- So there's been some pretty epic moments on Arrow to date
- So there's been some pretty epic moments on Arrow to date

but I think the season finale
but I think the season finale

where you blew up an entire island
where you blew up an entire island

with almost every character
with almost every character

that we've come to love and hate on the show.
that we've come to love and hate on the show.

(explosion)
(explosion)

What the heck, how did you guys come to that moment
What the heck, how did you guys come to that moment

where you're like, yup this is what we're gonna do
where you're like, yup this is what we're gonna do

we're not gonna give 'em any answers.
we're not gonna give 'em any answers.

- Well it really came from the writers room actually.
- Well it really came from the writers room actually.

We had this idea at the very beginning of season five
We had this idea at the very beginning of season five

of how are we gonna go out
of how are we gonna go out

in the most epic and cool way possible
in the most epic and cool way possible

and also really closed the chapter on Oliver's past.
and also really closed the chapter on Oliver's past.

We knew we weren't gonna go past season five
We knew we weren't gonna go past season five

with the flashbacks.
with the flashbacks.

And it just seemed like the right thing to do.
And it just seemed like the right thing to do.

It was a great sort of metaphor
It was a great sort of metaphor

as well as great plot ending point.
as well as great plot ending point.

- We'd never done a true cliff hanger.
- We'd never done a true cliff hanger.

All the season finale's that we've done in the past
All the season finale's that we've done in the past

they had a definitive ending to the season.
they had a definitive ending to the season.

And we thought, you know what,
And we thought, you know what,

for season five lets mix it up.
for season five lets mix it up.

Let's do a proper cliff hanger.
Let's do a proper cliff hanger.

And that idea meshed very well
And that idea meshed very well

with the notion of blowing up the island.
with the notion of blowing up the island.

- [Wendy] Yeah absolutely, I mean,
- [Wendy] Yeah absolutely, I mean,

Prometheus was one of the darkest villains that we've had.
Prometheus was one of the darkest villains that we've had.

We also were very excited about him
We also were very excited about him

because he was psychological.
because he was psychological.

- There's the killer that I know and love.
- There's the killer that I know and love.

- And it felt like a very poetic way
- And it felt like a very poetic way

for him to end a season where he'd already been
for him to end a season where he'd already been

really messing with Oliver's head, torturing him,
really messing with Oliver's head, torturing him,

and forcing him to go to some pretty dark places.
and forcing him to go to some pretty dark places.

It felt right, and it also felt right
It felt right, and it also felt right

that we got him to a place where Oliver was smart enough
that we got him to a place where Oliver was smart enough

to sort of back him into a corner.
to sort of back him into a corner.

So really the island became his plan b.
So really the island became his plan b.

All he ultimately wanted to do
All he ultimately wanted to do

was to show Oliver to be the killer that he was,
was to show Oliver to be the killer that he was,

but when he couldn't do that
but when he couldn't do that

he was forced to resort to taking all the people
he was forced to resort to taking all the people

that he loved and putting them in jeopardy.
that he loved and putting them in jeopardy.

- What was it about season five
- What was it about season five

where you guys said this is
where you guys said this is

where we're not gonna do flashbacks anymore,
where we're not gonna do flashbacks anymore,

because it really has become
because it really has become

such a hallmark of what Arrow is.
such a hallmark of what Arrow is.

Getting to see the moments that have happened in the past
Getting to see the moments that have happened in the past

who made him who he is now.
who made him who he is now.

And meeting new characters through it as well.
And meeting new characters through it as well.

- We're not eliminating flashbacks.
- We're not eliminating flashbacks.

- Okay.
- Okay.

- We're eliminating what we call the serialized flashbacks.
- We're eliminating what we call the serialized flashbacks.

Which was, we're telling a five year story of Oliver.
Which was, we're telling a five year story of Oliver.

I think all of us, including Greg Berlanti,
I think all of us, including Greg Berlanti,

we were all very much in agreement
we were all very much in agreement

that this was always designed to be a five year story
that this was always designed to be a five year story

with the flashbacks, let's honor that.
with the flashbacks, let's honor that.

Let's end the flashbacks as we always intended to
Let's end the flashbacks as we always intended to

which would be with Oliver running through the forest
which would be with Oliver running through the forest

like we met him in the pilot.
like we met him in the pilot.

Firing that arrow, lighting that bonfire
Firing that arrow, lighting that bonfire

and that's the end of the flashbacks.
and that's the end of the flashbacks.

(explosion)
(explosion)

- And you do have more time and real estate
- And you do have more time and real estate

in the episodes themselves.
in the episodes themselves.

