The very first scene in the premiere episode of "Arrow" Season 1, which launched in 2012, has been revealed to be the intended finale of the series. Showrunner Marc Guggenheim now reflects on what the success of the show means and how the Season 5 finale will be executed.
In an interview with TV Line, Guggenheim revealed that the original plan was to have the series reach five seasons and then end the whole series with the scene where Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is rescued from the island, overlooking the shores as a ship comes in to rescue him.
However, in the span of time that followed, "Arrow" has become more successful than perceived and it is unlikely that The CW network will stop the show sometime soon. With Season 6 a big possibility, the intended series' ending will instead be used as the Season 5 finale.
"Spoiler alert. That's going to end up being the Season 5 finale," Guggenheim confirmed regarding the rescue scene. "We always thought that we would intercut the final moment of the series with the first moment of the series, that it would form one big Moebius strip."
Guggenheim then explained that if the show is renewed for Season 6, they do not want to artificially extend the flashbacks and do not want to just cut the show in the middle of its prime. As it stands, this means the Season 5 will end the way intended but they will keep the doors open for Season 6.
Even though the showrunner already revealed how Season 5 ends and how it ties to Season 1, there will still be plenty of room for surprises and plot twists, Comic Book reported. Guggenheim explained that as developers of the show they could always change plans and alter things before a specific plot point or episode has been made and aired.
"Arrow" Season 5 is currently in its mid-season break and will return with Episode 10, titled "Who Are You?," in 2017.