#third was 5x12 basic story

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

if I had a nickel for every time jeff and britta agreed to get married then didn’t, I’d have three nickels. which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened three times

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Weekend everyone :) Exciting we got some BTS I can't wait for the first promo for the premiere. When we get our first crumb and we can all lose our collective minds. Ha Till then we are hitting another fav episode of mine. The one where really it’s Tim and Lucy on a date. Chris and Ashley just happen to be there. So many reasons I love this episode from the date to the work stuff it's all very good. Off we go.

4x12 The Knock

Our couple actually gets the cold open. They’re headed to the beach for a call. Lucy mentions how it sucks to be on the beach but not be able to enjoy it. That she can’t dive into the water. Tim is more than happy to stay away from the water and the beach. Forgetting he’s dating a lifeguard….(Sure he would love the ocean more if a wet Lucy Chen was in it) Lucy giving him crap saying how on brand this is for him. To hate one of natures greatest gifts lmao God I'll always love how she speaks her mind around him. Especially in S4. It's glorious.

Tim corrects her and says it’s the ocean not the beach he hates. Lucy can’t help but get into psychology mode. Telling him a fear of the ocean is related to not being in complete control of his environment. I mean that’s pretty damn spot on for Tim. We know what a control freak this man is over everything. (I can relate. heh) Tells him good luck dating a lifeguard LOL So much sass so early in their shift. Tim’s reactions through out this portion above are too funny.

Throwing his hands up and shaking his head at her analysis of him. Not fighting it BTW. Progress ha He used to be so anti-psych before her. Lucy can’t help but psychoanalyze him. Not only for the water but for Ashley let’s be honest. This flirty sass is only the beginning with this episode. Never be over how very vocal Lucy is about Ashley. Literally giving Tim breadcrumbs all over the place she’s not right for him. Also that she is not a fan. None of us are Lucy...

They make their way to Ashley. Saying she wasn’t expecting them to send their best. And hottest. (I mean she's not wrong. They both fine af.) Lucy is not about this flirt fest. So very transparent my friend haha Awkwardly does a *ahem* Trying to get Ashley to direct them to why she called. Asking where is the thing she called about? Tim can’t let it go when they’re walking towards it.

‘Did you hear her say the hottest?’ Wants so badly for Lucy to recognize he’s attractive. Trust me babe she knows. Painfully aware of it really. Something she has to consistently push down in your flirty moments. I bet you that look she gives in 5x12 was everything for him. When she was shamelessly checking him out. The validation he had been chasing forever. Part of him that just needs to know she finds him attractive. Oh Timothy. She does that’s part of the problem for her especially this season haha They’re walked up to a severed hand. Eww.

Tim’s point about the ocean being proven in this moment. Ashley is just standing there while they bicker like a married couple haha Which is basically this entire episode honestly. Really this season but there is a heavy emphasis on it in this one. Tim asking her if she wants to go in now? Such a shit. I love him so much. Lucy being the exasperated one this time lmao. Look at her reaction above. Annoyed wife status. Idk how Ashley could be around them and not wonder if Tim was in love with Lucy? SMH. Third wheel in her own relationship when Lucy is around. Another theme of this episode.

Tim comes up after Lucy is done talking to Chris. They were theorizing what the story behind the hand could be. He takes off and Tim immediately notices ‘the look’ and he comments on it. Asking her what’s that look? Lucy is defensive and says 'Nothing.... What?' It’s here we see jealous Tim emerge. Welcome sir please stay awhile. Noting she wanted to strangle Chris last week. Now she’s sweet on him?

Lucy can’t help but give him grief for his old school verbiage. Haha He’s the old dude from UP time and time again. I mean this scene really is just Tim speak for jealous. He doesn't like Chris. Never has never will. Lucy deflects said jealously into making fun of him. Tim not even trying to hide how he feels about this situation. Liked it better where she wanted to strangle Chris. He knows that look and isn’t exactly excited about it.

