Arrow Season 8 Review: 11 Ups & 2 Downs From 'Green Arrow And The Canaries'

9. You Don't Have To Watch Arrow To Understand It

When setting up a spin-off series, there's the tricky business of appealing to fans who didn't watch the original show - and in a television universe as complex as the Arrowverse, that can be tricky. Thankfully, Green Arrow and The Canaries doesn't struggle with that at all, as the backdoor pilot firmly established the show as its own separate entity.

Sure, it's still a part of the wider Arrowverse and there are still references to Deathstroke and the Bertinellis, but it isn't directly tied to its parent show in a way that makes it unwatchable to new viewers. Any references to the Crisis are thoroughly explained while Mia's connection to the past is quickly dealt with through a series of vivid flashbacks.

As the Arrowverse matures, it's important that it continues to appeal to new fans - simply because the old ones may not stick around forever. And that's why it's great to see that this backdoor pilot portrays the show as its own monster - one that pays tribute to the legacy of Arrow without ever being beholden to it.