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[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 # 2: 7x08: the Gala - 85/100

This comes in at #2 for me for several reasons. Honestly I have watched it a bunch of times and I love it more and more each time.

First: supportive Felicity, grateful Oliver.

Look at how uncomfortable he is with all that press in his face! Look at Felicity take charge and tell everyone to sit the fuck down! AND LOOK AT OLIVER’S FACE from 0:08 - 0:14, and ESPECIALLY THE SMILES AT 0:10 and 0:12!! He is so grateful and surprised and proud….guh!  And the way she’s holding his arm so tight, and stroking his arm reassuringly...sigh.

Also I love how this highlights an overlooked way that Felicity has grown and changed. Later in the episode we see how negatively focused Felicity is on how she’s changed over the past 7 months, but in this scene we see evidence of a positive change in Felicity - because of Oliver’s influence. She’s become so much more confident from “the old Felicity.”

Second: “I’m very much enjoying not being in prison” and THAT LOOK he gives Felicity (1:21 in the video)

That look is fucking EVERYTHING. It is basically EVERYTHING I wanted from season 6 IN A SINGLE LOOK AND A SINGLE LINE OF DIALOG. What do I mean? I mean that I just wanted Oliver to fucking acknowledge Felicity as a person in season 6! Just look at her with love, dude! Just let it be known that you value her company (not just her ability to be a mother to your son okay)! LET US SEE THAT YOU ARE ENJOYING LOTS OF SEX OFFSCREEN, YES! Honestly just let us see the touches of affection that shined through in seasons 1-5, regardless of of whether they were together, regardless of whether they were Important Parts of the Plot. BRING BACK THE SUBTLE AFFECTION!

Third: the Max Fuller/Oliver/Felicity interaction. This little moment is excellent for highlighting how much Oliver and Felicity have changed (positively) since season 1 (and how much Max Fuller has stayed the same, or, as we later find out, gotten much worse).

I love how with Felicity’s handling of Fuller, we clearly see her confidence in Oliver (and, incidentally, herself), her complete and utter faith in the person he’s become. She’s not at all threatened by Fuller’s smarmy reminder of the person Oliver used to be, because SHE WITNESSED THAT CHANGE IN HIM FIRST HAND. SHE WAS A PART OF THAT CHANGE. And for me that completely came through in the way she reacted to Fuller, basically humoring him and clearly writing him off.

But I also loved Oliver’s insecurity at having to face the “old” him (in the person of Max Fuller). I loved his embarrassment at being reminded of the type of person he used to be, especially in front of Felicity. His reactions basically prove what we already know: he’s not that person anymore. Instead, they show him to be self-aware, introspective, and considerate of others’ feelings.

(I also just loved his amusement when she says “that sounded better in my head,” because I just miss those barely-there reactions that communicate so much.) 

Fourth: the “what was your first meal when you got back” incident. Honestly it was so perfect, subtle but obvious enough to be clearly not just in our heads. Again, THANK GOODNESS for these small reminders of the love and passion between Oliver and Felicity.

Fifth: the fact that as Oliver is going to the podium to give his speech, Felicity is mouthing “you’re a hero” at him. (2:16 in the video) (I mean yeah I would have liked it even better if the filming/editing actually FOCUSED on it so we could actually SEE it without being obsessed highly observant, but you know. At least it’s there.) It’s there and isn’t that amazing??

Sixth: Just the fact that here are Oliver and Felicity at a formal event together and she’s his fucking WIFE, and I mean I know there were moments in season 4 like this but for some reason this scene just felt like coming full circle from the season 2 days of CEO! Oliver and EA! Felicity. For some reason it just makes me think of that party in 2x04 and how far they’ve come from then. (In 2x04 she flutters around him with “who taught you to shave, mr.?” and she’s walking and talking with him, until Laurel comes up and then she disappears (though Oliver definitely watches her leave), ultimately leading to her asserting her presence “you can have him back in a minute.” But here she is all these years later, walking in holding his hand, speaking on his behalf and declaring herself as his family, and just clearly and prominently establishing her rightful place by his side. UGH it gives me all the feelings.)

