The seventh season of the

American television series Television is one of the major mass media outlets in the United States. , household ownership of television sets in the country is 96.7%, with approximately 114,200,000 American households owning at least one television set as of August 2013. ...

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'' premiered on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

on October 15, 2018, and concluded on May 13, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The series is based on the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

character

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, a costumed crime-fighter created by

Mort Weisinger Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...

and

George Papp George Edward Papp (January 20, 1916 – August 8, 1989) was an American comics artist best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics. Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weising ...

, and is set in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...

, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunner for this season was

Beth Schwartz Beth Schwartz is an American television writer. She is known for her work as showrunner on the seventh and eighth season of ''Arrow'', and as a co-showrunner on the Netflix series '' Sweet Tooth''. Career She began her career as a production ...

Stephen Amell Stephen Adam Amell (born May 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He came to prominence for playing the lead role of Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series ''Arrow'' (2012–2020). Amell also appeared in subsequent Arrowverse franchise media, along wi ...

stars as

Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, with principal cast members

David Ramsey David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor, director, and martial artist, best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series '' Arrow'', '' The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', and '' Batwoman'' as John Diggle / Spartan, portrayin ...

John Diggle John William Diggle (2 March 1847 – 24 March 1920) was an English Anglican bishop. He was Archdeacon of Westmorland from 1896 to 1901, Archdeacon of Birmingham from 1903 to 1904, and Bishop of Carlisle from 1905 to his death in 1920. Early ...

Emily Bett Rickards Emily Bett Rickards (born July 24, 1991) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Felicity Smoak on The CW series ''Arrow'', her first television credit. She has also reprised the role in the Arrowverse shows ''The Flash'', ''Legends ...

Felicity Smoak Felicity Smoak is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Her first appearance was in ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #23 (May 1984), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of ...

Echo Kellum Echo Kellum (born August 29, 1982) is an American actor and comedian. Kellum is best known for his roles as Curtis Holt on The CW drama series ''Arrow'', Tommy on the FOX sitcom ''Ben and Kate'', and Hunter on NBC's ''Sean Saves the World''. E ...

as Curtis Holt,

Rick Gonzalez Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture ''Coach Carter'', as Spanish in ''Old School (film), Old School'', as Ben Gonzalez on the The CW Television Network ...

Rene Ramirez ''Arrow'' is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is se ...

Juliana Harkavy Juliana Jay Harkavy (born January 1, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Rebecca in ''Dolphin Tale'', Jessie in ''To Write Love on her Arms'', and Alisha in the television series '' The Walking Dead''. Her roles include ...

Dinah Drake Black Canary (Dinah Drake) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, the character debuted in ''Flash Comics'' #86 (August 1947) as ...

, and

Katie Cassidy Rodgers Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy (formerly Rodgers) (born November 25, 1986) is an American actress. Following several minor television roles, she came to attention as a scream queen after starring in the horror films '' When a Stranger Calls'' ...

as Laurel Lance also returning from previous seasons.

Colton Haynes Colton Lee Haynes (born July 13, 1988) is an American actor and model. He is known for his starring role as Jackson Whittemore in the MTV supernatural drama series ''Teen Wolf'' and as Roy Harper / Arsenal in the CW superhero television ser ...

, a principal cast member for seasons

two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

and

three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

and a special guest actor for seasons

four 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

and

six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

, was reinstated as a series regular for the seventh season as Roy Harper. They are joined by

Kirk Acevedo Kirk M. Acevedo (born November 27, 1971) is an American actor. He is primarily known for his work on television for the portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series '' Oz'', Joe Toye in '' Band of Brothers'', and FBI Agent Charlie Francis i ...

as Ricardo Diaz, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Sea Shimooka. The series follows billionaire playboy

(

), who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on

Lian Yu Lian Yu (; born 1886) was a diplomat, politician, judicial officer and lawyer in the Republic of China. He was an important politician during the Reformed Government of the Republic of China and Wang Jingwei regime (Republic of China-Nanjing). H ...

, a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to

Starling City Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of Green Arrow. Beyond that, it is also known to other characters ...

(later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. In the seventh season, five months after Oliver's imprisonment, Diaz has recruited the

Longbow Hunters The Longbow Hunters is the name of a supervillain group appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are depicted as enemies of Green Arrow. The Longbow Hunters first appeared in ''Green Arrow'' Vol. 5 #31 and were created by J ...

, consisting of

Kodiak Kodiak may refer to: Places *Kodiak, Alaska, a city located on Kodiak island * Kodiak, Missouri, an unincorporated community *Kodiak Archipelago, in southern Alaska *Kodiak Island, the largest island of the Kodiak archipelago ** Kodiak Launch Com ...

