Arrow 8x10 : Fadeout review

Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it. 

This is it. The end of an era. The final episode of Arrow has come and gone and with it we said goodbye to not only a legend in Oliver Queen but to the show that started it all. There would be no Flash, Supergirl, Legends Of Tomorrow etc without this show and no matter how people may feel about it personally it's impact is going to forever remembered. The episode begins with various little flashbacks. It amps up however when we see Slade Wilson going to kill Moira Queen from way back in season 2. Back then he did kill Oliver's mother but now Oliver breaks free and saves his mom stopping Slade in the process. This is the first of now many changes having been made to the Universe thanks to Oliver's sacrifice. Moira Queen lives on, so does Quentin Lance who is still the Mayor but is soon retiring aiming to pass the torch to Rene and so on.  More flashbacks follow like Diggle and Oliver's inner struggle from the beginning of season 1 as Oliver's hunts down those on his fathers list. We even see his father's sacrifice one final time and the affect it really had on Oliver as a whole. It made him the person he was and decided the actions he would ultimately end up taking. Next up we see Mia in the future and after the events of last week with William getting kidnapped right in front of her before she herself blacking out we see her awake in her bed. Sara is then seen standing over Mia which startles her. Sara says she time jumped here to take Mia to her father's funeral in the past for a proper chance at goodbye. So with Mia now back in the past again we see literally every member of Team Arrow both past and present in the bunker..all expect Felicity at least for the time begin as Diggle mentions how he's been struggling to get any sort of response back from her.

At the Bunker it's clear to see that emotions are running high. Diggle especially is heartbroken over what's happened to his brother in arms. Thea and Roy are here also as Roy tries to apologize for just up and leaving Thea in a time where she really needed him. Their and everyone else's reunion time is cut short however when a news report comes on the bunker screen stating that William in the present time has been abducted just outside of Star City. Everyone gets split up into different groups to find him with Mia donning her father's hood. We then get another flashback of Oliver taking on a group of enemies. All of this co insides with Mia finding William and her captor who is someone that Oliver captured and had locked up in Iron Heights for 8 years. He tells Mia that he has nothing to live for now and if she wants to kill him go ahead. With bow readied Mia soon relinquishes it and says no but does say that he is going back to prison. Honestly? this felt a bit odd. Especially the William part. How easily he was rescued was rushed imo and while Mia learning more about not taking lives was vital this scene was hit and miss at least for me. Back at the Bunker we see Dinah, Dig and Rene talking again. Dig mentions how after Oliver's funeral he Lyla and their two children are moving to Metropolis. Dinah says she is moving there also has she has just turned down a promotion as since Oliver's sacrifice the city has become a much safer place. Metropolis on the other hand?? well she says it's time for a new challenge and Metropolis is exactly that. Rene says he is going to stay in Star City as his eyes are solely set on becoming the Mayor. The final thing we see in the Bunker is this scene and as all three enter the elevator to leave all the lights shut off one by one with the only thing remaining..blackness. It was a real bittersweet moment to finally see the Bunker shut down for good but also it was done in a very fitting way. 

The episode and series draws to a close at Oliver's wake at night followed by his funeral in the morning. Mayor Lance gives a speech at the wake and talks about how much Oliver had changed from when he first knew him before getting on the Queen's Gambit to the man he became before death. He believes that if someone can change like that for the greater good then anyone can do the same. He officially unveils the Oliver Queen / Green Arrow statue as a way to further honor Oliver for all he done in his lifetime. At the funeral the following morning even more characters return including Tommy, Nyssa and Talia and even Emiko who finally meets Moira Queen along with Thea. I just hope and pray we see Emiko again. She was the best part of last season in my opinion and has a lot to offer. Felicity is shown at Oliver's grave site along with everyone else. They didn't bury Oliver in a casket rather just filled the casket with mementos as another way to further honor his memory. Mia actually ends up meeting her Mom in the flesh as Felicity not mere hours ago saw Mia teething now here she is all grown up, Felicity mentions how she is so proud of her and that Oliver is somewhere feeling the exact same way. With everyone present Dig gets asked to give one final speech and he does. His voiced is played over various scenes like Dinah leaving Star City, Rene entering City Hall but most importantly one scene of himself at night as he and his family prepare to leave. A giant ball of light is seen in the skies plummeting to Earth. It lands inches from Dig launching him into the air. Upon getting back up he sees a giant crater with a box inside. What is it? well emits a giant green light the moment he opens it which can only mean one thing. It's a Green Lantern Power Ring. And with John Diggle's stepfather's name being Stewart I think it's safe to bet at some point in the future we will see John ''Diggle'' Stewart in action saving the galaxy far and wide as part of the Green Lantern Corp. The episode ends on one final note with the view of Oliver's grave stone as we're brought back into the future at the exact point where season 7 ended. With The Monitor leading Felicity into a portal where Oliver awaits inside. Upon entering we're brought into Oliver's mom's office inside of Queen Consolidated. The very first place Oliver saw Felicity all those years ago. Felicity is seen wearing the same outfit she wore the first time we the audience saw her which was a nice throwback. Oliver is seen waiting for her and tells her that it's a long story to tell exactly how and what happened but now they have all the time together as the final thing we see is both of them looking out of the window of Queen Consolidated. A fitting ending for the true couple of this show. Would've I have liked Oliver and Laurel from Earth-1 together until the end more? yes. I guess I'm a comic traditionalist in that sense. But for this show and it's storylines over the years this ending was very fitting indeed. 

And that is that. 8 years of Arrow wrapped up in a nice and tidy bow. It has been truly an experience and a half to say the least to watch this show over the years. On the plus side it's been an honor to cover it and provide my take on it since season 6 began. I wish I could've been doing this since the beginning truthfully. Maybe I will revisit it from the beginning one day who knows. Arrow was a show that started off small but grew into something that I don't think the actors and writers even knew it would become. Way back in season 1 who would've thought we'd ever get to see Green Arrow, The Flash, Superman, Supergirl and more on screen together someday? not me that's for sure. As for it's villains over the years not all were that great but it did have some incredible standouts. Deathstroke and Prometheus for example. While others like Damien Dahrk and Ra's Al Ghul who admittedly I liked at points just weren't compelling enough. Dhark went onto be actually better in Legends Of Tomorrow so at least he got some character redemption. All in all though I do think it was right to end it here. 8 seasons is more than enough for a superhero themed show honestly. Not every season was perfect but man was it still so enjoyable. I wanna say thank you to Stephen Amell who without this shouldn't just wouldn't have worked. He brought Oliver Queen to life in such a way that I don't think anyone will ever top it. I also wanna say thanks to everyone who took part in the show from the writers to the produces to the rest of the cast etc. It's been a pleasure as a big DC fan and comic reader to watch this all unfold for 8 years. This universe is constantly developing, always moving and changing and one can only imagine what comes next. Thank you Arrow it was an honor to be in your presence for so long. Rest easy Oliver Queen.

★★★★

Season overall

★★★★