The Arrow series finale ended the show in the best way possible - after eight, long seasons, which helped spawn an expansive shared universe of DC shows. While Oliver Queen’s adventures as the Green Arrow ended in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the series finale is where the Emerald Archer got his proper ending. The eighth and final season was mostly used to set up the 5-hour crossover event while also serving as a love letter to its loyal viewers. Despite the founder no longer being with the franchise, the Arrowverse will continue and expand upon what Arrow started in 2012.
Even though the ending of Oliver’s journey was determined since May 2019, the final season still succeeded in letting the hero have one final epic adventure that, literally, saved the universe. But with the loss of Oliver in the events of the crossover, it set up an emotionally charged series finale. It’s common for shows that are in the same genre as Arrow to have their final episode have a bang feeling. But in the case of the Green Arrow show, it was focused more on following these characters in Oliver’s life. In 2012, Arrow mostly established the action-packed adventure that viewers were in for.
Then eight years later, the Arrow series finale did the opposite where it summed up Oliver’s legacy through the people in his life. While some of these characters will continue to live on in the Arrowverse through other shows, it’s truly the end of an era with Arrow’s exit. Initially set out to be a grounded crime drama, it ended up creating the most successful shared television universe. As the story of Star City’s iconic archer came to an end, the Arrow series finale went out with a spectacle on several levels, being the first finale ever in the Arrowverse.
When Arorw first began in 2012, it established several key layers that ended up being iconic aspects of the show. For five years in a row, the flashbacks were an imperative component of telling how Oliver went from being a regular playboy billionaire to Star City’s guardian angel. Even though Oliver’s 5-year origin story had come to an end, it didn’t stop the series finale from doing one more flashback story. Throughout “Fadeout”, viewers got to see a new story of Oliver and Diggle (David Ramsey) that was set in season 1. This was back when Oliver was operating as the Hood.
While it allowed for Oliver to take on a criminal, amusingly named John Byrne (a nod to the iconic DC writer), it let viewers be reminded of how far he had come in eight years. The Oliver that Arrow began with is not the same one that saved and created a new Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The flashback story was a way to connect with the plot in the present, something that past seasons did a lot of. It also gave fans of the Oliver and Diggle relationship to see the two heroes together when they first began this crusade.
This flashback featured one of Arrow’s all-time outstanding showdowns as Oliver took on a number of bad guys all at once. Throughout the show’s run, the fight sequences were one of Arrow’s best qualities. Even if it was in a flashback, to see Green Arrow (or the Hood, in this instance) have one last amazing battle was an appreciated touch for the finale. While The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Supergirl, and Black Lightning have impressive action beats, they have so far never been able to live up to Arrow's fight sequences.
Given that Green Arrow had sacrificed himself for the Multiverse, it did set up a lot of questions of how Arrow’s series finale would properly end his story. Despite not being able to interact with the other characters, his journey and actions ended up being recognized and honored. It would have been easy for the writers to pull a final twist and somehow have Oliver be alive again. But that would have taken away his heroic sacrifice in the crossover. Arrow is no stranger to having hit or miss the concept of consequences and realizing the stakes.
But in its final hour of the series, it stuck to the events of the Crisis by allowing the hero to no longer to be with his allies and loved ones. However, the Arrow series finale still allowed Oliver a happy ending beyond life. Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity Smoak, who left the series after season 7, returned for the finale. It was implied in the season 7 finale that Felicity, in 2040, was somehow going to join Oliver, who had been dead for 20 years at that point. Despite the shake-ups that were caused when Earth-Prime was created, the moment from the season finale wasn’t changed.
While Felicity in the present attended her husband’s funeral, it’s her future counterpart where the character’s story gets their ending along with Oliver. Even if season 8 didn’t have any Oliver and Felicity moments, the series finale still had the Emerald Archer be joined by his true love in the afterlife. Despite being dead, they managed to find their way back to each other as they, beyond life, get to live happily ever after, concluding Oliver’s story in a more than satisfying way.
With Green Arrow's sacrifice came a lot of surprises in the series finale. Despite having died in previous seasons, characters like Moira (Susanna Thompson), Tommy (Colin Donnell), Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), and more were resurrected. Several key players came back for the Arrow series finale, and even though it was primarily about honoring the leading character’s journey, “Fadeout” still celebrated other characters.
While some had bigger moments than others, the series finale set up neat plot points for most of the characters. In the case of Roy (Colton Haynes) and Thea (Willa Holland), the young heroes got their happy ending as Arsenal proposed to Speedy, who accepts. Diggle is, in many ways, what carries this episode for most parts. With him being Oliver’s first ally, Diggle gets some of the bigger moments as he, along with everyone else, celebrates the Green Arrow together.
Even though it remains to be seen where he is going to do next, Diggle’s adventures are far from over. His final scene in the finale features Diggle finding a mysterious alien box with something green glowing inside of it. While never shown or said, it’s foreshadowing Diggle’s future as a Green Lantern. Whether it happens on-or-off screen has yet to be determined. But nevertheless, a lot of the characters were able to get some personal story moments that were authentic and proper.
Despite Arrow having finished its run, the series finale still did set up the future of the Arrowverse. Throughout Oliver’s funeral, a few key players from the franchise appeared who had been part of the hero’s journey. Barry (Grant Gustin) lost his mentor while Sara (Caity Lotz) lost not just a fellow ally, but one of her closest friends. Oliver’s final action in life paved the way for them, as well as Kara (Melissa Benoist), to carry on the legacy as Earth’s greatest heroes. Prior to the finale, Arrow used its penultimate episode to set up the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff.
In the series finale, Mia (Kat McNamara) returns from 2040 to the present to attend her dad’s funeral. While the events of the backdoor pilot are briefly touched upon, it does set up the spinoff yet again with Mia’s determination in keeping her father’s legacy alive. By being the Green Arrow of the future, Mia has a journey that will, hopefully, be explored if the spinoff goes to series. Even Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) gets her send-off that will lead to how she ends up in the spinoff through her mysterious time-travel journey. Despite not giving viewers a visualization of what Diggle found, the finale did open the door for him to possibly have an adventure on Superman and Lois.
With Diggle and his family moving to Metropolis, Arrow’s last episode may have set up his future chapter in the Arrowverse. But as many setups as they did for other characters and the larger future of the Arrowverse, the finale accomplished its main goal: concluding the story of Arrow with grace and care. Without undoing Oliver’s sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the hero was honored and also given a happy ending with the woman that he loves. As heartbreaking as it is for Oliver’s allies and loved ones, his actions gave many of them the chance to live the lives they always deserved. The Arrowverse lives on, but will certainly feel and be different with Arrow having concluded its eight-year run with a solid series finale.
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