Arrow s08e00 Episode Script
Hitting the Bullseye
1 3, 2, 1, go.
It's been transformative in every way that you can imagine it would be.
BERLANTI: The fact that "Arrow" was the first makes it special in its own unique way that nothing will ever duplicate.
OLIVER: People still need saving.
It really was miraculous.
They still need hope.
We've done a really good job, and I'm really proud of us.
This city needs The Arrow.
To fight for this city.
We really tried very, very hard to push the envelope Fight to survive.
It would be as big, bold, dynamic as a feature film.
I think it gives people hope.
You turned us into heroes.
MCNAMARA: Beyond anything else, what's at the heart of "Arrow" is the people.
Being a hero is my purpose.
Family is exactly what this is about.
No matter how much crazy stuff [LAUGHS.]
has happened, it remains about family.
You put together a team of heroes.
It means something.
You've made it mean something.
It's chemistry.
It's energy.
It's sometimes just got that thing.
It changed my life in such an amazing way.
You gave me purpose.
We're just getting started.
GONZALEZ: I was just ecstatic to be a part of the DC Universe and to bring someone to life.
You have failed this city.
To be a part of something that's meant so much to the fans.
When you got to do something so amazing for eight years of your life, you can only be proud.
No regrets.
OLIVER: My greatest legacy is this team.
All of you have followed me this far.
I need you to follow me just a little further.
That's what heroes do, right? - Let's move.
- Let's suit up.
- I was blown away.
- That's why we love superheroes.
- I think it's cool.
- It's just fun.
- Really changed the game.
- That's when the magic happens.
It's time to lock in.
My name is Oliver Queen.
I am The Green Arrow.
OLIVER: The name of the Island they found me on is Lian Yu.
It's Mandarin for "Purgatory.
" [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Well, it all came from, as pretty much all good things do, from Greg Berlanti.
He had an idea for how to do "The Green Arrow" on television.
OLIVER: I've been stranded here for five years.
I've dreamt of my rescue every cold black night since then.
It always felt like "The Green Arrow" had the perfect backstory for a TV series.
You knew that there was an origin story that was happening on the island that you could take your time with.
OLIVER: For five years, I've had one thought survive and, one day, return home.
It starts with a tragedy.
Oliver's father kills himself in front of him and tells him to right his wrongs.
Survive.
- No! No! - [GUNSHOT.]
And we divide that between the island and then our world and his return.
Oliver? Mom.
When I read the script What did I tell you? Yachts suck.
Tommy Merlyn.
pretty much what I pictured in my mind's eye was really in tune.
Hello, Laurel.
CASSIDY: When I first read the pilot, I feel like my instinct, my gut knew right away that this was gonna be a hit.
Oliver! I want to introduce you to someone John Diggle.
He'll be accompanying you from now on.
RAMSEY: It spoke to this bigger story about distribution of wealth and greed.
What do I call you? "Diggle" is good.
"Dig," if you want.
BERLANTI: So, you had this character at the center that had returned from conflict and was mysterious, and you weren't sure Is this person good? Is this person bad? And the show, in some ways, was kind of a discovery of human nature in that way.
And just no-holds-barred.
This guy got off an island and had a mission.
He was going just full-steam forward.
OLIVER: Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish, to use the list of names he left me and bring down those who are poisoning my city.
To do this, I must become someone else.
I must become something else.
It was always gonna be a grounded, gritty crime show with superheroes at the forefront.
Whoa! Whoa! Just tell me what you want.
We wanted the show to be action-packed - You missed.
- Really? and mysterious and have edge and have heart.
How did he do it? AMELL: I thought that we had something the moment that I saw the first cut of the pilot.
CASSIDY: I mean, I was blown away.
I was also really excited to become a superhero, because it looked awesome.
[GUNFIRE.]
As the show evolved and we started to fill out the cast, it really started to come to life in a big, big way, and it felt like, "Okay, wow, we really are realizing this comic in a way that we're all really, really proud of.
" GUGGENHEIM: We opened up the storytelling in a way that hadn't been done on television before.
- Believe me! - Marcus Redmond you failed this city.
We really tried very, very hard to push the envelope.
Having the action be very visceral.
The camera work had to be - very dynamic.
- Welcome, gentlemen.
We were doing anything we could to make it as cinematic as possible.
Where's the transmitter? Somewhere I can easily get to it.
- [RUMBLING.]
- What the hell's happening! [CROWD SCREAMING.]
Okay, that's enough.
[RUMBLING CONTINUES.]
We're a show about real people doing extraordinary things.
To see the real human struggle, I think that resonates with people.
People have to care about the characters.
MAN: Help me out! Help me out! Roy! Stop! The device is about to go off any second! Seeing characters on TV who appear normal in a lot of aspects I can't leave any of them behind.
but also just have these heroic capabilities really resonates with the audience.
The audience is gravitating toward multiple things.
They're connecting with the actors in the roles.
They're connecting with the story.
[SHOUTING.]
[GASPS.]
For now it perfect characters, and I think that that's important for people to see.
Laurel! - Laurel! - Stop! You know, to be able to be a part of something that's impacting others in such a positive way, it's amazing.
[WEAKLY.]
Thank you.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
No.
No.
Tommy [SIGHING.]
Open your eyes.
BERLANTI: And it's nice that a superhero show was, hopefully, so much more to everyone than just a show about people fighting bad guys.
Oliver is not a perfect hero, by any means.
AMELL: Where we began the series, in the flashbacks, he went through some horrible, horrible moments, and, frankly, make some really, really reprehensible decisions.
Shado was already the first, your sister.
Laurel, your mother.
It took a while, but we finally dealt with him coming to grips with them and him not letting them find him.
He's very flawed, and that makes him human, which is why people connect with him.
If what you're doing isn't wrong, then why are you hiding your face with a hood? To protect the ones I care about.
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE.]
So, Lauren Lance was the lost love, you know, and represented that for Oliver.
Nobody in my life is who I thought they were except you.
CASSIDY: That evolution, that transformation.
I mean, if you look at my character now and then you look at my character from Season 1, I mean, talk about such a beautiful arc.
Laurel Lance, Your Honor.
I'd like to file my appearance on behalf of the defendant.
Watching Laurel go from, you know, this pro bono lawyer who's a little damaged I'm the best me when I am working.
And when you're not? You don't want to meet her.
She's not good company.
to struggling with drugs and alcohol, and then losing her sister, hitting rock bottom [SOBS.]
No! No! Sara! and then being able to come out on top and pretty much transform into a superhero.
Who the hell are you? I'm the justice you can't run from.
I see they've spotted us.
BERLANTI: One of the inspirations we were always playing with for the show, because he's got a bow, is Robin Hood.
I don't want to go out like Butch and Sundance, so what's the plan? Shoot straighter than they do.
We knew in building his cast of merry men that we wanted our Little John, you know, that we wanted to thus the name John Diggle.
SCHWARTZ: When Oliver started on his mission, he never planned on having a team.
John, I could have never done this without you.
You're the one who keeps me in line.
We always felt Diggle was Oliver's moral compass.
It sounds like you have a narrow definition of being a hero.
RAMSEY: I think that relationship is just something people tune into.
They want a friend like John Diggle.
When I lost my brother I never thought I'd get another one.
AMELL: They became brothers.
He was always the voice of reason, always the logical guy, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a deeper level of emotion and understanding.
You're in the field without your head on straight.
I think this is exactly the time.
- I've got it handled.
