“AWOL”
is Arrow at its best. Original Team Arrow, Olicity, Dyla, action,
interconnecting plots, flashbacks that tie in with present day, humor and
heart. This is the show we love and this episode is the reason why we love it.
I want to
point out something I feel is overwhelmingly clear. The writers understand what
the core of this show is. It took them awhile to find it, but they understand this
is the formula that works. I believe the reason there is a cast death this
season is because the writers are cleaning house. The Green Arrow isn’t just a
new chapter for Oliver Queen. It’s a new chapter for the show. They are
solidifying the formula that works and focusing on the core characters for
Arrow’s final years. These episodes will become more frequent and are the
future of Arrow.
Let’s dig in…
Olicity
“AWOL”
laid out the framework for Oliver and Felicity for the remainder of the year.
Essentially, they went on a mini journey of what they’ll be going through for
the rest of the year. “AWOL” foreshadows their undoing, but it also
highlights the hope.
When I was a
little girl, if I was feeling sorry for myself, I would ask my mother,
“Why me?” My mother would answer, “I don’t know why Jennifer. What I do know is everyone has their cross to
bear. Some you can see. Others you can’t. This is yours. ”
Her point
was very simple. Instead of asking myself “Why me?” I should be asking,
“Why not me?” I’m no different than anyone else. Suffering is simply a part of life, just like
joy is. I don’t get to skip it. I don’t get a free pass. It was never about what was happening to me. It was always
about how was I going to deal with it?
When you
experience something like Felicity has it’s foolish to believe it doesn’t
impact you. It does and it will. However, it does not have to define you and
that was the lesson Felicity learned tonight.
Felicity,
understandably, is out of sorts. Her mind isn’t in “the game” as
Oliver would phrase it and it’s to be expected. She is uncertain because her
confidence is gone . Her hallucinations truly reveal how Felicity Smoak thinks
and what she fears most.
Disclaimer: When you are pain
medication hallucinations are a real thing. They happen. Normally you aren’t as
high functioning as Felicity was, but Arrow was trying to make a point.
“I use to be you. Or you use to be me.”
Hallucination Felicity
wasn’t pulling any punches! I’m calling her Halluca-licity from now on (thanks
@callistawolf ). Self hatred and self pity take the hardest hits because we’re
the toughest on ourselves. When you experience something like Felicity has it
makes you question everything. You no longer see the way ahead, but that’s sort
of the point. God knocks you on your ass for one specific reason - to give you
a different view.
When you are in pain the
temptation is to given it. To shut down. To stop fighting. To let the suffering
win. That’s the choice. You either wallow in it or your fight. Sometimes you
have to wallow to get to the fight. That’s the point of Halluca-licity.
Halluca-licity is Felicity
post Cooper’s death. That was Felicity’s darkest period in her life up until
now. After Cooper’s death, Felicity didn’t give into the pain. She let it
inform her, but it didn’t define her. She didn’t lose her light. She took the
pain and evolved with it by saying, “This is me.” That decision led
her directly to Oliver Queen.
“The day we thought he died you broke out the hair dye, ditched the
contacts and decided you weren’t going to rely on anyone else for help. It was
just gonna be you against the world and that was going to be your armor.”
Felicity
fears pretending to be something she’s not put her in this chair. She’s blaming
herself just like Oliver is blaming himself.
Halluca-licity attacks on multiple fronts by twisting Felicity’s choices
into something they are not. She tells Felicity that going on with her life after
Cooper’s death was weakness, not strength. The blond hair, the glasses and the
beautiful clothes are just a mask. Felicity changed her look to be socially
presentable, so she would blend in. Halluca-licity accuses Felicity of becoming
an IT girl, a job she was wildly overqualified for, for the same reasons.
Felicity made herself less to keep everyone and everything at a distance, so
she couldn’t be hurt again. It was her armor.
“Stop pretending that this is the real you. Blonde hair, glasses, sensible fashion.”
“First you decided to sign up for being the world’s
most over qualified IT girl.”
Halluca-licity
switches tactics. She accuses Felicity of abandoning her armor to become MORE
than what she was, a superhero. A decision which landed her in this chair. If
she had simply given into the rage, if she had simply given into the pain, if
she had simply shut down… NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. Not living was
the only way to protect herself.
So now Felicity is
facing another dark moment and Halluca-licity is demanding she make the choice
she didn’t make five years age: Give into the pain and rage. Don’t move
forward. STOP MOVING.
