Welcome to the Arrow Season 4 Episode 6 Round Table!

Did Sara get enough story before she departed for DC's Legends of Tomorrow? Was it a wise decision for Ray to remain "dead"? What did you think of the inside of that box Damien received? How about Smoak and Lance?

The Arrow Round Table team is going to talk about all of that and more, so join Lindsay MacDonald, Liz Estey, Hank Otero, Caralynn Lippo and Carissa Pavlica for the discussion. Pop your thoughts on the latest episode into the comments!

What did you think about the lack of story for Sara's return to life before she departed for Legends?

Lindsay: I figure they're probably planning to dig into the meat of that story on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, so why blow it on Arrow? Not the smoothest transition in the world, but it makes sense.

Liz: I agree with Lindsay. It definitely seems like they're planning to dig a little deeper while on Legends. It also didn't help that they were launching to Legends characters in the same episode. Logically, it makes sense not to spend too much time on her now.

Hank: It didn't bother me much since we've been dealing with Sara's return over several episodes now. This episode really belonged to Ray in my opinion. Besides, I agree that they need to leave us with some mysteries to be dealt with on Legends.

Caralynn: Part of me wishes that the resurrection had actually happened on Legends, because her resurrection on Arrow felt just a tiny bit gimmicky. It also made an absolute idiot out of Laurel's character, which was an unpleasant side effect. Obviously Sara needed to come back somehow, but I am not crazy about they way it all played out.

Carissa: Since Sara had no contact with any characters at all after her resurrection, they should have just left it for Legends. It's as if the writers absolutely hate Katie Cassidy. They give her the worst material to work with, and it never pans out. While she did get to air grievances with Oliver, that shouldn't have been what the storyline was about.

Ray was saved, but he decided to remain "dead." Why do you think he made that decision?

Lindsay: Once again, I think this is a Legends thing. His resurrection come with a lot of Palmer Tech strings (and Felicity CEO complications) that are better left behind. I do wonder how much he'll appear in the rest of Arrow's fall season though, now that he's totally unburdened and free to move on.

Liz: I actually get why Ray would stay "dead". He has so much work to do in terms of the A.T.O.M. suit that it will be easier for him to exist under the radar. (especially when he's tiny)

Hank: Felicity's handling things pretty well at Palmer Tech, there's no need for Ray to return to the company with so much A.T.O.M. work left to do. As Lindsay mentioned, there's no way to squeeze all of Ray's storylines into Legends. This was a way for the writers to break free of that. Ray is back from the dead, but as far as anyone knows it's business as usual. Legends would be too similar to Arrow if Palmer Tech and other stuff carried over.

Caralynn: I agree with all of the above. Ray's decision to stay dead made a hell of a lot more sense than Sara randomly leaving town, to be honest. His decision effectively cleared the way for his transition to Legends to happen smoothly.

Carissa: I agree that it makes sense for him to stay dead, except he's just not waltzing off into the sunset. I wish that was all we saw of him. Instead he's sticking around for Arrow Season 4 Episode 7. It feels like there's too much Legends in Arrow and The Flash this fall, to be honest.

How do you feel about Oliver and Felicity 1/4 into Arrow Season 4?

Lindsay: I actually loved this episode because it showed that Olicity can have relationship issues that make sense for their characters but also don't take over the narrative completely. Seeing them at odds or happy all the time would be tiring, but I think they've found a good balance.

Liz: I surprisingly like it. It seems to be working well, I just feel like they're doing so well that something has to go wrong. Then again, they could always mess up someone else's life. To add to what Lindsay said, they're doing a good job of depicting a real (as real as superheroes can be) relationship.

Hank: It's working for me as well, though Ms. Smoak felt a bit too much like Arrow Season 3 Felicity in this episode. One of the reasons I was never for "Olicity" is because of these little relationship ups and downs. It makes the show more of a soap opera than an action adventure. That said, I think the relationship was handled well here and their friendship is still solid. I'm not as bothered by Olicity as I expected to be.

Caralynn: My Olicity issue was always twofold – it took up a lot of time in season 3 and seemed incredibly melodramatic. I've always loved the interplay between the two characters. Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards obviously have amazing chemistry! They've grown on me now that they're behaving like an actual couple, with ups and downs. In all this was a surprisingly emotionally affecting episode, Olicity-wise. I'm liking it. And more convinced than ever that she is NOT in that grave at the end of the season.

