Arrow Season 3 Finale: Five Biggest Questions Raised

Tonight's season finale of Arrow felt -- as promised by the cast and crew -- more like a series finale.

What could possibly come next? There were a lot of questions left unanswered

How will Ray Palmer survive?

Well, we saw Ray Palmer -- and the Palmer Technologies building and sign -- go BOOM tonight. So what's next for the character we know can't really stay dead, since he'll be appearing on DC's Legends of Tomorrow next year?

Well, it's hard to say. Certainly the miniaturization function he was working on could have worked, saving him but flinging him far from anything that could help him get his message out quickly. In the comics, the White Dwarf Star that gives his be

The other thing is Rip Hunter, who will lead up the team of Legends. In the comics, he saved his aunt Michelle "Goldstar" Carter by going to the moment of her death and whisking her away to help the Time Masters. He could certainly do the same to Ray Palmer and/or Sara Lance.

What will happen to the company?

If Ray is presumed dead, what will happen to the company he has been running, formerly Queen Consolidated? Certainly the question of that ownership transfer with Felicity will come up -- and if nobody can explain the explosion that "killed" him, could that document make Felicity -- who signed it and then ran out of town with the guy she dumped Ray for -- a suspect in his "death?"

What will bring Oliver back to Starling?

Well, the above-mentioned "death" of Ray Palmer and threat to Felicity's reputation and freedom could certainly be a compelling reason to come back.

Anything that puts Thea in danger would obviously do it, as well, although with Merlyn now leading up the League of Assassins, her safety seems like it's more or less assured.

As could any number of things. With Damian Darhk sufficiently provoked, it could be that H.I.V.E. activity in Starling could increase, prompting Diggle to want to mount an assault on the organization that killed his brother.

How will Damien Darhk respond to tonight's events?

Certainly it's interesting that when we heard Darhk referenced this season, he was as basically a poor man's Ra's al Ghul. With the same equipment, similar motivations and an organization that seems more or less to be similar to the League of Assassins but less unique and more like every other TV terror group, it will be curious to see what 

What about the flashbacks?

We know that somehow, some way, Oliver Queen ends up stranded back on Lian Yu by the end of Year Five. Going into Year Four, he's a free man and headed to Coast City as a stowaway, as far as we can tell.

So what of the flashbacks? Will they take place in Coast City? How does Oliver end up back on Lian Yu?

And of course -- if he's in Coast City, will we meet Hal Jordan? Typically, when fans ask about the big names, I get skeptical immediately. The success of Arrow and The Flash, though, have given them some very nice toys to play with and there's no guarantee that Hal will even be the movie Green Lantern. Meanwhile, he got everything short of a name-drop on The Flash last night, so...who knows? It seems like a lot of coincidence to me that Hal's comic book best friend is heading to Coast City just after Hal was referenced on a show that shares this one's universe.