Photo: CW
After the season finale of Arrow, discussions about “that scene” have erupted all over the internet. Did Oliver really mean “I love you” to Felicity or was it all a ruse to trick Slade? From there, discussions also took a slightly different turn. As much as many of us love this blossoming relationship between Oliver and Felicity (including of course yours truly), can they even end up together? What about that “canon” ending between Dinah ‘Laurel’ Lance and Oliver Queen? Are we destined for another comic book ending as seen in Smallville between Clark and Lois?
At this point, I actually don’t think that Oliver and Laurel will necessarily be endgame just to match up with canon. How rigid. How obvious. The writers should just go in whatever direction feels authentic to the characters of this particular show ONLY, or otherwise they have written themselves into a corner. What happens if the romantic relationship between Laurel and Oliver doesn’t feel right? Will the ending feel as contrived as Smallville’s Jimmy Olsen suddenly not being Jimmy Olsen because his character was too old? I’m sure hardly anyone wants a repeat of that travesty. I say, treat Arrow as if it were any other TV show. I say leave the final ending open for Felicity, Laurel, or even Sara. See what works. And aren’t Dinah and Oliver divorced in the comics anyway?
Oliver and Felicity became one of those core elements of the show that just felt right.
Thinking about what works, I know that the writers tested what worked with season 1 and what didn’t work. Then season 2 started with fires blazing – even stronger than the first. It just seemed that the writers really found their groove from Quentin Lance now helping the Arrow with some of the best characterization of the show, the return of Sara as the Canary, Slade’s Heathcliff like revenge, to the team dynamic between Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity. Almost everything started to feel like it was going in the right direction. For me, the relationship (whether seen as romantic or not) between Oliver and Felicity became one of those core elements of the show that just felt right. So yes, I guess you could say that I am rooting for them wholeheartedly.
However, for me it’s not necessarily about shipping, but rather about what I think feels true and organic between characters and what feels right to the story and I think Oliver and Felicity do (at least right now). Now I love a good romance as much as the next person, but because of some of the negative online behavior of some shippers (bullying actors, writers, other fans as well as acting immature and entitled), the rest of us lovers of good old fashioned romance have sadly been grouped in with these other rude fans. But is this fair? I don’t see anything wrong with rooting for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to be together in the end, or Scully and Mulder or even Oliver and Felicity. Do I see myself as a shipper based on how the term has recently come to be understood? No. But I suppose I am simply because I root for certain romantic pairings. So is everyone who roots for romance a shipper then? Technically yes. But many don’t even get on message boards (one example is my mother who has never posted ever in a fandom board, yet enjoys the Oliver/Felicity relationship on a weekly basis) and probably don’t even know what ‘shipping’ is. Maybe we should just throw out the word shipping altogether and come up with a new term. Or maybe “shipper” should become a term that is used to only describe this loud minority and the rest of us can get called something else.
That said, I believe most ‘shippers’ keep to their group, posting positive pictures and videos of what they love. I think that is great. Let people love what they love. In fact, most ‘shippers’ just watch the show, and root for a particular relationship as part of the experience of watching that show. I consider myself the latter. I guess my worry is that producers, writers and actors will see this rude behavior and think that most of the fans of a particular group behave and think in a similar way, when in reality it’s probably just a loud minority. So it’s always important I think to find the balance between what works and what doesn’t without turning to fan pandering toward any one specific group; or even being turned off by something because of loud fans. (I still believe Jo Harvelle was written off Supernatural prematurely because Kripke listened to loud haters of her character.)
So why you ask am I bringing up all this shipping talk in relation to Oliver and Felicity? Well, I’ve seen this other negative trend beginning thanks to another irritating online fandom quirk. And this comes from the loud ‘elitist’ fans. Basically, Oliver and Felicity fans are ‘delusional’ because “Olicity” will never happen. Rooting for a non-canon relationship from the comics seems to be a sin for a small crowd. Again, I repeat, why don’t we wait and see where the show takes us? I certainly don’t think Oliver and Felicity is comparable to Chloe and Clark that was mercilessly teased without ever following through…
Photo: WB
So beyond shipping, beyond comic book canon, looking at the show on a standalone basis, does Oliver and Felicity work? And does a possible romance between them feel real and organic? Is it authentic, going beyond the stereotypical meaning behind shipping? I argue a resounding yes.
