From the very beginning, Oliver Queen & the show itself has always been about legacy. Whether its direct tie-ins to villains like Prometheus & Oliver's past, the mark he leaves on Star City, or his very descendants and followers carrying on his mission in the future, it's always been about legacy. So when this episode presents *several* massive wide shots with nearly the entire cast from all seasons fighting to keep Oliver's memory alive physically (saving William from kidnappers) or mentally (at the memorial & funeral) it sent chills up my spine.
I've said for a long time now that seasons 1-5 will always hold a special place in my heart & ultimately be the *ending* of the show as I accept it. There are good things in season 6 & 7 but they are difficult to find. However, season 8 (while with a few faults here and there) managed to wrap up Ollie's arc in the best possible way, and give us closure with so many other characters and storylines as well.
Dig finally did the Salmon Ladder! They all drank in the bunker and said Prochnost in honor of Oliver. We got to have one more flashback episode & an incredibly well executed fight to say the least (and they were 2012 flashbacks!). They brought back Tommy, Moira, and Lance among others, 3 of the most devastating deaths the show ever had (and to me, they did it without removing the impact those deaths had). And finally, Diggle gave Oliver's Eulogy which could not have been more spot on-perfect & we got to see the result of 2040 Felicity going with The Monitor to see Ollie, only fitting it was at a version of Queen Consolidated.
Arrow isn't the best show of all time, I don't think many would say that. But it will go down as one of the most important shows of all time. I legitimately mean that. This show transcended the CW formula and became much more than a teen angst drama. This show birthed the very existence of the modern day superhero show. You would not have Daredevil & all the Netflix shows existing when they did without Arrow. I'm not even sure Kevin Fiege would be approving Disney+ shows right now without Arrow being successful. And of course, the Arrowverse & every other successor show on the network would not exist with Stephen Amell leading the way in Star City.
I will never forget this show. Oliver Queen, you have NOT failed this city.
10/10
