Arrow Series Finale: 10 Huge Questions Answered By The Show's Producers

Flashbacks have dominated Arrow from the start and the fact the series has refused to move away from that storytelling device has arguably hurt the show over the years (so much so that it eventually resorted to flash-forwards).

This finale went back to its roots by telling a story from the past about Oliver and Diggle and, as you might expect, it was only included to ensure that Stephen Amell could play a significant role in the show's last chapter. "The obvious solution to that seemed to be do a flashback story," Guggenheim says, "which also would honour the flashback convention that’s been so important to the show, particular in its first five years."

Honestly, it may be a tired trope but it was great to see the spotlight put back on these old friends, especially after the way Diggle was overlooked in Crisis. Guggenheim also explained that the lack of Felicity in those flashbacks was because they only had access to actress Emily Bett Rickards for a mere two days.