Arrow Round Table: Let's Hear It for the Girls!
Carissa Pavlica
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Ready to join us for the Arrow Season 3 Episode 3 Round Table?
This week we're pondering the new location in the Arrowverse, Corto Maltese, Thea's new trajectory, Felicity's job, Laurel's training and whether Oliver should put a warning sticker on Amanda Waller's past with respect to Lyla working for her.
It's really about the Arrow ladies this week, so join TV Fanatics Allison Nichols, Hank Otero, Paul Dailly, Carla Day and Carissa Pavlica when you pop your own answers in the comments section. Snuggle up and dig in!
What did you think of the world of Corto Maltese and should more time be spent there?
Allison: I would have enjoyed more flashbacks with Thea and Malcolm there. As far as present day goes, ehhh more time with Thea, basically. Honestly, the ARGUS mission in the episode did nothing for me. I was all about Thea, especially her scenes with Oliver.
Hank: I totally agree with Allison. This was supposed to be our Thea hour and the A.R.G.U.S. stuff just felt like a distraction. While I understand it gave the writers a reason to have Diggle there and some action sequences, it didn't really work for me either.
Paul: I liked it. It was good to see someone elses flashbacks. Usually I'd be leaning towards spending all the time time in Starling City, but not this time. It was interesting enough to revisit. I agree about the A.R.G.U.S stuff. Boring.
Carla: I enjoyed the change of scenery, but it overall it was disappointing. As mentioned, I would have liked to have seen more about Thea and Malcolm's time there. The ARGUS mission as presented wasn't all that interesting, though Arrow has often planted seeds that blossom later. Perhaps, this is on of those cases? I hope....
Carissa: It was pretty and with the island storyline gone we could use some greenery, but I wasn't impressed with the way it was utilized. I suspect we'll be back via Thea's flashbacks.
Why do you think Oliver hasn't warned Diggle about the dangers of Amanda Waller, especially considering Lyla works for her?
Allison: Pretty soon, he is going to sit Diggle down and have a, "For the five years I was on the island, I wasn't only on the island and the freighter" talk. Oliver has got to have some Waller horror stories to tell. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Waller in the flashbacks, and then seeing how Diggle reacts to the kind of person she really is.
Hank: I was expecting more consistent Hong Kong flashbacks, but I guess they're switching things up a bit this year. I'm ready to see Amanda Waller in action, not just have other characters talk about her and the terrible things she's done. Oliver always seems to wait until the last minute to come clean, until then Waller remains a mystery.
Paul: I agree with Henry here. I don't understand why Oliver hasn't said anything about it. If anything happens to her and Diggle finds out, we will get one of the most boring storylines, yet.
Carla: I find this problematic. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that the writers didn't plan to go down the Hong Kong/Amanda Waller path when they initially introduced her or Diggle's connection to ARGUS. Otherwise, Oliver should have at least hinted that Diggle should be vigilant around Waller. The only other explanation would be that Waller has threatened Oliver to a point that he fears retribution if he says anything to Diggle.
Carissa: It concerns me. For some reason some of the biggest secrets Oliver keeps are the ones that can cause the most damage to those he loves. Not telling the family about Slade in Arrow Season 2 didn't work out so well for Moira, did it? Thea knows -- secrets kill.
Talk about Thea's training by fire and how she'll fit in back in Starling City.
Allison: I am cringing just thinking about her training. I don't think I would have passed Malcolm's training, and I don't want to. I'm very curious to see how Thea will fit into Starling. I would love to see her use some of her training. I just want to see her spar with some Team Arrow people.
Hank: While I like this stronger Thea, I have no clue how she's going to fit back in Starling. It's not like Ollie plans to share ALL his secrets with her or will he? Do you think "speedy" will join Team Arrow this season? That could be fun. I love spending time with John Barrowman again, he's awesome!
Paul: The training was brutal. It was too much, as others have said, Malcolm is taking a much better interest in this offspring, than Tommy. The boiling water part was crazy. I don't know how she'll fit back into Starling. With Laurel adopting the vigilante lifestyle (attempting to!) Starling City will be full of them.
Carla: Loved it! She's fierce. This new Thea has me excited for her character and presence in Starling City for the first time. In the first two seasons, she was almost a wallflower and could have been written out without barely a notice. Now, she's going to be a force to contend. It will be intriguing to see how she balances her relationship with Oliver and with Malcolm. Where is her loyalty?
Carissa: Malcolm will never be awarded a Father of the Year trophy; at least he's consistent. But that's what Thea has wanted -- the truth. She doesn't want people treating her with kid gloves. I cannot wait to see how she uses this training in her "normal" life.
What are your thoughts on Felicity's new (supersized) position at Queen Consolidated?
Allison: Ray really knows how to flatter a girl. This episode was amusing. I'm just not sure how many times Felicity can have a Team Arrow conversation while Ray is in the room and have it be entertaining. The writers will need to give us a good reason to spend time at Queen Consolidated.
Hank: The Felicity-Ray scenes are some of my favorite so far. I love the chemistry between those two characters. They have a rhythm that just works. It was cool to see Felicity get the big office, but Ray's trying awfully hard. What's he really up to? By the way, loved hearing her mention Barry Allen and checking out Iris' blog. I can't wait to see Felicity pop up on The Flash this week.
Paul: I really like it, for all the work she actually does (for team Arrow) she deserves it.
Carla: Felicity and Ray's relationship and banter bring a freshness to the series. Her job at Queen Consolidated will offer her resources and insight that she can use to help Team Arrow, while also giving her life another purpose. It's a nice office. Ray has taken a liking to Felicity, whether it's more personal or professional, it will be ride to find out.
Carissa: I'm loving Ray's addition. Her new position (title and office) left me wondering why Oliver never gave her better status at Queen Consolidated when he was in charge. She's not without education. What the hell was wrong with him? Sheesh. Ray wins this round for treating her like an equal.
Talk about Oliver's decision not to help Laurel with her training.
Allison: He made the right call. Right now, Oliver is mourning Sara even though he doesn't really show it. He does not want to put Laurel on the path to the same life that Sara led and the one that he leads. It only ends in death, as far as Oliver is concerned. If Oliver trained Laurel, he would be responsible for her one day dying. I don't think Oliver can handle that.
Hank: They're too close for Oliver to be objective as her teacher. I think she needs to prove herself independently and training with Ted Grant will accomplish that. No hidden agendas or ulterior motives, just a boxer helping Laurel control that anger inside her. I'm curious to see if Ted will wear a Wildcat costume this season.
Paul: I understand why he wouldn't want to help her. He must feel somewhat responsible for Sara. If he never had an affair with her, she wouldn't have been on the boat, which led them both to the island. He probably thinks Laurel is safer as a normal citizen, but considering how many times she has been attacked in her apartment, she could benefit from training!
Carla: Oliver's relationship with the Lance family as a whole puts him in an uncomfortable position. There's so much more to the decision of training Laurel than just helping her learn to protect herself. He doesn't want her to put her life at risk and doesn't want her life on his conscience. Plus, Oliver has so many other things to worry about that training her isn't at the top of his priority list. He'd protect her in a heartbeat, but training her is a much bigger deal.
Carissa: I understand everything that was said by the others, except I keep going back to Oliver telling Laurel Sara would never forgive him. Oliver, better than anyone, knows that Laurel doesn't let go of the rope once she has grabbed onto it. While Sara wouldn't want Laurel to get into the life, I doubt she'd rather anyone other than Oliver be entrusted to her training. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Here is your look ahead to Arrow Season 3 Episode 4:
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.