Why do you think they work so well together?
Marc Guggenheim: They have wonderful chemistry, which I know is probably the obvious answer. The less obvious answer is I think Felicity’s attraction to him is so obvious but also so pure, that…. it feels more like love than sex. I think people seem to respond to that.
I see subtlety, ambiguity, depth, and a soul connection comparable to the love between Scully and Mulder.
From my own perspective and Arrow experience, I find the Oliver and Felicity story to be stronger thus far on a romantic level. Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim hits the nail right on the head on why the connection between Oliver and Felicity appeals to so many. I do think it is because of the purity of their love. In a way, I recognize a strong influence there from The X Files and Doctor Who (Doctor and Rose). I see subtlety, ambiguity, depth, and a soul connection comparable to the love between Scully and Mulder. To me, it is about the slow build up and friendship, something I ‘typically’ appreciate more than rushed relationships. It is about the human connection rather than merely a sexual one. One of the aspects I liked best in the season 2 finale was the ambiguity of the Oliver loves Felicity speech. Did he mean it? Was it a just a ruse? In all honesty, the fact that the writers did choose this path is very promising and tells me they aren’t nastily poking the fans like Smallville did. Furthermore, unlike many, this choice did not anger me, nor did I see it as only a “bait and switch.” Instead, I thought the episode was more powerful. If Oliver does indeed love Felicity, it may be too soon for him to ‘really’ admit it because Oliver still believes he can’t be with someone that he really cares about yet because of the life he leads.
Stephen Amell on Olicity: “Think back to what Oliver said in the sixth episode, which is, ‘Because of what we do, I can’t be with someone I could really care about,’ and I think that that remains true. So I don’t necessarily think that it was a total bait-and-switch.”
The “bait and switch” was just one way of bringing them closer and bringing Oliver’s feelings closer to the surface, which is interesting for a character so closed off to humanity.
Stephen Amell: “Oliver lost a lot of his humanity in those five years [away from Starling City], so as we see that continue to happen it in the flashbacks, we will see how much of his humanity he wants to get back in the present.”
Indeed, the theme of “humanity,” and Oliver slowly gaining it back is a strong theme between these two characters that I really picked up on when I re-watched all their scenes so I could edit a video. Her goodness really rubs off on him and her INFP presence really brings much needed warmth into his life. There’s definitely a “little” of the Beauty and the Beast archetype in there as well, Felicity bringing light to the monstrous beast within him.
Returning to this theme of humanity, it is fascinating that this idea of finding another way really gets played up throughout the season starting in episode one. Felicity suggests another way and Oliver follows through with it by the season finale when he chooses to not kill Slade. Without a doubt, during the “love you” scene (or in the reveal later on), Oliver entrusts her with his symbolic “humanity.” He gives her the cure; he trusts her with it. That to me is more romantic than anything I’ve seen in the show so far.
In that moment, not only is he telling Felicity how much he cares about her (this could be an excuse for him to say it out loud for instance without having to follow through just yet), he is also telling her that he trusts her to help him choose the other way. He didn’t have to kill Slade because that is what he did before. That is why he failed. It even connects to the earlier scene in the episode when Felicity urges Oliver to make a different choice than his first, bad choice. When she cures Slade, it just emphasizes even more their partnership and trust.
Then of course there is the “unthinkable.” The name of the episode certainly has more than one meaning and is used in dialogue in two key moments. Let’s take a look:
Sara: “To fight the unthinkable, you have to be willing to do the unthinkable.”
Slade is the unthinkable, and what does Oliver do to bring down Slade? Well, he has to do the unthinkable; he has to give Slade Felicity. If you paid attention on Guggenheim’s twitter, this question was even raised, as to what exactly, the “unthinkable” actually was:
@mguggenheim was the “Unthinkable” for Oliver offering the woman he loved as bait to stop Slade. People need to know these things!! #Arrow
Marc Guggenheim @mguggenheim May 14
@LynnMPuckett Yes.
