| "Fadeout" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow episode | |||
| Episodeno. | Season 8 Episode 10 | ||
| Directed by | James Bamford | ||
| Written by | |||
| Cinematography by | Gordon Verheul | ||
| Editing by |
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| Production code | T27.13960 | ||
| Original air date | January 28, 2020 (2020-01-28) | ||
| Running time | 42 minutes[1] | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| Arrowseason 8 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Fadeout" is theseries finale of the American TV seriesArrow, based on theDC Comics characterGreen Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboyOliver Queen as he returns to Starling City (later renamedStar City), after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in theArrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The tenth episode of theeighth season and the 170th overall of the series, it was written by showrunnersMarc Guggenheim &Beth Schwartz, and directed byJames Bamford.
Stephen Amell stars as Oliver, and is joined by the season's principal cast membersDavid Ramsey,Rick Gonzalez,Juliana Harkavy,Katherine McNamara andKatie Cassidy. The episode sees the return ofEmily Bett Rickards asFelicity Smoak, guest starring following her exit from the series at the end ofseason seven, alongside appearances from other former cast members includingColton Haynes,Willa Holland andSusanna Thompson. The episode follows two storylines; in one, set in 2012, Oliver andJohn Diggle deal with a human trafficker. In the second, set in the present, the remnants of Team Arrow team up to rescue Oliver's sonWilliam from the same trafficker.
"Fadeout" premiered in the United States onThe CW on January 28, 2020, and was watched live by 0.73 million viewers with a 0.2/2 share among adults aged 18 to 49. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics.
As part of the new timeline that came into existence following theCrisis andOliver Queen's sacrifice to reboot the multiverse,Moira Queen survives her attempted murder bySlade Wilson in 2014. In the present, Oliver has changed more aspects of the timeline, withJohn Diggle andLyla Michaels' pre-Flashpoint daughter Sara being brought back and being J.J.'s sister,Tommy Merlyn,Emiko Queen, andQuentin Lance also being alive andRory Regan's powers restored. The timeline change has also effectively stopped crime inStar City overnight, making it a safe place for everyone without the need for vigilantes.
Flashbacks to 2012 show Oliver and Diggle hunting down John Byrne, a human trafficker from Oliver's list. When they catch him, Oliver spares him after Diggle tells him to be a better person and not kill those on the list who do not actually deserve to die. In the present, Byrne kidnaps Oliver's sonWilliam, prompting the entirety of Team Arrow to look for him. Oliver's daughterMia Queen, who came from 2040 withSara Lance for Oliver's funeral, finds William and apprehends Byrne, inspired not to kill him due to her father's example.
During the search for William,Roy Harper proposes toThea Queen, which she later accepts. Lyla and Diggle tell the team about their plans to move toMetropolis due to the former getting a promotion there whileRene Ramirez reveals his plans to become the next mayor of Star City after Quentin, who endorses him.Dinah Drake talks about her plans to move to Metropolis and fight crime there instead of becoming Chief of Police in Star City.
A public memorial for Oliver as the savior of the world and Star City is held where Quentin gives a speech about Oliver's sacrifice and how he saved the city. The Queen family and Team Arrow later hold a private funeral for Oliver, withBarry Allen,Kara Danvers,Anatoly Knyazev,Talia al Ghul,Nyssa al Ghul, Sara, Tommy, and Quentin also in attendance. At the funeral, Thea wonders why Oliver did not resurrect their fatherRobert along with everyone else and Moira guesses that it symbolizes how Robert's sacrifice made Oliver a better man and bringing him back would dishonor the only good thing he ever did.Felicity Smoak meets Mia while Diggle says his final vows for Oliver, telling the attendees that while life will continue without him, it will never be the same. Later, as Diggle departs for Metropolis, he witnesses a meteor crash and finds a box emitting a green light.[a] In 2040,the Monitor takes Felicity to reunite with Oliver in the afterlife, where he has finally found peace.
