Will Arrow Tragedy Bring Felicity Back to the Team, If Not Back to Oliver?
In the wake of Laurel Lance aka Black Canary’s vicious death at the hands of Damien Darhk, Team Arrow is down a man, and at a critical time. Might that tragic setback, coupled with a sense of empathy, nudge Felicity back into the fold?
Executive producer Marc Guggenheim tells TVLine, “There are two issues” at play for Felicity, who exited the team shortly after ending her engagement to Oliver. “She’s broken up with Oliver and she’s also broken up with the team essentially. And in Episode 19 [‘Canary Cry,’ airing Wednesday, April 27], we’ll see the undoing of one of those decisions.”
And yes, there is an Arrow reality where Felicity resolves one split and one split only. “One does not mean the other is going to happen,” showrunner Wendy Mericle told TVLine as part of our May Sweeps/Finale Preview Extravaganza. “She could come back to the team and that does not mean that she’s back together with Oliver.”
At the close of the March 30 episode, “Beacon of Hope,” Thea tried to coax Felicity into returning to the team, after seeing the tech whiz ably and enthusiastically fend off that bee-yotch Brie Larvan’s assault on Palmer Tech. Felicity, though, held her ground, indicating that she sees a way for her to offer “hope” to others by way of life-enriching next-gen biotechnology, such as the chip that allowed her to walk again.
Circling back to the recently touched-upon issue of Felicity secretly synching with Team Arrow during her and Oliver’s time in suburbia, Mericle notes, “We started off this season with Felicity really wanting to come back and do this because she herself enjoys this kind of vigilante lifestyle, but that is separate from Oliver. In [the Season 4 premiere], he didn’t want to; it was more about her making herself happy than anything else. So she’ll be grappling in some ways with that.
The coming episodes “will echo [the premiere] in terms of where a lot of the characters end up,” the EP adds, “specifically Oliver and Felicity.”
Guggenheim says of the “Olicity” sitch, “People will have to see if things change or not change” as Season 4 winds to a close. He then reiterates, with regard to the series’ latest death, that which was shared in TVLine’s post mortem Q&A: “We never had to kill Laurel to make Oliver and Felicity a couple. That is really independent from the romantic history that Oliver and Laurel had, and a completely different set of dynamics.”
Want more scoop on Arrow, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
I’m guessing she comes back to the team again but doesn’t get back together with Oliver (at least not yet).
Do these people talk about anything else then felicity and olicity, jesus christ just rename the show the olicity diaries and be done with it.
Oh yes because they contacted TV line to discuss it or perhaps it was the other way around.
Also how many other questions have they answered previously that don’t include Felicity ?
(Wendy was talking to me for TVLine’s May Sweeps/Finale Preview Spectacular Extravaganza; this was one of 12 topics covered.)
Did you bother to cover the reaction of Laurel’s family instead of two people that barely gave a rip about her?
I’d love to read about the remaining 11 topics…
I don’t usually post, but, I have to agree with you. The focus on her and Oliver has driven me away from this show. I still follow the show via recaps and read various articles, but I usually won’t watch an episode if their relationship is the focus or they waste time on it.
I completely agree. This show has turned into a terrible soap opera about olicity. A real shame because the first two seasons were really good.
I was trying to figure out the reason why my interest in Arrow has not been as high as the few (and I mean few) show that I still watch on TV. This nails it on the head … This is no longer a show about an action hero. It is “Days of Olicity’s Lives” or “As the World of Olicity Turns” or “Search for Olicity’s Tomorrow”. Blech …
You’re commenting and took the time to read so I’d say they made the smart chose choosing this topic.
I took the time to read the headline of this article, yes. To read the article itself no. I clicked to see what the posts were like in response to the article and the second post was all I needed to read since I feel the same way. I could give 2 spits what they do with Olicity since I do not care for Felicity, thank you.
The writers don’t know that you didn’t read the article. Fosho’s point is that you clicked on it and made a comment. The clicks are all that matter. The more traffic certain topics get, the more the writers will focus on that topic.
Snaps. Smart observation. Why does Olicity get so much attention? Because it’s controversial and gets people talking, even if it’s just complaining. Apathy is worse than negativity; with negativity the keywords are still being used… Twitter doesn’t count if a tweet is positive or negative, so if you really wanted to hurt the show’s ratings and promotion, you’d be more effective avoiding the subject altogether.
