ARROW ended season 4 on a very bittersweet note and left fans around the world with endless questions. Team Arrow is basically no more, with only Oliver and Felicity still standing; Dig is drowning in guilt for everything he has done – including killing his brother and, inadvertently contributing to Laurel’s death; Thea asked for some time off to reassess her life choices and Oliver is now mayor of Star City.
So much has happened and I am sure we are going to deal with the fallout of it all when we start season 5. With San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner, I got some friends and fellow ARROW fans to discuss what happened in season 4. It is time for us to look back and talk about what worked and what didn’t, so we can get some answers from The Powers That Be and the cast in San Diego this weekend.
They got together. They got engaged. Oliver was an idiot. They broke up. What are your thoughts on Olicity this season and what do you expect for them in season 5?
Luciana Mangas: I was so, so excited about Olicity when season 4 started. They had so much potential – what with the sizzling chemistry between Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell – and they did alright for the first few episodes of the season. It was the honeymoon phase. We were just as in love with them as they were with one another, and things were pretty fantastic for the first seven episodes.
And then that godforsaken crossover happened.
There were so many things that didn’t work with that episode and we will get to them in a minute, but this was the moment where we all knew Olicity was doomed. And I understand that it’s a drama show and that they just couldn’t let Oliver and Felicity just be together and not add unnecessary melodrama to their story, but they did it in the worst possible way.
The problem wasn’t even that they introduced the plot line that Oliver was a father. No, the problem here was that they had Oliver do a complete reversal to season 1!Oliver and erased all that amazing growth and development that they had built over the course of the other three seasons. The fact that he didn’t tell Felicity right away about his son was the proverbial nail in the coffin and we were all just waiting for it all to crash and burn. And then he went ahead and proposed to her, while keeping something major about his life a secret, and if Dahrk hadn’t kidnapped William when he did, he wouldn’t even have told her.
So now we have two amazing characters and a fractured relationship. I can only hope that – in the wake of Laurel’s unexpected death – they can find the strength to pick up the pieces and build themselves back up and find their way back to each other.
Shana Lieberman: Olicity was…not handled well. At all. I can’t even begin to explain just how horribly this relationship was managed this season. Yo, ARROW writers: What were you thinking?
Start the season out with a happy couple? Good, good. That’s nice to see on television once in a blue moon.
Add a dash of angst? Sure, sure. TV writers are totally convinced that happy couples don’t keep viewers engaged or whatever, so manufactured drama for the sake of drama is standard practice. I’m over that mindset and that kind of sloppy writing, but whatever. That’s par for the course. I’ll let it slide.
But the particular way the relationship angst — if you can even call it that — was created? No. Just no. Please…no. Oliver lied to Felicity for no discernible reason other than that his babymama asked him to. I get that he wanted to be able to have a relationship with his kid, but if Oliver was going to be a big, fat Liar McLiarson, he could’ve lied to Babymama Whatshername instead of Felicity. Like, “sure, sure. I won’t tell anyone,” and then go home to have a real discussion with Felicity, the woman he’s in love with and supposedly going to marry. Even though New!Oliver would still have been following in Original Oliver’s dishonest footsteps, this would have been the better option.
Instead, viewers were supposed to not only swallow Oliver’s lies but also listen to various other characters both supporting and even encouraging those lies. Are you kidding me?
Felicity was absolutely right to walk away, but the ARROW writers chose to make it seem like she was the bad guy in all of this for, you know, not liking that the man she was planning on marrying had lied to her for months. And even when other people found out his secret, he still perpetuated his lies against her.
Oh. And about other characters finding out about Oliver’s secret love child? If it was that easy for them to do so, then the whole lie was even more pointless.
Felicity Smoak deserved better. I’m not sure Oliver Queen did, seeing as how he is completely incapable of learning from past mistakes; but Felicity and the ARROW viewers certainly deserved better.
Meredith Zylberberg: The season started out so promising for Olicity. Fans were excited about the prospect of ARROW bucking the tendency to insert drama for drama’s sake. The Olicity fandom, by and large, was so sure that this couple could conquer it all. This couple wouldn’t lie to each other, this couple could overcome obstacles together. And yes, it started that way. But the Baby Mama Drama storyline just…messed it all up.