Offering Felicity as bait, giving Slade what he “wanted,” was the unthinkable. Notice that this question also mentions love. Pure coincidence based on the wording of the question? Could be, but I’m sure we will know soon after season 3 starts. Still, the idea of the “unthinkable” (considering that is the important theme of the episode) doesn’t end when Oliver gives Felicity up as bait after telling her he loved her. It comes up again at the end when Felicity revisits that moment:
Felicity: Yeah. It was really smart, the way you outfoxed him. Talk about unthinkable. You and me, I mean. When you told me you loved me, you had me fooled. For a second, I thought that maybe you might have meant it, what you said. You, you really sold it.
Oliver: We both did.
Is it so unthinkable for these two though? After this scene, the chances of them not happening ever are pretty slim. Otherwise, the writers really are merely playing with the audience and not following through with their own writing. Moreover, after Felicity’s confrontation of Oliver’s declaration, Oliver doesn’t even deny his feelings or claim he just cared about her as a friend. Instead, he just smiles, leaving it purposely ambiguous. For those who root for this relationship, I would say that is a good thing because 1) the romantic subtlety is always stronger than literal hammers when it comes to long term TV build-ups (if you can write well that is) and 2) the suggestion of Oliver’s feelings have now come out into the open, leaving the door wide open for further development in season 3, a season that will touch on his loss of humanity (how he loses it even more in Hong Kong according to Amell), and how it may be coming back in the present (such as if he wants to “love” – see the Phoenix comic con panel):
SA:“All of the humanity that he has is being stripped away. The Oliver that you met in the pilot that was a murderer, that was a killer, that’s the guy that he’s turning into. He’s losing his humanity. So, season 3 is very much about how much of his humanity does he want to get back? Does he want to love somebody? Does he want to be a hero….What’s important to him? And, so we will clearly have to tackle what happened with Felicity very early on.”
[et_lb_video video_url=”http://youtu.be/5S-bXipR_dA?t=30m9s” css_class=””][/et_lb_video]Oliver’s reaction in this following hug definitely stands out when it comes to Oliver’s humanity. Why does she believe in him? Is he a hero? Does he even believe he deserves love?
One last comparison, I want to make in regards to the Oliver/Felicity relationship goes back to an old show that many of you may have not seen: La Femme Nikita (the original TV series), so I will give you a little background in a moment to better explain this comparison. Now, I know a lot of “Olicity” fans were upset at the seeming bait and switch, but Arrow was certainly not the first to pull such a ‘mean’ move. In season 1, episode 17 of La Femme Nikita, Michael and Nikita are kidnapped by a group looking for the location of their temporary base of operations. They are tortured for this information. During this torture, Michael begins to show Nikita some of his vulnerabilities.
…does he have feelings for her or is he using her own feelings to get her to do what he wants?
For better clarification, the old Nikita series was quite different from the new show. For instance, Nikita was not trying to take down “Division.” Instead, we see how she is forced to work for them, remaining good in the midst of all this darkness and killing that surrounds her. She can’t be as cold as those around her. Her trainer is of course Michael. And in this version, he is very much a cold killer, so cold that we, at first, can only get short glimpses into his humanity. He, unlike Nikita, has already lost his humanity completely. Then he meets Nikita and the question starts looming, does he have feelings for her or is he using her own feelings to get her to do what he wants?
Photo: USA
In the one episode I am speaking about, when Michael shows his vulnerable side in the cages of which they have been taken, you think that he is telling her the truth when he says (in one of the most romantic moments of the show mind you):
Michael: We’re okay so far. When I was in there and it started to get bad…”
Nikita: Michael, don’t. Save your strength.
Michael: I thought I was going to break, but I didn’t. I thought of you. You’re the only one of us who still has a soul. I’m so sorry Nikita. We’ll never leave this place alive.
He pauses with a long stare and then confesses:
Michael: I don’t know what love is anymore, but the only part that’s not dead is you.
