Team GATV Roundtable: Looking Back At Arrow Season 5

How much Slade is enough Slade for the new season?

CRAIG: Honestly, if Manu Bennett wanted to be in 23 episodes a year, I’d be down for that. At the very least, I hope we see him more than we saw Thea in Season 5.

MATT: It really depends on how they define Oliver’s and Slade’s relationship coming out of the island explosion. There is obviously a tough history between these two, but they can leave things on a respectful turn. I think it would make sense to use Slade sparingly. It sounds like he might be in about 3 episodes in the opening 9 of the season. Maybe another arc or two during the latter part of the season would be nice. Maybe something where Deathstroke is approaching something Team Arrow is investigating from another side. Doesn’t make them enemies but more adversaries. Could be fun to play with that.

MELISSA: We know we have him in the first episode and as a focus in the fifth and sixth episode this season. That’s already a generous amount of Slade. I don’t want him overused and risk diluting his impact or shoehorned in where he doesn’t fit. I felt Malcolm suffered some of that in the later seasons. I wouldn’t mind if he showed up again in the back half of the season to tie up something or in future seasons, but he shouldn’t be there without a good reason and his complicated history with Oliver should never be glossed over.

Slade might not be responsible for his actions while the Mirakuru ravaged his system (assuming he’s telling the whole truth), but he still brutally killed Moira and even if Oliver can forgive, can he ever completely forget? Would Thea be able to do either? So yes, to more Slade down the line, but only if used sparingly.

STEPHANIE: As great as Manu Bennett is in the part, I think less is better at this point. We’ve seen him as a villain and as a friend to Oliver, so they can’t do much with him that tops season two. He’s almost starting to feel like a crutch when they need to create buzz and drudge up a sense of dread.