Arrow to End Next Season with 10-Episode Run

Copyright: The CW

It's time for Oliver Queen to hang up his bow. In a surprising announcement, the CW revealed that Arrow will end next season with a reduced, 10-episode run. 

The series' leading man, Stephen Amell, broke the news on Twitter: 

Amell then immediately followed up with emotional Facebook Live, saying "towards the end of season 6 I approached Greg Berlanti and said that I thought both personally and professionally at the end of my committment [for the current season 7] it would be the best for me to move on. I've always been a fan of television shows that not only don't overstay their welcome but end in a manner that really packs a punch." He went on to say that the studio execs and producers told him last week they'd decided "the best way for me to do this would be come back for a limited run in seaons 8." 

The Greg Berlanti-produced show spawned an entire superhero 'verse for the CW, including The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and the upcoming Batwoman. However, Arrow's ratings have continued to drop, with this week's episode posting series lows. 

"This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we’ve made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of Arrow in mind," showrunner Beth Schwartz and exec producers Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim said in a joint statement. "We’re heartened by the fact that Arrow has birthed an entire universe of shows that will continue on for many years to come. We’re excited about crafting a conclusion that honors the show, its characters and its legacy and are grateful to all the writers, producers, actors, and — more importantly — the incredible crew that has sustained us and the show for over seven years."

Season 8's 10-episode run means the show will likely come to a conclusion around the time the annual multi-series crossover airs. Last year's crossover saw Amell's Oliver Queen making a secret deal with The Monitor to save The Flash (Grant Gustin) and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). Oliver's deal is expected to resurface during this year's crossover, which will be inspired by the legendary comic plot Crisis on Infinite Earths, a storyline that is famous for killing off major characters. Though Arrow's bleak flash-forwards this season suggest Oliver may die in the crossover, we have a different theory! We think Oliver has indeed agreed to sacrifice himself for Barry and Kara during Crisis -- but his death will not be how the series ends. Instead, this season's flash-forwards are merely offering us a "It's a Wonderful Life"-type glimpse of what would happen if Oliver didn't survive the crossover, but The Monitor is going to be moved by his sacrifice and change the future by bringing Oliver back to life. It's not the first time the Arrowverse has messed with timelines, and Oliver deserves a happy ending with his wife and new baby. Who's with us?!

Meanwhile, following the announcement the cast and fans took to social media to express their love for the show.

 

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