tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post2707553467560157890..comments2024-03-24T03:19:39.745-04:00Comments on Just About Write: Arrow 3x05 "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak" (You Are A Light In The Darkness)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-70926611215472029732015-01-13T07:40:29.000-05:002015-01-13T07:40:29.000-05:00This is a very late comment but this seemed the be...This is a very late comment but this seemed the best place to throw it out there, even if no one will see. <br />I've been reading some fic and thinking about what this episode gave us about Felicity's past and something occurred to me.<br /><br />The character of Felicity's first love, Cooper, is oddly reminiscent of Oliver in some ways. (Nothing alike at first glance but)<br />-For roughly five years he has been presumed dead<br />-At the same time that Oliver is in Hong Kong, getting pretty dark because of working for covert organisation, Cooper is brought into the NSA and twisted by that experience<br />-Oliver is forced to work for Waller and Cooper is forced to work for the NSA <br />-While Oliver somehow maintains some of his humanity in spite of everything he's been through (as Barry points out in ep 8) Cooper's time with the NSA convinces him that humanity is irredeemable and he should just be out for himself.<br /><br />In my mind now they are kind of opposite images now. It's vague but an interesting contrast and I wonder if any of it was on purpose.<br />Beccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-73758439009851291312014-11-06T21:09:43.623-05:002014-11-06T21:09:43.623-05:00I feel weird until I've seen your comments on ...I feel weird until I've seen your comments on my reviews, not gonna lie! ;)<br /><br />I have to agree with you -- apathy is always worse than feeling hatred or disappointment in a character. In the first season, I really actually liked her. I think the writing just doesn't serve her sometimes and Laurel is a pretty polarizing character to begin with so when that happens, it makes her even more unbearable. But it is going to be so so so bad when Quentin finds out the truth. :(<br /><br />I really did love the parallel between Oliver trying to recover a relationship with Thea (because they're the only Queens that are left) and Felicity pushing her mother away. Family is going to play an important part this season, I think, since it is part of how we identify ourselves so I'm excited.<br /><br />Also, that hair coloring callback was so welcome! I love when shows remember that their audience is perceptive. :)Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11696902354009598893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-51622836462557018132014-11-06T15:31:17.615-05:002014-11-06T15:31:17.615-05:00I love leaving comments here, I don't feel rig...I love leaving comments here, I don't feel right until I do! LOL<br /><br />Yeah, I'm pretty apathetic about Laurel. I don't think I hate her, but I guess I don't care (which can be worse?) and I see what they're trying to do, but you said it: it's the same story every episode. And she told Ted that she couldn't tell her father, but THAT'S HER OWN RULE. NO ONE TOLD HER NOT TO TELL, not even Nyssa/The League! And the fallout from him not telling her is just going to sink her further, because while he will hate to lose both of his daughters, it could cause him to distance himself from her for all the pain she caused. If he survives the heat attack she's giving him by literally breaking his already going-to-be-broken heart. Ugh. <br /><br />From a lot of Mama Smoak fics I've read, she's often very unsympathetic or rundown (one of those gritty voice, heavy smoaker, dingy clothing types) and is dismissive of Felicity. In actuality she's so bright and bubble and it's the biggest trait she passes on to her daughter, who unconsciously embraced it after she rinsed out (literally) her goth phase. And I love how Oliver told her to go spend time with her mother the way he did without explicitly mentioning all that he went through with Moira. Because other shows would have pointed it out like we didn't remember, but they knew we remembered and didn't dumb down the moment for us. I really appreciated that writing wise. Between that and the way Felicity broke out of Cooper's grip, it was a really good episode for callbacks (and the hair dying line!) without thinking the viewers don't remember anything. Yay smart writing!Connie [@ConStar24]https://www.blogger.com/profile/11662778725868412944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-55659662056694603462014-11-06T14:41:59.928-05:002014-11-06T14:41:59.928-05:00YAY CONNIE! I love seeing your comments.
