More flashbacks should be expected in "Arrow" season 5, according to executive producers Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim.
The flashback scenes during the first and second seasons of "Arrow" was very essential to paint the picture of Oliver Queen's (Stephen Amell) transformation from a playboy billionaire into the crime-fighting superhero.
In an interview with TVLine, the executive producers explained how they will make the flashbacks worthwhile to watch once again after it failed to serve its purpose.
"Part of the appeal of the flashbacks – certainly in the first two years, but I think the first three years – is seeing what a big difference Arrowit is between Oliver Queen in the present day and Oliver Queen five years ago," Guggenheim shared with the publication.
"The problem is that we are telling a five-year story in the flashbacks of Oliver becoming the guy you met in the pilot," he also explained. "So the deeper you get into the flashbacks, the closer he becomes to being that guy, and, thus, you lose that element of the flashbacks that was so interesting, which is how different he was.... That's something we have struggled with this year."
Mericle also mentioned that she believes Amell did a good job portraying the role of the "flawed" Oliver during the flashbacks, because he managed to show a lot of dimensions to the character. But while she refused to confirm the location for season 5's flashbacks, she teased that viewers will finally learn where Oliver learned how to speak Russian and got inked with the Bratva tattoo. This means that viewers will see the old Oliver spend time in a Russian destination. This could also be the place where he met Taiana (Elysia Rotaru).
On the other hand, "Arrow" season 5 will feature Echo Kellum as a new series regular when he reprises his role as Curtis Holt next season.
"Arrow" concludes season 4 on Wednesday, April 27, before the series resumes production for season 5.
