The Oliver Queen Discussion Thread

[dreamsofnever]

It's just occurred to me that the only female outside of Oliver's Mother and sister that he hasn't slept with is his "wife"

And Lyla! Thank goodness she's got better taste than that.

[tua33915]

It's just occurred to me that the only female outside of Oliver's Mother and sister that he hasn't slept with is his "wife"

We'll probably find out in a flashback that they did years ago. 😏

[Genny]

This is rather random but am I the only one who thinks his scars appear to be getting less noticeable each season?


Season 1


Oliver's back


Season 3 (one of the scars on his chest is missing and the one on his lower abdomen looks smaller.

Also have we actually found out where Oliver's scars came from/what caused them all? I know the two (sometimes one on the left side of his chest as well as the one on his rib cage were from the sword in season 1 when he was tortured. I believe the scar on the right side of his chest is from being shot through the chest with an arrow in season 1, although it kind of looks like a burn. Scar on the right arm is from a gunshot in season 1. Were the others explained? I don't remember.

[Amarice]

Also have we actually found out where Oliver's scars came from/what caused them all? I know the two (sometimes one on the left side of his chest as well as the one on his rib cage were from the sword in season 1 when he was tortured. I believe the scar on the right side of his chest is from being shot through the chest with an arrow in season 1, although it kind of looks like a burn. Scar on the right arm is from a gunshot in season 1. Were the others explained? I don't remember.

Found this page - http://scifi.stackexchange.com/quest...-get-his-scars It's a scan from the book manual about the show or something.

Actually I think that Arrow unfortunately fell into a popular tv trope old scars are visible, new ones hardly leave any mark. They just seem to be less accurate in applying them than they used to be unfortunately. The mark left by Moria's gun is visible on his left collarbone (wrongly marked on the photo on his chest). But Ollie for example is missing a pretty nasty scar the arrow he stabbed himself through to defeat Malcolm should leave on the left side of his chest/back. He also doesn't have any scars from the arrows the Dark Archer shot him (shoulder blade and hip if I remember correctly). Bronze Tiger impaled him also on his claws, which also should leave pretty nasty scars on his right shoulder. They did add, however, the scar left by Ra's blade. Only it did somehow moved and doesn't quite correspond with wound shown in 3x09.

Ah, this TV show reality... It's very convenient btw. that Ollie doesn't have any scars on his face...

[Haggard01]

Having rewatched a few episodes of season 1 recently. I actually don't think the that season even leaves my DVD player although considering Star Wars upcoming, that may change.

Anyway, watching the episodes and I'm like what's different about Steven Amell then it hits me I think even in season 2 to a degree really all the actors of well it's like they were excited to be on the show. Despite the original tone of the show there was just a vibe from the cast that I think was more lively compered to season 3 and 4 where they more look, feel like dead weight. Also in the flashbacks of these past two seasons well Steven Amell playing Oliver kind of well looks like he's always a bit happy to a certain extent even though he's supposed to be growing into The Hood.

I'm not sure if it's just me or not but well figured I post this.

[BkWurm1]

Good catch about the missing scars from more recent encounters but I guess I can hand wave some of them away as Oliver getting excellent wound care and of course, access to his magic herbs (which we know they used to help him heal from Ra's stabbing him...does he have any left anymore?) so the lack of newer scars doesn't bug me too much. As for the older scars not seeming as prominent, that also makes a lot of sense since they'd have had another four years to fade and not only time but now regular access to showers (I'm sure someone set him up with a nice loofa) and good nutrient packed foods (I'm sure the Big Belly Burgers are healthier than they look, ) so it makes sense that his body would not show the scar tissue as prominently.

[BkWurm1]

Having rewatched a few episodes of season 1 recently. I actually don't think the that season even leaves my DVD player although considering Star Wars upcoming, that may change.

