Spoilers Only Thread: Season 8

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Katie Cassidy Teases Final Season of Arrow
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBnu0NtOtm8

-- On directing, KC: "I actually think it might be my true calling."

-- On whether there's a moment coming up this season that she's excited for fans to see (other than the episode she's directing), KC: "Yeah. I think that, you know, we will see - as I think the fans have always wanted to see this - um, is Laurel, um, you know, fulfilling her promise of becoming good - I mean, a hero in a  - good and bad - I mean, there's many versions of her. Um, but she teams up with, you know, like, I guess it's sort of unexpected, not unexpected, 'cause the comic book, it's Laurel and - er, excuse me, Black Canary and Green Arrow, uh, in terms of - she'll team up with Oliver in terms of fulfilling his quest to save the multiverse. So we'll get to see them, like, in action battle, which we've seen before, but the new costume, with - given what Marc's written, is gonna be freakin' epic. And I think the fans are gonna freak out, because it does call back to the comics, the original. So I'm excited."

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Arrow Creator Marc Guggenheim Talks Series Finale
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQON4g5BrNw

-- On the series finale, MG: "The only thing that's been written is the last scene." He then related the story (again) of writing it after meditation.

-- On whether there could be a spinoff, MG: "The thing I've learned about this show is I never say never. I mean, if you guys go back and you play back the interviews we did in Season 1, all the things we said would never happen ended up happening. So I never say that something's not going to happen. Um, I would certainly never say that we haven't had those conversations. Um, but I, you know, I'm a big believer in not foreclosing anything, not turning, you know, down anything, not closing any doors. At the same time, not getting - not skiing ahead of our skis and - and being ahead of ourselves. We have - we have a lot of work to do in terms of launching the season, the crossover, figuring out the finale, you know, in all of its, you know, permutations, um, without also discussing the spinoff. So, we'll see."

-- On where we see everyone in the first episode, MG: "I have to be coy because the location of the first episode is really a surprise. Um, I'll tell you this. The first episode really feels like a revisitation of the pilot. And, uh, I co-wrote it with Beth and when I sent off my scenes to her, I said to her - not in a bad way - I said, 'this feels like a series finale, doesn't feel like a season premiere.' Um, but that was like a good thing, um, because it really was an acknowledgment of how we are returning to our roots and especially the pilot. It really is like a mirror image of the pilot, which is weird. It's weird to, like, be revisiting all these key moments but with a different spin.... But it's fun too, like, again, it's the celebration of where we - where we started and what we've been doing for eight years. So that's what's kind of fun."

Director James Bamford Talks Arrow Series Finale
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8DH1JjGZyI

-- JBam: "So during prep for 801, Marc comes into my office and he goes, 'hey, do you want to know about the final scene for the final -' - because I'm directing the series finale - and so he says, 'do you want to know what your final scene is?' And I said, 'yeah.' 'Well, I was meditating' - um, I think he was somewhere on a trip - 'and I was meditating for an hour or so and I came out of the meditation and the scene came to me.' I said, 'okay.' And then he goes, 'you want to see it?' I'm like, 'yeah, I want to see it.' And so he [unintelligible word]. I thought it was this big secret. But then he emailed it to me, like, he wrote it and 'bing' and so I have it in my email here that I'm not showing you. But, uh, I read it and, uh, started crying and, uh - not in front of him though, because I don't want to let them know that you're bleeding, you know. Um, but, uh, the only word I can use to describe it is perfect. So, uh, it's exactly what it should be. It's genius. It's f**cking genius. And you can quote that."

-- JBam: "The final season of Arrow has zero filler episodes. Each episode is chock full of story and spectacle, action and emotion."

Stephen Amell Teases What to Expect from Arrow Season Premiere
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7d8ZpI7beY

-- SA: "We didn't have to film the entire 41 minutes or whatever because we got to use a bunch of footage from the pilot in the season premiere."

-- SA: "I think the Season 1 version of Oliver would be appreciative of the Season 8 version. Especially the Season 8 version. I'm enjoying the Season 8 version. It's nice."

-- When asked about having only 10 episodes to tell a whole season's worth of story and wrap up their show, SA: "Mm-umm. Not 10. Not 10. We don't have 10. We have 7... We have 7 episodes to tell our story... Because the crossover's in episode 8."

-- SA: "Every episode right now feels like a grand experiment... You know, episode 1 is the pilot. And episode 2 is an ode to Season 3. And episode 3 is kinda also an ode to Season 3. But Oliver gets to, um, in my mind, make amends - not necessarily make amends, but like tie it up and close the chapter with five characters over the first three episodes that I don't think anyone would ever think that he would ever get the chance to do that with, including - including like at least one person's who's like his f**ckin' mortal enemy."

-- After saying that he's been pitched the final scene of the series, SA: "I know how I want it to go. But I don't know a lot about the show post-Crisis. So many things could change."

-- On whether he can tell them where Oliver is in the first episode of S8, SA: "Yeah. Where you see him in the pilot. (Media reporters all laugh) Guys, I'm literally f**ckin' telling you where he is... Does that make sense? ... So where is he?" Reporter: "He's in Starling City. He's back literally in Season 1 in the pilot." SA: "Mm-umm. No. He's not in Starling City in Scene 1."

David Ramsey Teases What to Expect from Arrow Season Premiere
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB-NvXoeqnw

-- Same comments as in his other SDCC interviews (about wrapping up Diggle's relationships with Lyla and his sons, and answering the question of whether or not he's Green Lantern).

