Arrow Season 8 Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs From 'Present Tense'

1. Mia's Refusal To Share The Truth

When future Team Arrow showed up in the present, they were asked some questions by their fathers in a bid to understand where they came from and what actually happens in the future. However, ever the stubborn archer, Mia took it upon herself to hold the truth back (imploring William and Connor to do the same) and, instead, told them a somewhat fictionalized version of events that just so happened to omit Zoe's death and JJ's rise to villainy.

If this had stemmed from The Flash ideology of their fear of changing the future and erasing their own timeline from existence, then it would have been more than plausible, but Mia's refusal to allow her teammates to tell the truth - when someone as smart as William (who was also a major Flash fan) would have been able to figure out how it could change the future - resulted in it coming off as nothing more than an attempt to force some conflict.

The conflict was great, but heaping lies and deceit on top of it didn't really feel all that natural. Not telling Oliver, Diggle and Rene what happens was fair, but Mia's typically broody reasons (of lack thereof) felt just a little bit off.

Now, for the positives...