Arrow’s Stephen Amell To Olicity Fans: “You Don’t Always Get What You Want”

Olicity fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about this season, so far. Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) have taken a very mature approach to their fizzled-relationship, appearing content that they have both moved on with their lives. Though Felicity was initially reluctant about telling Oliver about her new beau, Detective Billy Malone, her mind was put at ease when Oliver offered her his genuine support. And now that Oliver has something going on with feisty reporter Susan Williams, Felicity has shown little-to-no signs of being jealous.

While the Olicity fanbase sulks, many fans are very happy that the show has focused on assembling and training Team Arrow 2.0, going after dangerous threats like Tobias Church (who is dead) and Prometheus, and having the new mayor try to fix Star City with his political muscles.

Last weekend, during the Arrow panel at Heroes & Villains Fan Fest, Amell was asked if it was fair and genuine of the showrunners to expect Olicity fans — a very invested and passionate fanbase that has been carefully cultivated over the years — to be content with Oliver and Felicity dating other people.

“Sure,” Amell replied and then explained why. “Because it’s a TV show. And here’s the thing, I love fandom and I love passionate fans and I think Arrow has awesome, passionate fans, but here’s the bottom line: You don’t always get what you want. Sitting here, feeling unhappy about the state of their relationship… They’re still functioning as a team; they’re still serving a greater good. She could be dead. I mean, couldn’t she? She could be dead. Oliver could be dead. The show could be off the air. There’s a bunch of things… Arrow is so many things. And if you let it become just about one thing, you miss the bigger picture. Does that make sense? So, I would say that Oliver and Felicity’s relationship as it pertains to saving the city has always been more important than their relationship as it pertains to are-they-aren’t-they; are they canoodling are they not. So for me, them functioning as a team right now and being honest with one another is super important and whatever happens with romance is whatever happens.”

ARROW CELEBRATES 100 EPISODES; THE EPIC SUPERHERO CROSSOVER CONTINUES — Oliver (Stephen Amell) wakes up to a life where he never got on The Queen’s Gambit. Robert (guest star Jamey Sheridan) and Moira Queen (guest star Susanna Thompson) are alive and well. Laurel (guest star Katie Cassidy) is his loving fiancée and their wedding is imminent. Everything seems perfect, but Oliver starts to notice small imperfections that make him question this new reality. Meanwhile, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and the recruits take on a new threat with help from The Flash (guest star Grant Gustin) and Supergirl (guest star Melissa Benoist).

James Bamford directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti and written by Marc Guggenheim & Wendy Mericle.

Based on the characters from DC, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Supergirl), Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), Andrew Kreisberg (The Flash, Supergirl), Wendy Mericle (Desperate Housewives, Eli Stone) and Sarah Schechter (Supergirl, Blindspot).

More Arrow news: Arrow’s Stephen Amell Says Oliver Will Find Closure In 100th Episode / Arrow Cast Reveals Their Favorite Superheroes / David Ramsey On His New Helmet And Arrow’s New Recruits / Expect More Speedy In Her Costume Coming Up In Arrow

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT; The Flash on Tuesdays at the same time; Arrow on Wednesdays and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on Thursdays. All four series air on The CW. The “Invasion!” crossover will air beginning November 28.