For the first two season the flashbacks in “Arrow” were arguably just as good, if not better than the main story taking place in Star City. However the past two years the flashbacks have kind of gone off the rails and they’ve become somewhat of a nuisance to the fans.
At the Writers Guild Festival on Saturday producer Marc Guggenheim was asked about the flashbacks and he admitted that they’ve run into some problems with them.
“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 Arrow it is between Oliver Queen in the present day and Oliver Queen five years ago,” EP Marc Guggenheim said. “The problem is that we are telling a five-year story in the flashbacks of Oliver becoming the guy you met in the pilot. 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.”
Whether you like them or not, you have to admit that the flashbacks of today are far cry from the flashbacks from season 1 and 2. But not all hope is lost, it sounds like things could get back on track next season. Producer Wendy Mericle was also asked if the show will finally be diving into Oliver’s past with the Russians at some point and she hinted that it will happen in season 5.
“I don’t want to tip too much, 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.” Mericle added
“Arrow” returns with “Canary Cry” on Wednesday, April 27.