-- DR: "He's always going to be by Oliver's side. If there's any season where they're really locked in together, it's this season.. So that goes without question."

-- On Diggle, DR: "And a character that's an original character became part of the comic book world as well, because of the fan response. It's just been more lightning in a bottle for this show, you know. I mean, Emily coming, lightning in a bottle. OTA, the new team, lightning in a bottle. You know, having these spinoffs that have just been equally successful, if not more, lightning in a bottle. It's just been - over and over again. Inexplicable, unprecedented success for this show and its spinoffs. So Diggle's been no small part of that. You know, you just have to be grateful for it because it's, like, you know, great, it's been fantastic. What else can you say? ... In a lot of ways, this show has been pioneering."

-- On what the vibe has been like on set, DR: "It was weird the first day. That's really the honest answer. It was strange not having Emily there. Very. You don't have a presence like, like that and you don't feel it. So it was different. The sets were different. Uh, the people that we worked with the first day weren't the people we normally work with. So it felt strange. And Stephen was even, like, 'uhh, it just feels a little strange.' We both felt that. But then you get over it, you get over yourself, and um, you do it. But I'd be remiss if I said it felt like business as usual because it didn't. It felt a little bit strange."

-- On whether he knows where Diggle ends up by the end of the show and whether he's happy about it, DR: "Yes, I do. Yes, I do."

Rick Gonzalez Teases Final Season of Arrow
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbXtZ-589jY

-- When asked where Rene is in the first episode of S8, RG: "We've never seen Rene this way before. First episode, we've never seen him this way. And that's exciting. I can't wait to see y'all reaction on him because it's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be great. It's gonna be great."

Juliana Harkavy Teases Final Season of Arrow
Published on Aug 28, 2019, by fanbolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXVgnIndlDo

-- On whether there's a moment from the upcoming season that she's really excited for the fans to see, JH: "The premiere, the premiere. I think the entire premiere is going to really surprise people... It's both a callback to the past and also something completely new."

-- On who from the show she would definitely love to work with again, JH: "Definitely, um - well, Josh Segarra... Um, Emily, of course. And then Joe Dinicol, who plays Ragman. I would love to work with him again. He's a wonderful person and a wonderful actor."

-- When asked where we see Dinah in the first episode of S8, JH: "In the first episode, it's going to be a total departure from anything we've seen Dinah doing before. So just a completely, um, something completely different, uh, and that will change throughout the season."

-- On whether she can imagine playing her character on another show after Arrow ends, JH: "Absolutely. One thing that's amazing about this show is that, you know, the characters - the interchangeable is not the word, but there are, you know - the suit is defined by the person, like, the morals, the person - it's like, it's not just the fact that it's this person. It's what do you possess that fills that suit, what's inside of you. Um, so I'm honored to be, you know, a person who is a Black Canary and I hope to always, always be the Black Canary. Um, but I - you know, I'm not the only one, but I hope we are all always the Black Canary... Canaries for life."

Edited August 30, 2019 by tv echo

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EZ - CW's Arrow - David Ramsey Interview
Published on Aug 29, 2019, by Paul Amadeus Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1UpJSDQDdM

-- DR: "Diggle is going to be, as he always has been, at Oliver's side, as Oliver moves through some very - without giving anything away - peculiar transitions that he has to do, um, with the Monitor. So, um, Diggle's going to be helping him out."

-- DR: "Um, but everyone has a very distinct arc that's leading up to the Crisis - the, um, up to the crossover."

-- DR: "Lyla, my, um - Lyla Michaels, who plays Diggle's wife, is a very big part of this epi - a very big part of this season. So it's interesting that you bring her up, because she is pivotal." 

EZ - CW's Arrow - Katie Cassidy Interview
Published on Aug 29, 2019, by Paul Amadeus Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsFa_68v-t4

-- On how her character is going to change in the final season, KC: "Well, it's interesting because Laurel obviously, there's - there's different versions of her, right? And this season, you know, Laurel - it's Laurel from Earth-1 but it's as though she's not ever died. Um, so she still has - but she has developed, after everything she's gone through, a little bit of grittiness, a little bit of edge, still has that little sassiness, um, not so soft necessarily, 'cause she's gone through some stuff."

-- On seeing her in other "Arrowverses" after Arrow ends, KC: "Ooh, I would love that, if know what I'm saying, Marc Guggenheim? Yeah, I hope so. There's definitely room for it. And they know how much I love this show and love these people, yeah."

EZ - CW's Arrow - Rick Gonzalez Interview
Published on Aug 29, 2019, by Paul Amadeus Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0HfWpmlPmk

-- On seeing him in other Arrowverse shows after Arrow ends, RG: "I think so. I mean, that could definitely happen. I mean, you know, we've seen me in the Waverider. Uh, we've seen, uh, my character interact with Supergirl and Flash. Um, so there's no reason why Batwoman wouldn't need the help of Wild Dog."

EZ - CW's Arrow - Juliana Harkavy Interview
Published on Aug 29, 2019, by Paul Amadeus Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seU5cktmm4c

-- On where Dinah is now, JH: "Now that Oliver is gone, she is really, you know, she needs to make that decision and I think the decision she makes is that she needs to be both because she is the Captain and she is the Black Canary, and now the leader is gone, so I think that she's taking ownership of being able to do both things and not feeling like she needs to pick one side or the other."

