‘Arrow’ season 2, episode 1 review: The birth of the Green Arrow
There are time when you can understandably call “Arrow” a little bit of a cheesy show. The producers look for ways to get Stephen Amell shirtless, and the writing sometimes is such that you can predict lines before they are even said.
But, the show does so much right that at the end of the day, it’s hard to really even be that upset. “Arrow” is a great, super-entertaining show; it’s the best thing on The CW by a mile, and it may be the best show of its kind since “Smallville” first began. This episode felt like the writers spent the summer months listening to fans (a wise move), and catering towards what they want to see, and what they don’t. There were therefore just as many Oliver / Felicity moments as there were Oliver / Laurel conversations, and we saw the introduction of at least two more names familiar to the DC universe in Isobel Rochev and also who appears to be at least the early incarnation of the Black Canary.
The major story behind the premiere Wednesday was simply the evolution of Oliver Queen. He was no longer the vigilante at the start of the episode; heck, he wasn’t even a guy with a costume. He was just living alone back on his island, and it took Diggle and Felicity coming to see him to pull him back into Starling City. Not only that, but it then took his sister getting captured for him to realize that there is a different way to be a hero; he can still fight crime, but he does not have to be a killer. As for how nobody thought it coincidental that the hero (as he shall be called) showed up right when Thea was in danger, that’s a good question.
As for where some of the supporting characters lie, Walter bailed Queen Consolidated out so that Oliver and Isobel are now partners, Moira finally received visits in prison from both of her children, and Roy for whatever reason still feels compelled to get his butt handed to him by street vagrants time and time again.
But in the end, what is the most important to take from this is that the man formerly known as the Hood is now more or less the Green Arrow … even if he does not go by the full name (it’s still in the air on that). He’s back, he’s single, and there are 20+ episodes of awesomeness ahead (at least if he can stay awesome).
Did you enjoy the “Arrow” premiere as much as we did? Be sure to share below! Meanwhile, click here if you want to see what’s going to happen on the show next week, including the arrival of a villain in Bronze Tiger.
Photo: The CW