When did Barry Allen meet Felicity Smoak for the first time?

Question

I should start by telling I probably started the both series 'The Flash' and 'The Arrow' in the wrong order. I first watched 'The Flash' season , after that I started watching 'The Arrow' because I loved 'The Arrow' and his team since they were amazing in 'The Flash. In that series I recall Barry meeting Felicity for the first time, now I am watching 'The Flash' Season 1 Ep 8, and I see them meeting 'again' for the first time.

What I am wondering is, how the time flow is going between this series because halfway Season 1 of 'The Arrow' they are already talking about the 'Star Labs Particle Accelerator' and in Season 2 Ep 8 they are one day before the particle explosion.

But it takes 6-10 Episodes in 'The Flash' to see 'Felicity' for the first time.

Did they make a design flaw?

Answer 1

"Present day" sections of episodes of The Flash and Arrow take place roughly in line with the relative original broadcast dates of the episodes. Since Arrow ran for two years before The Flash started, Season 3 of Arrow runs parallel to Season 1 of The Flash with episode 1 of the two shows happening at roughly the same time and so on.

They first meet in Season 2 Episode 8 of Arrow when Barry visits Starling City as part of his investigation into super-powered people. This predates the particle explosion that sends him into a coma and eventually gives him his powers.

Felicity's first appearance in The Flash is in Season 1 Episode 4. She has just learned that Barry woke from his coma so she comes to visit him in Central City.

Season 1 Episode 8 of The Flash and Season 3 Episode 8 of The Arrow take place in a very short timespan with crossovers in both directions between the two series. They first aired on two consecutive nights.

Answer 2

Their first meeting is in Arrow, Season 2 Episode 8, "The Scientist", originally airing 4 December, 2013. Barry is in Starling in his professional capacity, not yet having become The Flash. It is in Arrow that we later see the incident at Star Labs which gives Barry his powers. Barry doesn't awaken from his coma until the Flash pilot, airing 7 October, 2014. Felicity's appearance on Flash follows.

Answer 3

I've had the same issue as I also started with The Flash.

Just noticed that in Arrow (Season 2 Episode 9 "3 Ghosts"), Barry is talking to Felicity on the phone as he enters his office? Barry mentions "I made it back to Central City in time but I missed the cut off in line at Star Labs, I was late as usual. he walks over to the computer and puts the news report on and then walks to his pinboard with all his clippings to do with his investigation into his mother's murder. As he hears about the malfunction to the coolant system, he turns to his right.

In the Flash (Season 1 Episode 1 "City of Heroes"), Barry makes it to Star Labs but chases the bag snatcher. Barry is then seen at the police station where he has been giving his report of what had happened. We next see Barry entering his office nursing his bleeding nose but he isn't on the phone to Falicity, he turns the news report on but this time as he hears about the malfunction he turns to his left.

These have to be two different timelines but it doesn't explain how Barry knows Oliver for him to talk to him later in the episode Oliver states "you didn't run 600 miles to visit a friend". We have no bases for this friendship as in this timeline it doesn't seem as if Barry had been to Starling City and been part of the events of the events of Arrow.