Happy Friday!
Finally, I am getting around to posting my Arrow Review; life’s been a bit much the last couple weeks. In this review I will be going over my top 2 episodes in season 1, doing an overall season review and discussing the massive mark Arrow has not only left on Television but also on me as an up and coming author and hopefully future screenwriter. For this review, I picked Episode 1 titled “Pilot” and Episode 21 titled “Sacrifice”, ironically they happen to be the first and last episodes of the season but I think that gives me the chance to truly review the entire season thoroughly. I’m also going to be splitting some of these reviews in two because reviewing two episodes and giving general information on the show will make these posts really long and that’s a lot at once.
This review will also include spoilers from the entire show. Mind you this show has been out for 10 years now, so if you HAVEN’T watched it or at least kept up with events then I really don’t know what to tell you. Sorry in advance.
But, before I get into my Arrow review, I wanna talk about the massive elephant in the room that is also known as Stephen Amell. As you probably know, Stephen is in a lot of hot water for his comments he made this past weekend at Galaxycon in regards to the SAG-AFTRA Writer’s strike. Amell was asked about the ongoing strike and he voiced his support for his union but not for the strike calling it a “reductive negotiation tactic, and [he] finds it incredibly frustrating.” Amell has since posted a lengthy statement on instagram clarifying his comments after he became aware of the backlash. In this lengthy statement he provides what he said versus what he actually meant, ultimately chalking it up to “[He’s] an actor who was speaking extemporaneously for over an hour.”
A lot of fans, former castmates and friends of Stephen have also spoken up in disdain in regards to his comments. I have also spoken up about his very comments on my instagram, if you happened to see that then you clearly know where I stand on this. As a writer myself hoping to break into this industry, I cannot in good faith agree with Stephen whatsoever. I fully support the union in what they are doing, and in the timeframe that they have been on strike they have made big waves across the industry. Projects (big and small) have been put on hold and delayed with some not yet receiving new release dates, actors have stopped promoting their shows and films, all in the name of paying fair wages to the writers and actors who worked hard and deserve to be PROPERLY COMPENSATED for their work. Stephen has benefited greatly from being in the union and from his time on Arrow, his estimated net worth is $3 million. He is able to afford health insurance for him AND his family. He’s currently starring on another highly received television show, this strike is NOT for him but instead of calling the strike frustrating, he should be bringing more (positive) attention and help to the actors and writers who cannot afford health insurance because they don’t qualify based on what little paychecks they are receiving. There is absolutely no reason why writers/actors who have had a hand in the making of these million dollar shows/films should have to work two or three jobs just to get by. It makes no sense and, to put it plainly, it shouldn’t happen.
I’ve been a fan of Stephen and his work for years but his comments in regards to the strike are not okay in any shape or form. I do not support them. I contemplated delaying this review due to his comments but that is unfair to everyone else who has worked on this show and deserve acknowledgements and praise. Plus how can I review the Arrowverse and not talk about Arrow? I simply can’t. However, it is possible to separate the actor from their character and the work that they do and that will be the case here. Hopefully Stephen learns from this experience and does better in the future.
Without any more delays and distractions, here is my season 1 review of Arrow!
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Before Arrow, The CW had only one successful superhero show under its belt. “Smallville” paved the way for a new era of television. If it wasn’t for the success that followed that show, we wouldn’t have been lucky enough to have witnessed an iconic and intricate web of superhero storytelling otherwise known as the Arrowverse.
In 2012 a new show about a billionaire playboy who was lost at sea only to return home 5 years later welding a bow and arrow ready to right the wrongs committed by the wealthy in his city graced our screens, unaware of the mark it was about to leave. “Arrow” premiered October 10th, 2012 on The CW which drew in 4.14 million viewers, making it their most-watched premiere after “The Vampire Diaries” in 2009. The episode was written by series developers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisburg. It was directed by David Nutter who previously directed the pilot episode of “Smallville” in 2001 and would later go on to direct the pilot episode of “The Flash” in 2014.
