Written by: Kevin Berge
Be prepared for frequently shirtless Stephen Amell, particularly on a salmon ladder. (Image Courtesy of: dvd.netflix.com)
Quick Take: Arrow Season 1 presents a series loaded with promise but hurt by poor writing and timid acting through characters that are interesting and flawed. While it is a journey worth setting out upon for the follow up, the first season is a mixed bag that will test most viewers.
***This is a spoiler-free review (beyond giving away the synopsis of the series) which means it should not turn away new viewers who are interested but unsure about Arrow. However, if you want to be uninfluenced by any opinions or be given any details at all before watching the series, hold off on reading until after you've seen the first season.***
Looking back at Arrow, it is surprising how successful the series has become. It has spawned two spinoff series with The Flash and The Legends of Tomorrow and become the flagship show for The CW. That isn't even mentioning how much it has helped the lead actor Stephen Amell break out with a soon-to-be major movie debut as Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
All this is coming from a show that started like a Batman TV series that couldn't get the rights to Batman, spinning off from Smallville, a series that wanted to be the definitive new age rendition of Superman but ended up being a messy teenage drama.
While I do enjoy the series (I don't stick with a show for longer than a season if it starts getting bad), I cannot fail to admit that the opening act verges on average for the most part with only a few instances of true next level development.
Oliver Queen is a presumed dead billionaire who is rediscovered on a mysterious island where he has spent the last five years. While no one else knows the truth, Oliver has been changed by his life on the island, coming home to begin a war path to avenge the death and legacy of his father.
What is immediately apparent about Oliver that makes him interesting is that he's not a good person. In fact, he admits to being a monster, just one with a righteous cause. He also must make up for being the terrible playboy he once was before his life changed.
In order to complete his father's mission, Oliver plays up a persona with those around him, trying to be the bad boy he once was, so that no one can suspect his true identity. This makes his early haphazard relationships with characters such as his former girlfriend Laurel, his devious mother Moira, his troubled sister Thea, his new bodyguard Diggle, and his best friend Tommy.
If this already sounds like the story of Bruce Wayne to you, you're pretty much spot on. All in all, this first season at its weakest feels like The CW trying to have their Batman without having the rights to the name. However, over time, the series gets much better about differentiating DC's Green Arrow as a character.
Looking back at Arrow, it is surprising how successful the series has become. It has spawned two spinoff series with The Flash and The Legends of Tomorrow and become the flagship show for The CW. That isn't even mentioning how much it has helped the lead actor Stephen Amell break out with a soon-to-be major movie debut as Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
All this is coming from a show that started like a Batman TV series that couldn't get the rights to Batman, spinning off from Smallville, a series that wanted to be the definitive new age rendition of Superman but ended up being a messy teenage drama.
While I do enjoy the series (I don't stick with a show for longer than a season if it starts getting bad), I cannot fail to admit that the opening act verges on average for the most part with only a few instances of true next level development.
Oliver Queen is a presumed dead billionaire who is rediscovered on a mysterious island where he has spent the last five years. While no one else knows the truth, Oliver has been changed by his life on the island, coming home to begin a war path to avenge the death and legacy of his father.
What is immediately apparent about Oliver that makes him interesting is that he's not a good person. In fact, he admits to being a monster, just one with a righteous cause. He also must make up for being the terrible playboy he once was before his life changed.
In order to complete his father's mission, Oliver plays up a persona with those around him, trying to be the bad boy he once was, so that no one can suspect his true identity. This makes his early haphazard relationships with characters such as his former girlfriend Laurel, his devious mother Moira, his troubled sister Thea, his new bodyguard Diggle, and his best friend Tommy.
If this already sounds like the story of Bruce Wayne to you, you're pretty much spot on. All in all, this first season at its weakest feels like The CW trying to have their Batman without having the rights to the name. However, over time, the series gets much better about differentiating DC's Green Arrow as a character.
Laurel Lance AKA token damsel in distress - for season one. (Image Courtesy of: blogs.wsj.com)
Stephen Amell is the star of this series as Oliver Queen and stands out immediately even though there are real issues with his early performance. He comes off as unsure, likely hurt by a script that flip flops with him quite a bit, though he proves his versatility playing multiple sides of Oliver: the fake Oliver, the Green Arrow of present day, and the Oliver on the island.
The rest of the cast are even more of a mixed bag. Katie Cassidy (Taken) as Laurel Lance has almost no chemistry with Amell which makes their potential love story hard to care about. The plot pulls her along, and she often feels like a plot device with her acting suiting that unfortunately.
Similarly, due to some largely poor writing with the women, Susanna Thompson (Dragonfly) as Oliver's mother Moira and Willa Holland (The O.C.) as his sister Thea are unlikable at all times even in supposedly redeeming moments. Emily Bett Rickards fares best as Felicity Smoak, Oliver's increasingly handy assistant, though is wildly underused.
Oliver's best friends make a much more noticeable impact. First, Oliver's bodyguard John Diggle is played with measured strength and vulnerability by David Ramsey (Dexter). Then Colin Donnell (Anything Goes) provides the most likable and relatable presence in the series as Oliver's best friend Tommy.
Probably the first season's most consistently strong performance is Paul Blackthorne (Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India) as Detective Quentin Lance who spends much of his time pursuing the Arrow and keeping a close eye on Oliver who he rightly blames for much of his family's issues.
The other notably strong performance (though one often verging on the edge of being hammy) is John Barrowman (Doctor Who/Torchwood) who plays the devious but well meaning Malcolm Merlyn. His character is probably the first season's most interesting presence with the series getting better the more he's on screen.