“But there is no going back to normal.”
“You can’t let that stop you.“
“Except it has….I can’t do the one thing
that I’m supposed to be able to do.”
This is what self
doubt is like on drugs. When you are
stripped, broken, scared and highly medicated your greatest fears are revealed.
You wonder… if I had simply turned left would I be here? What if I had made a
different choice a year ago or five years ago? Could I have avoided this pain?
When you are in pain you’d give anything for it to stop, even if that means
rewinding the clock. You question everything, including who you are and your
choices. Your body is failing you, but so is your mind. Nothing makes sense
anymore and there is nothing more terrifying. Felicity lost faith in her
superpower, her mind, because her mind was attacking her.
The truth is, of
course, is Halluca-licity is wrong because SHE IS THE MASK. Felicity’s decision
to keep moving wasn’t weakness. It was strength.
“I don’t accept that. And you shouldn’t either. You can’t just
accept things, Oliver. If I had accepted my life, I would be a cocktail
waitress in Vegas like my mother and I NEVER would have gone to college. I
NEVER would have moved a thousand miles away to work for Queen Consolidate and
I never would have believed some crazy guy in a hood when he told me I could be
more than just some IT girl.”
Felicity isn’t a
person who accept things. She takes pain and lets it push her forward. Her
father abandoned her, but Felicity didn’t let that define her.
She took the
pain and went to college because she believed she could be more.
Felicity thought
her destiny was to save the world as a hacker, but after Cooper died she
realized how short sighted that was.
She took the pain and it propelled her
halfway across the country to Queen Consolidated.
She was overqualified, yes,
but it was a stepping stone. A way to use her gifts to create instead of
destroy. Saving the world always starts somewhere and for Felicity it was in
that IT job.
And then… Oliver
Queen walked into her office.
As much as Oliver depends on her, Felicity depends
on him. Yes, she believes in Oliver, but he believes in her. He inspired a
bravery in Felicity she didn’t even know she had. Felicity found herself in
Oliver as much as he found himself in her.
Being a superhero isn’t Felicity’s
mask. It’s who she really is. It’s who she was destined to become.
That realization is
terrifying too because Felicity is dealing with the repercussions of her
destiny, of her choices. The hero always pays a price. There is always a
sacrifice and for Felicity Smoak it was the use of her legs. She gave a piece
of herself to a cause greater than her.
But can she absorb the
pain and go on? Or is she going to listen to Halluca-licity? Is she going to
listen to her self-doubt and self- hatred? Is Felicity going to let rage and
anger consume her and stop her from moving forward? Is she going to let the
pain shut out everyone she loves… even Oliver?
Suffering isn’t
something you suddenly wake up and have a handle on. Some days are better than
others. It’s a cycle. However, there does come a moment when you decide,
“This is my life. I have to deal with this.” It’s a moment of
clarity. You accept the pain. You absorb it. It becomes part of you, but it
does not define you. Once you accept your new reality, you can begin to deal
with it. Once you being to deal with it, you can see the road ahead. When you
see the road ahead, you start to move forward.
“This is who I am. I wanted to come along on your awesome super
hero adventure because I wanted to help people. The old me was so angry
at the world that anger never accomplished anything. It only created more
anger. “
Ultimately, Felicity
remembers what her pattern in life really is. Her pain pushes her forward. It
doesn’t stop her. It doesn’t define her. She absorbs. She deals. She keeps
moving. Felicity chooses to survive.
” If there’s a crisis,
you don’t freeze, you move forward. You get the rest of us to move forward.
Because you’ve seen worse. You’ve survived worse, and you know we’ll survive
too.“ (Derek Shepherd, Grey’s Anatomy)
This is why Felicity
Smoak was always meant to be Oliver Queen’s Great Love. In the face of pain, Felicity
chooses life. She survives. She keeps moving forward. She keeps Team Arrow
moving forward. She keeps Oliver moving forward.
It’s why she’s Overwatch.
Grammatical incorrectness aside, Felicity watches over the team, not only with
her technical skills, but with her strength and heart. Superheroes often have
more than one superpower and Felicity Smoak is no different.
In the end, Felicity
remembers who she truly is and what she was born to do. She doesn’t give into
the anger. She doesn’t shut Oliver out. They are a team. Love is the only armor
she needs.
When Oliver looks at
Felicity… he does not see that chair.
