10 Mindblowing Ways That Arrow Could Go Out With A Bang
Can the OG Arrowverse show hit the bullseye one final time?
It's been rumoured for months now that Stephen Amell - the Green Arrow himself - would be stepping back from the show that made his name after the current season 7, exploring other professional opportunities and spending more time with his family.
That scuttlebutt (like gossip in green leather) settled a month ago when he signed up for next year's renewal... prematurely as it turns out, because it was announced last night that season 8 would be a shortened 10 episode run, acting as the series' capstone. After eight years on the air and having inspired a whole television universe, Arrow has been cancelled.
Although your mileage may vary as to how consistently good Arrow has been in the last couple of years since the barnstorming season 5, it's clear that the decision has been made to go out on a high note. Not only that, but the fact that Amell told the show's producers about his decision to leave at the tail end of last season means that they will have been laying the groundwork for his departure since the beginning of season 7.
With that in mind, let's put our speculating trousers on and see if we can't spitball the best possible ending possible for this hugely influential show.
10. One Last Showdown With Deathstroke
The critical consensus is that season 2's bloody, tragic collision between Oliver Queen and his former best friend turned nemesis Slade Wilson - aka Deathstroke, the world's most feared mercenary and assassin - has represented the high creative water mark for Arrow for some time.
Now free of the Mirakuru serum that transformed him into a terrifying super-soldier at the cost of his sanity, Deathstroke has reverted to the gruff badass-with-a-heart-of-gold that everyone fell in love with in season 1's flashbacks, and his friendship with Oliver has - tentatively - been restored.
All of which is lovely and gives everyone the warm fuzzies, but you can't end Arrow without finding a way to bring Slade Wilson back, and the character was at his best when he wanted the Green Arrow dead. Let's say a single vial of Mirakuru remains, and someone with a grudge against Queen (kind of spoilt for choice there) doses his best frenemy up and points him at Star City.
With a psychotic Deathstroke on the rampage and the freedom to do anything they like with their large ensemble cast, that final ten episode season just hit the ground running. No one is safe.