Ashley comes up saying she’s all done with her paperwork. Asking if he has any plans tonight? Tim tells her no. She goes on to tell him her friend won 4 raffle tickets to a fancy dinner thing. Tim being skeptical asks what that entails? She tells him it’s called OSIA. Lucy’s interest is now piqued. Ashley continues on to say it’s a beach pop up. 12 fusion meals and wine pairings.

You can see Tim doesn’t look excited. He tells her he’ll have to think about it. Ashley asks him what there to think about? Lucy jumps right in cause well it’s Lucy. Saying the control freak in him doesn’t like to try new things. (Well he does just not with you Ashley...) You're not the one he's going to jump off cliffs for. Cause well. You know. The vapid quality you bring to this whole thing… Seriously how is Ashley not constantly threatened by Lucy? Tim gets defensive and says he’s not a control freak. Ok honey…..Lucy is enjoying this so very much. Look at her above. Challenging him to proof he is not.

Tim changes his tune and says he would be happy to go to her fancy dinner thing. Funny Tim was a hard no till Lucy called him out. If I was Ashley I would be thinking it was weird Tim only said yes to spite Lucy but ok LOL Honestly the control freak in him to control this moment by saying yes haha My god Timothy. To show Lucy he's not one if he goes. Not the reason to go to a fancy place with your GF. To show up your ‘platonic aide.' but you do you Tim.

They return to the station and Tim gets a phone call. It’s Ashley saying her friend bailed on dinner. She starts suggesting another friend and Tim looks at Lucy. Knowing if he has to do this dinner thing he at least wants her there. Not some random other couple if he can help it. Unconsciously reaching for his safe space in this instance. I.e. Lucy. So he casually says Lucy been pining after that place all day. Lucy TOUCHES his forearm during her excitement.

If a gif could sum up their dynamic/personality in one moment it would be this one one. Heh Her excitement and his need for her to chill on said excitement. Sunshine x Grumpy at its finest. Tim then makes the biggest mistake ever. (He just doesn’t realize it yet…) Spots Chris and tells him Lucy needs a date to a fancy dinner. Oh my love you’re going to live to regret this one. Saw a funny post about this moment. 'Congratulations you just played yourself.' HA It's true though... Does his fake Chris smile to get him to come with.

So desperate to have her there with him he invites Chris. Someone he can't stand. You're a hot mess Timothy. I love you. The clown agrees to said dinner while Lucy stands there and watches this all unfold. She is stunned into silence mostly lol Tim gets off the phone and says’What? Don't be such a control freak.’ The shade Tim the absolute shade. Who is this man? Also let’s note they’re doing a work flirt inside this ‘double date’ before it even begins. Only these two…

So begins the date where a third and fourth wheel called Chris and Ashley just happen to be there for the ride. Really this entire portion is just one giant display of their bond. I love it so much. We get to see their exquisite connection front and center. That seamless flow of theirs and how they lean on one another naturally. Tim starts out real strong saying how he doesn’t understand why a restaurant would be on a beach? Oh my grumpy old man. Lucy isn't phased by this but Ashley is. Their first course arrives and Tim looks so very confused as their server explains it.

This is their first married moment of the night. Tim asking if any of that was English? Lucy steps in. Says she can translate for him. All he needs to know is it’s made of mushroom. Which she knows isn’t his favorite. She knows his various likes and dislikes. Because of course she does. This is her work husband after all. Lucy knows all the things. It’s the way she naturally leans over and he tells her to take it. He leans back and lets her snatch it up. I have a feeling this isn’t the first time this has happened during a meal. They’ve just never had an audience before. This is touching on our 'you know me so well. too well.' OTP moment.