Her body may be changed, but Felicity is still the same person. You can only
truly understand the grace of this love if you’ve experienced the pain of being defined by your physical limitations
or illness. Unfortunately, people are imperfect. For some, a person stops being
a person when they are sick or hurt. All
they see is the illness. All they see is the physical impairment. You become
"Jim in the wheelchair” or “Cindy with breast cancer.” You
are introduced at parties as, “The daughter in law who gets sick all the
time.” So, for Felicity to remain unchanged in Oliver’s eyes and the eyes
of Team Arrow,is truly the definition of unconditional love. They still see
HER. It’s how a family loves.
Oliver Queen is a
series of progressions and recessions every season until ultimately he
progresses to the next level of his journey. Last week we saw a momentary
regression where Oliver shut down and pulled away from Felicity. However, this
week he recaptures the light he exemplified all season long. Oliver was so exquisitely
hopeful this entire episode.
The light teasing of Oliver 2.0 to keep Felicity’s
spirits up and distracted,
his well intentioned prodding to get Felicity back
behind a computer,
his unceasing awe at her abilities,
his patience and
understanding when he realized she wasn’t ready.
Last week Oliver wasn’t always
there for Felicity in the way she needed him to be, but this week he was.
What was particularly
striking was Oliver’s reprioritization of his life. Felicity came first, not
the mission. It took her coaxing, and Diggle & Lyla being attacked, to push
Oliver into the field. Oliver’s innate caretaking abilities when it came to
Felicity, shown in the beginning of the season,
was simply in preparation for this.
Oliver doesn’t feel like he has
to take care of Felicity. He enjoys
taking care of her. It makes him happy. Carrying her down the stairs isn’t a
burden, it’s a joy.
He’d carry her forever and be completely fulfilled by it.
As much as Oliver is
destined to be The Green Arrow, he is destined to love Felicity Smoak, to take
care of her, to be her husband. “AWOL” should remove any doubt from
every viewers mind. Oliver can do this. He can be a husband and a superhero. He
was born to be both. He’s found his purpose in life: The hood and her.
The trick is Felicity
has to let Oliver take care of her.
She has to allow herself be dependent on him. It hurts Oliver when she pushes
him away.
It hurts Oliver when she doesn’t let him love her.
It’s something
Felicity should understand well. For so long, Oliver refused to let Felicity
love him.
Probably the most
heartbreaking moment was when Felicity told Oliver it’s not his fault.
Oliver’s
eyes filled with tears and he couldn’t even bring himself to look at her until
she forced him to.
If taking those bullets meant he could keep her from this Oliver
wouldn’t even think twice, even if it meant his death. That’s how much he loves
her. All Oliver wants is to keep Felicity safe. The idea he may have caused her
pain is crushing him.
As much as Laurel
tries to get through to Oliver, it’s really only Felicity who can. She refuses
to let Oliver blame himself anymore than she will allow herself to. It’s her
words, her love, that gets through to him and lifts the guilt away.
My favorite moment of
the entire episode was when Oliver tells Felicity he understands he must accept
the reality of her paralysis,
but he’ll never stop searching for a way to make her walk again.
This scene perfectly encapsulates Oliver Queen’s ultimate
progression at the end of the season. Oliver has seen the impossible happen and
he believes, with all his heart, the impossible can happen for Felicity.
Oliver
is so unflinchingly hopeful in this moment. It’s as if the light inside him has
enveloped every cell in his body and he has become the sun. It’s why The Green
Arrow must begin with Felicity. He has to be a superhero to her before he can
be one for the city.
Felicity ultimately
had to find her way through the darkness on her own this episode. However,
Oliver’s love, belief and hope was like a flashlight guiding her the way out.
Oliver Queen is the sun breaking through the clouds obscuring the rainbow that
is Felicity Smoak.
The Past Fights Back
This is extremely
important to remember. “AWOL” was a microcosm of Oliver and
Felicity’s season long journey. While the episode was filled with hope and
love, it also foreshadowed the darkness ahead for them.
As I said, suffering
is a cycle. Some days you handle it better than others. Just because you find
your way out of the dark one day, doesn’t mean you’ll find your way out the
next. Choosing to survive suffering is a daily choice. Felicity may have
survived the Island today, but she isn’t off the Island. Her journey is just
beginning.
