'Arrow' star David Ramsey says 'no one really wants' to make CW show without Emily Rickards
'Arrow' season 8 will not be the same without fan favorite Emily Bett Rickards, who played Felicity Smoak on the CW show till season 7. Rickards announced her departure from the show earlier this year, and fans were disappointed at the prospect of not seeing the star on the show. Sharing fans' sentiment is Rickards' co-star, David Ramsey, who plays John Diggle on the show.
Talking to Digital Spy, the actor said, "no one really wants" to make 'Arrow' without Rickards being on the show.
"We go back and Emily's not a part of it," Ramsey added. "That's a big thing. Y'know, no one really wants to do that show. [But] Stephen and I both had conversations with the producers, telling us exactly what they want to do with the next season and it really is... it's exciting. I don't know how they're gonna do it, but whatever you think could happen, it's probably something else."
What was most appreciated by the fans was the fitting send-off given to the actress and her character. Season 7's finale saw Oliver and Felicity leaving Star City for their happily ever after.
The couple moves to a remote location to raise their daughter. The plan, however, comes to an abrupt end when the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) shows up to collect Oliver on the "Elseworlds" bargain and also goes on to reveal that Emerald Archer would die in the process.
The show then flashes forward and shows Felicity's future. She reunites with her daughter, Mia, as well her stepson, William, to save Star City from trouble again. It is at this point that she also meets the Monitor who takes her to meet Oliver in a different part of the multiverse.
Talking about her character's end, Rickards said: "We sent her off in a beautiful way and she lives on in these people," she added. "I see her everywhere I go, so it's not totally goodbye."
When asked about his own fate in the upcoming season, Ramsey wouldn't say much. "I know some of the answers to that, based on what I know about what happens ultimately to John Diggle", he said.
Meanwhile, Rickards has signed up for her first role post-Arrow. She will co-star in the indie dramedy 'We Need To Talk' and will be working with James Maslow and 'Lethal Weapon’s Jonathan Fernandez. The film is written and directed by Todd Wolfe and is expected to begin filming later this month.
Arrow will return for its eighth and final season this fall on The CW.