Anyway, watching the episodes and I'm like what's different about Steven Amell then it hits me I think even in season 2 to a degree really all the actors of well it's like they were excited to be on the show. Despite the original tone of the show there was just a vibe from the cast that I think was more lively compered to season 3 and 4 where they more look, feel like dead weight. Also in the flashbacks of these past two seasons well Steven Amell playing Oliver kind of well looks like he's always a bit happy to a certain extent even though he's supposed to be growing into The Hood.

I'm not sure if it's just me or not but well figured I post this.

I have a suspicion that when TMNT's II hits theater that we are going to see SA acting in a very similar manner with that character as he has been this season with Oliver. Oliver in the present makes sense to be lighter and more open but I think SA just plain fell out of character for the flashbacks. The guy that played Constantine talked about how he had a hard time finding John Constantine again after having been away from the character and I think that is what happened to Amell.

It likely takes a toll to be that broody all the time and once freed from it, not so easy to fall back into. Also, his previous times off between seasons he didn't do any major acting work, so in a sense he wouldn't have had to refind his character since he wouldn't have made a transition into another character. This last year he did.

Another theory is that I've noticed on long running shows that the longer a show runs, the more likely it is that the character that an actor plays starts taking up more and more of the actors real life traits and personality. Like the difference between the character of Daniel Jackson on Stargate from the first season to the tenth season. In that case the shift worked as natural character growth but I remember reading Shanks saying that he started the series doing an imitation of the character that James Spader played in the original movie (which he did a fantastic job at doing) but that it got tiring as the years went on and as the years went on, he was allowed more and more imput into how the character would behave.

I think we are getting some of that with SA. We are seeing more of Stephen on screen and less of Oliver. In the present, like I said before, I think it works but it's an issue in the flash backs.

[DoubleDevil]

I think you are forgetting that when Oliver realized that Malcolm Merlyn and his Undertaking is exactly what his father really wanted him to stop and make amends for, Oliver planned on doing just that and then HANGING UP HIS HOOD. It's the reason he went to Laurel. He saw a way to live up to his promise to his father and be able to stop being the vigilante. Instead they only partially stopped the quakes so 503 people including Tommy died. And yet, Oliver STILL walked away from being the Hood.

He WANTED to quit and didn't intend to come back but had he succeeded in stopping the Undertaking, he still would have quit so that he could have been with Laurel and give them a chance to be together, something he found impossible if he was still the hood. Tommy's death I think ended things between them, the guilt and remorse (and Laurel's realization IMO of who really loved her more and vice versa) was stronger than any lingering spark, but season one more than anything proved to me that Oliver leaving for love (in part) at the end of season three when this time he DID win was perfectly in character.

I didn't say it was out of character, I said it felt out of place. Oliver wanting to give up/retire after season 1 I was willing to accept yet with him wanting to leave again in season 3, not only in the current timeline but also running away in the flashbacks (understandable to escape Waller and ARGUS but none the less running away instead of confronting his problems), puts him in a light that I'm not invested in supporting. A reluctant hero that does what s/he needs to do and afterward settles back into his/her life and hanging up the mantle until they're reluctantly pulled back in I can support but one that continually decides to run away from their duty/responsibility (literally) and has to continually be coaxed back in is somebody I could care less about if they were to return and that is what season 3 made canon for Oliver. It was even alluded to in season 2 where Oliver mentioned moving in with Sara, so yes it was very much in character for THIS particular Oliver Queen. Yet since it didn't happen at the end of season 2 I was still invested in supporting the hero, he was the reluctant hero that hung up his mantle after accomplishing his task without running off to avoid being pulled back in (admitted he didn't run off because Sara ran off with the league instead of with him or because he actually loved Felicity (which I for one still didn't buy) but the point is he didn't run off). THIS Oliver Queen's not the hero looking out for the little guy, he's a spoiled rich kid that helps out of convenience and peer pressure, still very much thinking about himself first and foremost and I can care less about such a character. No matter how hard the showrunners try to show otherwise, this Oliver Queen isn't a leader, he is lead by others.