- It doesn't look that way to me.
I just [SCOFFS.]
I want her to be happy.
If that were true you'd be with her, man.
Felicity Smoak? I'm Oliver Queen.
When we first saw the dailies of Emily in that classic scene with her and the red pen, we just saw a different side to Stephen.
I know who you are.
You're Mr.
Queen.
No.
Mr.
Queen was my father.
There was just this chemistry that was undeniable.
Right, but he's dead.
I mean, he drowned.
But you didn't, which means you could come down to the I.
T.
department and listen to me babble.
Felicity was kind of like this safety valve character.
I should add "Personal Internet Researcher for Oliver Queen" to my job title.
Happily I mean.
AMELL: I think that what she brought out of him and that lightness really was one of the main factors that allowed us to build out my character.
- [OLIVER GROANS.]
- Whoa! I'm not gonna hurt you, Felicity.
How do you know my name? Because you know my name.
You can only watch someone sulk around for so long.
Everything about you just became so unbelievably clear.
[SIGHS.]
It was like, "Oh, this is gold," and it provided this whole other color to the show.
I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot and bleeding inside my car.
It's really a testament to Emily, because she started the show as a one-day guest star.
Oops.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's incredible.
Your system looked like it was from the '80s, and not the good part of the '80s like Madonna and leg warmers.
And once she entered the show, we were able to find comedy and humor and lightness in a way that we hadn't been able to previously.
There's so many intense moments on the show.
- BOTH: Surprise! - Surprise! To break it up with some humor allows everyone to breathe.
Happy Birthday.
E-Everything hurt Everything hurts, yeah.
If you can't take the time every once in a while to wink at the viewer The plane, boss! The plane! You've got to lean into that a little bit.
Reference too dated? We're filled with meta-commentary and Easter eggs.
It's, uh, a little alien, a little "Star Trek," JJ Abrams style, and a whole lot of tech.
This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to "Wired.
" His website's protected by some very serious encryption.
I think fans enjoy those Easter eggs and enjoy the meta commentary, and we're fans.
We enjoy them, too.
You could use a little therapy yourself.
What gives you that impression? You mean, apart from the mask and the Robin Hood costume? AMELL: You mix things up enough that when the serious moments do happen, people go, "Oh, okay.
Alright.
It's time to lock in.
" Well, use that air magnet thing.
- You said that it could - Oliver, no offense but do I tell you how to sharpen your arrows? OLIVER: Stay focused, please.
I'll be with you the entire time.
Thanks.
Well, I like to say that I am the captain of the "Ollicity" ship.
It feels really good having you inside me.
And by you, I mean your voice.
And by me, I mean my ear.
I'm gonna stop talking right now.
That would be my preference.
The two of them are amazing together, even through all their bumps.
There you go.
Oh, just I meant to put it there, just leave it there.
- Thank you.
- You can just I knew how much the fandom cared about their relationship.
Would you like to go out to dinner with me? - I'm being serious here, Oliver.
- So am I.
That, to me, was the best time, when they were just starting to fall in love with each other.
Would you like to go to dinner with me? Yes.
HAYNES: Their relationship has blossomed, and to see the heartache and the love between them has really, really been special to watch.
I mean, what do we have to be nervous about? [CHUCKLES.]
Well, we've already exhausted every topic that one would normally talk about on a first date, and a second date, and a third date, and every date, actually, and I've already seen you shirtless.
Multiple times.
"We're falling for each other, and we're heroes, which means one of us could die at any moment.
" Oliver? And that's always been the challenge of their relationship.
There is one person in particular that I am grateful for.
Someone that has stood beside me when times were darkest.
AMELL: She brought out this part of him, a vulnerability and emotionality that you really, I don't think, would have seen otherwise.
She is the one who lights my way.
I think that makes that the most important relationship that we've had on the show.
You.
Felicity.
[CHUCKLES.]
Would you make me the happiest man on the face of the Earth? I do believe in magic.
Yes? Yes.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
With great power comes great responsibility.
Alright? Oh, come on.
Spider-Man? I'm not really into comic books.
There was so much that excited me about superheroes.
It was all so crystal-clear when you're young who the bad guy was, who the good guy was, what they were fighting for.
As the world becomes a darker place, people look more and more to heroes.
I think that when you humanize a superhero, it sort of holds up a mirror to the people watching.
Can you handle this? I'm good.
Hopefully it inspires ordinary people to believe that they can do extraordinary things, too.
[SCREAMS.]
You see these characters working through, essentially, human things We've got to get him to a hospital.
in the most inhuman of circumstances.
Everybody, at some point, especially, you know, kids want to be a superhero.
In our real lives, we need heroes.
Are we good? We're terrific.
I've been waiting to use that.
I feel like comic book films and TV shows and material in general tells some of the best stories about what it is to be human.
I'm uploading a GPS boot - so it thinks it's already detonated.
- Great.
I like the aspect of, like, do what you can.
But, um it's still headed straight for us.
Just keep pointing the IR receiver at the thingy.
That kind of hope that you can do it, that you can make a difference.
I have perfect confidence in your abilities.
Thank you.
[BOTH CHEER.]
GONZALEZ: We're seeing people do extraordinary things, and, yet, laugh like us, tell jokes like us.
You guys are gonna have to explain to me how all this works one day.
Yeah, you really don't want him to do that.
Nerdapalooza.
Even thought most of our characters don't have superpowers, as it were, they're powerful in their own right, and they bring power in different ways that really shows to their tenacity and their grit.
You're ready.
LEWIS: You can lead with your intellect, and you can lead with your wit, and it's not necessarily about being physically dominating.
Of course, you can do handstand push-ups.
There's lots of ways to make the world a better place.
Flash storage from the vault security mainframe? Yeah, don't get too excited.
It's totally fried.
Not to brag, but "totally fried" is kind of my wheelhouse.
MAN: Turn around! Put your hands behind your head.
When I watch the episodes, I can't help but watch as a fan.
Watching some of those episodes, I've been, like, so pumped to be like, "I can't believe I'm on this show!" We have the best crew ever.
[CHUCKLES.]
Action! It's so grand and spectacular, and it's so awesome to see it.
It's really fantastic, and I'm really, really blessed.
HARKAVY: I just thank God these people are so good at doing their jobs.
They make me look so cool so much cooler than I am.
When I watch the episodes, it's mind-blowing.
The editing is unbelievable on our show.
Just watching everything come together is just kind of lightning in a bottle.
It's also just cool.
I think it's cool.
HARKAVY: It's exhilarating to see it all fit together.
You can't believe how good it looks when you see it, and all of, you know, the lights and the music and the stunts and everything is all together.
When you place the characters within that world, and it just sings.
And then you have that harmony.
That's when the magic happens.
Whoa.
AMELL: The physical demands have been really something.
I mean, I got myself in crazy shape for the pilot because I was filled with adrenaline, and I had nothing to do.
Dude was ripped up, man.
DIGGLE: I don't know where the next Olympics are at, but you might want to think about signing yourself up.
He was, like, cut up everywhere.
He had muscles everywhere.
I'm like, "I'm supposed to be this dude's body guard?" - Impossible.
- It's really hot.
I mean, not.
It's not.
Like, for real? How does he do this? It's all in the core.
The salmon ladder is a rite of passage on the show.
[GASPS.]
If you watch the pilot episode, and Stephen's there doing it and it looks Can I say badass? [LAUGHS.]
