After spending a majority of the episode getting tortured by Adrian Chase, Oliver finally admitted his deepest darkest secret, that he doesn't just suit up as the Green Arrow to reconcile for his past misdeeds, but he does it because, at some deep level, he truly enjoys killing his enemies.
Speaking with
Entertainment Weekly, star
Stephen Amell shared his thoughts on Oliver's dark revelation and where he goes from here. “
I like examining this stuff because one of the truths that we reveal in season 5 — via our flashbacks and in present day — is there was an element of Oliver that we met in season 1 that took a little bit of pleasure in snapping somebody’s neck, I don’t think that negates the transformation that he’s made, but it happened, and we have to examine it, and Oliver has to deal with the ramifications of that realization.”
Next week's episode will tackle Oliver's rattled state-of-mind head on as he'll reach out to the Bratva for help in stopping Prometheus, but judging by the latest preview, it looks like his rash decision won't sit well with Diggle, which is going to lead to the two old friends exchanging blows!
Check out the new extended promo for episode eighteen, titled "Disbanded," below:
"Disbanded" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (Content Rating TBD) (HDTV)
OLIVER CALLS ON THE BRATVA FOR HELP - Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) are shocked by Oliver's (Stephen Amell) decision to call on the Bratva to help take down Prometheus (Josh Segurra). Concerned the Bratva may overstep, Diggle has a hard conversation with Oliver about what happens if things go south. Meanwhile, Felicity learns something shocking at Helix. J.J. Makaro directed the episode written by Rebecca Bellotto (#518). Original airdate 3/29/2017.
Newly appointed Mayor Oliver Queen finds himself challenged as he fights on two fronts for the future of Star City. With Diggle back in the military and Thea adamant about hanging up her hood as Speedy, Team Green Arrow is down to just Oliver and Felicity – but they’re no longer the only vigilantes in town. Green Arrow’s public defeat of Damien Darhk at the end of Season Four has inspired a new crop of masked heroes to step up and defend the city, though their painful inexperience makes them obstacles, rather than allies, in the field. The arrival of a deadly new adversary will force Oliver to confront questions about his own legacy, both as mayor and as the Green Arrow.
Arrow features:
Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
David Ramsey as John Diggle/Spartan
Willa Holland as Thea Queen/Speedy
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
Paul Blackthorne as Captain Quentin Lance
Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific
John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer
Colton Haynes as Roy Harper/Arsenal
Josh Segarra as Adrian Chase/Prometheus
Rick Gonzalez as Jack Wheeler/Wild Dog
Joe Dinicol as Rory Regan/Ragman
Madison McLaughlin as Evelyn Sharp/Artemis
Carly Pope as Susan Williams
David Nykl as Anatoly Knyazev
Dolph Lundgren as Konstantin Kovar
Wil Traval as Christopher Chance/Human Target
Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake/Black Canary
Arrow returns with an all-new episode March 29