'Arrow': Felicity And Oliver Are Getting Back Together — Will It Hurt Or Help The Ratings?

The romantic pairing of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak has been a bone of contention in the Arrowverse fandom since the couple got together at the end of Season 3. The producers ended their engagement, but now it appears they're getting back together. So, what's in store for the future of the controversial couple in Season 6 of Arrow?

Since the kiss that sealed the Season 5 finale, Olicity fans have been waiting for confirmation that Felicity and Oliver will definitively reunite. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim gave all the shippers a moment of sheer joy when he recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly:

“We put them on a very specific trajectory at the end of season 5. It would be very schizophrenic for us to suddenly take them off that trajectory.”

So now that Guggenheim has confirmed that Oliver and Felicity are on the path back toward one another, fans who dislike the pairing are concerned that the quality of the show — and therefore the ratings — will diminish, citing Season 4 as an example. The show's average viewership has declined precipitously ever since Season 3, from 2.76 million to 1.75 million viewers. Is Olicity to blame for that?

Not really. Most reviewers of Season 4 will tell you that the romantic relationship didn't cause the ratings to dip — but rather its overall quality and lack of focus — and even series star Stephen Amell admits that:

"There's a lull in any relationship, where you have a come-to-Jesus moment, and that happened to me in Season 4. We are a street-level crime-fighting show. We're at our best when we're focused on those things."

The series has rebounded with Season 5, bringing the show back to its Season 1 roots, and the connection between Felicity and Oliver was still quite obvious, as chemistry simply cannot be erased. The explosive Season 5 finale boosted viewership by 25 percent, so it's safe to say that Arrow has reignited fan enthusiasm.

Season 6 has a plethora of good things in store with three villains lined up (one of whom is Richard Dragon), the introduction of an FBI agent looking to unmask the Green Arrow, and Oliver having to learn how to be a father. And we can't forget the return of Deathstroke and Black Siren.

The producers definitely have their eye on the ball and are setting up for another strong season — so even if you aren't a fan of the romance, there will still be plenty of reasons to watch.

[Sources: EW, Screenrant, and CinemaBlend]