The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

[tv echo]

Some Arrow episode reviews at BuddyTV have been posted in this thread in the past, but no more (fyi)...

Edited July 6, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Arrow Season 6: 9 Episodes You Should Re-watch Now
July 1, 2018   Brianna Martinez
https://www.telltaletv.com/2018/07/arrow-season-6-9-episodes-you-should-re-watch-now/

Quote

1. “Reversal” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 4)
...
This particular episode is one of the strongest in Arrow Season 6A. The hour (re)introduces Cayden James just as Alena returns to ask Felicity for help tracking the man down and stopping him before things get too far in terms of his plans.
...
“Reversal” also offers a look at a role reversal between Oliver and Felicity. After he decides to give up being the Green Arrow now that the FBI is onto him and William doesn’t want his father out there risking his life, Oliver finds out what it’s like staying behind, and he seems okay with it.
...
Their (last) first date and ensuing conversations throughout “Reversal” shows exactly how far they’ve come independently as well as a couple since their break up. Oliver’s sense of pride for what Felicity accomplishes and offering her that support personally and out in the field is lovely.
*  *  *
4. “We Fall” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 11)
...
Oliver and Felicity confiding in each other when it comes to obstacles in their parenting, especially on a subject like lying and being a vigilante are lovely to see, from their quiet moment together to the family meeting he calls to check how William processes it all.
...
The highlight comes in the form of Felicity’s monologue about loving someone who is a vigilante like Oliver.
*  *  *
6. “Fundamentals” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 18)
...
After a bit of a less than stellar episode, Arrow Season 6 Episode 18, “Fundamentals” brings in the focus on character and dissects Oliver’s fears and insecurities in an engaging and heartbreaking way.

From Felicity, asking for separation, to Adrian Chase making his return and serving as the demon in Oliver’s head, verbalizing all of the doubt he has about his choices.

It hurts seeing Oliver ask Quentin what he did wrong to have everyone leave him.
...
Felicity getting through to him in the midst of his vertigo dosing is an amazingly heartwarming moment, especially after seeing his earlier conversation with Lance.

The episode is one of the bright spots of 6b and always worth a re-watch.
*  *  *
8. “The Ties That Bind” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 22)
...
The mission serves to highlight a few things including how well the Diggle-Michaels work in the field as a team, and it’s something that Felicity notices.
...
But while Diggle and Lyla are working well, Oliver and Felicity struggle with the idea of both of them being out in the field while also being parents (a concept that’s new to them).

As a result, there are some great moments between the couples together as well as apart as Oliver and Felicity confide in Digg and Lyla about how they make it work.
*  *  *
9. “Life Sentence” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 23)
...
A bittersweet step towards a victory after seeing what Oliver has to give up in order to get this win and Oliver and Lance’s final scene provides for the “gut punch” portion of my previous statement.

Oliver’s farewell tour doesn’t go unnoticed by Felicity, and it becomes abundantly clear what he did for those he loves and his teammates…confessing and a prison stint.
...
Paul Blackthorne, Stephen Amell, and Emily Bett Rickards completely own the final hour of the season and really play out that heartbreak well.

1. “Reversal” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 4)
2. “Thanksgiving” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 7)
3. “Irreconcilable Differences” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 9)
4. “We Fall” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 11)
5. “The Thanatos Guild” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 16)
6. “Fundamentals” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 18)
7. “Docket No. 11-19-41-73” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 21)
8. “The Ties That Bind” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 22)
9. “Life Sentence” (Arrow Season 6 Episode 23)

Edited July 6, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

I answered all 30 questions correctly!...

How Well Do You Know 'Arrow'?
cjhawkings  June 6, 2018
https://www.buzzfeed.com/cjhawkings/how-well-do-you-know-arrow-3h7x0 

ETA: Maybe I should've posted this quiz in the "You know you're watching too much Arrow when..." thread. ;)

Edited July 6, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

DC TV Watch: 9 Burning Questions for 'Arrow' Season 7
JULY 07, 2018 8:15am PT by Sydney Bucksbaum
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/arrow-season-seven-burning-questions-dc-tv-watch-1125376

Will the series take on a new tone or feel this season? 
How much longer will Arrow run? 
Oliver's officially come out as the Green Arrow. What's next? 
How will Oliver's decision to confess change the lives of his family? 
What long-term effects will Lance's death have on everyone?
Will Diaz return to fight another day?
With Colton Haynes' returning as a series regular, what does that mean for Roy and Thea?
Who will take up the Green Arrow mantle?
Will Sara return for more weird "sister" scenes with Laurel?

Edited July 7, 2018 by tv echo

[BunsenBurner]

3 hours ago, tv echo said:

DC TV Watch: 9 Burning Questions for 'Arrow' Season 7
JULY 07, 2018 8:15am PT by Sydney Bucksbaum
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/arrow-season-seven-burning-questions-dc-tv-watch-1125376

Will the series take on a new tone or feel this season? 
How much longer will Arrow run? 
Oliver's officially come out as the Green Arrow. What's next? 
How will Oliver's decision to confess change the lives of his family? 
What long-term effects will Lance's death have on everyone?
Will Diaz return to fight another day?
With Colton Haynes' returning as a series regular, what does that mean for Roy and Thea?
Who will take up the Green Arrow mantle?
Will Sara return for more weird "sister" scenes with Laurel?

I guess we will have to wait until SA makes his big announcement on Monday.

 

Of course, his announcement could also be about Nocking Point. 

[statsgirl]

I was trying to figure out why I cared about none of those questions whereas in previous seasons I would have been all over them.  I think the answer is that the show has screwed up so much in the past five seasons, I don't have any enthusiasm to speculate from previous canon any more.Also

5 hours ago, tv echo said:

Oliver's officially come out as the Green Arrow. What's next? 

How will Oliver's decision to confess change the lives of his family? 
What long-term effects will Lance's death have on everyone?
Will Diaz return to fight another day?
Will Sara return for more weird "sister" scenes with Laurel?

Didn't want these to happen in the first place.  Of course Diaz will return.  I wish Oliver could walk back his coming out but it's not going to happen.

[KenyaJ]

2 hours ago, BunsenBurner said:

I guess we will have to wait until SA makes his big announcement on Monday.

Of course, his announcement could also be about Nocking Point. 

According to this promo from Warner Channel, the announcement is about the show. ("Hará un importante anuncio sobre la series el dia Lunes 9 de Julio." There will be an important announcement about the series on Monday, July 9.)

[scarynikki12]

The last announcement was awesome so I think this one will suck.  We can't be lucky twice.

[Featherhat]

Yeah I always feel nervous about these big announcements, so I'm dreading this one.

[apinknightmare]

The way Stephen worded the tweet made it seem like something personal, not show related, and that video kinda makes it seem like they're going off of social media. If it is actual show news, as per usual there's been absolutely no build up to it from official channels whatsoever. 

[KenyaJ]

46 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

The way Stephen worded the tweet made it seem like something personal, not show related, and that video kinda makes it seem like they're going off of social media. If it is actual show news, as per usual there's been absolutely no build up to it from official channels whatsoever. 

Yeah, I was hesitant to post that video when I first saw it yesterday, because his tweet didn't suggest the announcement was about the show, and it's difficult for me to imagine what kind of show-related announcement would make him thank the people in his life. I wondered if WB Channel was just supposing that the announcement is about the show? But it's an official WB account, and it seems like WB should be in a position to know if there's a show-related announcement coming on Monday.  If so, it's odd that only this account would be promoting the announcement. So in final analysis, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[BkWurm1]

My first thought is he's announcing this as his final season.  Or Arrow's final season.  I can't decide what I think.

[thegirlsleuth]

I was thinking final season as well, but they might save that for Comicon. The other options I can think of are wrestling related, wine related, or possibly con related since HVFF seems to have scrubbed him from their website and social media headers. 

I am so bored with anything wine related, honestly.  I'd take wrestling news over wine news.

[BkWurm1]

8 minutes ago, thegirlsleuth said:

I was thinking final season as well, but they might save that for Comicon. The other options I can think of are wrestling related, wine related, or possibly con related since HVFF seems to have scrubbed him from their website and social media headers. 

