Over the last 7 years Arrow has launched a shared TV universe and brought us countless moments of heroism from across the multi-verse. We’re celebrating today’s release of Arrow season 7 on Blu-ray™ & DVD by taking a look at Neil’s top 7 Arrow moments!
7. Let’s start a riot!
Episode: 7×07 “The Slabside Redemption”
Early episodes of season 7 featured Oliver locked up in Slabside Prison. Incarcerated for his crimes as the Green Arrow, Oliver refused to break himself out and instead faced the consequences of his actions.
Finally, seven episodes in to the most recent season, Oliver was finally freed from Slabside following a huge riot started by Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo). Before he could be reunited with Felicity and Diggle he had one hell of a fight to get through.
Arrow is well known for its incredible action sequences and this is easily one of the series best. Multiple fights break out all across the prison and it leads some incredibly moments. It’s edge-of-your-seat stuff as Oliver battles for his life and the lives of others within the prison.
The huge, multi-levelled set constructed for the prison allow the series fight choreographers plenty of ways to shoot the action and it’s a spectacular sequence not to be missed!
6. Green Arrow and The Flash team up for the first time
Episode: 3×08 “The Brave and the Bold”
It seems like years ago that Arrow and The Flash first crossed over. In actual fact it was almost five years ago that Barry and Oliver teamed up to take down Captain Boomerang.
These were simpler times when crossovers were grounded in the reality of Arrow rather than traversing the multi-verse like this year’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.
But nothing will quite compare to the excitement of seeing the two shows crossing over. Their casts mixing for the first time and how it would instantly blow the world of DCTV wide open.
Though we long for happier and much simpler times, looking back on “The Brave and the Bold” shows just how far this universe has come over the last five years and it’s amazing to think where we could go in the next five.
5. Laurel takes on the mantle of Black Canary
Episode: 3×10 “Left Behind”
After two years as a supporting player Laurel (Katie Cassidy Rodgers) finally took centre stage after picking up the mantle of Black Canary from her fallen sister Sara (Caity Lotz) and finally took her place in centre stage.
During much of season 1 and 2 Laurel supported the vigilantes of Arrow through her work at CNRI, a legal firm which would eventually find itself written out of the show. But following the death of her sister Lauren began to train with Ted Grant and became a much more street smart character.
When Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is presumed dead after his brush with Ra’s al Ghul the city is overrun and needs a new hero. Laurel finally suits up and becomes the character comic book fans always hoped she would become.
Though she would sadly die in season 4 we still have the knowledge that she left this world a hero.
4. Invasion!
Episode: 5×07 “Invasion!”
Arrow’s 100th episode fell in the middle of 2016’s crossover event with not only The Flash but also the sophomore seasons of both Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.
When an alien race ripped right from the pages of DC Comics, The Dominators, came to Earth we saw all of Earth’s greatest champions teaming up to take them down.
This was the first of DCTV’s hugely ambitious crossovers and featured a huge cast of characters. But it is under the leadership of Green Arrow that the team are able to save the day.
This episode was also particularly poignant for bringing back a number of long dead characters for the series including Susanna Thompson as Oliver and Thea’s mother, Moira Queen.
3. Oliver calls Moira before returning home
Episode: 5×23 “Lian Yu”
For it’s first five seasons Arrow utilised flashback storytelling to bring viewers up to speed on Oliver’s time on (and off!) Lian Yu. Each season features a specific storyline set in the past which bares some resemblance to present day events on the show.
All of that came to end in season 5 when the time caught up and Oliver finally returned home. But not before the series writers slipped in a gut punch of a new scene between Oliver and returning guest star Susanna Thompson.
Without announcing her return fans were treated to a previously unseen – but newly shot – moment when Oliver first called his mother to let her know that he was alive and returning.
Thompson’s performance was heartbreaking and reminded us just how much we had missed Moira following her untimely end at the hands of Slade Wilson.
2. Green Arrow takes on Deathstroke
Episode: 2×23 “Unthinkable”
After a season of heartbreak and loss, Team Arrow finally took on Deathstroke (Manu Bennett) in the spectacular season 2 finale. In scenes which saw nearly every character on the show taking on Deathstroke’s Mirakuru army it was the biggest sequence the show DCTV had attempted… at the time!
Following the big battle Oliver and Deathstroke found themselves locked in a battle for survival. Having already lost his mother and almost losing his city Oliver was a man pushed to the limits and it showed as the two went head-to-head.
Having used Felicity to slip Slide the Mirakuru cure, Oliver finally saw his chance to take Slade down in one of the best fights scenes we have ever seen on the show.
The whole sequence played out against flashbacks of a younger Oliver fighting a rage filled Slade in the past and it all added up to one of Arrow‘s best ever episodes.
1. Crisis begins…
Episode: 7×22 “You Have Saved This City”
Though this moment signals the beginning of the end of Arrow, it’s hard not to see the end of the seventh season as a highlight for the show.
With Oliver having said goodbye to his team mates and safely hidden Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and newborn daughter Mia where his many enemies can’t find him he settles down to live a normal life. But sadly not for long…
In the closing moments of the episode The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), first seen in the “Elseworlds” crossover, reappears to collect on the deal he made with Oliver. After a tearful goodbye Oliver leaves with The Monitor in order to help avert in impending crisis.
What are your favourite moments from the series? Let us know in the comments.
Arrow Season 7 will is available on Blu-ray™ & DVD now, order your copy from the WB Store!
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