Arrow is a TV series that’s rooted just as much in the past as it is in the present. whether it’s delving into Oliver Queen’s “five years in hell” or learning about John Diggle’s military background. Tonight, viewers will finally learn about the history of one of the most beloved members of Team Arrow: Felicity Smoak. Titled “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak,” the episode will explore Felicity’s time in college, and the CW has given fans a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way: Felicity is goth! Sure we may have seen images of her dark look, but watching this clip is a different experience. That being said, she looks good! It’s a big separation from her squeaky clean image in the present, but college is a weird time for everybody. She was going through self-discovery, and this was how she decided to express herself. It’s worth noting that in a previous episode of Arrow, Felicity said she’s not a natural blonde, and there’s no way her hair color from college is natural. She must spend a fortune on hair dye! I prefer her blonde look, but her goth appearance works in its own way.
Goth look aside, the other notable feature of this clip is her hacking exploits in college. Even her backstory proves her talent, although she is content with posting her computer savviness on web forums. Her boyfriend Cooper, on the other hand, wants to get involved with “hacktivism,” and nearly wipes out all the college loans on the Department of Education site. Causes like this aren't something Felicity is willing to go to jail for, and as we saw when she was introduced on the series, she uses her computer skills to eventually become an IT specialist at Queen Consolidated. Now she’s helping Team Arrow with her hacking in order to make Starling City a better place. It’s not the type of hacktivism that Cooper was talking about, but it’s still a unique form of public service.
Felicity’s past will be explored when a hacker group uses a computer virus that Felicity developed to unleash chaos on Starling City. The episode will also reunite Felicity with her mom Donna, played by Charlotte Ross, who was previously mentioned as being a waitress in Las Vegas when Felicity was young. Who the main hacker is behind these attacks is unclear, though viewers may want to keep an eye on Cooper. If Felicity’s virus is being used to wreak devastation, he may have been the one who stole it from her. If that’s the case, he needs to understand that putting civilians in physical danger will not help his hacktivist cause.
