Oliver Queen - Blog Posts
Rant: Being A Good Person On TV
Being a superhero is hard, but everybody knows that. They've got tons of people to save, friends to protect, and villains to defeat--all while maintaining secret identity and a full-time day job. Considering how evil and able their enemies tend to be, it's not hard to comprehend that sometimes they might be tempted to go down to less than noble means--whether that means killing, cheating, lying or whatever. I sometimes imagine that maybe, in their position, I'm gonna be more "creative" too, but that's not the case with the heroes I'm gonna talk about in this post.
Particularly, Barry Allen of The Flash, and Scott McCall of Teen Wolf.
(It's easy for me to talk about The Flash with some degree of dignity--since the show was well received by critics and fans, but I'm actually a bit nervous to talk about Teen Wolf. Yes, that remake of a failed old movie that nobody asked for, that has "Teen" on its title, airs on MTV that no longer stands for “Music”, and its entire existence probably piggybacked on the popularity of the tween-monstrosity called Twilight. And I assure you now, it's legitimately good.)
We live in a cynical world, especially in entertainment. Morally-grey and morally-ambiguous protagonists aren't only numerous but seems to be a trend that only gets stronger: most popularly started with The Sopranos and cemented today with the likes of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Girls, Scandal, and Game of Thrones, people seemed to devour their stories and it's easy to see why. People love relatability, and people always want a good redemption story (whether it's earned or not). We like to see characters that don't always do good, or don't always do evil, because we know we sometimes do both. People were always drawn to flawed characters (case in point, Hamlet), because we know that we are flawed too.
A hero who's perfect is boring, because we always know what that person would choose in any given time. That is like an unspoken mantra of TV and film, and I used to firmly believed in it. Superman would never work on screen, they say, because he’s too good. But after watching and enjoying Teen Wolf and The Flash for years, I know that that’s not the case anymore.
In stark contrast to it's sister show Arrow, The Flash had decidedly different tone: it was fun, lighter, and more optimistic. Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), its central character, also had one determining characteristic that set him apart from Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) from Arrow: that Barry is the kind of hero that always find another way (in Felicity's words). Whenever things get tough and the only solution in sight is to kill or let someone get killed or hurt, Barry would always try to find another way to save the day, sometimes in no regard of his own safety. Actually, Oliver would usually eventually get there too, but more than often not, it was only after much deliberation and plea from his friends and colleagues. But Barry is such an inherently a good person who just would NOT compromise to evil, a rarity among the Batmans, Daredevils, even Man of Steel’s Supermans of today, and other bunch characters--superheroes or not. And obviously the show’s formula works extremely well too, because The Flash quickly became CW’s most popular show (even surpassing its parent show), earned hardcore fanbase, received critical praise, and concluded its first and current season with a satisfying finale.
Similar thing could also be said about Scott McCall of Teen Wolf. His defining character is that he wants to save everyone and everything (even his enemies), and he trusts basically everyone (even his enemies). He is a good person almost to a fault, and I believe he is actually the better example of the two regarding the point I'm trying to say, because of 2 things: One, Teen Wolf has been going for 5 seasons and is a living example that it's not only possible to make compelling show (excepting the terrible season 4. Ugh.) out of a genuinely decent character, but it's also sustainable. Two, for its dark overall tone. It's easy to think Barry's shameless optimism is due to the fact that The Flash is an light-toned show, but Teen Wolf isn't particularly light (it's a horror series) and most times it has a general sense of looming dread. So tone shouldn't be a hindrance to having a goody-two-shoes lead protagonist.
We don’t really know the direction that The Flash is going with its second season--maybe Barry's belief would evolve into something more morally grey, we don’t know. But with Teen Wolf, I think, it’s save to say that an honorable lead character is doable. The show handled it the right way, too. They made Scott’s goodness not only central to the heart of the show, but also to the plot (with him being a True Alpha). We also get to see how he influences the people around him, and how he consistently made his friends become better persons. And Scott’s not even the extent of a “good” character on the show: ordinary people such as Sheriff Stilinski can be relentlessly good too. And that’s the important message, I believe, that we can be good if we try. It doesn’t get more uplifting than that.
I’m sorry that this rant is a bit vague if you’ve never seen the shows because I don’t have enough memory to spit out any specific examples (I’m terrible at remembering plot) but the point is, being a good person isn't boring. Actually, being a good person is fuckin' hard. Have you ever tried to do exactly zero bad thing in a day--no lying, no running over the red light, no badmouthing your coworkers and overtiming your lunch break, no using work’s copy machine for personal use, no sneering at that bum across the road, and no disturbing that sleeping kitten? It’s effin’ hard. But if you have time-traveling impostor or body-altering supernatural doctors chasing after you? I bet that’d be an extra, extra hard thing to do and the struggle they go through to just not give in is worth a watch.