I am so bored with anything wine related, honestly.  I'd take wrestling news over wine news.

 

That could be very telling. 

Maybe he's branched off on his own totally?

Didn't he once talk about wanting to do a fan cruise or something like that?

It's probably wine related.  Lol

Edited July 8, 2018 by BkWurm1

[Chaser]

If he’s announcing the final season or his final season, it’s a weirdly worded tweet. 

My first thought when I read it was that he was announcing the release date of Code 8.

[BkWurm1]

1 minute ago, Chaser said:

If he’s announcing the final season or his final season, it’s a weirdly worded tweet. 

My first thought when I read it was that he was announcing the release date of Code 8.

Lol.  I already forgot about Code 8. 

Maybe he got some special screening of it to happen at ComicCon?  Would be a huge boost if they were looking for distribution. Though would be really risky if it sucked, lol.  Also, wouldn't Robbie be in on the announcement?  Yeah, I talked myself out of it being what I just said.  

[apinknightmare]

1 minute ago, Chaser said:

If he’s announcing the final season or his final season, it’s a weirdly worded tweet. 

Yeah, the way he worded it made it sound like people in his life had either worked to make this happen for him, were sacrificing to make this happen for him, or a mixture of both. So it seemed like something personal (whether it's him branching off for another business venture, picking up a project over winter hiatus that the EPs were arranging his shooting schedule around or something like that, or some other kind of personal project). It didn't strike me as being show related at all, and if it was I would've thought the official accounts would've been hyping it up, but Chico is awful at her job, so. 

[Guest]

I thought it was about his wine company tbh.

[BkWurm1]

If it is show related, maybe they could be announcing something like a Producer's credit?  

[Proteus]

1 hour ago, BkWurm1 said:

My first thought is he's announcing this as his final season.  Or Arrow's final season.  I can't decide what I think.

To me it doesn't sound like it has anything to do with Arrow. And they would not announce a final season before seven has even begun airing.

[apinknightmare]

1 minute ago, Proteus said:

And they would not announce a final season before seven has even begun airing.

Sure they would - the CW did that for a couple of shows this year (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and iZombie IIRC). 

[Proteus]

2 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

Sure they would - the CW did that for a couple of shows this year (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and iZombie IIRC). 

IMO, if seven was the last it would have been said months ago. Not now.

[apinknightmare]

1 minute ago, Proteus said:

IMO, if seven was the last it would have been said months ago. Not now.

I think so too - just saying that if they wanted to they would absolutely announce a final season before the episodes start airing. 

[Chaser]

I think it could be another role. 

He canceled two HVFF due to his film schedule. That seems odd to me cause it’s never been a problem before and it’s so far in advance. If they were working with him to give him time to do another project, that makes sense. It would also explain them doing something different with the storytelling.

[way2interested]

It might not even be filming per se but a Code 8 promotion schedule that made him cancel those cons, which would go with the announcement being for Code 8

[tv echo]

15 TV Finales From 2018: Worth Coming Back for More?
Yael Tygiel  July 9, 2018
http://fandom.wikia.com/articles/15-tv-finales-from-2018-worth-coming-back-for-more

Quote

4. ARROW SEASON 6
...
After Arrow ‘s lackluster sixth season, we were eager for the finale to tie it all together and wrap up the convoluted Diaz storyline. Yet, when it came to the last episode of the season some viewers felt let down. We lost fan-favorite Arrowverse dad Quentin Lance, Diaz escaped, and our hero made a deal with the FBI that landed him in jail. Confused by Oliver’s behavior, many of us ended the season shouting one question at the TV: “WHAT?”

Should You Keep Watching?
Only if you want to see Oliver face off against all the men he put in prison as the Green Arrow.

Edited July 10, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Go to article link to see RG's photo shoot pics...

IZON MAGAZINE WEEKLY STYLE FORECAST FEATURING RICK GONZALEZ
July 9, 2018
http://www.izonmagazine.com/izon/izon-magazine-weekly-style-forecast-featuring-rick-gonzalez/ 

Edited July 10, 2018 by tv echo

[KenyaJ]

[tv echo]

I'm (pleasantly) surprised that Arrow made someone's Top 5 list of "must-see" panels at SDCC, given the show's age and the huge number of SDCC panels...

