139-1139: The fourth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 7, 2015, and concluded on May 25, 2016, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow , a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp , and is set in the Arrowverse , sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle . Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen , with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance , David Ramsey as John Diggle , Willa Holland as Thea Queen , Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak , John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen ( Stephen Amell ), who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on Lian Yu ,
278-456: A "paradise dimension", in the final scene of the series. The idea for a Green Arrow TV series was first discussed during the sixth season of Smallville , with talk of spinning off Justin Hartley 's portrayal of the character into his own series. Hartley however refused to entertain the idea, feeling it was his duty to respect what Smallville had accomplished in five seasons, and not "steal
417-461: A 95% approval rating based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 8.15/10. The site's consensus reads, "The second season of Arrow boasts more fantastic action, as well as a widening cast of intriguing, richly written characters." Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly gave the first half of season two a rating of B+, saying, " Arrow possesses an intelligence that shines through its TV-budget production values, which aren't too shabby. The writing
556-460: A backstory in my head for Malcolm from the beginning and a lot of it has made its way into our comic, and onto the screen. I think it's always been my job to help the audience relate to Malcolm in some way despite his questionable morals and evil ways." Executive producers Guggenheim and Kreisberg helped the Barrowmans ensure the story would fit within the continuity of the series. The 12-chapter series
695-415: A bit of a jerk—and he comes off it something very, very different. So we're going to explore how he gets there. For the first five seasons Arrow features two storylines: one in the present, and the other, shown in flashback, during Oliver's time on the island five years before his rescue. These flashbacks are used to illustrate how Oliver transformed into the man that returns to Starling City. Filming for
834-510: A bitter split, Oliver is forced to enlist the aid of the FBI , striking a deal that leads to his incarceration in federal prison and his outing as Green Arrow to the public. In season seven , Felicity seeks new allies to help catch Diaz and release Oliver from prison. Following his defeat of Diaz and his prison release, Oliver and his team are deputized by the SCPD. His half-sister, Emiko Queen , emerges as
973-450: A combination of footage from Frankfurt , Germany, Center City, Philadelphia , Baltimore , Maryland , Back Bay, Boston , and Tokyo , Japan. The series was given a full season pick up on October 22, 2012. I think the idea is to—not all the time, and not with a set regularity—but I think it is critical to explore how he went from the person that he was when he left the island—which is extremely different: he's spoiled, he's entitled, he's
1112-401: A comic book fan himself, thought the new helmet would fix "the issues regarding some of the fan feedback about [the older helmet] looking similar to other comic book characters". The Wild Dog costume was designed to look exactly as it does in the comics, by consisting of simply a sweatshirt and hockey gear. Gonzalez confirmed it reflects who the character is. Dinah Drake's vigilante costume in
1251-409: A drastic change in direction for the series". The seventh season received more favorable reviews than the previous season. IGN gave the season a score of 7.4 out of 10, crediting Beth Schwartz's work with giving new life and energy to the show, while remarking that the season was "full of missed potential". Particular praise was given to Amell and Rickards' performances, as well as new directions for
1390-573: A key hole in the Arrow tapestry". He added that while the finales of season 3 and 4 only managed to worsen them, in contrast the season 5 finale "proved to be not just the best episode of Season 5, but of the series as a whole". Schedeen concluded with verdict that the series "bounced back from a prolonged slump in Season 5, proving that the series still has plenty of life left." Reviewing the season premiere, Caroline Preece of Den of Geek called it "a return to
1529-633: A lot of criticism that it looks like the Magneto helmet. But by the time you see Diggle in action – we also get into what the helmet can do – you won't be thinking of the X-Men at all." Filming for the season began in mid-July 2015 in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada , and ended in late April 2016. In May 2015, Amell revealed he had had discussions with DC Entertainment to portray Oliver Queen on Constantine because its title character, John Constantine
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#17330855550691668-416: A mask that will help conceal his identity, while still being functional and allowing Oliver to see clearly. To compose the score for Arrow , executive producer Greg Berlanti invited Blake Neely , with whom he had first worked on Everwood . Neely created a score that combined electronic and orchestral cues, varying between action themes and romantic ones. Berlanti told Neely the series would be dark, and
1807-562: A mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to Starling City (later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. In the fourth season, Oliver and Felicity try and start a new life in Ivy Town , but they return to Starling City, now renamed Star City, when a terrorist group known as H.I.V.E. led by the mystically enhanced Damien Darhk ( Neal McDonough )
1946-508: A mystical idol used by Darhk in the present-day narrative. The series was renewed for its fourth season in January 2015, and filming began in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada that July and ended in April 2016. The season premiere received a positive critical response, however the season as a whole was received more negatively. The season averaged 2.9 million viewers each week. This season includes
2085-453: A new Black Canary; former police detective Dinah Drake ( Juliana Harkavy ). Oliver tries to balance vigilantism with his new role as mayor, yet is threatened by the mysterious and deadly Prometheus (Josh Segarra) who has a connection to Oliver's past. Oliver is also forced to contend with Prometheus' ally Black Siren ( Katie Cassidy ), an Earth-2 criminal doppelganger of Laurel. The season features flashbacks to Oliver's fifth year since he
2224-500: A new one. Ramsey said this new helmet can do "extraordinary things", apart from being just about conceallment. Concept artist Andy Poon said the new helmet offers Diggle "full protection". He added that, since Diggle's codename is Spartan, he decided to make the helmet resemble "an actual spartan helmet design". The earlier helmet was criticized by fans for its resemblance to that worn by the Marvel Comics character Magneto and Poon,
2363-400: A new series centered around the character Green Arrow. Andrew Kreisberg , Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim were announced to be developing the series. A week later, the series was ordered to pilot with David Nutter signed to direct. Nutter also directed the pilot for Smallville , the aforementioned series following Clark Kent on his journey to become Superman . When developing
2502-535: A new threat on Lian Yu, as well as revealing the origins of his feud with Slade. In season three , following Sara's murder and the loss of his family's company to Ray Palmer , Oliver refuses to believe he can lead a normal life whilst continuing as The Arrow. He becomes embroiled in a conflict with Ra's al Ghul , in order to protect his sister Thea. Felicity becomes vice-president of the now renamed Palmer Technologies and Laurel sets out to follow in Sara's footsteps, assuming
