#arrow ending

currently I haven’t even begun to look at all the gorgeous gifsets, or other people’s tributes and discussion. so while all the fandom is (or was?) busy processing, I’m just...very slow. need wayyyy more emotional processing RAM than what I have.

my point is, expect more original and reblogged finale content from me over the next...forever. just...slowly.

I’m devastated by the news that Arrow is ending. Am I surprised? No. Stephen Amell has made many references to him only going to season 7 and maybe season 8, and what is Arrow without Oliver Queen? 

I love Arrow. I’ve loved Arrow since I found it in 2014, suffering from a tragic heartbreak and looking for something to fill the hole. Arrow got me through major depression, college, my dog’s death, my father’s death, job terminations, and tragic life changes. Arrow has been there for me through thin and thick, a refuge to retreat to. 

I’ve spent a lot of time dedicated to Arrow. I run this blog titled after the Green Arrow himself. I’ve written fanfiction, posted theories, reblogged gifsets, and even created fanvids about Olicity. I’m one of the primary members of the Olicity Library. 

Arrow has been prioritized over homework, worked around on family vacations, and a highlight of my week. I wore green on Wednesdays for about three years straight. I love Arrow. I’m sad it’s ending. 

All good things must come to an end. 

Arrow is no exception. 

What makes it worth is, is all the memories Arrow has brought me. All the good memories. All the friendships I’ve made, the Arrow parties I’ve had. The contests, the MTV Reblog fests, and the #olicitysex frenzies. The fandom is what makes the show and I’m glad to be a part of it. 

However, I’m also glad Arrow is ending. A perfect ending is preferred over a slow death of uninspired storylines, death of favorite characters and a diluted experience. The past two seasons (6 & 7) has shown signs of it. The villains are lackluster. New characters we don’t care about. Losing the core trio and the vigilante aspect of it. Arrow has changed in the last two years, and not always for the best. 

I’d rather Arrow end with great memories and fond remembrance. To sit back and watch vintage Olicity, skip the not so great episodes and know what’s to come but still excited to watch the magic happen. 

Arrow is ending. This I know. 

Thank-you Arrow for all you’ve given me. You’ve been the best friend a girl could ask for. We’ve had our ups and downs, but in the end, you’ve pulled through. 

I’ll miss you, but we’ve had a great run. 

How many of you are surprised? 

Anyone? No one? Not a single soul? 

I mean... maybe we’re surprised that’s a 10 ep order and not a “full” season. Maybe even a few people are surprised that it’s s8 and not... s9 or s10 or something. But we all knew Arrow was going to end sooner rather than later, I think. 

Still, Stephen’s announcement this last Wednesday threw everyone for a loop. 

(why did I select that gif? THAT WAS THE WRONG PIC TO SELECT. That was his last day on set and he’s being sad and nearly crying for the same reason that STEPHEN was sad and nearly crying and the same reason we’re all just a frickin’ mess and WHY OH WHY AM I THIS WAY)

Ahem. Where was I?

OH yes. Sad. Loop throwing. The last couple days have been filled with various levels of coping from everyone. It comes and goes in waves. Watching Steve’s FB live was a low point. Cuz I was fine until I watched that. Then @jbuffyangel and I did some podcast episodes and I got to where I was fine again. 

And then Emily posted her thoughts. 

annnnnnd now we’re back to this: 

I have a feeling this is just how it’s gonna be for the next year (less.  less than a year. oh god oh godohgod). 

So I wanted to post something while everything is all still raw and exposed and vulnerable. I know I’ve spoken a lot about how I came to this fandom. I was over in the Doctor/Rose fandom for a couple years before and things were kinda getting to a point where I didn’t want to be there anymore. Arrow provided a lovely distraction and I really honestly thought that’s all it’d be. I would distract myself with Arrow for a few months and when things calmed down in D/R land, I would be back over there full time. 

Yeah. I know. Pretty naive of me. Because the first episode I watched live was 2x07, State vs Queen, and Olicity got their meat hooks DEEP into my heart. 

And it became rather clear rather quickly that my journey to Olicity-land wasn’t going to be temporary. There were some rough spots when Oliver hooked up with Sara where I considered sticking with my plan and ditching out but... I didn’t. Because this was a unique opportunity. 

You see, when I came to Doctor/Rose, that ship had already run it’s course. Journey’s End had already aired several years beforehand and canon was spent as far as Doctor/Rose were concerned. It was all said and done. No new material. No new journey. I didn’t have to worry about anything getting screwed up because it was already done, but I also didn’t have the excitement of getting to watch it unfold in REAL TIME. 

Olicity offered me a chance to really join the ship on its journey. Coming in live during early s2 meant that I saw the bulk of their relationship journey happen live. Sure, I got to skip some of the slowburn of s1, but I still had to suffer through the Sarapocalypse and the angst fest that was s3. But that was AMAZING. It was a miracle. I got to watch these two unfold on my screen, week after week, and enjoy that journey along with the rest of a quickly growing fandom. 

