Interview: “Arrow” Star Stephen Amell And David Ramsey On The Final Season Of The Series

The 8th and final season of the widely popular series, “Arrow”, is coming to an end. This means that it might be last time we see these colourful cast of characters fighting crime together in one show.

Now hold those tears, because before they leave on their next journey, our friends from Warner managed to catch up with lead actor Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen) and his right hand man David Ramsey (John Diggle), to share their thoughts on the final season of the epic DC series.

1. How would you describe the final season of Arrow? 

STEPHEN AMELL: It would be way too simplistic to say that we’re playing our greatest hits in the final season, but that’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s a greatest hit. In the first three episodes, Oliver has closure with five characters that he wouldn’t necessarily have thought he would ever have closure with. In very unexpected ways, too. He’s left a lot of loose ends along the way, but I hope that we tie up as many of those loose ends as possible over the course of the season.

DAVID RAMSEY: Well, we have to grapple with this Monitor situation, which is something that we’ve never had to face before. In addition to that, we also have to bring a conclusion to all these individuals. What happens to Laurel Lance [played by Katie Cassidy Rodgers]? What happens to Dinah Drake [played by Juliana Harkavy]? What happens to Wild Dog [played by Rick Gonzalez]?

2. What went through your mind when you read the first script of season eight?

STEPHEN AMELL: Frankly, I got very emotional because I started to think about the end. More specifically, I was really, really pumped that my character got to confound Josh Segarra [who plays Adrian Chase/Prometheus] because that jerk was always 10 steps ahead of me. I thought we were going to end in season seven, but the idea of having 10 episodes to bookend an eight-year run was a great one. All my favorite shows have always had an ending and I feel like an end date changes a show for the better.

DAVID RAMSEY: I was floored by how quickly we’re getting into it. We usually have 22 episodes a season. When you have 22 episodes, you know when you leave the A story and start working on the C and D story. With season eight, there’s no C and D story. This is an A and B story throughout. That’s obvious in the first episode.

3. What goes through your mind when you think back about your work on the show? 

STEPHEN AMELL: This show has given me a platform that extends so far beyond my ability to just appear on your television 23 times a year. It has given me a voice for philanthropic endeavors; for social issues that I am interested in. I got to take batting practice with my childhood favorite sports team. I’ve had cinematic opportunities that are the direct result of the work that I’ve been doing here. And I know that when this is all said and done – after I drop off the face of the Earth for approximately for two months – I know the next chapter for me, personally and professionally, is going to be exciting.

DAVID RAMSEY: For Vancouver specifically, I have a handful of memories of rooftop scenes in the rain at two o’clock in the morning. As much as I love Vancouver, I will not miss them. I feel sorry for Batwoman. I feel so, so sorry for Batwoman because if anyone is taking over that dark legacy, it’s that show and they will find themselves on many a rooftop in Vancouver at two o’clock in the morning in the rain. I don’t envy them at all!

4. How does it feel to say goodbye to Arrow?

STEPHEN AMELL: I’m very emotional about it, but the time is right. Look, I’m 38 years old. I got this job when I was 30. Before this, I’d never had a job for more than a year. The fact that I’ve done this for the better part of a decade and I’m not going to do it anymore is a little frightening.

DAVID RAMSEY: It was heavy. It was emotional. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be emotional. I think it hit me a little harder than I thought it would.

5. What is the legacy left behind from a groundbreaking show like Arrow? 

STEPHEN AMELL: That’s a really difficult question to answer because it’s very, very difficult for me to look back at what we’ve done in the series from the equivalent of 30,000 feet when I’m deep in the middle of it. I guess the proof is in the pudding, if you know what I mean? You’ve now got Arrow and The Flash, as well as Legends, Supergirl and Black Lightning. Then you’ve got Iron Fist, Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Defenders. You’ve also got Agents of Shield. We proved the concept that you can do a superhero show on TV and make it work, although we should also mention that we were piggybacking off Smallville; That should never go unmentioned. I feel like the legacy we leave behind is that we produced a bunch of content that people dig and there are now many more of these shows on television. It’s not going to last forever, but I’m glad we were the first.

DAVID RAMSEY: Well, if Arrow had lived on its own for eight seasons and people were entertained by the show, I think that would’ve been accomplishing what the show was supposed to accomplish. However, I think Arrow is a little bit different because it has spawned show after show after show. It’s unprecedented what has happened with Arrow, and that’s not just within DC shows. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did not exist before Arrow. Neither did Gotham. Neither did The Defenders on Netflix. This isn’t about tooting our own horn, but these shows just weren’t around before Arrow, so I feel like Arrow is much more than just a good piece of television or an influential piece of television. It’s monumental. I think Arrow has left a legacy that will probably never be done again in this way. It’s epic.

Check out the trailer for the final season below:

Many thanks to the people at Archetype for this wonderful opportunity and don’t forget to catch the final episode of the series, over on Warner TV at Unifi TV Ch451 and Astro Ch 719, every wednesday at 9pm.