-- On whether she's going to be in the crossover, JH: "I have heard I am."

Edited August 30, 2019 by tv echo

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David Ramsey on The Challenges of a Potential Green Lantern TV Show
By RUSS BURLINGAME - August 30, 2019
https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/08/29/david-ramsey-on-the-challenges-of-a-potential-green-lantern-tv-s/ 

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... We asked Ramsey how many times he has knocked on "Crisis" showrunner Marc Guggenheim's door to ask what's going on over the years.

“I cannot tell you how many times,” Ramsey told ComicBook.com. “But really, I don’t have to knock on Marc’s door. He’s been incredibly forthright with letting me know the plan, and letting me know some of the politics behind it. Green Lantern is a tremendously large property, and it’s not easily done. If it was done on TV, imagine the cost. So it’s one of those things where it’s going to take a great deal of preparation if and when it’s ever done.”

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Fall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 35+ Returning Favorites!
By Michael Ausiello, Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz and Charlie Mason / September 4 2019
https://tvline.com/2019/09/04/fall-season-premieres-2019-tv-spoilers-preview/
https://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2019-season-premiere-spoilers/

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ARROW
As suggested by the Season 7 finale, Oliver will be doing the Monitor’s bidding until the “Crisis” crossover kicks off in December. And though Oliver assumed he’d fly solo on this task-based mission, “a familiar encounter” will lead him to realize “he’s not going to be allowed to do it alone,” says series lead Stephen Amell. (As David Ramsey told TVLine, “Diggle has always been on Oliver’s side, and it will be no different in Season 8. We’ll see them get even tighter, in ways that they haven’t been before.”) Co-showrunner Marc Guggenheim — acknowledging that Arrow is “fundamentally a different show without Emily [Bett Rickards],” who played Felicity — says that the first seven episodes of the 10-episode farewell run offer “an opportunity to really look back on the first seven seasons, which is very gratifying.” And as it does so, watch for a return to “stunts that we’ve never seen before,” says Guggenheim, while Amell adds, “We’re going to try to develop a sense of humor for Oliver — in the nick of time!”

BONUS SPOILER!: In the future storyline with Mia, Connor et al, “We get to do something with Team Arrow 2.0 that we didn’t get a chance to do with 1.0, which is tell the story of their growing pains,” says Guggenheim. “That’s a lot of fun.”

RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9/8c (The CW)
 

Edited September 5, 2019 by tv echo

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Byron Mann To Recur In Hulu’s ‘Little Fires Everywhere’; Returning To ‘Arrow’ For Final Season
By Denise Petski  September 6, 2019
https://deadline.com/2019/09/byron-mann-recur-little-fires-everywhere-returning-arrow-final-season-1202713441/

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Additionally, Mann will be returning to The CW’s Arrow for its upcoming eighth and final season as Yao Fei, a character he portrayed during season one.

Arrow Season One Character Returning For Final Season
By BRANDON DAVIS - September 6, 2019
https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/09/06/arrow-final-season-character-return-yao-fei/

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In its final season, Arrow will be bringing back a character who played a key role in Oliver Queen's earliest days on the CW series. Yao Fei Gulong, the master archer introduced on Lian Yu will be making a comeback in the final episodes, with Byron Mann reprising the role.

Edited September 8, 2019 by tv echo

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The Flash's Candice Patton Says Oliver Queen's Death Will Be Devastating
By AARON PERINE - September 6, 2019 
https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/09/07/the-flashs-candice-patton-says-oliver-queens-death-will-be-devastating/

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Season 6 of The Flash is almost here, and fans can't wait for the show to start up this fall. Candice Patton plays Iris West on the series, and she's happy to be back with Team Flash. But, things are going to get darker this season in the Arrowverse. Oliver Queen and Arrow started it all at the CW, but the character's time is growing short. The final season of that show is here as well, and the main character sounds like he won't be making it out alright. Patton told Comicbook.com her reaction to Oliver Queen's demise.

"He's so beloved in all of these cities and by all of these superheroes. I think its going to be devastating. I mean, it's Oliver Queen. You can't replace Oliver Queen, you just can't," She said.

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Stephen Amell Says Felicity Is at Forefront of Oliver's Mind [VIDEO]
Posted on September 9, 2019
https://www.eonline.com/videos/295111/stephen-amell-says-felicity-is-at-forefront-of-oliver-s-mind

-- SA: "I don't want to spend 10 episodes moping around. Right? ... What I've done for my character is, I've said to myself, okay, she looked at me and she said, 'whatever happens, wherever you go, I'll find you.' ... And I believe her. That's the motivation for my character... That being said, it's incredibly sad. We shot a really cool scene in episode 2 where - I can't wear my wedding ring in episode 1 for a specific reason, and - so in episode 2, it wasn't scripted, but, um, we did a little specialty shot where he puts it back on, thinks about 'em, so she's certainly in the forefront of his mind."

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Source links for 801 promo pics...
https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/photos?page=1&show=arrow&season=&episode=
http://www.greenarrowtv.com/arrow-season-premiere-photos-starling-city/
https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/07/arrow-episode-801-title-revealed.html
https://tvline.com/gallery/arrow-season-8-photos-final-season/

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Stephen Amell & David Ramsey Talk What's Next for "Arrow" | E! Red Carpet & Award Shows
Published on Sep 10, 2019, by E! Red Carpet & Award Shows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaxIEUxTEOk

-- SA: "Oliver's out of space and time. Normally we do, like, six months. Normally we let May until October pass. It's weird, nothing bad in Star City ever happens in the month of June. You know what I mean, but why? ... My guess would be, like, four or five weeks have passed and, uh, Oliver starts the season in Starling City."

