If you're concerned that Arrow's resident IT tech and hacker extraordinaire Felicity Smoak got a little too emo this past season, you're not alone: it turns out that actress Emily Bett Rickards, who portrays Felicity on the CW show, agrees with you.
During a panel discussion at the most recent San Diego Comic-Con, Bett Rickards responded to a member of the audience when asked if the actress felt that Felicity was a bit weepier this season. Bett Rickard's response not only displayed how impeccably tuned-in she is to Felicity's emotional make-up, but incredibly spot-on:
"She felt like she was crying a lot. I feel like she went through a year that wasn't necessarily her favorite. I agree. I feel like she lost a little bit of her strength to a certain extent. I think she got burned a couple too many times, and then found herself in situations she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to be in or if she was being true to herself between Ray [Palmer] and between Oliver [Queen], and if she was giving enough time to what she truly wanted. And then we throw her mom in there. And we get mom to really tell the truth. And that's kind of what happens, and you end up sobbing."
The actress went on to convey her own hopes for Felicity's narrative arc next season, which she hopes will have a bit of a lighter, funnier bent:
"[H]opefully, she gets funnier again because I don't want to see her crying all of the time. It was a big disappointment to me to have her crying a lot — because one thing I love about Felicity so much is that she's so strong and independent and sticks to her guns and is true to herself. And that is something I admire about her. I think she was true to herself last year, but I just don't know if she necessarily knew what she was doing was authentic and she was trying to find it."
While displaying vulnerability can be an excellent contrast in a female character typically depicted as "strong," creating a metaphorical chasm to explore multidimensional characterization, it can also lead to isolating emotional and psychological attributes to an almost polarizing degree. As Inkoo Kang and Melissa Silverstein over at IndieWire put it, "Female characters don't always have to win, but we'd like to at least see them try."
So, hopefully, next season we'll have more to talk about than Felicity's teary puppy eyes and her wardrobe — because as something much more than a trademarked Strong Female Character or a passive plot-driver, she deserves it.