It wasn’t all a lie…
Soon after this scene, Nikita breaks at the thought of Michael being tortured more and gives up the secret location he revealed (he conveniently gave it to her earlier in the episode). They attack the ‘location,”which turns out to be false and the two escape, Nikita realizing that Michael had lied, that he created this whole scenario in order for Nikita to convincingly give the location and take this group down. Of course, she’s angry and betrayed. The audience (I know I did at first), feels angry and betrayed too, but then at the end of the episode, there is this glimmer of hope when Michael visits Nikita in the hospital. She’s unconscious so she can’t hear him, giving Michael the freedom to reveal a little depth beneath his chilly exterior:
“It wasn’t all a lie,” he confesses and then he kisses her.
“It wasn’t all a lie,” a line I think perfectly matches up with how Oliver chooses to take down Slade. Because Oliver didn’t deny it, I think we may be seeing more scenes like this in season 3, especially since Oliver and Michael are similar in many ways. When talking about Hong Kong in season 3, Amell even said during Phoenix Comic Con:
SA: “In the flashbacks of season 3, we’re going to see Oliver with no choice, like sort of an indentured servitude. And, uh, and the way that, the way that the people that he is working for, convince him to work for them, nobody is going to see that coming….gives us an opportunity to bring back some people.”
Could it be similar to La Femme Nikita in that he will have to kill for the government and in doing so start to lose his humanity and bits of his soul? Will he even want his soul back in season 3? Will he think he even deserves love with someone as light and good as Felicity, someone whose soul is still completely intact? The idea certainly brings out several possibilities and I know I can’t wait to see how they play out…
He needs her but he feels like he doesn’t deserve her…
Personally, I love for stories to be subtle, so if I had to choose how Oliver chooses to further explore his feelings for Felicity, it would be in a quiet way. Stephen has really been talking a lot about how Oliver has lost his humanity in the flashbacks and that we will be seeing more of that. Connect his feelings to gaining his humanity back bit by bit in the present. Have the audience know of his feelings for Felicity before she does, that he can’t be with her yet because he is still trying to get his soul back (going back to episode 6). Her lightness will be his way back in a way that episode by episode becomes clearer and clearer over time. He needs her but he feels like he doesn’t deserve her because he is a killer.
On a different note, some people go off and off about the Felicity and Oliver relationship as pandering to the fan base. I disagree because I think that the story feels authentic and earned. On the other hand, if the writers DID choose to go the Oliver and Laurel route (right now that is), wouldn’t that in a way also be considered pandering to a different fan base, one who wants the same thing as the comics? For now, perhaps we should wait and see where the direction continues to take us and how the characters evolve organically.
As for Laurel, the reason I don’t think her relationship works with Oliver is because I feel that the Laurel/Oliver relationship is toxic. He cheated on her with her sister to begin with, which caused her sister’s “death” (if I was Laurel that would be the end…forever…on a romantic level that is). But that wasn’t even the only time…He was clearly a womanizer before the island, like getting that girl pregnant. Besides that, now that Laurel is in on the secret, her scenes with Oliver felt a little contrived, as if she didn’t quite belong there. However, that is not to say I dislike her character. I appreciate that the writers gave us a flawed female character that is so easy to dislike. She does have some annoying reactions to things, but that is human. That being said, I actually like Laurel best when her story is outside of Oliver and centered on her family and her own self-destructive behavior. Now that she’s let “the darkness” in, where will her story take her? Will she become the Canary? Certainly, if Laurel does become the “Black” Canary, I don’t think she can be that “light” Oliver needs in his life. For now, I think that’s okay. For now, I want Laurel to find her own path in life. Perhaps that will lead to them in the end. At this point, I can’t say. For now, let her have her own story outside of an Oliver romance and see how things turn out from there.
Until then, who should Oliver end up with? I think you know what pairing has my vote. And if this were almost any other show (one not based in comics), I’d think the direction would be clear, as clear as the love between some of TV’s greats including that of the epic pairing of Scully and Mulder and also that of Michael and Nikita.
