Loved It? Hated It? What did you think of "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak?"

[Quark]

Not the best episode especially as the first four episodes of the season were so much better and this episode was rather poor. I like the character of Felicity but I think the actress is terrible when it comes to getting so emotional. I liked the Mum initially, she seemed like a breath of fresh air and the sort of character I wouldn't expect to see on Arrow but then throughout the episode she steadily got worse.

Also, I might be wrong here but is't the reason people like and relate to Felicity so much is because she is so normal? Her background really took that away from her. I also don't think it makes sense that she came from that sort of background. How could she go from being so cool around people to being so jumpy and nervous? And it just happened from one moment to the next.

[Shelby Kent]

Not the best episode especially as the first four episodes of the season were so much better and this episode was rather poor. I like the character of Felicity but I think the actress is terrible when it comes to getting so emotional. I liked the Mum initially, she seemed like a breath of fresh air and the sort of character I wouldn't expect to see on Arrow but then throughout the episode she steadily got worse.

Also, I might be wrong here but is't the reason people like and relate to Felicity so much is because she is so normal? Her background really took that away from her. I also don't think it makes sense that she came from that sort of background. How could she go from being so cool around people to being so jumpy and nervous? And it just happened from one moment to the next.

Agree!

[Carmine-Infantino]

I thought they were trying to have her look a bit like the felicity from the comics. That character had dark hair and dressed in blacks and purples.

[NightHawk777]

The ending....wow! I practically yelled at my television, I was so shocked.


But how does his thoughts/nightmares know what Sara said right before he shot her? To me, it seems pretty legitimate that he may be responsible. The question is he under someone's control? That voice sounded like Slade's to me.

I remember thinking about this last season. There are a bunch of Mirakuru guys out there, how is Slade controlling them? Meaning, why didn't they all just go on their own chaotic ways? Instead they all were wreaking havoc, but definitely under a sort of control. If Slade has some ability to command those, then he might still have some hold on Roy through that connection of Mirakuru. Anyway, we know that Slade really hated Sara, since she was spared when Shado was not. The Mirakuru was formed directly from his blood. I feel there is something odd going on here with Roy, and I also have seriously wondered how Slade controlled all those guys, and why wasn't Roy fully under his control, when all the others were.

[NightHawk777]

I liked the Ep. I actually rewatched all previous episodes right before watching this one, and it was a nice semi-break from the ultra dark goings on of previous eps.

Felicity seems to me to be the one person on the show who isn't dark in temperament and situation. So I wish they had not made her goth or whatever in that flashback because the entire flashback seems super OOC. But, I don't really care so much about the old Felicity, i like the new one. But it's bordering on a split personality or something, the way they showed her past

I loved the training sequences. They were wonderful. I noted the same thing with Roy and Oliver. Roy was going very slow, comparative to what I would expect. I had a fear that they were going to begin this "roy is a drug addict" storyline or whatever it is from some comics. (Please, after Laurel last season, lets not go there until season 13 or 14...). Thea and Malcolm - These guys were having a serious dedicated training and both seemed quite focused. Laurel and WC - Laurel was indeed kind of wild and uncontrolled in her match. I think its cool how they really showed it, and then brought it up later in both Laurel and Roy's case.

Malcolm lurking around Starling City is very interesting. He has to have his eyes on Thea, but also eyes in the back of his head, as we can be certain the LOA knows where he is now. I like that he has actually come to Starling City simply because that is where Thea went.

Felicity was the focus of this episode, and that is fine. It really stood out to me in that her stories will never begin to rival the dark stories of any of the other characters. Especially after seeing her on the Flash, she was so much more in her element. If I was Felicity, I would be mega stressed out with the situation and people she is surrounded by. And its way past time she got a restraining order on that Ray guy. He is beyond creeping me out. I don't know what they have him on the show for, and he basically seems like a weird stalker.

Felicity boyfriend was definitely a disposable villain of the week. I don't care if I never see him again. I knew he was going to get taken down, but it was nice to see Felicity doing it herself

Laurel is really being allowed to make up for the depths of last season. The scenes with her dad are always great. I am beginning to warm up to TG. I hope they don't make it some kind of romantic thing with these two. I have nothing but high hopes for her as this season goes on.

Oliver - I can really see a difference in the way he acts and behaves around Thea, and around every one else. They have that brother/sister vibe down. I am glad to see these two reconnecting. They really are the end of the Queen family (so we are led to believe).