It was super refreshing to watch this couple communicate, and argue and fight but eventually talk it through and figure it out. It was so awesome to watch them act as a team within the team. And there were so many ways to handle that entire secret kid storyline that would have made more sense to the characters and the relationship and the dynamic that the show has built. As it stands now – the breakup had to happen because of the way the secret child stuff happened. It had to. But as a big time Olicity fan, I feel very let down that the storyline was made to play out this way at all. I have read no shortage of articles outlining much more interesting and creative ways it could have been handled – but the show fell into the trap of drawing out the drama and the angst for no apparent reason other than drawing it out.
Time and time again Olicity fans hear that other viewers don’t want the “soap opera stuff.” But the thing is – neither do Olicity fans. I can’t speak for an entire fandom, but as someone actively involved, someone who speaks to and hears from thousands of other Olicity fans – what fans of this couple want is a united duo who weather challenges and storms together. The relationship doesn’t need to be the main storyline. At all. ARROW is a show about action and mystery and heroes. But Oliver’s relationship with Felicity is important, it makes him stronger, and it humanizes him. Plus – the chemistry between Amell and Rickards is almost distracting in how sizzling it is. It’s a shame that the show gave in to bad tropes and overdone drama, rather than playing up the strength this relationship provides.
I hope season 5 rights this wrong, and allows these actors/characters to do what they do best – play off each other, together, as a united team.
Lizzie Lanuza: Look, I love Olicity. I loved what they did at the beginning of the season with them, and I even appreciate what they tried to do at the end of it. I just can’t condone what they did in the middle.
Because, holy mess, Batman. That was painful. Painful to see Oliver regress for no discernable reason other than the writers needed some artificial drama. Painful to see fans turn on Felicity for acting like a normal human being with feelings and walking away. Painful to see a couple that, at the beginning of the season, looked like they were on their way to providing us with one of the few examples or a mature, functional, adult relationship, become just another on-off couple.
Painful.
Do I think they’re done for good? Not by a long-shot. Do I hope the writers take this opportunity to actually develop the good parts, the couple that knew how to communicate, the Oliver that treated Felicity like a partner in life and work, the Felicity that talked about her issues instead of bottling them up and letting them blind her? Yes. Just because they screwed up in Season 4 doesn’t mean they have to keep screwing up. They can learn from their mistakes.
People live and love and suffer and go through everyday things without breaking up. Sometimes people even go through crazy, life-changing things without parting ways. Couples become stronger together. And I hope the writers have learned this lesson and that they’re working to build back Olicity to then not break them up again. We’d rather see them facing the challenges together than apart – we really would .
Christy Spratlin: This season has been rough on me and my feelings for Olicity. They are probably my favorite ship out of all the ships (and I’m a big shipper so that’s a pretty big deal) but this season has really been a mess for them.
The beginning of the season was great. They were together, they were happy, they were cute, and they really seemed to be making it work. The proposal seemed to be a little quick for me but I could support it because they were so great together. Watching them work through Felicity’s injuries was pretty magical. Oliver was amazing to Felicity, they were making it work and I loved watching them do it.
All of this stuff worked for me, but what didn’t work were all the lies on Oliver’s part. All the lies about his son. This part I feel was really poorly handled by the writers. First off, why would Oliver’s ex (the mother of his child) ask that he not tell anyone about his son? How does him lying to the ones that he is closest to show this woman that he can be trusted? And second, why the hell did Oliver listen to her? I could see keeping it from his team and even from his sister for the time being but from Felicity? Are you kidding me? She was supposed to be the most important person in his life, the one that he could trust with anything, so why couldn’t he trust her to keep his secret? I’m sure that if he had told her and asked her to keep it a secret (as his ex had requested) that she would have been 100% willing to do it. And we can’t forget what Barry told Oliver in their crossover episode. He told Oliver that if he didn’t tell Felicity about his son that eventually she would find out and it would end their relationship. You’d think with all of that Oliver could have made the right choice and saved his relationship, but nope, he went ahead and screwed it all up anyway.
I was almost like we watched Oliver grow and improve himself in the first three seasons and then we watched him regress back into his selfish arrogant old self in season 4. Why would the writers have him regress after they spent so much time developing his character? I just don’t get it.
Now having said all that I do still have hope for Olicity. Felicity seems to be on her way to forgiving Oliver and I do think that she will give them another chance. Let’s just hope that the writers don’t screw it up again this time. It is possible to write an interesting story about a couple without breaking them up. Normal couples go through ups and downs all the time and they manage to work things out. I really hope that the writers will let Olicity do the same thing.
