Oliver Queen: The Arrow

[Morrigan2575]

http://suzettechan.tumblr.com/post/87464809677/stephen-amell-at-eek-comic-and-pop-culture-fest

SA talk fro. Alberta Con.

[slayer2]

http://suzettechan.tumblr.com/post/87464809677/stephen-amell-at-eek-comic-and-pop-culture-fest

SA talk fro. Alberta Con.

Well that was fun! Thanks! Edited June 1, 2014 by slayer2

[statsgirl]

 

Amell said he doesn’t have to check the script to see if his character dies, but other actors do. David Ramsey: “I’m the black character. I flip to the last page to see if I die.”

LOL I can just hear him saying that, in his very dry tone of voice.

 

Thanks for posting the link, morrigan 2575..

 

 

Works with a trainer once a week. The rest of the time, “Yoga’s a big one.’ He does power yoga.

"I tried to do kickboxing with David  Ramsey. He almost murdered me on four different occasions. That show doesn’t do justice to how big that man is. I’m terrified of him.”...

:

He starts superhero training on June 1. He will be posting a workout diary on Facebook. He promised salmon laddering.

 

 

That would be today. (Not much of a break at all.)  I guess I'd better start doing something myself.

[quarks]

I know this is the Oliver Queen thread, but since David Ramsey's size and kickboxing abilities were just mentioned, please consider this another official request for more shirtless Diggle scenes next season, and if the camera just HAPPENS to look at Diggle's arms I am all cool with that.

 

And, ok, Oliver can be shirtless as well, since this is his thread. I'm good.  And I'm very glad to hear that he hasn't broken up with his true love, Sally :)

[catrox14]

If Oliver ever breaks up with Sally, I'm out.  That would be like Dean Winchester breaking up with Baby.  That shit is just wrong and is a bridge too far.

[quarks]

Oliver and Sally are still together! LOOK!

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=659394314145839

 

THEIR LOVE WILL NEVER END.  STEPHEN AMELL HAS SPOKEN. 

 

(And I don't care what you guys are thinking. I am so not too personally invested in the Oliver/Sally relationship!)

Edited June 4, 2014 by quarks

[statsgirl]

Wow, He has all my admiration for doing that every day.  Without doubt, he works really really hard for his role.

 

I wonder if they edit out the grunts and heavy breathing to make it look effortless.

 

A Day In The Life of Stephen Amell.  (With the secret of why his relationship with Sally works.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUYXR3_T0G0

Edited June 4, 2014 by Lisin

[calliope1975]

Because I marathoned the show on Netflix, I missed out on all the advertising. I'm not sure when this came out, but damn. It's kinda hot. Pretty amazing since he keeps his shirt on the whole time. :D

 

[BkWurm1]

Oh, liked that. Never seen it before though. It has a season one feel to it.

[southrnbygrace]

Oliver continues to be the main reason I watch the show. Stephen Amell has don't such a marvelous job of bringing Oliver to life.

[catrox14]

Oliver is the reason I watch the show. I adore Sara and Thea and Felicity and Diggle and Malcolm and Moira(RIP) and Roy and Det. Lance. I do not like Laurel. But those are all orbiting the Green Arrow and IMO that's as it should be.

 

If Stephen Amell hadn't nailed Oliver as the lead character that I want to watch I would have been gone midway through s2. 

 

For me, Arrow begins and ends with Oliver Queen as portrayed by Stephen Amell.

[JayKay]

I deeply enjoy how deeply effed up in the head Oliver Queen is. It's rare that I find the protagonist one of the more cerebral and compelling characters on a show. I never expected him to be that complex since he spends a lot of his time punching people, but Stephen Amell plays him like he's just barely managing to push things under the surface before his trauma spills over. Oliver's still suffering from PTSD, and to me that might be the most exciting undercurrent in the series.

 

What's gonna happen when his life changes so much that his coping system breaks down? Not just bad things happening to him, either. How can he even experience truly good things that come his way if he's still suppressing so much of himself? It's almost like the secret identity allows him to hide from himself, too. He's definitely still got a lot of growing to do as a person, which is great because the last thing I want to watch is a static lead character.

[BkWurm1]

I'm greatly enjoying that growth is not just a by product in this show but an actual plot line.  I think most on going shows talk about the character growth of their leads but that isn't to my knowledge usually mapped out like I feel Oliver's is.  It's make me feel like we are in a better position to get consistency out of the character since the show runners and writer are so conscious of who he's been, who he became and who he wants to ultimately become. 

[icandigit]

I've been paying more attention to the flashbacks while re-watching episodes. I love watching all these dormant skills come to life in Oliver. They never surfaced because he had never been challenged before.

