Felicity Smoak: Bitch With Wifi

[BkWurm1]

Felicity apologising to Ray  and not calling him out on his hypocrisy in 3.17 after the crap he pulled,

 

 

Felicity apolgizing to Ray after that crap he pulled in 317 was probably the worst Felicity moment of the entire series

 

The apology never bothered me.  Her not calling Ray on his crap did, but the apology she offered because of the timing of it, never was a problem.  She is in the right.  She goes to Ray after she KNOWS he knows she was in the right.  The way everything plays out, she knows Ray is feeling like a heel (as he should be) and Felicity does not lose anything by offering to take some of the blame, even if she isn't at all obligated to do so.  The apology is a kindness, not any kind of real admission of guilt.  It takes away nothing from Felicity and in that moment, it wasn't about winning an argument or being proven right or vindicated - that had already happened - the moment for Felicity was about reconciliation and going back to the pretty picture of a relationship that she'd convinced herself she had.  

 

The apology was just an opening in the conversation without any real meaning to either Ray or Felicity.  He wasn't waiting for one (or feeling like he deserved one) and Felicity wasn't feeling like she owed it so when she gave it, it was just a magnanimous gesture.  And it got her what she wanted, her relationship with Palmer reset to "normal".   I think that she did not call him on his bad behavior and lack trust is more a sign that she deep down did not have long term expectations for her time with Ray because that was a conversation she needed to have with him - his complete dismissal of her opinion and knowledge - if she was ever to have the kind of trust and partnership that she said she wanted.

 

But the apology, that's us being upset on Felicity's behalf and not wanting to see Ray get off so lightly and yes, Felicity let him off the hook but she didn't IMO sacrifice any of her dignity by offering the apology, where she came off weak to me was in not requiring a discussion of Ray's extreme reaction and his unreasonable expectations...but again, that was IMO just a symptom of why Ray and Felicity were never going to work.  They were all shallow on paper good, no lasting depth when it came to the real hard stuff.  

[wonderwall]

You know it always baffles me to read comments about how Felicity has never changed. Just looking at this gif you know that's not true: 

 

 

She's definitely not the same woman. I don't think I could see Felicity ever doing this now? Only because she seems to have grown more confident in herself and in her abilities. 

 

ETA: also, how adorable was she in season 1? :')

Edited June 24, 2015 by wonderwall

[jay741982]

You know it always baffles me to read comments about how Felicity has never changed. Just looking at this gif you know that's not true: 

 

 

She's definitely not the same woman. I don't think I could see Felicity ever doing this now? Only because she seems to have grown more confident in herself and in her abilities. 

 

ETA: also, how adorable was she in season 1? :')

Agreed! And she was so adorable in Season 1 still is!!

[kismet]

The apology never bothered me.  Her not calling Ray on his crap did, but the apology she offered because of the timing of it, never was a problem.  She is in the right.  She goes to Ray after she KNOWS he knows she was in the right.  The way everything plays out, she knows Ray is feeling like a heel (as he should be) and Felicity does not lose anything by offering to take some of the blame, even if she isn't at all obligated to do so.  The apology is a kindness, not any kind of real admission of guilt.  It takes away nothing from Felicity and in that moment, it wasn't about winning an argument or being proven right or vindicated - that had already happened - the moment for Felicity was about reconciliation and going back to the pretty picture of a relationship that she'd convinced herself she had.  

 

The apology was just an opening in the conversation without any real meaning to either Ray or Felicity.  He wasn't waiting for one (or feeling like he deserved one) and Felicity wasn't feeling like she owed it so when she gave it, it was just a magnanimous gesture.  And it got her what she wanted, her relationship with Palmer reset to "normal".   I think that she did not call him on his bad behavior and lack trust is more a sign that she deep down did not have long term expectations for her time with Ray because that was a conversation she needed to have with him - his complete dismissal of her opinion and knowledge - if she was ever to have the kind of trust and partnership that she said she wanted.

