#arrow 3x13

Felicity & Laurel(s) parallel

As you all know Felicity Smoak is my favourite character EVER. Even when I was unhappy with the Arrow writers - I stayed because she is still Felicity which is why I’m still watching today. So given that this is her last season why remember her awesomeness with the gifs created by our very talented fandom!

Thanks to those who made the gifs!

I keep thinking of how the 7x01 Olicity scene had strong parallels to this moment. Felicity was the one person who could make Oliver accept that he can’t control everyone’s choices. 

- 'You're not a hero.' Oliver tells Laurel when they run into her in the field. What a savage. I love it.

- 'You have a visitor. Or as I like to call him, your new bff.' Felicity is still not on board.

- Malcolm wants Oliver to tell Thea the truth about him being the Arrow. John tells him that he will lose her if he does.

- Vertigo's back. Now hold onto your hats people. I thought Laurel taking out that guy was pretty cool. Shocker!

- Oliver showing Thea the foundry, revealing his biggest secret to her, and her reaction is one of my favourite scenes on Arrow.

I think everyone thought she would not respond well, including Oliver. His face as she looks around, questioning him is so heartbreaking. He's just waiting for her to start yelling at him. He's waiting to lose his sister. But then she surprises us all by thanking him. The shock he expresses is palpable. I cried during this scene.

It was just so beautifully handled by both actors, and I think having Thea know the truth was one of the best things the show decided to do. It allowed a true closeness to develop between siblings. Plus, I always love when someone acknowledges the good Oliver has done and appreciates him. It doesn't happen often enough.

- Felicity is the Queen of passive aggressive. Everything she says to Oliver is laced with things unsaid. And a little bit of snark.

- '...if there is anyone who is using adrenaline to hide the pain of real feelings and real life, it's you.' Laurel to Oliver. I AGREE WITH LAUREL! what is going on?

- first of all, can we just bask in the implications of this line for a moment? And second of all, he wishes! ;)

- Thea can't sleep because she's worried about Oliver. So sweet.

- This week Thea doesn't trust Malcolm. I'm getting whiplash with this show.

- Tell Quentin the truth! I knew me agreeing with Laurel was too good to be true. She ruined it pretty quickly.

- that fight between Laurel and hallucination Sara really highlights how much better Caity Lotz is at fight choreography.

- 'Why did I have to die?' This. Why did Sara have to die? To prop Laurel.

- good to see Roy standing up for Thea.

- 'No. We need this. Oliver you were gone, dead. At least we thought you were and we had to go on with our lives. And doing that meant not doing things your way.'

'Fine. I'm back now.'

'That doesn't mean that we can go back. And you do not have the right to come back and question everyone's choices.'

Felicity has some things to get off her chest and Oliver backs down immediately when she speaks up. Also, I'm pretty sure he caught the double meaning in her line 'that doesn't mean that we can go back.' Is she talking about them?

- Diggle serving some truth tea at Oliver. It's not just his mission anymore. I find it interesting that in the season where Oliver believes he can't be both Oliver Queen and the Arrow, his team is expanding. The mission is growing beyond him, which will eventually lead him to the realisation that he doesn't have to be alone. That he can be both.

- 'Stop trying to be Sara and be yourself.' I 100% agree with Felicity on this point, however, I do not like how they tear down Sara to boost Laurel. Sara had her issues but she was a hero too. Also, I really don't like that they used Felicity and Diggle to prop Laurel during these episodes. Laurel as BC is not going to be any more believable because my two favourite characters said so. Show me. Don't tell me. This is often the lazy technique the writers use. Instead of fully developing a character or a storyline, they use a beloved character to justify it. That's not enough.

- Clever girl, Thea. Sniffing out the cyanide in the wine. Now kick that dj douche's ass.

- Stop sidelining John Diggle!!!!!! For the love of...they can't get a hold of Roy, so Oliver looks passed John and takes Laurel to stop the baddie. How does that make sense? WTF?

- Laurel finally tells Quentin the truth about Sara, and I'm a mess. Paul was so good in that scene. When he said 'not my baby. Not again.' I was done.

- Thea and Roy need to get back together ASAP.

- 'So you're leaving again?' Didn't Oliver just tell the city that he would never leave again? lol.

- Oliver and Thea take a well deserved trip to...Lian Yu.

- FB Oliver is back in Starling.

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2 this episode wasn't as bad as I remembered. I enjoyed the oliver/Thea stuff a lot. And I'm so glad Quentin finally knows.