Melissa Smith: Emily Bett Rickards plays smart and sassy as well as any actress on television when given the setup. Yes, all of the fumbling for words was cute when it started and the painful shyness endeared her to the audience, but bringing her out of that shell was one of the better character developments of the series.
Oliver Queen is hardheaded and stubborn and, well, very stubborn. Let Rickards go wild and pull him out of his own head. He needs an equally-stubborn partner who will not let him live in “Ollie-land.” Rickards can pull it off. Without a rudder, his boat-like nature will have him driving around in circles with singular focus.
It the green one is going to be in a relationship, it should be with someone who can stand toe-to-toe with the guy as a partner, as he does with Black Canary in the comics. Felicity had the strength to walk away. Now, give her the strength to walk alongside him and keep him on the path.
Continued on next page…
Was there enough Original Team Arrow this season? What are your thoughts on their dynamic?
Luciana: That was probably what was missing the most, to be honest. That core group – Oliver, Dig and Felicity – was what made me fall in love with this show in the first place. But this past season, the lair felt a little too crowded, with way too many characters and storylines and not enough screen time to do any of them justice. While I absolutely loved seeing Thea grow up and evolve from Oliver’s annoying little sister to this kickass character she is now, that – along with Merlyn and Captain Lance and Felicity’s mom – also took the shine from our beloved Original Team Arrow. That and the fact that for the past two seasons, the show has served as a platform for new DC shows, focusing on even more characters that are not the core group.
So no. There was definitely not enough OTA this season. I miss their dynamic. I miss Felicity and Diggle’s heart to heart. I miss Dig being Oliver’s best friend. I miss everything about them that I fell in love with back in season 1. Here’s hoping that we will get to see more of that next season.
Meredith: In a word, no. There wasn’t enough. We had one awesome episode early on that focused on them, and there were little bits and pieces elsewhere, but really this trio is the core of the show. They made the latter half of season 1 and all of season 2 so incredibly strong. David Ramsey says it all the team – Team Arrow is the heart. And yes each character had their own story this season and that was great – but it would have been really wonderful to see the three of them coming together, even for brief moments, a bit more often. There was some really fantastic Oliver/Diggle stuff this season. And of course there was plenty of meat to the Oliver/Felicity stuff. But Felicity/Diggle was sorely lacking, as was the team together.
One of the weakest parts of the show in season 3 and much of season 4, in my opinion, has been how bloated the team is. It made fights and stunts hard to follow, and it meant often sidelining characters (like Diggle) or downplaying Oliver’s strengths and skillsets to allow others to have some spotlight. When it’s just OTA each person has their role, and nobody else does that role. Oliver is the main fighter, Diggle is his backup/confidante, and Felicity provides the eyes/ears/intel. It works. It’s a well-oiled machine. By continuing to add to the team with more fighters and people like Curtis, it makes the roles each person plays muddy, and doesn’t allow for the great organic chemistry of OTA to shine. While I might like characters as characters, that doesn’t mean I enjoy them as full time members of the team.
The little bits of OTA we got this season were great – but I really hope the show goes back to that dynamic even more in season 5.
Lizzie: Is there ever enough OTA? They’re my favorite part of the show, the reason why I kept on watching Arrow even if I didn’t like the surly Oliver Queen of the beginning. That being said, I understand that there are other characters and these characters need development too. But I think that Arrow, at times, can suffer of the “too much of a good thing” syndrome. They know OTA works ,so they throw some little scenes our way every once in awhile to appease us while giving characters like Donna and Quentin more screen time. And don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but I can think of a few of their scenes – or Curtis’s scenes, for that matter, that I would happily trade for an OTA scene.
I also think OTA would benefit from the show bringing Lyla on on a more permanent basis. Sure, Diggle as the buffer between Oliver and Felicity works, and it’s hilarious, but as they all move into a new stage in their lives, it makes sense that the Oliver and Felicity who are, hopefully, getting back together sooner rather than later, would hang out not just with Diggle, but with Diggle and his wife.
In short – not enough, not by a longshot. And if the show really does want to get back to its roots, it should focus on this first, not just on being gritty.
Christy: For me OTA is really the heart of this show and this season it was seriously lacking. This is where the magic happens, and let’s be honest, there wasn’t a lot of magic happening there this season.
