I kinda get a post-funeral/memorial-at the restaurant/bar kinda vibe from all this right now. Like we're at that stage of trying to get over the grieving/lets enjoy life and remember the good times, all while planning for the future kinda feel.
I'll address what I alluded to in the comments below before i forget my thought, and so ya don't have to scroll down as much, then i'll get on with the rest.
I think the reason they haven't announced any cast really about the Green Lantern HBO show is...they knew they were gonna cast David, but didn't want to spoil the surprise for us, though most everyone at least speculated. If this is the case, thats another bit of amazing cooperation of keeping a secret, almost, if not better than the >!Ezra!< cameo in Crisis.
The episode scared me at first with the documentary thing, because as neat as it was the first time, i didn't want to go through it again. I'm happy it was dealt with quickly.
The cameos, oh my, they were all perfect, they didn't feel forced or jammed in, they fit in exactly where they should have.
Mia is still....shes....shes got potential, but she needs to be written better, Kat is a great actress and wasting her on being a spoiled brat is an insult to her ability.
Katie Cassidy(how many fucking Kates are we gonna get in the Arrowverse? haha),admittedly grated me at first, but she eventually grew on me, and I was sad when she initially left. To see her transform completely as an actress in front of my eyes shows how skilled she is. I rooted for Sirens redemption to the point of which I didn't want old Laurel back. So to that Screenrant writer who thinks shes gonna be the baddie in 2040, I hope you watched KC knock it out of the park with that scene with Blackthorne tonight.
Colton Haynes, my word did he go through a lot, both off and on screen, and he drove through it like a damn champion. He should be proud of what hes accomplished, and who he is.
David Ramsey. He's got that stoic resonance that....when he enters a room, he doesn't have to say anything, he doesn't really need to even move, and you can just tell the man deserves not only your attention, but your respect. He, in some ways, was more important to this show than Stephen. They called David "Little John." That'd make him almost Stephen's sidekick. No, no, he was more than that. He was his brother, his partner, his friend. If I could have a man just a fraction as loyal and good by my side, i'd be happy. He had problems, sure, but he pushed through them, and the only way he did that, is through David's acting. When they stupidly decide to reboot this show in 30 years, I feel sorry for whoever they try and cast as the new Dig, because honestly, you can't replace greatness.
Caity Lotz, I was introduced to the force of nature she is. And i'm all here for it. Yeah, i'll look at her as damn attractive, but what impresses me more so is the sheer determination she has to making Sara a complete character, physically and emotionally. Her workout routine is something I couldn't even begin to accomplish, and continuously leaves me awestruck. Aside from that, lets look at the fact she went from washed away side love-interest to the captain of a time-ship and crew of characters none of us were sure we're gonna work. Was it the doing of the writers? maybe a lil, yeah, but you need an actress to put those words into action, and she has done it in spades.
Paul Blackthore, a fellow photographer, absolutely killed it as Quinten. He went through a tapestry of emotions over his course on the show, and never once made them feel tropey or overdone. He did an arc the way an arc should be done.
And then we have Stephen Amell.
My word sir. What you have done, what you have had a hand in creating...you may never truly understand. Anyone can throw on a costume and pretend to be a superhero. Keaton did it. Cavil tried. Maguire and others tried. He lived it, for years. More so than any expected, probably even him.
He put his body and mind and soul on the line for the entertainment of others. He didn't need to. He could have used stunt doubles a lot more, but he committed to his craft, to the character and to his fans. That says a lot about a person. I could wax philosophical for hours about the salmon ladder and the fight scenes, which I may at some point. But for me the real juicy scenes are the ones where he showcases emotion. The Lance scene, you know the one. The torture with Chase where he was for all intents....broken. Almost all of the prison scenes. Things like that are often tried and tired. Stephen just kept me wanting more.
In a day and age where some of us, even me, a lifelong geek of 35+ years - is at times suffering from, "Superhero fatigue", Amell just kept me friggin riveted. Even at the slow points, he managed to shoulder the burden of what, at times were some bad episodes. He never wavered.
The man deserves all accolades. He also deserves a rest. I can't even begin to imagine how much his body and mind have gone through these past few years. The constant conventions, the long, cold nights shooting, jumping, sliding, swinging, shooting damn arrows. It takes a toll. And for those who say, "he's an actor, he can deal with it," that's no excuse. You haven't done it. Sure you expect a show or a film to do well, but you never think it'll become a global phenomenon. The man still had to earn a paycheck, still has a family, and still is - human. Yes, I know it comes as a shock, but he still drinks the same water and breathes the same air, so for those who criticize him...go through a week of his life and see how you do. The man is a hero in many other ways.
This show came at a weird point in my life. As it began, I was in the middle of a very odd college career, prepping for a hopeful career as a firefighter/photographer, now i'm pretty much just a photographer who runs and shakes a lot. Meh, thats Parkinson's. I've...had a lot of bad happen in my life, but this show brought an hour of respite in my life. It made feel good to be a geek again.
Arrow will always help inspire me to make myself physically, mentally and emotionally better, not because I want to be a superhero, I know that isn't real. I want those things, because I simply, like Oliver...want to do good.
So, to the cast and crew of Arrow, and their families, well done. You haven't failed this fan.