Arrow's Final Season Hits the Halfway Mark With “Prochnost”

The CW has released the official synopsis for "Prochnost," the fifth episode of Arrow's final season, marking the midpoint in Stephen Amell's last outing as Oliver Queen. The episode will see Oliver return to Russia, which likely means he will be teaming with Anatoly Knyazev (David Nykl), his old KGB handler and (for a long time) friend. Anatoly and Oliver have had a rocky relationship over the last couple of years, but it would be surprising to go through the final season without seeing him, and a trip to Russia seems to set it up perfectly...especially one that Oliver undertakes with a team, which will almost certainly include Diggle (David Ramsey).

After all, following his falling out with Ricardo Diaz, Anatoly had a little time under his belt as an ARGUS informant, suggesting that he likely has a workable relationship with the Diggle family. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the Russian element and this growing distrust of The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) plays with Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson), who has been working with The Monitor and currently runs ARGUS.

The episode title itself, "Prochnost," means durability or endurance in Russian -- and this is not the first time the word has come up on Arrow. You can check out the synopsis below.

DON'T LET YOUR PAST DEFINE YOU – Upon learning the key to oppose The Monitor (guest star LaMonica Garrett), Oliver (Stephen Amell) and team return to Russia on a mission to gather the necessary materials. Connor (Joseph David-Jones) reunites with a figure from his past. Laura Belsey directed the episode written by Benjamin Raab & Deric A. Hughes.

Arrow returns to The CW this fall for its eighth and final season, a ten-episode run that will bring the story of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards, who exited the series at the end of last season), John Diggle (David Ramsey), and the rest of Team Arrow to a close (unless, of course, there is a spinoff planned). The series' end will coincide with The CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" mega-event, which will run for five episodes over December 2019 and January 2020, featuring episodes from Arrow, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman. That seems particularly meaningful since in Arrow's season seven finale, The Monitor arrived to tell Oliver and Felicity that Oliver would need to join him — and that he would not survive the experience of helping The Monitor defend the multiverse in the Crisis.

Season eight of Arrow airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, following episodes of The Flash.