Comic-Con TV Guide: Five Picks to Look for in a Wealth of Programming
MICHELE RAPHAEL | JULY 11, 2018 | 6:33AM
https://www.laweekly.com/arts/comic-con-tv-guide-five-picks-to-look-for-in-a-wealth-of-programming-9638545

Quote

This year's San Diego Comic-Con has more than 170 TV-related offerings in its July 19-22 lineup, an abundance of choices that may make fans' heads spin. Most interactive options, including meet-and-greets, panels and screenings, are from TV spinoffs of comic books series, from Arrow to The Walking Dead. We've chosen our five must-see TV events at Comic-Con, but you can make your own guide by searching programs: television.
*  *  *
Arrow Q&A with cast and producers
...
Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow (played by Stephen Amell) was finally forced to reveal his superhero identity in Arrow's season 6 finale. Now, he'll be living alongside the criminals he put behind bars as he settles into life at Slabside Maximum Security Prison. At the Arrow panel, Comic-Con fans will be the first to learn from the cast and producers what this means for Oliver and the rest of his team. Arrow returns to the CW this fall on Mondays at 9 p.m. Sat., July 21, 4:15-5 p.m., Ballroom 20.

Arrow Q&A with cast and producers
Screening/panel discussion of Doug Liman's Impulse
TMNT Reboot's Virtual-Reality Experience, Panel and Screening
Marvel Madness: Panels, Signings and First-Look Screenings
The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead ... Live at Comic-Con

Edited July 12, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another one of those articles where I felt like this writer watched a different Arrow show than the one that I've been watching for the past six seasons (I knew there was a reason I removed WhatCulture from my media list)...

6 Ups & 3 Downs From The Arrowverse In 2018 (So Far)
Michael Patterson   July 12, 2018
http://whatculture.com/tv/6-ups-3-downs-from-the-arrowverse-in-2018-so-far

Quote

Ups...
6. A Stronger Portrayal Of Female Characters
...
Over the years, the Arrowverse has been criticised for the way it portrays the majority of its female characters. This all started on Arrow when Laurel Lance suffered a lot of injustice at the hands of the writers. But it wasn't exclusive to the leading lady as supporting characters like Felicity lost their way and eventually became intolerable. ...

However, this season has seen a significant improvement across both shows in regards to their female characters. ... In addition, Arrow was populated with multiple strong female characters and the rivalry between Black Siren and Dinah Drake gave both women some well-deserved spotlight. Though Felicity played a more reduced role this season, she functioned like the supporting character that she was originally intended to be - a role she thrived in far more than she ever did when she was the show's primary focus.
*  *  *
2. Compelling Redemption Arcs
...
One of the main reasons why the redemption arcs were a standout aspect this year is down to the fact that they weren't just about the villains changing their ways, they were also the writers' attempts to redeem themselves for previous mistakes that their respective shows had made. Just as Black Siren's redemption was Arrow's atonement for unjustifiably killing off the original Laurel, Mon-El's character development highlighted just how much the writers of Supergirl had learned from some of their mistakes in Season 2. And as part of the process is all about learning what went right and what went wrong, this redemption from the writers suggests a promising future for the Arrowverse.
*  *  *
Downs...
*  *  *
2. Contrived Storylines
... 
The civil war between the original and new members of Team Arrow was undoubtedly a low point for The CW's veteran show. Instead of having the characters resolve it swiftly and focus on saving the city, the writers decided to push the team members further apart by having Dinah, Rene and Curtis behave completely out-of-character. The storyline was not well-received by fans, with the majority of them turning on the new arrivals because of their bizarre behaviour (which was unfortunate because they were initially right to be angry at Oliver, Diggle and Felicity for their mistrust).

Edited July 13, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

Another one of those articles where I felt like this writer watched a different Arrow show than the one that I've been watching for the past six seasons (I knew there was a reason I removed WhatCulture from my media list)

Ugh.  Boy, can you tell their biases by those write ups.  