[BkWurm1]

I have a feeling since I usually watched the flashbacks with only half my attention I've probably missed stuff.  I know in rewatching season 2's episode 1 there were lovely little Easter Eggs to pick up on. 

[catrox14]

I tend to check out on the Island flashbacks here and there but I think I learned my lesson to pay more attention, because in "Unthinkable" I read a lot of discussion about how an ARGUS prison under the island was stupid and when did they put that there. Well, I  happened to be watching s1 a couple of weeks back on Netflix and at one point Oliver is looking at a map of the island and says "The whole island is a prison".  Then I was like WHOA! they planted that seed all the way back in s1.  You crafty bastards!  IMO it was there entire time! HA!

 

So yep, I'm going to pay better attention to the island stuff because even beyond easter eggs there is some legit character stuff going on. 

[KirkB]

Argus having a prison on the island doesn't really bug me since everybody seems to go there. And I doubt Oliver and Slade explored the ENTIRE island, so for all they know there could be a supervillain resort on the far side.

[KirkB]

I just went back and watched the pilot the other day. Oliver has long, stringy hair and a full, long scraggly beard. Which is fine at first, when we're told he spent five years on an island with nothing in the way of toiletries. He looks the way you'd expect a castaway to look. But in the flashbacks since we see he has a perpetual five o'clock shadow and still relatively short hair, and we also know now that he didn't spend all of his time on the island. So given that he spent time with Slade, Shado, Fyers and Waller, not to mention whoever he meets in...China, or Japan, or wherever it was, why would they eventually take him back to the island and dump him there long enough for him to end up looking like a caveman? The more of his past they show the less sense it seems to make.

[tv echo]

I visited The Flash forum finally and found a little Stephen-Amell-as-Oliver bashing going on in one of its threads.  I defended SA respectfully.

 

I'm posting this not to start a fan war over at that forum, but because I was surprised.  I'm not surprised that not everyone likes every actor or character on a TV show.  I'm surprised that someone at a Flash forum would bash an Arrow actor or the Arrow show there.  The two shows are on the same network, they're not rivals.

[KirkB]

Not to mention that if it weren't for Amell and Arrow there would be no Flash.

[JenMD]

why would they eventually take him back to the island and dump him there long enough for him to end up looking like a caveman? The more of his past they show the less sense it seems to make.

I figured that was so that it could be kept secret that he was had worked for ARGUS and then later hooked up with the Bratva (however that happened; related to ARGUS or not) while he was supposedly marooned on a "deserted" island.  I'm guessing it was a condition of his getting to go home that he would be sent back to the island to wait out a rescue (for a planned amount of time; long enough for him to look like he's been there a while) if he kept his activities a secret once he got home. 

Edited June 19, 2014 by JenMD

[Lady Calypso]

Exactly. You know, I say let people say their opinion; I know a lot of people who didn't like Amell and his acting in the pilot and most of the first season; personally, I only notice bad acting if it's really bad acting. Otherwise, it goes over my head and I think most actors have potential and are decent, but I always thought Amell had something going there. I thought his wooden acting in early season 1 was intentional because he (presumably) spent five years alone on the island. Now, of course we know that it's not the case at all, but it's probably what Amell was going for back then. He still was mostly away from civilization anyway so I could see it being intentional. I would just hope the people over at The Flash change their minds once they see Stephen Amell in the pilot. I also hope they don't dislike the actor, because I truly think he's a gem and one of the rare actors who are sincerely passionate about his own show. I think he works so hard and he treats his fans and the show with so much respect that I don't see from many other actors, who only treat it like it's a job and nothing more.

 

I guess we'll have to see why Oliver was dumped on the island again. I feel like it's a cruel thing to do, but there must be a reason for it. I'm kind of hoping Oliver had spent the last two years alone on the island, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to do that. 

[KirkB]

Oliver, in the pilot, desperately climbs up a cliff to get to a spot where he can fire a flaming arrow at a pile of surprisingly explosive rubble on the beach to catch the attention of a fishing boat that was apparently going by. This wasn't a rescue he was awaiting, it was seemingly a random encounter he would have missed if he'd been at the wrong part of the island. Which means Waller (or whoever) took him back to the island after whatever he did for them and dumped him there alone with no idea of whether or not he would actually be rescued. Then again, from what I know of Waller, she might have just done it because he pissed her off.