2641-439: A part of the show and a part of the show's storytelling structure. It just won't be telling a serialized story." The series develops relationship triangles: some love triangles, others designed to catch characters in "philosophical debates". Kreisberg provides one such example: "Every week, Oliver will be facing a bad guy, but the truth is, his real nemesis is Detective Lance, who's trying to bring him into justice... His daughter
2780-423: A regular during seasons two and three, signed a contract with Warner Bros. Television that allowed him to continue being a regular on Arrow as well as the other Arrowverse shows, including The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow . Former series regulars Susanna Thompson and Manu Bennett returned to the season in guest roles as Moira Queen and Slade Wilson , respectively. Thea was significantly absent during
2919-596: A restaurant franchise introduced in the Superman comics, which appears in Arrow 's third episode and onward. Kreisberg said, "There are so many characters in the DC Universe who haven't gotten their due in TV and film. We're so excited to reach into [the DC comics] roster and take some of these lesser-known characters that are beloved by fans, and do our spin on the characters." Ahead of
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#17330855550693058-411: A secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. In the fifth season, Oliver trains a new group of vigilantes consisting of Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog ( Rick Gonzalez ), Curtis Holt / Mister Terrific, Evelyn Sharp / Artemis (Madison McLaughlin), and Rory Regan / Ragman ( Joe Dinicol ) to join his war on crime following Laurel Lance 's death and Diggle and Thea's resignation. He also recruits
3197-452: A selection of music from The Flash / Arrow crossover episodes, as well as two bonus tracks from their respective 2014 midseason finales. The Season 3 soundtrack was released in December 2015, consisting of 2 discs for the first time (previous albums consisted of one CD). Arrow premiered on The CW network from October 10, 2012, during the 2012–13 television season . In Canada, the show
3336-538: A steady supply of exciting action." The fourth season received mixed reviews. The season earned praise for the action scenes and Neal McDonough 's performance as Damien Darhk. However, it also received increasingly negative reviews for its mundane flashbacks, lack of narrative focus, and formulaic season finale. Ryan Fleming of Deadbeatspanel.com noted that Arrow was "honoring the comics, but it isn't beholden to them. Characters ... have been introduced, but they aren't exact replicas of their comic counterparts. Instead,
3475-470: A theme. Even the Island itself has a theme." A soundtrack for season one was released on September 17, 2013, by WaterTower Music . Two versions of a soundtrack for season two were released on September 16, 2014, by WaterTower Music and La-La Land Records; the compact disc release includes two exclusive tracks not available on the digital release. On December 18, 2014, WaterTower Music and La La Records released
3614-402: A tie-in novelization written by Oscar Balderrama and Lauren Certo, which is set before and during the second season, detailing the origins of Slade Wilson, Sebastian Blood, and Isabel Rochev, and how they eventually meet and collaborate with each other to battle Oliver's alter-ego as seen in the television series. On November 29, 2016, Titan Books released The Flash: The Haunting of Barry Allen ,
3753-577: A tie-in novelization written by Susan and Clay Griffith, set during the second season of The Flash and the fourth season of Arrow , which features characters from both shows; the story continued in Arrow: A Generation of Vipers , released on March 28, 2017, again written by the Griffiths. In August 2017, it was confirmed that Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim would co-author a fourth novel, alongside James R. Tuck, entitled Arrow: Fatal Legacies , which
3892-409: A tracking device. Meanwhile, Oliver learns about his son, William , and accepts Samantha Clayton 's, William's mother, condition not to tell William or anyone else about the paternity in order to be able to see William. Malcolm collects Savage's ashes while whispering, "You owe me one, buddy.". In January 2015, The CW President Mark Pedowitz announced Arrow 's renewal for a fourth season at
4031-424: A vigilante, known as "The Hood", hunting down those listed in his father's notebook, with assistance from John Diggle and Felicity Smoak . A conspiracy known as "The Undertaking", led by Malcolm Merlyn , threatens the city. The season also features flashbacks to Oliver's first year on the island, and his struggle to survive, alongside both new allies, including Slade Wilson , and foes. In season two , following
4170-635: Is broadcast simultaneously on the same day as the United States. The show premiered outside North America throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, on October 22, 2012. In Australia, the series premiered on May 1, 2013, on the Nine Network , before moving to Foxtel for Season 4. Each season release contains additional features, which include: making-of featurettes, episode commentaries, deleted scenes, gag reels, Comic-Con panels, and highlights from
4309-462: Is a bow and arrow. Throughout the series, Oliver is joined by others, among them former soldier John Diggle ( David Ramsey ), I.T. expert and skilled hacker Felicity Smoak ( Emily Bett Rickards ), former assassin Sara Lance ( Caity Lotz ), aspiring vigilante Roy Harper ( Colton Haynes ), Oliver's sister Thea ( Willa Holland ), and attorney-turned-vigilante Laurel Lance ( Katie Cassidy ). During
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4448-504: Is about to be married to Laurel Lance , and Diggle is The Hood. However, it is revealed that he, Diggle, Thea, Sara Lance , and Ray Palmer are all being held unconscious inside pods aboard the Dominator mothership. Meanwhile, Felicity, Curtis, and Cisco Ramon try to hack into the Dominators' mainframe using a piece of their technology. The team recovers a necessary device with the help of
4587-476: Is adult and witty, the action is exciting, and Amell holds the center with well-cultivated ease." The A.V. Club ' s Carrie Raisler gave the first half of season two a rating of A−. She said, " Arrow [has] officially established itself as one of the most satisfying shows on television. The most satisfying thing of all is that it did so by respecting its characters ... [ Arrow respects] the character's comic-book roots in its overarching plotlines, all while using
4726-472: Is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti , Marc Guggenheim , and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow , a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp , and is the first series of the Arrowverse , sharing continuity with other related television series. The series premiered in the United States on The CW on October 10, 2012, and ran for eight seasons until January 28, 2020. Arrow
4865-511: Is an expert on the Lazarus Pit, a concept used on Arrow . In August 2015, it was confirmed that Constantine star Matt Ryan would appear on Arrow in the fourth season episode " Haunted ", per a "one-time-only" deal that would involve his character being "brought in to deal with the fallout of the resurrection of Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) via Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pit." As Arrow and Constantine were both produced by Warner Bros. Television ,
