Arrow

Relative to the number of TV shows produced, there haven't been many based on the life of a 'superhero', and even less have been worth watching. 'Arrow' is the latest installment of attempts at exploring this genre, and it comes out of the gates with a mix between success and failure.



To start, 'Arrow' doesn't have the most original storyline. It is essentially based on a billionaire playboy named Oliver Queen, who experiences a traumatic event and transforms into a vigilante hero. There are numerous parallels between this show and Chistopher Nolan's recent Dark Knight series. In fact, there are so many similar elements, that this show could be called 'Batman if he had a bow'. In addition, the acting is a exaggerated, and the writing is a little cheesy.



However, 'Arrow' does impress on many levels. The set/location design of the show is impressive, and the action scenes seem more believable than a traditional action show. When Oliver Queen is being attacked, it doesn't necessarily feel like he is being shot at by Stormtroopers. Another element I like is the fact that Queen has no qualm against killing his enemies - something that the superhero genre hasn't explore all that much. The premise of the plot could also prove to be interesting, providing they don't follow the rubric set by most superhero movies/shows that have been exhausted over the years.



Ultimately, 'Arrow' could prove to be an interesting series, as long as it attempts to stay original, and avoids the pitfalls of it's predecessors. It has the potential, but it's future has yet to be revealed.

I was really surprised. Looking at earlier DC efforts like Lois and Clark and Smallville, I was worried this show would be another cheesy attempt. Not so. So far "Arrow" is great. I can't wait for the next episode!

The acting in Arrow made Tom Welling look like an Oscar candidate and the script was pretty bad as well. I hope they get their acts together otherwise I don't see this lasting a season.

For those saying he was running through a hail of bullets and not getting hit, he did in fact get hit but it seems his clothes are made of Kevlar or something since you saw him holding a mashed bullet at one point after pulling it from his upper body. I too find it ridiculous that he expects not to be recognized while only wearing a hood, but then again if he never leaves survivors that won't be a problem. The one thing I did like is that this show is not tame, there is action and a body count, something I didn't expect.

A little corny But i def. want to keep watching. I'll given them a chance. I DO want to know what happens next. I loved Justin Hartleys Oliver! I LOVE that (in smallville) him & Lex knew each other as kids, & he was picked on by oliver. Really showed what kind of guy he was B4. I also like that his parents were dead, & that Lexs dad had had them killed. Justin should have a guest spot in a later episode/season.

Let's face it, THATS why this shows op. He made everyone fall in love with Oliver Queen.

I just started watching this last night for the first time and I could not go to sleep I am soooooo addicted and I am going to keep watching this show and definitely can't wait for the new episodes!!! keep up the good work!!!

OK, I have given it 7 chapters and it has made it in my what to watch list. Its like batman, less theatrical and he actually kills people (a lot) which makes it even more interesting if one day he gets caught. I was very reluctant to the show (thanks to smallville green arrow) but it has prooved me wrong. I recomend it specially for super heroe fans.

Remember when you saw Disney's Snow White as a kid?

...& remember how floored you were later in life when you discovered how different the original source material was in comparison?



Arrow is kinda like that.



The most important thing for a viewer to understand is, this is not a 'Smallville spinoff'...it's instead a reboot of the character that follows the basic structure of a more adult & violent Green Arrow that was established & popularized in the comics over 20 years ago.



While full of flaws common to comic book adaptations, Five episodes in so far, this version of The Green Arrow shows that it has what it takes to grow into a compelling, long running series, provided that it doesn't cheapen it's own worth over time as Smallville did in its waning years by grossly overusing many childish aspects of the DC comic universe as a ratings crutch.



Ok. Everyone say it with me now, on 3...Ready?

1

2

3...So far, so good

Just finished watching the 4th episode, Its got me gripped and has been a good story line in such a way around the whole island life that it wants me to carry on watching, and his mother keeping such secrets I just hope it does not loose it and makes me want more each time!