[JenMD]

I haven't rewatched the pilot since it first aired, so I honestly don't remember much detail (and the island was always the least interesting story to me).  But I don't mean waiting, like at an appointed time for an ARGUS boat.  More like, keep an eye out and eventually you might see a boat.  But he still would have had to work for it.  If Waller wanted to keep his involvement in ARGUS's activities completely secret, she may have planned on just very covertly steering a fishing boat his way every so often.  It was up to him to flag it down.  I have no problem believing they'll retcon stuff they've shown previously to make whatever story they later want to tell work. 

 

Or, absolutely, she might have just dumped him back there because he pissed her off and he got lucky getting rescued, that's also a definite possibility.  Who knows what they'll come up with. 

[icandigit]

I was going to check out the Flash thread, I was curious with all the sneak peeks being put out. But, wouldn't enjoy it if there's Amell bashing going on. I'll steer clear.

[Password]

I was curious with all the sneak peeks being put out.

 

There are Flash sneak peaks?

[Lady Calypso]

It doesn't help that everyone over on The Flash has gotten Stephen's last name wrong. It seems like they've only watched one or two of the early episodes and not ; much of the two seasons at all, which, I mean, that's fine; they don't have to watch Arrow to watch The Flash. But it seems like they're judging Stephen playing Oliver in a way that puts me off. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Hey folks, let's respect everyone's right to have an opinion. The Flash forum posters don't have to love Arrow or Stephen Amell, and no one here is required to love The Flash. Feel free to go over there and discuss that show, or potential crossovers between the shows (since it's a spinoff of Arrow), but let's please keep it civil. Thank you!

[statsgirl]

 

So given that he spent time with Slade, Shado, Fyers and Waller, not to mention whoever he meets in...China, or Japan, or wherever it was, why would they eventually take him back to the island and dump him there long enough for him to end up looking like a caveman?

Hair grows at the rate of 1/2 an inch a month (that's what they tell cancer patients) so in a year his hair would have grown about 6 inches, maybe more if it was longer going in.  Having looked at his hair and beard again (for the sake of research, of course), it looks to me like about one year's growth.  Purely speculating, I guess that he spend one year in Hong Kong with Amanda Waller, one year in Russia where he learned to speak Russian and became a BRATVA captain, and then  the fifth year on the island again.  No idea why they would put him back there though.  Pissing someone off, Waller or someone else, makes sense and his punishment was being abandoned back on the island in what someone thought would be irony.

 

My question is, we know ARGUS had a prison there, so why was the island deserted with no grooming supplies?  Was there no one in the prison at that time, who needed to be fed and cleaned up?

[KirkB]

I suppose the prison could have been put there between then time Oliver was there and he took Slade, but while we're on the subject do we know for certain it was supposed to be the same island? Or was it just the same island set?

[statsgirl]

Didn't they refer to Oliver being found on Lian Yu?  In the beach scene, Felicity referred to where they were as "minefield island" so it was the island from where they got Oliver in the season opener.

 

We know that ARGUS had a presence there because Fyers was reporting to Waller.  It seems unlikely that ARGUS would have build a majorly fortified underground prison in the year and a half since Oliver left.

[pootlus]

Maybe ARGUS put Oliver in the prison, and he escaped?

[KirkB]

Waller was hunting Deathstroke when she showed up in Starling wasn't she? So maybe she had the prison built specifically for Slade, and on that island because it had proven off the radar enough to hide Oliver for a while.

Edited June 20, 2014 by KirkB

[statsgirl]

I think Waller said she was hunting a new character in town, Deathstroke.  It was Oliver who identified him as being Slade Wilson.

[icandigit]

I thought this was interesting fan perspective on Oliver Queen using the temperament sorter thing.

 

http://daughterofluthien.tumblr.com/post/89628266562/arrow-oliver-queen-esfp

[Velocity23]

This took Stephen only 1 take. I  find that really amazing. 

 

http://gph.is/1hHDHrs

[icandigit]

So badass. I love that scene!

[catrox14]

Can't. Stop. Watching.

[Actionmage]

I realized, as I was going over  "League of Assassins" and the Queen's Gambit flashback, that I hate douche, pre-Island Oliver, I mean... would not ever want to date him or have blood-relations do so.

 

Then actually watching Velocity23's link? SA has so much range and ability and physicality! I adore Stephen Amell even more.  He and Lynda Carter blessed DC by being available and willing to don the crazy outfits.

[Velocity23]

I am smirking a little how the comic purist were thinking Stephen is gonna have the big beard in S3 because you know comics. Like CW would ever allow that. The amount he has on Arrow is the amount they allow for their actors. And today he publish a more shaved look so i think he is back from his media silence.

[statsgirl]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think Oliver was completely aware of Isabel's shenanigans when he slept with her.

