Arrow season 7 episode 17 live stream: Watch online

Emiko takes the spotlight as Arrow returns (permanently?) to the present. Watch the episode using Culturess’ handy viewing guide.

Last week’s flash-forward episode of Arrow was, as expected, a blast. After weeks of seemingly fruitless searching, William and Mia finally found Felicity and together, they managed to foil the bomb threat against Star City. Along the way, there was bickering, flirting, reconciling, and, of course, plenty of fighting.

Staged with characteristic panache by director James Bamford, Blackstar’s action scenes were as thrilling as anything the series has ever done. Is anybody else still giddy over the shot of her with the bow and arrow? Frankly, “Star City 2040” was so much fun that the prospect of coming back to the present feels like a bit of a comedown.

Of course, though, there are questions that still need to be answered. Namely: how does Archer turn from Felicity’s pet project into a dystopian surveillance system capable of controlling an entire city? And why does Rene, the most vocally anti-establishment Team Arrow member, join forces with Galaxy One, which we now know is a front for the terrorist group Eden Corp? And where are Oliver and Diggle in the future?

We suspect that the complete story won’t become clear until the finale of season 7. But since so much plot and character development needs to happen before then, we can’t imagine that the five episodes before then will be anything but fast-paced.

Read below for the official synopsis of this week’s episode, titled “Inheritance,” courtesy of The CW:

"LAUREL TEAMS UP WITH OLIVER — Laurel (Katie Cassidy) learns about some damaging information that affects Emiko (Sea Shimooka). Always looking to protect his sister, Oliver (Stephen Amell) invites Laurel to help investigate, which makes Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) happy as her friend is now working with the team. However, when things go awry, Felicity is forced to make a choice between the team and Laurel."

The last time we saw Laurel, she had confronted Emiko about her involvement in Diaz’s death. She is the only character who knows that the new Green Arrow’s motives aren’t as righteous as she claims. What will she do with the information? The synopsis seems to suggest that she won’t keep it secret for long, but surely, Laurel knows that between her and Emiko, Oliver will side with his sister. In this case, telling the truth might not be the savviest move.

Felicity’s alliances are less clear-cut. Although it’s a relief to know that her moral compass stays basically intact in the future, we also know that she is, however inadvertently, responsible for the future dystopia. We’re both excited and nervous to see how her arc unfolds.

Patia Prouty directs from a script by Sarah Tarkoff and Elizabeth Kim.

"Date: Monday, March 25Start time: 8 p.m. ESTEpisode: “Inheritance”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.