5004-442: Is attacking the city. Oliver resumes vigilantism under the new moniker of " Green Arrow ". John discovers his brother Andy ( Eugene Byrd ) is alive and a H.I.V.E. soldier; Thea works with Oliver as "Speedy", but with a violent temper; Laurel attempts to resurrect Sara using the Lazarus Pit; and Curtis Holt ( Echo Kellum ) aids Felicity and the team. Oliver's life as a vigilante and with Felicity are complicated by his mayoral run and
5143-519: Is captured as Curtis defuses the bomb. Oliver reveals that Claybourne planned to disown Chase due to Chase's mental condition. Disillusioned, Chase asks Oliver to kill him, but Oliver arrests him instead. Oliver gives Thea a video of Robert asking her to look after Oliver. Meanwhile, Rene refuses to testify in court so as not to upset Zoe, leading to the judge dismissing his claim. In flashbacks, Oliver and Anatoly return to Lian Yu, where they arrange for Oliver's return to Starling City. Anatoly leaves to bribe
5282-420: Is going to be caught in the middle, because she loves and respects her father, and she's always believed in what he believed, but at the same time, she's going to see this dark urban legend out there that's actually doing a lot of good; the kind of good that she wants to be doing in her role as a legal aid attorney." Learning from previous experiences working in television, the producers worked early on identifying
5421-404: Is intended to tell one continuous story across two arcs, that fits within the television narrative. Guggenheim stated, "We've tried to put in all the elements that people like about the show ... We're going to see what's happened to Detective Lance after he collapsed in the season [two] finale. A good chunk of the burning questions left over will get answered in the tie-in comic. Particularly towards
5560-563: Is later revealed as Adrian Chase . The comics version of the character is Vigilante , but Mericle explained he was made Prometheus for the series "because everybody would be thinking, 'Of course he's going to be Vigilante,' [...] We thought it would be a really fun twist to... take the comic-book mythology and turn it on its head and see what kind of story we can mine from a surprise like that." Season five's flashbacks focus on Oliver's time in Russia, and explain how he learned Russian and received
5699-554: Is sent a body, identified as Henry Goodwin. While Curtis and Dinah track Sampson, the others investigate Goodwin, who is revealed to have been killed by Robert Queen, shocking Thea and Oliver. The team deduces that Chase and Sampson are working together to release Claybourne's weaponized tuberculosis in Star City. With Oliver wearing the Green Arrow costume again, they track the bomb and engage Sampson's party while Oliver duels Chase. Sampson
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5838-443: Is we're dramatizing Oliver's desire to grow, move forward, and evolve, but this concept of legacy keeps threatening to pull him back to the early days", and that Oliver would be indirectly responsible for the creation behind Prometheus, the season's Big Bad. Although Guggenheim initially stated this Prometheus was an original creation not based on the comics character of the same name created by Grant Morrison , his civilian identity
5977-401: Is written by Barrowman with his sister Carole, and with an art team led by Daniel Sampere. The comic, initially set between seasons three and four of the show before flashing back, explores a younger Malcolm Merlyn and his past, with Corto Maltese and Nanda Parbat featured. Barrowman, who initially pitched the series to DC Comics as another with the ability to tell Merlyn's backstory, said he "had
6116-516: The Big Bad of the fifth season would not have any superpowers, and also confirmed that the season would follow the more realistic approach of the first two seasons. Nevertheless, he later confirmed that the events of The Flash season 2 finale , which ended with Barry Allen / Flash traveling back in time to save his mother from murder, would affect the events of the fifth season of Arrow . Guggenheim expanded upon this, saying John Diggle would be
6255-555: The Bratva , and is trained by Talia al Ghul , before returning to Lian Yu. In season six , Oliver attempts to balance his vigilantism alongside his role as mayor, whilst also being a father to William, following the death of the boy's mother. He rekindles his relationship with Felicity, with the pair marrying in the season's Arrowverse crossover . A new threat in the form of terrorist hacker Cayden James and his criminal gang emerges. When Ricardo Diaz kills James, and with team Arrow facing
6394-471: The Flash and Supergirl and manages to locate the others. Oliver begins seeing flashes of his former life, as do Sara and Ray. All five captives soon realize that they are inside a shared hallucination of simulated reality. Their escape attempt is blocked by manifestations of Malcolm Merlyn , Deathstroke , Damien Darhk , and their mercenaries. The group defeats all of them, then leaves the dream and awakens inside
6533-450: The second annual Arrowverse crossover with TV series The Flash , which served as an introduction to spin-off TV series Legends of Tomorrow . It also featured the first live-action appearance of Megalyn Echikunwoke as Vixen , from the eponymous animated web series , as well as an appearance by Matt Ryan reprising his role as John Constantine from the NBC series Constantine . The season
6672-443: The third and fourth seasons. This season includes the third annual Arrowverse crossover with TV series The Flash and new spin-off Legends of Tomorrow , and also features Kara Danvers / Supergirl from Supergirl . The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 18 and 19, 2017. The series was renewed for a sixth season on January 8, 2017. Oliver finds himself back at Queen Manor; both his parents are alive, he
6811-474: The "personal nature of that conflict tended to bring out the best in Amell's acting". Schedeen noted that the season's flashbacks suffered from some of the same problems in the flashbacks of season 3 and 4 which did "little more than filling space and drawing pointless parallels between past and present", but still called the season 5 flashbacks "a significant improvement. It helps that the flashbacks were used to fill in
6950-560: The 100th episode, Guggenheim talked about the commitment to quality the series strives for, stating, "We never skimped on the writing, the production or in the post-process going, 'This is going to be one of those stinkers, we might as well cut our losses and move on.' We worked as hard as we possibly can on the scripts. If episodes have come in bad, we reshoot ... Even in season 5, we have no problems with doing reshoots, or pickups, or anything we need to do to make each episode as successful as it can possibly be." He also noted his biggest regret in
7089-409: The 2012–13 season to hold its ratings in both adults 18–34 and adults 18–49 from its premiere to its second week. In Australia, the premiere received 1.32 million viewers, making it the third most-watched broadcast on the network that night. The UK broadcast was the highest-rated telecast of the week on Sky 1 , with 1.85 million viewers. In Canada, the first episode got 1.32 million viewers, making it
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#17330855550697228-713: The 2013 video game Injustice: Gods Among Us as downloadable content. The playable skin was given as a bonus reward to the first 5,000 voters of Injustice ' s promotional Battle Arena competition, but was later released as a free download. Stephen Amell lends his voice and likeness to the skin. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham features an Arrow downloadable content pack that adds multiple playable characters, including Arrow, John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, Huntress, Slade Wilson, Roy Harper, Canary, and Malcolm Merlyn as well as vehicles and an exclusive level set during Oliver's time in Lian Yu. Amell reprised his role in addition to voicing