I agree, this show was one of my must see shows and now if I’m bored I will watch them, if not oh well. Felicity might as well take over as the main character and their relationship…don’t care.
Good!
Wow I know right? Laurel died so it becomes about Felicity? I never used to mind her as the sidekick but now Oliver and the whole team revolve around her. It seems to always come down to but what about felicity? What does she want? What is felicity going to do? Oliver is the lead but this is is less an ensemble now with her positioned as a lead, sometimes moreso than Oliver because heck he’ll give up being the arrow for her and has done so. Yuck yuck yuck. I’m happy for shippers to get their day but this has taken over the show, it’s verged into fanfiction. I find the fact that no one ever recognises this infamous playboy and nearly mayor just by using a deeper voice, a hood and bloody eyeshadow as believable over her fast ascension to the top of the show, running a massive company and the arrow team whilst everyone falls at her feet. She was likeable because she was an underdog. She definitely isn’t either anymore.
Personally I think the split with Felicity and Oliver is a bit ridiculous. She’s been with the “team” long enough to know that secrets need to be kept and she herself was injured and paralyzed and Oliver wanted to keep her safe thereafter…it just seemed like an excuse to break them up over the son that he isn’t going to see anymore anyway. Shows that put them together after so long and then break them apart is getting old for me….
The good ol’ “Conflict Ball”, as they call it on TVTropes.
I was supposed to do work but then you reminded me TVTropes exists!
This entire show is a walking TV trope. Tropes Are Not Bad, but they sure like using the bad ones like they’re going out of style. And they won’t be going out of style, the current TV audience is just more Trope Savvy and recognizes bull—- baby mama drama as the episode filler it is. No, Felicity will not get back with Oliver this season… but the 5×08, the Arrow half of the traditional Flash/Arrow crossover is going to be the 100th episode. Who wants to bet we’re getting an Olicity wedding that is crashed at the very last minute by season 5’s Big Bad, setting up a heartbreaking midseason finale in 5×09? See? Trope Savvy. And God willing smarter people start playing with tropes in planning season 5. Wendy, you let me down. No miracles happening here.
It’s just the way TV is. Couples break up in sweeps and get back together in sweeps. I hope this is the last time though. No more back and forth once they’re back together, whenever that happens! :)
I agree the reason for the split was totaly ridiculous I believe they should get back together and stay together and a little Less emphasis should be put on their relationship during episodes when really they should be fighting villains and protecting the citizens of the city.
Totally agree Mark.
Glad that more — than likely — Felicity will be back on the team. Hoping for more OTA scenes, and with Thea as well, but I have been seriously missing OTA.
When you realize Oliver/Felicity/Diggle really haven’t talked to each other (in any combo) most of the season… I get a little sad. :(
OTA was just Oliver and Diggle, Felicity didn’t join the team until later.
OTA is Oliver, Diggle and Felicity. It’s always been that way. Even show recognized it, is it really that hard to understand and accept that fact?
OTA is actually Laurel and Oliver since she is the first person to ever work with him toward bringing a guy down. OTA is another Tumblr creation despite Marc saying he never listens to Tumblr.
Oliver never told Laurel who he was. In fact Laurel was THE ONlY person Oliver didn’t reveal his identity to on his own. Slade did that. Your not part of any team if you lied to, in the dark, and excluded. OTA =Oliver, Felicity and Diggle. It’s Arrow canon.
I guess that depends on how you define “team”. The Hood brought Laurel evidence for her to take to court until the prison riot happened in episode 4 and she decided that he was a psychopath. She later blamed him for Tommy’s death and vowed to hunt him down.
Everyone else (Diggle, Felicity, Roy, Sara, Thea and Curtis) voluntarily joined the team after they learned the vigilante’s identity.
Not the “he never told her” argument against her. He never told her but she helped him anyway because she knew it was the right thing to do. Unlike Diggle & Felicity who even when being told the secret had to take time to think about it. So yeah. OTA is still Laurel and Oliver and not that tumblr created bull.
