When Does the TV Show "Arrow" Season One (2012) Take Place?
"Arrow" season one is a superhero television show season showran by Greg Berlanti with Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg [adapting the Green Arrow stories in "More Fun Comics" #73 (1941) by Mort Weisinger as well as "More Fun Comics" #89 (1943) by Joe Samachson, "Green Arrow: Year One" #1-#6 (2007) by Andy Diggle, and "Green Arrow: The Wonder Year" #1-#4 (1992-1993) by Mike Grell] and released October 10th, 2012.
It takes place on an alternate timeline of the fictional DC Films Universe in the years:
We know this because, in the very first scene of season 1 episode 1 "Pilot", Oliver Queen/Green Arrow narrated to the audience, "I've been stranded here for 5 years." A TV news anchorman shown immediately afterward corroborates this when he says, "Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fisherman in the North China Sea 5 days ago, 5 years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed The Queen's Gambit." According to a chalk diagram made by Cisco Ramon in "The Flash" season 6 episode 10, "Marathon", Oliver returned home to Starling City sometime in "2012".
2012 AD - 2013 AD
We know this because, in the very first scene of season 1 episode 1 "Pilot", Oliver Queen/Green Arrow narrated to the audience, "I've been stranded here for 5 years." A TV news anchorman shown immediately afterward corroborates this when he says, "Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fisherman in the North China Sea 5 days ago, 5 years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed The Queen's Gambit." According to a chalk diagram made by Cisco Ramon in "The Flash" season 6 episode 10, "Marathon", Oliver returned home to Starling City sometime in "2012".
While having dinner with the Queen family, Tommy Merlyn says, "A black president, that's new!", referring to the election and inauguration of United States of America President Barack Obama whose term began with his November 2008 AD election win and his first inauguration on January 20th, 2009 AD in the real world. Both between Oliver's disappearance in 2007 AD and reappearance in 2012 AD.
Partway through the season, in season 1 episode 9 "Year's End", the Queen family throw a Christmas party and the upcoming holiday is generally discussed from the very beginning of the episode so we can assume it is December of 2012 AD, at this point. Indeed, even the episode's title implies it. Then, at the very beginning of season 1 episode 10 "Burned", John Diggle says "It's been 6 weeks, Oliver." referring to events in the end of the previous episode. More than 1 month and 2 weeks past Christmas must be February of 2013 AD.
12.2012 + 1 & 1/2. = 2.2013.
Furthermore, at the end of season 1 episode 9 "Year's End", Merlyn says, "In 6 months, the organization's vision of what this city should be will be complete." This lines up with the time of the season finale episode 23 "Sacrifice" in Summer of 2013 AD.
12.2012 + 6. = 6.2013.
Additionally, the entire season includes numerous flashbacks to the sinking of The Queen's Gambit and Oliver's time on the island of Lian Yu. According to that chalk diagram made by Cisco in "The Flash", the Queen family pleasure boat The Queen's Gambit was lost sometime in "2007". So we can conclusively place these flashbacks in 2007 AD.
2012 - 5 = 2007.
