Well that was….
Totally expected.
Sorry Arrow writers. Called that plot twist six months ago. Nice try. In fact, the entire fandom called it. Why? Because we pay attention, dissect your words and spend hours and hours agonizing over these characters. Don’t fuck with us. The Arrow fandom knows their shit. We were just ahead of curve guys. It was 3x09 not 3x15.
As far as this episode goes, with Ra’s Al Ghul’s offer and the Raylicity sex…it’s fine. It’s all fine. I’m cool as a cucumber. In fact…we’re clipping along nicely.
Let’s get into it.
Oliver Queen
The entire season is based on the theme of identity. Is Oliver The Arrow or is he Oliver Queen? To me, that question was always much more profound that Oliver choosing an identity. This show isn’t just about Oliver becoming The Green Arrow. This show is about saving Oliver’s soul. When one is grappling with an identity crisis, it’s more than determining who you are. It’s about acceptance. Only when you accept who you are can you determine who you want to be. This season, more than any other season, is the battle between the light and dark within Oliver. This season is the battle for Oliver Queen’ssoul.
Season 1 - Vigilantism. The dark.
Season 2 - Heroism. The light.
Season 3- Identity. The choice between the two.
Remember the spoilers from the summer? The signs were all there. The introduction of Ra’s Al Ghul.Malcolm Merlyn as a season regular. The Season 3 poster. Thea embarking on herIsland. The date. A new love interest for Felicity. IT’S ALL CONNECTED.IT ALL MATTERS. Why? Because each of
these plot points play an intricate and vital role in Oliver’s identity crisis,
his choice and the ultimate loss or retention of his soul.
Ra’s Al Ghul’s real threat to Oliver is so much more than physical.
It’s mental. A psychological war that’s even more dangerous than Slade
Wilson. I’ve been harping and harping on
the real danger that Ra’s Al Ghul poses to Oliver since this summer. I’ve
linked a few of my older posts.
August 2014 Theory
September 2014 Theory
November 2014 Theory
So for
those that read my blog religiously (something I thank you for deeply) I
apologize for sounding like a broken record, but the truth is this….
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he
doesn’t exist.
Ra’s Al Ghul is the devil. Perhaps not as self serving as
Malcolm Merlyn, but a devil none the less. Just because Ra’s believes in a
greater mission or purpose doesn’t make him any less evil than Merlyn. Ra’s Al
Ghul devoted his life to The League. He
let go of the man he was and became symbol. A symbol that is feared and
respected. A symbol, for lack of a better word, that’s incredibly
effective. EFFECTIVENESS is what
Oliver is searching for right now.
If you look at every superhero story, the origin of their
story always begins in tragedy because that moment marks a period of extreme
helplessness. Where the hero felt they
had no control and lost someone incredibly important to them. They are driven
to never feel helpless again. They are driven to control. They are driven to
protect.
Oliver Queen is no different. Oliver loves deeply. He feels deeply. So deeply it almost overwhelms
him, to the point that he has to shut down to keep going. It’s a coping mechanism. A coping mechanism that was honed in
hell. The only way Oliver Queen knows
how to love is by protecting the people he loves.
Oliver chose The Arrow because he believes it’s through The Arrow
that he’s most effective. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be Oliver Queen. He
does…very much.
However, he doesn’t know how to be Oliver Queen and not be
distracted from life as The Arrow. He has no idea how to balance the two. And
in Oliver’s world distractions mean mistakes and mistakes mean death.
Oliver’s deepest fear is not just losing the people he
loves, but being the cause of their deaths. Oliver reiterated it again tonight
to Thea - their parents died because him.
That’s a guilt Oliver carries with him every day.
Oliver blames himself for everything ever,
but more than anything Oliver blames himself for the ones he’s lost.
Oliver is walking around with a CRIPPLING case of Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. He is haunted by the ones he’s loved and lost. His
parents, Tommy, Sara, Yao Fei, Shado…even Slade. Each of these people died in
service to Oliver’s survival. Oliver
Queen exists so they do not. At least
that’s what he thinks. Oliver became The Arrow to honor them. He became The
Arrow to atone. He became The Arrow to ensure he never loses anyone ever
again. The Arrow is control in a world
of madness. There is a psychological split that is happening in Oliver. The
constant back and forth between The Arrow and Oliver Queen cannot be sustained. It’s either merge the identities (something
Oliver has NO IDEA how to do) or split permanently. Choose. One or the other.
Or…truly go insane.
A man cannot live by
two names.
At this point in the journey, Oliver believes it’s a choice
between a permanent split. When that
rocket exploded and Oliver saw Felicity lying on the ground, the one he loves
the most, there is no power in this world that will ever convince me that he
didn’t see Tommy. That he didn’t see his father. That he didn’t see his mother.
That he didn’t see Yao Fei. That he didn’t see Shado.
And then…Sara dies.
Sara dies serving a life Oliver believes he led her to. The connective thread in all of those
deaths is not The Arrow. It’s Oliver Queen.
That’s why Oliver chose The Arrow in 3x01 and the entire
first half of this season has been about exploring what that choice means. What does it really mean to be The Arrow and
to let Oliver Queen go? He’s straddled the lines between the two, reaching out
to Oliver Queen at times…
but in the end always pulling back to The Arrow.