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 #6: 7x08: I love you more than a human being should love another human being - 70/100

Look okay I don’t exactly love this scene, like it doesn’t exactly make me happy, but it touches upon really important things and for that I am very glad. (Though yeah, like everyone I am annoyed by the contrived cliffhanger ending 🙄).

I love that they let this scene breathe, contrary to the 7x08 opening. This scene has a believable emotional continuity that allows us to experience and understand all the conflicting emotions that Oliver and Felicity are feeling. Which is super important, because it’s a heavy scene.

There are a bunch of minor touches that I like:

Oliver’s evident amusement at Felicity’s slightly lame joke (“Looks like you’re famous...again.” Smile.) Just that little touch reminds us that no matter what, he just loves the person that she is. She always makes him smile in the darkest times, even when the “dark times” directly involves her.

The reminder of their shared history: “Could you imagine seven years ago that you’d be working unmasked and alongside the cops?” NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF INVOKING OLICITY’S SHARED HISTORY, WRITERS. It’s stuff like this that reminds the viewers and the characters WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE and what they are to each other and what they’ve gone through together. I LIVE FOR IT.

PLUS OLIVER’S PERFECT RESPONSE: the laugh and the smile, because those years have been so RICH and FULL and FULL OF LOVE, even amid the danger and darkness. But then the sadness hits him, “a lot’s changed,” because he’s comparing that happiness to their current situation, and his fears that he might have lost it.

And her “yeah,” as she catches his mood, having the same thoughts.

And then the way he tries to tell her how much he loves her, how important she is to him…”All those months at Slabside...there wasn’t an hour I didn’t think about you and William and getting our life back.” UGH and his face, his voice it KILLS ME

And her “me too,” while they look at each other. Ughhh!

It’s a moment filled with angst and remorse, but also hope. And it’s the hope that Oliver seizes on, with his little smile as he comes to a decision and stands up to FACE THE ISSUE, like LOOK OUR BOY IS MAKING PROGRESS!

AND THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN HE SAYS, “Okay, but how do we start pushing in the same direction again?” Because that smile is full of knowledge. HE IS REMEMBERING HOW GOOD OF A TEAM THEY ARE. (“We are a good team.” “Yeah, we are and we always have been,” anyone?? + thousands of other times we’ve seen them be a great team, both verbally acknowledged and not???) He knowwwws. He knows this is just a bump in the road, because they have 6 YEARS of being AMAZING PARTNERS. And it’s just one facet of their love, and you can see how very aware of that he is when he looks at her. You can see how much he loves her and needs to get on the same page as her.

(And his bare feet and the way he nods his head and says, “Mmhmm” is super adorable and domestic, okay?)

“I know that you’re going to want to talk me down to the old Felicity, the one you met chewing that red pen….” This is just deeply revealing of Felicity’s fears and vulnerabilities. Plus mad props for the red pen reference. And his reaction to all of it...guhhhh. 

“I love you more than a human being should love another human being.” Three things:

 GUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The fact that Felicity is both expressing the depth of her love for him (her fucking epic, boundless, deeper-than-other-kinds-of-love love), but she’s framing it in a way that exposes so much about her fears and vulnerabilities: because loving him the way she does puts her at risk, in her view. She loves him TOO MUCH for her own good. It gives him TOO MUCH power over her. She’s loved and lost too many times before and her instinct has always been to hold back and protect herself, but her love for Oliver always wins out over her sense of self-preservation. So it’s a perfect expression of how much she loves him but how vulnerable that love makes her feel, especially now: she’s afraid he won’t love the “new” her, she’s afraid he’s going to leave her, but she’s powerless to protect herself against being hurt by him - because it is and always has been out of her control.

Oliver’s reaction to her declaration - basically he experiences the two points above in succession. First he’s just bowled over because he loves her that much too and he has his own insecurities and self-worth issues. But then he realizes that she’s saying it as if it’s a bad thing, and that fucking knifes him in the gut. UGHHH.

(And then of course there’s the silly cliffhanger line that I will ignore.)