He helped her in two episodes (pilot and #2). She helped him once because he told her Declan was innocent but by the end of the episode she had decided he was a psychopath and she needed to avoid him. Maybe that’s the reason Oliver never trusted her enough to tell her his identity.
Diggle and Felicity weighed the rights and wrongs of helping someone who was killing people and decided the good outweighed the bad.
Actually, Diggle and Ollie were a team before felicity showed up.
I Agree, it started with Oliver and diggle, they are the original team. I’m just tired of felicity, I wish someone would tell her off when she makes stupid comments like in the episode broken hearts, people were getting killed but as always she found a way to make it about her. Oliver yelled at Curtis, but no body tells felicity off.
She always makes everything about her, like Moira’s secret, then she has the nerve to disrespect her at the funeral when moira was a hero by scarificing her life.
Two isn’t exactly a”team”, lol! She was on board unofficially very early on, and board officially as of s01e09. OTA!
I hope that the writers stop with all the wounded, passive-aggressive dialogue for Felicity towards Oliver as she rejoins the team. This makes her character repellent and snarky, and frankly unlikable. I’d rather see Curtis in that role is she continues to be so unpleasant. Also, I hope that she and Oliver are done, and Oliver moves on. He deserves to be happy, which Felicity’s pushing him to return to Star City cheated him out of. If anybody should be bitter, it should be Oliver toward Felicity.
Yes, plus she “LIED” to him for 7 months when she continued to help the team and never told him.
This^^^!!! I’ve always liked Felicity but that episode was painful to watch because it was SO unlike her!
Tell that to tag teams in wrestling. Or pairs in tennis. Or pairs figure skaters.
Diggle joined Oliver’s crusade in episode 1×05, Damaged. Felicity had been helping Oliver since 1×03 and Oliver&Diggle since 1×06 although it was 1×14 when she joined with the official handshake..
It wasn’t until 2×14 that the next person, Sara, joined the team.
Close, but not precisely true. Roy joined the team in 2×12 “Tremors”.
Although he didn’t suit up as Arsenal until season three, so maybe that’s what you meant?
No, you’re right. I forgot about Roy. :-(
So it’s 21 episodes between the time Felicity joined and Roy joined.
Felicity wasn’t helping Oliver with his mission and her being an IT department doesn’t make her a teammate. OTA is Oliver and Diggle and always has been, because was the first person to work with Oliver on his mission, while knowing the whole score. Doing that creates a team. Doing something because the son of the founder of the company you work at asks you to is more or less doing a favor, not working with him or as a team on something. Have a very great day!
You’re right that Diggle signed on to work with The Hood 8 episodes before Felicity did. but I disagree that she was helping Oliver because he was the boss’s son. The first time yes, but when he asked her about Reston, she knew he was lying but helped him anyway, just as she did about the “sports drink” and the military grade encryption of the “scavenger hunt”.
Some people think Oliver/Laurel was the original team because he helped her three times before she decided he was a psychopath and refused to have anything to do with him.
You think it was Olver/Diggle.
For me, it’s Oliver/Diggle/Felicity because she helped them even before she knew who he was and because it was O/D/F in the lair for 21 episodes before the next person joined. And also because in-show when the three of them were having drinks early this season, they called themselves OTA.
God bless you! God bless everyone!
^^^^^^this
1000 x this. I’ve missed that core relationship of the three of them. It worked. I hope we see some of that again.
The fact that Marc has to spell out that her death had nothing to do with Oliver and Felicity is sad. They were planning to get married when she was alive and kicking. She was literally a non factor in their lives …
Ah, so that’s why they made Laurel’s last words all about Olicity? You need to stop drinking Marc’s koolaide.
They made Laurel’s last words about how she still wanted Oliver. Yikes on bikes at that. But that dialogue was verbatim from one of Katie’s interviews, so who knows what happened there.
So agreed!What about the guy that died for you? Ick dialogue.l, but not because she hoped he’doesn’t find happiness.
Don’t know what happened there! Posting from mobile… anyway, Ick factor was not because she wanted Oliver to be happy, but because she said he was the love of her life. Such a toxic relationship, sister swap and all!
She wasn’t saying she still wanted Oliver. She wAs wishing him well on his journey without her.