He wasn't aware of her working with Slade.  But Moira had warned him against her, he'd seen her be very extremely rude to a number of people, and she'd tried to take his company away from him.  When you sleep with someone, you need to trust them because you're making yourself vulnerable, not just physically but also emotionally.  This is the guy who had fifty fits when Diggle and Felicity told Barry his secret to save his life.  He wasn't going to tell Isabel he's the Arrow but if he wanted a ONS, there were lots of other women he could have had, fifty million of them in Russia alone, most of them more trustworthy. He was furious at Diggle and Felicity for not having checked out Barry but he obviously didn't check out Isabel either because if he had, he would have found her connection to QC and his father.  He didn't even ask Moira why she didn't trust Isabel.  I think it was phenomenally stupid to sleep with Isabel especially at that time. What if he couldn't get rid of her when it came time to get Diggle?  What if she insisted on coming along, as she had insisted on coming to Russia with him?.

 

I know the EPs said they didn't know if Isabel was going to be good or bad but I don't think I could have accepted her ending up good after how she was presented in the first half of s2.  (I took a Miss Marple-like dislike to her.) No matter what they did to try to fix her because I never would have bought her as being a good guy after the way she treated Oliver, Felicity and Moira.  Like Helena, the character was broken long before Oliver met her.  Why is Oliver so attracted to these sociopathic women?

 

I don't think Felicity was hurt in either cases and I think she was happy for Oliver when he was with Sara and even liked her as well. I think with Isabel she was just confused as to why the hell Oliver even considered such a thing, she felt he deserved better.

Now this is pure extrapolation on my part but I never thought that even with her liking Oliver a bit, I never felt Felicity thought he liked her (romantically). I think she probably ranks her feelings as a small crush she can get over and she genuinely cares about him as a friend no matter what. That is why she had a WTF expression during the fakeout. Not a triumphant "I knew it. I knew we were meant to be" expression.

I think it's more than a small crush but it's also something that she thinks isn't reciprocated and she probably feels she needs to move on.  Find someone of her own since Oliver and her are unthinkable.

 

With Isabel, I think she was hurt that someone who she thinks so highly of would stoop to having sex with Isabel.  With Sara, she was conflicted because she liked Sara but I don't see how she wouldn't be at least a bit hurt that Oliver chose Sara instead of herself.  Especially since it nullified that speech of not being able to be with someone he really cared about because it was obvious he cared about Sara.  Who wouldn't be hurt to find out that the line the guy gave you to just be friends was a lie?

Edited July 1, 2014 by statsgirl

[catrox14]

 

Slade.  But Moira had warned him against her, he'd seen her be very extremely rude to a number of people, and she'd tried to take his company away from him.  When you sleep with someone, you need to trust them because you're making yourself vulnerable, not just physically but also emotionally.  This is the guy who had fifty fits when Diggle and Felicity told Barry his secret to save his life.  He wasn't going to tell Isabel he's the Arrow but if he wanted a ONS, there were lots of other women he could have had, fifty million of them in Russia alone.  I think it was phenomenally stupid to sleep with Isabel.

 

Maybe I missed a really big plot point but I'm pretty sure Oliver had no idea that Isabel was trying to take his company when she crashed the trip to to Russia. 

 

Why would Oliver have to worry about Isabel knowing about his Arrow activities when he only fucked her the one time in Russia?  I mean by that token Oliver has to either be 100% in love and ready to marry  and tell all the secrets or he has to be a monk. Surely he can have a casual sexual relationship if he chooses as long as he keeps his Arrow activities to himself. He's not going tell someone he barely knows about it. I'm pretty sure he wasn't really thinking of Isabel as some long term relationship at this point of their involvement.

 

IIRC, Oliver and Moira had pretty much stopped talking when Moira when warned him off Isabel, so he might be disinclined to listen to Moira in that situation. Right or wrong.

 

I just don't really see how Oliver was stupid other than in hindsight. Nor do I think that means that Oliver will be stupid the next time around. I think it's a strong likelihood that after everything that happened this season, a relationship is probably not going to be in the forefront of his mind next season.  Mileage varies as always

[calliope1975]

  Why is Oliver so attracted to these sociopathic women?

 

I would love to see this explored more. Other than being a spoiled, rich kid, what is it that attracts him to Isabel, Helena, even Laurel? I don't know that I'd put Laurel in the sociopathic category (keeping mouth shut) but they are all strong women. I have no faith that the writers won't have Oliver sleep with Waller in the past (spec only.)

 

And as I believe Oliver does have feelings for Felicity, having him hook up with randoms or even a long term love in the present risks him looking like a major asshole. Since I don't believe they'll have Oliver be completely celibate, hooking him up in the past seems the way to go. 

