Purgatory (Arrow)

Last updated
"Purgatory"
Arrow episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 7
Directed by James Bamford
Written by
  • Rebecca Bellotto
  • Rebecca Rosenberg
Production codeT27.13957
Original air dateNovember 19, 2019 (2019-11-19)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Reset"		Next →
"Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four"
Arrow (season 8)
List of episodes

"Purgatory" is the seventh episode of the eighth and final season, and 167th episode overall of the American television series Arrow based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City (later renamed Star City), after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode is written by Rebecca and Rebecca Rosenberg. Hughes and directed by James Bamford.

Contents

Plot

The team learns that Lian Yu, the island Oliver Queen was stranded on, has been giving off an immense amount of strange energy and Lyla Michals tasks William Clayton with creating a device to harness it, while the plutonium is being transported by Dinah, Rene and Roy Harper. Upon arrival, their plane is shot down by a missile and crash lands on the island. Diggle, Lyla, and Connor rescue Dinah and Rene, while Oliver and Laurel retrieve the plutonium.

However, they are confronted by Edward Fyers, Billy Wintergreen and Yao Fei – deceased figures from Oliver's past who were all revived by the island's supernatural energy. Meanwhile, Diggle's party finds Roy, whose right arm is pinned; forcing Connor to amputate it, after William completes the weapon, Lyla activates it and transforms; absorbing the island's energy and causing its revived inhabitants to disappear before entering a portal. She later returns, now calling herself a "harbinger of things to come", and informs Oliver and Mia Queen that the Crisis has begun as the sky turns red.

In Central City, Nash Wells opens a door and discovers the Anti-Monitor.

Production

Writing

"Purgatory" was written by Rebecca Bellotto and Rebecca Rosenberg. Bellotto and Rosenberg completed the first draft on September 13, 2019, the second version being completed on the 16th. The third and final version was finished on the 18th, the day before filming began. [1] The title of the episode is a reference to the setting, Lian Yu, which is mandarin for purgatory. Lian Yu was the setting of most of Arrow's flash-backs, before looping to the main story in the season 5 finale, "Lian Yu" where the island is blown up in the present. [2]

Roy losing his arm is a reference to his comic counterpart, who also loses his arm. However, the comic version lost his arm in a fight with Prometheus, while the Arrowverse version had his arm crushed by the plane debris. [3]

Filming

"Purgatory" was directed by James Bamford. The episode began preparation on September 10, 2019, and finished on September 18. Shooting on the episode started the next day on September 19 and finished on October 1, 2019. [1] The closing scene of the episode was archived footage originally appearing in the Batwoman episode, "A Mad Tea-Party". [4]

Byron Mann is a Hong Kong-American who previously recurred as Yao Fei in season one Byron Mann 2018.jpg
Byron Mann is a Hong Kong-American who previously recurred as Yao Fei in season one

Casting

"Purgatory" stars Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Katherine McNamara, Ben Lewis, Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez, Juliana Harkavy, Joseph David-Jones, and LaMonica Garrett as Oliver Queen, John Diggle, Mia Queen, William Clayton, Laurel Lance (Earth-2), Rene Ramirez, Dinah Drake, Connor Hawke, and as both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor. [5] Several actors actors who had previously exited the series reprise their roles including Byron Mann as Yao Fei, [5] Colton Haynes as Roy Harper. [6] Sebastian Dunn also guest stars as his character Edward Fyers, but goes uncredited. [7]

The closing scene featuring Tom Cavanagh as Nash Wells also appears as the final scene of other Arrowverse episodes including, "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Pt. 2" (The Flash), "A Mad Tea-Party" (Batwoman), and "The Wrath of Rama Khan" (Supergirl). The scene leads directly into the Supergirl episode, "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One". [4]

Reception

Broadcast

"Purgatory" was first aired in the United States on The CW on December 3, 2019. It was watched by 830 thousand viewers with a 0.3/2 share among adults 18–49. [8] When accounting for seven day DVR viewership the episode gains an additional 600 thousand viewers for a total of 1.44 million viewers. [9] The episode held the fourth highest live viewership of the season, as well as the fourth highest when including DVR viewership.

Critical Reception

"Purgatory" received positive reviews from critics, with many calling it a "goodbye" and "conclusion". [3] [10] Andy Behbakht of Screen Rant named the episode the fifth best Arrow episode of 2019. Behbakht felt that having a final return to Lian Yu was a good choice for the final season. [11]

Sarah Little of TVFanatic enjoyed the episode finding it "sad" and "emotional". Little found the goodbye between John and Oliver enjoyable, describing it as a goodbye to the viewer, as opposed to a goodbye between the character. [12]

Delia Harrington of Den of Geek described the episode as " emotional" and "action-packed". She felt that the episode was written as a goodbye. While Harrington praised the episode overall she was somewhat disappointed with the lack of discussion on Roy's arm and the consequences of it. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Fyers</span> Comics character

Eddie Fyers is a fictional character, appearing in various comic book series published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ramsey</span> American actor

David Paul Ramsey is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman as John Diggle / Spartan, portraying Diggle and Bass Reeves in Legends of Tomorrow, recurring as an alternate universe version of Diggle in Superman & Lois, recurring as Anton Briggs on the Showtime TV series Dexter, and starring in the film Mother and Child (2009) as Joseph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thea Queen</span> Fictional character from the television series Arrow

Thea Dearden Queen, also known as Speedy, is a fictional character portrayed by Willa Holland on The CW television series Arrow, created by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. She is the maternal half-sister of series protagonist Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. Although an original creation to the series, she adopts elements from the DC Comics superhero Mia Dearden / Speedy, created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Queen (Arrowverse)</span> Fictional character in a television series

Oliver Queen, also known by his alter-ego as the Green Arrow, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series Arrow. The character is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and was adapted for television in 2012 by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell portrayed Oliver Queen, with Jacob Hoppenbrouwer portraying a young Oliver.

