S07.E08: Unmasked

[apinknightmare]

2 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

best make sure you hide and power behind the big strong man

Or hide and cower behind your chainmail curtains! 

[insomniadreams88]

I’m all for the “vigilantes” in the future actually being the bad guys some people in SC think vigilantes are in the present. 

[Angel12d]

All I know is that Maya worked with Felicity and clearly didn’t like Dinah so I stan Maya for life now. 😂

[apinknightmare]

Another thing I was thinking about - Dinah mentioning seeing the "good things" (or whatever) about Oliver in William, after she alluded to Oliver being a bad guy a couple of episodes ago - if Oliver is allegedly terrible in the future too then why am I having to sit through Felicity being evil shamed over defending herself when Oliver gets to go be a dumb cop? Ugh

Edited December 4, 2018 by apinknightmare

[Morrigan2575]

2 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

Or hide and cower behind your chainmail curtains! 

You know i couldn't figure out what the hell that was, since it was able to have arrows bounce off it.

OK seriously are people not picking up on the fact that Felicity is obsessed with home protection? I wonder if she has PTSD...what do you think Mr. Jumpy in the shower? Think she might have some trauma?

What does she need to do become an agoraphobic and never leave her house?

[Chaser]

Just now, Morrigan2575 said:

What does she need to do become an agoraphobic and never leave her house?

They enjoy keeping her in a little box away, now it would be literally.

[calliope1975]

I think the attitude towards Felicity is Joey on Dawson's Creek sings to her mugger levels of stupid and tone deaf. I'm not expecting one, but I'd love a response from Beth on what they were going for with this. 

[Mary0360]

1 minute ago, Morrigan2575 said:

You know i couldn't figure out what the hell that was, since it was able to have arrows bounce off it.

OK seriously are people not picking up on the fact that Felicity is obsessed with home protection? I wonder if she has PTSD...what do you think Mr. Jumpy in the shower? Think she might have some trauma?

What does she need to do become an agoraphobic and never leave her house?

I think PSTD is what they are trying to hint at and imply that she's going to get so affected by her PSTD that she becomes a villian in the future aka like her dad the calculator. And even though I think ultimately we will learn she's not a villian, even if it was her PSTD trauma that caused her to become a villian who's obsessed about security and afraid of everyone and views everyone as threats all that would make me think is that it's everybody else on team arrows fault for being selfish in not seeing it and not helping her deal with it.

[Trisha]

17 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I’m trying to read it as her putting down the Felicity we've loved for 7 years and he's like "Hey I loved that girl! Don't you diss her"

Like I said.... I'm trying. 

I just watched it again and I think that’s right. She says “the old me was weak” and he responds “how can you possibly think that? the old you was the person I fell in love with.” On second viewing it came off much more like he was trying to defend the old her, but that scene certainly would have gone down a lot easier if he had slid in a “she was not weak” in the middle. 

Random question: where had we seen the upstairs club set before? The windows are very familiar but I couldn’t figure out which old set they redressed? Is it the loft?

[BkWurm1]

1 minute ago, Mary0360 said:

I think PSTD is what they are trying to hint at and imply that she's going to get so affected by her PSTD that she becomes a villian in the future aka like her dad the calculator. And even though I think ultimately we will learn she's not a villian, even if it was her PSTD trauma that caused her to become a villian who's obsessed about security and afraid of everyone and views everyone as threats all that would make me think is that it's everybody else on team arrows fault for being selfish in not seeing it and not helping her deal with it.

Don't you know she's just supposed to move on.  

[KenyaJ]

1 hour ago, Trisha said:

There was a small hint of something that I thought could be really interesting — the idea that Felicity’s time alone has made her super paranoid and obsessed with security systems — but they seemingly dropped that to imply that the old her was “weak” (so not true) and that Oliver couldn’t love her the same if she’s changed (despite the fact that she’s stayed by his side through all his many incarnations as the hood, Arrow, Al-sahim, the mayor, the green arrow who kills, the green arrow who doesn’t kill, the prisoner, etc). 