However, in 3x12 Oliver made a definitive choice.
It’s The Arrow. Now we have to see how far the rabbit hole goes.
Personally, I believe Oliver is inflicting some kind of self
imposed purgatory upon himself. Oliver
doesn’t need to be on Lian Yu anymore. He IS the Island. He carries inside of
him and he is not done inflicting punishment upon himself for his sins. What’s
the punishment? Stripping himself of Oliver Queen. To him, Oliver Queen is the
danger. Oliver Queen is the infection. Oliver Queen is the darkness. By letting Oliver Queen go, by choosing The
Arrow, Oliver is metaphorically if not psychologically committing suicide. Oliver would never actually kill
himself. His parents, Yao Fei, and Shado sacrificed their lives in the name of Oliver’s survival. So, survive
is exactly what Oliver will do. That much he owes them. But live? That he
cannot do. The Arrow is survival. Living
is Oliver Queen. So why inflict this
type of punishment on himself? Because of what drives him…to protect. It’s how he loves. If he is the danger, if
Oliver Queen is the darkness, then remove the threat. If Oliver Queen does not
exists…it means others will live.
Just before he fell off that cliff, Oliver saw his father,
his mother, Thea and Felicity. All he holds most dear. Only two of those people are still
living.
Thea and Felicity are his only
certainties in life. He knows he loves them. He knows he’ll do anything to
protect them. He’d die for them. But death isn’t the ultimate price. Or at least that’s not the price the devil
charges. What the devil wants, what the devil craves, what the devil feeds on,
is souls. Ra’s Al Ghul wants Oliver’s
soul. That’s the bargain.
The reason working with Malcolm Merlyn is so incredibly
dangerous is that it’s the first step in a very long slippery slope that can
rapidly turn into a downward spiral from which there is no return.
When you abandon your
principles, your morality, and you allow the ends to justify the means it
becomes very easy to start crossing lines. You can lose sight of who you are, until
the person in the mirror is no longer recognizable. Until the person in the
mirror is no longer a person.
Oliver took that first step. He agreed to work with
Merlyn. He turned his back on his
principles, his morality, for the sake of the knowledge Merlyn has. In that moment, Oliver chose The Arrow yet
again. That choice, more than any other choice he’s made all season, stripped
him of Oliver Queen. That choice was letting Oliver Queen go. And why? TO PROTECT THOSE HE LOVES.
It has left Oliver vulnerable to Ra’s Al Ghul. More
vulnerable that he even knows. Ra’s Al
Ghul’s point will be simple. He admires The Arrow. He admires Oliver. But his point will be thus - to be truly
effective, to truly save lives, he MUST let Oliver Queen go permanently. Devote
himself to a cause. To an idea. Leave
the man behind and become a symbol. The Arrow is just the beginning. Ra’s has grander plans for Oliver than just
being Starling City’s savior. Ra’s Al Ghul is holding out the keys to the
kingdom. He holds open a position of unimaginable power. He dangles immortality in Oliver’s
reach. If Oliver truly wants to
protect…become The Demon. Become Ra’s Al Ghul. Save a city? Try saving THE
WORLD.
And all Oliver needs to do is stop being a man. Stop being
Oliver.
Since Oliver has already started down the slippery slope,
allowing the ends to justify the means, it will be easier to do it again. And
again. And again. Until he no longer
recognizes the man in the mirror. Until it’s no longer a man in the mirror at
all.
The problem is Oliver has it ass backwards. He believes
Oliver Queen is a destructive force and The Arrow is the benevolent force. It’s not that The Arrow is bad or good. The Arrow is neutral. It’s sort of like
money. Money can be good or bad. It depends on the person in control of it. The
Arrow is a weapon and how it’s wielded depends entirely on the person in
control.
What is truly maddening about Oliver Queen is that he CANNOT
see his own light. He doesn’t know the source of it. He doesn’t understand it. Oliver Queen is NOT the danger. Oliver Queen
is the light. Oliver Queen is the force of good. Oliver Queen is worth
saving. Oliver Queen is worth living.
If Oliver believes he’s a destructive force, then how difficult
will it be for Oliver to let the man go? Not very, I promise you. Which is why I said this identity crisis was
going to lead Oliver down a very, very dark path. I think it’s a path he must travel on though.
His identity isn’t just about choosing The Arrow or Oliver Queen. It’s about ACCEPTANCE.
It doesn’t matter if Felicity can see it.
It
doesn’t matter if Diggle can see it.
It
doesn’t matter if Barry can see it.
If Oliver
cannot see his own light, he’ll NEVER become the man, the superhero, he’s meant
to be. Oliver has to decide that Oliver Queen has worth. He has to forgive
himself. He has to love himself. He has
to allow Oliver Queen to live. He has to
choose. Light or dark. Only then can
Oliver become the person he’s meant to be. Only then can Oliver learn how to
merge his two identities into one.
But he’s not there yet.
And no matter how many warnings he gets from Tatsu…
Felicity…
Diggle…
or Robert…
Oliver is ready to risk his soul because Oliver doesn’t believe his soul is
worth saving.
Oliver knows two certainties. He’ll do anything to protect
Thea and he loves Felicity. Those two certainties are intricately
connected. Oliver joined forces with
Malcolm Merlyn, he chose The Arrow and abandoned Oliver Queen, because he’s
willing to do anything to protect Thea.