So what do you think? Should Oliver end up with Laurel or Felicity? Who else loved the finale as much as I did? Sound off in the comments…
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Great, article! I am an Olicity shipper. 🙂 I liked your comparison to Nikita as well as your view on Laurel. I have had a hard time relating to Laurel so it will be interesting to see what happens. The ILY fake out had me raging mad on Twitter a minute after the finale aired. I was angry for about 24 hours when Olicity shippers with their websites, articles, fan vids, fan art, photo/gif sets convinced me that the finale wasn’t as bad as I perceived. I truly hope that Oliver becomes a better man for Felicity. Just as he has progressed from killer to hero.
FELICITY!!! 🙂
You raise a good point… if this show weren’t based on a comic book (not that any promises about adhering to comic canon have been made), I don’t think very many people would question the likelihood of Olicity being “endgame”. I think the writers and producers are smart people… I think they’ll stick with what works for the show and its clear which pairing that is.
Definitely Felicity. I don’t mind the slow build. Olicity is inevitable, it may not happen in season 3. And I’m ok with that b/c it WILL happen in the series. For now I feel their relationship has grown beautifully and will continue as such. Now it is time for Oliver to start realizing his feelings, slowly but surely, and I’m completely Fine with it. Great article, man I hope MG and Co see This.
Felicity…
I really enjoyed reading your article. I’m a huge Le Femme Nikita fan, have been since day one. I like the Michael/Oliver comparison. Really, those scenes share many similarities. I also agree with you about Oliver & Laurel. With them, I feel as though the viewers are often hit over the head with a literal hammer with how much they love and know one another like no other, yet that is not what is being displayed through their actions or countless flashbacks, it’s actually, just the opposite. You shouldn’t have to work so hard, it feels very inorganic. But here you have Oliver & Felicity and the viewers are not told what’s there, they see it, in all of its gloriously emotionally charged subtlety and beauty. And for some reason, something within you clicks, ah that’s what’s missing with the show’s “intended” great love. So viewers like ourselves are immediately drawn to the natural chemistry and clinging to it for dear life. I’m excited to see how this story unfolds, however I’ve repeated this nonstop, I won’t watch a show with a predetermined ending, fluidity of the story be damned. It’s a disservice to the fans and the show overall.
Wonderful article. With each paragraph I was saying “mmmm” and nodding my head more furiously. Oliver and Felicity are so authentic and geninue. Their chemistry was a surprise to everyone. There is something about Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards when they share a scene. From that first meeting to the very last scene in season 2. It’s rare to find such a deep connection between two actors. I hope Arrow holds onto it tightly. Their relationship is essential to the show. I like Katie Cassidy but sadly have not taken to the character of Laurel. It happens and I understand why the fandom of Arrow is dissatisfied with her. However sadly for Katie Cassidy with or without Emilt Bett Rickards her character was not popular nor was her will they won’t they with Stephen Amell. Sadly fandoms do get aggressive that’s just the nature of new age fandom. It exists in every show. The pandering argument is just the baseless argument for those who support and very unliked character. Because either way someone is going to be “pandered” to. The fans of Olicity are passionate. I am definitely one of them. I do not hate Laurel, I’ve enjoyed Cassidy’s work since Supernatural however as I mentioned there is no point handing in a dissertation which is poorly written and so flawed that the bibliography is the strongest part. When you have a beautifully crafted, excellently formed and detailed piece of work worthy of praise and distribution. The answer is simple continue the relationship with Oliver and Felicity they are a linchpin of the show.
Sadly Oliver and Laurel are so repelling that the less scenes they share the better. Laurel does not bring out a light in Oliver, she does not make our hero rootable. Together they are unrelatable and undesirable. It’s a writers worst nightmare.
In conclusion, everything you said was so eloquently put and so true. Great read!
that was quite an article. i love reading fans pov.
I love Arrow for the kind of show it is, and i was surprise to have such a great couple to root for…
I love that you said Oliver trusted Felicity with his symbolic ” humanity” i the finale, i didn’t think of that this way.. very powerful.