It looks completely badass doing it, and you're like, "I have to try this.
" - I believe in you.
- Oh! - Ready? - Whoa! 1, 2, 3 - Go! - Nope! Nope, nope.
Help! I'm just glad that I can still do it after all these years.
I'm not a stunt guy.
I can do flips, and I can do fight sequences, but I'm nowhere near as good as the professionals, so I kind of let them do that.
The fighting has been the funnest part of this show.
DIRECTOR: Action! CASSIDY: My body definitely transformed.
It really felt awesome.
It's good to know when you walk down the street, like, I can probably kick these guys' asses.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Your job, apparently.
It's been an interesting journey for me to become more adept at on-screen fighting.
You know, when I got to fight Ra's al Ghul on top of a mountaintop You know, I get fired up watching that scene, because I worked really hard.
I didn't have a stunt double in that scene.
I mean, I would hope that you would get a little bit of a rush watching it.
Otherwise, what are you doing? Like, I don't understand.
Our villains were very, very important.
Oh, you don't know who I am, do you? All an integral part of our story.
I'm Damian Darhk.
[GUNSHOTS.]
[CROWD SCREAMS.]
They push our team, right? They push our team to someplace we've never been before.
I guess my invitation was lost in the mail.
[CHUCKLES.]
I'm only kidding.
It's not my kind of scene, anyway.
I think that any villain that thinks they're the hero of their own story Bad guy, remember? is excellent.
What are you gonna do now, Oliver? You've taught yourself some new tricks.
Michael Emerson is a fantastic actor.
He's very subtle in what his performance is.
I expect you can find the most effective use for this corpse to How did you put it? Send a message.
CASSIDY: The calmness is eerie, and it does suck you in because you don't know what's gonna happen next.
What the hell do you want? Pretty simple, actually.
It's so hard to choose a favorite villain.
Run! Now! I would have to say Diaz.
Just because he's so unapologetically diabolical.
You're gonna suffer for that.
And he's just deliciously evil.
Was you afraid of what I was gonna do to your daddy? When you were gone? I just dug the way he played it.
Like, I remember him being on set, and his chair back, it said "The Dragon.
" Talk to me.
Talk to me! Everyone just said their name in real life, and, no, his said "The Dragon.
" I thought that was cool.
The villain who had the biggest effect on me on this show, it's Prometheus.
You're never getting out of here.
Do you understand? No, I don't.
And not to mention, his music.
The music that played every time Prometheus showed up just sent chills down my spine.
I mean, that guy was just level-headed.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he did it with such a calculation.
PROMETHEUS: Relax.
Enjoy the weather.
Did anybody ever tell you how much you suck at life? No.
He won.
If I die everyone you care about dies.
He won, and I thought that that was one of the cooler things that we did.
We let him win.
No, Adrian! [GUNSHOT.]
[GUN THUDS.]
Yeah, my favorite villains.
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Your incompetence has now cost four lives, Alderman.
Working with Manu Bennett was scary.
Fail me again, and yours will be the fifth.
You know, Deathstroke in general is a pretty exciting bad guy.
Hands down, Slade Wilson was my favorite bad guy.
You can kill me or not.
Either way, I win.
RAMSEY: I always look at Season 2 as our best season, and it was in no small part because Manu Bennett's Deathstrokes.
I'm truly sorry.
[SHAKILY.]
What? It took our series someplace else.
It took Oliver Queen someplace else.
THEA: No! [SOBBING.]
No! Oliver suffers, over the course of eight years, a series of losses.
You can survive this.
Make it home.
Whether it's his mother, whether it's, initially, in the pilot, his dad.
Impressive.
And, in some ways, even Laurel's death.
[GASPS.]
[ARROW GROANS.]
Tragedy makes this real.
Because going out there and fighting alongside you guys That's what makes me feel alive inside, and I love you guys so much.
We love you.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
We love you.
All of those tragedies were things that he had to overcome to become the person, not the hero, but the person that he was meant to be.
Ollie, I know that I am not the love of your life.
But you will always be the love of mine.
At the heart of the series is really just a sense of community and a sense of family and a sense of love.
Family is precious, and that it's love, in spite of everything, that makes it precious.
It's about second chances.
Lean in to the best parts of yourself.
BERLANTI: I think it's about trying to become the person that you feel you're meant to be.
You are living proof that people can change.
This is all about us wanting to do better than what we did yesterday.
Loyalty and truth is, within itself, its own reward.
It means something.
You've made it mean something.
To be true to yourself and to be true to others.
When our city looks at it, it gives them hope, Oliver.
We have this team of people who will fight for you.
The truth is that we won tonight because I wasn't alone.
AMELL: What do I think "Arrow" is all about? I think it's about a guy's hope that he can honor his father's wishes I thought that this crusade would only end with my death, but even if I had died tonight, it would live on because of you.
and a guy's hope that he can save his city.
I know that this city has been through tough times before, and we have pulled through! And maybe find a little bit of something for himself along the way.
And somehow, someway, we will survive this! I am having the strangest déjà vu.
[SIGHS.]
You're not the only one.
SCHWARTZ: It's hard to even remember that time where it was just "Arrow" because there's so many other shows now.
Once and for all, who would win? Me or you? You mean if you don't shoot me in the back? You got to get over that.
After about a year and a half, we knew that we wanted to maybe begin to broaden the DC universe on the CW, and a character that I always loved growing up was The Flash.
Hey.
Secret identity? I'm Barry Allen.
And do your parents know that you're here? When I'm fighting you, it's literally like - you're standing still.
- [SCOFFS.]
That's tough talk.
You ready to back it up? We really approached the show from the standpoint of being fans first.
It's awesome to meet you.
Yeah, well, wait till you meet her.
We followed the model of the comic books.
Hey, everyone! When we do the crossovers each year, they become a hit on an exponential scale.
OLIVER: The Batman's an urban legend.
Wait.
You don't believe Batman's real? He's not real.
He's an urban legend concocted by the Gotham Police Department to scare criminals.
- I'm the original vigilante, Barry.
- Okay.
To me, it's just fun.
I guess I'm running alone.
The finished product of watching them certainly makes it all worth it.
You see how much people enjoy them.
As a fan, it was so much fun for me.
I feel like we would make a good team.
World's finest.
HARKAVY: It's cool to have new people come in, and it's cool to see what their stories are and how we can all tie them in together.
MCNAMARA: Getting to be on set with everybody in their suits and see everything come together and go visit all the other worlds is amazing.
HARKAVY: It's an Arrowverse, so it's cool to be together in it.
And when you see all of the different characters from the different shows in one frame together, it really does make you feel like you used to feel when you were reading those books as a kid.
[SCREAMS.]
Don't engage The Deathstrokes! They're a distraction! I love the new Team Arrow.
Guys! No one listens to the tech guy! I love the new kids.
Oliver creates this Team Arrow that's so strong and powerful and diverse, and Mia does the same thing.
Let me guess My mom and O.
G.
Team Arrow anointed us Version 2.
0.
You expected things to go a little better.
They've gone through this together.
They both have their own struggles with their parents.
I believe that fate brought the four of us together for a reason, just like it did our parents when they decided to save this city.
And with the legacy that is on their shoulders, being that all eyes are on them.
Failure to comply will result in summary execution.
Wrong answer.
And they make each other stronger together, even if they don't always see eye to eye.
Hey, troublemaker.
- I had him.
- You're welcome.
We're all trying to leave our own mark in this city and do it in a way that's new and that's different and that's us.
