Arrow Season 4: charlotte Ross Set to Return as Felicity's Mom 

Donna Smoak fist-pump GIFs, because Felicity’s mom has booked another trip to

TVLine has exclusively learned that fan favorite Charlotte Ross will reprise her role as Donna in the sixth episode of Season 4 (which kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 7). Thus far the nature of Mom’s latest visit is under wraps, but I will go ahead and shamelessly spitball: Maybe it’s time to give

Of course, the last time we saw Donna she had nudged her daughter to follow her heart in the direction of one Oliver Queen — who, Felicity lamented at the time, was “terminally unavailable.” But things sure have changed since then, haven’t they?

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Prior to her first encore as Donna (this past April), Ross spoke with TVLine about the incredibly and abundantly positive fan reaction to Felicity’s Vegas cocktail waitress mama, effusing, “I’ve been in this business for a while and I’ve never seen anything like it…. I’m just so overwhelmed with gratitude.”

What are your wishes and hopes for smokin’ Donna’s latest drop-by?

In glad MamaSmoak is coming back for a visit. It’s long overdue to get into Felicity’s story arc. Who is PapaSmoak? Why did he leave his family? I hope Donna and Quentin finally get a chance to meet. And it would help if they would indicate what episode she was appearing in season four.

“… Charlotte Ross will reprise her role as Donna in the sixth episode of Season 4.”

I hope they flesh out the character more. The problem last year was that Felicity’s whole back story and her relationship with her mother felt very played and cliche. I had been hoping for something more original for her. It doesn’t even have to be big and exciting. She doesn’t need to have an important father. They could all just be normal people.

I honestly doubt her father is gonna be normal people tbh. Nobody in this show are ever normal people.

That’s because “normal” usually means boring because it doesn’t create conflict or story. We know there’s conflict there already with Felicity & Donna and the father because he walked out on them — seemingly without saying anything — and last year they reference that if he did show up, he’d be arrested. So clearly there’s something about him that’s shady. Arrow’s dropped bits and teasers since the beginning. I’m excited to see it pay off and actually have the father be someone that helps stir up good story for Felicity, Donna, Oliver, and affects other people like Diggle and the team. Flesh Felicity out in meaningful, organic ways with good story ramifications.

“She doesn’t need to have an important father. They could just be normal people.” Translates to me like people threatened by Felicity having a DC named parent. Fact, Felicity Smoak is normal. Donna Smoak is normal. But at the end of the day this is a superhero show. She doesn’t get to be the character trapped in a non-threatening box for haters to trot out for comedic relief to keep the show interesting. And I didn’t wait two years while they dragged their feet on this story to get a PapaSmoak that flips burgers at In & Out. They created the hype and the suspense far too long to go that route. This is finally what Felicity Smoak fans have been waiting for. A parent that connects and explains her genius intellect and shaped her into someone with a greater purpose. A STEM parent. A mastermind.

@ Trish – I like and agree with your response!

I don’t think it’s people being threatened by Felicity; I think it’s people wanting to continue to relate to her. Some fathers leave their families and they don’t have a good reason to do it. Plus it just soooo cliche now to have him secretly be Someone Special. I think wanting Felicity to have a somewhat normal life, with a normal family arrangement is people wanting to see their own lives reflected in a character they can see themselves as. It also connects to the “importance of the bio parent” wave that it quite popular on tv right now. The pressure of bio-parent narratives dismisses the work of adoptive & chosen families, but in the case of absentee parents (such as PopaSmoak), it puts the blood relation as parent more important than their lack of actions as parent. And that’s messed up. Just because you share DNA doesn’t mean you have anything in common. I will give credit to Flash for doing this well though; the relationship between Joe and Barry is awesome.

And non genius parents can have genius children FYI.

I’m a huge Felicity fan. Love Olicity too. But I’m happy if she has a normal parent. I love the idea that she’s come from an average family and risen to greatness. This doesn’t mean I’m threatened by Felicity having a DC parent. I’m just happy we’re finally getting to learn more about her. It’s pretty disgusting that it’s season 4 and we still don’t know that much about her. I’m all for whatever they do.

What hype and suspense? They haven’t really even mentioned her father on the show. I don’t care who he is. He is a loser who left his wife and child…end of story!

Well, at a panel DR mentioned how the father would be someone when we find out who he is we will understand why Felicity is such a genius. And has said a couple of times that the man is connected to HIVE and Andy Diggle. And of course in the show it was mentioned how Felicity learned how to build computers from her dad and that he is in Russia because he’d be arrested in the states. So obviously you haven’t been paying attention.

