Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode of Arrow, “Nanda Parbat,” are within.
If you’re on the East Coast, you just finished a new Arrow, and are probably scratching your head like we were, wondering why Ra’s al Ghul would need a successor. So, needless to say… what’s next?
The producers and actress Katrina Law gave us some updates earlier this week at a CW Q&A.
“It picks up literally ten seconds before the end of this episode. We do one of our direct pick-ups; we catch you up a little bit, and bring you straight into 16,” Marc Guggenheim says.
“You want to keep that conversation going,” Andrew Kreisberg adds. “Obviously, Oliver is completely taken aback, because he’s not expecting that to be the case, and it was something that Greg and Marc and I talked about – it was important to have a different villain this year, and somebody who is going to be doing something completely different. In Season 1, we had the incomparable John Barrowman, who had his mission; and obviously, last year Slade’s mission was one of vengeance. For this year, to have Ra’s who is presented as this giant malevolent force, but then to come up and basically offer the keys to the kingdom to our hero… it just felt like such a different way to go, and a different relationship for Oliver to have with the villain. What Oliver’s reaction to Ra’s offer – the next episode is actually called “The Offer” – what Oliver’s reaction to it, what Nyssa’s reaction to it is, what everyone’s reaction to it is, makes up the bulk of the next run of episodes.”
How is Nyssa going to take the news that Ra’s picked Oliver as his successor?
“Nyssa is pleasantly surprised,” Katrina Law says.
“By pleasantly, she means unpleasantly,” Guggenheim laughs.
“Nyssa is the Heir to the Demon, so you can imagine how she feels when she finds out that what she would consider to be her birthright is being handed to Oliver,” Kreisberg adds.
And beyond Nyssa… what about her famous sister from the comics, Talia? Does she have a reaction?
“Who’s Talia?” Andrew Kreisberg jokes.
“I ate her. She was my twin; I ate her in the womb,” Katrina Law says sarcastically.
“We haven’t made any firm decisions about whether Talia exists in our continuity,” Kreisberg says. “We are so, so happy with Katrina and Nyssa… if we ever think of a reason to have a Talia – whoever or whatever incarnation we decide to do, it would be in service of furthering Katrina’s story.”
“The Offer” airs March 18 on The CW.
If you’ve just seen this week’s episode, “Nanda Parbat,” and want to talk about it with other fans, come by our Arrow forum!
Also: If you want to read what Andrew Kreisberg had to say about the Ray/Felicity hookup this week, that interview material can be found here.
Below, find the promo trailer for “The Offer.”