 

But the apology, that's us being upset on Felicity's behalf and not wanting to see Ray get off so lightly and yes, Felicity let him off the hook but she didn't IMO sacrifice any of her dignity by offering the apology, where she came off weak to me was in not requiring a discussion of Ray's extreme reaction and his unreasonable expectations...but again, that was IMO just a symptom of why Ray and Felicity were never going to work.  They were all shallow on paper good, no lasting depth when it came to the real hard stuff.  

I think it bothered me because she never let OQ or other characters get away with treating her like that. She seems to call most people, esp her friends on their crap. But she just let RP's behavior slide. So that is why it was the worst moment for me because it seemed so out of character for who I think she is.

 

But I enjoyed your analysis. I understand your perspective. The apology was probably more about my response than Felicity. It probably had a lot to do as with how awful RP was that episode to her & TA that I felt an apology was not needed in that moment from her. I felt he should have apologized first. Or at least made the attempt to reach out to her first. I understand her wanting to have a conversation that made sense to me. I guess I was just really disappointed that she started it off with an apology. But I do see kindness as one of her strengths, so perhaps she was just showing some kindness to RP and that is not a bad thing.

[BkWurm1]

I think it bothered me because she never let OQ or other characters get away with treating her like that. She seems to call most people, esp her friends on their crap. But she just let RP's behavior slide. So that is why it was the worst moment for me because it seemed so out of character for who I think she is.

 

 

In the end, I have come to see Felicity not calling out Ray as a good thing.  You're right, for anyone else she would have called them on their behavior...but that she didn't with Ray just goes to prove that she wasn't her real self with Ray.  ;)

 

It probably had a lot to do as with how awful RP was that episode to her

 

Oh, and he was.  I had never even disliked Ray until this episode and then for several weeks I seethed with hatred toward him. 

Edited June 24, 2015 by BkWurm1

[wingster55]

You know it always baffles me to read comments about how Felicity has never changed. Just looking at this gif you know that's not true: 

 

 

She's definitely not the same woman. I don't think I could see Felicity ever doing this now? Only because she seems to have grown more confident in herself and in her abilities. 

 

ETA: also, how adorable was she in season 1? :')

Except she kinda did something similar over on the Flash. "Drop the mic"

[apinknightmare]

Except she kinda did something similar over on the Flash. "Drop the mic"

 

Isn't that kind of the point? Since in that gif set she's excited she got in, but on The Flash she was so confident in herself that she did a mic drop? 

[wingster55]

Hmm..maybe. But it still equals her getting excited when she accomplishes something. Eureka, Yes, and Drop the Mic were all moments of excitement. 

[wonderwall]

Hmm..maybe. But it still equals her getting excited when she accomplishes something. Eureka, Yes, and Drop the Mic were all moments of excitement. 

I wasn't really implying the fact that Felicity is less excited now. No, Felicity still gets excited from time to time. BUT in the gifs above, Felicity looked more timid and happy because she felt unsure whether she could accomplish her task or not.

 

With the "BOOM" it didn't really seem like Felicity was timid or unsure of herself. Felicity seems a lot more open now than she was in those gifs. I know 'open' isn't the right word but I honestly don't know how else to put it? If someone can help me out please do? :D

[apinknightmare]

Hmm..maybe. But it still equals her getting excited when she accomplishes something. Eureka, Yes, and Drop the Mic were all moments of excitement. 

 

But this is what the OP posted:  Only because she seems to have grown more confident in herself and in her abilities.

 

The comment was that they couldn't imagine Felicity getting excited about hacking into something, not that they couldn't imagine her getting excited about anything.

[dtissagirl]

Confident in her abilities and usefulness to the team, perhaps?

I think she trust herself way more now too. In large part because Team Arrow [and Team Flash] came to trust that she can deliver. She has always been cocky about her computer/hacking skills, but vigilante-ing gave her whole new levels of difficulty.

I love that moment when she asked Dig and Oliver what would it take for them to be impressed, because she thought she *was* doing something impressive, but it's like she took their nonchalance as a challenge.