I hope that this might be a precursor to Smoak Tech. Maybe as Felicity starts to work through her obvious PTSD, she channels that energy into creating security for others and that's the impetus for the launch of her company.

I'd like to congratulate Oliver and Felicity's new apartment for making me miss their old apartment. I know people hated the old one, but this knew one is so fugly. Since the apartment was breached in this episode, I hope this ties into what Stephen was saying about

not being able to live in a regular apartment building and it means he and Felicity are moving into a house with a secure perimeter soon.

Also, the Queen mansion burned down 4 years ago and the burnt husk is still standing? 

[way2interested]

1 minute ago, Trisha said:

Random question: where had we seen the upstairs club set before? The windows are very familiar but I couldn’t figure out which old set they redressed? Is it the loft?

I'm 95% sure it's the old loft. They also reused it as Maya's little hangout

[apinknightmare]

LOL

[BkWurm1]

12 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

LOL

Did I miss something??

[Morrigan2575]

16 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

And even though I think ultimately we will learn she's not a villian, even if it was her PSTD trauma that caused her to become a villian who's obsessed about security and afraid of everyone and views everyone as threats all that would make me think is that it's everybody else on team arrows fault for being selfish in not seeing it and not helping her deal with it.

I'm like 99% sure Felicity isn't a villain or even close to being dark in 2040.

What I got from this episode is that just like MG, Beth is working backwards. She wants to build an entire mysterious future around evil/dead/missing Felicity! So she has to say Felicity is going dark in present because we have to use 2018 to setup the 2040 gotcha!

The problem I'm having is that nothing she's done is dark. Not when you compare it to what others on the show have done and, not even when compared to S5/S6 Felicity. Basically I'm left scratching my head because of all the Tell not Show and the execution is poorly done, IMO 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Morrigan2575

[Mellowyellow]

13 minutes ago, apinknightmare said:

LOL

I honestly saw no such scene!

[TwistedandBored]

Apparently, if you are Felicity Smoak on Arrow going dark is doing everything you can in order to defend yourself and your family against people who want y’all dead. 

[JamieLynn832002]

15 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

I'd like to congratulate Oliver and Felicity's new apartment for making me miss their old apartment. I know people hated the old one, but this knew one is so fugly.

So true. I was pretty vocal about hating the previous apartment but they somehow found one that was even less homey. And judging from what we could see of the hallway, I think it may just be the loft set horribly redressed.

[Morrigan2575]

19 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

hope that this might be a precursor to Smoak Tech. Maybe as Felicity starts to work through her obvious PTSD, she channels that energy into creating security for others and that's the impetus for the launch of her company

I actually assumed that her home security system is the basis for Smoak Tech...I mean she's working on some Purge Level home security system shit.

Hey, maybe Arrow is set in The Purge Universe

Edited December 4, 2018 by Morrigan2575

[Mary0360]

1 minute ago, Mellowyellow said:

I honestly saw no such scene!

 

2 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

Did I miss something??

I think it's referring to when Curtis asked Oliver what was the first thing he ate when he left prison and Oliver hesitates and Felicity jumps in and says Big Belly Burger. 

 

I just took it to mean Oliver was feeling overwhelmed by all the questions and not any sexy implications and I'm too annoyed right now to try and head canon any.

[way2interested]

2 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I honestly saw no such scene!

Curtis asked what Oliver's first meal was. Oliver ducked his head and before he could answer, Felicity jumped in and said Big Belly Burger but was grinning in a flirting way at Oliver the whole time.

[apinknightmare]

2 minutes ago, Mary0360 said:

I just took it to mean Oliver was feeling overwhelmed by all the questions and not any sexy implications and I'm too annoyed right now to try and head canon any.

That's probably what they intend it, but I'm choosing to read it the other way because it makes me happy (and them happy, too). 

[lemotomato]

58 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Im surprised that there are no interviews about tonights episode. 

Damian Holbrook tweeted that @tvinsider is going to have something after the episode. Maybe he's waiting until after the west coast airing. 