The episode follows billionaire Playboy Oliver Queen, played by Stephen Amell, who returns to Starling City after becoming a bow wielding vigilante on a mission to right the wrongs of his father, Robert Queen, played by Jamey Sheridan. “Arrow” ran from October 2012 until January 2022 with 8 seasons, including 7 crossover events. The show was filmed in Vancouver, Canada for its entire run. And fun fact, if you thought the Queen Mansion looked familiar then you are correct. Hatley Castle, which is a popular tourist site in Canada was also used as the Luthor Mansion in Smallville.
The episode opens with Oliver sprinting through the forest on the island trying to get to a high vantage point. And can I just say, the opening shot of the episode is amazing! It throws you right into the action eager to see what Oliver is running from or running towards. It’s so good that the showrunners have made it a point to start every season with a variation of Oliver running in the woods. I love small things like that, it adds something unique to the show. We see Oliver as he spots a nearby ship going by, he has seconds to get their attention and he does that by shooting a fire arrow across an impossible distance into a man made fire pit. The pit ignites alerting the ship, Oliver is saved and on his way home. The first time we hear Oliver speak is a voiceover briefly recounting his time away. He mentions the name of the island he is found on, “Lian Yu” which is mandarin for Purgatory, if that’s that major foreshadowing I don’t know what is. The Oliver voice over only lasted for the first few episodes of the season and after revisiting the show I do wish they lasted a little longer. Oliver has always made it clear that his mission is his and only his alone and it was interesting being inside his head, hearing how he processes information and plans out his strategies. He points out that being on this island causes him to “forge [himself] into a weapon.” At this point, he no longer considered himself a human being with fault points, he’s simply a weapon created to get rid of corruption. And that is exactly what Oliver plans to do, he sees himself as “The man who will bring justice to those who have poisoned my city,” There’s so much anger mixed with control in his words, it’s truly alarming. The people who allow their fear to overtake them aren’t the ones you should be afraid of. It’s the ones who you know are angry but they are holding it back with such restraint, those are the people who will snap and you’ll regret ever knowing them and that is Oliver Queen to a T.
Oliver is soon reunited with his mother Moira Queen, played by Suzanna Collins and his younger sister Thea Queen, played by Willa Holland. The acting in these reunion scenes are too good. These three make you feel everything and I mean everything. Suzanna acts with her eyes, the moment she lays eyes on her son for the first time in 5 years you can literally see all her love and relief flood in and it’s truly beautiful. One of my favorite relationships that Oliver has throughout the entire show is his relationship with his younger sister. Thea and Oliver have such a strong connection, they truly need each other and rely on one another so much. It’s beautiful and Willa plays Thea so well and she only gets better as the show goes on and Thea starts to come into her own. One thing that I would like to point out is what the doctor says to Moira before letting her in to see her son. He informs her of Oliver’s physical condition where about 20% of his body is covered in scar tissue and there’s some psychological trauma for sure. He warns her that the Oliver that she lost may not be the Oliver that returned. This ties back into Oliver forging himself into a weapon, completely morphing himself dependent on his situation.
As the episodes goes on we watch as Oliver is slowly accustomed into society with the help of his best friend Tommy Merlin, played by Colin Donnell. We as a society LOVE Tommy Merlin, that man deserves nothing but the world. News of Oliver’s miraculous returns spreads like a wildfire across Startling City, as everyone is pleased to hear of his return, well almost everyone. We meet Laurel Lance, played by Katie Cassidy, who is not thrilled at all to see that her ex-boyfriend is alive and well. Why, you may be asking? Because not only did Oliver cheat on Laurel with her sister Sara…but he also invited Sara onto the Queen Gambit and she was one of the casualties in the shipwreck. I know, not Oliver’s best moment. Katie’s acting here is great, here we see a young woman who is riddled by grief and anger towards her dead sister and the only person she can blame is Oliver who doesn’t fault her for it, he understands it completely. Her line delivery on “it should’ve been you,” is GREAT. Later Oliver and Tommy are then kidnapped while out in the city and this is where Oliver springs into action for the first time since he’s been home. While Tommy is unconscious, Oliver takes on each of their kidnappers with such brutality. Oliver is a killer and he’s not afraid to do so. He’ll go through great lengths to protect his identity which includes snapping a man’s neck with his bare hands.