I would also be remiss despite limited screen time if I didn't mention the absolute perfect casting of Manu Bennett (Spartacus) as Slade Wilson who is only a part of the story on the island. Bennett's charisma in the role just shines through the screen as he so easily conveys his power, humor, and good will.
The rest of the cast are even more of a mixed bag. Katie Cassidy (Taken) as Laurel Lance has almost no chemistry with Amell which makes their potential love story hard to care about. The plot pulls her along, and she often feels like a plot device with her acting suiting that unfortunately.
Similarly, due to some largely poor writing with the women, Susanna Thompson (Dragonfly) as Oliver's mother Moira and Willa Holland (The O.C.) as his sister Thea are unlikable at all times even in supposedly redeeming moments. Emily Bett Rickards fares best as Felicity Smoak, Oliver's increasingly handy assistant, though is wildly underused.
Oliver's best friends make a much more noticeable impact. First, Oliver's bodyguard John Diggle is played with measured strength and vulnerability by David Ramsey (Dexter). Then Colin Donnell (Anything Goes) provides the most likable and relatable presence in the series as Oliver's best friend Tommy.
Probably the first season's most consistently strong performance is Paul Blackthorne (Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India) as Detective Quentin Lance who spends much of his time pursuing the Arrow and keeping a close eye on Oliver who he rightly blames for much of his family's issues.
The other notably strong performance (though one often verging on the edge of being hammy) is John Barrowman (Doctor Who/Torchwood) who plays the devious but well meaning Malcolm Merlyn. His character is probably the first season's most interesting presence with the series getting better the more he's on screen.
I would also be remiss despite limited screen time if I didn't mention the absolute perfect casting of Manu Bennett (Spartacus) as Slade Wilson who is only a part of the story on the island. Bennett's charisma in the role just shines through the screen as he so easily conveys his power, humor, and good will.
Sure, Ollie, you're cool and all, but you're no Slade Wilson. (Image Courtesy of: basementrejects.com)
Most of the acting improves as time goes on with the series as does the writing and direction. The CW is not exactly known for consistently quality entertaining with a particular formula that infects every series at the start. This series has love triangles, many impressively good looking characters (even most of the extras), and a whole lot of contrived drama.
Much of the season is cut and dry procedural as Oliver takes a list and begins crossing names off it with each episode. There are a few interesting one off threats, but mostly the show just moves along at a steady pace until the overarching plot takes over.
The season really shows its potential in episode nine, "Year's End", as it begins to reveal the true threat and shows Oliver vulnerable. The last few episodes hold that same momentum as the whole city is under threat with stakes higher than ever before.
Naming everyone who wrote or directed an episode in the season would be a fool's errand. However, the directing John Dahl for "Year's End", John Behring for "The Odyssey", and David Barrett for "Sacrifice" deserve particular praise. Also, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg were at the helm of this series for the most part with mixed results particularly in the writing.
The series was focused on a consistently dark tone that could get depressing after a time. The season rarely has the characters enjoying themselves which led it to drag a bit. The action though was impressive particularly for TV, feeling fluid and engaging. The martial arts focus felt like a real individual strength of the series.
Where this season felt most at home was in its flashbacks to the island. The tense struggle that came from those scenes and interesting characters that were introduced elevated the series while the main timeline lacked that urgency much of the season. This is why "The Odyssey", the fourteenth episode, is so compelling as an almost exclusively island focused episode.
When it was on, this season was exhilarating, testing the boundaries of what it could do and could set up for the future. When it was off, the repeated dark tones and messy drama bogged down interesting characters and compelling backstories that needed more exploration.
I can promise that the series gets better from here, so, if you find yourself interested by the opening act, you won't want to miss the next season. However, I cannot recommend the series to just anyone. This is very much an action-driven comic book series that doesn't quite stay focused on what makes it compelling.
Much of the season is cut and dry procedural as Oliver takes a list and begins crossing names off it with each episode. There are a few interesting one off threats, but mostly the show just moves along at a steady pace until the overarching plot takes over.
The season really shows its potential in episode nine, "Year's End", as it begins to reveal the true threat and shows Oliver vulnerable. The last few episodes hold that same momentum as the whole city is under threat with stakes higher than ever before.
Naming everyone who wrote or directed an episode in the season would be a fool's errand. However, the directing John Dahl for "Year's End", John Behring for "The Odyssey", and David Barrett for "Sacrifice" deserve particular praise. Also, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg were at the helm of this series for the most part with mixed results particularly in the writing.
The series was focused on a consistently dark tone that could get depressing after a time. The season rarely has the characters enjoying themselves which led it to drag a bit. The action though was impressive particularly for TV, feeling fluid and engaging. The martial arts focus felt like a real individual strength of the series.
Where this season felt most at home was in its flashbacks to the island. The tense struggle that came from those scenes and interesting characters that were introduced elevated the series while the main timeline lacked that urgency much of the season. This is why "The Odyssey", the fourteenth episode, is so compelling as an almost exclusively island focused episode.
When it was on, this season was exhilarating, testing the boundaries of what it could do and could set up for the future. When it was off, the repeated dark tones and messy drama bogged down interesting characters and compelling backstories that needed more exploration.
I can promise that the series gets better from here, so, if you find yourself interested by the opening act, you won't want to miss the next season. However, I cannot recommend the series to just anyone. This is very much an action-driven comic book series that doesn't quite stay focused on what makes it compelling.