Edited June 25, 2015 by dancingnancy

[wingster55]

Ok, fair enough. She's grown more confident. 

[tv echo]

I think S1 Felicity was more innocent and naive than S3 Felicity.

[fantique]

With the "BOOM" it didn't really seem like Felicity was timid or unsure of herself. Felicity seems a lot more open now than she was in those gifs. I know 'open' isn't the right word but I honestly don't know how else to put it? If someone can help me out please do? :D

I think she is assertive and self assured. Not only does she have more confidence but she also feels more...settled. I think it's due to her bring older (EBR being older and more experienced helps too). I guess she felt like someone my age when I first saw her (I'm still in college) and now she feels more like what I call grown up "real people". She is less tentative and is confirmed as an important character and an important part of the team. So yeah, she's changed, she's grown up. They (by that I really mean EBR) actually did pretty well at showing the difference between being a recent graduate early 20 something and approaching your 30s. It sounds pretentious from a brat like me but when I see people who were seniors in my freshman year, how much they've changed is really cool.

[kismet]

So I truly enjoy Felicity Smoak, but I don't have all the super minor details of her life memorized. But while reading fanfiction, I notice a lot of authors make her allergic to peanuts &/or nuts. Is this something from in-show TV canon? I might have missed the line that addressed her allergies in the show. Just curious, if its from show or if its something that has just gotten a lot of friciton in fanfiction. Thanks in advance.

[Carrie Ann]

Yeah, it's canon. She mentions accidentally eating a pot brownie once, and it was a bad experience because she's allergic to nuts. 

[lemotomato]

In one of the season 1 Vertigo episodes, she mentions she's allergic to nuts she ate in a pot brownie.

[kismet]

Thanks lemotomato & CarrieAnn! I remember her talking about the pot brownie, forgot about the nuts part. I remember that scene more for Diggles lines. But that was classic OTA banter :)

[statsgirl]

In which episode did she talk about liking mint chip ice cream?

(I swear, if I read another fanfic in which Felicity consolers herself with a pint of mint chip, I'll scream.)

[AyChihuahua]

"When I found out who you really were, I processed my way through a pint of mint chip."

When Roy joins. It's also canon that she's afraid of kangaroos.

[EmeraldArcher]

In which episode did she talk about liking mint chip ice cream?

(I swear, if I read another fanfic in which Felicity consolers herself with a pint of mint chip, I'll scream.)

This plagued me, too, when I started reading fan fic.  I began re-watching all of the S1 episodes and fast-forwarding to FS's parts so I could get the reference.  I found it, but I now forget the episode (sorry).  However, I remember her saying to Diggle that she ate the mint chip ice cream the night after Oliver brought her on the team--so maybe S1 E15? Darn it, I'm going to have to go back and find it again!

 

But I'm with you on wanting to scream for mint chip ice cream--so overused in the fan fic!

 

ETA: Guess I was off by a season and about to whom she said it!  Thanks, AyChihuahua, for clearing it up!

Edited July 15, 2015 by EmeraldArcher

[Velocity23]

Edited July 15, 2015 by Velocity23

[EmeraldArcher]

One thing that the fan fic versions of Felicity that the show never touches is the emotional and psychological toll on Felicity. 

 

I really loved that EBR mentioned the mental health consequences to what Felicity does and what she's been through--EBR brought it up in one of the SDCC interviews.  I think she even said something about Felicity being in or needing therapy to cope with all of the stress and danger.

 

As much as I love S1 Felicity, I'm surprised that anybody watching the show could complain that she's changed.  She is part of a team that faces danger all of the time, she frequently commits cyber crimes that could result in prison time, she's been kidnapped or assaulted several times, and she must constantly worry about the ones she loves (especially Oliver!) being hurt or killed.  Also, she had been dealing with abandonment issues, Oliver's inability to be in a relationship with her, learning that a previous lover (whose death traumatized her) faked his death, and navigating her conflicting feelings for Ray and Oliver.  EBR also said that during S3, Felicity had been forced into situations in which she couldn't behave authentically--and that seriously takes a toll on a person.