The Arrow cave was just too full this year. There were too many people in there trying to get there two cents in. By bringing Laurel, Thea, Lance, Curtis and even Merlyn in there they made it seem less than what it really is. And don’t get me wrong here, I liked seeing Thea’s character grow this season and I loved what Curtis brought to the show, I just think that too much time was spent on it.
I miss the long Diggle/Oliver and Diggle/Felicity conversations that we used to get before the cave was flooded with people. I miss watching Felicity oogle over shirtless Oliver while he was working out (Oliver really did wear far too much clothing this season). And I miss seeing the OTA, just the three of them, working together. This used to be the best part of the show, here’s hoping they can bring some of that greatness back in season five.
Continued on next page…
It turns out it was Laurel in the grave. How did you take it? Was it wise of them to kill her off?
Luciana: I can’t say I was surprised. After all, she was the only “expendable” character out of all of them and the only one that made sense, so I admit I was already kind of expecting it. What surprised me, however, was how hard I took her death. I had never been a Laurel fan, by any means, but they did such a fantastic job in redeeming her and have her character come full circle by the end of the season, that I was actually enjoying her scenes a lot more than I ever had.
So even though I sort of knew it was coming – they were pretty obvious about it, in hindsight – I was very emotional about it, mostly because it affected so many people and they played it so well, that I was in tears during her funeral.
Do I think they made a wise decision when they chose to kill her off? I do. They didn’t have to kill her, but there wasn’t much left for the character to do. It came to a point that she was kind of just there in the background and it was such a waste of talent and time. Am I happy that she’s gone? Not necessarily. I am going to miss her and I think her death is still going to have a major repercussion in season 5. That said, I doubt this is the last we will see of her. After all, these characters live in a world where time travel is possible and there are multiple universes, so I’m sure we are still going to bump into her along the way.
Lizzie: How did I take it? You mean it was a surprise? It was honestly the only thing that made sense since, like, the moment the grave first appeared. Who were they going to kill off? Felicity, one half of one of the most beloved couples on television? Diggle, Oliver’s brother, partner and confidant? Thea, his only living relative, who, incidentally, already “died” in Season 3? No. It had to be Laurel. No one else made sense.
So, I took it well. I knew it was coming. I thought they did a horrible job of following through with what I assumed was going to happen, and I thought the death itself was silly and not at all what a character as iconic deserved, but then again, the Laurel Lance of ARROW never even came close to the Black Canary of the comics.
That being said, even for a character that was usually not one of my favorites, the way they turned her final conversation with Oliver into an out-of-place and completely misguided love declaration, and the way they made the episode after all about Lauriver instead of focusing on honoring her legacy were just as bad, if not worse than the actual death.
I wish I could say I was surprised about these things, but sadly, I’m not. The writers messed up the Black Canary storyline and were always a bit lost on what to do with Laurel once she wasn’t’ a viable romantic possibility for Oliver, so in this regard, I’m glad the character is gone. Maybe in another incantation I can grow to love her. It was never going to happen with this one.
Shana: I was surprisingly emotional about Laurel’s death, considering she’s been my least favorite character ever since…whenever it was that she started doing nothing but crying. And that godawful “addiction” storyline. Just no.
Anyway, as far as the death itself went, ARROW tried to make Laurel out to be a much more central character than she had been on the series since at least season one, if ever. Somehow, it worked, which was probably because the actors sold the story so well. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have cared. At all. As it was, the emotion surrounding Laurel’s death wasn’t earned unless you were thinking of Laurel Lance as the comic book character, not the tv character, which isn’t something I personally care to do.
Was it wise to kill her off? Well, yeah. Laurel’s rise to Black Canary status was rushed at best, and she just didn’t fit with the rest of Team Arrow. Once the character was dragged down to worthlessness early on, there was no coming back. Or, well, maybe coming back was possible — just not in the (again) rushed way that it was done. If the creative team at ARROW felt that a character death was necessary, Laurel was, for better or worse, the only way to go.
Oh, what could have been, though. What a waste.
Meredith: Quite frankly, killing Laurel was the smartest thing the show did in season 4. The character hadn’t been working for a while. Once it became apparent that the love story wasn’t between Laurel and Oliver after all, it looked very much like the show had no idea what to do with Laurel Lance. She was relegated to the background, and when she was in a scene or storyline she could easily be lifted out without any consequence. Did the show do a disservice to the comic Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary? Yes. I think they did. But I also know that the show and the comics are two separate entities, and in the end Laurel Lance didn’t really have a place on the show.