-- SA: "I feel like every episode's kind of an event, you know? Um, Mark Pedowitz and Peter Roth, um, you know, they've given us a really tremendous opportunity to take 10 episodes and really try and service the people, you know, that have been been with us since the jump... I mean, you know, it's the same, it's the same crew, it's the same sets and stuff like that, but, I don't know, um, it feels less serialized and obviously there's a through-line for - thus far for - for Oliver and Diggle and Laurel."

-- DR: "I think Diggle's position is as it always is, which is, here's the challenge, we'll face it. And whether that's local thugs or cosmic beings, it's still the same position for John Diggle. Like, we can get through this. Um, that's going to prove challenging obviously with Crisis On Infinite Earths and the crossover, which - which, by the way, every single episode is gearing up for. Like, that's kind of - um, we're all at a race in very episode up to that crossover. ... I almost don't know what's going to happen in 9 and 10. I don't really. I know a little bit of 10. But it's almost like that's our ultimate episode, right? Because we're all - one through seven's gearing up to 8."

-- SA: "The crossover officially starts in episode 8. Officially. But, as far as I'm concerned, for us, like thematically, it starts in episode 1. It started in episode 722 now and continues in 801."

-- SA: "I play two characters again. That's exciting. The other character's not a Nazi this time."

-- DR: "Questions will be answered. Is Oliver dead, really? Is Felicity and Oli - are Felicity and Oliver together? Is John Diggle Green Lantern? Are John Diggle and Lyla Michaels, who's the head of ARGUS, what's their relationship? What's going on with Oliver's sister? ... These are great questions, and they'll all be answered in Season 8 of Arrow."

Edited September 11, 2019 by tv echo

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ETA: ETonline subsequently corrected their article as marked below...

'Arrow' Boss Says It's 'Surreal' Writing Series Finale: 'There's Going to Be a Lot of Tears' (Exclusive)
By Philiana Ng‍ 10:00 AM PDT, September 11, 2019
https://www.etonline.com/arrow-boss-on-series-finale-theres-going-to-be-a-lot-of-tears-exclusive

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While Arrow's farewell season doesn't officially kick off for another month, the writers have already begun working on the final episode of the series -- and the reality that the end is near is starting to hit home.

"In the [writers'] room [Monday], we started working on the series finale so it felt very real," showrunner Beth Schwartz confessed to ET, which exclusively debuts a new photo featuring members of original Team Arrow the original Arrow cast, Oliver (Stephen Amell), Diggle (David Ramsey) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy Rodgers), all suited up and ready for battle. "I couldn't believe it. Just saying it, it felt a little bit surreal. Towards the end of every season, we start breaking what's happening next season and this year, there isn't a next season. It feels very strange."

Unlike previous seasons, the CW superhero drama only has 10 episodes to wrap up its eight-year run and Schwartz shared that she and the other producers are treating these final 10 episodes like a "greatest hits" album. Though they've "always had a plan for the series finale," Schwartz revealed that the plan for the series' swan song has evolved since this season started.

"Now that it's here, we're obviously going to add more things that did evolve from this season specifically," she said, adding that she and fellow executive producer Marc Guggenheim haven't shifted on "where we wanted to end it."
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"This season is definitely a reflection of all the previous seasons," Schwartz said. "The premiere is very nostalgic of the pilot and of season one, visiting those sets, like Queen mansion, that we all love and we all have [people] we've tried to bring back a few times -- those characters that were really there from the very beginning and helped to create this series and what made it so successful."

Crafting those pivotal final scenes with characters like Moira and Tommy didn't prove challenging for the writers, Schwartz promised. Instead, they provided new opportunities to these key characters -- many of whom died valiant deaths over the course of the series -- proper goodbyes.

Other familiar faces popping in for one last go include Adrian Chase (Josh Segarra), Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), Tatsu Yamashiro (Rila Fukushima) and Yao Fei Gulong (Byron Mann). 

"It felt nostalgic and kind of perfect for the end of the series to have these final scenes with these characters we haven't seen in a while. It felt right that this is how we should end the season and it was fun to write for Moira again and to write for Tommy and all the characters we wrote for eight years ago," she said. "It felt natural."
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Schwartz revealed that there is one other thing that will be different this season on Arrow: There will be a new introduction voiced by Amell for the show's final run. "Yes, we will have a new one this season," she said. "We had a new one last season and there will be a new one this year as well. It's the last one."

Production is past the midway point on the final season, a fact Schwartz still hasn't quite wrapped her head around.

"It definitely feels like this is the right time for the series to end, but I feel like it's not going to feel quite real until that last script of the finale comes out. And then I feel like there's going to be a lot of tears," she admitted. "I'm sure it'll be the same thing on the last day of filming on set. That's when it's going to feel even more real when we're actually going through it."

Edited September 12, 2019 by tv echo

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Arrow stars Stephen Amell, David Ramsey drop clues about final season
By Chancellor Agard September 13, 2019
https://ew.com/tv/2019/09/13/arrow-stephen-amell-season-8-preview-diggle-laurel-oliver/

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“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.”
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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.”