“The day we thought he died you broke out the hair dye, ditched the
contacts and decided you weren’t going to rely on anyone else for help.“
Every
character has a light and dark, even Felicity Smoak. Halluca-licity reveals
Felicity’s darker side. She said something very specific and very alarming that
caught my attention. When Cooper died, Felicity decided she wasn’t going to
rely on anyone else for help. It was
going to be her against the world.
Now, is that what
Felicity really did after Cooper died? No. However, it’s what the darker part
of herself wanted to do. Felicity
wanted to pull away when the pain was too much; to shut down and refuse to rely
on anyone else.
Felicity pulls herself
out of her spiral in “AWOL” not only because she decides who she is,
but who she and Oliver are together. They are a team. Felicity believes they
must stop Damien Darhk not out of vengeance, but simply because it’s the right
thing to do.
So the question
becomes how do we get from that Felicity…
to this Felicity?
The Felicity in
the limo is looking for vengeance. Not only that, she is angry and closed off
to Oliver.
“Barry warned me when you
change the past the past fights back.”
Oliver is terrified what is happened to Felicity is because
he didn’t listen to Barry’s warning. He’s right to be concerned about the past is
fighting back, but not for the reasons he thinks. Oliver is worried not
listening to Barry about the temporal folds is the reason Felicity is experiencing
the pain she is. Laurel is right. The only person to blame for Felicity’s
paralysis is Damien Darhk. However, Oliver may not be the cause of her pain
now, but he will be the cause of Felicity’s pain later.
Furthermore, it WILL be
because the past is fighting back.
Sadly, the lie Oliver is keeping from Felicity will break
them. It is going to hurt her more than Cooper’s death simply because Felicity
loves Oliver more than she loved Cooper. Felicity’s hurt and anger won’t stem
from the fact Oliver has a son. It will stem from the fact he lied to her and didn’t
trust Felicity enough to tell her. Or at least that’s what Felicity will
believe.
Felicity believes so
fundamentally they are team. It’s a team she has come to define herself by and be
dependent on. However, Oliver’s lie will be proof to Felicity he does not share
her belief. They are not a team. He doesn’t trust her like she trusts him. He
doesn’t depend on her like she depends on him. He doesn’t love her like she
loves him.
“I just want to make sure
my past stays the past.”
The results will be
devastating. The pain may even be crippling. Crippling enough for the darker
part of Felicity to take hold.
Felicity’s past won’t
stay in the past. It’s fighting back, just like Oliver’s. Halluca-licity’s rage
and anger, the darker side of Felicity we were shown tonight, will consume her.
For the first time, Felicity won’t be able to take the pain and move forward.
She’ll be stuck, lost in her suffering. Felicity will emotionally shut down. She
will shut Oliver out and push him away. It will be Felicity against the world.
When her loved one
dies, Felicity will want the murderer dead not because it’s the right thing to
do, but because she wants vengeance. When you lose what is most important to
you, what you’ve built your life around, you no longer see the way ahead. You
no longer know who you are.
My
Nicholas loves me so much. He thinks I’m so strong and there’s nothing I can’t
do or handle. This belief is absolute and one of the great comforts of my life.
However, sometimes Nick’s belief in my strength makes him miss the moments of
my weakness. There are times I’m not strong enough. When I’m weak. When I need
his help.
This is the danger
Oliver is in. It’s amazing how much he believes in Felicity’s strength, but
that belief cannot make him oblivious to her moments of weakness. Tonight was a
hint of Oliver doing that. He pushed Felicity to get into the field and she
wasn’t ready. He adamantly told her she was strong, when in reality, she was
feeling anything but.
Oliver has to
recognize there will be moments Felicity will be weak. She will be frozen and Oliver must help her
move forward.
We’ve seen time and
again, whenever Oliver and Felicity push each other away their problems only magnify.
They are stronger united. It’s something they will continue to struggle with as
the season progresses. This lie will break them, but it will really break
Felicity. She won’t become evil. She won’t become a murderer. She won’t be
tortured. She won’t go to war. She won’t be popping pills or drowning the pain
in alcohol. However, an angry and emotionally cut off Felicity is her version
of dark. That’s not who Felicity is. SHE FEELS. SHE LOVES. As much as Oliver
doesn’t want to cause her pain… he will. Oliver’s lie is what sends Felicity
to her Island.
