‘Arrow’ season 2, episode 4 review: Why the writers are getting (almost) everything right

For whatever reason, we have a hard time looking at “Arrow” through an objective lens because we enjoy the show so darn much; while it’s not on the “Chuck” or “Community” level of fandom that we have, this is one of our favorites on TV just for the perspective of pure fun. And while there are a couple of assorted problems that are still holding this show back here and there, Wednesday night’s episode was still a good way to look at everything that the series is doing right.

Like many other members of the press, we knew about the Black Canary reveal ahead of time, and while there is a little bit of irritation in seeing the lack of continuity between seasons 1 and 2 when it comes to different Sara Lances, this version of the Canary is interesting. She is also more compelling than her sister Laurel right now, but that is at least starting to change courtesy of her addiction-fueled storyline. Finally, we have a real justification for her bizarre behavior, even if she still has chemistry problems with almost everyone else on the cast. She still feels like a teenage girl around her father, that is irksome.

But with the Canary, we wanted to see more of the backstory every time that she was on screen, and we still do now that we know more of her connections with Oliver back on the island. When you are in the know as much as the Arrow is, it makes the surprises all the more compelling. This is what made the Brother Blood reveal particularly interesting. It feels lost like Kevin Alejandro may be one of the season’s big bads at this point, as this is a man building an army in secret to take over the city in a way only he can. That makes him a compelling villain, just in the same way that Oliver is a compelling hero.

The action, the characters, and the surprises on “Arrow” are all pretty top-notch, but there are two things currently holding the show back ever so slightly.

1. We still don’t really care that much about the island or what happens there, mostly because until now, Oliver has been the only relevant character in both worlds.

2. Are we starting to get too many stories to follow? It feels like it, since Diggle and Felicity did not have that much to do this week, and Moira was nowhere in sight.

In the end, though, we still love the DC presence on “Arrow” this season, and that there are risks being taken when it comes to the reveals. If we wanted to read a straightforward take on the Green Arrow, we’d read the comics. This show may actually be the closest relative of “The Walking Dead” on TV when it comes to changing things up. Grade: B+.

If you want to read all about “Arrow’s” big reveal that was spoiled in advance, click here. We’ll have more related to the show soon.

Photo: The CW