I'm someone who reads DC Comics but I've never read much Green Arrow The most I know about the character is from Smallville & the JLA cartoon. But I have very much enjoyed this show so far & I am very much looking forward to the next few episodes.

I started watching the show when it premiered and have seen it work through it's quirks throughout it's first season. The action is great, acting is slowing getting to where it should be and the story is compelling and intriguing.

It's the kind of show that if you enjoy action flicks, you'll enjoy every episode even if it's a mediocre episode. Given that it's in it's first season, I can only imagine that it will keep getting better with future episodes and I'd give it at least 4 seasons.

After only 6 episodes I'm totally hooked on the show, I think this one is going to be around for a long time!

I'm enjoying this show so far. In the DC comics, there have been several iterations of the Green Arrow character that I recall. First the campy Green Arrow with his sidekick Speedy, the 'Arrow Car', boxing glove arrows ans so on, then the 'Green Lantern/Green Arrow superhero duo, then the somewhat bitter and angry Green Arrow who was more concerned with fighting for the little guy rather than saving the world and fighting super villains and finally the cerdion of Green Arrow we have now (in the comics) that I am less famiiiar with.

To my mind, this TV Green Arrow is very much in line with the angry/bitter Grreg Arrow of 15 years ago. I feel the series has held reasonably true to the canon of the Green Arrow comics. Ther are quite a few exceptions but I'm not going to let those bother me, I'm going to enjoy the show for what it is.

I think the storyline is developing well, a few stumbles along the way, but good character and backstory development. Combined with the mystery of just what went/is going on, I find it quite compelling.

Acting is generally pretty good although Kate Cassidy/DInah Lance comes across as rather bland. Certainly can't picture her as a superheroine!

I am somewhat intrigued by the 'Tommy Merlyn' character simply because one of Green Arrows enemies from the comics was an archer named 'Merlyn'. Coincidence? Or maybe something will happen causing iTommy 'to o over to the 'dark side'. Have to keep watching to find out!

A little more care on the part of producers, directors and writers and then we would have a beautiful series about a MINOR comics hero.

Green Arrow (known as ''Green Archer - Arqueiro Verde'' in my country) is far from being one of the most interesting characters to me, but this production deserves congratulations for the effort. I suppose it is easier to convert to a tv series a character without super powers and with fewer personal impediments to injure opponents. Let's start the bleeding.

I liked Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance (a pity that, apparently, she is not a heir to Black Canary's powers) and Willa Holland Speedy could become an interesting figure in the plot. Even Ramsey's Diggle also could become a first assistant for the hooded vigilant, before he dies dramatically. Stephen Amell, i think, is how Oliver Queen would be if he had not charisma.

I will keep watching.

The TV Show is amazing, the cast, the story, the production, the directing everything is so perfect... i love it <3 and can not wait to see what's happening next.

This show clearly has many people that can't stand it, every show has it's fans, just as every show has people that dislike it, I on the other hand, love this show.



I didn't start watching from the air date, or a couple of episodes in. In fact, I recently started watching and I've found it to be quite an interesting show. It has mystery, action, love interests, heartache and other characters from the DC world.



I think the acting has been pretty good, although I must admit that some of the actors and actresses can be quite annoying at times, but in all fairness, I have a track record of picking up on things that no one else does. I think the plot has been very interesting and every week, I can't wait for the next episode, just to see what's going to happen next. The writing in my opinion is really well done and the mystery behind what happened on the Island and the undertaking is also quite addictive.



I'm not going to go on and on for ages, all I'm going to say is:- Don't believe the negative reviews. take the time to watch a couple of episodes yourself and then decide on whether to continue or not. If you give the show a chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

This is the best new series ever ...

I'm totally captured by this show and in love with all the cast especially Stephen Amell aka Oliver Queen

Love this show hope it keeps up its action and suspense.

I find the premise of this series to be quite intriguing and can be used to create great plot BUT i began to hate this show because too much whining : hear me out, whenever THE SISTER begins to speak, i pray for a lightning bolt to strike her pretty head and make her SHUT THE HELL UP.