The ZETAs are back online.
You think? You have her half-brother William.
You have Connor, and you have Zoe, and you have all these characters around her that are a personification of a team.
What's going on? That's a very good question.
MCNAMARA: That moment was one of my favorite, actually, to film with Stephen.
Dad? Oh, my God.
Dad LEWIS: I think to be reunited with a dead parent who you never thought you were gonna get the chance to see again is incredibly overwhelming.
We are staring at our dad, alive.
To have a second chance to do that and say the things that were left unsaid, I think, is huge for him.
I'm gay.
Yeah, buddy.
I know.
I don't think you necessarily realize the weight that you're carrying around with you if you haven't had the opportunity to stand in front of your parent We hoped that you were gonna come out to us when you were comfortable.
and tell them who you authentically are.
You clearly didn't get that chance, and that's on me, so I'm sorry.
Even with Oliver having his flaws, he constantly wants to redeem himself for the choices that he makes.
For far too long, I judged you, and that was a mistake.
I think that you're a good man, Rene.
RAMSEY: That theme, specifically, kind of is a throughline throughout.
When it comes to guilt and recrimination, the line forms behind me.
GONZALEZ: "Arrow" is really, at the core of it, about connecting with the people that care about you.
But I'm wearing this suit again because I think it's a path to redemption.
And help them grow as much as they're helping you grow.
And it could be for you, too.
BERLANTI: What's been beautiful for me to watch is that we started with a character who was really, really broken.
It means a lot to me that I've had a chance to see the type of man you've become.
I hope you'll forgive me for lots of things eventually.
Dad, I already have.
And I really feel like, through his actions and through his causes and through his connections with other people, we've really watched him be healed.
I'm really proud of you, Dad.
Not as proud as I am of you.
I'm gonna hug you now.
You better.
I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you again.
THEA: Well, you're not.
Think of it as a "I'll see you later.
" AMELL: There hasn't been one episode this year where I am saying goodbye to somebody, whether they know it or they don't.
Goodbye, sweetie.
Season 8 has been great.
It's not just a series finale that we're doing.
It's that the entire season is the series finale.
Tatsu? You know, the first seven episodes this year is like a love letter to the fans.
Oliver Queen.
My brother.
CASSIDY: The way they did this season, Season 8, is beautiful.
Welcome to Russia my favorite American.
The episodes feel very cinematic.
Every episode is a tribute to every single season.
It's really beautiful.
[WEAKLY.]
Sweetheart You are a hero.
You are.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Thank you.
We also wanted to say one last goodbye to all the characters that have been so important to the series and to Oliver.
Why are you still doing what he asks? [VOICE BREAKING.]
If I'm wrong, then all of this is for nothing.
I feel like I've given more and felt it more than any other season we've done.
If The Monitor can't fix this and if he is not here to help, then all of these things that I've sacrificed and all of the things that so many other people have already sacrificed will have been for nothing! Everyone's really brought their A game in terms of creating this testament to all the seasons that have come before.
OLIVER: This is our best shot.
Suit up.
BERLANTI: And a reward a big pot of gold for all the audience that has enjoyed the show over this period of time.
ANTI-MONITOR: After 10,000 years, I shall be victorious.
No, you won't be.
Such confidence.
Because of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Oliver succeeded.
The mission is complete.
You have failed this universe.
[SHOUTS.]
No! Aaaaah! SCHWARTZ: For him to become the ultimate hero, the person has sacrificed his life.
[GROANS.]
- Oliver.
- [COUGHS.]
It just felt the most fitting way to end the show.
I need both of you to watch over my family.
Hey, Ollie, they're gonna be fine.
Alright? You're gonna be fine.
I hope that when people look at the totality of his journey, redemption for him was saving the city.
It's almost time.
Almost time.
There.
And, um I don't know, I feel like he did it.
This final episode is sort of a love letter to say thank you for coming along on this journey with us.
It's a tribute to all of our fans, and I hope they have enjoyed it as much as we've enjoyed playing these characters.
This city needs a hero without a mask.
It needs Laurel Lance.
HAYNES: I hope that the fans that have been there from the beginning are able to remember different seasons that were their favorites and different moments that were their favorites.
Thank you all so much for doing this.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
I hope that the fans are proud of everything this show was and proud of the way it went out.
Everything changed.
My whole universe.
It changed.
I hope the fans are left feeling satisfied, like there was closure after eight years Man, I really hope this isn't the last time we're all in this bunker together.
and that they take it with them for a lifetime, 'cause I know we all certainly will.
It does feel like the end of an era.
FELICITY: Okay, well, let's just try to think of it as the beginning of a new one.
I hope that they feel all of our gratitude that we poured into the story, into the show.
OLIVER: We're not gonna let the darkness win.
So, all of us are here to light a candle together.
This entire season, and I think more that last episode than any other, is a thank-you.
AMELL: I really hope they walk away happy.
I just hope that they walk away going, "Ah, okay.
I'm glad I stuck around.
" To OTA Original Team Arrow.
Sorry, I know you hate it when I call us that.
It's growing on me.
It's changed my life more than any other artistic thing I've ever been a part of.
[GROANS.]
You took a bullet for me.
It was a transformative experience for me, and I will remember and be grateful for it the rest of my life.
They were metahuman tattooed playing cards.
Now I'm part of this universe, right? Still counts, Oliver.
For me, as a comic book, you know, superhero geek, it was just a dream job.
They will carry on your legacy.
Sounds like a cycle for good.
Far better than that.
A cycle of heroes.
Any time you spend the better part of a decade on anything, you just grow as a person.
Laurel Lance.
Always trying to save the world.
Runs in the family.
We've been really fortunate.
It's not "goodbye.
" It's "until next time.
" I think there's so many different facets that people can really connect to with our show and that have brought the fans through this journey with us, which is so incredible.
These are two of the most genuine people in the world, and they deserve all the happiness, and I'm so fortunate to call them my friends.
GONZALEZ: I think it's just been a beautiful experience to be a part of and to be around a cast and a crew, kind of like a second home.
This event warrants celebration.
It's very emotional.
It's unbelievable.
It's end of an era.
I am just glad that I found partners who I can trust.
That's what I'm talking about.
We're all feeling sad to say goodbye.
You can only be proud when you got to do 170-odd episodes of television.
Green Arrow popped up on our TV and he reminded me that this city is worth saving.
It's been amazing for me to feel like I've been embraced by the fan base in the way that I have.
I don't want to waste the time that I have left with him being angry.
Do you? MCNAMARA: Everyone involved in "Arrow" has such heart Thank you for letting me be a part of your story.
and has such passion for this story and really cares about making it something special.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Even if it was only for a little while.
Mia, something tells me you're gonna create your own stories.
I'm proud to have been a part of "Arrow," the show that's created a whole universe.
You.
You're my family, son.
I feel proud.
But sad.
[CHUCKLES.]
You're a really good father.
So are you.
I had a good example.
It's been a family, and now we're all going our separate ways.
I feel like I'm always asking you favors.
Anything you need, Oliver, Always.
I think it's made for such a unique series that I can't imagine myself working on its kind again.
A soldier never lets a brother go to battle alone.
I feel like I'd be failing you.
You could never fail me, John.
Well, how long do we have? Uh it's it's it's been everything to me.
You've always been my rock.
Don't you mean the best man you've ever known? I also mean that.
The friendships that I've gotten a chance to make along the way with the crew and the cast It's been transformative in every way that you can imagine it would be.
