Warning: full season spoilers follow!
One could easily make the argument that Arrow has become the victim of its own success. The first season laid out a blueprint for how to blend vigilante action, conspiracy, romance, and Lost-style flashbacks into one effective superhero show. Season 2 elevated that formula and delivered a gripping, overarching storyline anchored by the very personal grudge between Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson. Season 3 faced an uphill battle in trying to move forward from the big Ollie/Slade showdown and continue the show's growing momentum. It was unfortunate but not entirely unsurprising that this season failed in that goal.
Season 3 certainly started off on a strong note with the premiere episode, "The Calm." That episode laid out the general status quo for team Arrow post-Slade uprising. Ollie had saved his city but found himself struggling to find meaning in his existence outside of putting on a costume and shooting criminals full of arrows. That struggle was complicated with the addition of a new recurring player in the form of Ray Palmer, a charismatic businessman who managed to steal both Ollie's company and the affections of Felicity. Coupled with the debut of Peter Stormare as a much superior new version of Count Vertigo and the cliffhanger murder of Sara Lance, and Season 3 was off to a terrific start.
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One could easily make the argument that Arrow has become the victim of its own success. The first season laid out a blueprint for how to blend vigilante action, conspiracy, romance, and Lost-style flashbacks into one effective superhero show. Season 2 elevated that formula and delivered a gripping, overarching storyline anchored by the very personal grudge between Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson. Season 3 faced an uphill battle in trying to move forward from the big Ollie/Slade showdown and continue the show's growing momentum. It was unfortunate but not entirely unsurprising that this season failed in that goal.
Season 3 certainly started off on a strong note with the premiere episode, "The Calm." That episode laid out the general status quo for team Arrow post-Slade uprising. Ollie had saved his city but found himself struggling to find meaning in his existence outside of putting on a costume and shooting criminals full of arrows. That struggle was complicated with the addition of a new recurring player in the form of Ray Palmer, a charismatic businessman who managed to steal both Ollie's company and the affections of Felicity. Coupled with the debut of Peter Stormare as a much superior new version of Count Vertigo and the cliffhanger murder of Sara Lance, and Season 3 was off to a terrific start.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...