This episode he’s willing to put his life at risk to save Thea’s own
soul. Why? Because Thea’s soul has value
to Oliver. Thea is worth saving.
But the price, the sacrifice, is Felicity. No single person
connects Oliver to his humanity more than Felicity Smoak. In the midst of
Season 1, in the midst of killing & vigilantism and threats and
targets…he saw Felicity Smoak as a person.
She sparked his humanity from the second he saw her…
and it’s been
Felicity’s influence that’s been the primary factor in Oliver’s awakening.
There’s a reason why Season 2, Heroism, was
Oliver simultaneously falling in love with Felicity and becoming a hero.
Love
& light are connected. They go hand in hand. She is the person he loves the most. Felicity Smoak is who Oliver holds most precious.
But who Felicity wants and loves is Oliver Queen. Oliver’s choice to be The Arrow deprives
Felicity of who she wants.
Oliver’s choice to step away from Oliver Queen has
been two fold. First was the explosion.
The second Felicity was threatened, the second Oliver Queen posted a threat to
her, Oliver stepped away. It’s not just
her physical protection that Oliver is concerned with. If Oliver Queen is the darkness, and Felicity
loves Oliver Queen, doesn’t it stand to reason that Oliver believes he must
protect Felicity from…HIM? That his darkness can taint her. That he’s not
good enough for her. Trust me, as much
as the desire is there to keep her safe, there’s a good hefty dose of self
hatred influencing Oliver’s decisions when it comes to Felicity. He loves her, but Oliver doesn’t believe he
deserves her. He doesn’t believe he deserves to be happy. It is a self inflicted purgatory.
The second, teaming up with Merlyn, was an abandonment of
his principles. Of the man he is…of the man she loves. Something that Felicity couldn’t abide by, no
matter how noble his reasons. The person
who can harness his light, will never accept Oliver turning his back on it. FELICITY believes Oliver’s soul DOES have
value. She believes Oliver Queen is worth saving. The price that Oliver is willing to pay is
too high for Felicity. Felicity rejects
how Oliver loves because it deprives her of the man she loves.
Thereby costing
Oliver what is most precious to him and the single strongest thread to his
humanity.
How many people can
Oliver Queen lose before he stops being Oliver Queen?
I don’t believe Oliver wants to join The League or desires
to be Ra’s Al Ghul. However, I don’t believe Ra’s is open to negotiating either. Will Oliver once again allow the ends to
justify the means? He may convince himself that he may be able to do more good
as the leader of The League than The Arrow. This isn’t substitute teaching
Oliver. Taking Ra’s Al Ghul’s place means becoming Ra’s Al Ghul. Without his tethers to his humanity and his
unceasing desire to do what is necessary no matter what the cost, Oliver lacks
the moral fortitude required to go head to head in psychological warfare with
Ra’s Al Ghul. Therein lies his weakness
that Ra’s will exploit. The key to beating Ra’s Al Ghul isn’t found within The
League, or Ra’s teachings or Malcolm Merlyn.
The key to beating Ra’s Al Ghul lies in Oliver Queen. But it’s Oliver
Queen that he is willing to sacrifice.
Until Oliver accepts the man and starts fighting for Oliver
Queen…he’ll never stop Ra’s Al Ghul.
Felicity: Olicity and Raylicty
You alive fandom????? Everyone just take a big, deep,
cleansing breath. In and out. In and out.
Felicity and Ray had sex.
And guess what…YOU SURVIVED IT!!!
Praise Jesus. It happened fast. One second they are talking;
the next they are kissing. The two scenes
later BOOM they are asleep in bed together.
It was sort of like ripping off a band aid.
Look, I’m not going to lie. Was I thrilled at the sexipades?
Hell no. In fact my reaction went something like this…
Can I just say Stephen Amell and David Ramsey have ruined me
on all other male actors? Their physiques have set the bar so high that when I
see BRANDON ROUTH shirtless my reaction was little more than…eh. I’ve seen better.
However, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Why? Because we already déjà’s this vu.
I give you 2x13….
I give you 3x15….
These writers are parallel whores. It’s like writer catnip.
Heroin. They can’t get enough. The way
the two kisses were shot is similar. The
way Oliver initiates the kiss with Sara and the way Felicity initiates the kiss
with Ray is virtually identical. Ray is
shirtless. Oliver is shirtless. Bloody hell, Oliver and Ray are standing in the same spot. Sara and Felicity are standing in the same spot. Sweet Zeus they are practically
the same episode numbers. Here’s how I
imagined the writers room went when breaking out the back half of Season 3:
"No no. It has to
be episode 15…not 13. If it’s 13 then
they’ll figure out Ray is this year’s Sara. So, make it episode 15 and they’ll
never know!"
And just refresh your memory…we ended up here at 2x20
and
here at 2x23.
Hmm…I wonder who’s going to having the epiphanies this
season?
To be honest, I anticipated us hitting the Raylicity
relationship mark waaaaay sooner. I was
banking on 3x07 being the full fledged Raylicity onslaught and Felicity being
in a relationship with Palmer for the better part of the year. But that’s not the way
the Raylicity tugboat has progressed. And yes, I’m using the word tugboat for a
reason.
A tugboat (tug) is a
boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that
either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow
canal,[1] or those that cannot move by themselves.