I love him just letting her eat off his plate. Like it ain’t no thang... Just a normal day. Nothing to see here people. Totally normal platonic partners right here. It’s Ashley’s face while Lucy does this that makes me laugh. She is picking up on a vibe so hard. It’s written all over her face. Then there is clueless Chris to her left. Not noticing the dynamic between them. He is a wet match in a damp cave folks. Ashley however is picking up on it right away. You’d have to be blind not to or be Chris at this point LMAO Ashley feeling every bit the third wheel. Says she didn’t know he didn’t like mushrooms? Tim tells her it’s ok. (it's ok cause his wife knows…)

Chris brings up he’s not much of an adventurous eater. But did have curry goat one time in Jamaica. This prompts Tim to come up with a story about Lucy. Because he’s on a date with her and not Ashley right? Tim starting off with ‘Was his name Gerald?’ It’s the way he’s looking right at her when he says this. It’s so cute. They're like a couple on their honeymoon swapping stories with a couple they just met. Lucy trying to stop her enthusiastic husband from embarrassing them by sharing too much.

Tim could not be more adorable with how excited he is to tell this story. Look how animated he is above. Only Lucy brings this side out of him. Let's also note how how his eyes basically never leave her face. Lucy’s sheepish ‘god shut up don’t....’ Trying to cut Tim off from telling this story. Married moment number two coming right up. It's the way she's reacting that is so precious.

A wife trying to stop her husband from embarrassing her with a story. This scene is just so damn endearing. It's a testament to the seamless flow that is them. That bond no one seems to really understand but them. The inside jokes and how they’re finishing each other sentences. That lovely ebb and flow they have. If you didn’t know the context of this scene you’d think they were the ones in a relationship.

They're behaving in a manner that strongly resembles a married couple. The fact that it's in front of their dates tickles me pink. They’re basically screaming their feelings in this moment through this story. The looks they give each other while the other is talking. *heart clutch* The smiles and looks of love. Chris and Ashley's reactions are what make the situation so amusing. Like two outsiders looking into a world they don’t understand. At all. They don't speak the language and it shows.

They get so lost in each other and in this story. They don’t pick up on the vibes across the table. Ashley being confused and threatened. Chris being well clueless and pretending he knows what’s going on. How either of could watch this chemistry filled display and not walk away from the table is beyond me. Their dates are on a date with each other right now. They just don’t realize it.

What's being depicted here is their profound bond, their history, the looks, the touches and laughter. They barely look at their dates towards the end of the story. If you needed a 'Tell me your ship is married without telling me they are?' This is that in spades. Look at the way they are smiling, laughing and looking at each other toward the end of this story. He is sporting his Lucy smile in the gifs above.

Never smiles for anyone the way he does for her. His heart reaching his eyes and lips just for his girl. Tim is so damn pleased with himself for teasing her. Sheer joy out of telling an embarrassing story involving her. Straight flirting right in front of their dates. Tim is so in love with her in this moment. I mean the man took a small comment from Chris and turned it into as story about Lucy. One from a long time ago no less. Nothing soulmate like at all about this behavior.

Look at these two in these final gifs. All heart eyes, smiles, and giggling. That Tim smile loud and proud. They're like two idiots in love who can’t help but project that love to everyone around them. Haven't torn their eyes from one another. They’ve completely forgotten the others at the table. Faded into their own flirty world. I know some people said they felt second-hand embarrassment. I didn’t I LOVED seeing this. I love her laughter feeding off his amusement asking 'Why?' Him replying 'It's funny.' laughing with her. It was only funny to them LOL I’m dying it’s so good.

Ashley is not pleased. Can’t say I blame her. Lucy is bringing out a side that is foreign to her. What happens when you're blah and bring nothing to a relationship. You get second hand Tim. To me this episode is as just one step closer to showing they’re supposed to be together. Shows the depth of their bond at this point. That magnetic draw they have to one another even with others around. Even when those people are the ones they’re supposedly on a date with. They're oozing cute newlywed vibes here and I was so happy to watch it.

We return to them now having a spirited debate about experimenting on the dead. It's stemming from the case they're working on. A mad man has been taking severed limbs trying to reanimate them. Married moments 3 and 4 are arriving at the station. It’s the fact that their bodies are now pointed at each other. Effectively shutting out the others at the table. Ashley inserts herself back into the convo finally getting them to break of from one another. (Seriously Ashley all the signs were there. Should cut this off after this dinner alone.)

