The Flash: Katherine McNamara Teases the Return of Arrow‘s Mia for End of ‘Armageddon,’ Felicity Mentions Ahead
As The Flash‘s 5-part “Armageddon” event comes to a close this Tuesday on The CW, another familiar face will resurface — that of Arrow‘s Mia, the daughter of Oliver and Felicity.
When last we saw Mia, in Arrow’s series finale, she was on her way back to 2040 (thanks for the Time Courier, Sara?) after being plucked from the future to attend her father’s funeral. And the Arrow episode prior to that (aka the Green Arrow and the Canaries backdoor spinoff pilot) had ended with Mia and her brother William regarding the family’s “pet rock”/hozen, when tranq darts took them both out, after which William was dragged away by… whom?
Meanwhile on The Flash, “Armageddon” Part 4 has revealed that Barry’s suddenly crappy life was in fact the handiwork of Eobard Thawne and a Reverse-Flashpoint he had created. Barry wound up righting reality and returning to a 2021 where Joe West is still alive, though Thawne appears to have one final trick up his sleeve…
Now that you have your refresher (whew!), here is Arrow alum Katherine McNamara previewing her encore as Mia, and how it was “really moving” to suit back up.
TVLINE | What were you up to when you got the news that you would get a chance to play Mia again, and what was your first reaction?
I got a note from my team saying, “Hey, they reached out and asked if you would be open to coming back as Mia Smoak/Green Arrow on The Flash,” and I said, “Absolutely! Do I need to pack a bag now? Let’s go!” You know as well as anyone how special Mia is to me and how much that whole world means to me, and I always have such a lovely time. I jump at the chance to go shoot some arrows on television.
TVLINE | Were you already in fighting shape or did you have to squeeze in a couple of training sessions? Because Mia’s hitting the bag pretty hard during one of the scenes.
She is, indeed. You know me, fitness is a huge part of my life, but it definitely was different, and I’m glad I had a little bit of time [to prepare] because Mia, being the daughter of the one and only Oliver Queen, has got to stay fit.
TVLINE | What was it like suiting back up? Did they get your old costume out of storage, or did they give you a new one?
I had the same suit, and when I put it on for the first time it was really moving, actually. It’s one of those things that it’s been so demarcated by the pandemic, Arrow ending, and coming back to do this episode of The Flash felt like coming back home. It felt like an old friend, and I felt very welcomed on set — all those crews are incredible, and the cast is so lovely. It felt as though I was doing what I’m supposed to be, and in the right place at the right time.
TVLINE | What is Mia up to when we see her?
Well, you pick up with Mia two years after we last saw her, and you get little glimpses of what her life has been. We see that she’s in a very dark place — she’s gone rogue, in a way, and become very obsessed with solving this one problem and this one missing piece in her life. As we know, when Mia gets focused on something and you give her a bone, she’s going to run with it until she wins, and that is what she’s doing. She will let nothing get in her way. But this does happen to take her through Central City where they’re having their own issues. Mia plays well with others when she needs to, and there’s nobody like Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris to come in and tell her what she needs to hear.
TVLINE | What specific dynamics do we get to see between Mia and other characters she visits with?
There’s a lot, actually, and that’s something I was so grateful for. [Showrunner] Eric [Wallace] and the rest of the team of writers really thought about what Mia would be doing two years from now. Mia was not worthy, in her mind, to take over the mantle of Green Arrow. [During Arrow‘s final season] she had just gotten her father back and just gotten a chance to understand why he made the decisions that he did, and then she lost him again. And so in that sense, she understood, finally, what her responsibility to that mantle and legacy is. and she did not feel ready.
Moving through that and having lived with that for a couple of years… it’s a lot, and she’s really going through a lot of the same struggles that Oliver did, about the line that’s drawn to get justice — “What are you willing to sacrifice in order to accomplish your goals as a hero, and does that still make you a hero?” Mia has never been afraid to do what she has to do to get the answers she needs or to accomplish a mission, but Barry and Iris and the rest of the team know when to take a bit of pause, and have so much heart and care for the people around them, and that it’s exactly what Mia needs at the moment.
TVLINE | Did you get to do anything new as Mia with this episode?
Actually not new, but I spent a good portion of the episode in heels and a cocktail dress, which is quite uncommon for Mia. [Laughs]
TVLINE | I had to remind myself that it was the Felicity of 2040 who went off to be with Oliver, and that Felicity in 2021 is still alive somewhere in the countryside. Will we get any update on or mention of Mia’s mom?
There are a few mentions of Felicity. She definitely comes up. Given the fact that Mia ends up in a place where the two people that know her parents probably better than most are right there to guide her, it’s a huge gift, and there’s definitely much talk of the lineage.
TVLINE | And you may have alluded to this with the party dress, but…. What sort of note will the 5-part “Armageddon” event end on?
