Arrow Review | Season 8

It’s hard to believe that the series that started the Arrowverse off has come to an end. I initially took two attempts to start watching series 1 because I couldn’t connect with it, and now, here we are, 8 seasons later. There’s been some ups and downs but today I’m sharing my review of Arrow, season 8.

Company:  DC Entertainment | Date: 2019/2020

Plot: Following the arrival of The Monitor, Oliver Queen left his home, his family, & his team behind to take on his most challenging battle yet, knowing the cost may be his life. But this time it’s not just his city he’s seeking to protect – it’s the entire multiverse. Oliver’s quest will send him on a journey where he is forced to confront the ultimate question: what is the true cost of being a hero?

Arrow, Season 8 Review

I’ve watched Arrow from the beginning. All 8 seasons. There was no way I was missing the final ever series.

But I wish I’d given up a while ago.

My last reviews sum up how I’ve been feeling: not connecting with the newer members of the team and missing the dynamic of our classic trio. The time-travel element introduced was okay (stranger things have happened) but despite the strong acting, Mia’s character was annoying, the kids’ storyline felt like clutching at straws and it had lost a lot charm.

It pains me to admit it, but season 8 didn’t pull any of these elements back either.

A universe that’s too big

In the early days, I was the first to squeal at a cross-over episode, even if I was behind on first The Flash and then Supergirl. When it reached the point you had to be at exactly the right moment across three different series to have any chance of concluding the plot line, I started missing out. Just the odd episode here and there but it grated on me.

My trouble here is that it’s so reliant on watching the other series. I’m not up-to-date on them; I had no idea what was going on for the majority of season 8. That undermined the emotional element because I was too busy trying to work out how they ended up on a different planet to pay attention to what was happening with the characters.

Considering what happens to some major players this time, it was a shame not to feel invested in a previously-loved world.

There weren’t many things I enjoyed here: didn’t feel for the characters, got lost in the plot and spent half of it bored and the other half confused.

Instead, I thought I’d take a look back.

Favourite parts of the 8 series

The first three/four were the strongest. I loved the Oliver-Felicity-Diggle dynamic and the way they grew, both in terms of relationships and individually. Those who began as secondary characters – Laurel, Roy, Thea etc –had the chance to take centre stage and be more than the ex-lover/sister/protégé characters by holding their own. The expansion of the team felt natural.

The plots were simpler in these earlier ones, making the villains seem darker. The characters had to battle their inner demons to defeat them, rather than whole alternate multiverses full of dark matter.

For me, it started to weaken as the ‘verse grew bigger. It couldn’t be contained but Arrow was still too grounded in reality to properly adapt to this change in direction. As the relationships fractured, new characters didn’t hold my attention and what made the show brilliant started to become undermined, which was a shame.

Final Thoughts

A disappointing ending to what was a mixed run. I hope to revisit it one day when I can fill in the blanks to see if it has a different impact. It finished off the arc for our main couple effectively though – which was satisfying.

Would I recommend it? I guess the early seasons are worth it.

Have you got series you stay with out of loyalty? What have you been watching?

Also in the series:

Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7

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