Arrow Series Finale Review: 12 Ups & 4 Downs From 'Fadeout'

3. Going Back To The Start

Sometimes the best way to end something is to look back at how it all began, and it feels like the Arrow writers were fully on-board with that philosophy as they expertly utilised the show's old format to employ one last series of flashbacks. This time, however, they didn't take place on Lian Yu but during Oliver's first year as a vigilante.

Reminding us of how the Emerald Archer's heroics all began as a violent war on vengeance, the flashbacks gave us a chance to see how he ultimately learned a new approach from the man who was by his side right from the very beginning: John Diggle. Not only did that prime Diggle's heroic arc rather nicely, it started a chain reaction as Oliver's daughter Mia subsequently learned from her father's willingness to adapt - refusing to kill the same man her father faced off with because he too was unwilling to end his life.

Arrow's ability to use the past to move the present-day's arc forward was one of the earlier seasons' finest qualities, so it was nice to see the writers pull of that impressive feat one more time. And, more than anything, it was great to revisit the beginning of Oliver's journey in order to prepare for the end.

A full-circle story indeed.