[way2interested]

The funny thing is that I would agree with some points, just not the examples used. Like, even if it wasn't great all of the time, there was some extra effort for the female characters on Flash (Caitlin had a confusing Killer Frost arc, Cecile was around a lot more than I thought, Iris was involved more, I thought Marlize was great) and Zari, though underused, was great. I wouldn't put Dinah and BS as the shining examples (and then weirdly feel the need to downgrade Felicity into a supporting character). I do think the set ups for next season for all of the shows are far more interesting than the set ups last year. I do think the standalone episodes for all of the shows this year were great (except why they picked 619- an episode where the main character has only one scene- is beyond me. I would have picked 618, and even if you wanted to be really picky they could have at least gone with 605-606). Some characters are pushed to the side in all of the shows, and some of the plots were contrived. 

But gosh some of the arguments for those points were irritating, even for the ones I agreed with. Plus yet again parroting the flawed argument of "if a show has fewer episodes it automatically gets better because Netflix," which I wish would just die already. 

[KenyaJ]

From the article:

Quote

 

6. Arrow– Felicity Smoak-Queen/Portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards

Who says a girl can’t have it all? Felicity sure does. Getting to use her smarts and go home to the family she loves everyday is a dream come true for Mrs. Smoak-Queen, and we get to enjoy her larger-than-life personality when she does it. As a member of Team Arrow (old or new-we shall see) Felicity’s  interactions with other characters never goes unnoticed. If she isn’t problem-solving, she’s putting her foot in her mouth, and that makes this character one we could never overlook.

 

[Guest]

Quote

 In addition, Arrow was populated with multiple strong female characters and the rivalry between Black Siren and Dinah Drake gave both women some well-deserved spotlight. Though Felicity played a more reduced role this season, she functioned like the supporting character that she was originally intended to be - a role she thrived in far more than she ever did when she was the show's primary focus.

Oh, what a surprise. Another man with his outdated bullshit notion that a strong female character is one that fights. Dinah and BS do stunts and squawk at everything because they're oh so strong whereas Felicity is the weak one who sits behind the desk in her supporting role, as she should!

GROSS. 

[KenyaJ]

When was Felicity ever the show's primary focus? I'll wait.

[JamieLynn832002]

9 hours ago, KenyaJ said:

When was Felicity ever the show's primary focus? I'll wait.

Judging from the rest of that write-up I think the answer is 'when she had the nerve to become the main love interest instead of Laurel.' 

[tv echo]

[Trisha]

Every Arrowverse Big Bad, Ranked! Who Is the Very Best of the Worst?
By Matt Webb Mitovich
https://tvline.com/gallery/arrow-villains-best-worst-flash-supergirl-legends/

Gotta love that Diaz came in second to last (Slade is No. 1)

Quote

15. RICARDO DIAZ
(Arrow Season 6)

Compelling Backstory: 5
Fearsome Appearance: 5
Powers/Skills: 3
Utter Ruthlessness: 7
Eeeevilness of Agenda: 6
Despicable Damage Done: 7
 
Little more than a street tough with a childhood sob story, Diaz rose up the criminal ranks and allied with hacker Cayden James, Earth-Two meta Laurel Lance and others to take control of Star City, destroying Oliver’s life in the process.

[KenyaJ]

Vandal Savage was a ridiculous villain, but I'd still place him above Diaz, who wouldn't even rank high as a VOTW, if we're being honest. I definitely can't quibble with Slade at number 1. I love that Prometheus was so high because Josh Segarra was so great. I'm still hoping that Chase has a twin, doppleganger, clone that we haven't met yet.

[tv echo]

One guy's opinion...

All 6 seasons of Arrow, ranked from worst to best
BY DAVID OPIE  17 JULY 2018
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/arrow/feature/a861565/arrow-seasons-ranked/

Quote

6. Season 4
...
Pros: When asked to rank each season of his own show, star Stephen Amell jokingly left season 4 out entirely, but that doesn't mean the weakest chapter of Arrow doesn't have its own merits. After all, this was the year that Oliver Queen took the name of Green Arrow for the first time and Damien Darhk was one of the most charismatic villains ever introduced to the Arrow-verse at large.