 

I'm looking forward to the promised return of a lighter Felicity in S4 because I want her to be happy, but I would never begrudge her the tears or weariness from all that she's dealt with.

[Genki]

I don't mind the in cannon references, in fact it takes me out of the fics when they are different. What I do remember was being puzzled about the constant references to Felicity loving Disney, coffee and Dr Who when I started reading fanfic for Arrow.

 

I don't think I saw anything really cannon-ish for these until S3 (3.19 to be exact for Disney & Dr Who). 

Edited July 15, 2015 by Genki

[AyChihuahua]

One thing that the fan fic versions of Felicity that the show never touches is the emotional and psychological toll on Felicity.

This show totally sucks at emotional stuff. It can be extremely jarring. One episode some major emotional event will occur, and the next there's no mention of it. Like when something bad happens to me at work, I'm bummed for awhile, and I'm just a lawyer, for goodness' sake. But Felicity can get kidnapped and knocked out by a guy who wants to pour liquid plastic down her throat to slowly suffocate her, and immediately after she's 100% fine. She's trapped alone in the Foundry during the earthquake and it's never so much as mentioned. Ray Palmer is a condescending douchebag who electrocutes one of her best friends and she continues to date him. Oliver lets her think he's letting her die while he jaunts off to marry Nyssa and all she does is make a couple snarky comments. The only time there's any follow-through is if it's necessary for plot, and even then it's usually quite short-lived.

[calliope1975]

Heh, I used the mint chocolate chip reference in one of my fics before it was canon on the show. Glad my head canon was confirmed. But yes, I see the same ideas about what Felicity likes in so many fics. I'm guessing since we haven't gotten much about her life, people just made up their own ideas like I did. I hope that changes this year, and we can get a better picture of the minutiae of Felicity Smoak. (I'm not necessarily holding my breath, but hope springs eternal, or whatever.)

 

I'd love for the emotional toll of this lifestyle to be explored. It can be done without being all super serious, and I wish we could see Team Arrow decompressing every once in a while. I vote for more dinners at the Diggles.

[lemotomato]

I didn't see a lot of Felicity being a Disney fan in fic, but I can understand why people assume she likes coffee and Dr. Who, since those fit the typical IT professional/geek stereotype.

Something else that's always in fic but never on the show (as far as I know)-- Roy calling Felicity "blondie". I think the only person that ever called her that was Digg, and that was as part of an act.

[apinknightmare]

I realize Dr. Who showed up in fic before this season, but it is canon that she likes it. When she was talking to Donna about why Ray's such a catch, she mentioned that he knew the plots to all the Dr. Who episodes, so I think it's safe to say that she's a fan since she thinks that's a selling point. 

[kismet]

I didn't see a lot of Felicity being a Disney fan in fic, but I can understand why people assume she likes coffee and Dr. Who, since those fit the typical IT professional/geek stereotype.

Something else that's always in fic but never on the show (as far as I know)-- Roy calling Felicity "blondie". I think the only person that ever called her that was Digg, and that was as part of an act.

Oh my goodness... thank you!! I thought I was the only one who had missed all of the Blondie references in show. It's in so many of the fics I read. I was gonna mention it but just kept on forgetting to bring it up. I really don't remember a lot of people calling her Blondie on the show (maybe only Dig). But Roy, Tommy, Thea & Dig are calling her it quite frequently in fics.

 

The coffee obsession I think is to play on the coffee dynamic between OQ/FS. Likewise, I feel at times the mint chip is also a callback to OQ dreaming about eating ice cream while on the island. That being said I think a lot of people love both coffee & ice cream, so when writing fics/scripts its one of those details that makes the characters relatable to the audience.