That was Katie’s head canon though. In an interview she said she still believed Oliver was the love of Laurel’s life…so I guess the writers gave in to that even though everything in the story pointed to Laurel being over Oliver. So, yeah, I hated her last words being about Oliver and Felicity…but I don’t think it was about propping Olicity as much as it was giving in to Katie’s head canon.
Katies head canon is not the shows head canon.
Well apparently it is now.
Yeah because Arrow is known for caring enough about Katie to put anything in there that she suggested. She said it because that’s what they gave her to play.
Are you one of Emilys friends doing her dirty work for her or just pretending to be? I can’t believe there are two women in the world unfortunate enough to be named Fanta.
Katie didn’t make it up. Who else is the love of her life ? He was the only guy she loved. It doesn’t mean she still wanted him, but looking back on her life , her love history, he clearly had the biggest impact. Why would she mention tommy? Sounds like you guys have your own head cannon where you pretend she was ever in love with him. She chose Oliver, period, whether that was the best decision or not .
Nah that was Katie Cassidys head canon. It was a last minute write in to please the actress.
Where was that ever confirmed that they put it in to please her?
Nowhere. It’s an Olicity/I hate Katie clan made up story.
Marc Guggenheims own words. He wa writing it after Wendy and Marc went to visit KC on set.
Or maybe because Laurel’s relationship to the team never evolved out of being Oliver’s ex and Sara’s replacement. Even this whole season it went back down to what Oliver did to her and how he betrayed her. So yeah her storyline would conclude with how much Oliver meant to her because her world still very much revolved around his actions.
Which is hilarious considering how many times Marc claims they laid Lauriver to rest as of season one. He keeps contradicting himself left and right. Must be hard to keep up with facts when he has to bend them or twist them to make it look like Laurel wasn’t killed for Olicity.
Agreed. Oliver and Felicity were already together while Laurel was alive. Her death had nothing to do with them. I’m confused as to why anyone would think otherwise.
Yet they were broke up and are still broken up now that she’s dead but of course her death influences their pairing. Hm.
Still hoping Laurel is secretly alive. I don’t get why they killed Black Canary (again!!!).
Couldn’t care less about Felicity’s love life. I like her character but I honestly hope they keep her and Oliver single.
From what I’ve read the actress who played Laurel had become difficult and was not happy with her role on the show so it kind of came to a head and they both agreed to part ways. Rumor has it that she’s is up for another show, where she’ll be the lead, on the CW network.
Ooh! What news site was all of that on…?
Tumbler fanfiction
One that at actually posts news and and not just blind items.
Actually that rumor was posted on a proven frauds site that only ever posts blind items and then let’s people make up their own solutions. He’s actually posted “blind items” he stole from tv show scripts.
:-O
Felicity is so important to team Arrow and Oliver I hope everything be OK by the Finale
Well the last episode showed she can be easily replaced, so no she’s really not important to the team at all.
Ok, not the last episode, I mean the one with he other guy who did what Felicity would normally do.
His hacking skills are not on par with hers. His strength lies in mechanical engineering. I’m thinking he’ll be used in this capacity, not as a general tech guy.
LOL they were hacking just fine without her last week. Heck even the episode where she left the team AGAIN she
Mentioned Oliver being able to make his own Arrow hack and drain money from
Adam Hunts bank account in the first ep.
They were pretty good in the 1st few eps of Arrow until they dumbed him down to make Felicity relevant
I’m very much hoping that the answer to both of these questions (Felicity coming back to the team and Oliver and Felicity getting back together) will be Yes! before this season is over. I really dislike that the show keeps removing her from Team Arrow every time they want to build up or add in another guy super hero. This is twice now. Whether the show realizes it or not, it’s become a pattern and kind of troubling. If you have to remove Felicity (or any of the original members) in order to make a new one work or fit or serve a function, they really need to ask themselves WHY they’re trying to expand the team. That said… yes, please. Felicity back on the team pronto.
technically, couldn’t Sarah, in the future know what happened to Laurel and come back at the time they left and stop this from happening. I know it won’t but I love all this timey- wimey stuff
I think in the Legends show the time-master/ time-lord (whatever he was) said that there are certain points in the time line that can’t be changed no matter what.
