertigo, aka the only good Laurel episode ever), sometimes not so much (Oliver seeing visions of Shado and Slade after Solomon Grundy beat the tar out of him in Season 2).
*  *  *
Unfortunately, the pacing here is off as well. Where the Andy-Diggle arc seemed to add an unnecessary beat on the way to its completion, Felicity's inner-panic is undercooked, running to the finish line way too quickly.
 

Ms. Smoak is recovering from a horrible near-death experience. She may never walk again. I know Felicity is a strong character, and I don't want to see her wallowing in self-pity for the rest of the season, but did we really need her to come to terms with her injuries and insecurities in the space of one episode? ... The idea of the team having to operate without Felicity (err ... I mean "Overwatch?") while she struggles to get back to her hacker elite status seems like an engaging plot line. Especially because the rational catharsis there is to have her finally break through when Darhk has the capes on the ropes.
*  *  *
"A.W.O.L." is another fun episode, and any "Arrow" chapter that allows Diggle to play protagonist is going to earn praise from most corners of the Arrow fan base. I just wish they'd stuck the landing on both John and Felicity's arcs. There was a lot more emotional ore to mine there, but now we've got to leave it behind.
*  *  *
Any episode with minimal Laurel dialogue is a good episode.
*  *  *
Spartan and Overwatch sound like superhero code names made up by little kids. And I kind of hate them.

Edited January 30, 2016 by tv echo

[dtissagirl]

And the kid really did say "Andy"! I mean, it looks she said it, the lip movement matched and David's delighted expression told me she nailed it. Wonder how many takes it took, though, LOL!

Eugene Byrd said it wasn't planned, she just said it. :)

https://mobile.twitter.com/Vududaddy/status/692574773390544896

[Primal Slayer]

Part of me likes that they didn't waste time on having Felicity getting her groove back while the other part of me wishes they stretched it out at least 3 episodes.

[kismet]

My biggest complaint is that... is it really getting your groove back if you've only been in a funk for like 20min??? I know it's supposed to be longer, but the show did no justice by brushing over it and getting FS back in the groove so that it wouldn't be too dark. The least the show could have done is said that its been about a month since the accident. Then I could have appreciated the hallucinations, OQ over eagerness to help and the overall FS is back. Instead, I was just like well plot point managed. There was little long-term payoff and little long-term reward. Don't get me wrong, I think the acting & directing was great, but the storytelling was poorly executed by the writing.

 

At least the wardrobe budget will be able to save $$ on wear & tear of some of those fancy shoes and hopefully they pay attention to the length of her skirts to avoid any accidental reveals.

[SmallScreenDiva]

Eugene Byrd said it wasn't planned, she just said it. :)

https://mobile.twitter.com/Vududaddy/status/692574773390544896

 

Wow, that's way cool! I swear, that kid nails her scenes and delivery better than some adults in that cast. Well, just 1 adult.

[tv echo]

GeekDad review of 411 - even their reviewer is positive about Felicity this week...

 

Same Geek Channel: ‘Arrow’ Episode 4.11 “A.W.O.L.”
Posted on 28 January, 2016 by Joey L. Mills
http://geekdad.com/2016/01/sgc-arrow-e411/

Cisco Ramon (Vibe) on The Flash. Mick Rory (Heatwave) on Legends of Tomorrow. These guys are polar opposites, yet both are the heart and soul of their respective teams. Okay, maybe the jury’s still out on Heatwave, but I really hope we see more of the character we saw in last week’s series premiere. Arrow has a pair of these characters. They’re two-thirds of the O.T.A.s. Original Team Arrow. They are John Diggle and Felicity Smoak.
 

The best episodes of Arrow are the ones that center around these two member of the team... Just like how Doctor Who isn’t really a show about the title character, rather it’s about how his companions, who are our eyes and ears in that universe, relate to The Doctor, I believe that Arrow is at its strongest when we see the story unfolding through the eyes and ears of Diggle and Felicity.
*  *  *
I am beyond thrilled that this week is about Felicity finally coming to terms with her injury. Not Ollie. Not what Ollie thinks about Felicity’s injury. Not how hurt Ollie feels. Not Ollie’s concerns for Felicity’s future. This is Felicity’s injury. This episode is her turn to deal with her condition and the choices that she has made that brought her to this point.
*  *  *
It’s Diggle’s trust in his brother and Felicity’s trust in her decision to try and make a positive difference in the world that allows the team to stop Shadowspire with minimal casualties (Waller? I hardly knew ‘er!). In the end, Felicity delivers a moving but – based on the flash-forwards we’ve seen – highly inaccurate speech about how it won’t be out of guilt or vengeance or regret that they take down Darhk, but because that’s who they are....

