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

6. A Compelling Story

One of the initial concerns surrounding a potential Arrow spin-off series set in the future revolved around whether it would be possible for the show to come up with a story that was both convincing and compelling. Thankfully, Green Arrow and The Canaries is both.

Though some questions understandably remain unanswered in terms of Laurel's life, the motivations behind her decision to show up in 2040 are solid, and they manage to drive the episode in spite of the fact that we weren't privy to them until the very end. However, those motivations also result in the team of heroes finding themselves in the middle of a rise of a new unknown (female) villain.

The pilot episode makes exceptional use of the foundations that Arrow had built to form a compelling story. Bianca Bertinelli's kidnapping was the inciting incident that caused a chain reaction of events - events that resulted in Star City's crime-free streak coming to an end. Though we don't know who this new threat is or what she wants, it's highly likely that she's tied to both William's kidnapping and the apparent return of J.J.'s Deathstroke.

With an intriguing new villain at its heart, and three incredibly well-developed heroes all set to stop her - Green Arrow and The Canaries provided fans with a strong, engaging narrative that only tipped the iceberg in terms of where it can go. Let's just hope we get the chance to see it go there.

Speaking of those well-developed heroes...