After an eight-season run and birthing what has become The CW’s Arrow-verse, Arrow is finally saying goodbye. Now that “Crisis on Infinite Earths” has rebooted the universe and merged together several Earths to create Earth-Prime, expect the show’s final bow to include the return of several familiar faces as the characters and the audience bid adieu.
Oliver Queen has had a long journey, but he’s all the better for it. Revered as a hero, his death in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” made a big impact. His final sacrifice bought enough time for a new universe to be born and the Arrow series finale, aptly titled “Fadeout,” will offer a glimpse into this new reality and give a proper send off to the man who saved Star City, and the world.
Plot details for the episode are scarce, but it seems the characters have all gathered for Oliver’s funeral. Though Season 8’s penultimate episode, “Green Arrow and the Canaries,” offered answers about what happens to some characters in 2040, Arrow’s series finale still has some loose ends to tie up. With that in mind, here are five questions that need answers in the series finale.
How Will Oliver Appear If He's Dead?
Yes, Oliver died not once, but twice in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and didn’t appear in the episode “Green Arrow and the Canaries,” which served as a backdoor pilot to a potential spinoff. However, there’s no way that Stephen Amell won’t be in Arrow’s series finale. The man who kicked off the Arrow-verse by working to save his city can’t be gone for long.
That said, “Fadeout” might have to jump through some hoops to make Oliver’s appearance work. In my opinion, it’d be a regressive move to bring him back from the dead again, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways. For all we know, Oliver could be hanging out in the afterlife where he can keep up with his family and friends and that’s where he’ll be in the finale. Which brings me to Felicity.
Where Did The Monitor Take Felicity In The Season 7 Finale?
In the Season 7 flash-forwards, Felicity and the rest of Team Arrow had taken down Archer in 2040. Afterward, she said goodbye to William and Mia, told them to look after each other, and left. They didn't realize it at the time, but she was leaving for good, off to see The Monitor. “Where I’m taking you, there’s no return,” he told her.
Felicity was okay with that, though, so he opened up a portal for her to step through, presumably to see Oliver once more. However, where exactly The Monitor sent the tech genius has remained an unaddressed mystery throughout Arrow Season 8. Now that there's only one episode left to reveal where it is she went to see Oliver, who was dead for 20 years by that point, I'd like some answers.
Do Thea And Roy Rekindle Their Romance?
If there are any characters who deserve some happiness, they have to be Thea Queen and Roy Harper. The pair had initially gone off to find and destroy the remaining Lazarus pits in Season 6. However, after Roy was resurrected, his bloodlust and shame drove him to leave to work with Team Arrow without telling Thea, driving a wedge between them.
As for Thea, she was last seen joining forces with Talia al Ghul in Nanda Parbat and told Oliver that she hadn't seen Roy since he left. A glimpse into the pre-“Crisis” future saw Roy and Thea apart even 20 years later. But it’s a whole new universe now and that means Roy and Thea can (and should, in my humble opinion) mend things between them and finally get back together for good.
Was Connor Still Adopted By Diggle?
“Fadeout” has a lot to get through in just one hour, but one of the nagging questions I had after seeing “Green Arrow and the Canaries” is whether Connor was still taken in by Diggle. Post-“Crisis” brought back Lyla and Diggle’s daughter, Sara, who was erased after The Flash time traveled in Season 3. And, now that the Diggles have two children to take care of, would they think to adopt Connor?
“Green Arrow and the Canaries” revealed a lot of hostility between Mia and Connor. That alone could mean that something in his past changed. Prior to “Crisis,” Mia and Connor got along well enough, though they did have a love-hate relationship. Still, it’s as if they’re distant in the future and it makes me wonder if Connor lived a harder life or if, at the very least, his dynamic with JJ changed.
Did Moira Queen Raise Emiko With Oliver And Thea?
Moira Queen is alive and well on Earth-Prime, seemingly resurrected by the multiverse reboot. While it’s unclear if that means she’s a better person now, preview images from "Fadeout" showcase Moira standing next to Emiko Queen, Robert's secret daughter and former leader of the Ninth Circle, the criminal organization she unleashed upon Star City.
However, Emiko died in the Season 7 finale, though that’s clearly no longer the case. Her appearance at Oliver’s funeral (next to Moira, no less) could mean that she lived less of a life in the shadows and was accepted into the Queen family as soon as Moira found out about her. If anything, both characters’ returns might mean that the Queen family was a little less damaged than before “Crisis.” Oliver would want it that way.
Arrow’s series finale airs Tuesday, January 28 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW and will be preceded by an hour-long special at 8 p.m. ET. For more on what to watch after Arrow ends, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason TV schedule for updated premiere times and dates. The good news is that the rest of the Arrow-verse (which now includes Black Lightning) shows no signs of stopping. In fact, a Superman-based series is on the way, and Green Arrow and the Canaries could happen as well. Even though The CW is losing Arrow, the superheroes will still be around.
