‘Arrow’ EP Andrew Kreisberg On Ra’s Al Ghul & Raising The Stakes

“Arrow” is ending 2014 with a bang.

In Wednesday’s mid-season finale, “The Climb,” Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) is giving Oliver Queen an ultimatum: Find Sara Lance’s killer within 48 hours, or the League of Assassins will kill people in Starling City.

“Obviously, Oliver has been searching for the killer on his own to satisfy his own sense of justice and to honor Sara, but suddenly now a clock has been put on it, so that obviously ups the stakes, ” “Arrow” Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg told Access Hollywood. “And as the League begins to close in and the killer’s identity is revealed, things are going to get as difficult for Oliver as they have ever been and he’s going to be forced to make some very difficult choices – the kinds of ones he had hoped he’d left behind last year when he had really risen to become a hero.”

PHOTOS: ‘Arrow’ Takes On Ra’s Al Ghul! (Scenes From The Mid-Season Finale)

And yes, the mystery of who took out Sara will be solved.

“Yes, Sara’s killer will be revealed in ‘Arrow,'” Kreisberg said.

WATCH: Marc Guggenheim: How Ra’s Al Ghul Will Change ‘Arrow’

Also expected in the mid-season finale is a matchup between Ra’s al Ghul and Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen/The Arrow on a snowy mountain top.

Previously, “Arrow” EP Marc Guggenheim told Access that what happens with Ra’s will alter The CW drama.

“I think what’s really cool about Ra’s coming to the fore is his presence changes the show,” Guggenheim told Access. “Literally, the show will not be the same after Episode 9.”

Guggenheim also revealed Malcolm Meryln (John Barrowman) is important to the “Arrow” mid-season finale.

WATCH: Andrew Kreisberg Previews ‘Arrow’ Mid-Season Finale

“He has a very big role to play in Episode 9,” the EP said.

While fans may expect things to cool off after the enormous “Arrow” crossover episode last week, Kreisberg said they kept the pedal to the metal.

“We are so proud of the crossovers. We worked so incredibly hard on them and we were so gratified by the audience’s response to them, but the truth is, we worked equally as hard if not harder on both episode 9s of these shows,” Kreisberg said, adding, “I think that 309 is easily one of the best episodes of ‘Arrow’ we’ve ever produced.”

But, with the holiday season upon us, we couldn’t end the year without asking how Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) and Boomerang (Nick Taraby) are celebrating Christmas in their Lian Yu prison.

“A very lonely Christmas. They don’t get to have Secret Santa in the Argus prison underneath Lian Yu,” Kreisberg joked.

The “Arrow” mid-season finale airs Wednesday at 8/7c on The CW.

Jolie Lash

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