Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
OMGEEEEEE. After last week’s Flarrow disaster, the “Olicity” fandom really needed a win this week, and—oh boy, did we get one! Unfortunately, we also got blood. Lots and lots of blood.
But before that came kisses and proposals, so let’s focus on the good from Arrow’s midseason finale, 4×09: Dark Waters:
Recap:
A worried Oliver decides to out Damien Darhk as a villain to the public and the backlash is predictably terrible. Darhk crashes their holiday party, kidnaps Felicity, Thea and Diggle, and tries to gas them to death in front of Oliver. We learn that his plan is to basically gas all of Star City to death. Yikes. You have to hand it to the Arrow bad guys—they always have some truly creative way to destroy the whole town. When Darhk fails to kill everyone Oliver loves (sorry Laurel, keep manning those phones) he retaliates by shooting up the limo “Olicity” is riding home in. The episode ends with Oliver on the ground, clutching a bleeding Felicity. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Shut up.
Oh, and did I mention that Oliver proposed? BECAUSE OLIVER PROPOSED. It was all sparkly decorations and kisses and him telling her that she’s his light and if she is dead come next month I will lose my mind. These two and their heart eyes will be the end of me, I swear. Let’s just all pretend that Oliver isn’t still lying to her and that Felicity is not actually bleeding out on a street somewhere. OK? OK.
“Olicity” Moments:
After a pretty horrific scene of Oliver’s campaign event getting shot up, Felicity and her mother discover the ring that Oliver was planning to propose with. Felicity is visibly happy, though hilariously on pins and needles when Oliver says he needs to “ask her a question.” He’s just having second thoughts about exposing Darhk, turns out. She reassures him, but good grief, are these two headed for a shit-storm.
At their holiday party, Felicity word-vomits at Curtis and his husband about marriage before she realizes that Oliver meant to propose three months ago. She immediately confronts him and I love how she doesn’t even pretend not to know. See Oliver? You should actually talk to the person you want to marry. She’s worried he doesn’t think their relationship will last now that they’re back in Star City, but before he can reassure her, Darhk shows up to toss him through a window and kidnap everyone.
Oliver’s laser focus is on-point as he searches desperately for Felicity, Thea and Dig. He finally gives himself up to Darhk, which Felicity is not too happy about when she sees him in her prison cell. It’s her choice, she reminds him once again, and then gives him a much-needed lesson on how committed couples are supposed to act. Please listen to her words, Oliver. She “would have said yes,” she tells him and he gives her his signature moony stare where his eyes get all twinkly and the entire fandom collectively sighs.
Felicity gets thrown into the gas chamber with Thea and Dig, and Oliver freaks out. He rushes to the glass, where he and Felicity heartbreakingly keep mouthing “I love you,” to each other. Thank heavens for Laurel (I do not often say that) who breaks the glass, and Oliver physically hauls Felicity out of there, stroking her hair and literally holding her off the ground. His “I thought I lost you,” and her “I’m here, I’m here,” is quick but perfect. I’m fine with having Felicity in danger if it gives us squishy moments like this.
They’re at a tree-lighting event later when Oliver pulls Felicity to the stage with him and talks about how grateful he is for her. I’m squeeing so loudly that I can barely hear him say, “She’s the one that lights my way,” and my neighbors are calling the cops by the time he gets down on one knee. Felicity drops down next to him as she says yes and they kiss and he slides the ring on her finger and that’s it. I’m dead. This is how I die.
In the limo on their way home, Felicity and Oliver cutely hold hands as she examines her bling. He literally can’t stop looking at her and there are so many hearts shooting from his eyes that I’m a little worried for her safety. They kiss and I get A LOT worried for her safety when men with machine guns show up to stop the limo. Oliver covers her with his body then crawls over the seat to awesomely drive them out of there in a shower of sparks. But it’s too late—Felicity has been shot and she bleeds all over Oliver while he pulls her from the car and cradles her body. I truly don’t think they’ll kill Felicity, but that doesn’t stop me from dry heaving as we fade to black, the final notes of The Little Drummer Boy still lingering in my ears.
Kiss Count: Four. At least. Plus three cheek kisses and several passionate embraces. These two were all over each other this episode, and I am not complaining about that one bit.
Best Moment: Is there even a question? The proposal. Oliver and Felicity have come so far from the moment they first met in her office. They learned to trust each other and to rely on each other. (Mostly.) When he gets down on one knee it feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been waiting four years for. So even though we still have to deal with the major going-to-bite-Oliver-in-the-ass lie, the way these two beamed at the thought of spending their lives together made everything worth it. (Mostly.)
Steamy or Loving: Can we just pretend that last week’s terrible episode didn’t happen? Because THIS is the “Olicity” I know and love. Even when Oliver waffles about his decisions, Felicity guides him towards the light. He trusts her with his feelings and opens up to her repeatedly. They stare into each other’s eyes while one of them is facing death. They are a team in this episode, laying their emotions out on the table and dealing with them honestly even as their world is getting blown up around them. The proposal was heartfelt, sweet and really fitting for two people who have come so far.
Oliver is clearly still dealing with how to merge the Green Arrow with Oliver Queen. He’s doing better than last season, but he’s not completely healed. Last night made that clear—he didn’t propose to Felicity because he isn’t sure their relationship can survive back in Star City. It makes a little more sense then, why he might choose to keep William separate from his world. But I hope that after last night, Felicity finally managed to break through his walls and convince him that they need to face problems head on. I’m worried though, because if last week’s episode proved anything, it’s that the writers are definitely willing to throw Oliver’s character growth under the bus for a cheap and dramatic storyline.
That kid is still lurking out there, and now, with Felicity hurt, it gives Oliver another perfect excuse not to tell her. I just sincerely hope that seeing her in danger doesn’t make Oliver immediately emotionally backslide. If the writers are smart, they’ll take it as an opportunity to truly allow Oliver to grow rather than have him spinning his wheels again because he put someone he loves in danger. We’ll see. But for now, we’re left with the image of Felicity bloody on the street and Oliver’s shocked face as he clutches her to his chest. It’s going to be a long hiatus, y’all.
For now, all we have to tide us over is this promo for 4×10: “Blood Debts” — and it’s a doozy!
Check in with us next week when we post our first edition in the new column “The CW Shipping Wars” and you can vote for you favorites! It’s going to be fun!