I think Felicity is the one that brought light in the show, in that she joined a team where there was a killer and a former soldier, so two wounded persons. And she allowed the audience to join that team through her.
ANd we have seen Oliver evolve and grow, and she actually helped him in his journey to become the hero.
So yes i root for Oliver and Felicity. And relationship buld up. and slow burn.
Couldn’t agree more! I do think Felicity and Oliver are more authentic… and real! So even if it takes another two seasons….. we’ll be waiting for it to happen! Now that we know there was an Olicity kiss in the season 2 finale (confirmed by SAand CH), the last scene at the beach makes mores sense “You, you really sold it! We both did!”. And this also confirms that the writters deliberatly choose the slow burn… Congrats on the great article!
and how cool is it that she is aptly named…….
fe·lic·i·ty noun fi-ˈli-sə-tē
: great happiness
: something that is pleasing and well chosen
: a talent for speaking or writing in a very effective way
1 a : the quality or state of being happy; especially : great happiness
b : an instance of happiness
2: something that causes happiness.
They belong together.
I LOVEEE your comparison with Michael/Nikita and Oliver/Felicity… i have loved La femme Nikita for so long and never saw the similarities until you pointed them out! From the moment the show started (LFN) you knew that Nikita had feelings for Michael but you never really knew for Michael, it was always very ambiguous with him as to were he stood with Nikita… until that bait and switch… the same exact thing is happening with Oliver and Felicity where has it is clear as water that felicity has feelings for oliver but with oliver you never really knew… until the bait and switch… for me by standing there and smiling at felicity he kind of inadvertently confirm that there is something there without voicing it… and i also think felicity understood that as well because she’s smiling back at the end of the scene before and after she says let’s go home.. not a awkward smile but a knowing smile… i kind of think that maybe the producers have taken a page in the La femme Nikita show… cause how they develop the Michael/Nikita love story was the best i have ever seen… if the arrow show decides to put oliver/felicity as endgame i would suggest them to keep borrowing ideas from LFN cause they were the best at slowburn in my opinion lol… an other thing that i think will be similar is that i heard arrow is bringing a new character that will be a love interest for felicity and a rival for oliver both personnally and professionnally… i think this character will be what oliver needs to push is reflexion about what he feels for felicity and help him realize that what he feels for her runs deep (if he didn’t realize it yet)… they did the same thing in Nikita with Michael (bringing another love interest for Nikita and seeing how michael delt with that), and although it was very difficult for me to watch, it is what push there relationship on another level… last but not least i wanted to say that i totally agree with everything you said in this article
Really great article – you hit the nail on the head. After reading some of the comments below, I was thinking back to when I first started watching Arrow. I was behind so was able to binge watch a few eps all in a hit. I can remember quite clearly watching the first few eps and feeling rather “eh” about the whole thing. But I decided to persist with it. And I know with the inclusion of Felicity and how completely NATURALLY they came by that chemistry, THAT is what hooked me in and kept me watching.
Thinking back on those first couple of eps (before Felicity ever appeared) I also remember thinking about the Oliver/Laurel thing “Really? This is supposed to be the OTP of the series? But I don’t even like them together.” And it wasn’t about hating one character or another (or both). I just didn’t GET them. Or rather, they didn’t get me in. There was no zap, no zing, just a looooooooot of baggage and misery.
What I’m going in a totally roundabout way of saying is that even if Felicity HADN’T been brought in (but dear God THANK YOU, she was brought in…), I still wouldn’t have wanted Oliver and Laurel together. Sometimes, there really IS too much history which I think is the case with O/L.
Oliver and Felicity, on the other hand, light up the screen. And not necessarily in a romantic way (although that’s good too ;)). Just watching these two (plus Digg! Team Arrow all the way!) leaves me with a smile on my face. The way they interact is TV GOLD. TPTB would be silly to do anything to change that.
I think they’ve definitely taken the steps to acknowledging that, yes, there are feelings – deep feelings – between Oliver and Felicity. Particularly now with The Kiss being revealed. I can only hope they don’t do a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ thing.
