Arrow season 6 spoilers: The current state of Olicity, romance in general
At the end of season 5, it did feel clear that we were nearing some sort of reconciliation for the two parties, who have been through much more than the majority of other couples within a fictional TV world. You can argue that they’ve learned so many lessons that it’s hard for the two of them to screw anything else up — they both know that they can’t keep secrets from one another, just as they also know that they need someone to rely on during tough moments and Diggle’s loyalty should be to his wife Lyla over either one of them. There’s a need that the two have for each other both in terms of a romantic partner and a shoulder to cry on — not that Oliver does all that much crying.
For those of you who love Olicity, executive producer Marc Guggenheim offered up some hope to Entertainment Weekly recently:
“We put them on a very specific trajectory at the end of season 5 … It would be very schizophrenic for us to suddenly take them off that trajectory.”
Guggenheim also noted that there is not a romantic kiss between any two characters within the season 6 premiere. Personally, we’re rather fine with this given that Arrow does need to remember that romance is an accessory rather than the main focus of the story. What was great about Olicity in the larger context of season 2 is that you could see a flirtation and a chemistry there, but not to such a great extent that it ended up overshadowing the majority of the story. Things got off the rails a bit in that department in season 3 and season 4, where everything was viewed through the lens of the relationship.
One of the reasons why the Diggle / Lyla relationship works so well is that you know it’s there, but you see smaller moments of it in the midst of the larger story. You’re going to see Felicity a lot more than Lyla, and we’d rather see her have her own big story, like with Helix, that’s separate from Oliver and romantic relationships. It doesn’t need to be the focal point of the show. If they care for each other, it’s just natural that way.
We’ll see what the show comes up with — we’re obviously fearful given how polarizing the relationship between them is to some online, but we feel like the writers can find a way to please Olicity ‘shippers while also keeping the main focus of the show on the struggle between heroes and villains in Star City.
What do you think Arrow should do with Oliver and Felicity in season 6? Share in the comments below!
Meanwhile, you can visit the link here in the event you do want some other news when it comes to the series. (Photo: The CW.)