[canaryalive]

Oliver is very complicated character, but that's what makes him so interesting. He is not perfect, but that is what makes him more real.
The things I like about him:
- his strength to take the punches of life. He never gives up and every experience makes him stronger
- his remorse of the past mistakes he made. He never returns a verbal abuse he receives often from his loved ones. The people close to him constantly blame him and accuse him of things but he never defends himself. He stands there stoic and accepts the criticism. This is a rare quality in people.
- his heroism and bravery
- his selflessness and desire to put the happiness and the life of the others before his
- his ability to fall in love, to love, and to befriend people. No matter how many people he lost, how many people betrayed him, he still finds the strength to bond and to create attachment to people
- his determination and focus.
- his ability to unite people and be a leader
- his I don't give a fck attitude to certain superficial things
- his ability to kill when necessary
- vicious angry gritty attitude to things he finds unfair and towards the stupid people, or bad people

Things that bug me about him:
- sometimes he loses focus, and forgets important information
- his desire to save everybody's soul in expense of his. This particularly bothers me because he has the tendency to not mind his own business. And thinks he had to stop everybody from becoming a killer, when the right thing to do is just leave everybody follow their own path.
- his insecurity moments of this is my fault, or I don't know how to beat him, or I am not good enough for her or for this
- the need to save people that can't be saved or don't deserved second chance
- his dance with the no kill rule, the black and white vision of things he has sometimes
- his decisions to leave everything and the city and go and hide somewhere

I honestly didn't like him a lot in season 4. He did not felt like himself, more like a completely different man. I did not like his approach to leave the others to lead and not to take things in his hands. He left the people around him to manipulate him too much and lived in a fantasy world in which he thought it is possible to have a normal life and fight a 'Darth Vader' kind of villain at the same time. He seemed more stupid than usual and lack most of his abilities he had in previous seasons - focus, determination, advanced planning, crime fighting and being a killer when needed, he most often just did not fight back when attacked. He allowed his personal drama to control his thoughts too much. I think in season 4 was a good time for him to stand up for himself when people around him continued to accuse him of being unable to love or trust and to give him moral lectures he did not deserve. Partnering up with family members and friends weakened his judgement what is right to do. He allowed Diggle's drama to take over his clear vision of not to trust Diggle's brother. Or Thea's connection with Malcolm prevented him to kill Malcolm once and for all. His friends' advises to fight in the light put Felicity's life in danger and so on.

I hope this season we will have the real Oliver Queen, who is one man army, with occasional minor back up help. I hope he moves forward and continues to evolve into more smart and experienced man. I hope he puts his past in the past and stop listen to people when they tell him he is not doing things right. He has to really embrace his darkness and who can't handle him can leave

[JDBentz]

http://imgur.com/pcVI8SS

Anyone else see the subtle comment to a certain part of the fanbase, in particular a certain BNF for a bespectacled character?

[Amarice]

http://imgur.com/pcVI8SS

Anyone else see the subtle comment to a certain part of the fanbase, in particular a certain BNF for a bespectacled character?

Thanks for sharing. I think it's mainly aimed to Stemily shippers and the crazy part of Olicity fanbase, who don't see anything except their beloved pairing.

It was high time to address this.

[JDBentz]

Thanks for sharing. I think it's mainly aimed to Stemily shippers and the crazy part of Olicity fanbase, who don't see anything except their beloved pairing.

It was high time to address this.

Agreed. But its really sad that it even needs to be addressed.

The one good thing coming out of all of this, IMO, is that SA is likely to tell Guggenheim and Mericle he'll leave the show if they go back to pandering. He didn't do a lot of promoting and defending S4 because he knew it was crap. Now the show is about Oliver again, about his journey and such, and SA is promoting and defending it. But I think he's gotten the point that he isn't willing to just live and let live with the crazier ones. And if GUggenheim and Mericle end up trying to pander to them, I could see SA deciding to leave the show. His contract is to play Oliver Queen, yes, but I seemed to get the idea that it was more of an open-ended one, not a 'you have to play Oliver on Arrow for this amount of time'.