Arrow and death: the two go hand in hand. Each season of Arrow has brought death to the doorstep of one character whether good or bad, so will Season 5's finale be any different? Here's what showrunner Wendy Mericle has to say:
Chase has been trying to prove to the world and to Oliver that he's not a hero, he's a killer, and he's going to pull out one final, big whamo at the end that's going to leave Oliver reeling. We might lose some people.
EW tells us the Arrow Season finale will see a few returns such as Katie Cassidy (as Black Siren) and Katrina Law (Nyssa Al-Ghul), but will they be among the supposed fallen in Oliver's battle with Prometheus? Cassidy is doubtful as CW has confirmed Black Siren will become a series regular in Season 6, but we did see a sizzle reel last week that showed Nyssa challenging her sister Talia to a battle. I said then that I could totally see Nyssa being a character we lose without much impact to the show, and I stand by that statement. While not entirely insignificant, Nyssa is definitely a smaller character in the Arrow-verse, and maybe Wendy Mericle is teasing a much bigger death than that?
It wouldn't be all that surprising considering Arrow's history. Arrow has killed off big characters like Tommy Merlyn, Moira Queen, Laurel Lance, Ras Al-Ghul, Damien Darhk, and Amanda Waller so don't think for a moment anyone is immune to getting the ax. That said, we can likely rule out Dinah Drake and Rene Ramirez as both members of Team Arrow have been confirmed as Season 6 regulars in addition to the aforementioned Black Siren. With a considerable bulk of future Team Arrow safe, you still have Curtis up for grabs, which I could see happening, although I don't think he really provides the "big whamo" this tease from Mericle alludes to. Ultimately, if we're talking about a character death that really puts Oliver on his back, I think we might see Diggle die.
With the Arrow showrunners talking about changes to the show going into Season 6, I could definitely see John Diggle dying by Prometheus' hands in a move that really tests Oliver's will as a hero. I think to drive home the point of how hard it is for Oliver to not kill Prometheus you have to kill someone the audience cares about, and the new members of Team Arrow (who aren't already confirmed for next season) aren't enough to make that point. Thea is also another character you could do that with, although I don't think her death would be as meaningful at this stage in the show than Diggle's. Wendy Mericle did say "some" so maybe the showrunners are planning a mega hero massacre? The only person I feel pretty good about surviving is Felicity, and that's only because Arrow has teased her potential death too much over the show to do it now.
Ultimately, we don't know if anyone is dying in the Arrow finale, which is set for May 24th at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Taking Wendy Mericle's words and Arrow's past history into account, however, maybe you should start saying some goodbyes when the show returns April 26th at 8 p.m. As your favorite CW hero shows return, make sure to check out our renewal list to ensure they're still a go for next season and find some new shows for the next few months via our summer premiere schedule.
