Emily's Departure and the Aftermath

  To say that  we  were  all shocked to  hear on Saturday, March 30th, that Emily  Bett Rickards  would leave Arrow at the  end  to this current season, would  be  an understatement.  Many were ready to  quit watching, some blamed  Stephen Amell, and some  even  blamed Emily for not waiting to start her next project until the  shortened season  8 ended.  It's always sad when  a show towards the  end  loses main characters  that we have  all grown  to love.  You can switch  actors in movies with sequels because so much time passes  between the sequels that viewers  adjust more readily.  However, television is so  different, because these characters are in our homes  each week,  and the viewer becomes more invested in the characters, so  when  one  leaves, the absence is  keenly felt.

     Now that the anger phase  is over,  and this  reviewer  can think more  clearly, I still feel positive about how Arrow will conclude this  adventure we  have  all been on. First, I believe Greg Berlanti the creater  of the  Arrowverse,  plays  a large role in this whole  mess.  Stephen Amell wanted to end the series  at  seven. In all honesty, it seemed a good place  to end the series. Oliver in 7 seasons went from  being billionaire playboy, to a hero in the light.  He married the love of this  life and had a child with her.  We got to see the baby born, and we  got to  see Felicity become a  hero too.  I think Greg, has been  focused on the Crossover event.  He's advertised since last year, and promotes it, we  know something huge  will  happen or there  would not be this much focus on it.  So, Berlanti asks  Stephen to stick around for a shortened season 8, and  he  apparently went ahead with the plans  knowing the Emily  would not return.   Now, I think  Berlanti knew this all at the  end  of last year,  but has sprung it on everyone slowly.  I'm sure they  knew that Emily had  not signed  a season 8 contract as  well.  So of  course everyone is shocked by the  news. This all could have been handled so much differently than it was.  Now I  see  why  they brought Alena back.  She could  be in  season 8.  She  could fill the gap that Emily will leave in the "current time" on the show.

       Everyone worries that Oliver and Felicity will not get their happy ending.  I think they will get it.  I don't think they would leave the show with both of them  dead.  I think they will get their  happy ending.  Just because Emily isn't signed on for a  full season 8, doesn't mean she  couldn't guest star, in let's say the  final episode.  My guess is that in the  season 7 finale, Oliver takes Felicity into hiding, and  we will see  them there, and perhaps they have a  tender  moment  before Oliver leaves them to fight the  Ninth  Circle.  Stephen Amell said the finale brought tears to his  eyes, I'm sure he knew Emily was leaving.  They are after all good friends.  Then  I think  she  will  be a  guest star in the season 8 finale.  I'm hoping that Emily would be open to such a thing.  Could I be wrong about  all that?  Of course, I'm human and I make lots of  mistakes, but if they want a spin-off, then I  honestly believe they will bring  Emily back for the finale.  One thing is  very  certain, Olicity  was, is , and  always  will be the end  game.  Let us take comfort in that.