Cons: Although it was initially fun to see Arrow mix things up by introducing magic to Star City, it soon became clear that mysticism felt out of place on the show and the Olicity drama that surrounded it only bogged things down further. Oh, and the less said about Laurel Lance's demise, the better.
*  *  *
4. Season 1
...
Pros: It's hard to underestimate the impact that the first season of Arrow had on TV at large. While the Marvel Netflix shows took gritty, street-level heroics to the next level, the flagship Arrow-verse show was the first to pull superheroes on TV away from the cheese of previous hits like Smallville.

On top of that, few actors quickly nailed a superhero role as effortlessly as Stephen Amell did, and Felicity Smoak immediately became a fan favourite too thanks to a pitch-perfect performance from Emily Bett Rickards.

Cons: Although they would become pointless in later seasons, the island flashbacks in Season 1 were actually a welcome diversion from present-day plot lines that would often deviate into soap-opera dramatics. Certain elements of early Arrow also borrowed more heavily from the story of a certain caped crusader, but this was understandable given that the show was still finding its feet.

6. Season 4
5. Season 6
4. Season 1
3. Season 5
2. Season 3
1. Season 2

Edited July 17, 2018 by tv echo

[way2interested]

It's kind of weird to read rankings when I wouldn't say any season went by in a way that was "best," including s2 which had a very muddling middle part (210-217, even though I liked parts of 214 and 216) that didn't really pick up until 219/221. It's more like which section of episodes/plot progressions you enjoyed more. Like, I've seen more general consensus of 1b, 2a (and the tail end of 2b), 4a, 5b (or at least more episodes of 5b than 2b), and 6a, which I think breaks down their "bests" a bit better than grouping all of the seasons together and pretending some bad things didn't matter because something that you arguably liked more happened in it (or vice versa with what you did like). I will admit though, even though s3 was kind of angst-fest, it kind of stuck to its themes moreso than the seasons afterward did, which is why I would put it ahead of s6 and s4 and parts of s5 (plus a happy ending goes a long way). Oddly enough, I think I would, if I had to, list the seasons in a similar way (but 6-4-1-5-3-2 I think), but not for the simplified reasons they give. If I could, I'd rank season halves like 3a-5a-6b (can't decide but around the same ranking), 1a-4b, 4a-6a-2a, 3b, 1b-2b, 5b.  

[KenyaJ]

19 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Although it was initially fun to see Arrow mix things up by introducing magic to Star City, it soon became clear that mysticism felt out of place on the show and the Olicity drama that surrounded it only bogged things down further.

I disagree with his rankings and his reasons, but I always know people are full of shit when they say stuff like this. Oliver and Felicity had relationship drama for a grand total of 3 out of 23 episodes (415, 416, and 417). They were happy and stable from 401 to 414, acting like a married couple in 420, and not even a factor in 418-19 and 421-23. It's amazing the way that people who claim not to like Olicity build it up into this show-dominating behemoth in their minds.

[Trisha]

I liked the TeeVee guys' season rankings at the end of their finale recap podcast though I'd swap 6 for 3. (Biff/Conklin = good, John Jr = neutral, Alex = bad)
Guy: 2, 1, 5, 6, 4, 3
Dan: 2, 1, 5, 4, 6, 3

Also, it's weird they didn't wait a couple of days to announce the Batwoman series at SDCC: 
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/batwoman-series-cw-1202874978/

Edited July 17, 2018 by Trisha

[tv echo]

I got my very own copy of TV Guide's 2018 SDCC special issue. The spoilery pages of the Arrow section have already been posted in the Spoilers and Spoiler Discussion threads by others. Here are two additional (nonspoilery) Arrow-related pages from this issue...

Quote

8. Arrow bombshell Emily Bett Rickards (left) was brave to let the shrieking Black Siren (Katie Cassidy) that close to her ear!

Edited July 19, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Apparently this writer (known for being anti-Olicity*) either doesn't read the Green Arrow comics or he has a bad memory...