It's been transformative in every way that you can imagine it would be.
BERLANTI: The fact that "Arrow" was the first makes it special in its own unique way that nothing will ever duplicate.
OLIVER: People still need saving.
It really was miraculous.
They still need hope.
We've done a really good job, and I'm really proud of us.
This city needs The Arrow.
To fight for this city.
We really tried very, very hard to push the envelope Fight to survive.
It would be as big, bold, dynamic as a feature film.
I think it gives people hope.
You turned us into heroes.
MCNAMARA: Beyond anything else, what's at the heart of "Arrow" is the people.
Being a hero is my purpose.
Family is exactly what this is about.
No matter how much crazy stuff [LAUGHS.]
has happened, it remains about family.
You put together a team of heroes.
It means something.
You've made it mean something.
It's chemistry.
It's energy.
It's sometimes just got that thing.
It changed my life in such an amazing way.
You gave me purpose.
We're just getting started.
GONZALEZ: I was just ecstatic to be a part of the DC Universe and to bring someone to life.
You have failed this city.
To be a part of something that's meant so much to the fans.
When you got to do something so amazing for eight years of your life, you can only be proud.
No regrets.
OLIVER: My greatest legacy is this team.
All of you have followed me this far.
I need you to follow me just a little further.
That's what heroes do, right? - Let's move.
- Let's suit up.
- I was blown away.
- That's why we love superheroes.
- I think it's cool.
- It's just fun.
- Really changed the game.
- That's when the magic happens.
It's time to lock in.
My name is Oliver Queen.
I am The Green Arrow.
OLIVER: The name of the Island they found me on is Lian Yu.
It's Mandarin for "Purgatory.
" [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Well, it all came from, as pretty much all good things do, from Greg Berlanti.
He had an idea for how to do "The Green Arrow" on television.
OLIVER: I've been stranded here for five years.
I've dreamt of my rescue every cold black night since then.
It always felt like "The Green Arrow" had the perfect backstory for a TV series.
You knew that there was an origin story that was happening on the island that you could take your time with.
OLIVER: For five years, I've had one thought survive and, one day, return home.
It starts with a tragedy.
Oliver's father kills himself in front of him and tells him to right his wrongs.
Survive.
- No! No! - [GUNSHOT.]
And we divide that between the island and then our world and his return.
Oliver? Mom.
When I read the script What did I tell you? Yachts suck.
Tommy Merlyn.
pretty much what I pictured in my mind's eye was really in tune.
Hello, Laurel.
CASSIDY: When I first read the pilot, I feel like my instinct, my gut knew right away that this was gonna be a hit.
Oliver! I want to introduce you to someone John Diggle.
He'll be accompanying you from now on.
RAMSEY: It spoke to this bigger story about distribution of wealth and greed.
What do I call you? "Diggle" is good.
"Dig," if you want.
BERLANTI: So, you had this character at the center that had returned from conflict and was mysterious, and you weren't sure Is this person good? Is this person bad? And the show, in some ways, was kind of a discovery of human nature in that way.
And just no-holds-barred.
This guy got off an island and had a mission.
He was going just full-steam forward.
OLIVER: Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish, to use the list of names he left me and bring down those who are poisoning my city.
To do this, I must become someone else.
I must become something else.
It was always gonna be a grounded, gritty crime show with superheroes at the forefront.
Whoa! Whoa! Just tell me what you want.
We wanted the show to be action-packed - You missed.
- Really? and mysterious and have edge and have heart.
How did he do it? AMELL: I thought that we had something the moment that I saw the first cut of the pilot.
CASSIDY: I mean, I was blown away.
I was also really excited to become a superhero, because it looked awesome.
[GUNFIRE.]
As the show evolved and we started to fill out the cast, it really started to come to life in a big, big way, and it felt like, "Okay, wow, we really are realizing this comic in a way that we're all really, really proud of.
" GUGGENHEIM: We opened up the storytelling in a way that hadn't been done on television before.
- Believe me! - Marcus Redmond you failed this city.
We really tried very, very hard to push the envelope.
Having the action be very visceral.
The camera work had to be - very dynamic.
- Welcome, gentlemen.
We were doing anything we could to make it as cinematic as possible.
Where's the transmitter? Somewhere I can easily get to it.
- [RUMBLING.]
- What the hell's happening! [CROWD SCREAMING.]
Okay, that's enough.
[RUMBLING CONTINUES.]
We're a show about real people doing extraordinary things.
To see the real human struggle, I think that resonates with people.
People have to care about the characters.
MAN: Help me out! Help me out! Roy! Stop! The device is about to go off any second! Seeing characters on TV who appear normal in a lot of aspects I can't leave any of them behind.
but also just have these heroic capabilities really resonates with the audience.
The audience is gravitating toward multiple things.
They're connecting with the actors in the roles.
They're connecting with the story.
[SHOUTING.]
[GASPS.]
For now it perfect characters, and I think that that's important for people to see.
Laurel! - Laurel! - Stop! You know, to be able to be a part of something that's impacting others in such a positive way, it's amazing.
[WEAKLY.]
Thank you.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
No.
No.
Tommy [SIGHING.]
Open your eyes.
BERLANTI: And it's nice that a superhero show was, hopefully, so much more to everyone than just a show about people fighting bad guys.
Oliver is not a perfect hero, by any means.
AMELL: Where we began the series, in the flashbacks, he went through some horrible, horrible moments, and, frankly, make some really, really reprehensible decisions.
Shado was already the first, your sister.
Laurel, your mother.
It took a while, but we finally dealt with him coming to grips with them and him not letting them find him.
He's very flawed, and that makes him human, which is why people connect with him.
If what you're doing isn't wrong, then why are you hiding your face with a hood? To protect the ones I care about.
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE.]
So, Lauren Lance was the lost love, you know, and represented that for Oliver.
Nobody in my life is who I thought they were except you.
CASSIDY: That evolution, that transformation.
I mean, if you look at my character now and then you look at my character from Season 1, I mean, talk about such a beautiful arc.
Laurel Lance, Your Honor.
I'd like to file my appearance on behalf of the defendant.
Watching Laurel go from, you know, this pro bono lawyer who's a little damaged I'm the best me when I am working.
And when you're not? You don't want to meet her.
She's not good company.
to struggling with drugs and alcohol, and then losing her sister, hitting rock bottom [SOBS.]
No! No! Sara! and then being able to come out on top and pretty much transform into a superhero.
Who the hell are you? I'm the justice you can't run from.
I see they've spotted us.
BERLANTI: One of the inspirations we were always playing with for the show, because he's got a bow, is Robin Hood.
I don't want to go out like Butch and Sundance, so what's the plan? Shoot straighter than they do.
We knew in building his cast of merry men that we wanted our Little John, you know, that we wanted to thus the name John Diggle.
SCHWARTZ: When Oliver started on his mission, he never planned on having a team.
John, I could have never done this without you.
You're the one who keeps me in line.
We always felt Diggle was Oliver's moral compass.
It sounds like you have a narrow definition of being a hero.
RAMSEY: I think that relationship is just something people tune into.
They want a friend like John Diggle.
When I lost my brother I never thought I'd get another one.
AMELL: They became brothers.
He was always the voice of reason, always the logical guy, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a deeper level of emotion and understanding.
You're in the field without your head on straight.
I think this is exactly the time.
- I've got it handled.
- It doesn't look that way to me.
