Jessie Robertson reviews the season five premiere of Arrow…
If someone doubts you, the answer to sway them from now on is always “I used to ditch John Diggle.”
Star City was a hopeful place when we last left it; a new Mayor had taken over, “Mayor Handsome”, as he’s known and a new police unit task force was on the horizon; but with corruption in the SCPD and a new gang threat looming, what will become of this beacon of hope of a city?
excuse me……. (goes to another room)
“Did I just write that? HAHAHAHAHAHA”
(re-enters room and sits at laptop)
No, Star City is on the surface looking better but it’s still obviously the open sore of metropolitan areas and it never seems to get better. It’s a strange new world (since last year) where Arrow is the show everyone ignores and laughs at, while the upstart Flash gets all the praise. Arrow is the OG of comic book shows. But, if I’m being real, they really did nuke a town, create an underground perfect society, and did more fake-deaths than any other show in history last season. So, they have some making up to do.
In a lot of ways, this season opener feels in tone with the beginning of Arrow; the fast cuts and trippy camera work are back in full effect, the fight scenes look less fake and more brutal, and Oliver is killing again. Killing is back on the table, as Thea puts it. This is something Arrow plays with constantly; Oliver volleys on where he stands, but the killing is always there – it’s like second nature to him. I believe this year’s flashbacks to Russia are going to put that more into the limelight, as this will be the last season with a flashback story. After Russia, Oliver returns to Star(ling) City, and perhaps what he has to endure during this year will show us the unhinged trained to perfection vigilante that first swept us off our feet back in 2012.
The show is sort of trying to build back up and maybe try to put the past behind them, so to speak. We got supernatural last season, like maybe way too much (but it did afford us that Constantine cameo!) so now with Laurel dead, Diggle AWOL and Thea liking being a real person, the show is looking for new avenues and characters to explore. BTW, if Thea can mend herself after the last 2 years and I love Thea on this show, then that really says something. Her mindset is correct; Laurel’s example is correct, but the problem with Team Arrow is whenever there’s a member trying to find themselves, or carve out a new existence without all the violence, there’s always another one who has nothing left in their life except fighting crime. Quentin Lance (back in Star City, single and on a bender) is that member this time (but, horray for him OFFICIALLY, FINALLY joining Team Arrow). He tells Thea you can’t hit pause. She latches onto that but realizes if Oliver’s killing, she needs to jump ship again; it’d be way too easy for her to jump back on that bandwagon.
Let’s talk Villains: “Cutty” from The Wire is here! And he’s a one-dimensional gangster. Did he really make a “Kill-Cube”? Is that what that was? Holy shit; so lame. We got a Lonnie Machin cameo, which still at this point, as much as he’s been around, it’s not all that welcome. And to finish it off, a Merlyn-Dark Arrow-look-a-like with swords and knives. Okay. Not seeing much depth yet. But, it appears Oliver’s rookie team he’s about to bring together (under Felicity’s advice) is going to need some easy targets to start out with. Curtis will be one of them; how long before he bring his tech into his crime-fighting? Speaking of Felicity, she’s still here doing many Felicity things but apparently is dating John Ritter’s son.
8/10- This opener felt like last seasons opener where it’s a slow start, but there wasn’t much shown on the horizon that got me as excited as the appearance of Damien Dahrk like last year.
Other Notes:
– I always forget in this universe, Anarky (Machin) is a really good fighter.
– Apparently, Oliver learned all his political skills from “binge-watching The West Wing”; maybe he can recruit Jed Barlett to the team to be stern, tough and fair with a whole bunch of super-villains.
– What the hell’s a Bratva? (Oh, never dreamed a Season 1 plot thread would show up again!)
– The Black Canary statue is a nice touch but you know, I mean, put money on it that thing is getting destroyed, at the very least, defaced really badly!
– Oliver had some killer lines tonight, delivered in a total Season 1 tone: ” No, Because I think you’re stupid.” To Church
Jessie Robertson
Originally published October 6, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
