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As the episode title says, this podcast was recorded as a live Blab event! At times there will be references to things that might not have been translated from visual to audio, as we were on video. We hope that there were enough discussions that weren’t lost in translation!
In this installment of Arrow Squad, the triumvirate gather to take a look back on season 4. What worked? What didn’t work? What do we want out of season 5? These last 8 episodes we’ve talked more about what didn’t work, but we wanted to draw attention to some of the great setups of the season, what held our interest, and how that all gives us hope for the upcoming season.
Joining us live are podcast contributors you’ll recognize! Justina (the Green Butterfly), Geoff (XForce11), and Jeremy from Australia all hop in the extra seat (Blab has “seats” where, if you join live, you can talk with us “face-to-face”).
You can watch the video version of this podcast here…
Even though the season is over, we still want to hear from you! Please send in any thoughts you had in response to our season 4 review, any hopes or theories you have for season 5, and (really) whatever else you need to get off your chest! Using our feedback page is the easiest option. You can upload an audio file, type up an email, or use the SpeakPipe widget (voicemail).
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I haven’t listened to the podcast episode yet, but here’s some stuff I’d like to see in season 5 just to get the conversation going here…
What I’d like to see in season 5:
The number one thing I’d love to see in season five without question is Felicity back in her wheelchair. They have the perfect set up for this plot to return as well with the Palmer Tech executives calling for the chip back; again just because Curtis built it doesn’t mean he owns it, the idea and blueprints arguably yes but not the actual chip since PT paid him for his time working there in which he designed the chip and used their money to get the pieces to build the chip. This was just such a great plot that would be amazing to see return; rarely do you see this plot last more than a few episodes on a superhero show and it would be great to see it really having a season long effect on a character. Not since Dina Meyer on “Birds Of Prey” has this plot been touched on and it would be some refreshing representation of viewers who aren’t as able bodied as others. It’s just a super refreshing and interesting plot waiting to happen for them if they address it; what little we saw in S4 was promising, just because Felicity is paralyzed doesn’t mean she can’t help or hang out with the team.
Number two, mature Olicity; I know I’m possibly in the minority in liking this pairing, but I do and feel they could continue as a couple in the next season but the writers have to give them a chance to talk things out – you can have drama with a pairing without having them break up all the time. To use William for example, I still believe Felicity had a right to be angry with Oliver but the writers could have allowed her to explain her side more or have Oliver ask Samantha if he can tell Felicity because seriously he can’t tell one person even if Samantha meets her (unfair Samantha) and then allow Oliver and Felicity to discuss how their lives would change with William a part of it – would Felicity be okay with being a stepmom given she wasn’t crazy about kids when it was mentioned in Ivy Town…would Oliver want to move (even though he wouldn’t because Oliver is Star City based) or how would he handle weekends when William comes but bad guys act up? Again going back to the wheelchair we got to see Felicity dealing with her new world of accessibility and how Oliver helped her but also made her feel made of glass which she wasn’t so you have emotional drama. You have general show drama and how does that affect the characters when the disagree on points how they work through it or don’t and what effect might that have on the relationship.
Breaking up is the easiest and most predictable “drama” for a pairing so it would be refreshing to see the writers having Olicity work through things like they would their own significant others…if Olicity still ends up breaking up then okay, maybe they’ll get back together, but at least try and present them more than as just secret keeping for stupid reason and not fully explained angry characters.
Number three, it’d be nice to see characters interacting together more; maybe it was just a back season thing, but Olicity really did group together while Thea had heavy time with Malcolm, and Laurel was basically none existent it felt like except when they were in team moments. I know at least Oliver, John, and Felicity were friends early on so it’d be great to see Felicity and John having moment alone in episodes or Thea and Felicity (because I don’t think they interacted together beyond group scenes) or John and Oliver again since their partnership has started to rebuild. Some Queen siblings moments would be good. I want to feel the connections and disconnects between the characters because the later half of season 4 felt mostly disconnected than characters showcasing their bonds.
Laurel felt like a guest star who popped in only when they needed her power or to say “Look Black Canary is here!”…I seriously felt she could have walked away from this group at the end of the season and not had any regrets about it. John was mostly involved with Andy which was nice on one hand to see having a plot beyond the group, but when he did interact with people about Andy it was mostly Oliver and Lyla it seemed which I get, but Thea knows a thing or two about evil family members and wanting better but knowing you can’t trust them and Laurel knows about doing anything for a sibling so it would have been interesting seeing discussing Andy with them. Felicity while adorable with Oliver and fun with Curtis would have been nice to see with Thea and Laurel decompressing at the end of the day before Oliver came home or planning the wedding before that got called off; Thea doesn’t seem to hate Felicity and was excited about Oliver proposing so why weren’t there more moments with she and Felicity? I can get how it would be weird with Laurel, ex lover and all, but still they could do things not related to Oliver.
I know Oliver is the lead of the show, but I don’t feel literally everything has to run through him as it were; you risk characters feeling one dimensional when you keep them connected to just one other character. Again maybe this was just a later S4 half problem but it was frustrating after awhile not seeing characters venture beyond certain other ones.
More guests like Vixen! She was perfectly used in her episode I felt – she had moments with most of the cast (sure as a group mostly but still) not just one character in Oliver, she got to help with the mission without feeling like she was taking it over, she had a realistic reason for being there and it really felt like she was one of the only people who could help in that moment. Vixen’s appearance on “Arrow” is what I wanted to see from Flash on “Supergirl”. Grant was cute and Flash was fun don’t get me wrong, but comparing his stint o “Supergirl” to Vixen’s on “Arrow” – Vixen’s appearance beats the crap out of his. Here’s hoping more guest appearances are like hers; also if Vixen herself would like to return that’d be fine.
Speaking of guests, when is Nyssa coming back? I miss her. Admittedly I still want to see her on “Legends Of Tomorrow” the most, but she was fun in “Arrow”.
I’d also like to see more of Lyla Michaels because she was awesome.
More villains like the Darkhs! They challenged the team in a believable way and not just on a vigilante level but a personal one as well.