Arrow season 7: Three major things that must happen

1. Oliver must remain in prison for more than three episodes

The Arrowverse shows have a knack of writing incredibly compelling season finale cliffhangers, only to immediately solve the problem in the subsequent season premiere. From the Lian Yu explosion in Arrow‘s Season 5 finale to Flashpoint on The Flash, we have seen a number of truly great storyline possibilities retconned by a neat season premiere that wraps up the story in favor of a new one. And while the following seasons haven’t necessarily been bad, they still prove disappointing compared to the game-changing stories we could have had instead.

However, Arrow now has the chance to do things right. With Oliver publicly revealing his identity as the Green Arrow and his incarceration at the SuperMax prison, the show has changed things up dramatically, daring to alter the repetitive TV format of the Arrowverse shows. Thus, Season 7 should start off with a distinctly unique vibe, different to what we have seen before. Oliver’s imprisonment throws a spanner in the works, and pulls the rug out from Team Arrow in a way that we have never seen before. And in order for it to truly stand apart, that rug must remain away for an extended period time.

An arc dedicated solely to Oliver’s time in prison would prove a welcome change. With familiar foes like Daniel Brickwell, Bronze Tiger and Derek Sampson all sharing a dining room and bathroom with him, Oliver will undoubtedly feel unnerved at all times. And although we know that this will eventually lead to him fighting back, it will definitely be interesting to see him in a little over his head.

But in order for the angle to truly work, he must spend a significant amount of time behind bars. As Oliver is more cut out for the harsh realities of prison than The Flash‘s Barry Allen, we should expect to see a grittier storyline that may help remind Arrow of the dark show it once was. Let’s just hope that it learns from The Flash‘s mistakes, and lasts longer than a mere three episodes.

Arrow returns to our screens on October 15, airing on The CW at 8:00 p.m. ET. Are you excited for its return? Let us know in the comments section below!