I just [SCOFFS.]
I want her to be happy.
If that were true you'd be with her, man.
Felicity Smoak? I'm Oliver Queen.
When we first saw the dailies of Emily in that classic scene with her and the red pen, we just saw a different side to Stephen.
I know who you are.
You're Mr.
Queen.
No.
Mr.
Queen was my father.
There was just this chemistry that was undeniable.
Right, but he's dead.
I mean, he drowned.
But you didn't, which means you could come down to the I.
T.
department and listen to me babble.
Felicity was kind of like this safety valve character.
I should add "Personal Internet Researcher for Oliver Queen" to my job title.
Happily I mean.
AMELL: I think that what she brought out of him and that lightness really was one of the main factors that allowed us to build out my character.
- [OLIVER GROANS.]
- Whoa! I'm not gonna hurt you, Felicity.
How do you know my name? Because you know my name.
You can only watch someone sulk around for so long.
Everything about you just became so unbelievably clear.
[SIGHS.]
It was like, "Oh, this is gold," and it provided this whole other color to the show.
I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot and bleeding inside my car.
It's really a testament to Emily, because she started the show as a one-day guest star.
Oops.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's incredible.
Your system looked like it was from the '80s, and not the good part of the '80s like Madonna and leg warmers.
And once she entered the show, we were able to find comedy and humor and lightness in a way that we hadn't been able to previously.
There's so many intense moments on the show.
- BOTH: Surprise! - Surprise! To break it up with some humor allows everyone to breathe.
Happy Birthday.
E-Everything hurt Everything hurts, yeah.
If you can't take the time every once in a while to wink at the viewer The plane, boss! The plane! You've got to lean into that a little bit.
Reference too dated? We're filled with meta-commentary and Easter eggs.
It's, uh, a little alien, a little "Star Trek," JJ Abrams style, and a whole lot of tech.
This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to "Wired.
" His website's protected by some very serious encryption.
I think fans enjoy those Easter eggs and enjoy the meta commentary, and we're fans.
We enjoy them, too.
You could use a little therapy yourself.
What gives you that impression? You mean, apart from the mask and the Robin Hood costume? AMELL: You mix things up enough that when the serious moments do happen, people go, "Oh, okay.
Alright.
It's time to lock in.
" Well, use that air magnet thing.
- You said that it could - Oliver, no offense but do I tell you how to sharpen your arrows? OLIVER: Stay focused, please.
I'll be with you the entire time.
Thanks.
Well, I like to say that I am the captain of the "Ollicity" ship.
It feels really good having you inside me.
And by you, I mean your voice.
And by me, I mean my ear.
I'm gonna stop talking right now.
That would be my preference.
The two of them are amazing together, even through all their bumps.
There you go.
Oh, just I meant to put it there, just leave it there.
- Thank you.
- You can just I knew how much the fandom cared about their relationship.
Would you like to go out to dinner with me? - I'm being serious here, Oliver.
- So am I.
That, to me, was the best time, when they were just starting to fall in love with each other.
Would you like to go to dinner with me? Yes.
HAYNES: Their relationship has blossomed, and to see the heartache and the love between them has really, really been special to watch.
I mean, what do we have to be nervous about? [CHUCKLES.]
Well, we've already exhausted every topic that one would normally talk about on a first date, and a second date, and a third date, and every date, actually, and I've already seen you shirtless.
Multiple times.
"We're falling for each other, and we're heroes, which means one of us could die at any moment.
" Oliver? And that's always been the challenge of their relationship.
There is one person in particular that I am grateful for.
Someone that has stood beside me when times were darkest.
AMELL: She brought out this part of him, a vulnerability and emotionality that you really, I don't think, would have seen otherwise.
She is the one who lights my way.
I think that makes that the most important relationship that we've had on the show.
You.
Felicity.
[CHUCKLES.]
Would you make me the happiest man on the face of the Earth? I do believe in magic.
Yes? Yes.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
With great power comes great responsibility.
Alright? Oh, come on.
Spider-Man? I'm not really into comic books.
There was so much that excited me about superheroes.
It was all so crystal-clear when you're young who the bad guy was, who the good guy was, what they were fighting for.
As the world becomes a darker place, people look more and more to heroes.
I think that when you humanize a superhero, it sort of holds up a mirror to the people watching.
Can you handle this? I'm good.
Hopefully it inspires ordinary people to believe that they can do extraordinary things, too.
[SCREAMS.]
You see these characters working through, essentially, human things We've got to get him to a hospital.
in the most inhuman of circumstances.
Everybody, at some point, especially, you know, kids want to be a superhero.
In our real lives, we need heroes.
Are we good? We're terrific.
I've been waiting to use that.
I feel like comic book films and TV shows and material in general tells some of the best stories about what it is to be human.
I'm uploading a GPS boot - so it thinks it's already detonated.
- Great.
I like the aspect of, like, do what you can.
But, um it's still headed straight for us.
Just keep pointing the IR receiver at the thingy.
That kind of hope that you can do it, that you can make a difference.
I have perfect confidence in your abilities.
Thank you.
[BOTH CHEER.]
GONZALEZ: We're seeing people do extraordinary things, and, yet, laugh like us, tell jokes like us.
You guys are gonna have to explain to me how all this works one day.
Yeah, you really don't want him to do that.
Nerdapalooza.
Even thought most of our characters don't have superpowers, as it were, they're powerful in their own right, and they bring power in different ways that really shows to their tenacity and their grit.
You're ready.
LEWIS: You can lead with your intellect, and you can lead with your wit, and it's not necessarily about being physically dominating.
Of course, you can do handstand push-ups.
There's lots of ways to make the world a better place.
Flash storage from the vault security mainframe? Yeah, don't get too excited.
It's totally fried.
Not to brag, but "totally fried" is kind of my wheelhouse.
MAN: Turn around! Put your hands behind your head.
When I watch the episodes, I can't help but watch as a fan.
Watching some of those episodes, I've been, like, so pumped to be like, "I can't believe I'm on this show!" We have the best crew ever.
[CHUCKLES.]
Action! It's so grand and spectacular, and it's so awesome to see it.
It's really fantastic, and I'm really, really blessed.
HARKAVY: I just thank God these people are so good at doing their jobs.
They make me look so cool so much cooler than I am.
When I watch the episodes, it's mind-blowing.
The editing is unbelievable on our show.
Just watching everything come together is just kind of lightning in a bottle.
It's also just cool.
I think it's cool.
HARKAVY: It's exhilarating to see it all fit together.
You can't believe how good it looks when you see it, and all of, you know, the lights and the music and the stunts and everything is all together.
When you place the characters within that world, and it just sings.
And then you have that harmony.
That's when the magic happens.
Whoa.
AMELL: The physical demands have been really something.
I mean, I got myself in crazy shape for the pilot because I was filled with adrenaline, and I had nothing to do.
Dude was ripped up, man.
DIGGLE: I don't know where the next Olympics are at, but you might want to think about signing yourself up.
He was, like, cut up everywhere.
He had muscles everywhere.
I'm like, "I'm supposed to be this dude's body guard?" - Impossible.
- It's really hot.
I mean, not.
It's not.
Like, for real? How does he do this? It's all in the core.
The salmon ladder is a rite of passage on the show.
[GASPS.]
If you watch the pilot episode, and Stephen's there doing it and it looks Can I say badass? [LAUGHS.]
It looks completely badass doing it, and you're like, "I have to try this.
" - I believe in you.
