The new character Tina Boland

[canaryalive]

Are people here excited for this new character?
Me personally I haven't been so excited for Arrow since the premiere of season 4, when I though the show is still good.
I just feel that this new character will reinvigorate the show, which in a way is stuck with the past. It has been a while since they have introduces a powerful interesting mysterious character with a prospect of interesting dynamic with the main lead.
I am kind of bored from his relationship with his old team, and his constant brooding, feeling guilty, feeling down and so on. I mean I have the feel that this character will lift his spirit up, show him in a different light, more confident and don't give a fkc attitude.
Besides she looks to have some pretty interesting aspects of her.
I think the whole comparison with previous characters is ridiculous, she will be something different, her own thing and maybe even better.

[Haggard01]

I wouldn't exactly call it excited since well the flashbacks with Talia, Prometheus, Oliver's story line I'm more excited for.

Curious and interested to see what Tina bring as like you said a fresh character. Because yeah it has been a while since they introduced a new character like this since I don't count the recruits for Oliver's team.

I wouldn't mind a Oliver/Tina romance at some point if they go that route. They did say the characters will have a connection so I'm curious to see how that plays out.

Also for comparing her to past characters? I'm trying my best to judge Tina on her own merits instead of comparing her to Sara or Laurel.

[BkWurm1]

and his constant brooding, feeling guilty, feeling down and so on. I mean I have the feel that this character will lift his spirit up, show him in a different light, more confident and don't give a fkc attitude.

Oliver wouldn't be Oliver if he suddenly became someone that didn't brood. I thought the show had made huge strides last season when he refused to take the blame for Laurel's death even if he took responsibility for making DD pay but the start of this season he regressed to self blame. So I would be happy if he could get past that but I would hate if they just stopped writing him as the character we've known. Also, it seems like Tina is going to be another dark character that Oliver is trying to inspire, kind of like a Helena and really, Sara too since she felt she was irredeemable.

I'm doing my best to wait an judge Tina on herself rather than my irritation with such as repetitive character choice but from the little I've seen, not impressed. Sara remains my favorite of the Canary's not just because of her skill, but because while confident in her abilities, she was not generally cocky and that's all I'm getting so far from the teaser at the end and the previews.

The team does need more women since Thea has been removed - but I just hope they do a better job with Tina (if that's really her name) than they did with Wild Dog. I didn't want to bash him in with a brick this last episode (mostly) but that's one episode out of eight. So not a lot of faith here.

[President_Luthor]

In S6 , I do think Arrow will need an infusion - fresh characters, plots, etc. With the end of Ollie's 5 year arc, it will be a chance to refresh and start anew.

There is only so much they can do with the veteran crew story wise after five seasons, I think one or more of them can and should move on/step into the background/seek a new path on another DC series/get a death and glory ending.

Right now the Arrow cave is reallly crowded:

Rene: "One unisex bathroom ... for the whole cave? You've gotta be kiddin', homie. And forget about using the can when Diggle brings his son and little Junior gets an upset tummy.

Oliver : Well it was either another bathroom, or the deluxe espresso bar in the Arrow break room. Sure we've gotta wait 10-15 minutes to use the restroom, but our team has the best frappuccinos in any superhero HQ. More bathrooms ... or extra frothy cappuccinos? I think the choice is clear.

Felicity: Umm, Oliver, why doesn't the toilet flush any more? And we're out of soap. You were the last person in there ...

Rene: Oh hell no! I'm going to the Burger King across the street and use theirs."

Tina may play a role in a S6 infusion, so in this sense we may not see the fallout until next season. I think a general thinning of the ranks is in order and likely on-deck by season's end, and both vets and newbies will be eligible to culling.

[JDBentz]

Excellent points, President Luthor.

I'll be honest: at first, I was all kinds of ticked off. But I realized I need to stop letting myself get worked up. Its a TV show. I'm watching it for fun, to relax, to enjoy myself, etc., not to pick a fight online with people (which is sadly what I've done a lot of the past few years).

I'll always miss E-1 Laurel, but I'm not gonna throw Tina Boland under the bus just because. Besides, the two lines we've got from her in the normal and extended trailers? Pure gold. I just hope they don't turn out to be the best stuff she gets...

I also think you're right about them probably 'changing the guard' so to speak with Season 6, or even here with 5B if what they've said about Felicity's arc is true (that she'll end up leaving Team Arrow and working on her own and with some new people). Curtis is great as a tech person and could fill her role on the team while he trains to be a better fighter (and maybe constructs stuff so he can be tech support in the field next season), while Ragman, Black Canary II, and Wild Dog are his field team. I don't see Artemis getting redeemed, so honestly I see two possibilities: Prometheus kills her, or she gets shoved onto Lian Yu since the 'good guys' won't kill her but can't let her go through the normal justice system since she'd expose them.

*frowns* Actually, do we know if Madison has been on-set since she filmed the finale? For all we know she served her purpose and Prometheus killed her off screen...

[costas22]

Couldn't care less.

[canaryalive]

I also thing that new start is what this show needs. I think three in the team is the best scenario:
- GA, BC type of character, Speedy type of character - is something I really like to see.
I don't think the team necessary needs someone for the computer stuff, they can all learn computers, investigate on sight more, and plan in advance.

