James Bamford and Juliana Harkavy discuss Team Arrow’s new dynamic for season 7

Last season of Arrow left viewers with a pair of major twists. James Bamford and Juliana Harkavy discussed how the show will move forward.

The season 6 finale of Arrow was a game-changer on multiple levels. For starters, it was the first time in the show’s history that Oliver and his team failed to catch or kill a villain. Diaz remains on the loose in Star City, and we suspect that, even with the FBI’s help, it won’t be easy to clean up his mess. Perhaps more shockingly, Oliver not only turned himself into law enforcement but also revealed his identity to the public.

So, what happens now? In July, the show’s stars and producers gathered at San Diego Comic-Con to share details about the upcoming season. Among them were actress Juliana Harkavy, aka Dinah Drake/Black Canary, and James Bamford, who boarded Arrow as a fight choreographer and stunt coordinator in season 1 before making his directorial debut in season 4. (Before season 6, Culturess spoke with Bamford about his various roles.)

During a media roundtable at SDCC, Harkavy disclosed that the tensions that divided Team Arrow last season will ease in the wake of Oliver’s arrest. “[The characters] all kind of reevaluated how to compose ourselves as a team after Oliver made that gigantic sacrifice for us,” she said. “There’s definitely going to be less animosity… Now we have to pick up the pieces and figure out how to take care of the city without our main guy.”

For Dinah, whose cynicism rivals — or perhaps surpasses — Oliver’s, reconnecting will prove tricky. “It’s in Dinah’s nature to be very independent and not want anyone to help her,” Harkavy said. “She has to do it differently now, since the team is divided and broken, but I think she wants everybody there.”

In particular, she hinted at a different dynamic between Dinah and Black Siren, who has parted ways with Diaz. Although the women are unlikely to become friends, they have reached a place where they can “at least attempt to communicate” with each other.

Bamford, meanwhile, offered an intriguing insight into what lies in store for Oliver. To depict the billionaire-turned-vigilante’s life behind bars, he was able to draw on his personal experience as a corrections officer.

“So, that has added another layer of grit and rawness to the show that we didn’t have before,” he said. “I think the audience is in for some really interesting surprises, both in the look of the show and in the performance from our friend Stephen Amell.”

Among other surprises, we can expect to see characters from earlier seasons reappear. Needless to say, being responsible for many of his fellow convicts’ situations, Oliver won’t exactly receive a warm welcome.

“Anything can happen,” Bamford said. “The possibilities are endless, and we’re taking it there, and we’re having a great time doing it. Everybody’s embracing that part of it.”

Arrow season 7 premieres Monday, Oct. 15 on The CW.