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| LIKE EVERYWHERE |
I haven't done much blogging or comments on the shows I watch, since in reality there's tons of conjecture from many other sites. One of the shows I have been watching is Arrow. You can find a full spoiler filled review for Arrow's season finale on IGN HERE. The IGN assessment is fine and accurate, but Arrow has been bugging me something crazy for a while despite my enjoyment of it. Now before I start, I like the cast of arrow and love the fact that they have gotten away from strictly adhering to the lone wolf or Five Man Band model. Having a number of female characters is great, though a little more diversity would be okay.
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| Orcale's Smoak Yes Agree |
I accept the silly suspension of disbelief for super science in our comic books and shows, and Felicity as Arrow's Oracle was good idea. And I certainly have no problem with their choice or Emily Rickards for the role, she has been a trooper with it thus far. However, I think since about season 2, I been feeling sorry for Felicity Smoak. Her character has had a lot of strange rebounds and mixes of awful tropes:
She's been the occasional Damsel in Distress, though they have tried to balance this out by showing her skills, really limiting it, and saving Ollie's butt numerous time, even if its just remotely. So we'll give it a pass on this.
The terrible "will they or won't" writing has demonstrated fear of Moonlighting Syndrome (aka Shipping Bed Death) that the creator's clearly have. While relationships do have their ups and downs, the clear use of sudden emotional swings and distrust scenarios throughout the series to prevent them truly getting together was getting a little much. When Ollie and Felicity finally got together and drove off into the sunset, I almost wanted the series to end.
Now when the 2015 season restarted with the two returning to Star City to fight crime once again, they were the cute couple in love. And though I hoped they would find some new writing tropes to avoid yhe aforementioned Moonlighting Syndrome, honestly you could sense they wouldn't.
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| GROWL Stop Rubberbanding the Relationship We need a new trope for this! |
Issue one was actually from the Flash crossover, when Flash warps time again. Flash's time jump resets a big fight between Ollie and Felicity after she finds out he tried to keep the existence of his son from a fling a decade ago from her. The continual trust issues between the two characters borders on purposeful derailment. I understand Felicity being angry with Ollie for not telling her, but to walk away and end the relationship right there after all the lies she's seen him do is ridiculous. As was his reaction of her being so surprised. After seeing them as a couple finally, this sudden stop was jarring and under developed. The reveal of Wally West in Flash was much more natural, heart felt, and resolved in a manner that made sense for the characters. Worse, if they have gone with the time line, the writer's would have solved in an episode or two anyhow to get them back into the "will they/won't they" stage once again. And even worse in our new established time line Ollie won't tell Felicity about it...again...knowing full well what happen's if she finds out on her own. Seriously, if he tells the woman who he loves, who is use to keeping secrets, how exactly is the mother of child going to find out, unless he walk's up and tells her.
This takes us into the 2015 season finale, where after Ollie and Felicity finally agreeing to get married in a very sweet moment...can you guess what happens. Felicity gets shot. WOW surprise...not. Called it right from the escape from the gas chamber scene. So what now, is she dead? Don't know. Honestly seeing that Rickards is going to go shoot some real movies, maybe its a temporary or permanent contract thing. Its comics, so we have established at least a half dozen ways to make her live again, so its an easy out they could take...making her death/near death pointless. The question is: Fridge Moment or not. Women in Fridges is now a pretty classic trope identified by smarter folks than me, and maybe as guy I'm ill equipped to really pass judgement. Felicity has had character development (despite the rubberbanding) so kind of ruins the trope in its purest sense. But is her death just to give Olly motivation to act....which honestly he doesn't need? If the character is truly being written out, would it be better for her to die as hero on her own terms? (And not mess it up like Doctor Who's 2015 season finale...totally different rant). The new season will tell. I'm not making any predictions other than that there is most likely some contract talks going on behind the scenes. Here's hoping they bring her back, and give her a chance for some of her own pay back.
If there is no chance of her being written out, more shocking would to have Olly getting shot and dying in her hands (after her dramatic rescue of him perhaps, or too OCC?). That would be a huge curve ball. We know he'd be back of course, but would have been kind of nice change of pace.
Frankly with poor Simmons getting tortured in Agents of SHIELD (which was shocking in the Whedonverse), and the extremely telegraphed possible death/endangerment of Patty in Flash after the holidays (thanks trailers..oay), I'm starting to wonder if things are going a bit wrong in my beloved comic TV universe. Perhaps its just dark reflection of the comic industry (and much of TV) still suffering from old tropes they or we as consumers can't seem to disconnect from.
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