Thanks to Spindae2 for the heads up.
Though Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) tried to trick Oliver by drugging him after they slept together so Team Arrow could help him escape, Oliver took his place as the Heir to the Demon. But is Oliver completely dedicated to the League? “Episode 21 answers that question pretty definitively,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim teases. What else is in store for Starling’s former savior and those he left behind? Here are highlights of what’s ahead:
Team Arrow is struggling: “One of the things we talked about is how is Team Arrow functioning post-Oliver,” Guggenheim says. “We didn’t want to go too much into crime on the rise because we felt like we did that with Brick. But certainly you’ll see in 21 and 22 what Team Arrow is up to and how they’re working to continue to protect the city while Oliver is away.” But Oliver’s absence this time around is very different than when they thought he was dead. “Knowing that he’s out there and alive, but a member of the League of Assassins, that’s a whole lot harder,” he says. “[Episode] 321 is one of our most emotional episodes. 321 is a villain of the week episode—it just so happens that the villain of the week is Oliver.”
However, the new trio that makes up Team Arrow (Laurel, Diggle and Felicity) will be able to lean on each other. “They’re processing things in different ways,” Guggenheim says. “Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is throwing herself into her work saving the city. Felicity is struggling with heartbreak and grief. She really goes through the seven stages of grief with Oliver (David Ramsey). Something happens in 21 that upends Diggle’s world vis-a-vis Oliver. That will have repercussions for the remainder of the season.”
The love Oliver left behind: “One thing that was really important to us in the writers’ room was there was a strong desire to have Oliver and Felicity sleep together before the events of the season finale,” Guggenheim says. “We wanted to take that off the table prior to the season finale.” Fear not, that cryptic quote does not mean that Felicity is pregnant. But there could still be a silver lining for Olicity ‘shippers. “The last three episodes of the season spend a lot of time addressing the question ‘Is there hope for Oliver?’” Guggenheim says. “Is there hope for Oliver in Felicity’s mind? 21 and 22 have some specific things to say about that and Felicity’s coming to grips with the conclusion of episode 20.”
Team Arrow is struggling: “One of the things we talked about is how is Team Arrow functioning post-Oliver,” Guggenheim says. “We didn’t want to go too much into crime on the rise because we felt like we did that with Brick. But certainly you’ll see in 21 and 22 what Team Arrow is up to and how they’re working to continue to protect the city while Oliver is away.” But Oliver’s absence this time around is very different than when they thought he was dead. “Knowing that he’s out there and alive, but a member of the League of Assassins, that’s a whole lot harder,” he says. “[Episode] 321 is one of our most emotional episodes. 321 is a villain of the week episode—it just so happens that the villain of the week is Oliver.”
However, the new trio that makes up Team Arrow (Laurel, Diggle and Felicity) will be able to lean on each other. “They’re processing things in different ways,” Guggenheim says. “Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is throwing herself into her work saving the city. Felicity is struggling with heartbreak and grief. She really goes through the seven stages of grief with Oliver (David Ramsey). Something happens in 21 that upends Diggle’s world vis-a-vis Oliver. That will have repercussions for the remainder of the season.”
The love Oliver left behind: “One thing that was really important to us in the writers’ room was there was a strong desire to have Oliver and Felicity sleep together before the events of the season finale,” Guggenheim says. “We wanted to take that off the table prior to the season finale.” Fear not, that cryptic quote does not mean that Felicity is pregnant. But there could still be a silver lining for Olicity ‘shippers. “The last three episodes of the season spend a lot of time addressing the question ‘Is there hope for Oliver?’” Guggenheim says. “Is there hope for Oliver in Felicity’s mind? 21 and 22 have some specific things to say about that and Felicity’s coming to grips with the conclusion of episode 20.”
Source:
"there was a strong desire to have Oliver and Felicity sleep together before the events of the season finale"
ReplyDeletewhat?
I'm really not an Olicity shipper at all. I've never seen any real chemistry between them and I think Felicity is all wrong for him. He needs someone more like Sarah was.
ReplyDeleteI am curious to see where Oliver's journey goes.
I'm going to stay heavily in denial that the writers gave with one hand and taking it away with the other and just pretend that there is a happy ending for Olicity. But my guess is that they're going to pull a Peeta and make Oliver forget his past life and everything that happened last episode. Including his love for Felicity.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. I am not sure about the closure between Thea and Malcolm by the end of the season. What closure? Thea please kill Malcolm in a lazarus pit rage. Dude is the reason for all this mess. Joking. I don't want your soul to be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteWhat Lance scoop. I didn't read any.
ReplyDelete*Ironiy* ^_^
ReplyDelete;-)
ReplyDeleteI liked that scene. Hopefully it's at least a deleted scene that will be released on DVD/ Blu-Ray. He was spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole use and introduction of Ra's Al Ghul has been ill advised to say the least, and has harmed his comic book reputation. But since the production team needs to reconcile making a compelling comic book story with the fact that its on a network that relies too heavily on elements best left to soap operas: well there you have it. You get what you pay for.