And of course, it’s not a superhero show without a montage of the title hero setting up their base of operations. Oliver chooses an abandoned factory that his family’s company disregarded years ago located in The Glades, the worst part of town. In this montage we get a glimpse into Oliver’s capabilities as the Arrow score composed by Blake Neely who is the Arrowverse composer. We also get a jaw dropping workout montage as well showing off Oliver’s physique which is quite beautiful might I add. He sets his sights on his first target: Adam Hunt, a rich businessman stealing from the residents of the Glades. As we saw before, Oliver is not opposed to killing anyone that gets in his way but there’s a different aura that engulfs him when he’s killing in the Arrow costume. He’s not Oliver Queen, he’s the hood a murder claiming to bring justice to his city. The cops have a field day with that one, especially Detective Quentin Lance, Played by Paul Blackthrone, yes Lance as in the father of Laurel and Sara. Yeah, I don’t need to say much there.
Oliver slides between his two personalities quite well if you ask me, besides from the fact that Oliver CLEARLY developed a split personality, he is very efficient in his methods. I mean deciding to have his welcome back party across the street from Adam Hunt’s office after threatening him and giving him a deadly ultimatum is smart. Risky, but smart and convenient of course. I think this scene is a great display of Stephen’s ability to switch between the different versions of Oliver Queen. We have playboy Oliver, The Hood, and then Ollie. He knows how to read the room, assess the situation and decide which is the best Oliver to take the wheel. And that can be seen in Oliver’s eyes. I’ve noticed in most of the actors on The CW that a lot of the acting they do is in their eyes and that’s not an easy task to master. Playboy Oliver has this gleam in his eye, he loves life (and tequila), Ollie has a softness floating in his eyes when he’s with his friends and family, but with The Hood there is nothing – no life, nothing, his eyes become a black void that you never wanna look into. In the end, the hood rights the wrongs of Adam Hunt by returning the money he stole to the rightful owners. Adam manages to avoid an arrow to the chest but the next guy won’t be as lucky. After all, Oliver equates failing with death which comes from watching his father confess how he failed the city then shortly taking his life right in front of Oliver.
Another element that makes the show stand out from your typical superhero story is Oliver’s origin story and how it’s told. Oliver is presumed lost at sea and stranded on Lian Yu for 5 years, now those who watched know that Oliver was in fact not on the island the entire time but that’s where the making of the Green Arrow comes in. In seasons 1 and 2 Oliver is on Lian Yu. Season 3 he finds himself in Hong Kong. Season 4 he returns to the island. Season 5 he spends time in Russia then later back on Lian Yu to be found and return home. The first 5 seasons are heavily laced with flashbacks, detailing Oliver’s time away and how he became the man and vigilante we meet in the pilot. The creators made a 5 year origin story for Oliver that eventually comes full circle in a spectacular way in the Season 5 finale. (Now that episode is some of the best television I’ve ever seen but we’ll talk about that in due time.) No other show has done something like that. Most origin stories last a few episodes or a handful of flashbacks, but to do it in 5 seasons of television is not only risky and ambitious but also great storytelling. Doing this gave them the time to truly flesh out who Oliver Queen is and why he is the way he is. It creates that unique relationship between the audience and Oliver. We get to see everything he went through so we understand why he is standoffish when it comes to trusting new people and even trusting the people close to him. Why he pushes people away, and tends to do things solo. But his friends and family don’t know 100% of what happened to him, they only know what he chooses to tell them which results in a lot of strain on his relationships. It’s brilliant storytelling, if you ask me.
Stay tuned for part two where I’ll be talking about the season 1 finale and how season 1 of Arrow set the tone for not only the remainder of the show, but for the rest of superhero television and television in general!
RealisticDreamer 