She asks Tim if he hasn’t volunteered to be an organ donor then? Lucy answers for him cause wifey knows the answer. Telling Ashley all about it. How he wants his ashes spread over Dodger field LOL I love her knowing this detail. It’s one thing to know someone’s dislikes in food. It’s another to know info like this. Lucy knows him like the back of her hand. He didn’t even care she answered for him. Tim could not be cuter saying his ashes would mess up the PH of the grass. LMFAO. I love this man sfm everyone I really do. Lucy replying like only a wife would.

Making fun of him for calling in the first place. I love these two so much. Also adore how relaxed and comfortable Tim is. His body still pointed towards Lucy. You know she is the reason he’s so relaxed. Why he is having fun. It's because his person is there. Bringing out the best in him. Making jabs and bantering back and forth with him. Chris awkwardly adds in ‘I like the dodgers…’ I’m rolling. No one cares little dude. Tim going back to being a little reserved with his ‘Yeah..’ reply. Tim makes one last jab at the food. How ridiculous it is. Ashley gets up from the table and Tim tries to apologize but she’s out out there.

The next day they’re sent to the county morgue. The guy who’s been working on dead people has been linked to here. They figured out he was using the morgue for his experiments. Because it’s for people who aren’t identified and get buried by the state. Pretty sad but right up this deranged guy's ally. Once they arrive they see blood on the floor. Follow it to where they find him hold up in a room. Trying to get more body parts.

This next section is a lesson in how not to have any personal space by Tim and Lucy. Also how far they’ve come professionally with this moment. Chester the crazy person has a room of people hostage. Tim takes off his body cam and slides it into the room. Opens his phone and makes his way back to Lucy.

Tim asks her what their options are? I LOVE Tim trusting Lucy’s instincts. Asking for them instead of testing them. This scene is so intimate. From their soft voices to way he guides her into place. Places his hand on her lower back and she trust him to do so. Then takes a glance at his phone. Talking out her options with him. Adore how they're so in sync in this scene. How they move together. Gets me right in the feels.

I saw a post (link inside that) awhile ago about how Eric and Melissa took them standing together to another level. How they took the initiative to be like 'Hmm the fans would love this.' So they made it this intimate moment we all know and love. I adore them doing this kind of stuff. Knowing it’ll drive the fans crazy in the best way. Gah the way he’s intensely looking at her as she processes her thoughts. Like a proud husband waiting for her to make her call. This moment shows they have the same amount of chemistry inside their job as they do outside of it. Nothing changes. This scene was *fans self*

Tim waiting for her to make her decision. Knowing she going to make the right one. His trust in her implicit at this point. The silent communication going on here is out of this world. Also look at this man’s jawline. Could cut glass on that thing. Peppered with stubble too. Yum Tum. Thought we made it through a review without me ogling Tim didn’t you? You're welcome. Lucy comes up with a bad ass plan where no one gets hurt. Tim blinding him with his flashlight. Chester erratically shoots at it. Lucy takes him out with her taser with him distracted. They arrest Chester and save the hostages. BAMF'S

Lucy is leaving the station when the clown catches her. Chris telling her he wasn’t really feeling last night. Yeah cause she was on a date with Tim not you… (You'll never compare but sure go ahead putz.) Lucy apologizing to him. Saying her and Tim spend so much time together. They just have a shorthand. It's so much more than that. If by shorthand you mean deep emotional connection and bond. An intimacy that can be felt just by the way you look at each other and silently communicate.

Where you finish each other sentences, make each other laugh, have inside jokes no one else gets, throw heart eyes at one another and clearly are so very in love. Love each other warts and all. Then sure let’s call all that a 'shorthand' Lucy. Whatever helps you sleep at night LOL She ends up setting up a do-over with Chris. Bleh. But she can’t have Tim right now so he’s it atm. Just a distraction for her nothing more. Like a snack you don't super love but it's there. So you pick at it not expecting much enjoyment out of it other than filling yourself up.