I cant but notice that she has like 10 minutes of "disapproving" speech every single episode. I mean, come on guys, too much melodrama over nothing("you didn't say hi to me, i`m so sad. let me give u a 10 minutes lecture so next time you should know better") is too much melodrama.



Besides that, Oliver uses the "i`ve been on a stranded island for 5 years" excuse way too often. I've got it from the first episode that you were a victim but. again like in the sister's case, TOO MUCH MELODRAMA IS TOO MUCH.



I love the bodyguard. i love the tech girl, i love Mister Merlin and of course i love the Chinese and the Australian "islanders".



I just hope this doesnt turn out to be another smallvile ( see superman - lex luthor; green arrow - tommy merlyn) because then i`ll be forced to turn some tables and throw out my television.



Thanks for reading this TLDR post !

I get a little frustrated with the fact that a good exciting show to follow is hard to find these days. I really love "Person of Interest" wich is pretty much the only show i try to follow today. So when I decided to watch this i figured it would be another lame show, like so many passed by lately.



So honestly the story isn't original, the actors aren't the best but somehow I ended up eager to watch episode 2. Overall this show simply looks great.



Arrow might just become interesting to keep up with.

It a good show to watch it has

This is definitely my new favorite show. For so long I have thought, man, are they ever going to make a superhero show that I would love? Batman was Zoink, Zing, Bam, Flash was alright, Smallville was How-Did-This-Live-For-So-Long!?, Aquaman and Wonder Woman never happened. And I admit, like the rest of the people who first heard of Arrow, I was skeptical about it but now I count the hours, the minutes and the seconds until it is wednesday again! Holy Shit this show is awesome! They say it needs a plot, the ultimate enemy. I think they're just getting started, getting all the major characters into place before BAM! you dont know what hit you until you wake up in the ER a week later. Kind of like what they did with Game Of Thrones, you know its a fantasy world of magic and dragons but it went on and on without any of it until the last episode of season 1 when they end it with the birth of dragons, it was epic. i hope they can make this as epic and awesome.

I know a lot of people wanted this to be a Justin Hartley Smallville spinoff, but really, Smallville jumped the shark well before its final season or two; we didn't need a lingering reminder of its overdue demise. With that out of the way, on to this show...



Ever since Lost, it seems as though every show is going overboard with flashbacks. Early on, this one seemed to be heading along that same path, and while I appreciate that they wanted to establish the character's background, especially his "superhero origin", this could become very tedious, possibly even effectively reducing each episode's actual plot to the equivalent of a 30-minute sitcom.



However, a couple of things happened to "go right" here. First of all, the island scenes are just cool, and introduced aspects beyond a solitary Robinson Crusoe-like existence. Something happened there more than simply practicing archery and learning survival skills. Second, after the first couple of episodes, they've tapered off a bit. In fact, in the episode I just watched (Vendetta), there were no flashbacks at all! Not that I want them to go away completely -- remember, I did say that they're cool -- but simply not knowing how much there will be, or if there will be any, makes it a little less predictable. This is a good thing.



Could some of the casting have been better? Well yeah, but it could've been a lot worse -- for example, put in Eliza Dushku(*) as Dinah, and the show would be not so much "Arrow" as "Dinah and Ollie"; she'd probably even start popping up in the island flashbacks! They had to change Oliver from Hartley to someone else to avoid the spinoff effect, and while I could easily do without the family stuff, it seems that there is some long-term story arc involved here that makes them necessary. I could also do without Dinah being an attorney, but fortunately it's not constantly in the foreground. Tommy is a jerk, but then I guess he's supposed to be; he's a reminder of pre-island Ollie.



Characters and relationships are still shifting and being established, but the show is called "Arrow", not "Starling City", so it's only fitting that Ollie is the central character; others will get more or less face time as stories dictate. And it's a good thing that Dinah isn't a Lana/Lois/Chloe type; let's face it, Clark Kent was a pretty standard male lead in modern entertainment media -- basically, a bit of a dumb lug who is often rather clueless without the influence and guidance of some aggressive (if not domineering, near-masculine) female lead(s). So was that show's Oliver Queen. That *this* Oliver isn't such a wallflower is a refreshing change of pace. Let's hope they don't ruin this; he can be broody, but please don't make him a whiner.