I wasn’t convinced they would do it. I knew it was the smart play, in that her death was the only one that would be felt just the right amount by Oliver and the team. It would matter, a lot, but it wouldn’t cripple them/him the way Felicity or Thea or Diggle dying would. But I wasn’t sure the show would have the cajones to go through with it. I’m glad they did. It was a strong decision, a surprising one for many people, and I really think it was the right one.
All that said, it’s probably clear that I took the death well. I know the comics, I’m familiar with them. It would have been great if the show had been able to create an awesome Black Canary/Dinah, but in the end they didn’t. She was my least favorite character on the show – I never connected with her or felt her emotions in any sort of real way. She came across as angry and bitter and vengeful and thoughtless most of the time. So yeah. I’m glad that characters I care much more about were not the ones in the grave. And I’m impressed that Arrow was willing to go this route.
Her last episode was a really strong episode. The emotional performances by everyone involved really resonated. I did find that last scene with Oliver and Laurel odd and out of place with the narrative the show has constructed over 4 seasons. Oliver was the love of Laurel’s life? What about Tommy, who literally died for her? Nothing on the show since season 2 suggested anything other than history when it came to romance between Oliver and Laurel. She even told him that she couldn’t remember a time she was in love with him. So I think that final scene between them did a disservice to her character and to viewers, as did the flashbacks in her funeral episode. But the show chose to go that route, for whatever reason, and while I didn’t particularly care for the content of the scene, it was well-acted by Amell and Cassidy. MVP of course was Paul Blackthorne as the devastated father.
Overall, I think Laurel’s death was one of the best things the show did this season. I just hope they don’t continue to try to make her something she wasn’t posthumously.
Christy: Laurel has been a really odd character for me. I loved her in season one, hated her in seasons two and three, and then kind of liked her again in season four. But really by the time of her death she had become a pretty meaningless character in the show. She wasn’t that helpful to the team, she didn’t really have any important relationships with anyone else on the show, and I think if they had removed her from every scene she was in nobody would have noticed.
Her death was probably one of the right decisions that the show made this last season. Her character was useless so, really, it was time for her to go. It would have been nice to see her killed off in some big exuberant battle to make it a little more meaningful but in the end I think that they still gave her a pretty good death. I love how they carried the whole “who’s in the grave” thing throughout the season and I thought that they brought it all together pretty well in the end.
I did find the episode following her death a little confusing though. The writers seemed to go out of their way to make her appear to be a more important character than she ever was. And the flashback’s with her and Oliver made absolutely no sense. How and when did he become her one true love? What about Tommy?
All that being said Katie Cassidy’s performance in her last two episodes was quite impressive. It was the best that she has done throughout the series and she definitely brought on the feels for me.
Melissa: Producers – I do not care how you bring back Black Canary, but please figure it out. Those of us who grew up with the sassy, sexy siren want her back. Whether or not she and GA are a couple is flexible in my mind (I know, heresy, but will take what I can get).
I think that, given the right character development, Laurel Lance could have been redeemed. SUPERNATURAL fans know Katie Cassidy can bring the snark and the firepower. But Black Canary, whether Laurel Lance or some other adult female (no teens), needs to be part of the storyline. She always has been the yin to Green Arrow’s yang and definitely the funnier of the two. Grown-up humor, not slapstick.
She was a female role model for those of us who grew up to be independent women. Helpless women are boring and play to an outdated stereotype. If we no longer are waiting for Prince Charming to ride in to save us from ourselves, it is because of role models like Black Canary. Please train one, convert one or grab one from another earth, pronto! Put Curtis at the console and Felicity in the jacket and give her a smart mouth to go with her smart brain. The world needs Black Canary.
Concluded on next page…
What do you want to see in season 5?
Luciana: I have been hearing so much about how ARROW will get back to its roots in season 5, and honestly, that is all I want. Let’s please end the never ending platform for new DC shows and focus on the original characters. Give us Oliver, Felicity and Diggle back as a team and as friends and partners. Give us back those gritty storylines we loved so much in the earlier seasons.
That said, I would love to see more Lyla. She has been such a great addition to the show and she is Dig’s rock. After everything that happened with Laurel, and with John drowning in guilt, she is going to be of utmost importance in his life. So bring her back and let her stay. We love us some Lyla and Sarah.