(Michael Jonsson), Silencer (Miranda Edwards), and Red Dart ( Holly Elissa Dignard) for a new criminal agenda, including seeking revenge on Oliver's loved ones and allies. After Oliver is released from prison, taking down Diaz in the process, he and the former members of Team Arrow are deputized and begin working alongside the police. Another hooded archer, later revealed to be Oliver's half-sister,

Emiko Queen Emiko Queen is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino and debuted in ''Green Arrow'', Vol. 5 #18 (March 2013). She is the younger pater ...

(Sea Shimooka), emerges as the new Green Arrow, seemingly to fight crime on Oliver's behalf. However, Emiko is revealed to be the leader of the

Ninth Circle The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints. 0-9 100 Originally based in Metropolis, the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal underworld for years, ind ...

, a terrorist group that begins launching several attacks upon Star City, and is seeking to destroy Oliver's legacy as the Green Arrow. The season features flash-forwards twenty years into the future to Oliver's now adult son William ( Ben Lewis) who seeks out Roy Harper on Lian Yu, where they discover instructions left by Felicity leading them back to Star City. There they discover more secrets, including Oliver and Felicity's hidden daughter,

Mia Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997 * Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...

(

Katherine McNamara Katherine Grace McNamara (born November 22, 1995) is an American actress, known for playing Clary Fray on the 2016–2019 supernatural drama television series '' Shadowhunters'', and Mia Smoak in the superhero series ''Arrow''. She has also s ...

), while they work to save the city from another attack. The series was renewed for its seventh season on April 2, 2018, and filming began in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia, Canada British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

on July 6, 2018, and ended on April 11, 2019. The season featured the directorial debut of cast member David Ramsey. This season includes the fifth annual Arrowverse crossover with TV series ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'' and ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

''. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 20, 2019. The series was renewed for an eighth and final season on January 31, 2019.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow / Flash *

as John Diggle / Spartan *

as Felicity Smoak / Overwatch *

as Curtis Holt / Mr. Terrific *

as Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog *

as Dinah Drake / Black Canary *

as Roy Harper / Arsenal *

as Ricardo Diaz / Dragon * Sea Shimooka as

as Laurel Lance / Black Siren / Black Canary

Recurring

Michael Jai White Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor, director and martial artist. He was the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, starring as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 ...

as Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger *

Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer. Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelse ...

as Danny Brickwell *

Cody Runnels Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...

as Derek Sampson * Jack Moore as William Clayton ** Ben Lewis as adult William Clayton *

Brendan Fletcher Brendan Fletcher (born December 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, winning a Leo Award and being nominated for a Gemini Award his acting debut in the made-for-television film ''Little Criminals''. He ...

as Stanley Dover / Star City Slayer * Eliza Faria as

Zoe Ramirez ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'' is an American Superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort We ...

** Andrea Sixtos as adult Zoe Ramirez * Holly Elissa as Red Dart * Miranda Edwards as Honor / Silencer * Michael Jonsson as Bear / Kodiak *

Audrey Marie Anderson Audrey Marie Anderson (born March 7, 1975) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Kim Brown in the CBS action-drama series ''The Unit'' (2006–2009) and her recurring roles as DC character Lyla Michaels (Arrowverse) ...

as Lyla Michaels * Laara Sadiq as Emily Pollard *

as Mia Smoak / Blackstar * Raj Paul as Keven Dale *

Joseph David-Jones Joseph David-Jones (born December 22, 1993) is an American actor, known for his roles in the TV dramas ''Nashville'' and ''Arrow''. Early life and career David-Jones was born in 1993, in Los Angeles, and grew up in Florence, Kentucky. He earne ...

as adult

Connor Hawke Connor Hawke is a fictional DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. In the post-''Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, Zero Hour'' continuity, Connor is the eldest son of Oliver Queen, the ori ...

Adrian Paul Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation. Early life Paul was b ...

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

Kacey Rohl Kacey Rohl (born August 6, 1991) is a Canadian actress. She is known for playing Sterling Fitch in the television crime drama '' The Killing'', Prudence in the 2011 dark fantasy film ''Red Riding Hood'', and Abigail Hobbs in the television drama ...

Alena Whitlock ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'' is an American Superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort We ...

Guest

Production

Development

At the

Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...

winter press tour in January 2018,

president

Mark Pedowitz Mark Pedowitz is the former chairman and CEO of The CW. He replaced Dawn Ostroff in 2011, who had been the Head of Entertainment since the network's inception in 2006. Pedowitz oversaw all aspects of The CW, including programming, sales, marketing ...

said he was "optimistic" and "confident" about ''Arrow'' and the other

shows returning next season, but added that it was too soon to announce anything just yet. On April 2, The CW renewed the series for its seventh season.

Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Lege ...

and

Wendy Mericle Wendy Mericle is an American television writer and producer. She is known for her work on the ABC dramedy ''Desperate Housewives'' and The CW's superhero series ''Arrow''. Life and career From the age of seven on, Mericle grew up without a te ...

stepped down as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

s at the end of the sixth season, with veteran writer

taking over as sole showrunner for the seventh season. Guggenheim, the series' co-developer, remains involved as an executive consultant.

Writing

In May 2018, outgoing showrunner Marc Guggenheim revealed that the

, a villainous organization in

, would be teased in the sixth-season finale before being introduced in the seventh season. Following the conclusion of the sixth season, which marked the first time in the series' history where the season's

main antagonist Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...

was still at large, Guggenheim's successor Beth Schwartz confirmed that Ricardo Diaz / Dragon would return and, like his comic book counterpart, establish the Longbow Hunters, "a legendary group of assassins Diaz recruits to get back at Team Arrow for toppling his nascent criminal empire at the end of season 6." Schwartz revealed that "redemption" would be the theme of the seventh season, "since last season when Oliver outed his identity, the city is a little bit mixed about how they feel about the Green Arrow."

commented that there is "nothing about

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

that's heroic" in the season premiere. While Schwartz confirmed that other characters would be influenced by the season's theme, she stated that after Black Siren committed several murders during her partnership with Diaz, she still has "a large way to go to redeem herself from last season." The previous season also left off with Team Arrow fractured and divided. This season sees its members redefining their roles and what it means to be heroes to an anti-vigilante Star City, while honoring "the sacrifice Oliver made for them." The showrunner named Felicity's storyline as one of her favorites for the season's first half. "We played her pretty parallel to Oliver, where she's hiding and not being herself. She's in protective custody, but when someone attacks her family, she can't ignore that, so she has to fight back." Schwartz also said that the season would be "grounded" and have a "dark" tone, similar to that of the first season. The seventh season is the first time the series will employ a female-dominated writing staff, with new writers being introduced this season. Schwartz said the seventh season would not be based on

David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent ...

's scrapped film ''Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max'', which would have featured Oliver Queen being arrested, exposed as the Green Arrow, and attempting a

prison escape A prison escape (referred as a bust out, breakout, jailbreak, or prison break) is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture the ...

. Amell reported that the season would employ a new storytelling technique. This was later revealed to be sporadic flashforwards, as opposed to the weekly flashbacks of seasons past. Schwartz named ''

Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populate ...

'' and ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It s ...

'' as inspirations for the time structure, and ''

Prison Break ''Prison Break'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial drama television show, television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purce ...

'' as an inspiration for the prison arc. Amell also revealed that he requested that the seventh season be written as if it were the series' last.

Casting

Main cast members Stephen Amell,

, and

return from previous seasons as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow, John Diggle / Spartan, Felicity Smoak / Overwatch, Curtis Holt / Mr. Terrific, Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog, Dinah Drake / Black Canary, and Laurel Lance / Black Siren, respectively. The seventh season is the first not to feature original cast members

Willa Holland Willa Holland is an American actress and model. She is known for her roles as Kaitlin Cooper in the Fox teen drama ''The O.C.'', Agnes Andrews in The CW series ''Gossip Girl'', Aqua in ''Kingdom Hearts'', and Thea Queen / Speedy in ''Arrow''. ...

and

Paul Blackthorne Paul Blackthorne (born 5 March 1969) is an English actor. Although born in Shropshire, he spent his early childhood on UK military bases in Britain and Germany. Blackthorne broke into acting via television commercials in England. His breakthro ...

, who play Thea Queen / Speedy and

Quentin Lance '' Arrow'' is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is ...

, respectively, as series regulars following both actors' departures during the previous season. They did, however, reprise their roles for the series' 150th episode. On April 9, 2018, it was announced that

would return as a series regular for the seventh season after previously starring in the

second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

and

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

seasons and making guest appearances in the fourth and sixth seasons as Roy Harper / Arsenal. On October 11,

was promoted to series regular status after previously recurring in the sixth season as main antagonist, Ricardo Diaz / Dragon. Sea Shimooka was introduced as a series regular during the season, playing Oliver's half-sister

. Kellum exited the series during the season, with the episode " Star City Slayer" marking his final appearance as a series regular. Acevedo also exited the series during the season, with the episode " Brothers & Sisters" marking his final appearance as a regular. On March 30, 2019, Rickards posted on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that she would be leaving the series, making the seventh season her last as a member of the main cast. Series co-creator

Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...

and Schwartz confirmed her departure later that day. On July 21 at the series'

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

2018 panel, it was announced that the Longbow Hunters had been cast with Holly Elissa as Red Dart, Miranda Edwards as Silencer, and Michael Jonsson as

. It was also revealed that

, and

would additionally recur as Ben Turner, Danny Brickwell, and Derek Sampson from previous seasons. On September 21,

was cast in a recurring role as Maya, though her character was later revealed to be Oliver and Felicity's future daughter, Mia Smoak / Blackstar. Jack Moore returned in the role of Oliver's son William Clayton, with Ben Lewis portraying the character in flashforwards.

also recurs as

, John's adoptive son, in flashforwards. David-Jones previously played an alternate future version of John's biological son John Diggle, Jr., who went by Connor Hawke / Green Arrow, in the ''

Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American Time travel in fiction, time travel superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klem ...