[Ceylon5]

The least the show could have done is said that its been about a month since the accident. 

 

Actually, they did.  They just didn't do it very clearly.  When Oliver was telling Laurel about the time travel he said "... for the past month I've been tortured by the idea that what happened to Felicity might have happened because I wouldn't listen to him".

[BunsenBurner]

Arrow Season 4: 16 WTF Moments From ‘AWOL’

Andrew Pollard   30 Jan 2016

http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-16-wtf-moments-from-awol.php

 

"Sure, Felicity is the brains and tech whizz behind the operation, but come on, man, give the girl some leeway. She’s just been left crippled, contemplating the rest of her days stuck ON TWO WHEELS, and is maybe deserving of just a little TLC."

 

 

Is Felicity going around on a Segway because that's the only thing I can come up with.

 

Sorry it just struck me as funny.

Edited January 30, 2016 by BunsenBurner

[tv echo]

Blastr reviewer thought 411 was one of the best episodes of the year...

 

Diggle takes charge, goth Felicity returns, and a shocking death on the latest Arrow
Trent Moore  Thu, Jan 28, 2016 10:05am
http://www.blastr.com/2016-1-28/diggle-takes-charge-goth-felicity-returns-and-shocking-death-latest-arrow

With all the Legends of Tomorrow setup shenanigans a thing of the distant past, Arrow is back to doing what it does best — and this season is firing on all cylinders (and possibly a few more, never-before-seen cylinders).
 

The latest episode barely featured Oliver, and was arguably one of the best episodes of the year, which is a testament to just how strong an ensemble they’ve built in this little corner of the DC universe. This episode was all about Diggle and Felicity, and they took full advantage of the spotlight to tell some meaty, narrative-pushing stories.
*  *  *
...   Sure, seeing Felicity struggle to come to grips with her injury is only natural, but this character is strong. More than struggling with her condition, the story they’re focusing on is how she overcomes it. That’s the way to go.
 

Plus, as always, the relationship between Oliver and Felicity continues to be the heart of this story. Their story has grown into one of a true, believable relationship, and it’s a fantastic component that brings some heart to the narrative. Their speechifying (where they literally poke fun at all the speeches) is adorable, and it really is amazing to see how these two characters have grown, both separate and together, over the years.

Edited January 30, 2016 by tv echo

[Ann Mack]

Better article IMO by Untitled TV. Imagine that it took a "guest writer"!

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF JOHN DIGGLE AND FELICITY SMOAK
by GUEST WRITER
JANUARY 30, 2016

 

http://untitledtv.com/the-importance-of-john-diggle-and-felicity-smoak/13986

[Starfish35]

(Laurel fending off Sara's ghost while fighting Count Vertigo, aka the only good Laurel episode ever), sometimes not so much (Oliver seeing visions of Shado and Slade after Solomon Grundy beat the tar out of him in Season 2).

Huh. Well we all have different opinions I guess. I thought Three Ghosts was one of their best episodes. Canaries, not so much.

[Morrigan2575]

Three Ghosts was an amazing episode. Canaries was utter crap, IMO.

[statsgirl]

THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF JOHN DIGGLE

by JAY RUYMANN

JANUARY 28, 2016

 

http://untitledtv.com/arrow-john-diggle-character/13923

As bad as the initial article is, the comments in reply are pretty good.

Edited January 30, 2016 by statsgirl

[tv echo]

Talk Nerdy With Us' interview with PY (only Arrow portions quoted) - I don't think he is giving away any spoilers regarding Alex helping Oliver "win" his mayoral campaign, I think it's just a turn of phrase (that's Alex's job, to help Oliver win)...

 

Exclusive Interview With The 4th Man Out’s Parker Young
January 29, 2016, 3:12 pm
http://talknerdywithus.com/2016/01/29/exclusive-interview-with-4th-man-outs-parker-young/

Switching gears a little bit, tell me about your audition process for Arrow?
I went and met with a group of them. There was casting and producers and they gave me some material that I later found out wasn’t even a part of what I was going to be shooting. It was something from a previous season, but I went in. I was the last guy they saw, and read the scene with everybody, and I guess they thought that I was okay to do the job, so they gave it to me. (laughs). It was pretty straightforward. Since then I’ve been traveling back and forth to Vancouver every couple of weeks to work on that project, and it’s been a lot of fun.
 

Had you watched the show prior to auditioning?
I had not. I brushed up on it before I met with them, so I knew what I was getting myself into, but, no, I hadn’t been a fan.
 