Tim has Ashley meet him at the station to apologize. She points out how he spent the entire time talking to Lucy. Well I mean he did…. Tim telling her his job is unpredictable. His entire career has been that way with his jobs. That at the end of the day likes his creature comforts. I hate that Ashley was always trying to change Tim. There’s compromise and there’s someone who doesn’t fit with you. Like trying to shove square peg into a round hole with them.

Lucy would be so happy to do those things with him. Also she’s just not worth him going out of his comfort zone for. Lucy is the only one to get him to do that. As we see in S5 the things he's willing to do for Lucy vs what HAS to do for Ashley. Lucy loves Tim for everything that is him grumpus and all. Where as Ashley tries to alter Tim and things she doesn't. Get him to fit what she wants out of a man. Just not the right one for him to do any of those things. It's telling af how Tim gets defensive when she calls Lucy his partner.

The denial is so real Timothy. She sees his freakout and he reels back saying that’s not the point… it kinda is though haha I swear only reason Tim was with her was to show how right Lucy was for him. How Lucy adds to him and Ashley only subtracts. He was so ready to just settle for he since he wasn’t going to get what he really wanted. More we learn about Ashley more we see him settling. Giving up parts of himself for her because he doesn’t think he’ll get those things anyway. (Marriage, kids, stupid in love happiness) Not till Lucy...Thus ends our marriage moments episode. I truly love this one.

~~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Nyla being pathologically happy cause of the pregnancy hormones is hilarious. I love it so very much.

Thank you thank you to everyone who supports these reviews. Your likes, comments and reblogs give me life haha see you all in 4x13 :)

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

SO HEY, EPISODE 5x13

Crops? Watered. Skin? Clear. Fifth Dimensional Imp? Redeemed, and here to help our Kryptonian Sunshine Child Learn Some Much-Needed Lessons on this Very Special Episode.

SPOILERS!

NEW AND IMPROVED MXY! He is excellent. Loved every second he was on screen, he had such a great dynamic with Kara, and the ENTIRE OPENING SCENE WITH ALL THREE OF THEM WAS HILARIOUS.

Give the Danvers Sisters More Comedy Scenes, Please

Man when he just walks across the furniture.

SO GOOD

And then J’onn w/ his casual ‘Hey girls.’ SPAAAAACE DAAAAAD

MAGIC PAINTBALL!

(Man Supergirl’s Attic podcast just nailed that, huh?)

Loved all of the different viewing methods--Projector! MyxFlyx! Betamyx! Also the popcorn bucket gag, and how Kara’s just like: ‘...Yeah alright.’

And then we get to the first of the alternate timelines and OKAY, OKAY I see now why they need the bad wigs...they gotta match pre-existing footage, FINE. 

But UUUUuuuUUUUgh bad wigs. BAD.

You know what else is bad? Lena blabbing Kara’s secret to Sam!

Because KARA DIES. 

And you know...we’ve seen Kara in some pretty gruesome fights, we’ve seen her in a coma, we’ve seen her die before but there is something final and painful and AWFUL about her flat-lining in the DEO. 

AND THEN ALEX AT THE GRAVE???!??!?!?!

*openly weeps* *just like Mxy and Kara*

Look I don’t wanna keep harping on the wigs but good grief, Kara’s ‘Supergirl’ hair looks like it walked right of the set of a 70s sitcom.

Right, okay, so the chat with Lena! I sincerely doubt that Lena would’ve let anyone help her with Sam. Just sayin’. 

‘I had to go through that alone!’ Yeah, Lena, that’s kinda your MO, and you do it even when people level with you.

(As much as I enjoyed the cathartic release provided by this episode, I still found some of the dialogue in regards to Lena a bit...trying.)

(Like this part, and Sam insisting that the Kryptonite manufacturing was totally fine! No big deal!)

(Reader, it was not fine, and was, in fact, a Big Deal.)

“Wait you’re skipping a lot!”

“So much exposition.”

Awww, Beard-of-Wisdom Mon-El is back!

And BOY OH BOY, HE’S GOT SOME WORDS O’ WISDOM INDEED.