So, we'll be able to break form
So, we'll be able to break form

and maybe tell someone else's flashbacks,
and maybe tell someone else's flashbacks,

tell origin stories in a different way
tell origin stories in a different way

which would be really cool
which would be really cool

tell other character's stories which is very exciting.
tell other character's stories which is very exciting.

And in the episodes where we don't have them at all
And in the episodes where we don't have them at all

you're able to explore stories and explore character
you're able to explore stories and explore character

and you just have a lot more time.
and you just have a lot more time.

- So, obviously we lost a pretty big villain
- So, obviously we lost a pretty big villain

from last season.
from last season.

Team Arrow has gotta have another great, epic villain
Team Arrow has gotta have another great, epic villain

to go up against.
to go up against.

Who are we gonna see in the next season?
Who are we gonna see in the next season?

- We're gonna see a group of them, for sure.
- We're gonna see a group of them, for sure.

There's gonna be a team of villains this season.
There's gonna be a team of villains this season.

But, one of the biggest one's that we're gonna see,
But, one of the biggest one's that we're gonna see,

we'll see her from the beginning, is Black Siren.
we'll see her from the beginning, is Black Siren.

Who we got a little tease of last year
Who we got a little tease of last year

and we're very excited to have Katie back on the show.
and we're very excited to have Katie back on the show.

She's fantastic in this role.
She's fantastic in this role.

And it's a great villain because it really speaks to
And it's a great villain because it really speaks to

not just to a plot, or what her agenda is.
not just to a plot, or what her agenda is.

But it speaks to the emotional state
But it speaks to the emotional state

of everybody on the show.
of everybody on the show.

In particularly with respect to Oliver.
In particularly with respect to Oliver.

This is an old friend whose coming back to do some evil.
This is an old friend whose coming back to do some evil.

So it's gonna have some resonance.
So it's gonna have some resonance.

- I know you guys always talk about
- I know you guys always talk about

on this show in particular
on this show in particular

that it's so much about family
that it's so much about family

and bringing the characters back
and bringing the characters back

that have an emotional connection to them.
that have an emotional connection to them.

You know, obviously we've seen Oliver
You know, obviously we've seen Oliver

have a lot more family connections.
have a lot more family connections.

Where is that gonna go?
Where is that gonna go?

- In terms of family, I would say we saw William
- In terms of family, I would say we saw William

at the end of last season.
at the end of last season.

Oliver's reconnected with his son.
Oliver's reconnected with his son.

So Oliver will be exploring fatherhood
So Oliver will be exploring fatherhood

a little bit in season six.
a little bit in season six.

Beyond that.
Beyond that.

- Beyond that, you'll have to see.
- Beyond that, you'll have to see.

- Well I think another great thing is obviously
- Well I think another great thing is obviously

Arrow kinda started it all for CW and the superhero genre.
Arrow kinda started it all for CW and the superhero genre.

But there's so many crossovers.
But there's so many crossovers.

Do you guys watch the other shows now
Do you guys watch the other shows now

and kind of think, oh my gosh, okay
and kind of think, oh my gosh, okay

we wanna bring that character over here
we wanna bring that character over here

or it would be really fun
or it would be really fun

to bring this person into the mix.
to bring this person into the mix.

- Well Black Siren's the perfect example actually, you know.
- Well Black Siren's the perfect example actually, you know.

And we do like pulling from,
And we do like pulling from,

it's easier to pull from Flash
it's easier to pull from Flash

than it is Legend's or Supergirl.
than it is Legend's or Supergirl.

Supergirl's very, very hard
Supergirl's very, very hard

because of the parallel Earth's of it all.
because of the parallel Earth's of it all.

(Tiffany laughs)
(Tiffany laughs)

But yeah, when it's appropriate.
But yeah, when it's appropriate.

We've experimented with bringing on
We've experimented with bringing on

Flash villains in season four.
Flash villains in season four.

And I think we kinda discovered like,
And I think we kinda discovered like,

Eh, it doesn't quite feel tonally right for our show.
Eh, it doesn't quite feel tonally right for our show.

But we're glad we tried.
But we're glad we tried.

But you never know.
But you never know.

But certainly Black Siren is the biggest addition.
But certainly Black Siren is the biggest addition.

- Yeah absolutely.
- Yeah absolutely.

- Thank you guys so much.
- Thank you guys so much.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Thank you
- Thank you

- [Narrator] Arrow premiers on it's new night
- [Narrator] Arrow premiers on it's new night

Thursday, October 12th
Thursday, October 12th