Well, that’s just about the best description for Raylicity
that I’ve ever heard. Olicity is the big
motherfucking ship that’s stuck and Raylicity is the tugboat that’s giving it a
push.
We are FIFTEEN EPISODES IN you guys. FIFTEEN. Felicity has spent the better part of the
season padankering around with Oliver. Which hey…no objections here. But that’s surprising to me. Especially given all of Felicity’s big
speeches to Oliver about how she’s done
waiting. But then we had the epic
confrontation in 3x12 in which Felicity basically admitted that it was all a
lie. She was still hoping that Oliver would change his mind.
Felicity dreamed
he would choose Oliver Queen…he would choose her. That death would change his perspective on
life.
But it didn’t. And that’s really the final straw for
Felicity. If death cannot change Oliver’s mind…what will? When she told
Oliver she didn’t want to be a woman he loved…she fucking meant it you guys.
HOW OLIVER LOVES HER HURTS. What
Felicity wants is Oliver not the Arrow. Not his protection. Not his nobility.
Or his sacrifice. Or whatever platitudes he wants to heroically plaster all
over the fact that HE REFUSES TO BE WITH HER.
Nothing is really going to change Felicity’s mind that at the end of the
day…Oliver isn’t choosing her. Time
and time and time again, Oliver is depriving Felicity of what she wants, HIM,
with little to no discussion about it.
Oliver just made the decision. It’s The Arrow. It’s done. He didn’t even
have the courtesy to have a fight with her about it.
Felicity made two very strong statements tonight that really
shed a light on why she slept with Ray Palmer.
Now before everyone jumps down Felicity’s throat for that
shot across the bow at Mr. Queen, she wasn’t saying that Oliver NEVER listens
to her judgment. In fact, Felicity is the only person Oliver listens to most of
the time. We can count multiple times where Oliver has listened to Felicity. In Season 1 and Season 2.
Season 3? Yeah…not so much you guys. Sure, there have been little moments, but the
big ones? The ones that matter? Nope.
Oliver and Felicity have been diametrically opposed on all the big
issues.
Let’s run down the list:
3x01: Oliver decides he can’t be Oliver Queen and The Arrow
(which is basically the linchpin of the entire season). I think we can all agree Felicity disagreed
with his decision.
3x02: Sara dies and Oliver shuts Felicity out. He refuses to
grieve for Sara or allow Felicity to comfort him. Felicity asks Oliver to let her in, to
grieve, to be a human being. Oliver
tells Felicity his life will end in death. Felicity tells Oliver she won’t
watch him waste his life or waste hers in the process.
3x07: Felicity tells Diggle that Oliver made his choice and
that if Oliver has a problem with Palmer, he should be the one to tell
her. Oliver reiterates that he has to be
alone.
3x09: Oliver goes on a suicide mission to Nana Parbat.
Felicity wants to ask him to stay, but knows he won’t listen.
3x12: Oliver returns from THE GRAVE and announces that he’s
working with Malcolm Merlyn. Something
Felicity is steadfastly against.
3x15: Oliver heading off to Nana Parbat AGAIN on a suicide
mission to save Malcolm Merlyn. Again…Felicity is Team Let Him Burn. (I was also on that team…there were little
flags and hats. And matches.)
So…not a whole lot of agreement on life decisions. Felicity isn’t angry that she’s not getting
her way. That’s not what this is about.
What Felicity wants, what we all want, is to be HEARD. To feel like our
opinion has merit and was at least listened to, even if in the end the decision
doesn’t go our way. Oliver doesn’t
discuss with Felicity. Oliver decides. Which ultimately stifles Felicity’s
voice. More than anything she just wants
Oliver to listen to her, to consider her opinion and maybe, once and awhile,
bend. He is incredibly stubborn and
uncompromising, which are relationship killers.
There has to be a give and take and compromise in a relationship. Felicity is so desperate for it, to be heard,
that when Ray takes a break, a shower and eats a meal under her
instruction…she literally falls into his arms. She couldn’t stop Oliver from going on a
suicide mission AGAIN, but Ray ate a sandwich because she said so. And then told her how much he VALUED her
opinion. It’s pretty damn heartbreaking the psychological toll loving Oliver
Queen is having on Felicity. The pain is
so deep any reprieve, no matter how small, is a relief.
Let’s talk about Suicide Mission Round 2. Felicity just spent the better part of a
month grieving Oliver…deeply grieving him.
Trying to figure out how to breathe without him. Trying to figure out
what her life means without him. Trying
to find something to live for without him.
He’s back for all of two weeks, one of which he’s off on the Camping
Trip From Hell because his BFF Malcolm Merlyn told him to go, and now he’s
jetting off to face Ra’s Al Ghul… AGAIN.
Completely reassuring. Couple sword fights with Voldemort and you’re
all set.
This is so much more than Oliver refusing to live life with
Felicity. This is Oliver CONTINUALLY running head long into death. And. There.
Is. Nothing. Felicity. Can. Do. To. Stop. Him.
There was a small moment between the two, when Oliver
explains that he’s not saving Malcolm, but rather saving Thea’s soul.
He looks at Felicity and just asks,
“please.”
Felicity relents and Oliver breathes a sigh of
relief.