Transcribed from video in this article: 

-- SA: "When we're doing 22 episodes or 23 episodes, as we did for the first six years, we're very serialized, you know. And obviously there's a - there's a throughline for this year, but every episode feels unique. Episode 1 is like Season 1. Episode 2 is about a very specific part of Season 3... Every episode feels like an event."

-- DR: "Diggle is, as he should be, at Oliver's side. That's how we begin this season. And ultimately that's how we end it."

-- DR: "It's the three of them. Oliver, Laurel and Diggle. A good chunk of what we're doing will be with the three of them, um, in a way that they haven't been before."

-- SA: "I don't know what the test is per se. I think the biggest thing is, is just him believing Felicity when she says, ‘Whatever happens, whatever happens to you, I’ll find you.’ That’s his guiding light."

-- DR: "We had our first day on the set and we're in the same area where Felicity usually is, and it was just a noticeable absence."

-- SA: "He might face a test, apparently in episode 7, which is our last episode before the crossover."

-- SA: "This final season is more about resolve."

-- DR: "I think there's something in the Monitor that - that brings this Crisis that hasn't happened before. It's a five-show crossover. All these shows are kinda gonna to be together. And I'm a geek. I'm a - I'm a fan of the show. I remember growing up and wanting to see the Bionic Woman team up with the Six Million Dollar Man, you know what I mean? And now we have like a five or six show - it's a crazy amount of characters. Logistically, we're going to approach it the same way we approach every single crossover, which is gonna be, 'there is no way this is gonna happen,' and then it happens, we watch it and go, 'wow, look what we just did.' So I'm looking forward to that."

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Arrow Season 8: Oliver Queen's Final Mission Begins With a Shocking Return - IGN First
By Jesse Schedeen  Posted: 17 Sep 2019 
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/17/arrow-final-season-8-oliver-queen-moira-malcolm-merlyn

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As you might expect, Schwartz wasn't able to reveal how these characters are returning. The photo above seems to suggest Ollie may be visiting an alternate Earth where Moira fell in love with Malcolm rather than Robert Queen, but we'll have to wait for the season premiere to learn the answer.

"All I can say is that it's something we've never done on our show before, and we're going to see a lot of familiar faces in a different way than we've done on the show before," Schwartz teased.

Schwartz did say bringing back Susanna Thompson and John Barrowman was a definite priority given how integral both actors were in the early seasons of Arrow. "We wanted to get everyone back who basically made the show the success it is, and those two characters were definitely both pivotal to the series."
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In the past, executive producer Marc Guggenheim has described each episode of Arrow's eighth season as "a love letter" to a past season. Schwartz confirmed "Starling City" is a throwback to Season 1 in many ways (particularly the pilot episode) though she also said "there's also a little mixture of a couple of seasons in that first episode."

Arrow has always been focused on Oliver Queen's evolution as a character. Stephen Amell's narration in the title sequence always refers to Ollie becoming "something else," whether that transition involves him becoming a ruthless vigilante, a noble hero, a politician, or even an imprisoned felon. We asked Schwartz how that never-ending evolution plays out in Season 8. Is Ollie a superhero on a mission, or is he a man confronting his inevitable end?

According to Schwartz, it's a little of both. "He's proving to be the ultimate hero. I mean, he started Season 1 as the anti-hero. He was killing people, for the greater good, but he was still killing people. And so going from Season 1 all the way to Season 8, he's proving to be that selfless hero that he always hoped to be. And we're bringing back all the characters throughout the season who have helped him get to that point."
*  *  *
Schwartz teased the flash-forwards will feature a brand new wrinkle of their own, one that could leave the door open for future storylines even after Arrow wraps up. "We are doing something cool with the flash forward stories that .. there's definitely more stories to be told. But again, there's more stories that we could tell for Arrow for probably 10 more years as well."

With the way each episode of Arrow: Season 8 pays tribute to a past season, we were curious how much the overall structure of the series will change leading up to December's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. Is there more of a standalone approach to Season 8?
*  *  *
"There's definitely a serialized story, but I would say that each episode is its own huge event and they take place in different settings," said Schwartz. "Which is different from previous seasons, we're mostly in Star City, where some episodes we'll go somewhere else, but this season we're in a different location in every episode."

[tv echo]

Arrow Interview: Katherine McNamara On The “Olicity” Legacy
September 17, 2019 Craig Byrne 
http://www.greenarrowtv.com/arrow-interview-katherine-mcnamara-on-the-olicity-legacy/ 

Quote

GREENARROWTV’s CRAIG BYRNE: What was your reaction when you found that they’re playing the daughter of Oliver and Felicity?
KATHERINE McNAMARA: I was speechless, and a little terrified, and I knew I had a lot of work to do, because I hadn’t watched all of the show yet. But I knew, because with Shadowhunters we had Malec, and we had Clace, and all of those relationships, so Olicity was always in that mix, and I knew how much the fans cared about them. And then I said, “all right, well, if I’m their kid, then I’m going to watch the entire show.” And after watching the show, I get it, bcause Stephen and Emily have spent so much time crafting, not only their individual characters, but the relationship together. It’s so beautifully done and so nuanced, I wanted to be able to bring in as many elements of both of them as possible.

And I keep doing that. Even now, I try to take the little things that Stephen does physically, or I asked the writers to add a couple “Fracks!” to the script the other day, just to keep that alive.

