Arrow is the show that set the bar for the way super hero stories are told on television. It certainly wasn’t the first successful super hero show of the 21st century. Smallville and Heroes both paved the way and proved that the genre could thrive in the weekly televised medium. But Arrow has seen comic book stories on television really hit their stride, spawning a popular interconnected universe of shows in its wake. So much happened so quickly as a result of Arrow’s success that it’s hard to believe that the show is already an elder statesman, about to enter its fifth season. Here are some predictions and hopes of what that season might have in store.
1) Steadfast John Diggle will be a wild card.
John Diggle has been Oliver Queen’s truest friend and confessor for so long that it’s hard to remember a time when he wasn’t there. But season 5 will start out the way season 1 did, with Oliver making his way without Diggle’s steady hand. David Ramsey’s stalwart character has gone through a lot in terms of character development, going from skeptical, cynical bodyguard to the super hero Spartan. A man once driven by his brother’s murder so that when his brother came back in season 4 it seemed like there was nowhere left for that character to go. The season ended with Diggle leaving team Arrow to return to his military background. Assuming the writers don’t have him back under the Spartan helmet by the end of Season 5’s first episode, it’s possible they will tease out his return until a moment of great impact midway through the season.
2) Olicity habits die hard, but die they might.
Season 4 seemed to be as much about Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) tempestuous romantic relationship as it was about evil wizards. Some of the best drama of that season actually arose from the intense feelings at play between the beleaguered lovers. So intense in fact that it might be time to let those feelings go. Shipping the characters for the first three seasons was fun, but seeing them crash and burn hard in season 4 left a lot of fatigue, even for those who approved of the plot. If Arrow and Overwatch do resume their courtship, it will hopefully be after a period of long rebuilding of the trust that was shattered.