Oliver and Felicity. Even their names go together. Peace/Peaceful and Happiness. And does not everybody reach for their own happiness? =)
Their relationship in the show is organic, and if it follows the natural course of things, it’s them at the end of it all. But writers can be weird with these things sometimes. Another thing, the show was never one to actually “follow” or base characterizations on the comics. Her appearance and personality is so different from that of the comics. And if I am not mistaken, Black Canary’s description (DC comics) looks more like Felicity’s in the show. So if they flipped a lot of things about the characters, why could they not flip the relationships as well? Just food for thought.
Loved your article. I think the writers have been surprised by the popularity of Felicity and have had to do a lot of rethinking. I don’t mind Laurel as a character but agree the relationship she has with Oliver is too toxic. IF she were to desire him after he slept with her sister (again) it would feel as if her love was more of an addiction than a thing of beauty and truth. We would have to be led through a whole series of hoops for them to feel right as a long term couple. Maybe the writers will go that way but I love the organic growth of the Olicity relationship. I don’t know why but for some reason when I see scenes of Oliver and Felicity together I feel better about the world 🙂
Not sure how late I am, but as the reference to Micheal and Nikkita*La Fe* etc, there’s a BIG difference and that is, Nikkita is the LEADING ACTRESS in that show, Felicity isn’t; but lame-ass/not SO nice or innocent laurel is!!
No matter how similar that one line that Micheal spoke to N, the difference is that, the audience KNOWS he LOVES her and ONLY her and will END up with her, in whatever way..NOT so when it comes to Felicity. SAD! I really, really WANT luarel died or a villain..One sister over the other as BC makes no difference and WE all know that END-GAME is going to that pathetic character that is luarel!!!!
Just because Cassidy is the leading actress doesn’t mean Oliver will end up with Laurel. In Smallville, Erica Durance was NEVER the lead actress; either the actresses who played Lana or Chloe were. And yet, Clark ended up with the love of his life, Lois. And Oliver ended up with Chloe despite the fact that Black Canary was around and it was hinted at some point that something was up with them.
Great Article!!!!
Very well done article. Just a couple of quick points/thoughts. First, I never believed that he told her he loved her at the end of Season 2 simply as a ruse but that he took advantage of an opportunity. His feelings for Felicity have been apparent since they first met. It just took him a while to realize how he felt and to feel comfortable/safe expressing them to her, I think. In Season 2, Ep. 9, we see Slade discussing his plans to take down Oliver. When he mentions killing those Oliver loves, the camera shows Felicity. Now, whether this should have blossomed into a romantic love or been kept as a platonic, close friendship is a debate for another day. I personally enjoy their relationship/interaction, whether they’re just best friends who love one another or become romantically involved. Second, I have never read any of the Arrow graphic novels or those of the Black Canary. However, on the research I did online, I read some fairly confusing canon on the B.C. Her first iteration in the comics was that as Dinah Drake in 1947. She eventually married Lance and had her daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance. Later, through many different story lines, time lines, etc. to make her younger as the years progressed, they made Laurel a Black Canary as well. That version of the B.C. did marry a much older Oliver Queen, but were eventually divorced. So, with that being said, I think there is so much ambiguity in the Black Canary literature that the writers at Arrow would not be breaking some sacred rule by changing things if they so chose. Third, when we talk about the Season 2 ending at it being considered a possible “bait and switch,” I’d argue that that was not so much the case as the Season 3 promos they ran. If you look closely at the kiss they depict there, it is very different in atmosphere and emotion. That kiss is one of promise and happiness seen in the expressions on their faces and her holding on to his arm. The kiss from Season 3, Ep. 1 is one of desperation and finality (at least temporarily). I have issues with that type of trickery. There’s my $.02…take it with a grain of salt. Cheers!
Great article! very well written. I agree with everything you say, especially comparing Mulder and Scully. One thing I would like to add is that it does bother me when the few in the fandom go overboard. I would like to think that the EP’s understand the few who go to extreme do not represent the whole. Andrew Kreisberg seems familiar with the Smallville fandom, which I heard could be extreme at times.