[dtissagirl]

Maybe I missed a really big plot point but I'm pretty sure Oliver had no idea that Isabel was trying to take his company when she crashed the trip to to Russia. 

She was trying to take over QC in 201 -- Isabel was about to buy enough shares to be majority shareholder when Oliver asked for Walter's help.

[foreverevolving]

 Why is Oliver so attracted to these sociopathic women?

 

Have you seen who his mother is?

Edited July 1, 2014 by foreverevolving

[catrox14]

 

She was trying to take over QC in 201 -- Isabel was about to buy enough shares to be majority shareholder when Oliver asked for Walter's help.

 

Ah, right! For some reason I thought that happened a little later on after they went to Russia. Thanks for clarifying! 

 

Does anyone remember if there was some method behind him sleeping with her? Could he have been sleeping with her for a reason?

[apinknightmare]

 

Does anyone remember if there was some method behind him sleeping with her? Could he have been sleeping with her for a reason?

 

I think the reasons were a) he likes having sex with beautiful women and b) to maybe possibly show her that he and Felicity weren't a thing, so she'd leave that alone. Probably more a than b though, IMO. Also c) because he's an idiot.

Edited July 1, 2014 by apinknightmare

[BkWurm1]

She was trying to take over QC in 201 -- Isabel was about to buy enough shares to be majority shareholder when Oliver asked for Walter's help.

Right, Isabel was only his partner because they stopped her from the hostile takeover which forced them to work together.  Honestly, it would be pretty stupid to get involved with any close business associate let alone someone who you should expect to always be on their look out to get rid of you and sell off your company piece by piece. 

[dtissagirl]

Ah, right! For some reason I thought that happened a little later on after they went to Russia. Thanks for clarifying! 

 

Does anyone remember if there was some method behind him sleeping with her? Could he have been sleeping with her for a reason?

No problem, the writing for Isabel was super clunky anyway.

I remember watching that episode live, and obviously having no idea that Felicity would react like she did, but when Isabel and Oliver were drinking vodka I guessed they were gonna sleep together because 1. Oliver needed to distract her from the mission; 2. It would help dismiss Isabel's belief that Oliver was involved with Felicity, and 3. This is The CW and Oliver hadn't slept with anyone in a few episodes and the network won't allow that. :)

I actually thought their sex scene was hilarious, in a "oh, Oliver, you're an idiot because she's totally evil" way, until Felicity was at the door, and then it was just painful. AND THEN it blew my mind that they went there in the end of the episode with the "because of the life that I lead" speech, because at that moment I realized that Oliver *had that speech ready* for Felicity. Which meant that he had to think about it to come up with that excuse. So while I think Oliver was being stupid when he had sex Isabel during a mission, I'm fine with it because all roads lead to Felicity.

[statsgirl]

Another reason not to get naked with Isabel:  she was part Russian, she was familiar with things Russian and he had a big 'ole Bratva tattoo.  Did he think she wasn't going to ask questions about how he got it alone on the island?

 

I think the reason Oliver didn't sleep with Isabel again is because Summer Glau wasn't available and then they put him together with Sara so he didn't need to sleep with Isabel, but we may never know.

 

The more I think about it, the more I think they never had so much as a 5 episode plan for Laurel, much less a long term plan.

I think they did, there was a good set-up for Laurel as the crusading lawyer and a lot of backstory for her,more than for anyone else.  My guess is that within a couple of episodes they found out it wasn't working and so they wrote what was working (Oliver/Diggle, Tommy going after Laurel, Oliver/Felicity, Walter/Felicity/Moira/Malcolm/Gambit/book).  You can't say they didn't throw every bit of spaghetti at the wall for Laurel but the only thing that stuck were her relationships with Tommy and with her father.  I think they came up with Sara as BC because they didn't think Laurel could do it believably in s2, and then Caity Lotz did such a good job in the first half of s2 that they continued with her in the second half.  The only thing they didn't try with Laurel was to make her go dark, and that's the only thing I think would work.

 

it makes sense to have sexy times in flashback, but it blows more holes in the 'I thought about you for 5 years' stuff we got from Oliver to Laurel in S1. They've essentially retconned their S1 OTP, so I have some hope they'll be willing to let it go eventually.

If I squint real hard and look at it from the side, I can still see it working in the sense that Oliver idealized her as the pure perfect woman he wanted to get back to.  Even though he was sleeping with Shado, it looked more like recreation than love.  I guess he thought about her for 5 years in the same way he thought about telling her he was the Arrow every day since he was back, I would have if I could have.