GATV: Might we see you in a costume this season?
KATHERINE McNAMARA: I don’t know. They don’t tell me anything. I get the scripts, and then I find out what happens.

What’s interesting about this season is, Mia was raised in isolation. She was raised in the woods by her mother who was very guarded. She was trained by Nyssa al Ghul who is by nature a lone wolf. And now this season, she has learned how to be a part of a team, and she doesn’t play well with others.

That’s a very interesting thing to see – how successful or unsuccessful she is at that. And also with that, she’s not used to being responsible for someone else. She promised her mom she take care of Williams. She can’t fight for him. He can’t defend himself as well as she can. That fear… having someone else at risk who you can’t take care of all the time. You’re not always in the same place. She can’t always be right there to protect him and that’s terrifying, so that’s a lot of what she has to deal with this season.

GATV: When you were doing your watch of Arrow, were you amused to realize that you had fought William’s mother (Anna Hopkins, who played Samantha) on Shadowhunters?
KATHERINE McNAMARA: Yes! I was! I love Anna Hopkins so much. I find it funny. I joke with her all the time. She’s my evil stepmom in everything. She’s been the mom to him, and she’s been the demon mom of my brother in Shadowhunters. Anna’s my evil stepmother, and I love it.

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[tv echo]

Willa Holland (Thea) To Return In Arrow Season 8
September 18, 2019 Craig Byrne 
http://www.greenarrowtv.com/willa-holland-thea-to-return-in-arrow-season-8/

Quote

As if names like Colin Donnell, Susanna Thompson, John Barrowman, Josh Segarra and others were not enough, Warner Bros. has confirmed in a shared exclusive to GreenArrowTV and another outlet that Willa Holland (Thea) will indeed be back in Arrow Season 8!

Willa’s return had been rumored for a while and the number of episodes she is returning in is not yet known, though we are hearing she makes her return in the third episode of Arrow Season 8 which is called “Leap of Faith” and was directed by Katie Cassidy Rodgers.

“We are thrilled to have Willa back in our final season,” Executive Producer Beth Schwartz said in a statement.

Arrow Favorite Willa Holland to Return and Recur During Final Season
By Matt Webb Mitovich / September 18 2019, 
https://tvline.com/2019/09/18/arrow-willa-holland-returns-final-season-thea/

Quote

The character that Arrow fans most hoped would put in an appearance during the final season — Oliver’s sister, played by former series regular Willa Holland — will indeed be seen again, TVLine has learned. But wait, there’s more: Holland is confirmed to not just guest-star but recur during the CW series’ 10-episode farewell run.

“We are thrilled to have Willa back in our final season,” says showrunner Beth Schwartz.

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This interview was recorded on Sep. 9th while LMG was at TIFF...

LaMonica Garrett on Crisis on Infinite Earths, Arrow, and Playing the Anti-Monitor
Published on Sep 18, 2019, by Collider Interviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg-pNGmyXmI

-- LMG: "I was working yesterday on Arrowverse stuff."

-- On being the lynchpin in the COIE crossover event, LMG: "Bringing the Monitor out was a big deal... He's not as big as other characters that you would, you know, that you'd see, like Superman and Batman and all these other characters. He's kind of obscure, but bringing that to life for the first time was fun. And when they told me I was gonna be the Anti-Monitor, that was a game-changer. I'm like, so I get to play both of them. So that's, I'm in heaven right now."

-- On whether he knows how Arrow will end, LMG: "I do not. I know the comic book, you know, and they're sticking pretty close to what the comic book was, so that's kind of - it's a good thing, but you can't adapt everything from the page. But they're doing their spin on it and so far it's like they're hitting it out of the park."

-- On how Arrow, Legends, Supergirl and Flash are different behind-the-scenes, LMG: "I deal a lot with the makeup departments because of my whole get-up, so there's different personalities within those departments. And you can tell Arrow's been there for awhile. They've been there for eight seasons. So they're just a well-oiled machine, you know what I mean? So they - there's little things that are different between all of them, but most of them run pretty tight ships, so it, you know, it's all good."

-- On whether the CW shows have a lot of rewrites, LMG: "There's a lot of changes that go on and it's with - with that character, he has a cadence the way he speaks... I don't think anyone speaks like the Monitor. So I kinda get - I get the character down and when there's changes on the last minute, it kind of throws off a little bit, but you just, you know, you recalibrate, you check back in, and then, you know, you go for it."

-- On where he is on the shooting schedule right now, LMG: "Midway through on Arrow. I bounce around to, you know, different shows. We just wrapped episode 5 of Arrow. So it's the halfway point. And we start shooting Crisis in maybe another month."

-- On being a big part of Arrow this season, LMG: "Yeah, I'm Arrow-heavy this year... So Monitor and Arrow are pretty much joined at the hip for this last season. But he does bounce around and he wreaks havoc. You know, you think Monitor is bad. It's like bad cop/worse cop, because Anti-Monitor's coming, so, you know, the audience that's hating one person right now, when they see the other guy, it's gonna - it's gonna be real."

-- On whether he has "borrowed" anything from the set of any of the CW shows, LMG: "I've borrowed a lot of comic books... Yesterday on set, we - we did photos for my own action figure. So I'm about to have a Monitor action figure, so that was fun. And when that comes out, I'm going to borrow that too and put it with the rest of my comic book collection and action figures."