With all of these Arrowverse worlds, it always ends with a bit of a question — and maybe a cocktail party, and definitely a lot of grey area. What I think is so clever about “Armageddon” is that every person who you think you know where they stand and what they stand for comes into question, and there really are no heroes and villains. They’re just people trying to get through the day and trying to deal with what this universe that is increasingly complicated as the years go on presents to them. That says a lot about where many of us are in the world right now, where we don’t really know which end is up and we’re trying to navigate it and figure it out as best we can with the people around us.
Want scoop on The Flash post-“Armageddon,” or for any other show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
Mia was one of the best parts of Arrow’s final season, everyone but wrestlgirl agrees with me. The actress is stunning and there was a metric ton of fans who wanted the Green Arrow and the Canaries spin-off green lit. I could watch Katherine all day, what a delightful woman. Can’t wait to see her on the flash 😍
Wow, calling me out. How very cool of you. I must have really hit a nerve since it’s been months since Arrow’s final season. But I’m pretty sure you don’t speak for everyone. I happen to know several people who don’t particularly like the character but hey, you do you, and stay well informed, lol.
Kat is lovely, but I have never enjoyed Mia. I’ve tried many times to like her, but they always make her do something that annoys me. I would’ve much rather seen Laurel/Black Canary return instead of Mia. Hopefully Laurel will come back someday.
No they didn’t. Most casual fans of Arrow hated Mia as she’s the product of the equally hated Olicity. Plus she came off annoying and unlikable. The CW network saw she didn’t have the fan base you claim and didn’t pickup the show.
Really? I thought the vast majority fans loved the relationship between Oliver and Felicity.
Those fans who loved Olicity were a small loud portion active on social media. The trope used is vocal minority. It consisted of fan girls who never read comics project themselves on Felicity having the good looking brooding hero fall for nerdy quirky women like them. Unfortunately showrunners pandered to them and derailed Arrow.
That’s true. The ones who say the contrary are just bitter fanboys who still haven’t accepted after 9 years that Arrow wasn’t gonna be a comics to tv adaptation but just a “BASED ON the comic characters” thing. Oliver and Felicity are one of the most iconic CW couples, the writers have said multiple times they decided to go for a O+F pairing because of the actors chemistry and O+ L was a toxic mess. Fans responded to that chemistry and started to make noise online to say “yes they work”. Maybe you should’ve done that as well?Thinking that the writers ruined such a popular comics couple just for fan pandering is laughable, if O+L were so loved and so perfect why ruin the whole thing listening to a “minority” and not the supposed “majority”? That’s stupid. You’re basically admitting you didn’t do enough on your side of things.
Mia of course inherited Oliver and Felicity’s fanbase, but her spin-off show did not go ahead because nobody gives a f about the Canaries. The writers killed the og Laurel because she was a mess and they wanted a fresh start, they brought in Earth 2 Laurel which was better off being kept “bad” and instead became a Laurel 1 bad copy. Same lame writing, same mistakes. Dinah was just awful. They were both written so badly, writers hated them, a show centred around them would’ve gone nowhere.
JFINN keeps living in a bitter fantasy where mighty fanboys were defeated by evil fangirls dragging the writers by their balls when they did it all on their own since season 1. It’s sad. It’s been a decade and you’re still whining and rejecting reality.
Wow you resort to name calling and claim I’m bitter LoL. Sound like you the one that’s bitter. Why can’t you accept that most fans grew to hate Felicity, her relationship with Oliver, and can’t stand Mia. Even viewers who ain’t comic fans agree. Why you think ratings dropped? Also fans liked both versions of Laurel and wanted her as Black Canary. Why you think they brought Katie Cassidy back? Only Olicity fandom hate Laurel for supposedly getting in the way of their ship.
I’m not sure that anyone can really speak for “most… fans” unless they’ve done some serious research.
I watched Arrow from the beginning. I would have been fine if Oliver ended up with Laurel instead of Felicity. And I still hate how they replaced OG Laurel with Black Siren.
But I liked Mia, and I’d still like to see her in some kind of spinoff – with or without the canaries.
I agree with Wrstgirl on this one. I don’t like the character simply because I find her dull and annoying.
I just want to know if William is OK!
Get back the Waverider and bring Mia to the current timeline for good and give her, her own show!
I want to know about Laurel and Dinah’s whereabouts. Hopefully we’ll get some info tomorrow night.
Mia was finally going to be less like a brat and written like a 15-year-old at the end of her run, so it would’ve been nice to see where things were going to go. Particularly with William kidnapped. I imagine her dark place for 2 years has to do with her brother.
I really think Legends were the best option for a Mia Crossover. With the time travel angle, the Legends could be summoned to 2041(?) To help resolve the backdoor pilot cliffhanger from Arrow.
To be honest, part 4 could have concluded the underwhelming Armageddon arc.
Weird u didn’t ask about Laurel and Dinah….I mean if u gonna ask about Felicity it would make sense to ask about the canaries considering where we left off.
I am curious to say the least how thawne will relate to mia. If you all remember the villain the backdoor pilot was said to be a she so unless thawne changed into a woman then not sure how he fits into that storyline.