Oliver needs her support and
Felicity relenting, even for just a moment, was a relief to him. However, Felicity relented because Oliver was
trying to stop The League from taking Malcolm to Nana Parbat. Actually going to Nana Parbat?
That’s an
entirely different matter and one that Oliver does NOT have Felicity’s approval
on.
There were no big goodbyes this time. No “I love yous.”
No forehead kiss. In fact, their last
exchange? Pretty tense. Felicity can’t
understand why Oliver would risk his life for Merlyn and Oliver is angry that
Felicity doesn’t understand he’s doing this for Thea. I actually think Felicity does understand
that Oliver is doing this for Thea.
However, she’s already lost him once in Thea’s name. To Felicity, there is nothing or no one that
is worth Oliver’s life. He’s the
priority to her. Unfortunately, yet
again, Felicity’s opposition falls on deaf ears. Oliver leaves and Felicity
goes to…Ray Palmer.
Oliver Queen is not the only person grappling with
helplessness. He’s not the only one falling off that cliff every time he closes
his eyes. Felicity is falling off that cliff too…every time Oliver leaves
her. Oliver makes Felicity feel
completely helpless. And Ray Palmer is a bit of control in a world of madness.
I actually think Ray Palmer is a good guy. Socially awkward, a little geeky and skating
that razor edge between inappropriate and “you’re legally required to stay 50 yards away from me.” I think the mistake the writers made early in
the season was twofold. The first, they played up the Ray may be a shifty character angle way too much. It cemented a distrust in the character that
the audience didn’t have with Sara. Most
of us loved Sara. We just didn’t love her with Oliver. I don’t know if the same can be said for
Palmer. Do I love Ray? Nope. Do I wish I did? Yes and it’s disappointing
that I don’t. We’ve got a ways to go, so
I haven’t given up hope completely.
However, The “is he good or
bad" angle was completely unnecessary. It created a character deficit
that made Ray Palmer’s uphill climb even steeper with the audience.
The second, Ray was too pushy in the beginning. To inappropriate
levels. Fans are incredibly protective
of Felicity and felt his behavior was crossing major lines. I was never fully on board with the “Ray
is a stalker” sentiment however I do believe Ray Palmer is socially
awkward. Socially awkward people tend to
do socially inappropriate things that make others uncomfortable. Ray checks
that box. It doesn’t make the behavior okay, but there also isn’t any malicious
intent to it either.
But right now…I feel bad for Ray Palmer. Poor
bastard. Perhaps some of you are reading
this and wondering “Why would Jen
say that? Ray Palmer just had sex with Felicity Smoak! Ray Palmer has his Atom
suit operational. Everything is looking
rosey in Ray Palmer land!”
When this season was initially presented to the fans,
Palmer’s character was marketed as a rival for Oliver Queen and a love interest
for Felicity Smoak. And he absolutely is.
Ray Palmer is the mirror to Oliver Queen. He’s the Anti-Oliver right now, which is very
appealing to Felicity. Ray doesn’t
believe being a hero, fighting for the city, and relationships are mutually
exclusive. Oliver values Felicity’s
opinion but he refuses to listen to her. Which makes Felicity feel like her
opinions are not valued. Ray not only values her opinion, he listens to her as
well. Oliver is shutting Felicity
out. Ray is letting Felicity in. The board looks heavily stacked in Palmer’s
favor doesn’t it? Yeah…it’s not.
The problem is the love triangle. It’s not Oliver, Felicity, Ray. It’s The Arrow, Oliver, Felicity. Or the
quadrangle The Arrow, Merlyn, Oliver, Felicity.
Probably about to morph into a pentagon The Arrow, Merlyn, Ra’s Al Ghul,
Oliver, Felicity.
In any event…Ray Palmer is not the cause. He is
the effect. Ray Palmer and any
actions Felicity take with him are a direct result to any interactions with OLIVER. I’m not saying Felicity doesn’t have feelings
for Palmer or that she’s not attracted to him.
Felicity slept with Palmer because she wanted to sleep with Palmer. It’s
that simple. However, the underlying
emotional current with Felicity is related to Oliver Queen. Her larger actions
with Ray Palmer are almost always a REACTION to Oliver.
She takes the job at
Palmer Tech in reaction to Oliver refusing to live life with her - so Felicity decides to make one for herself.
She
accepts Ray’s dinner proposal, in part, because she’s hoping Oliver will voice
objections to it.
When Oliver reiterates that he has to be alone, Felicity
kisses Ray.
Oliver dies and Felicity
refuses to work on The Atom project.
Felicity decides that she couldn’t save Oliver, but that maybe she can
save Ray…and rejoins The Atom project and Team Arrow.
Oliver refuses to listen to her about Merlyn or Ra’s or life. Ray accepts Felicity’s advice, listens to it
and thanks her for it. Oliver believes he can’t be in a relationship & be
The Arrow, Palmer doesn’t make those qualifications.
Oliver leaves to face Ra’s Al Ghul a second
time, another suicide mission, and Felicity sleeps with Ray Palmer.
It wasn’t like this with Sara. There was a separateness to Oliver &
Sara’s relationship, perhaps more defined from their shared history, that had
nothing to do with Felicity. Sara’s
character was more defined as a separate entity than simply Oliver Queen’s love
interest. So far…that hasn’t happened
with Ray Palmer. He is defined by his
romantic relationship with Felicity, which is defined by her romantic
relationship, or lack thereof, with Oliver.