-- On whether he can leave set wearing the costume, LMG: "I can't leave set with the costume. But the mutton chops and the hair -  I had like a six-hour break between shots once, so I went back to the hotel and the looks I got, like, people just got out of the way... I coulda robbed a bank in broad daylight with that hair and the mutton chops."

Edited September 19, 2019 by tv echo

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From SDCC on Jul. 20, 2019...

ARROW: Stephen Amell on Oliver's Mindset in the Final Season
Published on Sep 17, 2019, by GiveMeMyRemoteTV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK6KvQp8QhM

-- On what Oliver's mentality is like this season, SA: "It's good. When I read the premiere, I talked with Marc and Beth a bunch, because they didn't want him to spend the entire season being morose. Right? It was my thought that, yeah, he had to leave his wife and he had to leave his infant child and he had to leave William, and theoretically he had to leave Diggle and Thea and all of the people that are important in his life. But I want him to be strong... It's important to me that when Felicity says, 'whatever happens, I'll find you,' right? If he believes that, then he can march forward."

Edited September 19, 2019 by tv echo

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Arrow - Episode 8.05 - 8.07 - Titles Revealed
Posted by DarkUFO at September 19, 2019
https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/09/arrow-episode-805-807-titles-revealed.html

Quote

Arrow - Episode 8.05 - Prochnost
Arrow - Episode 8.06 - Reset
Arrow - Episode 8.07 - Purgatory

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Quote

THIS BLOG POST IS FOR "ARROW" SEASON 8 EPISODE 7.
*  *  *
Yesterday I caught Arrow filming in a place fans are unfortunately familiar with. Arrow had a rare location shoot for their 7th episode of season 8 in Central Park in Burnaby. This is of course the same park infamously known for the Laurel funeral scene that really became the contentious turning point for the show. Of course this time, there was no funeral going on.... so you can breathe a bit easier Laurel fans. They were filming a few hundred feet down from there quite literally in a little encampment area they had made between some trees. The set was tight, and well covered by equipment and trees, so there was no on set reports to be had.

The only absolute details I do know is, three cast were seen going in & out of the set. Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen was there, he didnt seem to be in Green Arrow attire of any type, just regular Oliver clothes. Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance or Black Canary was there. While I never saw her wearing a mask, and she kept covered up when coming out to get in a transportation vehicle, the fact she was keeping her wardrobe well under wraps made me wonder if she was in BC attire. No coincidence once they realized I was there, they made her walk an extra long path to get to set to avoid coming thru the parking lot that was most convenient to drop off at. With so few promo images out of it so far, its hard to get a read on if that could be in hidden under her winter jacket. Lastly, a returning old face, Byron Mann was there. Last we saw him as Yao Fei, he was dead.... so is this a flashback through The Monitor, or, a different timeline/Earth?

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by tv echo

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[tv echo]

According to IMDb, the title for 809 is "What They Become"...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9700188/?ref_=tt_ep_nx

[Primal Slayer]

[Starfish35]

From today’s Ask Ausiello:

Quote

Question: Although Emily Bett Rickards left Arrow, will Felicity Smoak still be mentioned? —Stephanie
Ausiello: While Oliver in the present timeline holds onto the hope that, as Felicity said, they will find each other again, Future Mia will struggle to do right by Mom. On top of learning how to be part of a team alongside Connor, Zoe et al (“Mia does not play well with others!”), Katherine McNamara points out that Mia “is not used to having to look out for anyone but herself, and she promised her mother that she would protect William. But she can’t fight for him, so that’s real fear, and it’s something she doesn’t know how to handle. It’s quite the learning curve!”

[tv echo]

Arrow | Sacrifice Extended Trailer | The CW
Published on September 24, 2019, by The CW Network

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[way2interested]

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Edited September 28, 2019 by tv echo

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801 synopsis...
https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/07/arrow-episode-801-title-revealed.html

Quote

ARROW
“Starling City” — (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, LV) (HDTV)

SEASON PREMIERE – While trying to decipher The Monitor’s (guest star LaMonica Garrett) mission, Oliver (Stephen Amell) returns to Starling City where he encounters familiar faces. Meanwhile, Mia (Katherine McNamara) and William’s (Ben Lewis) team clash with a new foe. James Bamford directed the episode written by Beth Schwartz & Marc Guggenheim (#801). Original airdate 10/15/2019.

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Audition for role of "Bianca Scott" in ep 809 of Arrow...

2019 09 Taping ARROW_BIANCA_Chanika Desilva full
Posted on Sep. 27, 2019, by Chanika Desilva

Audition Scene 1:
CD: "Holas, Amy! Let's go.!"
Reader (offscreen): "You [unintelligible words] before you punch that guy!"
CD (looking at third person or persons): "Yeah. Probably. So, you must be his friend. Hi! (Whispers) I think he likes you."
Reader: "You're gonna pay."
CD (mimicking fight moves): "Then put it on my tab. That was a good one."
Reader: "That was stupid!"
CD: "Oh, come on. We had that under control. You're a badass. So am I."
Reader: "You're reckless."
CD: "I go with my instincts. And I'm not dead yet, so must be doing something right."
Reader: "And what if your luck runs out? And mine with it?"
CD: "Not much of a gambler, are you?"
Reader: "I don't like unnecessary risks!"
CD: "No such thing. Life is risk. What we do is risky. Sometimes that means that maybe 20 guys want to kill us. And, yeah, that sucks. But then you know that you can handle it."
Reader: "So this is what? Risk training?"
CD: "You're never surprised if you're always getting surprised. See? Not just reckless. There's a method to my madness."
Reader: "You're insane."
CD: "Come on, admit it. You had fun."
Reader: "A little."
CD: "That's more like it. But even I know when fun time's over. Run."