So basically, they can change what the writers decide they can. I’m liking Legends, specially the “Left Behind” episode which has been the best so far, but the time travel stuff has been poorly defined so far.
I have hope for olicity to get back together
Happy she’s coming back to the team but I wish the show would stop having her quit and return, quit and return. It’s a bit ridiculous, especially when she was the one who wanted to return to Team Arrow at the start of the season. The writing for this series is so frustratingly inconsistent.
So she’ll come back to the team and then get back with Oliver in the season finale as I predicted a long time ago.
I’m sure they’ll get back together
Theres been enough Olcity in this show now to last a whole life time. The show need to get back to being a good show.. And not a Olicity shippers wet dream
I’m glad Felicity is gonna be back with her team.. So excited for the rest of the season, looks awesome. :)
Really more interested in how quentin is going to deal with losing a daughter for the third time, with his heart condition. How Thea will deal with laurel who has been like a sister to her since she was a kid. How Diggle will come losing another team mate.
Would have loved some questions about things that aren’t felicity / Oliver-felicity related. This show has so many good character that are pushed aside for this relationship.
I Agree, all the characters this season were sidelined for the relationship drama. More interested to see how it affects Quentin, Sara, and Thea.
we’re not going to get those more interesting storylines. They never take the interesting route. I wanted to see more of Nyssa’s issues in teaching Laurel and their relationship…but nope. Or literally anything else that isn’t focused on the A Plot or Oliver and his Pain
Felicity is a essential part of the team, she needs to come back.
Hopefully the rest of the season will focus on Oliver/Felicity/Diggle, individually and as a team, i’ve missed that.
I can’t wait for the series finale 4×19 so I can be rid of this show. They officially turned me off after Laurels death.
I’m rooting for Felicity Smoak back with the team and Olicity reunited as a couple. This series needs it. Arrow needs a balance, hope and positive things.
Yes!
Hate to see Laurel Lane die. But I think that the Arrow would be better without a love interest. I would like to see him get darker like he was in season 1. Death of Laurel can send him in that direction. On Felicity I’m tired of the soap opera with her. There was strong reason for Oliver keeping the secret of his son. She acted like big baby.
That’s not going to happen. Arrow is about him developing into a lighter/happier hero. I think the baby mama drama was unnecessary and felt forced, but she was upset because they were going to get married and he was making a decision about sending away his son (abandoning him like SHE was abandoned) without even discussing it. Families make decisions together. Still, I think this drama to force a breakup was unnecessary. I’d like to see them together with the relationship in the background of the show.
That is ridiculous. I agree that Oliver should have told Felicity about his son existing, but when it comes to where his son is going to live, that is between Oliver and his son’s MOTHER, not Felicity. It’s none of her business. She has zero right to be angry about that, lol.
Since Felicity was living with Oliver at the time and was the only money-earner between them, maybe it is a little her business.
Um… [I think ARrow would be better without a love interest]. You just DESCRIBED OLICITY/FELICITY! Laurel hasn’t been a love interest since season ONE!
I was ok with Oliver and Felicity breaking up for a while but I wasn’t ok with Felicity leaving the team so I’m happy she’s coming back. I think it was obvious that the big death was going to bring her back to the team because she’ll have even more reason to want to get Damien for good this time.
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I don’t know if Oliver and Felicity will be back together by the end of the season but I hope so. I’m still rooting for those two!
Of course this will bring Felicity back to Oliver and the team. Guggenheim must’ve giggled his head off over this, whacking off a canon character so his tv creation can reign supreme.
i’d like olicity to reunite at some point, but only if they make felicity more tolerable again, they took a wonderful, funny, kind character and turned her into an annoying, selrighteous know-it-all.
^^ couldn’t agree more!!
Who cares any more? They really don’t need her since Curtis is joining the team next season. Why do we need 2 computer people? I don’t even recognize this show and it makes me sad.
Because Curtis know 1 thing or 2 how to hacking but not a expert, he’s a computer engineer and Felicity is Cyber security computer expert… he can be additional to the team but not doing all her work on Arrow Cave.
Felicity is my favorite character on TV, and a huge part of that is due to her interactions with the Team. Looking forward (hopefully) to more than one reunion….