Now, this doesn’t mean that Ray & Felicity won’t have a
full fledge relationship. In fact that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Nor does it mean that Felicity won’t have genuine
feelings for Ray. She does have feelings for him. Feelings I expect to grow and
confuse her relationship with Oliver even more.
However, when Oliver makes the decision to fight for Oliver Queen and
thereby fighting for Felicity, because those two things go hand in hand,
it’s not going to shake out so great for
Palmer. The emotional undercurrent of
her love for Oliver Queen is always there.
For Felicity, it’s not about NOT loving Oliver. It’s always been about what she can have. She can’t have Oliver Queen. After losing him
time and time again to The Arrow, she’s done waiting. Felicity is actively,
with all her heart, trying NOT to love Oliver Queen. She’s trying to move on and you know what?
It’s a healthy reaction. One half date and one kiss a relationship does not
make. No matter how much Oliver says he
loves Felicity, he’s not loving her the way she NEEDS. She has a right to seek that out somewhere
else. She’s not wearing his class ring.
They aren’t engaged. She is a single woman, free to sleep with whomever she
wants. In fact, I am reminded of this
EPIC Grey’s Anatomy quote anytime anyone ever starts bitching about Felicity
moving on with other men:
You don’t get to call me a whore. When I met you I thought I had found the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was done. So all the boys, all the bars and all the obvious daddy issues, who cared, because i was done. You left me. I’m all glued back together now.”
Loving Oliver Queen is breaking Felicity because she keeps
LOSING Oliver Queen. Eventually, that takes a toll. Felicity just wants the pain to stop. She wants someone to listen to her. She wants to feel heard. She wants someone to
stay. And the only person offering that
is Ray Palmer. It’s dificult to judge
her for that nor do I feel it warrants judgment.
But what happens when Oliver can love Felicity the way she
needs? What happens when Oliver starts listening? What happens when Oliver
allows Felicity’s voice to be heard? What happens when Oliver starts
compromising? What happens when Oliver makes decisions with Felicity and not
for Felicity? What happens…when Oliver chooses Oliver Queen? What happens
when Oliver chooses Felicity? And trust me my friends…that day is coming.
It’s not going to end well for Mr. Palmer. There will come a day when
Felicity will realize that no matter how much she doesn’t WANT to love Oliver,
it doesn’t change the fact that she does. Oliver is the cause. Oliver is the
undercurrent. Because the truth is, no
matter how much Ray Palmer loves Felicity…he’ll never love her more or better
than Oliver Queen. When Oliver finally puts his hat in the ring there will be
no choice to make.
But what will make Oliver put his hat in the ring? Death certainly didn’t do it. The writers kept calling Ray a game changer. Raylicity is the tugboat that is giving the Olicity ship a
push. Oliver and Felicity have been
stuck for nearly an entire season in their respective corners, the great wall
of China between them. Something has to budge. Felicity actively moving on with
her life, building a life with Palmer, may be the push Oliver needs.
The Arrow is the third point in the triangle. This entire trajectory is to send Oliver and Felicity on separate journeys to explore the impact that third point is having on them individually and together. But ulitmately, their trajectories will lead back to one other. How do I know? Because Oliver already chose The Arrow in 3x01. He chose The Arrow in 3x02. He chose The Arrow in 3x07. He chose The Arrow in 3x09. He chose The Arrow in 3x12. He chose The Arrow in 3x15. What sense does it make, what lesson does Oliver learn, if he chooses The Arrow in the finale? How does that parallel the premiere? How does that create a full circle? The writers have already told you their endgame - THE GREEN ARROW. He cannot be The Green Arrow without, at some point, choosing Oliver Queen. And Oliver has already answered what he wants from a life as Oliver Queen…Felicity. Felicity has already lived in action for what she cannot say in words. She wants Oliver to choose her.
The third point was never Ray Palmer. The point, my dear friends, is never going to be about Ray Palmer.
John Diggle
Oh Yoda. How we have missed you. David Ramsey and his
unbelievable genius playing the character of John Diggle brings a GRAVITY to
Arrow that Arrow NEEDS. When missing,
Diggle’s presence is sorely missed and when he plays an active role in the plot
the entire show is elevated to another level.
There is a bond between Oliver and Diggle unlike any other on the
show. Diggle understands Oliver so much
better than Oliver understands himself. Diggle
is wisdom personified. Oliver NEEDS his bodyguard. Not just to protect him from
bad buys, but to protect Oliver from himself.
I am glad that the show finally address the hypocrisy in
sidelining Diggle in the name of “Baby Sara”. Does a cop hang up his badge simply because
he’s a father? Of course not. This was a
shoddy piece of writing used to propel other less popular characters to the
front lines and Diggle drew the short straw. And, I’m sorry, but what does Lyla
do at ARGUS? File papers? Serve coffee? Last time I checked working for ARGUS
wasn’t exactly “danger free” and somehow it was okay for Lyla to stay
in the field, despite the fact that she is wife and mother. I never had an issue with Arrow spinning the
board, but I never understood why there was only a maximum of two members of
Team Arrow allowed out on the streets. It is entirely possible to have Laurel,
Roy and Diggle out in the field at the same time. There’s no city ordinance against that. Nor
does it make ANY sense to sideline your most experienced fighter in favor of
the least experienced. Sorry Arrow, no
matter how many times you spin that broken record, I ain’t gonna dance. Logic
fail.
