Even in the choppy early days, Arrow had all the markers of something special. Beyond the spectacular fight scenes, gleam-of-sin choreography, and sneakily excellent acting, the show always had a certain edge juuust on the right side of arrogance. Consider the strength of its' early choice to make Oliver Queen a complete asshole. How many shows would make the protagonist an emotionally distant, stone-cold killer, and yet have the confidence to allow the audience to grow fond of him over an extended rampage through both Starling city and the emotional lives of its' wealthiest citizens? That, my friends, takes the big brass arrowheads. Still, the first season was bumpy, suffering from a combination of cliched plots, inconsistent character work, and perhaps a bit too much suspension of disbelief even for a show about a bow-weilding master assassin saving a city.
These are issues, yes, but common to every young show trying to fill 23 hour-long episodes (which is a whole lot of content). By the end of season 1, which brought a simmering plot to volcanic boil and unleashed the great John Barrowman as a lethal villain, we could see maturity and confidence to match the early swagger.
Season 2 was simply fucking magnificent. Operatic, profoundly emotional, expanding on every strength (seriously, this show has the best action on tv and somehow does that on a CW budget) and eliminating every weakness, I'd argue that Arrow S2 was legitimately one of the best things on television. It isn't a deep show, or particularly full of insights into the human condition, other than the efficiency of ending same through a well-placed broad-head, but as a blast of adrenaline and fun there's really nothing to match it.
So, what the hell is happening now? I praised the show for three paragraphs to highlight the awesomeness we've seen and that I have every confidence we'll see again. But man, the third season has been rough. I'd diagnose the problem first as a lack of stakes. Sara Lance was a fascinating character, but her occupation and the cough-and-you'll-miss-it nature of her death have diluted the impact of what should've been a crushing event. More importantly, I don't believe for an instant the way our protagonists have reacted. Sara was probably the closest thing to a love of Oliver Queen's screwed-up life. He's been conducting business a bit too close to the usual to be believable. Yes, the man locks his emotions as coasts lock an ocean, but come on. Would the Oliver who hunted Slade Wilson have given up on finding Sara's killer so quickly?
Actually, the only character whose reaction I believe is the show's worst; Laurel. Arrow has never quite known what to do with the local pole-up-ass alcoholic DA, and the choice to have her assume the mantle of her vastly more interesting sister is, simply, an error. Imagine an arc based on Sara hunting Laurel's murderer, even as she tries to continue her journey towards morality and a life with Oliver. Wouldn't that be fun? Instead, we get to see Laurel's flirt-boxing with the ruggedly appealing Ted (Wildcat) Grant, and what I'm sure will be disastrous early adventures in crime-stopping. I don't want to sound too negative, because the plot is well-handled and the actors are doing very fine work, but Laurel is correct when she calls herself unworthy of being the Canary.
Actually, these are my issues in a nutshell. There's nothing particularly wrong with Arrow S3 thus far. The show hasn't forgotten how to stage a fight, characters continue to evolve, and we've gotten a lot of wildly enjoyable moments sprinkled in with the boredom. But, coming off what I'd call the single best stretch of episodes in the history of superhero television, something so shapeless and low-key has to feel like a disappointment. I'd like to think there's a longer game here, something besides the constipated looks Oliver and Felicity keep exchanging, but I'm not sure. Ray Palmer showed early promise as a potential villain, but he's nothing beyond a bundle of tics. Brandon Routh is so charismatic that the character hasn't worn out his welcome, but if he could stop fucking around and actually do something, that would be immensely appreciated. Same goes for Thea, Nyssa, and (especially) Malcolm and Ra's. These are compelling characters played by good-to-great actors, but there's only so many times John Barrowman can snarl threats without killing anyone before the Magician starts to feel like smoke and mirrors.
I still have hope. This is a show at the peak of its powers on a technical level. The recurring cast is rich with dramatic possibilities, and the leads are assured and accomplished emotional centers. Individual moments still sing. Isla Corta is a beautiful little caper flick full of flickering quicksilver emotion. Malcolm and Nyssa spitting venom made me cackle with glee. Ray Palmer is up to something, even if he doesn't seem to be sure what. What we're missing is that note of Opera, the apocalyptic whisper of Slade Wilson's sword clearing the sheath, the thud of boots as masked archers dance across a rooftop. It's time for Arrow to let itself fly.
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