Television

Recap: Arrow Season 8

Ollie’s back, and he’s teaching us how to say goodbye, one last time. This final season of Arrow is much shorter (making my job easier), which means we cut out all of the filler. We see Oliver travel with the Monitor preparing for the upcoming Crisis. The stories are tight and act as a fitting conclusion to the series.

Each episode is a love letter to the series. We see Oliver, Diggle, and Laurel travel to different Earths and familiar locations throughout the season. We go to Lian Yu, Russia, Earth-2, Hong Kong, and of course, Star City. We have Oliver getting closure with characters like Katana and Anatoly, while also meeting the future version of his children in William and Mia. Every story was unique and helped make the series feel complete.

Seeing Oliver train Mia and wanting her to take on the mantle of the Green Arrow was a treat. That’s something that I didn’t expect, but I loved their relationship and wished we could’ve gotten more of them together. Oliver has grown so much as a character, and his relationship with Mia proves it. Season three, Ollie would’ve gone crazy because she bucks up against him so much. He’s mellowed out over the course of the show, and the final episode shows that. After Oliver’s death in Crisis, we only see him in flashbacks, fitting for the series.

We can’t review this season without talking about Crisis on Infinite Earths. Oliver’s death in Crisis I felt could’ve been handled so much better. We see him facing off against shadow monsters, and they overpower him, killing him. First off, the ghosts didn’t feel like they can deal a lot of damage, especially when you consider the beatings Oliver has taken over the course of the show. It never felt like a threat, and then he’s just gone. You never felt like he was in danger so his death was shocking and not in a good way. Second, the Monitor saved all of the other heroes and then let Oliver stay behind for no reason whatsoever. He could’ve taken him along with the others. It’s contrived for the sake of turning him into Spectre.

Oliver becomes the Spectre in the afterlife, and I still don’t know what that is exactly. He helps the other heroes recreate the Multiverse, giving us another Oliver death scene. This one is far more emotional than the first. I honestly don’t know why the Monitor didn’t turn him into the Spectre as his final sacrifice Pre-Crisis. It makes more sense than him dying twice in the Crisis.

Thankfully, Arrow makes up for these issues by having a grand finale. Oliver’s sacrifice is known worldwide. He used his power to bring back Mayor Lance, Moira Queen, Tommy Merlyn, and little Sara Diggle. He corrected his wrongs and saved Star City. He created a bright future for his wife and kids, and they all pay tribute to him at his funeral. The shorter season allowed for a much tighter story, and I wish they did this from the beginning.

Oliver’s journey comes to an end. He became someone else (Green Arrow) and something else (Spectre). He saved his city. The mission was finally over, and the team goes their separate ways. Diggle becomes a Green Lantern, while Dinah and Laurel spin-off into 2040. Rene becomes Mayor of Star City, and Felicity joins Oliver in the Queen Consolidated in the sky. It’s a good ending for a great series.

This is the final Arrow recap. Thanks for reading. It was an absolute pleasure. For all things Arrow click here. The fun doesn’t stop; the rest of the Arrowverse lives on! Stay tuned for more coverage on the Flash and friends.

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