Carissa: I was impressed with the material in the episode and don't find their union overly melodramatic at all. I was surprised that almost all of the comments I received were anti-Felicity. Everyone always assumes I am anti-Felicity and especially anti-Olicity, but I'm anti artificial drama. There hasn't been any. What she expressed was real, and it felt organic to the season overall.

What did you think about the return of Donna Smoak?

Lindsay: I love her and desperately want her to be a regular. We haven't had to hide the superhero secret from a side character in a long time. I almost miss it! Plus... Mama Smoak and Captain Lance have sparksssss.

Liz: She is great! Donna really helps give Felicity more depth, and it also makes Felicity's issues with Oliver much more understandable. I am 100% pro-Donna.

Hank: I think she's a little over the top, but Mama Smoak brings the comedy and Arrow needs those lighter moments. I wasn't expecting her and Lance to meet up, but I agree there's definitely chemistry there. Hopefully they'll give Donna her own storyline instead of being used as a device to drive Felicity nuts.

Caralynn: I love her! I'm really glad that it seems Captain Lance is getting an actual storyline that appears to be a happy one. Naturally this means he will die by the end of the season because drama. The conversation between Felicity and her mother was also really poignant and great. And the arguments between Felicity and Oliver over his interacting with her mom as well as the dinner scene were hilarious scenes!

Carissa: She may be over the top, but not as over the top as Curtis. He's been laying it on a little thick to me. Donna isn't a genius, so she should stick out a little bit when she's around them. I've always been a fan of Charlotte Ross and can't wait to see more of her and Lance.

Thoughts on what's in the box Damien received?

Lindsay: Literally no idea. Was it schematics of the city or something? I'm always 100% in the dark when it comes to the villains of Arrow and what the heck they're after.

Liz: Not a clue. I'm enjoying the mystery and mythos around Damien Darhk though. I was worried that the magic would get old, but as of right now I'm enjoying it.

Hank: My first impression was that the design's some kind of computer chip rather than blueprints to the city. Knowing that Darhk is after Ray's miniaturization technology, it stands to reason he's building something that requires that tech. Now, is he planning to shrink Star City? I hope not, that's a bit too silly for Arrow and sounds more like a Flash thing. I'm not sure what he's up to, but I'm fairly certain it will play out in the Arrow/Flash crossover and carry over to Legends somehow.

Caralynn: I was watching with my fiancé and he joked that now they were going to play a board game – the schematic did look a bit like the board of some kind of Settlers of Catan-ish strategy game, haha. In all seriousness, I have no idea but it definitely doesn't bode well for Star City.

Carissa: It didn't look like blueprints to me, so I like Hank's idea. Something computer oriented makes sense in light (ha) of what he needed from Ray. Damien is full of surprises.

Anything else noteworthy from "Lost Souls"?

Lindsay: I'm a little disappointed that Thea got another love interest before Laurel. Laurel has been going through a three year dry spell. That girl needs to get laid.

Liz: Laurel does need a love interest. But I am actually super-excited to see what happens with Donna and Lance. I'm really curious about how pissed Lance will be when he finds out Donna is six degrees of Oliver.

Hank: The island flashbacks continue to be pretty lame, and I don't think they did enough to follow up Constantine's visit. It was almost as if they threw John Constantine in there for the fans, rather than an actual storyline. Yeah, it's too bad the island stuff continues to be as pointless as ever. Good thing next season is Ollie's last year on the island. He better start growing out that long hair and nasty beard, right?

Caralynn: These flashbacks need to die. They're nothing more than a distraction at this point, not entertaining or informative in the least. On a totally separate note, Thea's love interest's face bothers me. There's just something off about him, I can't quite put my finger on it.

Carissa: Hank, I think they DID throw in Constantine just for the fans. I found it odd that in an episode about Sara and Ray, essentially, there was so much LOVE going on. Why did there have to be three couples showcased? That seemed a bit like overkill. Like they figured, we're pouring it on, let's thicken it a bit.

Make sure you're here for Arrow Season 4 Episode 7, "Brotherhood," and watch the trailer, below!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.