I got to stay up late at night voting in way too many polls (we all know the Super Bowl of ship voting was the MTV Ship of the Year... two years in a row, baby!). I got to scream with everyone over the 3x20 promo. I got to watch all these SDCC moments happen alongside fandom. I got to go to HVFF and meet OTA (among others) in person. I got to meet fandom friends whom I know I will have in my life long after Arrow is over. 

There are no words to express what this journey has been like. I’ve gotten to witness Olicity hit all the milestones. The first hug, the first ‘i love you’, the first kiss, the first sex, the proposal(s), the break ups, the reunions, the wedding and now the first pregnancy... just... WOW. 

Do you all know what a gift that is? 

That’s what this has been. A gift. Watching this show, watching this ship grow, watching Felicity Smoak take over the friggin’ world... it’s all been a beautiful gift and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. 

We’ve got 18 episodes left, fam. Just 18 more opportunities to watch this story unfold before our eyes. It’s going to be a bit maudlin, as we all try to cling to these last moments we have with our faves. But it’s also going to be special. Because I’ve never actually gone through this with a fandom before. This is new and exciting and awful and wonderful all at the same time. 

Who’s with me? 

Stephen Amell shared some huge and somewhat devastating news with fans today: Arrow would be ending after 10 episodes in season 8. That means we're looking down the last 18 episodes of the whole show and Jen and Calli have some thoughts about it. This is part one of a two part podcast episode, including our rawest emotions and reactions to this news.

So, here we are. The end of an era.

Arrow is ending, and the time remaining is short.

I’m not surprised. I have long suspected that Season 8 would be Arrow’s last. The abbreviated season isn’t even a shock, especially when you consider that Crisis on Infinite Earths has been set up to be a major crucible for Oliver. But I will admit a stab of panic when I read that piece of the puzzle.

I’m sad. When I first read the news I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to cry. Really, I still feel that way and it’s been a few hours. Like the end of many things in life, there’s a grief attached.

The end of Arrow will hurt. That’s a certainty. All we can do now is wait and hope that the producers and writers (and cast) keep the promises they’ve been making all evening to end Arrow right and on a high note.

As John Green says, “it’s gonna hurt because it matters.”

And, oh, how it has and does matter to so many of us.

I may be sad, I may feel like crying, but mostly I’m grateful.

In fact, Stephen Amell’s Facebook Live video shows that his decision to leave after Season 7 or an abbreviated number of Season 8 epsiodes was already made. So, I’m grateful that the decision was made to simply end the show and not try to go beyond Stephen’s departure.

Arrow has brought me so much enjoyment, not only in what I saw on my TV but also in the social media interactions with those directly involved and with fellow fans. And don’t even get me started on the fan fiction.

Promise me we’ll still write Olicity fan fiction. I need it.

Has Arrow been perfect? Of course not. No TV show is. But that’s been half the fun, hasn’t it? We’ve analyzed, speculated, celebrated, commiserated, and had a blast along the way (even if it was sometimes painful.)

I’m grateful for this journey and for the characters who we’ve loved along the way.

And while we don’t know how this story will end, I’m grateful that the executive producers and writers have been given the opportunity to end it in a time frame that allows for resolution and closure.

We’re so lucky in so many ways. Arrow could have been cancelled abruptly. Or it could have trudged along for a decade, bleeding original cast members until it was a shell of its former self.

So, am I worried about the fate of our favorite hero? Sure.

But, I think there are plenty slivers of hope.

Ironically, this sad news has actually given me some new insight into Season 7 as a whole. Now that we know that Stephen Amell expressed his desire to leave at the end of a Season 7, it has become clear to me that the Flash Forwards were definitely meant as a jumping off point for a post-Oliver Arrow. They knew that Oliver’s time on-screen was coming to an end and they needed a way forward if Arrow continued.

But, I think that while Arrow continuing was always a possibility, it wasn’t a likelihood. I believe that Arrow has been constructing a storyline, both in the present and the future that could have multiple resolutions — ones that highly depended on the fate of the series in the aftermath of Stephen leaving. I’m heartened by the very really possibility that the conclusion of Arrow is not set in stone.

I also believe that Stephen’s departure is what solidified the decision to do Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Could Oliver die? Yep. Might he stay dead? Sure.

But our Captain said it best in his Facebook video tonight: Arrow might be over, but he has a feeling he won’t be gone. Hopefully the same goes for Oliver Queen.

Here’s hoping for a little bit of happily ever after for our very deserving heroes.

In closing, let’s remember why we have loved (and sometimes love-hated) Arrow so much over the last 8 years and why it’s gonna hurt so fracking much when it’s over — even if it’s time:

With 10 episodes.

We continue our discussion from yesterday, about the ending of Arrow, what it means going forward, what we should worry about and what isn't worth our time. We'll get through this together, fanmily!