'Arrow' Star's Kick to the Nuts Is Just a Small Tradition in Comic Books
By Eric Francisco  July 18, 2018
https://www.inverse.com/article/47163-arrow-season-7-spoilers-stephen-amell-kicked-in-the-nuts

Quote

On Tuesday, days before the cast and crew of Arrow (and The Flash, and Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning, and…) descend upon the annual nerd mecca San Diego Comic-Con, Arrow star Stephen Amell tweeted that he finally got kicked in the nuts during shooting of Season 7, slated to premiere later this year in October.

“140 episodes, countless stunt sequences… and I managed to avoid getting kicked in the nuts…,” Amell tweeted, “UNTIL TODAY!!!”

Ouch, my guy.

While it was totally an accident and wasn’t intentional (presumably), there’s a small history of ball-busting in comic books. While Oliver Queen has never been seen getting a low blow, at least that we know of, other heroes and villains in both the Marvel and DC universes haven’t been as lucky.

From Green Arrow #36 (Jan. 3, 2018)...

(pic source)

(* He has written articles like "Killing the 'Olicity' Ship Saved 'Arrow' Season 5" and "Arrow' Episode 100 Put The Final Nail In the Shipping Coffin".)

Edited July 18, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

10 Couples That Hurt Arrow (And 10 That Saved It)
BY MEREDITH JACOBS – ON JUL 17, 2018 
https://screenrant.com/arrow-couples-hurt-saved/

Quote

If fans are going to care about characters, they need to see these characters' relationships, specifically romantic ones.
*   *  *
Then there's chemistry. If there isn't any between two actors, there's nothing that can be done. Fortunately, in one case, not only was the chemistry there, but the writing was as well. The fact that Arrow went with what worked on screen and not in the comics made the series better.

*  *  *
20 HURT: OLIVER AND LAUREL
...
Oliver and Laurel are the Green Arrow and the Black Canary and are together in the comics. However, Arrow saddled them with a horrible history, and the actors had no chemistry.

Before the series began, Oliver took his girlfriend Laurel's sister on a boat trip. He returned, but Sara didn't.

When Laurel saw him again, she told him that it should have been him who didn't return.

She still had feelings for him, as Tommy, Oliver's best friend and her boyfriend, knew.

Love triangles tend to hurt a show, as this one did.

Tommy saw Oliver and Laurel together, through her window, from the street.

While Arrow never returned to that relationship, it was the wrong move to have Laurel tell Oliver he was the love of her life (and she knew she wasn't his) in her final moments.
*  *  *
13 SAVED: FELICITY AND BARRY
...
Felicity and Barry were never really more than a possibility on Arrow. Their one kiss happened on The Flash, though they knew that they were not meant to be.

They both had other people they cared about but couldn't be with at the time (Oliver for Felicity, Iris for Barry).

Still, bringing Barry onto the Arrow and setting him up as someone in Felicity's orbit was a smart move. It allowed the show to explore her relationship with someone outside of the team in season 2.

Oliver and Felicity were still almost a season away from their first date. However, bringing in Barry added a layer of tension to their relationship that was fun to watch play out on screen.
*  *  *
11 SAVED: OLIVER AND SARA
...
The way that Oliver and Sara started wasn't the best. He was her sister's boyfriend, but that didn't stop her from going on a boat trip with him. This hurt the planned main relationship before the series even began.

However, having Oliver and Sara give things a try when she returned to Starling City in season 2 wasn't a bad move.

Sure, they never would have lasted. They both had other people in their lives they cared about.

Putting them together did give Arrow the chance to explore a relationship featuring the Arrow and a Canary.

They both had been through hard times in their years away, and they worked well together in the field.

*  *  *
9 SAVED: LAUREL AND TOMMY
...
Because of the comics, it was supposed to be Oliver and Laurel together. However, in his five years away from Starling City, she got together with his best friend, Tommy.

Even with a love triangle, which is rarely good for a show, Laurel and Tommy were good together. It helped that the actors had chemistry.

If not for Oliver's presence and his and Laurel's history, Laurel and Tommy could have worked out. This would have been best for her character as well. He lost his life trying to save her during the Undertaking in season 1.

Since the series never bothered returning to Oliver and Laurel's relationship after season 1, she and Tommy deserved better.

If the series had focused on them instead of circling back to Oliver the way that it did, it would have been better for it.
*  *  *
1 SAVED: OLIVER AND FELICITY
...
From their first scene together, Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards' chemistry sparked. It took three seasons for them to get together, and they've had their ups and downs.

