Arrow type TV Show network The CW genre Superhero

Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) may be traveling the world on a mission to save the multiverse in the eighth and final season of Arrow, but he definitely won’t be alone on this journey (which may or may not lead to his death). For one, he’ll have his best friend and right-hand man, John Diggle (David Ramsey), right there with him.

“Diggle is as he should be, at Oliver’s side,” Ramsey tells EW. “That’s how we begin this season. And ultimately, that’s how we end it.”

Joining Oliver and Diggle on the road is Earth-2’s Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy Rodgers), the Black Canary and former Black Siren who went from villain to ally in the CW drama’s seventh season. “Their dynamic is incredible,” Ramsey says. “A good chunk of what we’re doing will be with the three of them in a way that they haven’t been before.”

“I’ve loved our scenes in the first two episodes,” says Amell. “I thought it was important at the end of season 7, us shaking hands and Oliver saying thank you. It was scripted to the group, but I wanted to make sure, going into season 8, that it was actually to her and that they shook hands, because as character I purposefully never called her Laurel until that moment. So her being the mix this year, it’s been a lot of fun. I think she’s nailing it.”

Image zoom Jack Rowand/The CW

Even though Oliver’s work for the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) has taken him away from Star City, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards, who left the show at the end of season 7) and his children aren’t far from his mind. In fact, they remain his strength. “The the biggest thing is just him believing Felicity when she says, ‘Whatever happens, whatever happens to you, I’ll find you.’ That’s his guiding light,” says Amell. “I’m sure that he’s gonna have to pass a test along the way, but this final season is more about a resolve.”

To achieve that resolution, the series will return to some of its most important moments in the last 10 episodes. “We’re basically revisiting our greatest hits in the episodes leading to the crossover [“Crisis on Infinite Earths”],” says executive producer Marc Guggenheim. Adds Amell about the shortened season, “Episode 1 is like season 1, episode 2 is about a very specific part of season 3. Episode 3 is about a very specific part of the latter half of season 3. Every episode feels like an event. It feels like a limited series.”

Image zoom Jack Rowand/The CW

Arrow premieres Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.

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