Arrow season 7 episode 1 live stream: Watch online

Now that Oliver’s vigilante activities are public knowledge, where does Arrow go? Tonight’s premiere turns the team in a new direction.

Quentin’s death was the least surprising thing to happen during the finale of Arrow season 6. In a departure from precedent, the season’s central villain, Ricardo Diaz, managed to evade death and capture, even as the team foiled his plans to take over Star City. Then, having finally run out of options, Oliver revealed to the public that he is the Green Arrow.

With that announcement, Arrow as we knew it for six seasons it came to an end. Considering how much the show has relied on Oliver’s secret identity as a source of conflict, it’s hard to imagine what it will look like now. If the trailer for season 7 is any indication, though, Oliver will have no trouble finding, well, trouble while in prison. He is, after all, responsible for many of his fellow inmates’ present circumstances.

Below is the synopsis for the season premiere, titled “Inmate 4587,” courtesy of The CW. Unsurprisingly, it’s quite long and touches on Oliver for fully half of it before finally touching on other characters:

"Following Oliver’s shocking decision to turn himself over to the FBI and reveal his identity as the Green Arrow to the public, Oliver has spent the past five months in Slabside Maximum Security Prison. Determined to keep a low profile to shorten his sentence for the sake of his family, Oliver is tested when he runs into old foes. Meanwhile, Diggle and Dinah have taken on new jobs and left their costumes behind but not everyone is following suit. With her focus on William, Felicity tries to start over but when someone from her past resurfaces, things become complicated."

It looks like we’re in for a bit of table-setting, as various characters settle into their new lives. But after season 6 floundered under convoluted plotting and relationship melodrama, maybe it’s not a bad idea for season 7 to take its time laying everything out before the season escalates. Now that Oliver is sidelined, his teammates have a chance to take the spotlight, and the show has a chance to remind us that these people have lives outside of their superhero identities. (Translation: can we actually see Curtis dating this time?)

Besides, if actor Kirk Acevedo’s promotion to series regular is any indication, it won’t be long before Ricardo Diaz returns. Hopefully, though, he doesn’t dominate this episode by appearing too often or even dominating the end.

James Bamford directed the premiere, which might guarantee at least a bit of action — maybe with Oliver in prison. New showrunner Beth Schwartz wrote the script along with Oscar Balderrama.

Here’s what you need to know for tonight’s premiere:

"Date: Monday, Oct. 15Start time: 8 p.m. ESTEpisode: “Inmate 4587”TV Channel: The CWLive Stream: Watch live on Fubo TV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can also watch on The CW website or app."

Arrow airs Mondays on The CW.