"Arrow" is a unique series in that it tells two stories at once: the main story set in the present day and a series of flashbacks revealing what he had been up to during his years on Lian Yu. According to a TVLine interview with executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle, this trend will continue on in season 5.
Some concern has been shared by fans of the show regarding this decision given that the quality of the flashbacks began to dip starting in season 3, when Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) left the island and worked with ARGUS in Hong Kong, only to return to the island in season 4 where he learned the ways of mysticism and magic.
The producers are aware of the distaste fans have regarding the flashbacks but have confirmed that season will continue this system.
According to Guggenheim, a big part of the appeal of the flashbacks from earlier seasons is the fact that Oliver was still naive and so different from the man he became when he returned to Starling City. As time went by, Oliver evolved and became closer to what fans identify as his superhero persona, making the flashbacks less interesting.
However, the producers did point out that they are aware of these obstacles and that the flashbacks in season 5 will be signficantly better than the flashbacks of seasons 3 and 4. According to Mericle, it is hinted that season 5 will finally place Oliver in Russia before dropping him back on Lian Yu.
"I don't want to tip too much," teased Mericle, "but it's a very good possibility that we'll finally find out how Oliver got that Bratva tattoo and how he learned to speak Russian."
According to a report from Screen Rant, it is likely that the next season will be the last for the flashbacks, assuming that the series continues with a sixth season or more. Speculations arise that the last scene in the flashback will be Oliver on the island, firing away to light a pyre in order to signal the ship that brought him home back in season 1.