I’d like to add that chemistry plays a huge part here. Laurel/Oliver chemistry, no matter whether they’re friendly or arguing or hate each other or are neutral, the chemistry between the two remains the same.
People always say the reason they are doing Olicity is because of the fanbase, but they seem to forget the REASON why there is a fanbase is because of the chemistry.
At first i didn’t like Felicity at all but now i’m starting to like her more and more, though i still prefer Oliver/Laurel.
I like Felicity as a sister / female best friend …team member etc… the end, Lauriver forever. I have read every review every article out there that is 99 percent Olicity I still don’t care, I have been following GA and BC for over 30 years and soul mates they are. Perfect they never were but they were real and what they felt for each other was still strong…so I can’t really throw my hat in the ring with fellow reviewers and fans who have only been around for barely three years over this Olicity thing maybe another 3 decades in I’ll change my mind. and in the comics Lois and Clark were married too and divorced, doesn’t mean they weren’t soulmates
Oliver and Laurel… I love the history between them and we all know he married her and had a son in the comics….
I think he should definitely end up with Felicity, I went into the series open minded and I didn’t start to want them together until the end of season 1. Oliver and Felicity have excellent chemistry (especially compared to Laurel) and it doesn’t seem forced (ahem Laurel), it’s occurring naturally. I’m comparing O/F to Tony and Pepper from Iron Man (in the comics she ends up with Happy) or even the Stefan, Elena, Damon triangle from vampire diaries. Elena starts off with Stefan and ends up with Damon due to their natural chemistry and progression (again deviating from the books). Felicity seems like Oliver’s ying to his yang.
What about Felicity and Ray Palmer?
I wrote this article before Ray came into the equation. I still prefer Oliver even though I like Ray. He’s definitely a viable romantic threat to the Olicity relationship.
I never got the whole Felicity/Ray thing. He was her stalker. When she turned down working for him, he literally bought the place of her employment to force her into working for him. Either keep receiving a low wage with him being her boss anyway or accept his offer and receive a lot more. The whole storyline was quite cringeworthy. I liked him much better in Legends.
Nothing to think about, Oliver and Felicity!
OLICITY ALWAYS AND FOREVER
It’s interesting when people say Oliver and Laurel are meant to happen because they happened in the comics, however….yes they did get married but it was used as a marketing ploy and sales actually dropped once they were married. Then they divorced and guess what happened: the sales went back up again. I think the producers are probably taking this into consideration as well as the natural chemistry between Oliver and Felicity when deciding who he should end up with. Even the cast, guest stars, and the producers ship Olicity (minus Katie Cassidy). That speaks volumes.
At this point, I’m figuring something will happen to Felicity and Oliver will wind up hooking up with Sara in the final season.
Hmm. I don’t see that.
Definitely not..I still belive laurel is better for some reason
Why do you think so?
I am not a comic book fan, but I started watching the show with my 13 year old son and I got sucked in because of the storyline. The hook for me was that this guy was stranded on this island and he survived because of the love of one woman. He kept her picture, she was always with him. It didn’t matter that other women came and went – I believed Oliver truly loved Laurel. I’m a romantic and that love story is the reason why I kept watching…I couldn’t wait for those moments when they’d be reunited…or even when they couldn’t be together, the looks that would mean they still loved each other. The whole Felicity thing seems so trite to me. They had a brother-sister relationship. The banter was great. The love was sweet, but not the “you’re my forever soulmate” kind of love. That whole turn in the series, has completely left me feeling less about Oliver. In order for me to trust his character, I want some things to be constant in his heart. I want to know he is loyal to his friends and, down deep inside, I want to believe his heart belongs to Laurel. The fact that you killed her off…ugh, makes me not even want to watch anymore. Sorry.
No sorry I dont see any connection on screen with Oliver and Felicity ,I feel towards laurel ,Shes always be my favourite character.
Neither. I don’t think Oliver Queen should have a permanent romance. He seemed to unwittingly have a negative effect either on the lives or personalities of the women he has been romantically linked with. Both Laurel and Felicity were better off without him.