7367-399: The 2014 Television Critics Association event. Series creator Marc Guggenheim returned as showrunner, while co-executive producer and writer Wendy Mericle was promoted to co-showrunner. The season introduces two major changes to the series: Starling City being renamed as Star City , and Oliver Queen returning to vigilantism as the " Green Arrow ", the same vigilante identity he uses in
7506-736: The Bratva tattoo. It is also the final season to focus on the flashbacks depicting Oliver's five-year period as a castaway. Guggenheim revealed that, unlike previous seasons, the fifth-season finale would not have Star City in danger, and would not even take place there. Instead, the episode, titled " Lian Yu " takes place on the island of the same name . Main cast members Stephen Amell, David Ramsey , Willa Holland , Emily Bett Rickards and Paul Blackthorne return from previous seasons as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow, John Diggle / Spartan, Thea Queen , Felicity Smoak and Quentin Lance , respectively. Echo Kellum , who recurred as Curtis Holt in season four,
7645-494: The DC Comics character of the same name . However, his civilian name for the series is Rene Ramirez, unlike the comics where it is Jack Wheeler. Gonzalez said he auditioned for the season without knowing what role he would play, until the series' costume designer Maya Mani told him he would be playing Wild Dog; Gonzalez was surprised since he expected he would be cast as a non-vigilante. Madison McLaughlin, who previously appeared in
7784-426: The DC Comics universe. Although Oliver Queen / Green Arrow had been featured in the television series Smallville from 2006 to 2011, also on The CW, the producers decided to start clean and find a new actor to portray the character. Arrow has received generally positive reviews from critics, and has earned multiple awards and nominations. In October 2014, a spin-off TV series titled The Flash premiered, which
7923-846: The Green Arrow and those he targets. Arrow season 5 The fifth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 5, 2016, and concluded on May 24, 2017, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow , a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp , and is set in the Arrowverse , sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle . Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen , with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle , Willa Holland as Thea Queen , Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak , and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. They are joined by Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt , who
8062-601: The Monitor recruits Oliver to aid him in his mission to prevent the coming Crisis . William, Connor Hawke , and Mia mysteriously time travel from 2040 to present-day Star City. During the Crisis, Oliver sacrifices himself and becomes the Spectre to stop the Anti-Monitor . Following their final battle, a new universe is born at the cost of Oliver's life. He is then reunited with Felicity in
8201-614: The Paley Fest. Starting with season four and continuing through each subsequent season, the boxsets included the crossover episodes from other connected series, as well as commentary on those episodes. The first season received favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 73 out of 100, based on reviews from 25 critics, making it the highest rated CW show in five years. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes calculated an approval rating of 85%, based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 7.47/10. The site's consensus reads, "The CW nails
8340-463: The blood sample the Starling City police found on the vigilante, which Felicity destroyed, has resurfaced. Felicity then calls Roy, using Oliver's voice encoder, asking him to break into the lab to retrieve the sample. Felicity guides Roy through the lab, where he is able to recover the sample. As Roy is leaving, doctors enter the room, seemingly trapping him. He notifies Felicity, who then hacks into
8479-475: The boatmen to sail towards the island, but Oliver gets captured by Kovar, who knows about Oliver's plan. On March 11, 2016, The CW renewed Arrow for a fifth season. Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle served as the season's showrunners. While Arrow began as a "grounded, gritty" series that focused on realism, following the introduction of The Flash in the same universe, it started embracing fantastical elements. Stephen Amell revealed that, in contrast,
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#17330855550698618-430: The building's PA system, and issues an evacuation notice, giving Roy a chance to escape. Roy gets out of the room before it enters into lock down, and is able to avoid two guards with the help of Felicity and exit the lab. Roy returns to Queen Consolidated, and Felicity offers to mail the acquired sample for Roy as he goes in to meet with Oliver. A Green Arrow skin based on Oliver Queen's appearance in Arrow appears in
8757-650: The characters taking on vigilante codenames: Spartan ( John Diggle ), Speedy ( Thea Queen ), and Overwatch ( Felicity Smoak ). Guggenheim originally hoped to bring Helena Bertinelli / Huntress ( Jessica De Gouw ) back after failing to include her last season , describing that the crew had a "kick-ass" idea for a Huntress episode. Main cast members Stephen Amell , Katie Cassidy , David Ramsey , Willa Holland , Emily Bett Rickards , John Barrowman and Paul Blackthorne return from previous seasons as Oliver Queen, Laurel Lance / Black Canary , John Diggle / Spartan, Thea Queen / Speedy, Malcolm Merlyn , and Quentin Lance . This
8896-461: The characters tend to be loosely connected." Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter noted the presence of the character Thea "Speedy" Queen as one of the larger departures from the comics in the series, as well as the character's early willingness to kill. Comic Book Resources ' Kevin Melrose has also noted the series tendency to have loose connections to the source material. Rotten Tomatoes gave
9035-456: The comics in a physical format in the UK. The first issue was published on October 17, 2013, and contained the first four chapters of the series, with the complete series lasting 6 issues. A follow-up to the original digital title, Arrow: Season 2.5 , is written by Guggenheim and Keto Shimizu , one of the show's executive story editors and writers, with art by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson. Arrow 2.5
9174-413: The comics. Regarding the latter, speaking before the season premiere, Wendy Mericle said, "It felt right for the natural evolution of Oliver's character to become what we know in the comics". Teasing Damien Darhk , the season's big bad, series co-creator Andrew Kreisberg said, "We've always referred to Ra's al Ghul [ Matt Nable ] as the worst thing that can happen to Oliver and his team, but when you see
9313-439: The costume on by himself: "If I can put it on by myself, I think that people will buy it. And that was our idea. That's our world." In the second half of season two, Oliver dons a domino mask , similar to one worn by the character in the comics. Kreisberg said of the mask, "It's actually a big plot point in an episode, and there really is a story behind, not only the need for the mask but also who provides him with it." On adding
9452-698: The crossover is also the series' 100th episode . The season began airing in the United States on The CW on October 5, 2016, and completed its 23-episode run on May 24, 2017. The season was released on DVD on September 18, 2017, and on Blu-ray the following day. It began streaming on Netflix on June 1, 2017. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an 88% approval rating based on 13 critics reviews, with an average rating of 7.38 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "No stranger to dramatic twists and turns, season five of Arrow continues to introduce new villains and surprise viewers despite some inconsistency." Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave
9591-466: The death of Tommy Merlyn, Oliver vows to no longer kill. Operating under a new alias, "The Arrow", he is tested when the city comes under attack from Slade. He also struggles to balance his vigilante activities alongside his role as CEO of Queen Consolidated . The season sees the return of Sara Lance , now also known as "The Canary", as well as the introduction of government agency A.R.G.U.S and its leader Amanda Waller . The flashbacks see Oliver face
9730-461: The discovery of the existence of his son, William (Jack Moore). Laurel dies in a fight with Damien and Oliver discovers his plan to detonate nuclear weapons and rule the Earth's remains. The season features flashbacks to Oliver's fourth year since he was presumed dead, where Amanda Waller sends Oliver back to Lian Yu to infiltrate Shadowspire , where he meets John Constantine ( Matt Ryan ) and encounters
9869-476: The end of the second season of Arrow ". A follow-up to Heroes and Villains by the same author and publisher, titled Arrow: Oliver Queen's Dossier , was released in October 2016, during the series' fifth season. The book is presented as information collected by the Green Arrow and Felicity Smoak over the course of his four years of activity. Included in the book are "handwritten notes" and "police reports" regarding
10008-456: The entire season a rating of 8.7 out of 10. He said the season's biggest flaw was "that it tried to juggle more characters and conflicts than was really feasible", but praised the writers for downplaying Oliver-Felicity's romance in favor of focusing on Felicity's induction into Helix. He called Prometheus "the series' best villain since Deathstroke" due to Segarra's performance and the "very personal nature of his feud with Oliver Queen", adding that
10147-491: The existence of his son William , and his decision to conceal the truth, leads to the breakup of his relationship with Felicity. Laurel is killed by Darhk, and Oliver discovers his plan to detonate nuclear weapons. The season's flashbacks see Oliver returned to Lian Yu by Waller, where he attempts to infiltrate criminal group Shadowspire . In season five , Oliver and Felicity recruit a new team of vigilantes to aid their mission, including former police detective Dinah Drake , as
10286-414: The final battle against HIVE". He was particularly critical of the narrative structure of the flashback sequences and the way in which many of the season's major plot lines ended where "the payoff didn't do justice to the setup." Giving the season a 6.6, he concluded " Arrow ' s fourth season had plenty of great episodes but ultimately failed to come together as a satisfying whole." Rotten Tomatoes gave
10425-399: The final episode of season one, Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave the season as a whole a rating of B+, noting that the show "hasn't quite figured everything out yet, but it's had some standout episodes." The second season received acclaim from critics for the action sequences, storytelling, performances of the cast, drama, and the portrayal of Slade Wilson. Rotten Tomatoes reported
10564-431: The first Black Canary in the comics. Maya Mani returned to design costumes for the fifth season. Oliver's Green Arrow costume of the season was designed to look almost exactly like the one worn in season four, one notable change being the re-introduction of sleeves from previous costumes, which the fourth season costume eschewed. In the season, Diggle replaces his Spartan helmet, which was introduced in season four, with
10703-440: The first five seasons of the show, characters from Oliver's past appear in a separate story arc based on Oliver's flashbacks. Starting with season seven, a series of flash-forwards focus on Oliver's children William ( Ben Lewis ) and Mia ( Katherine McNamara ), exploring how present events would affect their future and Green Arrow's legacy. The series takes a new look at the Green Arrow character, as well as other characters from
10842-494: The first two episodes of season four, you'll quickly realize that Ra's was in the nursery compared to what Damien's got in store for everybody". He called Darhk a "different" villain than the previous ones, saying "He's a bit more colorful, a bit more fun and is very dangerous and commanding and leads an army of followers who would die at his command. But he's funnier, more charming and fits in with our whole shading this year where we've made things lighter." The season also sees many of
10981-433: The flashbacks after the fifth season, Guggenheim and Mericle stated that the series would explore flashbacks from other character's perspectives, such as Curtis Holt, along with the possibility of flashforwards. Guggenheim said, "We still want to make [flashbacks] part of our storytelling, because we do like them. We like it when those non-island flashbacks sort of illuminate what's going on in the present day. That'll always be
11120-438: The fourth most-watched airing of the night and the twenty-third of the week. Arrow has generated other media and spin-offs, including digital comic books and Internet-based mini-episodes with characters from the series. To promote the series, DC Comics produced a 10-page preview comic for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con , written by Kreisberg, illustrated by Omar Francia, and featuring a cover by artist Mike Grell . The comic
11259-465: The game-changing 'Crisis on Infinite Earths', giving the Emerald Archer a rousing sendoff." In the United States, Arrow ' s premiere episode drew 4.14 million viewers, making it The CW's most-watched telecast of any show on any night in three years, and The CW's most-watched series premiere since The Vampire Diaries in 2009. In its second episode, Arrow became the only new network drama in
11398-458: The heights of season one in all the best ways". She praised it for returning to the series' grounded and gritty nature, saying "This is what Arrow should always have been – the slightly grimy street level counterpart to the ever-expanding roster of cheesier, brighter series like Supergirl or Legends of Tomorrow . It should be the Batman to your Superman ." Tyler McCarthy of the same website called
11537-496: The island flashbacks takes place in Vancouver's Whytecliff Park area, near beachfront homes. Much planning is required to keep the buildings out of camera frame. Guggenheim said, "Stephen [Amell] has to wear a wig, and his look has to be changed ... there's a lot. It's actually incredibly ambitious to do these flashbacks every week, every single episode. Because like Andrew [Kreisberg] said, it's almost like it's its own show." Regarding
11676-433: The lack of hope in a season where Oliver was attempting to give hope to others. Writing for TV Overmind , Andy Behbakht criticized the decision to kill off Laurel Lance, feeling the character was underutilized and "The Black Canary was in many ways one of Arrow 's big hearts and seeing the show losing that character, makes the series lose a lot of its remaining magic". For the same website, Caroline Schlafly criticized
11815-413: The latter half of the series, we're going to start introducing characters [in the comic] who you'll see in Season 3 ... before they show up on TV." On the comic's relationship to season three of the show, Guggenheim said, "Season three is designed to stand on its own feet without requiring anyone to do any outside reading. But what the comic book will give is a deeper appreciation for some of the moments [in
11954-460: The main show. The miniseries features Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes and Paul Blackthorne reprising their roles of Felicity Smoak , Roy Harper and Quentin Lance , respectively. The episodes set during the course of the second season of the television series, show Roy coming to Queen Consolidated to have a meeting with Oliver. As he is out, Felicity tells Roy to go wait in the lobby. As Roy leaves, Officer Lance calls Felicity, telling her that
