“Arrow” was a milestone TV moment for DC on The CW, reimagining the Green Arrow to ultimately launch an interconnected universe of television properties. But, on a project that ambitious, not everything could work out the way the series’ creators had hoped. Inspiration by the success of “The Dark Knight,” “Arrow” introduced a darker, more grounded take on the character of Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow, portrayed on the series by Stephen Amell. The show quickly teamed Oliver up with two new partners — John Diggle, played by David Ramsey, and Felicity Smoak, played by Emily Bett Rickards. As the series progressed, a romance evolved between Oliver and Felicity, which hit a devastating turning point in the fourth season. However, the series’ handling of this storyline became one of co-creator Marc Guggenheim’s major regrets.
On the fourth season of “Arrow,” Felicity and Oliver had recently gotten engaged when Felicity learned Oliver had a son he had kept a secret. This led to Felicity breaking off the engagement and leaving Oliver. “I’d say probably my biggest regret is I wish we had allowed the Oliver-Felicity storyline in season 4 to unfold at a more natural pace,” Guggenheim said in an interview with EW. “We had set these tentpoles at the beginning of the season, and we were a bit too rigorous on how we hit them. That was a case where the planning overtook the storytelling. We didn’t do things as naturally and as elegantly as we should have.”
Emily Bett Rickards’ time as Felicity Smoak on Arrow
Felicity Smoak was originally only meant to appear on one episode of “Arrow,” but her instant on-screen chemistry with co-star Stephen Amell saw the character become a series regular. Felicity became a part of Team Arrow later on in the show’s first season. The romantic tension between her and Oliver began to develop over the course of the second season, before they finally became a couple the following season. While their relationship went through its ups and downs, the pair ultimately ended up together on the series’ final episode, which also marked Rickards’ only appearance as Felicity on the final season of “Arrow.”
Despite largely stepping away from the series in its final season, Rickards previously revealed she would return for an “Arrow” revival. Appearing on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Inside of You, Rickards said she would be interested in reprising her “Arrow” role in order to “give Felicity her flowers.” She indicated that a return may allow her to fully do the character justice after Felicity “got a little lost in the later seasons.” Rickards admitted there were “things that I wish that Felicity stood up for more” over the course of “Arrow.”
“I love Felicity [so] I’m not doing it for ‘Arrow’ or really the fans. I’d be doing it for Felicity,” Rickards said of a potential return. Amell has also previously indicated that he would be open to reprising the role of the Green Arrow.
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