Arrow: 8 Ways Season 5 Has Saved The Show

6. Interesting Flashbacks That Tie To The Present

The flashbacks weren't the only issue with Arrow over the last couple of years, but they were a very obvious stick with which to beat the show. In truth this was a problem even when the show was at its peak, as it didn't always land in making the island scenes interesting, but more often than not there was a clear story to be told and it ran parallel to the present day.

That was lost in Season 3 when Ollie went to Hong Kong, a story stretched over 20+ episodes that could've been told in about two. There was almost nothing happening, nor did it offer much to compare to the current storyline. Season 4 promised Coast City, which seemed exciting if only for the Hal Jordan link, but then went back to Lian Yu, and got bogged down in magic and mysterious plots.

For Season 5, the show has finally gone to Russia, albeit a few seasons after that was a truly pressing concern. Nonetheless, it's worked, largely thanks to the presence of Anatoly Knyazev, as well as Dolph Lundgren as the villainous Kovar. As Oliver is inducted into Bratva and forced to kill, as well as his meeting with Talia, there are clear parallels to his present story, but most of all it's actually presenting an interesting and exciting plot in its own right. Furthermore it's bringing the story closer to the beginning of Arrow, meaning that in Season 6 the show can start to leave them behind a little more, if not completely.