12093-411: The major story arcs for the series, specifically the first season, including "mapping out" how to accomplish them. Taking inspiration from Christopher Nolan 's Batman film series , the creative team decided to "put it all out there" and "not hold back" from episode to episode. The team strives to include various DC Comics characters and aspects of the DC universe. Guggenheim cited Big Belly Burger ,
12232-492: The mantle of Black Canary . The season's flashbacks see Oliver escape Lian Yu, only to be forced to work with Waller in Hong Kong , attempting to stop the release of a lethal pathogen. In season four , Oliver and Felicity are living in Ivy Town , but return to the renamed Star City, to fight terrorist group H.I.V.E. , led by Damien Darhk . Oliver adopts the moniker " Green Arrow " whilst also running for mayor. The discovery of
12371-510: The mask now, Kreisberg stated that, "Conceptually, it was something we wanted to do because Oliver himself is [...] stepping out of the dark and being more of a symbol, so he has to take steps to conceal his identity more." He added that it will "allow the Arrow to interact with people who don't know his identity in a much more organic way than having him constantly keep his head down." Costume designer Maya Mani put together roughly 50 mask options for
12510-431: The most notable to be affected. The second episode of The Flash season 3 reveals that Diggle's daughter Sara has been erased from existence and replaced with a son named John Diggle Jr. as a result of Barry's time travel. Guggenheim described "legacy" as the theme of the fifth season: "The idea [is] Oliver honoring Black Canary 's [ Katie Cassidy ] legacy after [Laurel Lance's] death last year [...] What we're doing
12649-489: The music should be as well. After reading the pilot script, Neely went away to start composing on his own. According to Neely, "Of course, Oliver has his main theme but also sub-themes for the many layers of his character. He and Laurel have a love theme. Mom had a theme for the Undertaking. The bad guys all have themes, which makes it sad for me when one of them dies. So I try not to become attached to bad-guy themes. Diggle has
12788-400: The network-appropriate soap-opera stories to do the heavy character lifting." Despite receiving positive responses for the season three premiere, the second half of the season was met with criticism. The flashback sequences were characterized as sporadic and "superfluous", with Ra's al Ghul described as a "shallow" and "underutilized" villain "absent of clear antagonism", although Matt Nable
12927-447: The new Black Canary. Oliver struggles to adjust to his break-up with Felicity, alongside trying to balance his new role as mayor with the threat posed by the serial killer Prometheus. The season also sees the introduction of an antagonistic version of Laurel Lance, known as Black Siren, a doppelganger from Earth-2 , who made her debut during the second season of The Flash . In the season's flashbacks, Oliver travels to Russia where he joins
13066-476: The new Green Arrow; however, it is later revealed she is the leader of the terrorist group the Ninth Circle . The season features flash-forwards to twenty years into the future, with the now-adult William receiving a mysterious message. Joining Oliver's former allies, he discovers his half-sister, Oliver and Felicity's daughter Mia , and works to save the city from a cyber attack. In the eighth and final season,
13205-424: The portrayals of Oliver, Diggle, Thea and Felicity in the season, along with the handling of Laurel's death. Reviewing the season as a whole for IGN, Jesse Schedeen noted that "The fourth season made some significant strides, but ultimately failed to address the show's fundamental problem ". He praised the addition of McDonough as Darhk, as well as guest appearances including Matt Ryan as Constantine which helped seat
13344-531: The producers of Arrow were able to acquire Ryan's original outfits. John Badham , who was a director on Constantine , directed "Haunted". On filming the episode, Guggenheim stated it felt like the production team was "doing a Constantine / Arrow crossover, and it's so exciting... we're just really glad we got the chance to extend Matt Ryan's run as Constantine by at least one more hour of television. I think you'll see he fits very neatly into our universe. It never feels forced, it feels right." Season four includes
13483-409: The producers. Kreisberg said, "What's so wonderful about the design that Maya came up with is that it really is very simple, and it feels as if it's been part of his costume since the beginning ... once we finally had this mask and put it on Stephen [Amell], even Stephen was like, 'This is the right one. ' " In the episode "Three Ghosts", Oliver receives the mask from Barry Allen , who is able to create
13622-403: The season a score of 6.7 out of 10, stating that it "captured the show at its best and worst, with a strong finish redeeming months of disappointment." Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 64% based on 7 reviews, and the average score is 6.86/10. The site's consensus reads, " Arrow ' s sixth season deals with the literal fallout from the explosion in season five's finale and promises
13761-412: The season an 85% approval rating based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.55/10. The critical consensus reads: "Season four of Arrow flourishes with a refreshing new tone, a thrilling new villain, and a gripping story arc." The fifth season received mostly positive reviews from critics, with praise directed towards the performances of Amell and Josh Segarra , action sequences, storytelling, and
13900-401: The season an 85% approval rating based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.55/10. The critical consensus reads: "Season four of Arrow flourishes with a refreshing new tone, a thrilling new villain, and a gripping story arc." The fourth season averaged 2.90 million viewers across the 23 episodes and ranked 145th among television show viewership. Arrow (TV series) Arrow
14039-475: The season finale "mixed bag to say the least, but it really came together in the end. Season five had a lot riding on it, especially after the shark-jumping events of season four [...] In the end, the show did its job and delivered a complicated crime drama that factored masked heroes in as key cogs in the larger machine – with some aliens thrown in for good measure." Reviewing the same episode, Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club said, "Taken in isolation, "Lian Yu"
14178-547: The season finale. IGN gave the season a score of 8.7 out of 10, stating that it "managed to overcome them and recapture a lot of what made the show so memorable in its first two seasons." Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 88% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7.38/10. The site's consensus reads, "No stranger to dramatic twists and turns, season five of Arrow continues to introduce new villains and surprise viewers despite some inconsistency". The sixth season received mixed reviews from critics. IGN gave
14317-495: The season four episode " Canary Cry " as Evelyn Sharp , a teenager who briefly assumed the Black Canary mantle, returned for the fifth season in a recurring capacity with the character now assuming the moniker Artemis, named after the comics character Artemis Crock . In November 2016, it was announced that Juliana Harkavy would play Tina Boland in a recurring role; her character was later revealed to be Dinah Drake , named after