(Note: look, I guess the Crossover storyline is trying to get us to believe that Oliver actually was unsure about this “new” Felicity....? That his (stupid and facile) “epiphany” regarding how people change somehow helped him “see things from Felicity’s perspective?” To that I say FUCK OFF MG. That reading of their conflict goes against THEIR ENTIRE HISTORY, goes against THEIR ESTABLISHED CHARACTERS, and honestly goes against all the little touches in this scene that I pointed out above. I cannot and could not bring myself to see this scene as Oliver somehow doubting his love for Felicity or whatever. No Fucking Way. So while I understand that maybe some people do see it that way and dislike it for that, that’s just not how I read the scene, and I never will.)

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 #7: 6x18: I'm glue, baby - 65/100 

I’m just gonna put it out there that as much as I enjoy the intended theme of Fundamentals, I really was not a fan of the way they implemented Vertigo, with Oliver talking to his hallucinations. For me it was just too heavy-handed and unbelievable. (In contrast, I found 2x09’s Three Ghosts to be a perfect depiction of hallucination). Which, unfortunately, taints my enjoyment of this scene because Oliver talking to Felicity but believing she’s a hallucination just doesn’t 100% stick the landing with me.

But leaving that aside...I will always love that it was his belief that Felicity left him that pushed him over the edge. Nothing says “you are the most important person in my life” quite like “you left me so I’m going on a suicidal mission now,” amirite?

Felicity’s face and voice when she says, “Do not go through that door.”(The second time, I mean). Ughhhh you can just feel how afraid she is - how acutely aware she is that everything is on the line - how much she would lose if he does go through that door.

And the utter devastation on her face when she says, “...and what happens to me?” UGH I can’t even put it into words. But it’s deep, ugh and it makes my heart hurt.

And Oliver’s response: “You left.” So hopeless. So lost. The whole exchange is so perfect, says so much, and just. Nnnnnng.

“Listen to my voice.” The way she knows she can bring him back to himself, just be being her, just by being present….!

“Listen to your heart,” with her hand on his chest...with the callback to 3x23….!! And the way she breathes, so afraid that she won’t be enough this time….!

And then he grabs her hand and then looks at her, really sees her, closes his eyes and presses her hand to his chest and truly listens with his heart??? And then he opens his eyes and everything’s clear, and he is so relieved that she’s there with him that he hadn’t lost her!!!! Sigh.  

Look, it’s honestly still a little season 6 heavy-handed for my taste, and for that reason would probably never rank in my top 50 Olicity moments, but for 2018 it was quite good. (thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!) 

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 #4: 7x01: I have to fight back - 75/100

The look on her face when she sees him for the first time in 5 months (and how beat up he is): PERFECTION

The look on his face when he believes he’s waiting for John to tell him that she’s dead but instead she walks in: THE MOST PERFECTLY PERFECT PERFECTION THAT EVER PERFECTED

The expressions of love and loyalty: YES

The fact that Felicity is done with hiding? YES

The fact that Felicity is definitely still angry with Oliver over his lie of omission and unilateral decision? YES except I actually think she could have been less subtle with her anger, less apologetic overall. I mean come on, in season 4 she broke up with him for less (which I think was a poor writing choice but anyway).

And just generally, do I kinda wish some of the dialog had been deeper? Yeah.

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!) 

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 # 3: 7x09: Love is too small a word - 80/100

LOVE IS TOO SMALL A WORD: PERFECTION.

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE: PERFECTION.

SA/Oliver’s face and voice and gestures: PERFECTION.

The kiss: pretty good; could have been longer, could have had more lips and tongues, could have been zoomed in on/filmed in multiple angles so that we could see their faces (I know you have it in you season 7, see 7x07 for tips), COULD HAVE BEEN NOT INTERRUPTED BY EARTH-90 BARRY ALLEN, but you know...you take what you can get.

The fact that Oliver expressed this as “Barry”: MEH.

The fact that apparently Oliver took a week to come to this fucking obvious conclusion, letting poor Felicity doubt herself and his love for her FOR A WEEK?: MEH!!!

