God dammit. I literally just saw that Flash episode.

Well, that answer my dilemma of whether to watch Arrow or not. If she's a main character, I'm not going anywhere near that.

 

The problem isn't that she has these skills, it's how they just completely came out of the blue because of all her fans. She was supposed to just be a secretary, but suddenly she just so happenly is an Oracle level hacker.

Also, this link shows a bit of her past coming up in the next episode:

Goth Felicity

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed her character originally; however the fact that they are making her so prominent at the expense of other characters and quality writing is poor.

She's not Tony Stark. She's not the Goddamn Batman. She's an intelligent secretary who just happened to find Oliver shot in her car.

I enjoyed her character because she wasn't skilled. Now they are giving her hyper-intelligence, MIT background, Edgy history, and every man in the show wants her. Heck, even Roy cannot keep his hands off.

 

Did not remember the whether she started out as a secretary or employee. Either is irrelevant considering her position. And really? Accusing me of being sexist?

I did watch the latest Flash episode. It's what prompted my frustration with Felicity being a Mary Sue. Going on and on about what a great catch she is. Oh! She's an MIT tech! Oh she won a technology competition! Oh! Someone from the future knows about her!

Spoiler

(I'll argue that the only reason he knows her is because of future knowledge, but either way)

The problem with Felicity, is she starts out as an unassuming, but sweet and endearing character; however she has become a character who has no flaws beyond romance/angst. And this only started happening after the demands from all the fans.

Felicity was a character established on innocence. She was established on having a normal life. Yet we now have a character who is Oracle level without proper training. She might have won a national competition and an MIT graduate, (both of which are ridiculous considering we've never heard mention of this before), but you expect me to believe she can hack into Government encrypted satellites/files/whatever in minutes?

And of course the relationship drama. People complained a lot about how every female in the series slept with Oliver. (Not every, but enough that the thought was there.) Yet now the writers are doing the same with Felicity.

If the change for Felicity to being this top notch computer geek was gradual, it would have been a lot more enjoyable. Instead they just give her this background and experienced as a rattled off list.

First/Second Season Felicity was believable. Third season feels like catering to the fanbase.

 

In the Flash episode she used her own computer/interface. I saw that scene as Felicity merely starting the program she uses in her everyday hacking for Arrow.

 

She always had skills, but it somehow feels like they are going out of their way to cater to the Felicity fan base in ways that they didn't before. It irks me somewhat.

She went to MIT since early season one though, so that's not new.

"Felicity Smoak: Did you know I went to M.I.T.? Guess what I majored in? Hint - Not the secretarial arts."

When Oliver asked her to pose as his secretary so there would be less questions about why he keeps going into the IT office.

She was cool in the first two seasons, but it seems like they are trying too hard to tell us how cool she is, instead of just letting her do her thing.

 

I have no problem with her being good at technology. I have a problem with her being Godlike at it so far this season. They did it perfectly last season with other people hacking in and troubles, but have you seen the trailer for the next one? Apparently she cannot break this new virus, because "She wrote it." I'm okay with being realistically good. This breaks immersion for the sake of a character.

The difference between Batman/Ironman is that we've seen the buildup. They have a history that allows for that. I'll give an example of a non-mary su character that kind of fits this bill. Chloe from 24. Her character is a brilliant hacker and beautiful with many same socially awkward situations. However if you watch her, she still fails and still has trouble. Furthermore from the beginning it is apparent she has this training.

As for those 'flaws?' If they were treated that way in the show as such I could agree. However the way it is written and acted out causes the viewers to generally side with Felicity.

And I could argue about the plot, but it's not really vital.

It's not that Felicity is 'smart' and 'beautiful' and 'nice.' It's that they are going overboard with everyone wanting her. She is so 'desirable' a man spent over a billion dollars on her.

I will concede and say she is not a mary sue at his moment, but she is becoming more and more like one with each episode.

 

On a different topic, what do y'all think the chances of Oliver's son showing up this season would be? How old is he again?

 

At least 7 no older than 9. He could be seen during the crossover event since last we heard he is in the Flash's city.

 

The worst thing about Felicity was the recent flash ep. Cisco and Caitlin said it would take about 30 mins to hack into the police network, and she did it in about ten seconds. I know shes probably used to doing it, but, ten seconds...

 

I have just realized that we are arguing about how good someone is allowed to be in their only area of expertise.

Meanwhile we have Cisco. A guy who is apparently an expert in hacking, weapon R&D, nutrition, exercise equipment, and whatever else the Flash's plot may demand of him.

 

Nutrition if I'm not incorrect was mostly covered by Caitlin Snow, the doctor and "bio-engineering" specialist (what that is and why a particle accelerator would need one, I don't know). The "exercise equipment" and weapon R&D fall under the general category of building practical tech, which while it might be implausible sometimes, it's so we can get cool toys like cold guns. And the hacking ties into that, as it's stated he needs to program some of things he makes (which was where Felicity came in, hacking the "city's network" or something to send a false update). He's an expert because they need that to outfit the non-superpowered villains with supertech to counter Barry's powers.

 

Spoiler

I think this is extremely likely. It's been said that something extremely significant is going to happen for Oliver during the crossover event, and Stephen Amell said it was partially inspired by an idea he came up with. Before this at a convention he apparently spoke about how he wanted Oliver to go to Central City and meet his son. Not exactly the strongest connection but there aren't many more obvious options.

Also, calling it now - Thea killed Sara.

 

Spoiler

Geez, wouldn't that be something. The impression that I got from the Corto Maltese episode, though, was that she hadn't left the island since her training started. Not outside the realm of possibility though, I suppose, and they do love that sort of twist.

 

Sooo you're saying that you don't understand why I'd avoid watching a show when I know one of the main characters is going to annoy the shit out of me?

 

Arrow is getting more and more crappy.

Felicity is now that one girl that all the guys in the show want to bone :/
The show should be named "Felicity"

 

Well in all fairness she's mostly a tertiary character in the beginning, then get's a nice little shove into secondary. The character is developed with care through two seasons before you see the Felicity cameo in Flash. If you don't like the character then you won't like her, but she is very different in season one. Plus there is still plenty to Arrow other than her. She's never that big of a character in Arrow episodes as she was during her Flash cameo. Sure one or two episodes center on her, but that's out of like 46ish in the first two seasons.

And as for the computing genesis she has; the show was going to need an ally with some sort of tracking/hacking/computer shit skillz. Would you rather them running to argus every time they need something done? Or give Oliver completely OP'd hacking abilities to go along with everything else he has going? I think the development of Felicity through out the series was done well. The Felicity/Oliver thing was definitely pushed by the fans at the end of season 2 but overall I don't see why people are upset at a character I think everybody liked though out the first season and a half.

@Eyron: She was the most "bone"-able character in the show from the jump, in my opinion. I can't blame the cast for finally catching on.