Over the last decade, Arrow has defied expectations over and over again. Its first few episodes were met with a collective shrug from critics, none of whom foresaw that it was the harbinger of big things to come. Since then, it’s built a substantial and passionate fanbase and spawned its own televised DC Universe, appropriately known as the Arrowverse.
But Arrow is finally calling it quits this year. Its ten-episode eighth season will bring an end to the adventures of Oliver Queen (though I wouldn’t rule out the character returning for The CW’s perennial crossover specials), and while Stephen Amell might be hanging up the bow, the show’s determined to go out in style. And now, we have an exciting bit of news to share that’s going to make fans very happy: Emily Bett Rickards is returning to the role of Felicity Smoak for the series finale.
Rickards first appeared early in season 1 in a minor part, but she was so damn good that she was soon promoted to a regular. We last saw her during the season 7 finale, but her name hasn’t been far from the other characters’ lips in the aired episodes of this season. Over her time on the show, she’s had a typically complex plot, with perhaps the most notable development being her having a child with Oliver Queen.
Said child is Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara), who will star in spinoff series Green Arrow and the Canaries along with Juliana Harkavy and Katie Cassidy Rodgers. They’re keeping information on that show fairly thin on the ground to keep fan focus on the remaining episodes of Arrow (and the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover). However, we’ve heard that the penultimate episode of the series will be a stealth pilot for the spinoff.
Will Emily Bett Rickards be appearing in Green Arrow and the Canaries, too? Smart money says yes. But for now, fans can at least rest easy knowing she’ll be seen on Arrow once more.