On October 24, 2019,Arrow co-creator and season eight co-showrunnerMarc Guggenheim revealed the title of the series finale to be "Fadeout". The episode, which is the eighth season's tenth and the series' 170th overall, was written by him and co-showrunnerBeth Schwartz, and directed byJames Bamford.[9][10]
In an August 2019 interview withTVLine, Guggenheim said he "came out of meditation one morning", at which point he had the episode's final scene ready.[11] On October 25, he posted a picture to explain the meaning of the episode's title; in the picture, the "fadeout" is a part of a longbow.[12] According to series starStephen Amell and fellow actorDavid Ramsey, they both got the ending they wanted for their respective characters.[13]
Main cast members Stephen Amell, David Ramsey,Rick Gonzalez,Juliana Harkavy,Katherine McNamara, andKatie Cassidy appear asOliver Queen / Green Arrow,John Diggle / Spartan,[13]Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog,Dinah Drake / Black Canary,[4]Mia Smoak,[14] andLaurel Lance / Black Canary respectively.[15] Former series regularsColin Donnell,[6]Willa Holland,[5]Colton Haynes,[4]Echo Kellum,Paul Blackthorne,[5]Susanna Thompson,[3] Sea Shimooka,[4] andEmily Bett Rickards returned for the series finale as guest stars.[2] McNamara said the return of Rickards's characterFelicity Smoak was "so critical" for the storyline, elaborating, "It made even the social aspect of wrapping the show mean so much more because she is so much of whatArrow is".[16] Additional guest stars includeCaity Lotz asSara Lance,[6]Audrey Marie Anderson asLyla Michaels,[4]Melissa Benoist asKara Danvers,Grant Gustin asBarry Allen,[6]David Nykl asAnatoly Knyazev,Katrina Law asNyssa al Ghul,Lexa Doig asTalia al Ghul,[5] andJoe Dinicol asRory Regan / Ragman.[17]
Johnny Cuthbert co-stars as John Byrne.[5] Main cast memberBen Lewis did not appear as adultWilliam Clayton, with Jack Moore instead co-starring as young William,[18] while archive footage of Lewis from the preceding episode "Green Arrow & The Canaries" was used for one sequence.[6] Additionally, former series regularManu Bennett appears asSlade Wilson / Deathstroke via unused footage from the second season,[19] andLaMonica Garrett appears asthe Monitor via archive footage from the season seven finale "You Have Saved This City".[20] Madison McLaughlin andJessica De Gouw were offered to reprise their roles asEvelyn Sharp andHelena Bertinelli / Huntress from previous seasons, but could not due to scheduling conflicts.[21][22]
Preparation for the episode began on October 22,[10] and ran until October 30.[9] Filming began on October 31,[23] and ended on November 13.[9][24] Amell said the episode would feature an action sequence which he described as "the action sequence to end all action sequences". He added that "every stunt guy, more or less who has ever worked on the show, even guys that retired or are coordinating onSupergirl orFlash orLegends, everybody came out. Everybody sold out in terms of what is happening."[25]
The episode premiered in the United States onThe CW on January 28, 2020.[26][27] It was watched live by 0.73 million viewers with a 0.2/2 share among adults aged 18 to 49.[28]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating for the episode, based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Arrow packs up its bow with a heartening emphasis on closure by bringing back a fan favorite, teasing fresh starts for its ensemble, and bidding a sentimental farewell to Oliver Queen."[29]
Brian Lowry ofCNN said, "Arrow's series finale felt like an occasion. But the last episode -- coming after the death of its title character -- couldn't help but feel a bit anticlimactic, looking back to its past even as it endeavored to plant seeds for the future."[30] Chancellor Agard ofEntertainment Weekly rated the episode B+ and said, "It's an odd hour that has to juggle a lot. While it doesn't always work, it helps that the first seven episodes of the season did such a good job of bringing the show to close to the point that this just felt like a coda more than anything else."[31] Allison Shoemaker ofThe A.V. Club rated it A− and said, "Why does it feel so right? Because it's both an end and a beginning, and with few exceptions, that will remain true even if it's the end of the road for most of these characters."[32]
A behind-the-scenes image of Gustin throwing up a peace sign over Oliver's grave became a popularInternet meme shortly after the finale aired.[33] In October 2021, Amell expressed his disapproval over an instance of the meme being used during the2021 Facebook outage.[34]