“You know Lena and I have a lot in common.” MMMMM-HMMMMMM.

In that both your story line and Lena’s were/are extremely tedious

But no, for real, it’s a really lovely exchange.

“You deserve the same compassion that you show others.”

THREE CHEERS FOR OL’ WISE-BEARD!

Also, happy to report that the wig works best in the rain!

And speaking of Raineign... (har, har)

More Death! A recurring theme, with these alternate realities!

So, basically:

Back at the loft! Loved the Friends-esque VHS titles

The One Where Lena Moves to National City

The One Where Lillian Admits She Loves Lena

The One Where Supergirl and Lena Fight the Nanobot Lady

And then we get the ‘First Meeting’* reveal and may I just say, the score? Lovely. 

*Not really the first meeting but ‘Third-ish meeting that was retroactively added in “Confidence Women”’ is a bit of a mouthful, so. 

“I have to recall all those alien detective devices because they clearly don’t work!” Or...you could recall them...because they’re bad.

Just a thought.

Love 20s news announcer Mxy and the newspaper spins.

I also love that this particular timeline is a direct response to...a specific corner of the SG fandom, and their ongoing complaints. ‘Everything would be better if Kara told Lena right away!’ Well, no, actually! It puts a huge target on Lena, just like Kara feared. ‘Why does Kara even need a secret identity? Almost everyone knows, it’s barely a secret, why bother!?’ because IT PUTS A HUGE TARGET ON KARA’S LOVED ONES, JUST LIKE KARA FEARED.

Alsoooooo the one out there going hard for and stanning the Luthor/Super partnership...is a fanatical cult leader.

Which I’m sure means nothing and isn’t a thinly-veiled commentary, or anything. 

...Anyways!

EVERYONE DIES AGAIN.

And THEN we go to the darkest timeline.

Love Kara’s, “You know what? No thanks. Nope. Don’t need to see it.”

And then Dreamer! With a face scar! And as we all know, face scars are always code for Dystopian AUs. 

KELLY WITH THE SHIIIIIEEEEELD AGAIN!

And it looks like the good guys are winning their respective fights! But then METALLO!LENA JUST STRAIGHT UP TRIES TO MURDER KARA. 

To quote Kara: No thanks. Nope.

But Mxy gets Hat’s hat and they’re safely back in Kara’s loft AND THEN

AND THEN AND THEN AND THEEEEEENNNNNNNN:

After 13 long, (loooooong) episodes, we finally get some gol-dang character development.

♫Aaaaaat laaaaaaaaaast, the skiiiiiies above are bluuu-uuueee ♫

And not just any character development! KARA CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

THE CONTENT I CRAVE.

It was so good. EVERYTHING. SPELLED OUT. CLEARLY.

Whoop, wait, before we dig into that: Redemption for Mxy.

Who is now a FRIEND and not a creepy stalker! Which, lemme tell ya, really put a damper on the otherwise fun energy that a fifth dimension imp from the Silver Age should bring. 

I am very Pleased with these developments, is what I’m saying.

Okay, back to the good stuff. I’m just gonna quote it in full:

I recognize I made a mistake in hiding my identity from you for so long, but the past is the past, and I can’t change it. Forgive me or not, that’s your choice. Just like it’s your choice to work with Lex. I’m done blaming myself for your bad decisions...from now on, you’re accountable for your own actions. If you decide to forgive me, I will be there for you. But if you continue to work with Lex, if you go through with whatever it is the two of you are planning, I will do everything in my power to stop you, just like I would any other villain.

Amazing. Spectacular. Brilliant.

And to top it all off? SPACEFAM CONTENT. AND JUNK FOOD! A WINNING COMBO.

Kara’s happy face is so cuuuuuuute and the french fry toast!

And EL MAYARAH! STRONGER TOGETHER!

It’s just so beautiful.

