Arrow Season 8 Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs From 'Purgatory'

Ups...

7. Back To The Beginning...

There's something oddly poetic about the fact that Arrow had to go back to the beginning before it could truly end, and that poetry came to life in 'Purgatory'. An episode inspired a great deal by the first season, it contained so many throwbacks to Oliver's time on the island that it just felt like one of those original 23 episodes.

It wasn't just the Lian Yu setting that accomplished this. The returns of Yao Fei, Edward Fyers and Billy Wintergreen were wonderful touches, while the fact that the whole episode was accompanied by the first season's (far superior) dramatic score added gravity to its most emotional moments.

Though the season premiere already paid tribute to the pilot episode,it still felt right for the show to do a separate tribute to the debut season. Season 1 was something of its own monster that took the show in directions that the pilot did not, and 'Purgatory' captured that splendidly.

Speaking of Yao Fei...