ReplyDeleteFor what its worth I'll add my two cents on where this will all go either in the last remaining episodes of the season or into the next.
Because the production and writing teams have confused Green Arrow's hood for a black cowl with pointed ears from day one, they won't stop now. Also because there needs to be a reasonable means to get Oliver back home and away from the League without him having to perpetually look over his shoulder:
Oliver and Nyssa will be paired politically and Nyssa will become pregnant with Oliver's child. This will give Ra's the true heir he needs, freeing Oliver of his obligations to return home.
Talia err Nyssa will raise Damien err the baby away from Bruce err Oliver.
There you have it. An honorable means for the hero to return.
I couldn't believe it but he made me cry with that hospital scene. I was already a wreck.
ReplyDeleteSo next season will be Arrow 4 without the Arrow?
ReplyDeleteDo you think Malcolm has alive Sara stashed away somewhere?
ReplyDeletePossible. Someone has to. He could have retrieved her body and he would know the location of a pit most likely given how esteemed he was in the league before the Undertaking.
ReplyDeleteYes this has really hurt one of Batman's most dangerous foes. He isn't Batman and there's no kid on the way (if you're seen the next promo you'd know Oliver is sent to kill Nyssa). This article lays out why he's not a Batman rip-off far better than I could: http://www.thearrowverse.com/far-from-batman-and-iron-man-lite.html
ReplyDeleteThe Arrow doesn't exist anymore so the team needs a new name. Any suggestions?
ReplyDelete* I hear what you're saying and agree. There might be no kid on the way but ultimately from a mechanics perspective, the story has to find a viable way to release Oliver from his obligation. There needs to be a way for Ra's to say: "you're free to go, keep in touch". A political marriage of convenience with his daughter with a possible baby in the future would be technical way for Oliver to keep the league at arms length and it would provide the soapy relationship complications that too many misguided fans crave.
ReplyDelete* I read the article and its not bad. Its not great, but its well researched. I'll give it that. It fails because its premise essentially boils down to this: DC created Green Arrow as a copy of Batman to begin with so therefor similarities are inevitable. Batman doesn't exist in the CWverse so the fact that Green Arrow is a copy of a non existent character means that Oliver Queen is this universe's Bruce Wayne. Therefore liberal use of Batman characteristics and situations is legitimate. That's the gist of it. So essentially he's saying they are copying Batman but because he doesn't exist in this world it's OK. Which is what I've been saying from the beginning, but at least he's admitting it.
I wonder if Sara did not die at all. I was thinking Malcolm kidnapped her and stashed her away. He sacrified some other mind controlled girl to pose as Sara. Very soap operaic I know.
ReplyDeleteLaurel held Sara....after she fell off the roof. The had her in the Arrow cave.
ReplyDeletereally lookig forward to 321.
ReplyDeletewell seeing as the last ep is called "My Name is Oliver Queen", I doubt he will have forgotten his life and probably reclaimed it by then and also the whole end car scene etc.... but do have a feeling things will be different by the end and into s4. hopefully for the better.
ReplyDeleteIdk what happens, but if Oliver looses to anyone while he is Al Sah him, I will be disappointed. Even by trickery or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI hate that article so much. Just because Green Arrow was originally a Batman knockoff doesn't mean he can't be more than that. I also don't give a damn if we'll never see Bats on the small screen. The world does not need more Batman.
ReplyDeleteI really hope they don't screw up Thea as Speedy. Been waiting for this since the Pilot.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to stick because they just wanted to get out of the way and just be done. It gives me strength.
ReplyDeletethank you. I thought i was the only one that felt that way. I do like Falicity but the way she was. To me she she believed in him and she acted more like an equal all the time. She really didn't care if she had to put Oliver in his place which she did in most episodes and she was always there to pick him up too. I felt she loved him but not as a lover. She respected him and it gave her a chance to prove she to herself she is worth something more than just a worker at Queen Enterprize
ReplyDeleteHe always makes me cry. He is the best actor that i have seen on tv or the movies. He shows the right emotion for every scene. I don't know how he does it but he makes it seem so real. Even when her heart stopped and when they got the heart beat back the way he calapsed against the wall. That was the reaction i would expect to happen. He is the best and Thea the way she jumped out of the water and kicked and attacked Oliver...true actors. She is so good too. I love the both of them. True actors
ReplyDeleteYou are talking about SA as Oliver right. He was brilliant. But we were talking about John Barrowman as Malcolm above. Oliver destroyed me yesterday. Then when Malcolm came in and cried I was a blubbering mess. And I don't even like Malcolm.
ReplyDeleteWilla is also a great actress. Her and SA really look like siblings and OLiver/Thea relationship is the best relationship on the show.
Well you might never know. Paul Blackthorn might inspire a writer 😉
ReplyDelete