However, having them get together and get married was one of the best decisions for Arrow.

It has been a delight to watch them fall in love, especially since it was unexpected. They have shown how much they support and believe in each other over the years.

In season 6, they were one of the most stable parts of the show.

At a time when everyone— Curtis, Rene, Dinah and even Diggle— turned on Oliver, Felicity was on his side, even when he kicked her off the team.

20 HURT: OLIVER AND LAUREL
19 SAVED: DIGGLE AND LYLA
18 HURT: FELICITY AND BILLY
17 SAVED: THEA AND ROY
16 HURT: OLIVER AND ISABEL
15 SAVED: MOIRA AND WALTER
14 HURT: THEA AND ALEX
13 SAVED: FELICITY AND BARRY
12 HURT: DIGGLE AND CARLY
11 SAVED: OLIVER AND SARA
10 HURT: QUENTIN LANCE AND DONNA SMOAK
9 SAVED: LAUREL AND TOMMY
8 HURT: THEA AND CHASE
7 SAVED: OLIVER AND MCKENNA
6 HURT: DINAH AND VINCE
5 SAVED: MOIRA AND MALCOLM
4 HURT: OLIVER AND SUSAN
3 SAVED: SARA AND NYSSA
2 HURT: BLACK SIREN AND DIAZ
1 SAVED: OLIVER AND FELICITY

Edited July 18, 2018 by tv echo

[lemotomato]

5 hours ago, tv echo said:

Apparently this writer (known for being anti-Olicity*) either doesn't read the Green Arrow comics or he has a bad memory...

'Arrow' Star's Kick to the Nuts Is Just a Small Tradition in Comic Books
By Eric Francisco  

(* He has written articles like "Killing the 'Olicity' Ship Saved 'Arrow' Season 5" and "Arrow' Episode 100 Put The Final Nail In the Shipping Coffin".)

Based on the title of those articles, looks like his gimmick is always being wrong about everything. 

[tv echo]

David Onda is Senior TV & Entertainment Editor for XFINITY...

[tv echo]

11 Women of DCTV Who Deserve to Shine
Amelia Emberwing  July 18, 2018
http://fandom.wikia.com/articles/11-women-of-dctv-who-deserve-to-shine

Quote

FELICITY SMOAK
...
There is no Team Arrow without Felicity Smoak. Arguably, there’s not even a Green Arrow without her. While those are high and deserved accolades, we’ve rarely gotten to see Felicity lean into her smarts and do her thing outside of said team. Her role as head of Palmer Tech was woefully short-lived, and Oliver chilling out in prison gives the writers a rare opportunity to have Felicity be resourceful outside of the Arrow Cave.

She has a son to take care of, a budding start-up to help flourish, and no mayoral funds paying for their swanky condo. Smoak Technologies may yet come to be, and it will be nice to see the brains of the operation figure out how to be a mom of a child she didn’t have until a year ago while juggling all of her other duties.
*  *  *
DINAH DRAKE
...
Just like The Flash took their time developing Caitlin’s character, it took Arrow a few iterations before they hit their mark and found the perfect Black Canary. There have been three Canaries on Arrow: Sara Lance, Laurel Lance, and now Dinah Drake. Each Canary had her own merits, but Dinah really nails the classic comic book-feel of the character.

When Arrow returns this Fall, Oliver will be in prison and Dinah will be left without Captain Lance (or Mayor Lance). Here’s hoping Arrow gives Dinah the opportunity to shine both as a hero, a detective, and as a woman. And, with Felicity acting as the Oracle equivalent in this universe, we’d love to see that classic Oracle/Canary friendship brought to the forefront on Arrow.

Edited July 19, 2018 by tv echo

[SmallScreenDiva]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

Just like The Flash took their time developing Caitlin’s character, it took Arrow a few iterations before they hit their mark and found the perfect Black Canary.

Um, that's not really a good comparison, is it? Apples and oranges? Flash was developing Caitlin as a character (though how successful it was I don't know I don't watch), Arrow has three Canaries because of various BTS reasons.