Arrow Season 8 Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs From 'Purgatory'
The Crisis arrives as Arrow goes right back to the beginning in a poignant tribute to Season 1.
Contains spoilers from Arrow Season 8, Episode 7.
Arrow's eighth season has prided itself on its ability to pull the rug out from under us. This is something that it usually manages to accomplish with the return of a former character or a jaw-dropping cliffhanger - both of which you already know the latest installment will feature.
Last week's shocks came in the form of Quentin Lance's return as this apparent gift from The Monitor proved to both Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance that good old Mar Novu was actually telling the truth about wanting to save the multiverse. And after this surprisingly kind gesture, he sent them back to where it all began for Arrow, as the pair found themselves back on Lian Yu.
The island in which Oliver was stranded on for five years - and has returned to a disturbing number of times since - it serves as the perfect backdrop for the Emerald Archer's final test. Thankfully for him, that's not a test that he, or even Team Arrow, has to tackle alone.
A love letter to Season 1, the aptly titled 'Purgatory' takes Arrow right back to the beginning in order to propel it towards the end, and the result is poignant trip down memory lane that successfully kicks off the Crisis.
First, the negatives...