Everyone must be shipped!

I can see that. The character in the context of the relationship still feels underwritten to me.

The West Wing was not hard-left. At least not during the Sorkin years. One of the things I actually appreciated about it (especially in the early seasons) was that it tackled a broad range of issues, always made clear to articulate and validate the viewpoints on both sides on the issue, and then demonstrated how…

And given how much this show has been lacking in female villains lately, I appreciate that this looks to be an all-ladies team-up.

Really not the same thing. The gun buy-back was a byproduct of a plotline involving him trying to make nice and be a more responsible CEO and work with Sebastian Blood. The episode was then primarily focused on Oliver trying to help the Lance sisters through their respective crises and everything about the gun…

But he seems emotionally involved. It's not just about getting to have sex - they're writing the character as though he's really serious about her without creating a foundation for why.

Also, there's the whole, he's probably the Crown Prince of Daxom, and no doubt those bounty hunters are going to show up just in time to drive a wedge between them.

Except that actors get paid as long as their names appear in the opening credits. (At least, from what I've read, that's the case.) And her name has still been in the opening credits.

Do they? Oliver? Rene? Diggle? I think they both tolerate him, but can certainly be irritated by him. Especially the former.

Son? What son?

Sure, but I think they've rather stabilized at this season. I think he questions and disagrees with her fair amount, but they've also become each others' stabilizing element - and the fulcrum on which the rest of the cast turns.

I'd take Oliver Queen over both of my current Senators.

But the show has never really addressed any similar topic in any similar manner ever before. There's no history or precedent for this. To suddenly hop onto a discussion of a caustic debate that a CW comic book tv series is in no way adequately built to discuss in any satisfying manner is jarring, to say the least.

It's been having a great season, too. For me personally Arrow and AoS are my one and two in the genre right now.

My thoughts exactly. I'm trying very, very hard not to think about the stress of real-world political situations right now (just give me a break from the real-world, Arrow - please?) and episodes like this aren't helping.

Have him cheat on Lyla?

It honestly felt like Guggenheim was reacting to a specific shooting and decided to channel it into an episode. It reminded me very starkly of Aaron Sorkin writing 'Isaac and Ishmael' on the fly in response to 9/11.

True enough. Though like other posters, I think it would be nice if she stood up for herself more.

They fixed the gun control debate in a day!

To be a Gary Stu a character has to: