Who lives and who dies? That’s the big question heading into Arrow Season 6. If you tuned in to the finale, you know Season 5 ended with Lian Yu literally getting blown up with Team Arrow on it – everyone except William and Oliver. The only people we know for sure are died are Adrian Chase and Malcolm Merlyn. Everyone else’s fate is up in the air.
In the episode, Adrian Chase lures Oliver out to a boat heading off to Lian Yu to deliver him yet another tough choice. Chase reveals William, puts Oliver's son in a chokehold and says, “Kill me or William dies.” Oliver thinks he can get out of making a decision, so he suavely pretends to lower his bow as he shoots Chase and saves William. But Chase isn’t dead and he's not done yet. Since Oliver won’t kill him, Chase kills himself, which activates hundreds of explosives that detonate all over Lian Yu, bursting the island into flames.
The new synopsis released ahead of San Diego Comic Con later this month gives us a hint as to how we will find out who survived the explosion.
"With the future of the team left hanging in the balance, Arrow gave new definition to the phrase “blowing up the show.” The emotional showdown between Oliver Queen and Adrian Chase was the perfect conclusion to a stellar fifth season of The CW’s gritty DC superhero series. Now, the focus shifts to uncovering the fate of each and every member of Team Arrow. Could anyone have possibly survived an island-wide explosion, or has the book closed on them, as it has on Oliver’s five-year flashback story?"
The synopsis suggests the premiere will immediately address the fate of Team Arrow, quite possibly with a first person journey for each character. “Uncovering the fate of each and every member” is certainly a very specific thing to say, especially since the groups were split up when the big moment happened. Captain Boomerang was MIA since Malcolm Merlyn’s death. Artemis was last seen locked in a cage. Black Siren was last knocked out by Captain Lance after a fight with Dinah. Talia Al Ghul was last scene unconscious at her hideout on Lian Yu.
Dig, Felicity, Curtis, Wild Dog, Dinah, Captain Lance, Nyssa, Samantha, Thea, and Deathstroke all probably spent the last few minutes before the explosion looking for an escape plan. There was an available ARGUS plane, but it was all the way on the other side of the island. Is it possible they all ran into the ARGUS prison seeking safety? Maybe they split up and found another way off?
Let us know your theory in the comments and stay tuned for spoilers out of San Diego Comic Con later this month.