Roy - My hope is he is simply having some mirakuru flashbacks. I kept thinking how it was odd he went out on patrol right before Sara was killed, but i really didn't think he would kill Sara. And even, why would he do that ? A Mirakuru rage would explain it, since it doesn't have to be logical. Roy was buddies with Sin and Sara as well, from what I recall. I really hope he didn't actually kill Sara. It will be the end of Roy in the Arrow team. And that is a real shame.

Diggle/Argus - It seems odd to me how Diggle has ARGUS agents at his beck and call. Is this the same ARGUS that has Oliver as a hitman in the flash backs? I don't get it. Is ARGUS not such a bad thing, but just Waller is kind of rogue inside of it? I wish they would explain this better.

This episode will probably be seen as a break from the previous 4, and whatever comes next. I consider it a breather. But it was still a good episode in the flow of the episodes.

[Thailog]

Malcolm lurking around Starling City is very interesting. He has to have his eyes on Thea, but also eyes in the back of his head, as we can be certain the LOA knows where he is now.

I found this strange as well. Wouldn't it have made more sense to install some cameras on the nearby buildings or even hire a henchmen? Malcolm is well known in Starling City and I find it odd that no one recognizes him when he's walking around without a mask.

Roy - My hope is he is simply having some mirakuru flashbacks.

Interestingly, Roy wasn't wearing his Arsenal costume in the dream. He was in his red hoodie from season 2.

[quasar]

It always bothers me when films create characters backwardly. Finding out things about a character's past is a hard thing to write, because it can render your knowledge of him/her devoid of the foundation that you have already built. Even if the film wants you to understand that person in a deeper sense, it can actually cause the reverse effect: You start realizing that you don't really know who they are, and that's an awful thing to do with personages that are supposed to be bound to the audience. The kind of "normal person" that enters an unknown world is exactly what resonates with the viewer, as they can look at the events through that character's eyes. And in Arrow's case, I'd say the best candidate for that kind of person is either Felicity or John.
Of course, revealing past events can work very well with characters that we do not fully understand, characters whose insight we slowly build by figuring out pieces of the puzzle. Besides the obvious, think about how Slade was crafted: filling in the blanks only made us understand his complexity better.

That aside, nice episode. The beginning scene was creatively designed, Donna (?) started as a fresh addition, Starling City was again in a crisis situation, and Thea did great at bringing the Queens' family atmosphere back. Em looked pretty and Laurel was great at being a "not so strategically skillful" person in charge.

[DoubleDevil]

Sorry but Donna Smoak was Laurel at her worst x10 with a few cute lines here and there (anyone notice she wore the same dress almost the entire episode while Felicity had multiple outfit changes?). Goth Felicity I could understand if she was in high school but the sudden loss of her contacts (not to mention she was wearing the very same glasses as she was when Donna left) and abrupt change of character after Cooper supposedly hung himself didn't rhyme with me at all. There was so much potential to use Ray much more in this episode to further a possible love connection with Felicity or to show him much more heroic/less creepy other than him wanting to do good for Starling City by supplying free energy, if Cooper was with the NSA why didn't he think of kidnapping Ray instead of flying Donna in as leverage to use against Felicity? Cooper Seldon as Brother Eye was reduced from a near useless "hacktivist" up to a super hacker for the NSA off screen back down to a lowly backrobber completely degrading Brother Eye. I liked the Laurel storyline but her training with Wildcat, JR Ramirez didn't even need to bother ducking because she was flailing a mile over his head as it was. Oliver/Thea was enjoyable so that and Laurel's storyline is what saved this episode from a worse rating than I gave it even though it was still the worst episode this season in my eyes.

[Thailog]

Agreed on Cooper's plan to get rich being unnecessarily complex / dramatic.

As a supposed master hacker, he should have been able to figure out an easier way to get ahold of some money, especially given the ease with which Felicity hacks into bank accounts and transfers funds on a regular basis. Staging a city wide panic just to get to an armored truck using a rocket launcher (!) is more fitting for a low level thug than a hacking genius that was hired by the NSA before.

[Buziel0809]

^Agreed. You think he would have hacked Queen Consolidated or something. I guess the armor truck was the only way to get an action scene in. Speaking of which, I laughed so hard at Roy's face expressions throughout that whole sequence. It seems like he didn't really know what to do next. Diggle was out punch and shooting guys. He was just standing there, and he had a shocked on his face after he shot an arrow at the bazooka like he couldn't believe he did that!

