ARROW/アロー Tragedy Will Push Felicity to a Darker, 'Morally Questionable' Place 

let fly with Season 5, showrunner Marc Guggenheim teased “big things” for Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity in the back half of the season. Now, in the wake of the fall finale’s tragic twist, we can shed more light on her “dark” destination.

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Before the superhero series entered its seven-week hiatus, Oliver (played by Stephen Amell) gave chase to and put several arrows into a costumed someone he was led to believe was new nemesis Prometheus. But once the target’s mask was removed, Oliver discovered he had been duped into slaying ex-fiancee Felicity’s new beau, SCPD Detective Billy Malone (guest star Tyler Ritter).

As the hour came to close, Oliver recounted for Susan Williams (Carly Pope) how someone from his past had suggested that he ruins the lives of everyone he comes in contact with, while a montage of sorrowful images included a sobbing Felicity, a news report on Billy’s death at her side.

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Moving forward, when the series returns on Jan. 25, “One thing Felicity is

going to do, I can tell you for sure, is blame Oliver. She recognizes the manipulations that have led to this situation,” showrunner Wendy Mericle, who co-wrote the midseason finale, told TVLine as part of our in-depth 2017 Preview Q&A. “Her heart is broken in that last moment for Oliver and for Malone and for herself.”

Rather, when it comes to directing her anger, “Felicity has set her sights on Prometheus,” Mericle makes clear. “This season we have said we’re going to take her to a darker place, and you’re seeing the genesis of the reason why, right here.”

To that highly, dangerously ambitious end, Felicity “is going to meet some people who are both a bit tied to her past but also very much tied to this new future she’s contemplating,” Mericle teases, “and that’s going to draw her away from the team and lead her to do some things that are pretty morally questionable.”

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Surveying this long-planned shift for Team Arrow’s heretofore reliably sunny, quippy Overwatch, Mericle says, “It’s a color for Felicity that we’ve always known she had the potential for, but we never had the right story to play. We’re excited about it.”

think Felicity will delve into, to avenge Billy’s death and those it profoundly affected?

, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.

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Seven weeks is a marathon, not a sprint ;) Besides, Mr. Amell already spoke to the LL twist, about 41 seconds after the episode ended.

While I am a fan of what is them as a couple although not how they decided to end it a part of me as always thought that diehard Olicity fans should always be conscious of the fact that while she isn’t her nor did the show ever intend this and probably just meant it as an Easter Egg but Felicity Smoak does exist in the comics and she is a bad guy. And the introduction of her father should have been an alert. Not that she will end up being a bad guy or anything but making sure the worse she becomes is, well, whatever Batgirl name they will use here.

The Calculator’s daughter in comics is named Wendy, and she wasn’t actually bad. Felicity Smoak is Ronnie Raymond’s stepmother and she wasn’t evil either.

This sounds really good. I’ve always wanted to see a dark Felicity. She’s been through so much (paralysis, losing her one true love, fired from her company, and both Cooper and Bill dying). It would be great to see Oliver bring her back to the light, like she has done for him so many times.

But that drawing her away from the team line, I am not a fan. So hopefully she doesn’t draw away too much and Oliver & Diggle are there for her.

That’s what I’m hoping. Oliver will bring her back to the light.

Yeah Justine Grey I would love to see Oliver bring Felicity back to the light like she has done for him so many times. Plus Felicity will understand Oliver lot more about what push him but I don’t like that she going to pull away for team arrow.

It’s about damn time this show gave Felicity something to do other than be a spear carrier for the male characters or a Lucy Ricardo comic relief impersonation. I’ve had it with all the new characters (shortly to be joined by yet another new mask in the bunker). This is the first spoiler I’ve heard that makes me want to tune in after the hiatus.

The trouble is, I find it hard to believe that Malone’s death would send her to a darker place. He was a plot point, not a character. She didn’t even know if what they had was real, could only say she liked him and couldn’t even muster the strength to call him her boyfriend. They’re pinning this big storyline of Felicity’s on a nonsense, pointless relationship that had no weight. Bizarre story choice.

Also I don’t want Felicity away from the team. And I don’t want her to go dark. Just seems like they’re gonna give her other things for people to blame her for.

The key words here are: “Her heart is broken in that last moment for Oliver and for Malone and for herself.” – She isn’t only doing this for Malone, she’s doing it for Oliver as well as herself.

I hope so. But I don’t trust these writers at all. They’ve promised a good Felicity storyline since season 2 and here we are in season 5 and everything she’s been given has been rushed and handled terribly.

Forgot to add: Regardless, I know Emily will kill it, whatever they give her. She always does.

Sounds like they’re gearing up for the return of hacktivist/cyber-criminal Felicity. I wonder if this means the goth look will be making a reappearance…

It would be different for Felicity going down a darker path but as we all know Oliver still love Felicity so what is he going to do when he see her going on this new path will he understand her more of why she on this darker path or will it make them closer together because he knows what it like to be on the darker side. But I hope that her going on this new darker path that we don’t lose the happy Felicity we all know and love at the same time.

He won’t care. Oliver is all about himself and his man pain these days. Plus the show has pretty much forgotten that Oliver was madly in love with Felicity and wanted to marry her. He’ll probably be falling for the new Black Canary being introduced. Or maybe he’ll still be with Susan. I don’t know.

I think Susan is a stall for him and Tina. If they want that to last they won’t do a lunge.

And yeah, he was supposed to have pulled her back from Havenrock, and/or the alien hallucination was supposed to make him fight for her. None of those theories ever work out bc the writers really think people forgot S4. It’s bizarre.

Why would Susan be a stall for a character we haven’t even met yet? Or a relationship that hasn’t even started/been introduced? Susan is shady and I think she’s there more as a link to Bratva and Talia al Ghul. She knows more than Oliver realises.

Yes because one spoiler about Felicity’s journey = it’s back to being Felicity and Friends. smh

It’s really, really not. You’re going to get all the BC/GA stuff you can handle. It won’t be LL, but it’ll be a hot chick fighting in tight black leather.

What’s that? I’ve never even heard of it but I’d watch the crap out of that!

How interesting that Felicity is being drawn away from the team right as Tina/NuBC is being drawn towards the team. What convenient timing.

lol this. Very convenient. They’re being so obvious about it.

Umm, Matt, Arrow comes back Wednesday February 1.

Ha! Even you’re gonna be a condescending jerk, be correct!

Yes, just give us more Felicity. Not as a love interest (though I don’t mind that), or the funny quirky girl, or the brains. Let her show more emotion and feelings and depth. Emily did great carrying more heavy storylines in season 3 and 4 and this season it’s all been so shallow. I can’t stand the “omg a woman lost some she’s loved and she’s crying AGAIN” complaints. Women are for more than looking pretty and making you laugh. Bring it on Arrow!

I am giving you a standing ovation Erik. You just can’t see it :)

Bravo! I couldn’t agree more. Felicity hasn’t had anything to do this season but stand there, look pretty and say a few funny lines. I do want more substance for her.

Didn’t she pull away from the team last season? So once again they are repeating another story line. Would someone at Berlanti productions please fire these idiotic show runners and get someone that actually knows how to run a show.

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