Though it’s inevitable that every TV series meet its end at some point, yesterday’s confirmation of Arrow concluding with its eighth season still came as a punch to the gut. And if that weren’t enough, lead actor Stephen Amell likely brought tears to the eyes of many devoted fans with a heartfelt goodbye video soon after the news broke.
Of course, this wasn’t a house built by just one man. Don’t forget that David Ramsey has also been around since the pilot episode, and his character of John Diggle has grown into something else entirely. Granted, the guy had charisma and tremendous physical presence, but none could be too sure that he’d blossom into Spartan, a hero in his own right.
Chiming in on the subject of the series concluding was Ramsey himself on Twitter, where he posted the following:
“What an awesome ride! @arrow fans have been the best any actor could’ve asked for! Thank you for helping me bring John Diggle/Spartan to life!!! Love all of you! Can’t wait for you to see what we have in stock for you. Let’s end on a high, shall we?”
Aside from the 10-episode eighth season likely going out with a bang coinciding with this fall’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, Arrow itself will doubt serve up its own surprises for the other nine offerings. It remains to be seen if the whole Dante/Ninth Circle arc will carry over into next year, but if not, there are plenty of other comic books to mine for inspiration.
Speaking of the source material, it’s worth mentioning how Diggle made such an impact on TV that he was eventually integrated into the comics. Admittedly, his relationship with Oliver Queen is a little rockier on the printed page, but Ramsey can forever lay claim to having played the first iteration of a character now spanning multiple forms of media.
Arrow airs on Monday nights on The CW.