[Lipzo]

^Agreed. You think he would have hacked Queen Consolidated or something. I guess the armor truck was the only way to get an action scene in. Speaking of which, I laughed so hard at Roy's face expressions throughout that whole sequence. It seems like he didn't really know what to do next. Diggle was out punch and shooting guys. He was just standing there, and he had a shocked on his face after he shot an arrow at the bazooka like he couldn't believe he did that!

What's the point in hacking QC? They don't keep money with them, all their money is in the bank. Any potential R&D projects would have cost massive amounts to make which they didn't have the capital to and finding a buyer for R&D projects isn't going to be an easy thing to do. If you think about it, the best way to make money would be to hack a bank then get new money delivered and rob them. There is no paper trail or electronic footprint to follow that way. If you hacked into the bank and simply transferred the funds to another account then you have the electronic footprint which could easily be traced as he would know given his past with the NSA.

Diggle/Argus - It seems odd to me how Diggle has ARGUS agents at his beck and call. Is this the same ARGUS that has Oliver as a hitman in the flash backs? I don't get it. Is ARGUS not such a bad thing, but just Waller is kind of rogue inside of it? I wish they would explain this better.

From what I know about ARGUS is set up in a hierarchical manner with Waller at the top. You take orders from any of your superiors and do as they want, even if it is trivial things. They also (like any organisation) look after their own very well and Diggle/Lyla/Baby Sara are all a part of ARGUS essentially.
I also think that Diggle is pretty much an operative for ARGUS when needed now, much like Oliver was in the current flashbacks though that is pure speculation on my part.

[vivien1114]

What a breath of fresh air Routh's Ray Palmer is! Obviously the character was conceived in no small part as a complement to Emily Bett Rickards' take on Felicity.

[NightHawk777]

What a breath of fresh air Routh's Ray Palmer is! Obviously the character was conceived in no small part as a complement to Emily Bett Rickards' take on Felicity.

I keep wishing I could like this character. The problem is a perception problem for me. Arrow seems a pretty dark show, and he may be like Felicity and a more light character. But since I don't know that, I assume he is a creepy stalker and it really needs to be cleared up soon. Especially after what we've seen over the last couple seasons, CEOs are on Roberts list, or they are hostile takover artists like Rochev, or evil genius dark archers like Merlyn. So, why would this guy be different? And he is strangely like Merlyn in his idea of saving the city.

Last ep they hinted at him finding some weapons schemes or something. But no further on that in this episode. I hope it is as you say and he is just a different kind of character for the show. I can see Felicity needing someone like this to interact with, as opposed to all the other characters who are continually in perpetual danger.

[Fletching]

Not sure how I feel about this episode. It had all the right plot points but the writing/dialog was a little clunky.

A lot of the characters on the show had a defining moment that converted them to what they are in the present. Roy was rescued by the Arrow and became a crime fighter. Sara had two near death experiences, each changing her into something different than her previous self. Diggle fought in the wars and lost his brother. Laurel has lost Sara and is becoming something new. Thea was tired of being used and made the choice to follow Merlyn, transforming her into something stronger (we've yet to fully see.)

That said, what makes sweet, single, smart, strong, sexy (IMHO) Felicity what she is? Why would the nation's top cyber-security mind be holed up in the basement of old foundry aiding a bankrupt vigilante?

It was a lot to answer in 42-45 minutes (as JDBentz had said). Still, I'm glad Felicity got her episode in the sun. Her character motivations now have a lot more than any of the villains-of-the-week. (Think about it. We barely get two sentences about their motives. Clock King? The Mayor? Shrapnel? Isabel?)

1) Her brains come from her dad (who remains to be seen as a good guy or a bad guy)
2) Her strength and determination come from her mom
3) Her desire to do good with her hacking skills stems from the heavy guilt over writing a super virus that caused her boyfriend to commit suicide in prison.
4) Her "social aloofness" and being "perpetually single" could also come from not wanting to get involved with someone and getting hurt as she did with Cooper.

The worst scenes were with MamaSmoak core dumping the state of their relationship. I mean, why not a normal mother/daughter interaction instead of a tell-all moment. They've known each other for 25 years - please write dialog that makes sense.

And while we're at it, does anyone else have a problem with the way the passage of time is represented - not only this episode, but others in Arrow-land? It felt like the first Brother Eye attack was on one day and the second on the following day, but Mama Smoak was in the same outfit?

[Fletching]

Regarding the Roy nightmare: I'm reminded of a scene in "Sara" where Roy is in the Foundry looking intently at the arrow that killed her. He may have suspected something at that time and it could be a clue. Anybody else recall that scene?