- Oh! - Ready? - Whoa! 1, 2, 3 - Go! - Nope! Nope, nope.
Help! I'm just glad that I can still do it after all these years.
I'm not a stunt guy.
I can do flips, and I can do fight sequences, but I'm nowhere near as good as the professionals, so I kind of let them do that.
The fighting has been the funnest part of this show.
DIRECTOR: Action! CASSIDY: My body definitely transformed.
It really felt awesome.
It's good to know when you walk down the street, like, I can probably kick these guys' asses.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Your job, apparently.
It's been an interesting journey for me to become more adept at on-screen fighting.
You know, when I got to fight Ra's al Ghul on top of a mountaintop You know, I get fired up watching that scene, because I worked really hard.
I didn't have a stunt double in that scene.
I mean, I would hope that you would get a little bit of a rush watching it.
Otherwise, what are you doing? Like, I don't understand.
Our villains were very, very important.
Oh, you don't know who I am, do you? All an integral part of our story.
I'm Damian Darhk.
[GUNSHOTS.]
[CROWD SCREAMS.]
They push our team, right? They push our team to someplace we've never been before.
I guess my invitation was lost in the mail.
[CHUCKLES.]
I'm only kidding.
It's not my kind of scene, anyway.
I think that any villain that thinks they're the hero of their own story Bad guy, remember? is excellent.
What are you gonna do now, Oliver? You've taught yourself some new tricks.
Michael Emerson is a fantastic actor.
He's very subtle in what his performance is.
I expect you can find the most effective use for this corpse to How did you put it? Send a message.
CASSIDY: The calmness is eerie, and it does suck you in because you don't know what's gonna happen next.
What the hell do you want? Pretty simple, actually.
It's so hard to choose a favorite villain.
Run! Now! I would have to say Diaz.
Just because he's so unapologetically diabolical.
You're gonna suffer for that.
And he's just deliciously evil.
Was you afraid of what I was gonna do to your daddy? When you were gone? I just dug the way he played it.
Like, I remember him being on set, and his chair back, it said "The Dragon.
" Talk to me.
Talk to me! Everyone just said their name in real life, and, no, his said "The Dragon.
" I thought that was cool.
The villain who had the biggest effect on me on this show, it's Prometheus.
You're never getting out of here.
Do you understand? No, I don't.
And not to mention, his music.
The music that played every time Prometheus showed up just sent chills down my spine.
I mean, that guy was just level-headed.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he did it with such a calculation.
PROMETHEUS: Relax.
Enjoy the weather.
Did anybody ever tell you how much you suck at life? No.
He won.
If I die everyone you care about dies.
He won, and I thought that that was one of the cooler things that we did.
We let him win.
No, Adrian! [GUNSHOT.]
[GUN THUDS.]
Yeah, my favorite villains.
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Your incompetence has now cost four lives, Alderman.
Working with Manu Bennett was scary.
Fail me again, and yours will be the fifth.
You know, Deathstroke in general is a pretty exciting bad guy.
Hands down, Slade Wilson was my favorite bad guy.
You can kill me or not.
Either way, I win.
RAMSEY: I always look at Season 2 as our best season, and it was in no small part because Manu Bennett's Deathstrokes.
I'm truly sorry.
[SHAKILY.]
What? It took our series someplace else.
It took Oliver Queen someplace else.
THEA: No! [SOBBING.]
No! Oliver suffers, over the course of eight years, a series of losses.
You can survive this.
Make it home.
Whether it's his mother, whether it's, initially, in the pilot, his dad.
Impressive.
And, in some ways, even Laurel's death.
[GASPS.]
[ARROW GROANS.]
Tragedy makes this real.
Because going out there and fighting alongside you guys That's what makes me feel alive inside, and I love you guys so much.
We love you.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
We love you.
All of those tragedies were things that he had to overcome to become the person, not the hero, but the person that he was meant to be.
Ollie, I know that I am not the love of your life.
But you will always be the love of mine.
At the heart of the series is really just a sense of community and a sense of family and a sense of love.
Family is precious, and that it's love, in spite of everything, that makes it precious.
It's about second chances.
Lean in to the best parts of yourself.
BERLANTI: I think it's about trying to become the person that you feel you're meant to be.
You are living proof that people can change.
This is all about us wanting to do better than what we did yesterday.
Loyalty and truth is, within itself, its own reward.
It means something.
You've made it mean something.
To be true to yourself and to be true to others.
When our city looks at it, it gives them hope, Oliver.
We have this team of people who will fight for you.
The truth is that we won tonight because I wasn't alone.
AMELL: What do I think "Arrow" is all about? I think it's about a guy's hope that he can honor his father's wishes I thought that this crusade would only end with my death, but even if I had died tonight, it would live on because of you.
and a guy's hope that he can save his city.
I know that this city has been through tough times before, and we have pulled through! And maybe find a little bit of something for himself along the way.
And somehow, someway, we will survive this! I am having the strangest déjà vu.
[SIGHS.]
You're not the only one.
SCHWARTZ: It's hard to even remember that time where it was just "Arrow" because there's so many other shows now.
Once and for all, who would win? Me or you? You mean if you don't shoot me in the back? You got to get over that.
After about a year and a half, we knew that we wanted to maybe begin to broaden the DC universe on the CW, and a character that I always loved growing up was The Flash.
Hey.
Secret identity? I'm Barry Allen.
And do your parents know that you're here? When I'm fighting you, it's literally like - you're standing still.
- [SCOFFS.]
That's tough talk.
You ready to back it up? We really approached the show from the standpoint of being fans first.
It's awesome to meet you.
Yeah, well, wait till you meet her.
We followed the model of the comic books.
Hey, everyone! When we do the crossovers each year, they become a hit on an exponential scale.
OLIVER: The Batman's an urban legend.
Wait.
You don't believe Batman's real? He's not real.
He's an urban legend concocted by the Gotham Police Department to scare criminals.
- I'm the original vigilante, Barry.
- Okay.
To me, it's just fun.
I guess I'm running alone.
The finished product of watching them certainly makes it all worth it.
You see how much people enjoy them.
As a fan, it was so much fun for me.
I feel like we would make a good team.
World's finest.
HARKAVY: It's cool to have new people come in, and it's cool to see what their stories are and how we can all tie them in together.
MCNAMARA: Getting to be on set with everybody in their suits and see everything come together and go visit all the other worlds is amazing.
HARKAVY: It's an Arrowverse, so it's cool to be together in it.
And when you see all of the different characters from the different shows in one frame together, it really does make you feel like you used to feel when you were reading those books as a kid.
[SCREAMS.]
Don't engage The Deathstrokes! They're a distraction! I love the new Team Arrow.
Guys! No one listens to the tech guy! I love the new kids.
Oliver creates this Team Arrow that's so strong and powerful and diverse, and Mia does the same thing.
Let me guess My mom and O.
G.
Team Arrow anointed us Version 2.
0.
You expected things to go a little better.
They've gone through this together.
They both have their own struggles with their parents.
I believe that fate brought the four of us together for a reason, just like it did our parents when they decided to save this city.
And with the legacy that is on their shoulders, being that all eyes are on them.
Failure to comply will result in summary execution.
Wrong answer.
And they make each other stronger together, even if they don't always see eye to eye.
Hey, troublemaker.
- I had him.
- You're welcome.
We're all trying to leave our own mark in this city and do it in a way that's new and that's different and that's us.
The ZETAs are back online.