Yes, Diggle is a father and a husband. However, those two are not only roles Diggle
plays. He’s also friend, brother, leader and solider. Take any of those pieces away, you take a piece
of the man…thereby losing the essence of John Diggle. Who better to point
that out than the woman who loves him?
Lyla watched Diggle grieve Oliver, no
different than how he grieved Andy. It
was an exceptionally beautiful scene between the two in which the hypocrisy if
finally done away with and the true essence of the character of John Diggle is
highlighted. John Diggle is a soldier.
He can’t leave a man behind. He can’t leave Oliver out on the
battlefield alone.
Slamming Merlyn for the win. And where the fuck does Merlyn
get off by calling Diggle John.
There is a LIMITED number of people allowed the intimacy of the
Diggle first name: Oliver, Felicity, Lyla. That’s the list. I swear to God, where are some coals we can
heat Merlyn’s heels over? Arrogant son of bitch. Malcolm needs to bow before
The Queen and dare not speak to The Yoda.
It wasn’t a coincidence that in every disagreement, Oliver
was looking to Diggle. Diggle is
Oliver’s moral compass and his
adviser. Diggle’s opinion was the ONLY opinion
Oliver sought out. I think in part because Oliver was looking for some guidance
and support. But also because I think Oliver was looking to Diggle to help get
a grip on Team Arrow. Things are a little dicey
in Team Arrow right now. Felicity is mad
at Oliver. Roy is standing up to Oliver.
And Laurel…sweet Jesus. Laurel.
Needless to say, the wheels are coming off this once well oiled machine. Quite frankly, Team Arrow is looking a bit
like the Caterpillar Room at Sunnyside Daycare. Remember when it was just Dig
and Oliver in The Foundry? Yeah, Oliver remembers those days too and, trust me,
is LONGING for them. There was something
about the way Oliver and Diggle interacted this episode that was very reminiscent
of Mom & Dad vs. the kids. Ya’ll can fight about who’s the mom and who’s
the dad. I’ll leave that ambiguous. The point is, Diggle& Oliver were a
united front.
Diggle demands the room TWICE and immediately the team
leaves, with no argument. Diggle’s wisdom
is respected as is his relationship with Oliver. When Diggle says he needs the
room…he gets the room.
Although Felicity she did linger a bit, especially
when the “maybe Oliver is going to
torture Nyssa" debacle reared its head. Ya sure you want the light harnesser leaving the room right this minute
Dig? That skill would seem handy at the moment given the possibility of
Oliver going full fledged Hong Kong on Nyssa’s ass. Oliver was looking a
bit…serial killer esque when looking at Nyssa through A CAGE….
So the truth
bomb Diggle imparted on him before leaving carried a little extra weight for
me.
You can’t save Thea’s soul if it costs you your own
What is this? Like the fifth warning Oliver has gotten about
his soul? Does he listen? No. Why? Because it’s not the season finale.
Quite frankly, the writers are running out of characters to pass along
the Hydrogen Truth Bombs Oliver is breezing right past.
Maybe a sky writers would be more effective. Unfortunately,
not focusing on Oliver Queen means just that. Oliver’s soul is not his
priority, which is a major problem and why we’re headed into a big old mess
with Ra’s Al Ghul.
Upside? Torture was not necessary. Nyssa wants Oliver dead. She gives up Nana
Parbat’s location.
Diggle joins Oliver and brings the transportation! ARGUS
jet. Sweet.
Of course they are immediately captured because it’s
freaking Nanda Parbat Oliver!!! But it leads to what might be one of my
favorite Oliver & Diggle scenes ever.
Diggle has been harping on Oliver that this mission to save
Merlyn is more than just about saving Thea’s soul. The entire episode Oliver was adamant that it
was just about Thea. Nothing like the impending threat of torture and death to
bring the truth to light.
The reason Oliver was looking to Diggle for his support, the
reason Oliver needed Diggle’s guidance and Diggle’s advice, and Diggle’s alone,
was because Diggle is the only person Oliver could admit the truth to.
Oliver is scared of Ra’s Al Ghul.
Oliver can’t live with the fear. He can’t be The Arrow and
do what he needs to do and know that there’s someone out there that can beat
him. Oliver can’t afford to be
afraid. What I loved about this scene
was that Oliver admitted how egoistical and insane that was and Diggle basically
said, “Well..yeah Oliver. You are egotistical
and insane. “ Classic. I loved it.
Oliver Queen is egotistical. Oliver Queen is insane. It makes him a terrible boyfriend, but a
fantastic superhero. It’s those exact qualities
that give him the edge he needs to jump off buildings, wear a mask and risk his
life on a daily basis. Nobody
understands that better than Diggle. Diggle knows that half of surviving is
believing that you will survive. To face
battle you must believe you are immortal.
I was watching a Lifetime movie about some kind of hostage
situation. The wife of a cop said
something that has stayed with me for years.
She said, “Every day you tell
yourself…not my guy. My guy is too good.”
