Emily Bett Rickards, who plays Felicity Smoak on Arrow, won’t be returning for the 8th & final season of the series. The news was announced on her official Instagram page.
“Felicity and I are a very tight two But after one through seven we will be saying goodbye to you” is what some of the post read. The whole caption is essentially a poem bidding farewell to the show & thanking fans for their support. What isn’t clear is why she’s leaving before the final season of 10 episodes. No word on if this was planned or simply her decision to pursue other endeavors.
Arrow himself, Stephen Amell, had this to say about her exit in a touching post on his Instagram:
“For me… August 3rd, 2012 is the most important day in the history of our show. It was the first day I worked with Emily. Her energy and the vibrancy she gave to Felicity Smoak is only surpassed by what she personally gave to me. She was a co-worker that became a best friend. So on the first day of our last episode together, I’d like everyone to know how deeply I appreciate the past seven years. EmBett… We wouldn’t be here without you. I love you. And I cannot wait to see what you do next.”
Rickards first appeared on Arrow during the third episode of season one and quickly moved up to series regular for the rest of the show’s first seven seasons.
