#arrow 1x11

Oliver smoaked and with good hair.

So I’m not ready to re-watch yet but I miss what was my favourite show - so I’m reflecting. Thanks so much for those who made the gifs!

I’m doing this based on how the gifs are tagged so it may not always be 100% accurate…

- Oliver eating an apple...yum

- Oliver training shirtless...double yum.

- Diggle's former commanding officer is on the list. I like how we're seeing that the list isn't so black and white. Oliver just sees them as names. He doesn't see people. Dig and Felicity both play a part in humanising those names.

- Poor Oliver, he was desperate for that meal on the island.

- I think they really did a good job casting John Barrowman and Colin Donnell as father and son.

- the hood v Diggle part 1.

- Oliver tells Diggle about the message from his father, alluding to the fact that he wasn't on the island the whole time.

- Nice to get more info on Diggle's back story.

- also, this episode sees Oliver and John flip positions on having a blind spot about someone and being wrong.

- Poor Thea misses her dad on her birthday.

- she thinks Moira is hooking up with Malcolm. Ick. Even more icky is the fact that she was right. They had an affair, Thea. That's your real dad.

- It's funny seeing how naive Oliver is about his parents. Thea is clued up.

- during the dinner scene it's weird seeing Malcolm and Laurel being so civil. Especially knowing how things turn out between them later.

- FELICITY!!!!!!

I love how they flirt with each other without really realising it.

Again with the music swell when he leaves...

They way he watches her...

-anyway, I have a question; if Tommy's mother was shot in the head, doesn't that imply that she was dead instantly? How did she manage to leave the message on Malcolm's phone? Maybe I'm over thinking it.

- I love that Felicity calls Oliver 'Mr Queen' on the phone.

- 'So no wine then'.

- Diggle notices Oliver planting the bug on him. Oliver needs to work on his stealth mode

- is this the first mention of Vertigo on the show?

- in an episode all about trust, it showed how far John and Oliver have come already. Dig knew Oliver would have his back.

- oh Thea, never drug and drive.

- they had a different hospital set in season 1.

- Malcolm left for 2 years. First of all, poor Tommy. Secondly, I wonder where he went and if we'll ever find out? ;) one thing I did like about Malcolm was he allowed them to introduce the league of assassins through him.

- after the island, Oliver finds it difficult to trust anything. He chose Dig because he sees the best in people. Same applies to Felicity. But he also chose two people who always see the best in him. Oliver needs that.

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2 enjoyed more Diggle. Anytime we get more of him, it's a good episode IMO.

- First mention of the “Arrow Cave” - and it comes from Dig! Who knew?

This episode isn’t a super favorite of mine, but it definitely hits on some important themes: Trust and Seeing the Best in People:

- Oliver tells Dig he thinks the reason he chose him to be his partner is because he sees the best in people

- Tommy tells Laurel that she always sees the best in people

- maybe that was intended to be some sort of hint to the audience that this is also what Oliver sees in Laurel but

- guess who else is known for always seeing the best in people? That’s right: Felicity! Though we haven’t seen it yet, it’s one of her well-known characteristics

- Oliver also tells John that he trusts him - and we’re also already seeing evidence that he trusts Felicity. (As a matter of fact, next episode he’s gonna tell her she can trust him.) And we know, from what he tells her later, that he basically trusted her (“saw her as a person”) from the start. Awwww. :)

Now clearly the Felicity scene is the best part of the whole episode, so some observations:

- she’s working into the night and she’s eating dinner (take-out) at her desk. Aww poor Felicity, you need friends

- she’s clearly flustered when Oliver walks in, and tries to hide her mess

- I don’t even think she’s trying to flirt with him but she can’t help it because she’s just being herself and he’s totally charmed by her

- and she’s definitely a little stunned and smitten when he basically flirts back with her

- because even though it’s perfectly in character for Playboy Oliver to flirt and charm his way into getting a girl to do something for him, I think they both feel that there’s actually a real connection there. (Because come on, we know there is.)