Wasn'...YAY CONNIE! I love seeing your comments.<br /><br />Wasn't it just great how everyone reacted to Mama Smoak who met her? I absolutely LOVED Charlotte Ross as Felicity's mom and I sincerely hope Donna makes a reappearance in the near future, please and thank you. And man, I DO want to know the backstory of her father -- why did he leave them? How old was she? What WAS Donna's story before he left? And you're right -- I don't think Felicity realized until her conversation with her mother that she's been pushing her away for a long time. So much so, that she might as well have already left her too.<br /><br />Honestly, I expected for Donna to be a caricature or unsympathetic but I honestly am so proud of the writers. She was amazing. And you're also right: Donna and Felicity both bring light into every situation and exude so much strength.<br /><br />I was so down for Oliver saving Felicity that I fist-pumped when he showed up (as I knew he would because DUH no one messes with his Felicity) but then I WAS SO MUCH HAPPIER THAT SHE KNOCKED OUT COOPER. I think people have been saying this on Tumblr but I love that she fought the way we would expect her to -- just a simple self-defense maneuver that Dig probably taught her back when he trained with her. And I absolutely loved Oliver's face after that moment too, like "... oh. Okay. Uh, I guess you've got this." Because as you said, the first time she needed saving, the second was a ruse, and the third time she saved herself.<br /><br />Thank you for mentioning that about Laurel. She's beginning to frustrate me (and really, I don't hate Laurel -- I can play devil's advocate for her behavior most times) because IT IS THE EXACT SAME STORY EVERY EPISODE. She screws up because she's reckless and then Quentin confronts her and she doesn't change. I'm interested to see if and when a change occurs for her.<br /><br />This was a phenomenal episode and I'm so glad we got to see so much of Felicity. BUT YES, MY JAW DROPPED AT THE END. Whaaaaaat even is happening?<br /><br />As always, thank you for your comments because they are stellar. :)Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11696902354009598893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-83320285644558569182014-11-06T14:13:44.551-05:002014-11-06T14:13:44.551-05:00"Donna Smoak enters this episode and every ro..."Donna Smoak enters this episode and every room she decides to enter with a bang" Literally every character who meets her gives the BEST facial expressions...! Diggle's... Oliver..'s even annoying Ray... priceless expressions from all of them.<br /><br />"Moreover, the most painful part of this conversation was the revelation that Donna has always been afraid that there is no part of Felicity that is HERS -- that the young woman is all her father, all science and technology. "I was so afraid that one day, you were going to leave me too. And now," the woman told Felicity, "I realize you already did."" Hmm yes this. Poor Donna. To have her husband leave her but her daughter also emotionally leave her for the same reason. I wonder what Donna wanted to be originally, I presume she waitressed to get Felicity through school, then it was all that was left for her. I wonder how she met Felicity's dad. Doesn't sound one night stand-y, really. Sounds like they were together and he had to go do something else (something probably mysterious and supervillain-y tbh) and had to leave his daughter behind. So how did they meet and fall in love and what ripped him away from his child who was already proving to be his intellectual equal? SO MANY QUESTIONS!<br /><br />"in that moment, I saw shades of the same fear in Donna" Yeah there's def more likeness between them than I think even the episode acknowledges, this certainly. Felicity has had people leave her, but she never realized that she was doing the same thing to her own mother. Maybe she felt like her mother didn't need her because she didn't understand her. Another thing they clearly share, not explicitly stated in the episode is clearly the ability to bring the light out of a situation. Donna Smoak brings bubbles and joy to any room she enters, even a hacker cave with a gun pointed at her. This is the same light that Felicity brought to the Arrow Cave when it was so dark and dank (before the high-tec remodel). They immediately bring laughter and joy to everyone they meet, even against their will (Oliver, both with Donna and later with Felicity) seems like he doesn't want to smile/laugh, but he does, because that's what the Smoak women do, they bring that light out in dark places. <br /><br />I loved the moment of Felicity saving herself as well, because it showed character development and a character who goes through things and then learns from them. Notice that her position with Cooper is the same as with the Count and with Slade. They have her by the neck with Oliver's arrow pointed at them. She needed to be saved the first time, it was a ruse the second time, and by the third, she's learned how to disarm and wack her opponent. She's been through the same situation all three times and evolved based on past experience. I now write recaps for thenerdsofcolor.org and one thing I said there is this is how she differentiates from Laurel, and why we're so frustrated with Laurel. L doesn't learn from her past mistakes, Felicity clearly has. This moment is the prime example. <br /><br />Ughhh such a great episode. So many great moments! Ughhh the ending too... WHO DID THIS TO ROY?!Connie [@ConStar24]https://www.blogger.com/profile/11662778725868412944noreply@blogger.com