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'Arrow' Season 8 Episode 9 is a proper action thriller that sets up spin-off 'Green Arrow and the Canaries'

Not only does the episode have some really cool fight scenes and excellent chemistry between the characters, but it also sets up a lot of mysteries that seem to be tied to Oliver's past and his life on Lian Yu, the island where he truly became a hero

This article contains spoilers for 'Arrow' Season 8 Episode 9 'Green Arrow & the Canaries'.

'Arrow' Season 8 Episode 9 is here! Or rather, to be specific, the pilot episode for the spin-off show  'Green Arrow and the Canaries' is here and it's a true action thriller.

With 'Arrow' coming to an end after its tenth episode, the legacy of Oliver Queen / Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) is all set to be continued in the year 2040 by his grown-up daughter Mia Queen (Katherine McNamara). At least, that's the plan but it all depends on how well this backdoor pilot is received.

While that places a lot of pressure on everyone involved, after watching the episode we have no doubts that a 'Green Arrow and the Canaries' show will soon be on its way. Not only does the episode have some really cool fight scenes and excellent chemistry between the characters, but it also sets up a lot of mysteries that seem to be tied to Oliver's past and his life on Lian Yu, the island where he truly became a hero. 

There were a number of references made in the episode to Black Canary's comic book history. For example, in 2040 Dinah Drake / Black Canary (Juliana Harkavy) owns a bar called The Fishnet, an obvious reference to Black Canary's penchant for wearing fishnet stockings as part of her superhero outfit in the comics. Dinah's apartment, which is set to become the trio's new base of operations once the show begins, is extremely reminiscent of the clocktower used by the Birds of Prey in the comics, a team that counts Black Canary as a prominent member.

Katie Cassidy was as badass as ever as Laurel Lance / Black Siren and her interactions with Mia were a real delight to watch while Juliana Harkavy stuns with both her acting and singing skills as Dinah. We don't get an explanation for how Dinah arrived in the future but that's probably going to be one of the major arcs of the upcoming show, whenever it arrives on air.

'Arrow' Season 8 Episode 10 will air exclusively on The CW on January 28.