Arrow Season 8, Episode 3, "Leap Of Faith," raised many questions even before its stunning twist ending, which is sure to have ramifications on the rest of the series' final season. It may also play a major role in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Most of "Leap of Faith" was set in the modern day, as Oliver Queen sought answers as to the identity of the Monitor in the oldest source of knowledge he knew of: the ruins of the League of Assassins' headquarters in Nanda Parbat. This led to an unexpected reunion with his sister, Thea Queen. It also led to a three-way race between our heroes, the Thanatos Guild and Talia al Ghul, as they sought an ancient sword belonging to the first Ra's Al Ghul, which was tied to the leadership of the League of Assassins and a must-have for anyone seeking to revive the ancient order.
In the flash-forward storyline of Star City 2040, the new Team Arrow raided the Deathstrokes' base of operations, hoping to wipe them out in one fell swoop. The battle ended badly, however, with the new Black Canary, Zoe Ramirez, dying on the blade of John Diggle Jr. just before the rest of the team was mysteriously sent back in time to 2019 and the bunker of the original Team Arrow. Here are all the big questions demanding answers following the shocking conclusion of "Leap Of Faith."
4. Did Oliver Cause The Crisis By Destroying The League Of Assassins?
Oliver found the answers he sought regarding the Monitor in The Chronicles of Al-Fatih; a journal written by the founder of the League of Assassins. The journal spoke of how Al-Fatih had been visited by a being he identified as a "sky god," who had the power "to see all that is and all that will be." This passage was accompanied by a sketch of the sky god, who was clearly the Monitor.
The Chronicles of Al-Faith go on to say that Al-Fatih believed that if the League of Assassins were ever to fail in their mission to maintain the balance between good and evil, the sky god would "bring forth the end of times, the annihilation of all things." Oliver effectively dismantled the League of Assassins in the Season 4 episode "Sins of the Father," after fighting a duel for control of the League against Malcolm Merlyn on behalf of Nyssa Al Ghul. This might make Oliver responsible for the start of the Crisis, if the League of Assassins had some mystic duty that helped maintain the cosmic balance which was neglected after they dissolved.
3. Why Did The Monitor Establish The League Of Assassins?
This question of what role the League of Assassins played in the cosmic balance raises another question; why did the Monitor establish the League in the first place? It makes an odd sense that Mar Novu should be the patron of the mysterious order, given that his efforts to maintain the cosmic balance seem to involve testing heroes rather than helping them save lives. The League of Assassins operated in a similar manner, claiming to be an organization devoted toward balance (much like the titular group in Assassin's Creed) and killing those people who were deemed dangerous to the world at large. While the difference may be one of scale, it still seems oddly beneath the Monitor to facilitate such a group.
2. Will Thea And Roy Ever Get Back Together?
Look up "star-crossed lovers" and you might find a picture of Thea Queen and Roy Harper, whom fate seems ever determined to deny a happy ending. The two went off together in the season 6 Arrow episode "The Thanatos Guild", but the flash-forwards of Season 7 showed Roy Harper living a hermit's existence on the island of Lian Yu and refusing to say what had happened to Thea. Thea confirmed that she saw Roy recently in "Leap of Faith," and that he had informed her of the battle with the Ninth Circle in the season 7 episode "Confessions," which triggered his own repressed blood lust from being resurrected in the Lazarus Pit. Roy was said to be off dealing with his personal demons during the events of "Leap of Faith", but it is still unclear if he will ever rejoin with Thea or will continue living alone for fear of hurting those he loves.
1. Who Brought Team Arrow 2.0 To 2019?
The biggest question at the end of Arrow Season 8, Episode 3, "Leap Of Faith," is who is responsible for bringing the future Team Arrow to 2019. The Monitor seems the most likely suspect, but the energy used to facilitate the teleportation - a bright flash of white light - seemed unlike anything the Monitor had done before. Previously, the Monitor had always used blue-tinted breaches, similar to the portals generated by Cisco Ramon as Vibe or by his interdimensional extrapolator devices, to move himself or other people between Earths or other dimensions.