[BkWurm1]

5 minutes ago, way2interested said:

Curtis asked what Oliver's first meal was. Oliver ducked his head and before he could answer, Felicity jumped in and said Big Belly Burger but was grinning in a flirting way at Oliver the whole time.

Ah, I misunderstood what Curtis asked.  I thought he said what was the first thing you did not ate.  At least now I have that :D  

[KenyaJ]

2 minutes ago, way2interested said:

Curtis asked what Oliver's first meal was. Oliver ducked his head and before he could answer, Felicity jumped in and said Big Belly Burger but was grinning in a flirting way at Oliver the whole time.

Whether it was intentional or not, it was the one moment of true greatness in the episode. 

[Chaser]

If anyone is curious as to why Laura Hurley likes the episode, she said she felt it was a good transitional episode to the next half of the season and she likes that everything didn’t just go back to normal.

Edited December 4, 2018 by Chaser

[apinknightmare]

8 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

The problem I'm having is that nothing she's done is dark. Not when you compare it to what others on the show have done and, not even when compared to S5/S6 Felicity. Basically I'm left scratching my head because of all the Tell not Show and the execution is poorly done, IMO 

Same. She tried to kill a villain who'd killed countless people and had terrorized her family - seems okay to me. And Felicity didn't even kill the guy she shot! And even if she had, so what! This all makes me so mad, LOL.

[KenyaJ]

3 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Damian Holbrook tweeted that @tvinsider is going to have something after the episode. Maybe he's waiting until after the west coast airing. 

I think it was just this total nothingness.  https://www.tvinsider.com/735395/arrow-unmasked-recap-emiko-queen-maya-blackstar/

[Writing Wrongs]

When Oliver walked in the apartment and the panel said "Armed", I was like, "Shouldn't an alarm be going off?" So, I'm glad Felicity noticed it. I like badass Felicity defending herself. Nothin' wrong with that.

How does Oliver have another sister? Who is also an archer? I'm so confused.

[apinknightmare]

 So...how old is Emiko? Did Robert hand her a book of names when she was 12 like, "Your brother's a dipshit, make sure this gets taken care of"?

[calliope1975]

1 minute ago, apinknightmare said:

 So...how old is Emiko? Did Robert hand her a book of names when she was 12 like, "Your brother's a dipshit, make sure this gets taken care of"?

I was just about to type something similar. What's up with Robert throwing all his shady deeds onto his kids to clean up? He's about as good a dad as Odin and John Winchester.

[insomniadreams88]

Can someone summarize the painting stuff? Something (what?) led to the Longbow Hunters and Dyla decided they need Diaz’s help for ... ?

[JenMD]

I think this might be the first ep since 7.01 that I've actually watched same day; it's been taking me a week or more to make myself actually sit down and watch (which turns into me fast-forwarding the majority of the eps).  I've been relying heavily on you lovely folks who post in the Live thread and I swear you all deserve a reward as I can't imagine having to sit through this show live.

That ramble out of the way, I want to know where the ep the reviewers were raving about went because the ep I saw was kind of terrible.  I mean, I appreciate that it was Curtis- and FakeLaurel-lite, that was something at least, but man, just, ugh.  It deserves to be said again, way too much Dinah.  She is just awful.  I fast-forwarded Diggle and Lila so I have no idea what's going on there and I can't be bothered to care all that much.  The big twist with Emiko was guessed here so long ago that it gets a shrug.  And as much as I'd rather not have to wait until January for Olicity to resolve things, I'd rather they didn't resolve it in the crossover because I wasn't planning to watch the other shows (it's been a year and I'm still annoyed they got married on LOT).  Not a great mid-season finale, to say the least.

[Lady Calypso]

So, I skimmed through the episode before I head to bed. I'll likely have a better thought process tomorrow.

Maya is pretty awesome so far. I think Maya as Blackstar is awesome, and that fight scene in the ring was pretty entertaining and one of the better fights they've had recently. Maya's reaction to Felicity being dead was more dramatic than it should have been, which means she definitely has a stronger connection that initially presented. I can't wait to see more of Maya. 

Emiko is somewhat interesting so far.