“If there’s a crisis, you don’t freeze, you move forward. You get the rest of us to move forward. Because you’ve seen worse. You’ve survived worse, and you know we’ll survive too.” (Derek Shepherd, Grey’s Anatomy)
Which is why Oliver must
be the one to help Felicity survive it. This episode represents a microcosm of
the full season journey and therein lies the hope. Oliver will embrace love, TRUTH,
honor, and hope so fundamentally that it will envelope every cell. He will find
another way. A way to stop “him” without killing. A way to reach
Felicity and earn back her trust. Oliver’s love will light the way and that’s
when Felicity’s spiral will stop. Maybe this lie will send Felicity to her
Island, but Oliver’s love will be the way off.
This is why this
season continues to be “lighter” in amidst all the pain. Arrow has not
changed. There is still tragedy and darkness all around. However, last season
the episodes focused heavily on the loss and darkness. It was difficult for the
audience to see the way ahead. This season, when the writers foreshadow darkness
they highlight hope in equal or greater measure. It’s their message to fans to
hold on, no matter how bad it gets, because Oliver and Felicity will find their
way to the light, to each other, in the end.
John and Andy Diggle
Can we just have John
Diggle episodes all the time? I know… how about we thin out some of the cast
some so David Ramsey gets more screen time?
I wonder if the writers have thought about this.Hmmm….
One of my frustrations
with Season 4 is The Year of Diggle was stalled. However, the first half of the
year is typically set up. The back half is when things start cooking. So, if I
had to pick my Diggle time I suppose the back half of the year is preferred.
The back half shows where the writers focus truly is.
Thankfully,
“AWOL” kicks The Year of Diggle into high gear and sheds some light
on Andy and John’s relationship.
Honestly, their brotherhood is nothing like I
imagined it would be. We’ve heard Diggle talk about Andy for years, but he
never once mentioned Andy’s criminal past or how he joined the army to fly
straight. It seems even in death Diggle saw what he wanted to see in Andy.
Diggle wanted to believe in Andy’s goodness so much, he saw it even when it
wasn’t necessarily there.
It doesn’t mean Andy
is evil however. As I said, the soul is a kaleidoscope of infinite
variations of light and dark. Yes, Andy did make bad decisions, worked with
evil men and did evil things. However, Diggle is right to see the good in Andy
because it exists. Andy wanted to be the man Diggle saw in him. At times he
could live up to his big brother’s expectations. However, I believe Andy is
right. The difference between the Diggle brothers comes down to their
fundamentally different ways of looking at the world. Diggle believes it can be
saved. Andy believes it is broken.
However, when push
came to shove, blood was thicker than…everything. Andy protected Diggle and
Lyla. He risked his life for his family. It’s not enough to undo all the damage
and wrong Andy has done, but it’s a start. It’s enough to invite Andy into
their home. It’s enough to move forward.
When John introduces Andy to Sara and he said…
I burst into tears. Barry level.
There is a love and a bond between these two
brothers that cannot be broken. Their blood won’t allow it.
Dyla/Amanda Waller
I absolutely adore
Lyla and Diggle. They are the anchor couple. They’ve seen their way through the
dark and found their way through. They are secure, happy and madly in love. Diggle
and Lyla are the map to the audience - they point the way. Diggle and Lyla are
what Oliver and Felicity will be at the end of this season. My only hope is as
the cast thins out Lyla gets more screen time.
When Diggle told Lyla
to give the codes to Lieutenant Joyner I knew he and Andy
were working together. John Diggle never blinks. He would have gladly taken a
bullet for the greater good. Of course Diggle had a plan! He’s DIGGLE!
I’m not going to lie,
I absolutely forgot about Marc’s hints last year about Lyla taking over Argus.
(SPOILER ALERT) When Joyner shot Waller in the head my reaction was
Stone cold writers.
I have to admit I was
on Felicity’s side when reminiscing about Waller. Not quite sure why Oliver was
even remotely sad.
That woman made his life a living hell in Hong Kong. That said, here’s to you Waller! I didn’t like you but, you were a
bad ass and you shall be missed.
See ya in the movies!
Laurel/L*uriver
I realize the L*uriver
fandom was extremely excited about tonight’s training scene and absolutely
convinced it signaled the rebuild of their ship.
It had to be a crushing
disappointment the scene was used to support Olicity.
Poor bastards.
I was a little
concerned when the scene started simply because there was a lot of anger from
both Oliver and Laurel. I thought it was going to be another fight, which…
whatever. I’m always game for a L*uriver fight, but it really wasn’t Oliver
needed tonight.