14456-450: The season includes a mask resembling the Black Canary mask in the comics, along with a leather jacket. Filming for the season began on July 5, 2016, in Vancouver, and ended in April 2017. During the fifth season, Arrow was a part of the " Invasion! " crossover event with The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow . The event also saw Melissa Benoist reprising her role as Kara Danvers / Supergirl from Supergirl . The Arrow portion of
14595-406: The season, and Guggenheim explained that Holland was only contracted to appear in 14 of the season's 23 episodes. Chad L. Coleman recurred in the first few episodes as crime lord Tobias Church . The character is not based on any existing DC Comics character; Coleman called him " Jay Z , Dr. Dre , and Suge Knight all rolled into one". Rick Gonzalez recurs in the role of Wild Dog , based on
14734-471: The second annual crossover with The Flash : " Heroes Join Forces ", which also serves as the setup for Legends of Tomorrow . The season also saw the live-action debut of Vixen with, Megalyn Echikunwoke reprising her role from the animated web series of the same name . The season began airing in the United States on The CW on October 7, 2015, and completed its 23-episode run on May 25, 2016. The season
14873-480: The series as being "back on form". However, the response to the season as a whole was more critical. Whilst overall Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club considered the season finale to be a "perfectly decent end to a perfectly decent season", and that season four addressed some of the weaknesses of previous seasons, in particular in terms of a strong villain presence in Neil McDonough he also noted that "This season
15012-507: The series was "I wish we had allowed the Oliver-Felicity storyline in season 4 to unfold at a more natural pace. We had set these tentpoles at the beginning of the season, and we were a bit too rigorous on how we hit them. That was a case where the planning overtook the storytelling. We didn't do things as naturally and as elegantly as we should have." On January 31, 2019, The CW renewed the series for an eighth season. On March 6, 2019, it
15151-401: The series with a shortened eighth season, which Amell agreed to. The season premiered on October 15, 2019, and concluded on January 28, 2020. The realistic approach to the series included the costume design for Oliver's vigilante persona, created by Colleen Atwood . According to Amell, it was important for the suit to be functional, and the best way that he knew for that was if he could put
15290-399: The series, producer Marc Guggenheim expressed that the creative team wanted to "chart [their] own course, [their] own destiny", and avoid any direct connections to Smallville . Thus rather than continuing on with Hartley's incarnation of the character, they opted to cast a new actor in the role and establish the series as its own separate continuity. At the end of the same month, Stephen Amell
15429-520: The ship. Escaping in a shuttle, they are rescued by the Waverider . Ray deduces that the Dominators were gathering information from their minds to help them complete a special "weapon", using the hallucination as a distraction. The team learns that the Dominator mothership is headed toward Earth. Chase's prosecutions are discredited and most of the convicts, including Sampson, are released on bail. Oliver
15568-519: The show via "more willingness to take risks and venture off the beaten path this year, even if it often bit off more than it could chew with its large ensemble cast." Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 88% based on 211 reviews, with an average score of 7.35/10. The eighth and final season was met with an approval rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 125 reviews, with an average score of 7.5/10. The site's consensus reads, "Oliver Queen's final adventure hits emotional peaks while spearheading
15707-479: The show within a wider DC Universe. He noted how the season suffered at times in its first half from having to lay the groundwork for spin-off Legends of Tomorrow . Whilst he praised the work of directors Lexi Alexander and James Bamford , as well as actress Emily Bett Rickards and felt the first half of the season built well, overall he felt that the season was failed in the second half by a feeling that "the writers were merely spinning their wheels before ushering in
15846-454: The show] and a more complete narrative experience. If you want to go deeper into the story, that's what Season 2.5 is for." Shimizu added that the comic also allows the writers to "accomplish things on the page that are nearly impossible to do with our production schedule and our budget", including bigger action sequences, as well as visits to locations that cannot be recreated on the show. The character Caleb Green, who has ties to Robert Queen,
15985-536: The spotlight" because there was "talk" of a spin-off after his two appearances. According to Hartley, "talking" was as far as the spin-off idea ever got. A spin-off series in which Oliver led the Justice League made it into early development. The series was to have been helmed by Stephen S. DeKnight , who would later go on to be the showrunner for the first season of Marvel's Daredevil . In January 2012, following Smallville ' s conclusion, The CW prepared
16124-529: The staff. The plan fails; Kendra and Carter are killed and Savage uses the staff to destroy everyone else in the city. Barry escapes and runs fast enough to go back in time to the point of the original negotiation. Barry informs Oliver of his time travel and the mistakes that led to their defeat. They change their approach to the plan and Barry is able to steal the staff. He and Oliver use it on Savage, burning his body. Afterward, Kendra and Carter decide to use their powers to help others in another city. Cisco gives her
16263-608: The target with Arrow , a comic book-inspired series that benefits from cinematic action sequences, strong plotting, and intriguing characters." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times called the series an interesting setup with a quality look, describing Amell as "a poster boy (no doubt literally) for the Katniss Everdeen set." Brian Lowry at Variety described the series as a "handsome but stiff surrogate for Batman that could benefit from sharper execution." In reviewing
16402-404: The team is monopolized by Felicity – but hopefully that will change, and we'll still be left with these other fantastic changes." In his review of "Canary Cry", Eric Francisco of Inverse said, " Arrow is not a good TV show anymore [...] The centerpiece series that started the evolving, expansive DC TV universe has mutated into a horrid, audio/visual white noise", and was particularly critical of
16541-472: The television series. The comics were to be released initially as digital chapters, and then later be collated to produce monthly print issues. The series lasted for 36 chapters, running until June 2013. These were collected, together with the initial preview comic, in two volumes with the first released digitally in October 2013 and the second in both print and digital formats in May 2014. Titan Magazines published
16680-401: The traditional Green Arrow in the game, while Cynthia Addai-Robinson reprised her role as Amanda Waller . The video game Lego DC Super-Villains features DLC inspired by Arrow in the "DC Super Heroes: TV Series DLC Character Pack". The DLC pack includes The Atom, Green Arrow, and Mister Terrific as playable characters. On February 23, 2016, Titan Books released Arrow: Vengeance ,
16819-518: The way Felicity was written throughout the season and felt that at times it gave her too much focus. However, overall she was pleased with the change in tone the season brought, and in particular praised the growth in Oliver's character, noting that, " Arrow is no longer a dark show about a vigilante who's willing to murder. It's about Oliver Queen and his teammates, and how they develop and interact as they fight crime and villains and Star City. Sure, right now