Apparently I haven’t been paying attention. What episode did they say he was in Russia and couldn’t return to the states? All I remember is from 318 where Donna says “if your father was here…” and Felicity says “he’d be arrested” and Donna replies “probably.” When did they talk about Russia?

” at a panel DR”… it’s what they bring to the screen that counts in the end. THAT’S what is paid attention to.

Marc said they had this man in mind since season one! David himself mentioned how when we find out who the father is we will understand why she can beat anyone, and has mentioned that Felicity’s dad has something to do with HIVE and Andy Diggle. I think it’s still Damien Dhark but even if it’s not he is for darn sure not a “normal person” I really think it’s funny how threatened some people are by Felicity, I mean now that Felicity’s Oliver’s girlfriend and true endgame, their hope that she’ll stay the “comic relief” is gone so all they have left is to keep her from evolving into something else, someone else and that includes having a big DC villain father. Frankly, I think the writers know everyone would be pissed off if her dad was some random scientist, wtf? NO! You don’t build up a character for a whole year as someone who helped Felicity build computers since she was seven, is out of the states because he’d be arrested if he was in the states and say that he’s connected to HIVE and has been thought of since season one! Unless you want to lose your audience’s trust completely.

He wasn’t built up the entire year, all that was ever said was he left her, was smart, but was an awful human being. The one’s building him up are you guys.

We already have a main character whose father is a big bad. No need to retread that ground.

I’m an Olicity shipper and I want Felicity to grow as a character. I’m upset because she isn’t growing. Since becoming the end game love interest, she’s lost all the personality and humour that made us love her in the first place. Her entire identity has been replaced and she’s just Oliver’s Girlfriend now. That’s *why* Laurel sucked in season 1; she was pingeon-holed into the girlfriend role and it removed any sort of individuality or coolness from her character. So when she stopped being that, low and behold, she starts to get more interesting. The writers don’t know how to write a female love interest that is *also* a full character with stories outside of the main romance. Iris is stuck in that situation over on Flash too

I don’t think that’s fair, Felicity and Laurel had personalities outside of being Oliver’s love interest. Laurel was someone who enjoyed her work and felt she was making a difference, and well, Felicity had a tough year, but she still had plenty of cool moments like locking Ray out of his system and the password being “password”.

Let’s get something straight, people. I am not threatened by Felicity. She is a fictional character. Saying that people are threatened is a silly way of avoiding the need for actual thought or opinion.

I don’t care what Felicity’s back story is. What I care about is whether or not it is well done. Last year’s Felicity flashback was full of boring cliches. Her mother was a boring cliche. What I want for her is some thought on the writer’s side. If her father turns out to be a big important bad guy, that is just another boring cliche. It would be more shocking at this point if her father was remarkably unremarkable. That is all I said and it was all I meant.

But for the sake of annoying people… It is season 4. Calling anything “endgame” is a bit premature.

Yay! Looking forward to seeing Mama Smoak back. Charlotte Ross and Emily Bett Rickards have such fun chemistry. Very curious to see what brings Donna back. This time, I’d love to see more interactions with Oliver — and Digg, too! Maybe Donna can finally meet Quentin? ;) The captain needs a little bit more sunshine in his life, and Donna brings it in spades. Hope her return gets us closer to meeting Papa Smoak!

Id love to see Donna and Quentin spend some time together.

That pic of Ross and Blackthorne in the gallery is adorable. Smoak and Lance seriously needs to happen this season. They both deserve happiness and their courtship would be awesome. Felicty and Laurel would just die, LOL.

That’s good news – she was one of the few bright spots in S3 for me, especially in her first appearance. And I wouldn’t mind seeing a Quentin/Donna flirtation. :)

As for Felicity’s father, here’s my two cents. The only candidate right now that makes sense to me is JR Bourne’s Double Down, unless it’s a character that hasn’t been announced or cast yet. I do not think it’s going to be Damian Darhk. I don’t think they’re going to make Felicity’s father be someone that they’ve described as “pure evil.”

I like the idea of him being someone who works for H.I.V.E. Maybe not completely evil but lured by that kind of life. It links Felicity’s story to Diggle too and I would love those two to have more scenes together. Diggle/Felicity friendship gives me life!

Exactly what I think most of us want lol. I really would love Digg and Felicity’s stories to be connected because it puts a little more focus on their relationship outside of Oliver. And also would be a great chance for Oliver to show how far he’s evolved with him having to be the true leader and being the rock for the two people closest to him. DR did gives us hope with this storyline though on multiple occasions. Let’s just hope the writers don’t let him and us down lol

I want this too! I would love for Digg and Felicity’s stories to intersect and I would love for Oliver to be in the middle of this.

