All 22 Arrow Season 7 episodes ranked from worst to best
9. “Inmate 4587” (Episode 1)
The Season 7 premiere was tasked with the difficult job of proving that this season was going to be better than the first half of Season 6, while also proving that it could carry on the high standard set by the previous season’s latter episodes. Needless to say, it succeeded.
From giving us an invasive look at Oliver’s life behind bars in Slabside, to the mystery surrounding the new Green Arrow, “Inmate 4587” promised a strong season – one that boasted a unique tonal shift back towards the darkness. And, although the whole season couldn’t capitalize on that momentum, it was an undeniably great start.
8. “The Longbow Hunters” (Episode 2)
The reason why Season 7’s second episode was such a delight was down to the fact that it proved that the strong premiere wasn’t just a fluke.
Oliver’s time at Slabside continued to entice us, as we wondered if the Emerald Archer could truly survive time behind bars with his enemies, while the return of Ricardo Diaz heightened the stakes for those on the outside, and paved the way for the introduction of the Longbow Hunters.
In addition, Diggle’s train showdown with Bear and Diaz played out very nicely alongside Black Siren’s face-off with The Silencer in Star City, allowing us to briefly get excited for what the new villains had in store. If only the writers continued to make them feel that game-changing.
7. “The Demon” (Episode 5)
The best thing about the season’s fifth installment was the fact that Oliver finally made it to Level Two and finally figured out who The Demon was. Okay, maybe that was the second-best thing. In reality, the best thing about the episode was the surprise return of Talia Al Ghul and the fact that the writers managed to use the prison environment to allow the pair to work out their differences.
It was gritty, violent and new, but still managed to tie itself to the show’s past in a rather clever way, and it finally made their iteration of Talia somewhat likeable.