The twist at the end of the Arrow season 7 premiere proves that you can teach an old show new tricks.
Over the last several seasons, Arrow has fallen into the trap of rehashing old storylines and spinnings its wheels in the flashbacks. Not only has this kept the characters from progressing in satisfying ways, but it has also made the show frustrating to watch at times.
In the first couple of seasons, Oliver went through a journey from murderous vigilante to hero his city could be proud of. But his journey since then has felt, at times, like reneging on that promise.
Season 7 is looking to change that path.
The season premiere, “Inmate 4587,” was written by new showrunner Beth Schwartz, who has been with the show since season 1. And her passion and affection for the show and its characters were apparent in the episode, which breathed new life into what has been considered by many a series in decline. And the twist at the end of the episode was a big part of that.
Through the episode, it looked like we were continuing the pattern of flashbacks as an unknown man traveled to Lian Yu. No date was given on these scenes, though. The island had more plant growth than the last time we saw it when it exploded, and the young man found Robert Queen’s grave.
In the final moments, he was confronted by Roy Harper in his Arsenal gear. The young man revealed himself to be an adult William, and Roy, when he took his hood off, was visibly older.
That’s right — Arrow twisted its tradition of flashbacks by turning to flashforwards.
“We’re going to keep it all season and series,” Schwartz told reporters at a screening of the premiere, adding that this felt like a natural progression after the flashbacks ended in season 5.
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“I think it opens up our world immensely,” Schwartz tells EW. “For a seven-season show, coming up with new stories that we haven’t done before is definitely a challenge.
“I think this is a really great way to tell some of these stories and also add a lot of mystery, because we can introduce something in the future and then you’re like, ‘How the hell did that happen?’ So in the present-day story, you’re going to really want to tune in to see all those details.”
Rather than seeing how the past events have informed how the characters are in the present, we’ll now be looking to see how the present events lead to what happens in the future.
However, viewers shouldn’t be looking to Arrow to tie into the future established by Legends of Tomorrow in “Star City 2046” or, presumably, A.R.G.U.S.’s military coup that takes over Zari’s life. “This is not connected to Legends. This is our own future,” Schwartz said.
Though fans may be disappointed that Arrow won’t be featuring a one-armed Oliver or John Diggle, Jr. becoming a vigilante, I am excited to see what the writers have in mind for these characters. Why is William visiting Lian Yu? How did Roy get there after leaving Star City with Thea and Nyssa to destroy the remaining Lazarus Pits?
And, of course, where is Oliver?
This new twist on Arrow‘s favorite narrative technique was a clever idea, and I am excited to see what Schwartz has in store for the rest of season 7. It’s nice to feel excited by Arrow again.
Arrow airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.
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