Felicity/Oliver are having some issues, which is normal. I think Oliver should realize that his actions have consequences. Felicity has had to change because of the Diaz stuff and him going to prison. I don't fault him for being somewhat stunned, though the reaction was a bit much. 

Who the fuck cares about Dinah? And Rene being paired with Dinah made me like him less. 

[BkWurm1]

5 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Can someone summarize the painting stuff? Something (what?) led to the Longbow Hunters and Dyla decided they need Diaz’s help for ... ?

I watched it twice and I'm still mostly confused.  As far as I could tell, Lyla discovered that the Dante painting was somehome tied to a bunch of really bad organizations.  And then she tied it to the Long Bow Hunters like they were contracting themselves out.  Or at least that was how it seemed to me which doesn't make a lot of sense as a big enough of a deal to turn to Diaz for help.  So maybe I missed something.  

[Cthulhudrew]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Why couldn't the dragon have been slain?!?!?! Show you're killing me with trying to make this fool into a Really Important Villain!

Maybe they'll stick him on a Suicide Squad with Bronze Tiger (and Deadshot) and he'll get his head blown off trying to escape. Is that too much to hope?

Other than that, not a bad episode. The drama with Oliver and Felicity is meh, and I don't care for the flash forward storyline still (if it is a flash forward and not an alternate Earth).

Also, isn't Black Star a completely different character in the comics? The only one I know of was a meta on the Suicide Squad.

Edited December 4, 2018 by Cthulhudrew

[Chaser]

I was going thru the Arrow tag and 95% is Felicity, Maya and Olicity. No one cares about Dinah. 

[Trisha]

29 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

Whether it was intentional or not, it was the one moment of true greatness in the episode. 

It was immediately where my head went, but then Dig made the comment about Oliver having trouble getting his sea legs back and I assumed we were just supposed to think Oliver was having trouble with small talk and I should get my mind out of the gutter. Glad I wasn’t the only one!

15 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Can someone summarize the painting stuff? Something (what?) led to the Longbow Hunters and Dyla decided they need Diaz’s help for ... ?

 Lyla found out that a bunch of bad guy organizations (including Cobra) were mentioning the paint to identify a contact called Dante, and they’ve all been paying money to an account that seems to be run by the Longbow Hunters. And I guess they turned to Diaz because he knows the most about them?

41 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

The problem I'm having is that nothing she's done is dark. Not when you compare it to what others on the show have done and, not even when compared to S5/S6 Felicity. Basically I'm left scratching my head because of all the Tell not Show and the execution is poorly done, IMO 

Not to defend Oliver in *any* way, but the moment she shot the guy truly surprised me. Everything else she’s done this season felt totally rational, but that was the first moment I thought maybe there was more to it than completely justified self-preservation and the real source of her “darkness” is actually some serious PTSD. So if that was my reaction and I’ve been following her arc all season, I kind of get why Oliver was so caught off guard. I think it could have been depicted much better though (more shock/surprise from him, without the undertones of disgust/disappointment). 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Trisha

[BkWurm1]

What I wouldn't give for them to spin Dinah off to Batwoman

[Mellowyellow]

5 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Maya's reaction to Felicity being dead was more dramatic than it should have been, which means she definitely has a stronger connection that initially presented. I can't wait to see more of Maya. 

If I'm to interpret the reaction as a little childlike and lost, it throws me. 

But I could interpret as her "Shit phase 2 is happening."

Say if they were in cahoots with each other and Felicity tells her "If you hear that I'm dead, that means xyz is going to start."

 Her reaction would make sense too.

2 minutes ago, Chaser said:

I was going thru the Arrow tag and 95% is Felicity, Maya and Olicity. No one cares about Dinah. 

 I don't get all the Dinah screen time. She has no fans. KC has more fans. I really don't get it. 

3 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

What I wouldn't give for them to spin Dinah off to Batwoman

 Can Ruby Rose carry the burden that is JH?

[Cthulhudrew]

3 minutes ago, Trisha said:

Lyla found out that a bunch of bad guy organizations (including Cobra) were mentioning the paint to identify a contact called Dante...

