At the end of Arrow season 6, Oliver Queen came out to Star City and acknowledged suspicions about his identity as the Green Arrow, a major conflict of interest for the former mayor.

Upon this admission of guilt, FBI Agent Samandra Watson took Oliver Queen away in handcuffs for all of the crimes he’d committed as Star City’s favorite vigilante, leaving Felicity and his team behind for maximum security prison.

Without the Green Arrow protecting Star City, and Ricardo Diaz still on the loose, the less-than-average vigilantes following Oliver, paired with Felicity and Diggle, are going to have to attempt to keep the city safe from those who wish it harm, which was a daunting task even for Oliver and his years of experience.

It’s not going to be quite the same as the messy beginning to the previous season with Oliver stepping down and Diggle taking his place because Oliver is still very much interested in keeping his city safe, but now he’s physically unable to.

With Oliver in prison, especially around those he helped put away, hopefully he will have time to reflect on the past six years of his life and find a newfound mission for his life. He came back from Lian Yu with the intention of punishing the guilty, which slowly turned into protecting the innocent, but he hasn’t had a real cause since he decided he would keep the city safe.

Is it for the citizens, or for his family and friends? A few months, or longer, away from everything and everyone he loves could be just what Oliver needs to refresh himself and the series.

Also, Oliver’s prison stint could be very similar to Barry’s time in the Speed Force and in prison, in the sense that he’d come out feeling invigorated about being a hero again and could shed some of the darkness that’s been criticized since the series started and Oliver’s path was revealed.

Maybe some time to find his love for his city and his mantle could bring Oliver Queen closer to the lighthearted Green Arrow that exists in the comics in Arrow season 7.

This story offers an opportunity for growth for the other characters, too. What will Felicity and Diggle do without a leader and any time to prepare for losing Oliver? Will they continue on with his mission, or will the newbies take over the cause completely as Diggle and Felicity step back to focus on other ventures?

As William’s sole guardian, this grants Felicity the opportunity to deal with her own childhood and the fact that she’s now the primary caregiver for her husband’s child. Can she continue being a superhacker with the risk of leaving William parent-less a real possibility?

As for Diggle, will he stay with A.R.G.U.S., or will he try to step in his best friend’s shoes once again and lead a team? Diggle has a chance to become more than Oliver Queen’s sidekick for the first time, and it’ll give Diggle time to reflect and figure out what he wants his future to be, too.

Meanwhile, the newbies (Dinah, Curtis, and Rene) are still very much interested in protecting their city, at least they were the last time we saw them. Could “New Team Arrow” become the only protection for Star City?

Without Oliver and Quentin, Dinah has a chance to step up as a real leader, especially in the police force. The Captain was working with Diaz, and Dinah was fired, but could she step back into a lead role and propel the department to greatness as others have failed to do, Quentin included?

Curtis has always been made out to be second best next to Felicity, but does he now have a chance to shine on his own and be the genius? Or, maybe, Curtis has realized being out in the field isn’t for him and he becomes another hacker helping Dinah and Rene as they take on Star City’s new villains?

There is so much to do with these characters and endless options as to what to do with them or where to take them before his inevitable return. Oliver has a real chance to grow, too, and become a better hero, leader, father, and friend.

When Oliver’s back in the fold, it could create a stronger, united Team Arrow that isn’t prone to messy breakups and unnecessary fights, as we’ve seen with every version of a team the show has created.

Given the right circumstances before he is out of prison, each character, including Oliver, could grow exponentially and begin to offer something else to the series and the team, culminating in Oliver being a better vigilante and leader, which is what we need to see if a “Team Arrow” is ever going to be believable.

The show, on the other hand, has an opportunity to find the light and escape from the darkness that has dropped the ratings over the last few seasons. While Arrow will always be a dark show, the writing needs a fresh start to continue showcasing the strengths of the Green Arrow and why we need to see his journey play out on television.

Arrow season 7 airs later this year on The CW!