Team GATV Roundtable: Looking Back At Arrow Season 6 & Forward To Season 7

Was it time for Quentin and/or Thea to go?

MATT: Yes. They’ve been struggling with things to do for and with Thea for seasons now, so it makes sense to finally let the character go. As for Quentin, it fits. He was the last “parent” figure of the group. As the characters continue to advance and grow, it was tough to find a role for Quentin. Oliver was out as mayor, and though Quentin technically held the position, it seems more than likely he would’ve been forced out and would no longer have any official position. It’s a bit hard to figure where he would fit beyond that. So rather than keeping him hanging around, using his death as a springboard for Laurel’s transition and letting Paul Blackthorne move on makes a lot of sense.

MELISSA: I don’t think the show had run out of good ways they could have used them, but they weren’t using them well and in the case of Quentin, I’m not sure he could have recovered as a credible character, so yes; it probably was time for them to leave.

STEPHANIE: Both characters feel like they’ve been on the peripheral for a couple of seasons now. Integrating Quentin and Thea at City Hall proved successful, but even those storylines faded away. I didn’t want to see either of them go, but I don’t think the series has unique roles for them to fill anymore. Team Arrow is full, and Quentin has already been a cop, so I’d rather them be gone than deal with the frustration of them being underutilized.

CRAIG: As I said, the finale broke my heart. I’m happy Paul Blackthorne got a big new gig though I will miss him on Arrow; he did live about 4 seasons longer than I thought he would, though! I think there could still be a lot more material to mine between him and Black Siren, but, alas, it is not meant to be. As for Thea, it feels like she had already left the show long ago, so, if Willa wants to move on, let it be. So glad, though, that Oliver still has a family unit in the show in Felicity and William now that Thea and both of his parents are gone, as well as his surrogate father Quentin.