I think Felicity had that mentality before Oliver faced Ra’s
Al Ghul. She could tell herself that and believe it. Oliver won’t die. Not her
guy. He’s too good. But his defeat with
Ra’s stole that from her. But what’s
more…it stole the same belief from Oliver.
Felicity may not be able to get that back, but Oliver can…if he faces
his fear. If he faces Ra’s Al Ghul again and wins. And the only person who will
ever truly understand is John Diggle because Diggle, like Oliver, is a soldier.
It’s why they are best friends. It’s why they are brothers.
They understand each other in a way no one on Team Arrow can. And it’s why Diggle wants Oliver standing
next to him on his wedding day.
I absolutely cried at this scene.
And then I teared up again….
For Oliver to
swallow his pride in front of Ra’s Al Ghul, for John, shows the depth of his
love for Diggle.
Thea
There is a reason I am not a superhero. It’s also the reason
I am not The Pope or a saint. My version
of justice can skew towards the harsher side.
Quite frankly, I think it’d be great if all pedophiles were castrated. My faith teaches me the death penalty is
wrong, but I don’t lose a sleep when a man , who raped & murdered a mother and
her two daughters, is given lethal injection.
So, suffice it to say…I completely understood where Thea
was coming from.
I am so freaking in love with Thea Queen right now. It’s like a baby Moira Queen running around.
Say what you want about the morality of Thea sending her father off to get
sliced and diced, but Oliver has been dealing with this bastard for 2
years. Thea knows the truth for all of
one episode and she handles the son of a bitch.
Yeah okay, back to the morality thing. Yes. Sigh. Of course
Oliver is right. Stupid superhero moral compass. What a buzz kill. Of course
the anger will subside and Thea will eventually feel terrible about killing her
father. The guilt will eat away at her, like Sara’s murder is, and her soul
will be lost for good.
On the other hand…maybe we risk it? See if this guilt
thing takes? Who knows, maybe Thea will be just swell.
Yeah. Okay. Fine. It’s super annoying when Oliver is right.
Two things I LOVED about Thea “Thy Name Is Agency”
Queen tonight. She took a stand against
Oliver “My Secrets Are My Binky” Queen. Thea told Laurel the truth and yes there was
some fall out mostly because Laurel was a MORON, but Thea was right to tell
her. Second, Thea owned her role in
Sara’s death, which was EXACTLY what I said it was in my review last week. Thea knew exactly who Merlyn was when she let
him into her life. To Thea the ends
justified the means. She just had no
idea how high a price she would pay.
The bonding with Roy was nice and it was good that Thea has
someone else to talk to other than Oliver. The Theroy ship is gaining steam
again! I also appreciated Roy’s reasoning for NOT telling Thea about Sara’s
murder and why he’s not angry with Oliver or Diggle or Felicity for not telling
him about murdering that cop. The guilt is awful and Roy wishes he didn’t know.
That is an incredibly understandable and human perspective.
Death by Nyssa? Not such a hot plan Thea. First of all, you
left out some fairly crucial details. Second, you just got hella interesting.
No way the writers are killing you now.
Merlyn
Not much to say about the douche bag known as Voldemort aka
Satan’s spawn aka The Devil.
Well…except for a couple things. First, when Nyssa KICKED HIS ASS I
cheered. No magic quarter is getting you out of this one Merlyn. As I explained, my version of justice can run
a little harsh so I had absolutely no problems with the fact that Ra’s Al Ghul
strung Merlyn up like a stuck pig.
However, what I was NOT anticipating was the heated coals
burning the bottom of his feet.
For weeks I’ve been saying it’s time to fry me
up some Malcolm Merlyn. Bring on the Merlyn bonfire. More fire I say. I’ll bring the matches, the graham
crackers. callistawolf was bringing
marshmallows and olicity-i-believe-in-you was in charge of the wine.
We had it all planned…figuratively speaking.
Until the writers ACTUALLY GAVE US A MERLYN BONFIRE. FUCKING
AWESOME. I am not ashamed to admit it. There was joy at that image.
Yes, Oliver & Diggle’s reaction was far more humane
but…eh. Like I said, I’m not bucking for sainthood. I’ll do the purgatory
hours.
Finally, Malcolm begging in front of Ra’s Al Ghul confirmed everything
I ever believed about him. He’s a coward.
He lived like a coward. He’ll die like a coward.
Laurel and…Lauriver
Okay guys…I’m not going to sugar coat this. Olicity had a
bad night. Raylicity sex…yeah that wasn’t a whole lot of fun. But it was NOTHING compared to the absolute
HIROSHIMA NUKE that exploded all over Lauriver land.
See? There’s always an
upside. Glass half full people. Eyes on the prize.
First, Laurel’s reaction to Thea’s confession was completely
appropriate and kudos to her for keeping a level head.
Laurel keeps her anger on the right
target…Malcolm Merlyn. Come on in Laurel! The water is fine in the Merlyn
hate!!
But then…we get the confrontation between Oliver and
Laurel.
One of my chief complaints with
Oliver & Laurel is this constant need from the writers to “after
school special” them. Oliver and
Laurel agree on virtually NOTHING this yea or, quite frankly, the last three
years. Honestly, did they agree on
anything when they were dating? Have they EVER agreed about anything?
Sorry…moving on. But no matter what the argument is, the writers try to clean
it up with some happy, but fake & forced, resolution at the end of the
episode. No thanks. If