Season six of Arrow wrapped up last night and, as is pretty standard, somewhat set the tone and direction for next season of the show. Let’s dig in, and remember that spoilers abound.
1. A different type of finale
Unlike just about every Arrow finale so far, the big bad wasn’t really stopped at the end. Sure, Diaz’s legs were taken out from under him, but he’s still alive, and still has some muscle at his disposal. I don’t think he’ll necessarily be the big bad for next season, but there’s a chance that we get back to back seasons with Diaz in that role.
That would feel odder if he wasn’t such a minor player for the first half of season six, where it looked like Cayden James was the villain of the season. Because of the oddity that season seven will (at least in the beginning) be, it seems like a good time to let the Diaz character rest a bit, only to return at some future date.
2. (Quentin) can be your father figure
I really wish that, going into the last two episodes, I didn’t know that Paul Blackthorne wasn’t returning next season. Especially with the departure of Willa Holland earlier this season not being a character death, it felt inevitable that Quentin Lance would die this episode. The character, perhaps more than any other on the show, has grown by leaps and bounds since season one, and his death really means something.
Oliver’s speech about being a good father figure was inspiring, and Lance got the send off he deserved. I did feel bad that Sara missed saying goodbye by just a few minutes. You’d think a time traveler would have a little more control over that, right?
But with Quentin’s death and Ollie’s incarceration, it looks like Star City politics might take a backseat for the next season which, honestly, is fine by me. While I enjoyed the ‘Ollie as Mayor Queen’ story, by the end of the season it was a little hard to care about the political machinations of the city instead of, you know, the superheroes.
3. Pardon?
OK, so I know that Oliver is technically a criminal. I know that he’s killed or injured hundreds of people, often times indiscriminately. But I would think that, in the court of public opinion, he’s undeniably a hero. And I could see that becoming an issue at election time. The President of the United States could pardon anyone they want to, and this would likely be a hot button issue.
It would be a cheap ending to this story, possibly, but it could also do something really fun and interesting: President Lex Luthor.
Make it happen, Berlanti.
4. The shape of season seven
So, here is what we know about next season:
– Ollie is locked up
– Colton Haynes is returning as Arsenal
– The two teams have reached an agreement (seemingly) to continue to work together
– Diaz is still out there
I think that, most likely, we see Ollie out of prison by December (more on that in a second) before the big CW crossover that introduces Batwoman into the Arrowverse happens. I think the decision to bring back Haynes is an interesting one, as he will likely be a good replacement for Ollie and, now that is named is cleared, he doesn’t have to live in hiding. But if Ollie is going to return mid-season, will Arsenal stick around?
I also have to think that this is a perfect opportunity to begin to bring William into the fold a little more. Obviously, Oliver Queen’s kid is going to need a new alias, so he’s not a target for the various scum out there. Might his new name be…Connor Hawke? I know that alias was used by John Diggle Jr in a Legends of Tomorrow episode, but a) time travel, and b) wouldn’t that have extra meaning if that was the name Diggle Jr took in the future?
5. Super Max
So, for those unfamiliar, Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max, sometimes just called SuperMax was a rumored DC film for many years. The idea was simple: Green Arrow is in a maximum security prison alongside some of the DCU’s biggest villains, and he must forge alliances with them in order to escape. There were rumored to be cameos by the Joker, Lex Luthor, Tattooed Man, and the Riddler, and others. Den of Geek has a good recap of the rumors/news about the film, which has been unofficially dead for some time now.
One of the struggles of Arrow has been the lack of dynamic Green Arrow villains, which led to villains being taken from the Teen Titans (Deathstroke, Darhk) or Batman (Ra’s al Ghul). This would give an opportunity to borrow villains from the entirety of the DC Universe, and further allow the Arrowverse to incorporate even more DC characters into their quilt.
I’m excited for what’s to come next season. See ya in the fall!
