Arrow’s Marc Guggenheim Teases Season Finale, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Spin-Off

Potential spoiler warning: Though no out-right spoilers are present, those who wish to see tonight’s season finale of “Arrow” unsullied may want to skip.

Tonight will see the third season of “Arrow” come to an end and series co-creator Marc Guggenheim opened up about the finale, noting that it feels like a series finale.

“It gives you a very definitive end,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It does feel like a series finale. At the same time, now that we’re working on season four, there are plot threads and notions from the season finale that get pulled into season four. It really does function on both levels, much more so than previous season finales. We’ve never ended a season the way we’re ending this season, where literally you are going, “How can the show go on?” At the end of season one in the wake of Tommy’s [Colin Donnell] death, there was a question of how can Oliver go on? But there was no question of how the show was going to be the show. Here, literally there is no more Arrow identity. There is no more lair. Relationships are fractured. All the things that sort of make the show the show are kind of gone. It’s an interesting conundrum the finale poses, which is, “OK, that was a really satisfying ending, but I know there is a season four, so how is there going to be a season four?” It’s a cliffhanger.”

Guggenheim also spoke about the upcoming spin-off series “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” saying that knowing it was on the horizon didn’t change their plans for tonight’s episode.

“Ray’s [Brandon Routh] last scene, which is a very definitive sendoff, was actually something we talked about way back at the beginning of the year, long before the spinoff was discussed. While Ray’s sendoff does a nice job of teeing up where he is headed in the spinoff, it was always something we were going to do. It functions both as an end to Ray’s story in season three, as well as a little tease of what people might be able to expect from the spinoff.”

Titled “My Name Is Oliver Queen,” the finale is officially described as follows:

“Everyone’s lives are in danger as Ra’s al Ghul  puts forth his final plan. Oliver/Al Sah-him must decide if he’s strong enough to take on this new role and what it will mean for everyone on Team Arrow, and his soul.”

Directed by John Behring with story by Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg and teleplay by Marc Guggenheim & Jake Coburn, “My Name Is Oliver Queen” is set to air May 13. “Arrow” airs Wednesdays at 8 P.M. EST.

You can catch up on season three of “Arrow” by reading our recaps by clicking here.