#samihiggins

Oliver:  You know Oliver has done stupid stuff and made really bad decisions.  He's smart but he has many downfalls.  I also think he's been manipulated as well - by his Father, his Mother, Merlyn and many others.  Even Felicity knows what to say to punch his buttons.  I think Oliver did not expect to return from his duel.  He knew this was a one way trip and he did it anyway because he loves Thea and in his mind he's failed her so many times - failed to protect her and keep her safe.  This is the one way and the last way he can protect her.  I think he had reached a place of peace knowing his team would watch out for her and for each other.  He knows Digg has a family, Roy is on his way to becoming a better man and Felicity has Ray and her career.  I think his final I love you was because he didn't feel he was returning and he had to say it before he left.  It was settling his affairs so to speak

What happens to Oliver in the end - He expected to die.  Does the League really think he's dead or was this planned?  Oliver Queen is dead but that's how most of their assassins start - remember Maseo who is now a part of the league gave a different name and said Maseo was dead.  A cloaked figure finds him - is that Maseo or Nyssa?

Nyssa - I find it hard to believe she would just accept Oliver's lie that he killed Sara.  I mean really?  No, she didn't buy that and she won't be satisfied with this as the answer.  Even if her father says it's done - it's not for Nyssa.  I don't think for a minute we've seen the last of her.  She still has a score to settle and truth to find out.  Even if she thinks Oliver is dead, she'll go back to Starling - in fact she might go back to say Oliver is dead and try and use that to get more information

Felicty - this is a woman who has to be frustrated.  Ray has just unloaded his story on her and she looks at him and sees herself repeating everything with Oliver.  Is Ray really a good romantic choice at this point?  She's attracted to him but is second guessing everything now.  Another boyfriend on a vendetta type cause?  And she's still in love with Oliver.  Will she believe Oliver is dead?  I'm not so certain.  She may need to see a body even if Nyssa tells her so.  How much does Felicity trust her to tell the truth?  I don't know.  I'd be disappointed if Felicity accepted it on face value.  I think she'd need more than the word of an assassin.

Laurel - Oh good lord this girl.  And I am calling her a girl because although she's had to deal with a load of tragic crap, she still come across as immature to me.  She reacts over emotionally for the most part.  She's got a lot of growing to do.  I like she fessed up to her mother.  Seriously though, Mom tells her to do anything to get Sara's killer?  She's putting her only remaining daughter (a daughter with emotional and addiction issues) in a spot to put herself in danger and possibly die?  That's messed up.  And Laurel will jump at this because she jumps first and thinks later.  I foresee bad things for Laurel.  And if she finds out Oliver is dead, that'll be it.  She's going over the edge.  The bottom line will be Laurel will kill someone and not know how to deal with the reality.  I think that's going to happen and that's when she's going to have to fess up to her father.

Digg - Man Digg I love this guy.  By far the smartest, most loyal and grounded character on the show.  Oliver being dead to him won't be simple and he'll use every resource to find out what happen and maybe that's how he finds out the truth.  Maybe Maseo is a plant in the League for Argus?  No matter what happens, I trust Digg to get to the heart of things.  If he thinks Oliver is dead, it will get to him in a way not much else could and it will also harden him.  He'll want to honor Oliver but it will push him to do things he may not otherwise do.

Thea - I really love this character.  I love how much she's grown.  Here's another person who was manipulated by so many people.  If she really does not remember killing Sara, she needs to find out.  She also needs to find out about Oliver's life as the Arrow.  I'm betting that someone on team Arrow confronts her when they learn of Oliver's fate.  There's going to be hard feelings and Thea is there way to get at Malcolm.  Initially, I think they will want to protect her because that's what Oliver wanted but as Felicity says, Oliver has a blind eye to family.  There's going to be anger in Team Arrow and I think that could easily be directed at Thea.  Now Thea is capable of protecting herself but if she didn't know she killed Sara and finds out - especially of Merlyn used her - it's going to cause her to snap.  She's tired of being lied to and this will be a huge breaking point.