My point is, I think it’s time to abandon the long held belief that good people are boring. On the contrary, in my opinion, how they can stay noble regardless of obstacle is a journey worth seeing.
Arrow-Family
You’re Not Dating a Kid!... Actually This Might Be Worse by heytheresunshine
Claws Is Colorblind
On a mission where the Justice League is working with Scarecrow to take out a trafficking ring(bc even Scarecrow doesn't support trafficking. Human rights bitch).
Claws(Aka Darlene though no one knows this), trying to figure out a color-coded note: "Uh... which ones the clue?"
Scarecrow, who is restrained bc the League reasonably doesn't trust him: "The pink one, Claws."
Claws: ".... Which one?"
Scarecrow, blinking: "The pink one?"
Claws: "........"
Green Arrow: "Claws.... what's wrong?"
Claws: "There's no pink one."
Black Canary: "Yeah, it's right there-..... Claws, are you colorblind?"
Claws: ".... I didn't think so.... No..."
Green Arrow: "What color am I?"
Claws, squinting: "..... Um..... Yellow?"
Scarecrow: "uh.... who's gonna tell her?"
It's not quite the fact that Tim is smart what makes him their favorite. I mean, Bruce loves them all the same, and while Janet will always love her little boy the most, it's not by much, she loves the others. But Ollie and Lex? It's one thing the kids that one of their best friends adopted, and sure, they're smart and charming and don't get me wrong, they adore them. But Tim is in a whole other level, not so much because of his own personality but because they've loved him since before he was born.
See, Janet in this AU had a difficult pregnancy, but she always wanted to be a mother, and Jack only married her because of the social ladder and agreed to a child because it's expected of them and because she insisted. But he doesn't love her. And he didn't stay by her side during the hard pregnancy— you know who did? Lex, Ollie and Bruce. They watched Tim grow inside Janet's belly, they were there for the ultrasounds, they helped her pick out a name, and they waited in the hospital for Tim to be born. They held him in their arms and they watched as he fought and clung to life. They visited him every day in the NICU and read/talked to him. They did everything in their power (read: threw money at the best doctors and build their own NICU and tech) for him to just make it to his first few months. His first birthday may as well have been the biggest achievement.
They changed his diapers and raised him from scratch, the four of them (plus the occasional involvement of Jack). They taught him how to Person. They were there for his first words, fists steps, first everything. For four whole years he was the center of their little universe. For four full years, it was just four best friends and the little guy.
And then Dick came along, more than twice Tim's age (tim's 4, Dick's 10 because I want him a little older) and raised by his own parents, with his own ideals and personality and temper. His own little person, impressionable as he may be.
Now, Dick is Bruce's everything, his son, his whole damn world. He adores Dick. Everyone does! Ollie and Lex love the little guy, too, that's their nephew. Janet adores him, she's so glad that Tim is not the only kid anymore and that he gets along with Dick. Dick is charming and brilliant, and so kind and yet so fiery and fierce and angry. They love the little shit.
But this is their nephew, as opposed to their pretty much co-parented by all of them child. The only Firsts they get from Dick are his first day of school and first gala. Bruce of course isn't included in this, he loved Dick just as much as Tim and Dick's his baby, and he got his first fight and first weapon and first night as Robin, but none of the others know this. Janet isn't included either because no matter how much she loves Bruce's kids, they don't compare to her own son (yet, at least)
Then Jason comes along. Snarky, skittish, sarcastic little fucker, they love him. He's the happy one of the brothers (Dick and Jason, Tim's not included yet). But again, he's not a baby they get to raise from scratch (tim's 6, Jason's 10, Dick's 12). This doesn't prevent them from loving the two little shits like family, they ARE family, but they're their nephew, Tim's their kid. I repeat, they took turns raising the gremlin, he's their collective co-parented son more than a nephew, while they don't get to raise Jason and Dick, partly because Bruce doesn't go away half as much as Janet does, and when he does they either come with or stay with Alfred.
Also, they know Oliver is Green Arrow but he doesn't know they know, and he doesn't know they're the Robins.
My point is, they don't go stay with Lex or Ollie almost at all, while Tim has a room in each of their homes.
Let me clarify that this is not a biological vs adopted thing.
When Damian comes along, he's raised by both Janet and Bruce (already together) but not by Lex or Ollie. Again, he's their nephew, but not on Tim's level despite being Bruce's bio son, because they didn't get to raise him either. He's on Dick and Jason's level, which is pretty high up. It's like the difference between your siblings and your best friend. You'd kill for either, but you probably love one of them just a little more fiercely.