What can you  tease about Alex’s storyline for the second half of the season?
That’s a good question. I feel like as soon as I start teasing anything, someone’s going to pop out with a poison dart to my house. (laughs). I’m there to help Oliver with the campaign. He’s running for mayor. So, I’m going to help him win this campaign. My character (Alex Davis) and Thea start to develop some feelings for each other. I think that Alex’s hope is that that will progress, but I think Thea is a little bit timid because she has some demons that she fears will interfere with us having a normal, successful relationship.

Edited January 30, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

From a Middle Eastern news site...

 

‘Arrow’ Season 4 Episode 11 Sees Felicity Smoak Evolving into Superhero Overwatch
Kazem Sedighzadeh   January 30, 2016
http://masterherald.com/arrow-season-4-episode-11-sees-felicity-smoak-evolving-into-superhero-overwatch/34961/

Episode 11 of Season 4 of the American superhero drama TV series “Arrow” was aired on The CW on January 27 and it featured Felicity Smoak, played by Emily Bett Rickards, evolving to become the superhero that she was destined to be in Team Arrow.
*  *  *
Felicity battled through her self-pity and paralysis to once again become the badass computer hacker and genius that fans of “Arrow” have come to love. Emily Bett Rickards succeeded in showing her old hacker Felicity and blending the new superhero Felicity... Oliver eventually bequeaths the superhero nickname Overwatch on Felicity and told her that he was going to call her Oracle but the name has already been taken, details Forbes.
*  *  *
But the real strength of the episode was Felicity and she stood out as the MVP during the episode for Team Arrow....

[BunsenBurner]

 

Apparently the leather dyes his arm when he sweats!

[kismet]

 

Apparently the leather dyes his arm when he sweats!

 

Please let this lead to a costume revision next season!!!

[Morrigan2575]

Apparently the leather dyes his arm when he sweats!

How can you tell? Or is this something SA said?

[BunsenBurner]

^^ Look at the arm on the right that is definitely green sweat on the arm the fact that there is a small patch of white in the middle of his inside of his elbow confirms it.  I used to wear a lot of leather when I was younger and it would do the same thing.

[apinknightmare]

I think that might just be weird lighting, because his arms are clean in the other shots from what seems like the same scene. 

[BunsenBurner]

 

If you look at this picture the same thing is happening. 

[AyChihuahua]

The suit looks so incredibly goofy in close-ups. It doesn't even make his arms look good. 

[EmilyBettFan]

Their hoods look hilarious. Roy's covers his entire head and then some. Oliver's lol is all I have to say.

[Delphi]

I'm not even bothered by the head being covered though it helps that Thea and Roy's are covered up. I'm upset that even Laurel's bondage suit is more practical and offers more protection than Oliver's.

[bijoux]

Their hoods look hilarious. Roy's covers his entire head and then some. Oliver's lol is all I have to say.

Roy's hood looks fine to me. I hope they have his suit on one of those fancy mannequins.

[apinknightmare]

Roy's hood looks fine to me. I hope they have his suit on one of those fancy mannequins.

Wouldn't the fancy mannequin be Thea? Or maybe they'll pretend like he had two suits, haha.

[bijoux]

Thea's suit this season certainly looks like a modification of Roy's. I don't remember the lacing in the front or the seethrough shirt under it. I could be completely wrong though.

[apinknightmare]

Thea's suit this season certainly looks like a modification of Roy's. I don't remember the lacing in the front or the seethrough shirt under it. I could be completely wrong though.

He gave her his suit last season, and since they are both pretty much identical, I figured she altered it to fit her.

[bijoux]

I know he gave her the suit, I just assumed she had a new one made over the summer.

[tv echo]

Arrow “A.W.O.L” Review (Season 4, Episode 11)

Jessica Breaux January 30, 2016
http://www.tvequals.com/2016/01/30/arrow-a-w-o-l-review-season-4-episode-11/

...  I actually appreciate the show taking a little time to explore how Felicity is coping with being confined to a wheelchair because her quick acceptance of her situation in last week’s episode didn’t really ring true. This was much more honest and did much more service to her character. One of the many things that I love about Felicity is how capable and adaptable she is. Even when she’s the damsel in distress, she’s never completely in distress. She’s always somehow aided in her own rescue, and she’s always had Oliver’s back. Since her injury, Felicity has felt like less of an asset to Oliver, and she’s begun to fear that everything she’s built with Oliver is all a lie. The pain meds she was taking helpfully provided a hallucination of Angry Goth Girl Felicity to berate and belittle current Felicity for becoming weak and dependent on someone else. There are many problems with that argument, but the most obvious is the fact that it’s not weakness to realize that you need other people. No one gets through this life on their own. From time to time, we all need a little help from our friends. Also, just because our circumstances change doesn’t mean we have to let that stop us from being the person we’ve chosen to become. That was the conclusion Felicity ultimately reached after having a little talk with herself....
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All in all, this was a much more compelling episode than the last few have been because it spend some time focusing on the emotional growth of the characters. So much of this season has been spent being a springboard for other CW shows that it seems Arrow has kind of lost its character focus. So I was really pleased that this episode was more character driven. That being said, I was kind of disappointed with the way Amanda Waller went out. It’s not that I was her biggest fan or anything, but Waller and ARGUS were such a big part of the story for her death to be so anticlimactic. Killing her and having ARGUS compromised effectively removes that element of the story from the board, but it just doesn’t feel like that move was necessarily organic to the story...

Edited January 31, 2016 by tv echo

[tv echo]

John Ostrander talks about his personal connection to Felicity being named notOracle and to Amanda Waller -- only the Arrow portions are quoted (he also talks about LoT and Supergirl)...

 

John Ostrander: TV Superheroes Come and Go
John Ostrander January 31, 2016
http://www.comicmix.com/2016/01/31/john-ostrander-tv-superheroes-come-and-go/

Arrow had a few events, some minor, one major. The character Felicity who is their computer geek expert recently got shot and it appears she has nerve damage to the spine and now has resumed her place with the team in a wheelchair. Sound like anyone we know? Yup – Oracle, whom my late wife and writing partner Kim Yale and I created from the remains of Barbara Gordon. Oh, they’re not calling her that but that’s who she is, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.
 

They also had Felicity dealing with a hallucination of her younger self, perhaps brought on by pain medication or even an aftereffect of anesthesia. What’s interesting is that younger Felciity is the spitting image of Death from the Sandman series – pale skin, raven dark hair, dressed in black, with an ankh necklace. However, they don‘t reference Death at all. They just grab her look. Guess Felicity was really into the Goth scene back then.
 

The major event was – they killed off their version of Amanda Waller. Bad guy just suddenly shot her in the head without warning. That was startling, I will admit, as it was no doubt intended to be. Since I get a little bit of money every time Amanda shows up on Arrow (or anywhere), her death was not a terribly pleasant surprise.
 

OTOH, this was a young, pretty, skinny Waller which is not how I saw the character. When I created the Wall, I saw her as a certain age and a certain heft for a variety of reasons. The bulk made her more physically intimidating. Also, I wanted a character who was unlike other comic book characters. Being black, middle aged, and plus-sized did that. I understood that this was the CW and that’s what the CW does – young and gorgeous is the rule of the day, every day. I did nott and do not object to their interpretation. And we have Viola Davis playing Amanda in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie and I’m looking forward to that. (The second trailer came out for the Squad movie as well recently and it’s looking real hot, IMO.)

Edited January 31, 2016 by tv echo

[Guest]

The character Felicity who is their computer geek expert recently got shot and it appears she has nerve damage to the spine and now has resumed her place with the team in a wheelchair. Sound like anyone we know? Yup – Oracle, whom my late wife and writing partner Kim Yale and I created from the remains of Barbara Gordon. Oh, they’re not calling her that but that’s who she is, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.

 

 

Exactly the reason why I didn't want Felicity in a wheelchair. Well, one of the reasons. The paralysis just made all the comparisons even worse. Sigh.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Guest

[BkWurm1]

Exactly the reason why I didn't want Felicity in a wheelchair. Well, one of the reasons. The paralysis just made all the comparisons even worse. Sigh.

I figure if the co-creator doesn't mind the comparisons, I don't either. 

[tv echo]

Laura Hurley will be co-hosting a panel (on shipping & superheroes) at Wizard World Cleveland in February...

 

Hitting the con circuit
January 31, 2016 Laura Hurley
http://lauraahurley.wix.com/writing#!Hitting-the-con-circuit/cour/56ae609d0cf2062bd4106522

... I'll be joined by my friend and social media maestra Cor Huntley in presenting a panel that is preliminarily called "Shot Through The Heart: Shipping And Superheroes In A Social Media Age."

Our big question is: to ship or not to ship? That is the conundrum facing many superhero fans when it comes to social media. We'll be tackling everything from the online vocabulary of shipping to why wanting a little love along with the superhero action isn't a bad thing to fielding questions from social media.
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This panel came about mostly out of chance. I was lucky enough to attend Wizard World Louisville in November 2015 as a member of the press, so I had a pretty good idea about how Wizard World conventions work. Cor and I discovered that hosting a panel in Cleveland was a possibility, so we went for it and are fortunately going to get our chance. Shippers and shipping have gotten a bad rap in certain corners of social media, and we've grown tired of seeing ship-shaming and stereotypes. Assuming we don't get snowed out thanks to a Cleveland February, we're looking forward to sharing our views on the subject and hearing from others.

Edited February 1, 2016 by tv echo