And last, but most definitely not least, just please let Oliver and Felicity be happy. They are clearly perfect for each other and love each other fiercely. While I agree that they need to work out some of their issues, please don’t drag this out for too long. After everything that went down this season, these two deserve some happiness.
Lizzie: I want to see the ARROW that I fell in love with, with less magic, less supernatural abilities and just more street-fighting. I also want OTA to be the core of Team Arrow once again. Sure, Curtis can sometimes help, and some other team members can come and go, but Oliver, Diggle and Felicity can and have done this alone before, and the show should get back to that dynamic, even when there’s other people around.
Regarding Oliver and Felicity, I want them back together, but I don’t want it to be rushed. I don’t want the mess that was the Season 4 breakup to just be swept under the rug. I want them both to talk about their issues, to pinpoint the reasons why things didn’t work out before and to work together to make sure they avoid the same issues. I think, after the stupid drama they fed us, that’s the least the writers can do.
Finally, I want ARROW to utilize Lyla Michaels more. There’s so much they could do with Argus, and also so much they could do in the domestic, little moments, if they had her around for more than four or five episodes a season.
Shana: I’m going to be really shallow here and say that my greatest wish for ARROW season 5 is a return to Oliver Queen’s shirtless training. I miss it, ok?
In all honesty, though, the days of shirtless training were also the days when ARROW didn’t take itself too seriously. Those were the good ol’ days. When the series started trying to be something else, it fell into the trap of trying too hard and just failed spectacularly at maintaining the sort of fun, campy feeling that made me enjoy watching it in the first place.
With that being said, I don’t want ARROW to get too out there or ridiculous in the future, and I’d like for it to fix some of this past season’s cheese once and for all. Provide some real development for Oliver — the main character and hero — and don’t backtrack on it. Let him learn from his mistakes for once, for the love of God.
Also, Olicity should make up and live happily ever after…but even this must be earned. I may love my ‘ships, but that doesn’t mean that I want them to come virtually out of nowhere (weird Laurel/Oliver shippy stuff surrounding Laurel’s death, I’m looking at you).
Meredith: I really don’t like to say that I was disappointed with a show I love so much, but the truth is I was. While there were some awesome episodes in the latter half of season 4, by and large I felt that 4b was scattered and meandering, and things were dropped or dragged out that didn’t need to be.
So in season 5 I’d like some story resolution. I’d like some more insight into Felicity’s psyche, regarding everything. The breakup, her father, how the deaths at the end of season 4 are weighing on her, losing her job. So much happened and we saw none of her reaction to it. I need that.
Olicity needs to make their way back together. It can be subtle, and in the background, but it needs to happen and it needs to make sense. As much as anyone, I want the back and forth and will they/won’t they drama for the sake of drama to end. They are stronger and better together, and I think the show overall is better when they are together, too.
Less magic and fewer metahumans. Oliver is a human being with exceptional skills as a fighter and as an archer. Let’s get back to that, please.
Keep Team Arrow small. Visiting helpers every so often are fine, but TA works best as a small, well-oiled machine. It makes fight scenes and stunts better and stronger and more powerful, too.
Finally, please stop recycling storylines. How many boyfriends is Thea going to have that turn out to be working for the bad guy? How many times are the police going to turn against Green Arrow and his team? Fresh, new ideas and stories rather than retreading things that have been done, combined with the gritty realism and badass fights and stunts of the early seasons would be great. Add in a little pinch of strong relationships and character dynamics, and a lean Team Arrow, and we’ve got a winning recipe.
Melissa: For me, the strength of this show is the techs. Best sound on television. Best choreography on television. Direction that is a mini-feature every week. So subtle and so perfect that the audience lets a few storyline lapses go by, just for the pure entertainment of what it is watching and seeing.
Curtis must get used to the new role of “helming” and quickly. A little slapstick goes a long way on an action show. His character is supposed to be brilliant. He has had enough time to be a nervous Nelly. It is time for him to reveal his tougher edge.
Do not let the romance get soapy. Romance on an action show should be the cherry on the sundae, not the ice cream. THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS does not have fabulous stunts or incredible sound. I do not watch Y&R for the tech. I watch ARROW.
I agree with Lizzie. Lyla balances John and has no “shy flower” airs about her. Expand her role and throw some more independent womanism into the show.
Should I mention “bring back Black Canary”…again? Yes, I should.
ARROW will return for an all new season on Wednesday, October 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW (U.S.) and CTV (Canada).