You think? You have her half-brother William.
You have Connor, and you have Zoe, and you have all these characters around her that are a personification of a team.
What's going on? That's a very good question.
MCNAMARA: That moment was one of my favorite, actually, to film with Stephen.
Dad? Oh, my God.
Dad LEWIS: I think to be reunited with a dead parent who you never thought you were gonna get the chance to see again is incredibly overwhelming.
We are staring at our dad, alive.
To have a second chance to do that and say the things that were left unsaid, I think, is huge for him.
I'm gay.
Yeah, buddy.
I know.
I don't think you necessarily realize the weight that you're carrying around with you if you haven't had the opportunity to stand in front of your parent We hoped that you were gonna come out to us when you were comfortable.
and tell them who you authentically are.
You clearly didn't get that chance, and that's on me, so I'm sorry.
Even with Oliver having his flaws, he constantly wants to redeem himself for the choices that he makes.
For far too long, I judged you, and that was a mistake.
I think that you're a good man, Rene.
RAMSEY: That theme, specifically, kind of is a throughline throughout.
When it comes to guilt and recrimination, the line forms behind me.
GONZALEZ: "Arrow" is really, at the core of it, about connecting with the people that care about you.
But I'm wearing this suit again because I think it's a path to redemption.
And help them grow as much as they're helping you grow.
And it could be for you, too.
BERLANTI: What's been beautiful for me to watch is that we started with a character who was really, really broken.
It means a lot to me that I've had a chance to see the type of man you've become.
I hope you'll forgive me for lots of things eventually.
Dad, I already have.
And I really feel like, through his actions and through his causes and through his connections with other people, we've really watched him be healed.
I'm really proud of you, Dad.
Not as proud as I am of you.
I'm gonna hug you now.
You better.
I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you again.
THEA: Well, you're not.
Think of it as a "I'll see you later.
" AMELL: There hasn't been one episode this year where I am saying goodbye to somebody, whether they know it or they don't.
Goodbye, sweetie.
Season 8 has been great.
It's not just a series finale that we're doing.
It's that the entire season is the series finale.
Tatsu? You know, the first seven episodes this year is like a love letter to the fans.
Oliver Queen.
My brother.
CASSIDY: The way they did this season, Season 8, is beautiful.
Welcome to Russia my favorite American.
The episodes feel very cinematic.
Every episode is a tribute to every single season.
It's really beautiful.
[WEAKLY.]
Sweetheart You are a hero.
You are.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Thank you.
We also wanted to say one last goodbye to all the characters that have been so important to the series and to Oliver.
Why are you still doing what he asks? [VOICE BREAKING.]
If I'm wrong, then all of this is for nothing.
I feel like I've given more and felt it more than any other season we've done.
If The Monitor can't fix this and if he is not here to help, then all of these things that I've sacrificed and all of the things that so many other people have already sacrificed will have been for nothing! Everyone's really brought their A game in terms of creating this testament to all the seasons that have come before.
OLIVER: This is our best shot.
Suit up.
BERLANTI: And a reward a big pot of gold for all the audience that has enjoyed the show over this period of time.
ANTI-MONITOR: After 10,000 years, I shall be victorious.
No, you won't be.
Such confidence.
Because of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Oliver succeeded.
The mission is complete.
You have failed this universe.
[SHOUTS.]
No! Aaaaah! SCHWARTZ: For him to become the ultimate hero, the person has sacrificed his life.
[GROANS.]
- Oliver.
- [COUGHS.]
It just felt the most fitting way to end the show.
I need both of you to watch over my family.
Hey, Ollie, they're gonna be fine.
Alright? You're gonna be fine.
I hope that when people look at the totality of his journey, redemption for him was saving the city.
It's almost time.
Almost time.
There.
And, um I don't know, I feel like he did it.
This final episode is sort of a love letter to say thank you for coming along on this journey with us.
It's a tribute to all of our fans, and I hope they have enjoyed it as much as we've enjoyed playing these characters.
This city needs a hero without a mask.
It needs Laurel Lance.
HAYNES: I hope that the fans that have been there from the beginning are able to remember different seasons that were their favorites and different moments that were their favorites.
Thank you all so much for doing this.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
I hope that the fans are proud of everything this show was and proud of the way it went out.
Everything changed.
My whole universe.
It changed.
I hope the fans are left feeling satisfied, like there was closure after eight years Man, I really hope this isn't the last time we're all in this bunker together.
and that they take it with them for a lifetime, 'cause I know we all certainly will.
It does feel like the end of an era.
FELICITY: Okay, well, let's just try to think of it as the beginning of a new one.
I hope that they feel all of our gratitude that we poured into the story, into the show.
OLIVER: We're not gonna let the darkness win.
So, all of us are here to light a candle together.
This entire season, and I think more that last episode than any other, is a thank-you.
AMELL: I really hope they walk away happy.
I just hope that they walk away going, "Ah, okay.
I'm glad I stuck around.
" To OTA Original Team Arrow.
Sorry, I know you hate it when I call us that.
It's growing on me.
It's changed my life more than any other artistic thing I've ever been a part of.
[GROANS.]
You took a bullet for me.
It was a transformative experience for me, and I will remember and be grateful for it the rest of my life.
They were metahuman tattooed playing cards.
Now I'm part of this universe, right? Still counts, Oliver.
For me, as a comic book, you know, superhero geek, it was just a dream job.
They will carry on your legacy.
Sounds like a cycle for good.
Far better than that.
A cycle of heroes.
Any time you spend the better part of a decade on anything, you just grow as a person.
Laurel Lance.
Always trying to save the world.
Runs in the family.
We've been really fortunate.
It's not "goodbye.
" It's "until next time.
" I think there's so many different facets that people can really connect to with our show and that have brought the fans through this journey with us, which is so incredible.
These are two of the most genuine people in the world, and they deserve all the happiness, and I'm so fortunate to call them my friends.
GONZALEZ: I think it's just been a beautiful experience to be a part of and to be around a cast and a crew, kind of like a second home.
This event warrants celebration.
It's very emotional.
It's unbelievable.
It's end of an era.
I am just glad that I found partners who I can trust.
That's what I'm talking about.
We're all feeling sad to say goodbye.
You can only be proud when you got to do 170-odd episodes of television.
Green Arrow popped up on our TV and he reminded me that this city is worth saving.
It's been amazing for me to feel like I've been embraced by the fan base in the way that I have.
I don't want to waste the time that I have left with him being angry.
Do you? MCNAMARA: Everyone involved in "Arrow" has such heart Thank you for letting me be a part of your story.
and has such passion for this story and really cares about making it something special.
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Even if it was only for a little while.
Mia, something tells me you're gonna create your own stories.
I'm proud to have been a part of "Arrow," the show that's created a whole universe.
You.
You're my family, son.
I feel proud.
But sad.
[CHUCKLES.]
You're a really good father.
So are you.
I had a good example.
It's been a family, and now we're all going our separate ways.
I feel like I'm always asking you favors.
Anything you need, Oliver, Always.
I think it's made for such a unique series that I can't imagine myself working on its kind again.
A soldier never lets a brother go to battle alone.
I feel like I'd be failing you.
You could never fail me, John.
Well, how long do we have? Uh it's it's it's been everything to me.
You've always been my rock.
Don't you mean the best man you've ever known? I also mean that.
The friendships that I've gotten a chance to make along the way with the crew and the cast It's been transformative in every way that you can imagine it would be.