Plus 100 other annoying CONTRIVANCES that unfortunately affected this scene?: MEHHHHHHHHHH. (Yeah, I’m talking about Oliver’s okay-but-no “decision” to not tell Felicity about the switch.....OHHHHKAY NO. When this boy has a problem, HE KNOWS WHO TO GO TO FOR HELP. And the whole “Felicity didn’t recognize the real Oliver” thing even though she clearly never got a chance to? And the fact that Oliver’s supposed “epiphany” was so completely facile? But I digress.)

But the good outweighs the bad for me.  (thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 #8: 6x12: We are going on a honeymoon, right? - 60/100 As much as I truly like this scene, let me tell you what I don’t like: I don’t like how much pressure is riding on it. After the crossover, Olicity moments became a rarity during season 6, and it seemed as if each one was written to Deliberately Show a Requisite Amount of Affection. To me, this compartmentalization of their affection just made most of the Olicity moments feel forced and inorganic, because that’s not how love works. You don’t just turn it off and on like that.

This scene is The Requisite Honeymoon Discussion Scene. With a Requisite Amount of Olicity Affection. That being said, this scene felt more organic than much of season 6 for me, and that’s because the giving and receiving of comfort goes both ways.

The way she positions herself between his legs

The playing with his lapels - YES

The neck and face and beard stroking - YES!

The way she goes in for the hug, and more importantly, the way he instantly wraps his arms around her!!!! *swoon*

AND THE WAY THAT HE ROCKS HER

AND THE WAY HE IS RUBBING HER BACK

AND THE TENDER SMILE ON HIS FACE (when he says, “What’s that?”) - SOOOOO RARE FOR SEASON 6!!

UGH and then his laugh when she says, “Our honeymoon” and the way he gazes at her. Finally he’s letting himself forget his problems and just focus on Felicity….! And how amused he is by her.

And then he closes his eyes and imagines it and you can just see the peace descending on him

And she’s still playing with his lapel

Ughh and just the way she’s standing there between his legs and his hands are on her hips….!

And then when she alarm sounds she keeps a hold of his hand as they run over together and just...THIS is the level of subtle, quiet intimacy while vigilante-ing that we deserve!

The thing that really makes this scene a success, in my opinion, is not that Felicity offers comfort, but that we see Oliver let himself be comforted. In so many other similar scenes throughout season 6, it felt to me like he was holding back, and I really really hated that. This is one of the rare times post-6x10 where he just lets himself enjoy her for a moment. Because receiving love and comfort is just as important as giving love and comfort, and finally in this scene we get to see it going both ways.

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018 #9: 6x21: We’re gonna save each other - 55/100

Not gonna lie, my enjoyment of this scene is diminished by the horrible lighting and camera angle choices. Like, I get that it’s daylight, but I’m pretty sure they could have positioned them in such a way that their faces weren’t half in shadow?? Especially when the camera is close up on the shadowed side??! And honestly these particular up-close camera angles are not at all flattering for either of them. Like, who said it was a good idea to film SA from below?? Pretty difficult to make these two people unattractive, but the camera and lighting people in this scene really tried their hardest.

Also, I’m just generally not a fan of Oliver’s defeatist attitude that haunted him throughout season 6. It’s on full display here. Basically, in my opinion, this scene is saved mainly because of Felicity’s lines. And EBR’s and SA’s acting.

Felicity: Let me worry about me and William; let me at least take that off your plate.

and then he does the thing with the arms, grabbing her hands. YES. IT IS GOOD. 

Also I love the blocking here, reminiscent of 2x14’s “You’re not gonna lose me.” 

Annoyingly, his words in this scene are basically the opposite of that. He’s basically saying, “I cannot handle losing you, so instead you’re gonna lose me.” Hmm. I just made myself mad lol. But anyway the hand touching is very nice.

Oliver: That’s not how wedding vows work

I very much appreciate any and all references to their marriage, sigh.

Felicity: Well we didn’t exchange vows. But if we did, exchange means go both ways. We fight for each other, Oliver, we protect each other. We’re gonna save each other.

SO MUCH THIS. This is my favorite part of the whole thing. Felicity is trying to do her usual pep talk thing, because she believes there is another way, and she musters just the right energy and passion and it’s super beautiful because it’s not only rooted in partnership and friendship, it’s rooted in marriage!!!!!! And I love it

Oliver: You can’t save anyone from behind bars.

ughhh the defeatism, the dismissiveness. yuck.

Felicity: We’ll get you out, just like we got John out.

She makes things so simple, and always has, remember, Oliver?? LISTEN TO HER.

Oliver: You can break out of prison, Felicity, but then what, you know? I’m not abandoning the two of you, I can’t make the two of you fugitives…. Felicity: We’re going to be okay.

UGHHH her face, the way she says this...his defeatism is wearing her down.

Oliver: John and I have been talking, and if I go to prison, I need you and William to go into ARGUS protective custody. Felicity: Oliver. We’re not...we’re not there yet.

Her face, her voice, everything...heartbreaking! It’s all getting to her: the thought of him going to prison, the thought of having to go into protective custody, but - I think - most of all the fact that he seems to be giving up. HE NEVER GIVES UP. But here he is, doing it. HEARTBREAKING.

Oliver: We cannot live in denial, all right? We have to have a plan. I can handle losing my freedom. I cannot handle losing you and William.

And then she just lets him hug her, but rather than being a hug of hope, it’s a hug of defeat. Felicity is clearly heartbroken.

And (sorry to do this to y’all, but I gotta point it out) the music?? It’s basically the 2x22 “You are not alone and I believe in you” music. The ultimate Felicity pep talk music. The hug Oliver gives her here? It’s basically timed to the music so that he goes in for the hug right at the same time that Felicity goes in for the 2x22 hug (you know - THE hug). (Go ahead and watch it if you’d like: the hug comes right around 1:55) Except this time, it’s not Felicity giving Oliver a pep talk - it’s Oliver basically giving Felicity an anti-pep talk. (Or Felicity giving Oliver a failed pep talk.It ultimately comes down to the same thing.)

So while I like the feels in this scene, and I LOVE Felicity’s fighting spirit (which honestly we did not see nearly enough of in season 6), I don’t like what it all boils down to. It very clearly belongs to the season 6 arc of Oliver losing hope and giving up, and I just hated that lol.

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)

[allimariexf]

top Olicity moments of 2018: #1: 7x07: the Reunion - 100/100

For me, there is nothing that could improve this scene. I’ve already written a couple metas on it, while there are 100 more metas written only in my heart. I’ve rewatched this clip literally hundreds of times. Every time I watch it I end up watching it at least 10 times in a row. It is PERFECT.

I love that there are no words spoken in this scene - no words would have been enough. I love how much story is told in just their smallest motions, movements, and facial expressions - expressing a variety of nuanced emotions that words could never say. I love the kiss acting - honestly there are passionate Olicity kisses, angsty Olicity kisses, true-love romantic Olicity kisses, supportive Olicity kisses, and much more, but this scene gave us the “I need you more than anything and as long as I have you in my life I’m alive” kiss that I never knew I needed so badly. It is the perfect culmination of their feelings after everything they’ve gone through individually over the past 7 months. It’s the perfect expression of “you help me be the best version of myself.” It’s like the grown up version of 4x06’s “we found ourselves in each other.”

The filming and editing (I’m talking from a story-telling, character-centric perspective, not disappearing John which honestly IDGAF about, in my heart he was never really there to begin with) is perfect, letting us actually see their expressions and small movements and touches as the important parts of the story that they are. (AHEM looking at you season 6, which basically NEVER lingered meaningfully on touches or expressions, etc.). My one gripe: the zoom out. I really really would have loved to linger on that hug. WE DESERVE TO SEE THE HUGS!

Honestly this scene is not only my top 2018 Olicity scene; it’s up there as one of my favorite Olicity scenes of all time.

(thanks so much to @cokewhiteconiglietto for your beautifully bright and hi-rez clips!)