Laurel was actually an
extremely good friend to Oliver tonight. Once again she told him what happened
to Felicity wasn’t his fault and he has to stop blaming himself for
everything. I’m starting to lose track
of how many times this discussion has taken place between Oliver and Laurel. The
writers are beating this horse because it’s going to be dead in a few episodes.
They want to make sure you get the connection.
*IN CASE YOU MISSED
THE CONNECTION*
Laurel tells Oliver all season long the people he loves make their
own choices. Laurel tells Oliver all season long to stop blaming himself for
everything. Laurel tells Oliver all season long not everything is his fault.
Oliver stands at the grave and says: It’s not my fault.
The writers could hang
a neon sign above Laurel’s that says, “Dead Woman Walking” but I
think that may border on obvious even for them.
As expected, Laurel
served as an emotional support for Olicity in “AWOL.” Things are
clipping along nicely aren’t they? This is just fun.
She describes dating
Oliver as a “privilege."
Wow! We really have traveled our way to Forgiveness
Full Circle Lane haven’t we Buckles? Then Laurel tells Oliver he’s too hard on
himself, but she isn’t done!
Laurel officially
jumped on board the SS Olicity my friends.
Not only did she give her approval
(not necessary but it was nice), she shows a vested interest in facilitating
and supporting their relationship!
Essentially, the writers are using Laurel as
an emotional support for Olicity, just like they do with Diggle. The more
Laurel supports their relationship in life the more likely her death is a
bridge between them.
Summary of the LL Vital Plot Watch:
She sparred with
Oliver (Fanboy Request #834 is done)
She repeated the same
dialogue Oliver said during the flash-forward grave scene for about the sixth
time
Emotionally supported
Olicity (HA!)
Checked out a dead
body as ADA (Hey guys… remember Laurel is a lawyer?)
Opened a container.
Saw two dead bodies. Left with Speedy.
Said vital Black
Canary dialogue such as, "Absolutely nothing good.”
Gee guys. It’s amazing
we made it through the episode without her! How can Arrow possibly survive
without BC?
However, the single
most important evidence Laurel will die is… I liked her again. She was the
version of Laurel I love. Kind, considerate, selfless and mildly productive.
Stray Thoughts
Overwatch, Green Arrow, Spartan. OGs. The Original Gangstas. This is why the Arrow writers rock.
The Green Arrow kicked
the crap out of the bad guys all by himself and it was AWESOME. Hello Arrow!
Nice to see you again. Oh how I’ve missed you.
Diggle pays attention
to Felicity because of course he does. He’s John Diggle. The actual best.
DELICITY FEELS
OVERLOAD AND EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL!!!
The Flashbacks
actually tied into present day! I forgot they were suppose to do that.
The present day bad
guy tied back to the Flashback bad guy. I forgot they were suppose to do that!
Oliver Queen Christmas Morning: A summary
Everything about this moment was gold.
Listen buddy… I’d take bad personal style choices any day.
You should have joined the photo burning session.
You look like a serial killer Oliver.
This man use to break necks. Now look at him. Total cupcake.
Everybody notice how Oliver
Queen kept mum about HIS connection to Shadowspire? Sigh. Oliver!!!! I realize
you are obsessed with revealing your time on the Island in chronological order,
but it’s time to start chatting Cathy.
I loved how regimented
Oliver was about Felicity’s schedule and her pain pills. It was just so Oliver.
I also love how Felicity said screw the schedule and took three pills instead
of two. They are so married. It was like watching a reenactment of me and Nick.
Super light Thea
episode. It’s good. I needed a break from the blood lust.
I could pretty much
watch Oliver Queen carry Felicity Smoak around for an entire episode. Sounds
like a fabulous way to spend 42 minutes.
This happened again.
Cam Stephen and Emily improv an entire episode as Oliver and Felicity? I think that would also be a fabulous way to spend 42 minutes.
Felicity getting her
mojo back was the cutest thing ever. Naturally, the ponytail made its comeback
too.
No Whatshername and it
was like manna from heaven
HA!
Oh that’s some side eye at everyone freaking out it was gonna be Oracle. Is everybody all better now? And maybe a jab at DC for not letting them use it.
Laurel’s reaction to Barry’s time travel was FAB. She is us. We are her. Could be the first time that’s ever happened. Writers are checking off all kinds of boxes.