Audition Scene 2: 
CD: (Knocks)
Reader (offscreen): "Hey, baby girl. What a surprise."
CD: "Hi, Dad. Can we talk for a minute?"
Reader: "Sure, sure. Come on in."
CD: "How've you been?"
Reader: "Great. Keepin' busy. Staying out of trouble."
CD: "That's great to hear. How's everything at the factory?"
Reader: "I got out of there! That place was a waste of my talent. You want one?"
CD: "No, thanks. You sure you want one?"
Reader: "Yeah. That's why I'm having one. What are you doin' here, Bianca?"
CD: "I was hoping you could help me out on a case I'm working on."
Reader: "Help you out? How?"
CD: "There's this new mystery drug that's been showing up all around Star City. No one can figure out what it is or where it came from, but it's bad. Five people have already O.D.-ed."
Reader: "How can I help with that?"
CD: "I was wondering if you or any of your friends heard about it."
Reader: "Sounds like you're accusing me of something. I'm on the straight and narrow."
CD: "Dad. I know that's not true. You're still drinking. [Unintelligible words] You were admitted to General Hospital two weeks ago with symptoms of possible overdose. If you let me help you. We can help a lot of other people together."
Reader: "Typical Bianca. So judgy."
CD: "I'm not judging you."
Reader: "I don't want your pity either."
CD: "I knew it was a mistake to come here. If you want to drink your life away, then fine. Be my guest. But I don't want any part of it."

Edited September 29, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

ARROW - INGRID - JULIE MCLELLAN SCENE TWO
Posted on Sep. 29, 2019, by Julie McLellan

Reader (off-screen): "There you are. You don't pick up the phone anymore."
JM: "You are really unbelievable."
Reader: "I've been told that's a good thing."
JM: "Enough of your bullshit!  I know who you are. Who you really are. Don't you have anything to say?"
Reader: "How did you find out?"
JM: "That's what you want to know? You've been lying to me for months. And the first thing you say isn't, 'I'm sorry'? 'Please forgive me'? It's 'how did you find out?'"
Reader: "You don't understand. You knowing puts you in danger."
JM: "Even you don't believe that."
Reader: "You don't know the people I'm up against. They won't hesitate to use you against me. That's why I couldn't tell you."
JM: "Lying to me doesn't magically erase me from your life. I'm a target whether I know or not. In fact, the only person lying protects is you. From everyone who would want to leave because they wouldn't want to put up with this crap!"
Reader: "You're right. I wanted to tell you. But I was afraid, and I owed you more than that. You're my best friend, Ingrid. But if you want to leave, I won't stop you."
JM: "Good."
Reader: "You're not leaving?"
JM: "I'm internally debating... You can sit there. But don't say anything."

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Stephen Amell Previews Arrow's Farewell Run, Opens Up About What Arrowverse Legacy Means to Him
By Matt Webb Mitovich / September 30 2019,
https://tvline.com/2019/09/30/stephen-amell-interview-arrow-final-season-8/ 

Quote

TVLINE | What sort of growth is left for Oliver over these 10 episodes?
We’re going to try to develop a sense of humor for him — in the nick of time. [Laughs]

TVLINE | What’s driving him right now?
Two things: One, he believes the Monitor, because Kara and Barry were going to die and the Monitor gave him [an alternative]. And secondarily, he believes Felicity when she says, “Whatever happens, I’ll find you.” He believes her. There’s a great exchange in [this season’s] Episode 2, between me and Rila Fukushima, who plays Tatsu, where she says, “You’re being driven by anger,” and he goes, “I’m not angry.” Because he’s not. He’s simply doing what has to be done. In a lot of ways, he was driven by anger in those earlier seasons; not so much this year. He’s just making good on the deal he made. He made a deal. He saved Barry, saved Kara…. [Sheepishly] I’m bummed out that he lied to Barry about making a deal.

TVLINE | What sort of conflicts will Oliver get into on a weekly basis, during this final run? The producers [at TCA] were talking about “humongous” events in each episode.
[Sarcastically] Well, yeah, that’d be the first time a showrunner had said, “It’s huge.” [Laughs] Oliver is doing the Monitor’s bidding. Both the first and the second episode are based around a specific task that the Monitor has given him. In both episodes he has to retrieve something.

TVLINE | But there will be opportunities for close quarters combat?
Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. [Laughs] I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… the first two episode are huge. [Laughs]

Edited October 1, 2019 by tv echo

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[Primal Slayer]

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Quote

A plane crash in Arrow’s season 8 episode Purgatory.
Will this explain how Roy Harper ended up on Lian Yu? I saw Colton Haynes leaving set yesterday.
*  *  *
Crew staged the plane crash for two days in Delta’s North 40 Reserve Park with fuselage strewn around, atmospheric smoke and a loud explosion or two.
Who was on set? Everybody’s in this episode apparently.
*   *  *
Atmospheric smoke.
*  *  *
Simulated crash site.

*  *  *

 Welcome to  Arrow in North 40 Reserve Park.