Arrow's showrunners want fans to know that season 4 will have a much lighter tone. Explaining the transition, Arrow executive showrunner Marc Guggenheim stted, “We played him as a guy who was returning home from war with PTSD for the first three years. Now he’s put those demons to rest, or so he thinks, and there’s a lightness to him as a result of all the things he learned last year." Another Arrow showrunner, Wendy Mericle adds, "It’s less about erasing his father’s legacy and more about establishing his."
The show has definitely seen its fair share of death, murders and tragic storylines. While Guggenheim points to Deathstroke's (Manu Bennett) arrival in Starling City in season 2 as a turning point for the show, death and sacrifice have always been a major motivation for Oliver. From his father, Robert Queen, to his mentor and first trainer, Yao Fei, and even Tommy Merlyn, Arrow has always dealt with costly repercussions for the choices people make. Where the show deviated in season 3, is that the death of supporting characters around Oliver didn't spur him onwards to heroic actions. The death of Sara Lance caused Oliver to do some very questionable things where the League of Assassins was concerned. Hopefully, if anyone in season 4 does have to make the "ultimate sacrifice" it prompts Oliver to become a better defender of Star City and one that doesn't need to use deceitful and unethical methods to get the mission accomplished.
Arrow season 4 premieres on October 8th on The CW.
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