[EmeraldArcher]

Felicity's panda flats make a frequent appearance in fan fic, too.  I thought MG's recent Twitter response to a fan who asked him to bring them back was pretty funny--he didn't even know what they were!  It seems like a crime for the EP not to be aware of one FS's most iconic footwear--even though I think she only wore them once.

 

Although I loved FS's quirkier sartorial choices from S1, I understand the need to mature her wardrobe if she was going to be a believable EA and potential love interest for Oliver.  However, I really think that the costume department should learn what appropriate business attire looks like!  I have never seen dresses with boob windows or belly-baring crop tops worn in the professional world--and I'm at a university, so that's saying a lot!

[statsgirl]

The  problem with Felicity's boob window dresses and very high heels is that they take away from her appearance as someone professional and in charge.  If she's going to be the CEO next season, I hope they tone her down somewhat.

 

I was cheered at Wendy Mericle's response to the woman from TV Fanatic who complained about Felicity being such a downer in s3.  Mericle compared everything that happened to Felicity this season to being her crucible, which means they were taking her emotional stuff seriously and they did have some sort of a plan for her even if it didn't come across as well as it did in their heads.

 

Coffee seems to be important to Felicity on the show both to drink and symbolically.  She's often shown with a cup of coffee (for the record, she ordered no-fat double sugar coffee from Iris in the crossover episode.)

 

The apology never bothered me.  Her not calling Ray on his crap did, but the apology she offered because of the timing of it, never was a problem.  She is in the right.  She goes to Ray after she KNOWS he knows she was in the right.  The way everything plays out, she knows Ray is feeling like a heel (as he should be) and Felicity does not lose anything by offering to take some of the blame, even if she isn't at all obligated to do so.  The apology is a kindness, not any kind of real admission of guilt.  It takes away nothing from Felicity and in that moment, it wasn't about winning an argument or being proven right or vindicated - that had already happened - the moment for Felicity was about reconciliation and going back to the pretty picture of a relationship that she'd convinced herself she had.  

 

The apology was just an opening in the conversation without any real meaning to either Ray or Felicity.  He wasn't waiting for one (or feeling like he deserved one) and Felicity wasn't feeling like she owed it so when she gave it, it was just a magnanimous gesture.  And it got her what she wanted, her relationship with Palmer reset to "normal".   I think that she did not call him on his bad behavior and lack trust is more a sign that she deep down did not have long term expectations for her time with Ray because that was a conversation she needed to have with him - his complete dismissal of her opinion and knowledge - if she was ever to have the kind of trust and partnership that she said she wanted.

 

But the apology, that's us being upset on Felicity's behalf and not wanting to see Ray get off so lightly and yes, Felicity let him off the hook but she didn't IMO sacrifice any of her dignity by offering the apology, where she came off weak to me was in not requiring a discussion of Ray's extreme reaction and his unreasonable expectations...but again, that was IMO just a symptom of why Ray and Felicity were never going to work.  They were all shallow on paper good, no lasting depth when it came to the real hard stuff.  

To me, more than expectations about her relationship with Ray,  it was about Felicity thinking this was all she deserved.  For two years, she crushed/lusted over Oliver, thnking she never had a chance with him.  I like that she wasn't jealous of Sara when she was with Oliver (I still hate Oliver for the PDAs in the lair especially now that we know he cared for Felicity), but letting Ray get away with treating her like that instead of insisting that he treat her with the respect she's earned just feels like she was stuck in Donna Smoak's world where your dreams may be of love and a true relationship but your reality is 60 hours a week on 6" heels to get by.

[Chaser]

Is anyone else endlessly amused by the implication that Ray was Felicity's crucible?

[Guest]

I'm not bothered by the little repetitive details like mint chip, and nut allergies and liking Doctor Who in fanfics. We know so little about Felicity, and I mean little nonsense details like likes and dislikes, that I'm not surprised fic writers jumped on the few things we do know. Not sure where the Disney thing came from, though I haven't read any fics that mention that.