(*) Not that I mind watching her, but she plays one type of character, and that type is not a subtle or secondary character. She could play an interesting "special guest villainess" here.

This is the best (and probably only!!!) superhero show on tv. Man.............the show's keep getting even better than anticipated. One of the best tv adaption so far (up-to episode 4) from pages of comics. I would give the show 9 out of 10. ABC beware. Everybody will now compare your S.H.I.E.L.D with this CW show.

since the networks and cable channels have decided to go cheap on us and make 99 percent REALITY TV shows, wrestling (on sci-fi!!) and are always cancelling great shows... i have cancelled my cable and no longer watch any tv... i download all my shows i like off the internet and have started watching alot of bbc shows from england. I'll not sit in front of the box and watch crap in the evenings after working all day. I want quality or nothing at all from the networks / cable channels. I SUGGEST WE ALL BOYCOTT THE TV for one week each month until the REALITY CRAP is taken off the air. That crap causes brain damage... it's totally unacceptable. No one is stupid enough to enjoy that crap except some inbred bigfoot half-breed. They want to produce the cheapest crap possible and still retain the ratings to get sponsors and advertising dollars. Don't give them the appearance of ratings by watching at all. Turn off you cable / sat and download... NO Commercials!!! and only watch what you want to watch when u want to watch it... been doing this for 4 years now and it's great. Only problem is, running out of shows to watch. Sci-Fi channel, now si-fi (junk now) sold out and became a cess-pool putting on fantasy and wrestling crap... was once the best channel on cable... anyways,



boycott cable / networks and download from internet...



watch ur shows without commercials or interuption...



hope the networks realize they're loosing their loyal viewers because we're NOT dumbing down and



we HATE reality TV crap...



screw u a-holes... you're idiots and you're gonna kill ur networks/channels if you keep on this way

gets u the story of the arrow in whole great view ... lets just wait and see how the upcoming episode will be

I'll give it a few more episodes before making a final decision, but the first episode, which would normally be designed to hook an audience, hasn't been that convincing for me.



Poor CGI, a 'hero' who can't be recognized when he's wearing a hood (OK it only took glasses with Superman, but he WAS Superman) or hit when running through a hail of bullets, and cliche' bad guys, cops and friends are only just, just balanced out by good fight/chase scenes, a decent lead and the mystery behind all of his sudden superior martial arts, language and computer skills.



Fingers crossed that it won't continue to simply be a mashup of Batman, Revenge and Lost.

Well I'm thoroughly impressed with this series. Someone wrote that they never thought they would find a show to replace Smallville. Whilst I agree (sort of), I don't think its a replacement. Arrow is a great series (so far) which seems to be on the right track. The flash-backs to Oliver's past are amazing, just letting you know enough information, but making you want to know more. Then it follows through to the present time, and Oliver is everything you want him to be, and more. That's what I love about it. I imagine, in my head, what the character Oliver would be like, and Stephen Amell portrays him superbly. I believe the whole thing. Even when his character is first stranded on the island and is naive and weak. Big 10 outta 10 for this and I hope the series continues this way ....

1) Parkour

2) Deathstroke Mask on the Island

3) Green Arrow Cowl Costume

4) Foreshadowing: His best-friend is Merlyn and his Ex is Dinah

5) Arrow's Battle Scars

6) The HUGE difference of Ollie's character pre and post-Castaway

7) Speedy and her drug problem

8) Awesome stealth (the car getaway) "Harvey Dent, can we trust him?"

9) High Tech Trick Arrow

10) There are no superpowers or campy villains to date.



Not So Happy about:

1) The Voice Over

2) The Painted Green Domino Mask

3) "Starling" City

The wig Oliver is wearing on the island is the worst ever.