<i>Arrow</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the American action television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 10, 2012, at 8:00 pm (ET) and concluded on May 15, 2013, with a total of 23 episodes, after the network ordered a full season on October 22, 2012. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance.

Green Arrow (<i>Arrow</i> episode) 1st episode of the 4th season of Arrow

"Green Arrow" is the premiere of the fourth season and seventieth overall episode, of the American television series Arrow, originally broadcast on The CW. Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, the series follows the story of billionaire vigilante Oliver Queen who returns home after five years supposedly stranded on a Pacific island, featuring flashback sequences to his time away. The series is part of the Arrowverse franchise, alongside spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and other associated media. At the start of the fourth season, the character is attempting to start a new life away from vigilantism in Ivy Town, alongside girlfriend Felicity Smoak. The episode marks the first time that the vigilante persona of Oliver Queen is referred to by his comic book alias of "Green Arrow". It is also the first episode in the series to feature a flash forward sequence as well as the established flashback sequences. The episode was written by season four showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle, developed from a story written by Greg Berlanti and Beth Schwartz and directed by Thor Freudenthal. It was first broadcast in the United States on October 7, 2015, on The CW.

<i>Arrow</i> (season 4) 2015–16 season of American TV series

The fourth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 7, 2015, and concluded on May 25, 2016, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons.

<i>Arrow</i> (season 5) Season of television series

The fifth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 5, 2016, and concluded on May 24, 2017, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. They are joined by Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Josh Segarra.

"Lian Yu" is the twenty-third and final episode of the fifth season, and 115th episode overall of The CW series Arrow. The episode was written by showrunners Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim and directed by Jesse Warn. It was first broadcast on May 24, 2017, on The CW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Diggle (Arrowverse)</span> Fictional character in the Arrowverse

John Diggle, also known by his code names Freelancer and Spartan, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise and Superman & Lois, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series Arrow. The character was created for the series by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. Diggle is portrayed by David Ramsey

<i>Arrow</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2018, and concluded on May 13, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunner for this season was Beth Schwartz. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez, Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake, and Katie Cassidy Rodgers as Laurel Lance also returning from previous seasons. Colton Haynes, a principal cast member for seasons two and three and a special guest actor for seasons four and six, was reinstated as a series regular for the seventh season as Roy Harper. They are joined by Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Sea Shimooka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse)</span> Arrowverse crossover event

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is the sixth Arrowverse crossover event, featuring episodes of the television series Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow on The CW. The Supergirl, Batwoman, and The Flash episodes aired in December 2019 while the Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow episodes aired in January 2020. The events of the Black Lightning episode "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis" and a two-issue comic book with characters and concepts unused in the live-action episodes also tied into the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel Lance (Arrowverse)</span> Fictional character in the Arrowverse franchise

Dinah Laurel Lance is the name of several fictional characters in The CW's Arrowverse franchise based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and adapted by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg for Arrow in 2012. Katie Cassidy portrays the several multiverse versions of the character within the Arrowverse, all of whom are mostly referred to by their middle name, "Laurel", unlike the comics.

<i>Arrow</i> (season 8) Season of television series

The eighth and final season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2019, and concluded on January 28, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed vigilante created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series and associated media. Executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz returned as co-showrunners for this season.

"Starling City" is the first episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz, and directed by James Bamford.

"Leap of Faith" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Emilio Ortega Aldrich and Elizabeth Kim and directed by Katie Cassidy.

"Green Arrow & The Canaries" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by showrunners Beth Schwartz and Marc Guggenheim alongside Jill Blankenship and Oscar Balderrama, and directed by Tara Miele.

"Prochnost" is the fifth episode of the eighth and final season, and 165th episode overall of the American television series Arrow based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode is written by Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes and directed by Laura Baley.

References

  1. 1 2 Schwartz, Beth (2019-09-20). "Only 3 more to go..." Twitter . Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  2. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (2017-05-25). "Arrow: "Lian Yu" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  3. 1 2 Cardona, Ian (2019-12-04). "Arrow: One Hero Just Underwent a Major Comic Book Transformation". CBR. Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  4. 1 2 Spencer, Samuel (2019-12-02). "'Batwoman': How the Nash Wells Scene Sets Up 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  5. 1 2 Stone, Sam (2019-11-16). "Arrow: A Season 1 Ally Returns in 'Purgatory' Synopsis". CBR. Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  6. ↑ Agard, Chancellor (2019-03-12). "'Arrow' recap: One last mission before 'Crisis'". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  7. ↑ Comments, Andy Wilson | (2019-12-05). ""Arrow": Oliver Faces Ghosts of His Past in "Purgatory" [Spoiler Review]". bleedingcool.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  8. ↑ Welch, Alex (December 5, 2019). "'The Voice,' 'CMA Country Christmas,' all others hold: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (December 28, 2019). "Tuesday Final Ratings: Decent Outing for 'Brad Paisley Thinks He's Special' on ABC". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Harrington, Delia (2019-12-04). "Arrow Season 8 Episode 7 Review: Purgatory". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  11. ↑ Behbakht, Andy (2020-01-10). "Arrow: Best 2019 Episodes, Ranked". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  12. ↑ Little, Sarah (2019-12-03). "Arrow Season 8 Episode 7 Review: Purgatory". TV Fanatic. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2023-09-24.

"Purgatory" at IMDb

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.