Arrow is over for now, and it is always sad for me when the season ends. My standard Wednesday night activity is watching this amazing show (when it is on). This season has had its ups and downs, its highs and lows, but thankfully, the season ended on a high note. Here is a short summary of the season, complete with some highs, lows and some predictions/hopes for the future. (Spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen the finale/the season as whole).
First, a recap of the season to remind everyone what happened. The season started off well. We were getting a new look at Oliver and his team which now included Roy fully equipped, and as a member of the team. While there was no underlying plot yet, it was still interesting. I know I def screamed a little when Sarah fell from the top of a building after her death. When Ra's Al Guhl was finally introduced as the main villain of the season, I was very excited. Here is an iconic villain (usually associated with Batman) being brought to television. After he was introduced, we did not hear much more from him for a while. After we learned that it was Thea who killed Sarah, then things got interesting.
Oliver took a trip to Nanda Parbat (the headquarters of the League of Assassins) in order to challenge the great and legendary Ra's Al Guhl, also known as the Demon. The funny thing was that Oliver thought he had a chance, but he was absolutely no match for Ra's. After being stabbed and pushed off a cliff, he survived only because of treatment from his old friend Tatsu.
(Midseason break when we are all bored with nothing to do on Wednesday nights)
Finding out that Oliver is alive, Ra's references a prophecy which tells that Oliver is destined to take his place. Oliver refuses and goes home. Unbeknownst to him, Ra's follows him, and sets his own plan in motion, which ends with outing Oliver as the Arrow. We find out that Ra's will do anything to force Oliver to take his place.After being forced into a corner in order to save his sister, Oliver resentfully accepts the position. Oliver then tries to take Ra's down from the inside, even if it means breaking all of the bonds that he has built with his friends. During his time, he learns that Ra's wants Oliver to destroy Starling city by using a super virus. Oliver tries his best to save his friends without giving up his facade, and travels to Starling city with Ra's in order to stop him. After being saved by The Flash, the gang heads back to Starling City as well.
Once in Starling City, The Arrow gang tries to come up with any ideas in order to stop Ra's, including trying to find Ra's' enemy Damien Darhk, and then trade him for the super virus. They are unsuccessful, finding out that Darhk left Starling city only hours earlier. As the gang realizes that Ra's' men are going to try to spread the virus, we see Thea in costume take down one of Ra's' henchmen, realizing that he himself is the virus, and that Ra's is sacrificing his own in order to destroy the city.
Being invited to have a one on one showdown with your enemy is nothing new to Oliver. He did it last season with Slade Wilson, and now he is getting another invitation from Ra's. After a nice fight, Oliver finally takes down and kills Ra's but agrees to be his successor in the process. After being shot by the police and falling down a waterfall, we see The Atom fly in to save Oliver from his doom. When I saw that it was really Felicity wearing the Atom suit, a big smile crept onto my face.
Now that the city is saved, we see the gang back in their headquarters in the office of Palmer Technologies. Oliver says that he is unable to be the Arrow again because of Ra's, but he is not worried about that. He talks about how there is no shortage of heroes protecting the city, and that it was time for him to hang up his tights for good, and wants to be with Felicity. After a small talk with Diggle, Oliver tells him to wear a mask, and we are left wondering what is to come. As the episode ends, we see Oliver hand off Ra's' ring to Malcolm Merlin. As Ray Palmer tries to shrink his suit down, we see the entire floor of his building explode in a blue explosion. That, along with Malcolm officially taking over the League of Assasins, and Oliver driving off with Felicity into the sunset, we are left wondering what will happen next.
Now that the (slightly longer) summary is done, here are some highs and lows from the season (in my opinion):
Highs:
Comic Book references: There were many many references to the DC comic book universe. I yipped for joy when Oliver first referred to Roy as Arsenal. Arrow has been teasing that since they first introduced the character, and it was finally good to see it happen on screen. Ray Palmer taking up the mantle of The Atom was also a bright spot, but now it would be great to see him successfully shrink down. When Tatsu Yamashiro appeared in her Katana outfit, even if it was for a short period of time, was a great sight. and Thea in costume?!? That was an amazing sight. While she asked if she could be called Red Arrow, Oliver already states that he told everyone to call her Speedy.
Crossovers with The Flash: I definitely enjoyed seeing Barry Allen interact with the Starling City crew. He always came in the nick of time to save the day. Whether it was for an entire episode, or only for a minute or two like in the finale, he was there with a quick quip and brought a bright spot to an otherwise darker themed show.
Lows:
Flashbacks: I had no idea where they were going with the flashbacks. I was very confused about the entire Hong Kong storyline. They did not reveal the connection between the flashback, and the real time storyline until the last few episodes. They were definitely interesting, but I wish the writers could have connected the two story lines a bit more. Although, I trust Marc Guggenheim and the rest of the Arrow writers to know what they are doing, and have a kick ass season.
Love teases: Felicity probably said she loved Oliver at least five times throughout the season, but Oliver kept pushing her away. Then when he was finally ready to accept her love, she was already in the hands of the bright Ray Palmer. It was like a seesaw with them, going up then down, up then down. It did not help that Felicity lost all trust in Oliver because of his actions with the league.
Slow Story: During the first half of the season, it felt at times that the story was not moving fast enough. They did not touch on Ra's al Guhl for most of the first half of the season, and he was most present at the mid season finale when he took down Oliver. Once the second half of the season started and Ra's was more of a presence, then the story started to take off, and got even better.
Predictions/Hopes:
Damien Darhk and H.I.V.E: This is my prediction for the main villain/s for next season. Ra's has referenced him a few time throughout the season, and has stated that he was once his friend and fellow heir to the demon, until Ra's was chosen, and Damien escaped his fate at Ra's' hand. We met one of his employees in the season finale as Oliver tries to track him down (unsuccessfully). I hope Damien will come back in full force.
Constantine: This is a prediction, as well as a hope. Constantine was recently cancelled by NBC, but I thoroughly enjoyed it (I enjoy most comic book TV shows). Now that Constantine is no longer an NBC property, it should be easier to bring him to Starling City for some dark magic action. For those who are unaware, John Constantine is an occult detective, con man and magician (mostly in the dark arts) who is one of the mid minor characters in the DC comic book universe. Arrow EP Marc Guggenheim has stated that there are certain ideas on the table for how to bring Constantine in for a special appearance, and I would definitely love for this to happen. Constantine was the kind of character who liked to crack jokes, and be funny, but when it came down to it, he was serious and got the job done.
More crossovers: This is more of a hope. There is so much potential for more crossovers, that it would be such a disappointment if they do not happen. With The Flash coming back for a second season on the same network, we definitely have that crossover to look forward to. The newly titled "Legends of Tomorrow" is also shaping up to be an interesting show in its own right. Supergirl is coming to CBS, and will hopefully do well. Well enough to warrant a visit from our favorite vigilante hopefully. If Titans (Teen Titans show) starts up soon enough on TNT, then maybe we can see some form of a crossover from there too. There are a lot of possibilities, all more exciting than the next.
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