Point of nerd pedantry:

It's actually Kobra. 

Cobra are those guys G.I. Joe fight in another comic book universe. :p

[apinknightmare]

4 minutes ago, Trisha said:

I assumed we were just supposed to think Oliver was having trouble with small talk and I should get my mind out of the gutter.

Don't do it, that's never the answer.

[scarynikki12]

2 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

What I wouldn't give for them to spin Dinah off to Batwoman

No!  Spin her off to Hub City.  It sucks and she can clean it up if she thinks she's so awesome.  Then she can just send postcards.

[Cthulhudrew]

4 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

What I wouldn't give for them to spin Dinah off to Batwoman

That actually seems like a better fit (he says, obviously not having seen the pilot for that show and not knowing precisely what the tone of it is supposed to be).

[insomniadreams88]

8 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

I watched it twice and I'm still mostly confused.  As far as I could tell, Lyla discovered that the Dante painting was somehome tied to a bunch of really bad organizations.  And then she tied it to the Long Bow Hunters like they were contracting themselves out.  Or at least that was how it seemed to me which doesn't make a lot of sense as a big enough of a deal to turn to Diaz for help.  So maybe I missed something.  

 

4 minutes ago, Trisha said:

Lyla found out that a bunch of bad guy organizations (including Cobra) were mentioning the paint to identify a contact called Dante, and they’ve all been paying money to an account that seems to be run by the Longbow Hunters. And I guess they turned to Diaz because he knows the most about them?

Okay, so basically we’re not seeing any reason they had to turn to Diaz instead of, say, having Felicity (or Curtis, ugh) do some digging?

I’m going to be so annoyed if what Diaz tells them (probably in exchange for something that puts Oliver, Felicity or William in danger, because why not?) could have been found by someone doing some online digging for a couple hours. 

Ugh, why can’t we get rid of Diaz?

[Cthulhudrew]

11 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

I watched it twice and I'm still mostly confused.  As far as I could tell, Lyla discovered that the Dante painting was somehome tied to a bunch of really bad organizations.  And then she tied it to the Long Bow Hunters like they were contracting themselves out.  Or at least that was how it seemed to me which doesn't make a lot of sense as a big enough of a deal to turn to Diaz for help.  So maybe I missed something.  

I think what the big reveal to them was is something they were looking at onscreen that we (as the audience) didn't see. So that we would be left jaws agape at the end when Dig solicits Dumbdragon's help.

[JamieLynn832002]

2 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Okay, so basically we’re not seeing any reason they had to turn to Diaz instead of, say, having Felicity (or Curtis, ugh) do some digging?

Especially since it was implied Felicity was an expert on the Longbow Hunters at this point. Of course, in order to know that, Dig would have had to speak to his traumatized, almost murdered friend about something other than his judgment of her (extremely logical) choices and it's pretty clear PodDiggle isn't here for that. 

[Mary0360]

16 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

 

Okay, so basically we’re not seeing any reason they had to turn to Diaz instead of, say, having Felicity (or Curtis, ugh) do some digging?

I’m going to be so annoyed if what Diaz tells them (probably in exchange for something that puts Oliver, Felicity or William in danger, because why not?) could have been found by someone doing some online digging for a couple hours. 

Ugh, why can’t we get rid of Diaz?

I expect EXPECT everyone to now question whether Diggle is going evil and might not be a hero now that he's willing to talk to Diaz. 

[BkWurm1]

16 minutes ago, Cthulhudrew said:

I think what the big reveal to them was is something they were looking at onscreen that we (as the audience) didn't see. So that we would be left jaws agape at the end when Dig solicits Dumbdragon's help.

Them gasping over something not shown would make way more sense than what they did show.  Maybe the plot that Argus is looking to foil now is the same plot they are foiling in the future.  I mean, they do have to try to destroy Star City this May.  

[Angel12d]

Dinah a couple of episodes ago: "William is Oliver Queen's son, should we trust him?"

Dinah now: "I trust you, William, because I see the good parts of Oliver in you."

WTF kind of inconsistent nonsense is this?!