16958-442: Was a step in the right direction, but a proper return to past glory still feels awfully far away." Entertainment Weekly ' s Jonathon Dornbush summarized the season as "one that at times hinted at the promise of the show's glory days but often was almost as at odds with itself as Oliver is with himself." Overall, he criticized the lack of focus in the flashbacks, a failure to build up Dahrk's plans and motivations consistently and
17097-413: Was announced that the eighth season would be the final season of the series, with an abbreviated ten-episode run. Stephen Amell had approached Greg Berlanti towards the end of the sixth season about "mov[ing] on" following the expiration of his contract at the end of the seventh season. Amell had hoped that the show could go on without him, but Berlanti, Mark Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz decided to conclude
17236-459: Was cast in the titular role of Oliver Queen. The series does not initially feature super-powered heroes and villains. This decision was, in part, based on the executives' desire to take a realistic look at the characters in this universe. Production on the pilot began in March 2012 in Vancouver , which would continue to act as the primary filming location for the series. The series' skyline shots use
17375-424: Was created specifically for the comic. Guggenheim said "The goal is to end Season 2.5 basically five minutes before Season 3 begins." The comic launched digitally biweekly on September 1, 2014, with its first physical release featuring a collection of the digital releases releasing on October 8. The series featured 24 digital issues, which constituted 12 physical issues. A third series, Arrow: The Dark Archer ,
17514-497: Was described as "dull", "lacking scope", and "underwhelming" by IGN 's Jesse Schedeen in light of the "high standard" the show had previously established for its finales. He cemented the mixed reception of season three as being "haphazardly paced" and "struggling to develop a clear sense of direction". The third season holds a score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 8.37/10. The site's consensus reads, " Arrow stays on target with new characters and
17653-492: Was designed by Maya Mani. It is more armored than the Arrow costume, eschews sleeves and features shoulder pads and archer's gauntlets, in addition to having many pockets and holsters. Diggle's Spartan costume consists of a steel gray jacket-and-pants combination along with a face-protecting helmet. In response to criticism of the Spartan helmet resembling that worn by the Marvel Comics character Magneto , Ramsey said, "I know there's
17792-478: Was generally praised for his portrayal of the character. Furthermore, while parallels to Batman had always existed in the show, the use of such a major character from Batman's rogues gallery and the essential application of the "Daughter of the Demon" and several other Batman and Ra's al Ghul storylines applied to Queen came under particular fire from viewers, who accused the show of "ripping off" Batman. The season finale
17931-412: Was initially Cassidy's final season as a regular, due to her character dying in the episode " Eleven-Fifty-Nine "; she would later return as a guest star in season 5, and be reinstated as a regular starting with season 6. Colton Haynes , who portrayed Roy Harper / Arsenal as a regular in seasons two and three, returned in a guest capacity. Neal McDonough recurs as Damien Darhk. The Green Arrow costume
18070-415: Was later followed by other spin-off series and media, forming a shared universe . The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen , who spent five years shipwrecked on the mysterious island Lian Yu , before returning home to Starling City . In season one , Oliver returns to Starling City and is reunited with his family and friends, including Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance . By night, he acts as
18209-545: Was presumed dead, where he joins the Bratva in Russia as part of a plot to assassinate Konstantin Kovar ( Dolph Lundgren ). There, he meets and is trained by Talia al Ghul ( Lexa Doig ), as a hooded archer, before returning to Lian Yu. The series was renewed for its fifth season on March 11, 2016, and filming began in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada on July 5, 2016, and ended in April 2017. The season received positive reviews from critics who viewed it as an improvement over
18348-422: Was primarily filmed in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. Arrow follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen ( Stephen Amell ), Robert and Moira Queen's oldest son, who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on Lian Yu , a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to Starling City (later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice
18487-404: Was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season , and new cast member Josh Segarra . The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen ( Stephen Amell ), who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on Lian Yu , a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to Starling City (later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as
18626-476: Was promoted to series regular for season five, while Josh Segarra joined the season as Adrian Chase. Michael Dorn voiced the character when disguised as Prometheus. Katie Cassidy, who starred as Laurel Lance in the first four seasons, returned as the character in a guest capacity, and recurred as the character's Earth-2 doppelganger Black Siren , a character introduced in season two of The Flash . John Barrowman , who portrayed Malcolm Merlyn on Arrow as
18765-443: Was regarded by the production crew as sharing the same canon as the series, with Kreisberg commenting, "[For] anyone who grabs a copy: Hold onto it and as the series progresses, you'll appreciate it more and more." It was later released free online. On October 10, 2012, DC Comics debuted a weekly digital comic tie-in written by Kreisberg and Guggenheim and drawn by various artists, including Mike Grell, which remained in continuity with
18904-477: Was released digitally once every two weeks starting January 13, 2016, before the entire story was collected in a single print edition in September 2016. On November 6, 2013, a six-episode series of shorts, titled Blood Rush , premiered alongside the broadcast of the show, as well as online. The series, which features product placement for products of its sponsor, Bose, was shot on location in Vancouver, similar to
19043-506: Was released in January 2018. The novel focuses on events between the fifth-season finale and sixth-season premiere. The first guidebook to be released was Arrow: Heroes and Villains by Nick Aires and published by Titan Books, released in February 2015. Described as "a companion" to the series, the book features sections on the various characters of the series, along with descriptions, backgrounds, comic book origins, and "where they stand as of
19182-448: Was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2016, with special features including the second annual Arrowverse crossover event titled " Heroes Join Forces ". It began streaming on Netflix on October 5, 2016. The season premiere earned positive reviews, with Jesse Schedeen of IGN giving it 8.5, stating " Arrow is showing every sign of addressing the flaws that bogged down Season 3", and Morgan Jeffery of Digital Spy describing
19321-473: Was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2016. The series was renewed for a fifth season on March 11, 2016. Malcolm orchestrates a meeting between Vandal Savage , Barry Allen , and Oliver. Savage demands they turn over Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall or he will destroy both Central City and Star City with the Staff of Horus . They devise a plan to deliver the pair as a ruse to get close enough to destroy
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