Also, Tim literally changed the course of Lex's life by just existing. He's a lot less evil just so Janet won't take him away, and if you asked him who his favorite person in the whole universe is, he'd answer Tim without hesitation— not his family, not Bruce, Ollie or Janet, but Tim. He would burn down the world (literally) for him.
Ollie would answer Roy, but Tim is a close second, and the rest of his nephews, then his best friends (good dad Ollie here)
Think about it like Tim being Lex's almost-kid. The rest of the friend group each has at least one child, but he has enough with Tim, up until he makes Kon and learns to love him, but Kon wouldn't be his child if it weren't for Tim convincing him to raise him like a kid and not a weapon.
Ok, hear me out. An AU where Janet Drake is best friends with Lex Luthor, Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen.
They met in school, and she's a high society girl, not expected or allowed to be much more than a pretty face, but there's this trio of smart idiots (they did all sorts of stupid stuff at school, but they are overall very, very smart), and they're in all sorts of cool classes and extracurriculars, and she wants to learn
So, she snakes her way into the group with well-timed looks and blushes. They eventually include her in all their activities, and so she learns all sort of stuff that she usually wouldn't be allowed to learn, because they help her keep it in the down low. No, she's not taking classes with them, she's being a proper lady and cheering her smart friends on through the oh-so-hard classes.
At some point or another, they all develop a crush on her, fleeting as it may be (they're hormonal teens and they're required to flirt, it was bound to happen)
They flirt publicly, as it keeps the media from pressuring them into relationships— or so they thought. It backfires when they're adults, the media is demanding Janet settle down and stops leading all three of them on. But there would be a scandal if she picked any of them, so she picks Jack, someone who doesn't love her or she loves, but someone desperate enough to climb the social ladder to care if he loves his wife.
When he's not allowed to flirt anymore, that's where Bruce realizes that he actually liked her.
When Tim comes along, and Janet has to go on trips, she leaves him with her trusted friends. So, Tim learns a lot from his Uncle Lex, learns to shoot a bow from his Uncle Ollie, and loves staying with his Uncle Bruce and his children. He figures him out far too easily and does become Robin when Jason figures he's ready to pass on the mantle to his little brother (because they're brothers. Tim spends a lot of time in their house)
Bruce adores Tim, he really does. It just kinda hurts, that he's Janet's kid, but not his.
Eventually, Janet divorces Jack, and she gets to spend a lot more time in Gotham. But by now Tim is as much Bruce's as he is Janet's, so they co-parent the gremlin that is her son, which leads to a lot of time with Bruce.
Bruce treats her better than Jack ever did, and she trusts him far more. They have the memories of years together. Eventually, Bruce tells her the truth— that he never truly moved on from his best friend.
When they marry, sure it's a media circus, but also not a surprise.
She's also a good mom, to Tim as much as to Dick or Jason.
When Jason finds out Catherine is not his mom, sure he gets curious, but he has a mom already, he's happy. He does want to meet his bio mom, but he agrees to do so safely, not go alone. Fine, B, you can come with.
Joker never happens. Jason is disappointed when he finds his mom is not at all what he expected, and he has a much better one at home.
Eventually, when Damian comes into the picture, he's snappy with Janet. "you will never be my mother, you harlot!" but Janet simply puts a hand on his shoulder and speaks calmly, yet sharp as the blade he threatens her with
"You will not speak to me like that, boy. No, I am not your mother. But I am married to your father, and I hold the authority as such, so you will go up to your room, you will cool down, and you will never threaten or insult me again, or you will be grounded."
"You can't do that!"
"She can. She has my full permission to discipline my kids, Damian. In this house, she holds as much authority as I do." Bruce interjects
Damian, begrudgingly, learns to respect Janet, and eventually he does see her as a second mom
The amount of times Oliver or Lex visit the Wayne-Drake household is absurd, but sue them, they like their friends. This leads to a lot of chaos, because every time Oliver visits so does Roy, and Roy hangs out with Dick and Jason, while Damian sticks to glaring at everyone.
Meanwhile, they dote on Tim, because they sure as hell have a favourite nephew, and it's the one they watched grow inside the belly of one of their best friends, the one they all changed the diapers of, the one they've taught a lot of skills to, the one they helped raise in a way they never helped raise any of the other Wayne boys. They don't even try to hide their preference. Now, of course they like all their nephews, but it's always hilarious because when Tim is around his uncle Lex, he's ten times the evil mastermind he generally is, and Oliver encourages it, simply for the chaos, and so does Janet, while Bruce is downright terrified of the idea of Tim as a villain (everyone is)