So in conclusion! I think, given the constraints set up by the season long arc, this was a really nice way to tie it into that story but also honor a lot of what came before. I know a lot of folks wish it had focused more on the Spacefam, and that we had more Season One call backs, and that’s fair, but personally, I didn’t mind it. (Because we got a beautiful Superfriends reunion in 5x11/5x12 and Eliza is coming back at SOME point in the future so I am Content. XD)

...Also let us all be grateful that it didn’t fall within one of the crossovers, like Arrow’s 100th episode. Oof. 

[missmudpie]

Arrow Baseless Theory: Flashpoint Erased Oliver and Felicity’s Relationship

Full Disclosure: I haven’t watched an episode the entire way through since 5x12.  I have no interest in watching any of that gun episode, but I have skimmed through 5x14 and 5x15.  Also, I’ve only watched every episode once, so I’m going on memory and what clips I could find on youtube.

Now that that’s out of the way - What the hell is up with Oliver and Felicity, both as individuals and as an ex-couple?  Oliver has shown little to none of the growth he exhibited last season; it’s like he’s completely forgotten the peace he found with Felicity in Ivy Town.  And they certainly haven’t been acting like exes.  Or rather, they aren’t acting like exes who were practically engaged.  This has been a major sticking point for me all season.  And then, last night, I had a thought?

What if the reason Oliver and Felicity aren’t acting like they’ve gone through what basically amounts to a divorce is because - 

They didn’t actually get divorced.

They didn’t get engaged.

What if they never even dated?

What if Flashpoint erased that part of the story?  What if that hospital kiss is all they got?  Or what if Felicity didn’t automatically forgive him and ride off into the sunset at the end of Season 3?

What if Flashpoint changed their timeline?

Crazy, I know.  No way the writers are this creative.  This season is just poorly written.

And yet.

I can’t remember either Oliver or Felicity referencing their relationship, their engagement, or their break-up.

Diggle asks Oliver in 5x01 if things going back to the way they were includes him and Felicity.  We assume this means them getting back together - but what if it doesn’t?  This is, actually, probably the most direct reference to their relationship - and it isn’t even that direct.

In 5x04, Felicity tells Oliver that at least he’s consistent in his lying.  Again, we think this means the BMD.  But Oliver has lied to her.  A LOT.  What if, in this Flashpoint Timeline, she’s referring instead to the lies told during Season 3 - namely, working with Malcolm to infiltrate the LOA and take them down as Al Sahim.

In 5x05, Oliver asks if she was keeping the door open for them.  This is a weird line, given it was Felicity who broke up with him.  Usually the one ending the relationship isn’t the one hoping the door remains cracked.  It makes more sense for Oliver to say this in a Flashpoint timeline in which they’ve kissed (and maybe even made love), but he told her he couldn’t be with her.  In that case, it makes sense to ask if Felicity was keeping the door open.  In their last scene from this episode, they talk obliquely about where they stand with each other, but again, there’s no evidence that they are referring to a relationship that included living together and getting engaged.

I know there are flashes of the ring during 5x08, but I have an explanation for that - Aliens.  (Also, the possibility that everyone’s subconscious knows their timeline has been fucked with and remembers their real lives, and these flashes come back here because the aliens are probing around in everyone’s heads.  But “Because Aliens” is just cleaner.”)

There’s also the fact that Amell said that Flashpoint would play a small role in the beginning of the season, and then a bigger role at the end.  What if Barry fixes Flashpoint (Disclaimer - I’ve seen none of The Flash, but it just makes narrative sense that he will have to fix the timeline, and the sacrifice he’ll make is the relationship he’s built with Iris.  Because that show is in its third season; no way they get to remain happily engaged.).  Or something.  But it comes out that, in this universe, Oliver and Felicity’s relationship never got beyond kissing or Nanda Parbat sex.  

What would Flashpoint reset?  Would the knowledge that there’s a version of the timeline in which they were never together inspire Oliver and Felicity to reconcile?  And would that narrative twist be worth the shit that this season has been?

For me, no.  But don’t worry.  This is a baseless theory, and no way the writers are clever enough to play a long con like this.  They might just be that stupid, though.