 

The panda flats makes me laugh though because I hope they don't make a comeback. I would like Felicity to be seen dressed down sometimes. Whenever she was in the lair I just kept thinking about whether she was comfortable or not. Sometimes you just want to wear a pair of jeans and a hoodie. I'd like to see that on occasion. I understood her wardrobe change from s1 to s2 because she had a new job where she had to present herself differently but I'd like to see them mix things up.

 

 

Is anyone else endlessly amused by the implication that Ray was Felicity's crucible?

 

*raises hand* Haha.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Guest

[kismet]

Not sure endlessly amused would be my wording choice.... but there were times when Ray/FS relationship felt like the audience's crucible. It was a rough go in s3 for FS on Palmer Island...

 

Loved the Panda flats, but don't feel they are appropriate to bring back maybe just show them lying around her apt/closet or something.

 

But definitely feel the wardrobe dept needs to improve her wardrobe this season. They need to make her work clothes more professional. They can still keep her out of work clothes fun, but if she is CEO she needs to wearing less midriffs & cut-outs. I little longer & not as tight wouldn't hurt as well. And she should be able to just have a dress down casual wardrobe of jeans & hoodies for the lair. I get she goes there right after work, but can those tight dresses & stilettos really be comfortable after the 16th hour?

 

I know budget is tight on these shows & wardrobe is not always a priority, but it seems they could put a little more variety into FS's wardrobe. I sorta feel like they should get some separates that they could mix & match that could give them more wardrobe options. Especially if she is now the SugarMama, in show she should have more $$ for clothes as well.

[AyChihuahua]

Is anyone else endlessly amused by the implication that Ray was Felicity's crucible?

So much worse than being tortured on an island.

[lemotomato]

In season 3, at least, I thought Felicity's wardrobe was more hits than misses, boob-window dress aside. She wore the crop top combos when she was in the lair and the one time she wore it to the office, it was to tell Ray she was taking the day off.

I also adore her coats. Still drooling over the Burberry gray coat she wore when she went to Central City with Ray. (Her outfits were the only things I liked about episode) I actually went and bought the short jacket she wore to Nanda Parbat because it was cute and actually affordable.

Edited July 15, 2015 by lemotomato

[EmeraldArcher]

I'm not bothered by the little repetitive details like mint chip, and nut allergies and liking Doctor Who in fanfics. We know so little about Felicity, and I mean little nonsense details like likes and dislikes, that I'm not surprised fic writers jumped on the few things we do know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree and actually find the inclusion of the few details we know to be endearing.  Any annoyance I might feel by a sense of repetition is my fault, not the fic writers--that's what I get for exclusively reading a gazillion Olicity fics in rapid succession!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Felicity's vacation style at the beginning of S4--EBR indicated that they were on a beach and bragged about her tan.  I'm not sure if she was serious, but it would make sense.  I also wonder how her more developed romance with Oliver affects her clothes.  Some fic writers speculate that her S2 transformation into alluring dresses and high heels was in reaction to being attracted to Oliver and trying to get him to notice her in a different way.  I'm sure everybody pays more attention to their appearance when they're hoping to start a relationship, and most people feel comfortable to relax their look once they've been in the relationship for awhile, especially if they live together.

 

I really hope that the show elevates the professionalism of her work clothes if she really does become the CEO of Palmer Tech.

Edited July 16, 2015 by EmeraldArcher

[doesntworkonwood]

There is no way we're ever going to see Felicity in a hoodie and a pair of jeans. She's a woman on a TV show, and in TV show land hoodies are only for guys and girls who have pizza stains around their mouths. Also, all jeans must be tight at fuck.

It's a shame, but with the fact that they felt the need to 'sex up' her wardrobe in season 2, when she started to become the love interest, I'm like 99.9% sure the closest we'll get to casual Felicity is her in jeans during specific missions, and of course her naked (or close) during Oliver sex.