'' first season episode " Star City 2046". Aiden Stoxx portrays the character as a child in the present. In March 2019,

joined the series in a recurring role as

Filming

Production for the season began on July 6, 2018, in

. In May 2018, Stephen Amell revealed that co-star David Ramsey would direct the eleventh episode of the season, marking Ramsey's directorial debut. Amell also grew a beard during the filming hiatus to accurately resemble the Green Arrow of the comics. Production wrapped on April 11, 2019.

Arrowverse tie-ins

In May 2018, Stephen Amell announced at The CW

upfronts In the television industry, an upfront is a gathering at the start of important advertising sales periods, held by television network executives and attended by major advertisers and the media. It is so named because of its main purpose, to allow ...

that the next

crossover would feature

Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...

and

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the cit ...

. The crossover "

Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realitie ...

" is slated to launch a 2019 solo series for the character. The episode "Emerald Archer" featured appearances from

Grant Gustin Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen (Arrowverse), Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'' as part of the Arrowver ...

and

Caity Lotz Caitlin Marie Lotz (born December 30, 1986) is an American actress, dancer and singer. She has portrayed Stephanie Horton in ''Mad Men'', Officer Kirsten Landry in the MTV mockumentary series ''Death Valley'' (2011), Annie in '' The Pact'' (2013) ...

as Barry Allen and

Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. The c ...

, respectively, for the series' 150th episode. Joseph David-Jones reprises his role as Connor Hawke from the ''

'' episode " Star City 2046" where the character becomes the new Green Arrow in an alternate timeline.

Marketing

The main cast of the season as well as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

Beth Schwartz attended

on July 21, 2018 to promote the season.

Release

Broadcast

In May 2018, it was announced that ''Arrow'' would move to Mondays for its seventh season, a first for the series, due to

's programming expansion to Sunday nights. On June 20, the network released its fall schedule, revealing that the series would additionally move from the 9:00 pm time-slot to the 8:00 pm time-slot. The season began airing in the United States on The CW on October 15, 2018, and completed its 22-episode run on May 13, 2019.

Home media

The season was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

on August 20, 2019 with special features including the fifth annual Arrowverse crossover event titled "

Reception

Critical response

The

review aggregation A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

reports an 88% approval rating for the seventh season, with an average rating of 7.36/10 based on 211 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads, "Arrow recovers from a creative rut by throwing Oliver Queen in the slammer and letting the series' reliable ensemble blossom into the forefront." Reviewing for ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...

'', Delia Harrington gave the premiere a rating of 3/5. She opined that Roy's inclusion in the season made his "moving sendoff" with Thea from last season feel "cheap" and that she remained "cautious" about the flashforward structure, but said that the episode was "solid" nonetheless. She concluded, "The ''Arrow'' Season 7 premiere manages to both wipe the slate clean and nod in the direction of the show's early glory." ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

''s Jesse Schedeen wrote, "''Arrow''s Season 7 premiere kicks off the most significant status quo change in the series' history. Some of these sweeping changes are already working in the show's favor." He gave the episode a rating of 7.1/10, adding, "''Arrow''s seventh season has a promising start, though the premiere drags whenever Oliver Queen isn't the focus." Both Chancellor Agard of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' and Allison Shoemaker of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' gave the premiere a "B" grade and noted a comparison to

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'', with Agard praising Amell and Rickards' performances. Shoemaker explained that the episode "revisits a lot of familiar territory, but it breaks new ground for ''Arrow'' while having its priorities in precisely the right place. It's the beginning of a new era for ''Arrow'', and whether you credit this episode's success to either focus or flash-forwards, it's a promising start."

Ratings

Accolades

, - ! scope="row" rowspan="5" , 2019 ,

Leo Awards The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

, Best Stunt Coordination Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Robinson, Jeff" , Jeff Robinson, Eli Zagoudakis (" The Slabside Redemption") , , , - , rowspan="3" ,

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...

, Choice Action TV Actor , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" ,

, , , - , Choice Action TV Actress , data-sort-value="Rickards, Emily Bett" ,

, , , - , Choice Action TV Show , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - ,

Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...

, Best Superhero Television Series , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , ,

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Arrowverse Arrow (TV series) seasons 2018 American television seasons 2019 American television seasons