I would hate that, honestly lol for her dad to be some random villain of the week. Plus JR Bourne’s character isn’t a genius and obviously Felicity got her intellect from her dad, which is not a put down at Donna at all, but her dad is who she inherited the love of computers and high intellect from. I just hope whoever he is he’s connected to HIVE like DR said and Andy’s death because it keeps Felicity in the main story and it gives us wayyyy more Diggle\Felicity development and an actual story for the two of them with each other and conflict, which hopefully Oliver would play the mediator this time.

Yey! Mama Smoak is back. I hope she gets quality screen time with her daughter. Charlotte Ross is a sweetheart.

More Mama Smoak! More Charlotte Ross!

Great to see Mama Smoak back on Arrow and what an adorable pic featuring Charlotte Ross and Paul Blackthorne.

Fantastic news! She was a delight in season 3, even though she was used poorly in her second appearance later in the season. Such a spark, and great with Emily Bett Rickards. I’m so happy they’re giving Felicity more backstory. I’ve wanted to know more about her since season 1 and this is long overdue. Excellent!

this is GREAT news! hopefully this means episode 6 is a felicity heavy extravaganza! that’s my ideal sweeps episode.

if there isn’t a meet the boyfriend dinner i’ll be super disappointed. been dreaming of a scene with olicity and mama smoak forever!

And the internet cheers! She is delightful as Felicity’s mom. I love it.

So excited for this! This time around, I hope that Donna Smoak will help, along with Felicity, fill in more clues about Felicity’s father, actually spend time interacting with Felicity AND Oliver and get some mother/daughter bonding time, and get to meet Quentin because I’m totally in favor of a Quentin/Donna pairing. He needs to have some fun and I want to see Donna stick around for more than one episode.

They could make Felicity’s father Jay Garrick. The reason he left her Mom was because he had to go back to Earth 2. Another Flash / Arrow crossover.

Yeah, Felicity’s dad is definitely not going to be normal, knowing that him and Ra’s al Guhl were once sidekicks that is until he stole some of the Lazarus pits’ water, along with all the other things he did against Ra’s! I’m taking it that Felicity’s dad is most likely bad! So I’ve been wondering how is this going to go, FeIicity and Oliver fights against criminals, and now her dad is probably one of the biggest criminals of all? LOL! Damien Dhark’s future son in law and his daughter puts him away in prison?!?! Hahahahahaha!

It hasn’t been confirmed yet that Damien Darhk is Felicity’s father. Personally I don’t think he will be.

One of those very welcome lighter elements in a show that can trend rather dark. Glad to see her return.

Donna is a cliched character. There was nothing remotely surprising about her. Does she have to dress so trashy? I think she has some worth as a character, but as a utility character like Janice in Friends. She’s good when you see her, but doesn’t overstay her welcome. And putting her together with Lance isn’t giving fans what they want, it would be cliched. It would actually be refreshing if they went in a different direction and subvert expectations.

I’m glad she is coming back, she’s a fun character & I would love to see her interacting more with Felicity & Oliver. This could also lead to learning more about Felicity’s father and just how he may be involved in the story at some point next season.

i hope this is a sign of them correcting Felicity’s characterization. Last season was aweful. Just because she’s the “love interest” doesn’t mean everything she says or does needs to be about her love. My god, all she did last season was cry about Oliver. Treat her better writers.

Oh awesome! Thanks! Seemed to have missed that post. Yay, a return to the Felicity we love.

Charlotte is great in the role & Donna is an interesting character.

But if she comes back and she is just a prop & mascot for Olicity then YUCK. Olicity destroys the goodness of everything it touches.

Regarding Felicity’s father, this is to the best of my recollection what’s been said about him within the show.

“I don’t really know what my father is, ’cause he abandoned us. I barely remember him. But I do remember how much it hurt when he left.”

From 305 – Donna: “I’m not as smart as you, Felicity, or your father. I know that. Even when you were only six years old, I could barely keep up with you two…..He left me. He left us. But when I look at you, all I see is what he gave you.”

From 318 – Donna: “If your father were here… “

Donna: “Probably. But right before that, he would tell you that sometimes, we got to take a chance, particularly for the people we care about.”

From that, we have a guy that abandoned his family when Felicity was young, that is very intelligent, that is on the wrong of the law, but still has a good side. That doesn’t sound like Damien Darhk to me. Damien Darhk is being described as “pure evil”, as a sociopath. And that’s not even getting into the unlikelihood of such a man settling down for even a few years with Donna and Felicity before abandoning them.

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