[Ceylon5]

I've been thinking about the frustrations people have about Felicity being a prop to Ray in S3, and the sad thing is, Felicity has always been treated as a prop on this show.  It's frustrating for those of us who like the character, but the fact is, that aside from 3x05, Felicity has never really been anything else.  In S1, she got a few minutes of storyline with Walter (which was actually about Plot rather than Felicity), but aside from that, the only time you saw her at work was when Oliver came to cadge favours from her, and other than that she was solely doing Team Arrow stuff.  Between seasons, apparently all she did was refurbish the lair, make Oliver a bow, track him down and fetch him home.  S2 was even worse - Oliver co-opted her job as well, so she was with him 24/7, except when she was sleeping (if she ever slept, which I'm not convinced she did - that's another thing we never saw!).  We never saw her home nor any friends/family/neighbours/dates who were just there for Felicity's storyline.  When Barry showed up, it was so she could prop/launch him onto his own show, not in service of her own story.  Ditto for Caitlyn and Cisco.  I think people liked the Felicity/Diggle friendship in S1&2 so much because they're not propping each other - they're equals in the story and thus enhance each other's stories rather than one just being used largely in service of the other's story.  The objection that Felicity was essentially an Oliver prop was not really made, because if you're going to be a prop for anyone on a show, the main character is the person to do it for.  And luckily the relationship was mostly pretty charming, so the fact that Felicity essentially never got any story that was not directly related to forwarding the main plot or Oliver's (or Barry's) journey was glossed over.

 

S3 brought more criticism not because her Propping Status had actually changed at all, but because she was now not only still propping Oliver and Barry, but additionally had to prop two disliked characters in Ray and Laurel, and on top of that, didn't even have enough Diggle bonding time to balance things out a little.  And the relationship with Oliver became angsty instead of charming, which put more of a spotlight on how she's really just there in service of his story.  Plus, the audience had been promised more Felicity story, and all we got was one episode, which made us cranky.  However, that episode did give us an exclusively Felicity story - a mother who is there purely for her story, her home, her flashbacks and a bad guy who was there specifically for Felicity.  That's a lot more than we ever got before, and it was a lovely change to have Oliver there in support of her storyline rather than the other way around.  I thought that reverse-dynamic worked really well and they should use it more, partly to give more Real Story to Felicity, and partly to take some of the pressure off Stephen (and Oliver's storyline).  23 episodes is a lot - there's more than enough time to give the secondary characters some personal attention without losing the main focus of the show.  They don't need to do it in Very Special Episodes either - they should thread it throughout the whole season in smaller chunks, just like they do for Oliver.

 

Hopefully now with a new showrunner who is clearly very interested in Felicity's story, we'll get a bit more story that's actually primarily about her.  All the other secondary characters have had vastly more development that focusses just on them than Felicity has, despite the fact that she's had more screentime than any of them other than Diggle.  The problem is that every time they give her a storyline that's ostensibly about her (Barry, Ray, working at QC), it 1) still ends up being mostly about Oliver, and 2) is written in service of the new person whose superhero status she's helping launch rather than focussing on her.  I just wish they weren't so into All Superheroes All The Time.  Not every single storyline in the show has to be all comic-booky and superhero-centric, which is what S3 devolved into and is why, since she doesn't have a superhero persona herself, Felicity's story defaulted to superhero-prop.  We need more normal people and normal storylines both in general and for Felicity specifically.  Having killed off or transitioned to "superheroes" almost all their non-superhero main cast, they really need to world-build and have a pool of normal secondary characters who show up regularly and are preferably not from the comic books (like Felicity's Mom).  The show needs more balance.

[kismet]

There is no way we're ever going to see Felicity in a hoodie and a pair of jeans. She's a woman on a TV show, and in TV show land hoodies are only for guys and girls who have pizza stains around their mouths. Also, all jeans must be tight at fuck.

It's a shame, but with the fact that they felt the need to 'sex up' her wardrobe in season 2, when she started to become the love interest, I'm like 99.9% sure the closest we'll get to casual Felicity is her in jeans during specific missions, and of course her naked (or close) during Oliver sex.

Very true...