[canaryalive]

Oliver wouldn't be Oliver if he suddenly became someone that didn't brood. I thought the show had made huge strides last season when he refused to take the blame for Laurel's death even if he took responsibility for making DD pay but the start of this season he regressed to self blame. So I would be happy if he could get past that but I would hate if they just stopped writing him as the character we've known. Also, it seems like Tina is going to be another dark character that Oliver is trying to inspire, kind of like a Helena and really, Sara too since she felt she was irredeemable.

I'm doing my best to wait an judge Tina on herself rather than my irritation with such as repetitive character choice but from the little I've seen, not impressed. Sara remains my favorite of the Canary's not just because of her skill, but because while confident in her abilities, she was not generally cocky and that's all I'm getting so far from the teaser at the end and the previews.

The team does need more women since Thea has been removed - but I just hope they do a better job with Tina (if that's really her name) than they did with Wild Dog. I didn't want to bash him in with a brick this last episode (mostly) but that's one episode out of eight. So not a lot of faith here.

But you know what is the common in Helena and Sara-Oliver did not felt guilty about their darkness and they lifted him up as a hero, who tries to show them better way. I hope Tina is the same, a person who Oliver does not feel guilty about, she can be in unison with him, or even if she is dark at least show him that darkness is not such a bad thing, he shouldn't beat himself up every time something happens.
I also think, it is totally out of the blue now that he feels guilty for Laurel's death, when clearly it was not his fault. I know that brooding is part of his character, but remember season one, he was more emotionally healthy then, he had more confidence and spark in him. His team back then were also people he did not hurt yet, and they were his friends who lifted him up. Now the old team are another victims of him or people he blames himself for, and they are more bringing him down.

[Backward Galaxy]

At best, she's the Black Canary we all wanted, but with the wrong name.

At worst, she's a pale imitation and a constant reminder of what we lost (even if what we lost was only an opportunity).

In sports, in gambling, and really in all things, there's the saying, "Don't compound your mistake by making ten more in an attempt to cover it up". I think they're trying to make up for the fact that they messed up Laurel and are most likely just going to make it even worse.

[BkWurm1]

but remember season one, he was more emotionally healthy then,

I'd say he was waaaay worse and even more emotionally messed up in season one. He was just good at wearing a mask for his family.

In sports, in gambling, and really in all things, there's the saying, "Don't compound your mistake by making ten more in an attempt to cover it up". I think they're trying to make up for the fact that they messed up Laurel and are most likely just going to make it even worse.

It's also really shining the spotlight on all the past mistakes, IMO. And what happens if NuCanary isn't well received? She has a cousin? Or another sister?

[canaryalive]

I'd say he was waaaay worse and even more emotionally messed up in season one. He was just good at wearing a mask for his family.

Well I guess we are seeing it differently, because for me he was driven and knew what he was doing in s1. He didn't let people to manipulate him and put him down. He even tried to have relationships with Helena and Mackena. Yes his sister was always whining and his mother was shady and det. Lance was mean to him, but Oliver brushed all that aside and focused on taking the bad people down. The last two seasons he is unsure, hates himself, wants to change as if he is not good enough, and lets people around him to manipulate him and put him down. He can't even be a leader any more. And another thing that the writers did is that in season one the undertone of the story is that the Hood no matter the killings is a hero, because he sacrifices his life for the sake of the others. Now the undertone is that he was a serial killer, who targeted poor innocent lawyers for the sake of killing.

It's also really shining the spotlight on all the past mistakes, IMO. And what happens if NuCanary isn't well received? She has a cousin? Or another sister?

Well people always gonna hate female characters. No matter how great she is, there will always be some that say that they hate her. That's the thing the writers moved on from Laurel, because nobody seemed to settle with her, there were always people who were saying make her better. But guess what, they gave her a lot and if people couldn't see it, then something bigger had to change. So I am sure some will hate the new Canary, but then some will love her and may be she will stay. If not there is still Sara Lance on Legends, so the Arrowverse has a Canary anyway

[DoubleDevil]

Not that I have any hard evidence nor do I have any incentive to find any but I'd say most of the hate Laurel received came from female viewers. Male viewers hating Tina I seriously believe will be because they feel she doesn't match what they believe is comicbook canon for the character and not because the show has a strong female lead or supporting role. Unless of course she goes militant feminist.

[Backward Galaxy]

I mean... It's difficult to generalize "female = people won't like her". That seems dismissive of criticism without addressing said criticism.

[evaba]

I'll say this....Oliver Queen was a heck of a lot more interesting as a character in season one than in later seasons. The nadir of Oliver's "character progression" was when he turned into a Stepford husband in Suburbia. TBH, I felt as though I had mistakenly tuned into an ep of "Desperate Housewives"....which is kind of unfair, because DH at least had a satirical bent, unlike the trite fan fiction-y conconction that we were served in 4X1. Fortunately it didn't last long, but the whole of season four was such a disaster that it negated most of the character progression that Oliver had had in earlier seasons, at least for me.

[DoubleDevil]

For a ptsd plagued character story season 1 was a decent start although Frank Castle did a better job in a lot less time to convey a much more complex pyschological condition.

The follow up seasons of Arrow left me even more wanting but season 3 shutdown all interest for me.