When we start off the season, William isn't doing well, to say the least. He doesn't leave his bedroom, rarely eats anything (you know it's bad when someone doesn't want to eat a Big Belly Burger) and most of all, refuses to talk to Oliver about anything. Even worse, the island incident involving his mother still gives him nightmares five months later.

Something that I like about this part of the story is that it doesn't just feel like a kid getting mad at his father because we've felt the emotional impact of Samantha dying in Oliver's arms which helps us further understand why William is upset in the first place. Plus, this particular storyline (despite technically lasting for months) is only shown in the show for about two to three episodes which stops it from becoming tiresome at points.

As the season progresses, we slowly see William start to bond with not only his father, but also Felicity. Honestly, it felt refreshing to have a few episodes where the main focal point of the story wasn't fighting bad guys (though, of course I still love the action!) but rather, on the family dynamics parents must face when raising a child. I definitely started to appreciate the little moments between William, Oliver, and Felicity.

For example, when Oliver first introduces Felicity to William as his math tutor, we get the smallest of glimpses into what would become a wonderful bond between a mother and her child.

Especially, in the scene where Felicity exclaims how good Oliver's midnight snack is and we see younger William smile for the first time at his father since the season started (Felicity really does make their relationship better).

Another great example of their relationship growth in the earlier section of this season is during the two-part Deathstroke-centric episode. Oliver had previously offered to help his old friend, Slade Wilson, find his lost son (long story. Lol) which meant he'd have to leave the country for the first time since having William in his life full-time.

You might think that William would be upset or worried about him because who wouldn't with the type of friends the Arrow has to keep around? But he actually encouraged Oliver to help his friend and he even called his dad while he was away, telling Oliver how much he missed him (without you know, actually telling him because we can never be completely honest with our parents, right?). I mean, what more could a father ask for than their kid saying they love them?

As the season progresses, William grows closer and closer with Oliver and Felicity, but of course, their relationship is not without flaws. One of these aforementioned flaws is most certainly when Oliver is forced to suit back up as the Arrow after specifically telling William he'd given up that half of his life so he could raise him without worry of another one of his parents dying. He'd already put his son through so much the prior year and just felt awful for having to lie to him, but that's what sometimes comes with being a superhero parent (in both senses of the word).

William is upset of course, because he doesn't want to lose his father. But this built tension between he and his father actually leads to a great story point with Felicity where she explains why they have to trust that Oliver will come home because he needs them in his life just as much as they need him. Honestly, that scene is one of my all-time favorite Felicity scenes because of not only the great script writing done for her speech, but also Emily Bett Rickards' perfect line delivery.

Eventually, William and Oliver make amends after the latter promises to always be honest with him from that point on. Over the course of the next several episodes, we see various good family moments (all of which I'd love to label off but we don't have enough time) until the finale of season six.

In the very first scene of the final episode of the season, the Smoak-Queens are attacked in their apartment by some of Ricardo Diaz's hired thugs. Oliver easily takes the men down, protecting the two people he cares about most. William gets sent to an Argus safe house later in that episode just to ensure his safety as Team Arrow work to take down Diaz which they nearly succeed in doing until Laurel Lance swoops in for the kill but fails, giving him the opportunity for escape.

Unfortunately, we learn towards the end of the episode the heartbreaking news that Oliver offered to go to jail without a fight if the FBI helped him track Diaz which they will continue to do while he is in prison.

The moment when William shouts, "dad!" as he runs into his father's arms at the police precinct before Oliver is taken to Slabside prison is nothing short of heartbreaking. All the three of them wanted was to get to be a family with some sort of normalcy in their lives (especially in their son's) and here they are, being separated once again. I think this particular section really showed Oliver making a true sacrifice for the greater good.

Focusing on William's storyline in the sixth season, I personally think he might've had my very favorite character development in this season (followed closely by Oliver and Roy) which is especially notable due to the fact that even though he was in more of the show during this season than past ones, it wasn't like he had the most screen time by any means. As a teenager, I felt that a lot of his problems felt so much more relatable because he was around the same age as I am. The show decided to touch on topics such as bullying and inner self struggles with the character, showing us that even kids can prove themselves to be capable of preserving past pain which is something that really inspired me.