Then again, it could just be her in OQ's hoodie and then we're back in trope woman on TV clothes.

[TanyaKay]

Not even Diggle called her Blondie, he called her Barbie in Episode 1x22

 

 

 

 

 

Posted all three gifs because it is one of my favorite Diggle/Felicity scenes and David Ramsey's expressions are delightful

[bettername2come]

Not even Diggle called her Blondie, he called her Barbie in Episode 1x22

 

 

 

 

 

Posted all three gifs because it is one of my favorite Diggle/Felicity scenes and David Ramsey's expressions are delightful

I never realized how much I love Felicity's expression when she yells "He's my man!" because I was too distracted laughing at how she said it.

[TanyaKay]

I never realized how much I love Felicity's expression when she yells "He's my man!" because I was too distracted laughing at how she said it.

 

Emily was cuteness personified in that scene. She was so into her character, she was giving it all. Its a tragedy they did not write her going undercover after season 1, EBR did excellent job with that.

I wonder what Tommy Merlyn would have said to this display of affection from Felicity Smoak had he known about it.

[kismet]

I actually hope there is more opportunity for her to go undercover now that her & OQ are dating and they seem to be expanding the universe a little more. It also seems like DD may actually be more a secret mission to find info to take him down type of villain.

[EmilyBettFan]

I absolutely love that scene!

[NoWayOut]

Posted all three gifs because it is one of my favorite Diggle/Felicity scenes and David Ramsey's expressions are delightful

 

One of my ultimate Diggle/Felicity scenes as well. Loved her comment about Diggle being her knight in shining armor, heh.

I'm personally hoping to see a return of these kinds of missions rather than just having Felicity tracking down one of the bad guys and sending the suits into action. I don't find missions that involve purely fighting sequences nearly as memorable or fun to watch as the ones of them sneaking into Merlyn Global or blowing up the Queen Consolidated applied science division.

[TanyaKay]

Emily has such excellent comic timing, she would be great at undercover missions that involve a bit of levity. Plus Felicity the funny one plays perfectly with Oliver the straight one.

[kismet]

Regarding the ponytail.

 

I don't think that we will ever lose the ponytail. And I love that! As someone who enjoys wearing my hair in a ponytail, I find it to be a very fun and multi-purpose hairstyle. And when styled properly it can be professional looking. I don't necessarily think it makes her always look younger. I do think it looked better a little longer in s2, but the length of her hair when it is down is nice now, so its a catch-22. There are different ways that she can style it into the ponytail and have it look a little bit more mature & professional. I wonder if they should try different hair partings?

 

I just think at the end of the day both FS & EBR like her hair up at times. So unless they want to start doing buns, twists or other updos  - I think the ponytail may be the default. And it is part of who she is. I honestly, would love to see her actually put it up herself in a scene when she is trying to get down to business, or take it out when she is stressed or trying to relax. For it to become a more natural extension of her character/acting. But I did love the way her hair looked in that spoiler mountain photo. I would appreciate if the hair designers did do more of that during the actual episodes.

 

Personally, so long as they get rid of the sides pulled back & up with that big puff in the front I'm good! I couldn't stand it when she was dancing with Barry. And then they kept on bringing it back in s3 and it was there in the final scene again. :( I know that EBR/FS is short and this helps give her height - but IMO it just looks horrible and outdated.

[tv echo]

I like the ponytail.  That and the glasses are part of Felicity's iconic look.  I hope she can have different hairstyles for different occasions.  But when she's working at her computer, I think it's just a practical and quick way of keeping her hair out of her face.  (More practical than female heroes & villains fighting with long hair loosely swinging about - something we see in a lot of tv shows and movies.)

Edited July 24, 2015 by tv echo

[Chaser]

I like the pony in the ArrowCave setting, but I think they need to give her a 'work' look. Think Jessica and Donna from Suits. I would appreciate a scene of her checking in on Mr. Teriffic and actually putting her hair into a pony before helping him out. It would be a nice transition from CEO Felicity to It Girl Felicity.