Arrow Season 3

Aired: 2014 – 2015

Certificate: 12

Creators:  Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg 

Starring: Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes, Katie Cassidy

Episode list:

The Calm; Sara; Corto Maltese; The Magician; The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak; Guilty; Draw Back Your Bow; The Brave and the Bold; The Climb; Left Behind; Midnight City; Uprising; Canaries; The Return; Nanda Parbat; The Offer; Suicidal Tendencies; Public Enemy; Broken Arrow; The Fallen; Al Sah-Him; This is Your Sword; My Name is Oliver Queen

Since the shows introduction back in 2012 it’s safe to say that Arrow has been on the up ever since. Spawning a spin-off show in the form of The Flash, and with another season in the pipeline, and with a potential forecast of a 5th season (so there’s a season for every year that Oliver was thought dead) there’s still plenty of room for this show to continue that upwards spiral.

Season 3 certainly continues that trend. This is the season where more secrets are revealed and not just in the form of what Oliver did on the island. We finally get to see some secrets of the supporting cast like Felicity and John. And then we also get to see the newer members of Team Arrow shine. Nobody is forgotten this season, and it shows such a lovely bond between them, a complete contrast to the first season where Oliver wanted to go it alone. In this way, season 3 is lighter than its two previous predecessors, yet still manages to be dark through its choice of style when it comes to the actual storytelling. Also, the concepts continue to make this show dark, but then the Green Arrow wasn’t the most cheeriest of chaps anyway.

Of course, the secrets revealed this season are often shocking ones that most won’t see coming. Add to that multiple cliff hangers throughout from episode to episode and it’s a tantalizing, thrillingly scripted season as a whole.

New characters are brought to life with gifted talents, and familiar faces also drop in, often to annoy proceedings. This blend of old and new with the current cast continues to give this show spice with its variety of acting talents and also with character personalities.

Let’s not forget the special effects, which this season have also had to step up a notch to deal with the goings on. In fact, there’s so much going on that it’s surprising the effects could keep up at all. But they did, delivering explosive work to the show, the detail to the mayhem if you will.

The final thing that’s stepped up a notch is the choreography for the fights. With more skilled fighters brought into the mix, fights needed to reflect this. This required a lot more of hand to hand combat, and as a whole these fights are both genius and crazy, but in an ‘OMG how did he/she do that?’ way.

Clearly, attention to detail was everything this season, and not just in Oliver’s tale, but also in his companions. Add to that some interesting new characters, some popular choices from the comics, and we realise that this show is still able to maintain its serious devotion to the source material. With season 3 being another step up, it remains to be seen what season 4 can bring to the show and its loyal fan base, as well as what it can do to continue to keep up with all the other TV material on-screen that takes root from comic books.

An 8.4 out of 10.

Arrow Season 2

If series one of Arrow was an introduction to Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) world as the masked vigilante, then the second is a plunge into the deep, dark and twisted story.

We pick up one year after the tragic events of the season one finale, where Oliver has gone back to the island to live by himself. After tracking him down, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) convince Olly to come back to Starling City for the sake of his family. Agreeing, he comes back but refuses to don the hood. After several events he realises that this city still needs a hero and once more puts the hood back on and starts referring to himself as “The Arrow” rather than “The Vigilante”. But secrets are hard to keep, and when things start slipping out, who can be trusted? Then there’s the mirakuru, a drug that can make you a very powerful and strong person, but also can turn you doolally and very angry. Plus there’s the return of an old friend/enemy. Basically, no one is safe.

This season is made up of the following episodes:

• City of Heroes
• Identity
• Broken Dolls
• Crucible
• League of Assassins
• Keep Your Enemies Closer
• State V. Queen
• The Scientist
• Three Ghosts
• Blast Radius
• Blind Spot
• Tremors
• Heir to the Demon
• Time of Death
• The Promise
• Suicide Squad
• Birds of Prey
• Deathstroke
• The Man Under the Hood
• Seeing Red
• City of Blood
• Streets of Fire
• Unthinkable

The story is just crazy this series, with loads of shock episodes and ‘what the hell just happened?’ moments. The show has definitely stepped up a gear and is really showing off with what it can do. The acting just gets better, with character chemistry taking stunning twists that few could predict. The special effects are superb and the fight scenes are just breath-taking.

The best quotes from this season are:

• ‘What I lack in height I make up for in wicked-good hearing.’ – Roy (Colton Haynes) – City of Heroes
• ‘You know, we’re getting dangerously close to hug territory, so I’m gonna fall back.’ – Dig to Oliver – Identity
• *After shooting a guy in shoulder* ‘He won’t tell anyone.’ – Oliver   ‘What makes you so sure?’ – Detective Lance (Paul Blackthorne)  ‘Because he has another shoulder.’ – Oliver – Broken Dolls
• ‘My mother, sometimes, enjoys a casual relationship with the truth.’ – Oliver – Suicide Squad

A step-up from the first season, one must wonder what creativity will be found in the third season of Arrow. Whatever they decide to do, and whatever direction they take the story in, it looks set to bring us more shocks than ever.

Season 2 gets an 8.4 out of 10.

Arrow Season 1

In 2012 a new TV show based off the DC Comics Green Arrow was born, simply entitled Arrow.

After being stranded on a deserted island for 5 years, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) returns home a changed man. With the skills he developed on the island he plans to take down all the people who have corrupted his city, as a hooded vigilante who quickly gains a reputation.

I’m not usually one for a crime style show, and when I first started watching this series that’s what it appeared to be, except with a Robin Hood style of course. Then they start throwing plot twists and conspiracies at you left, right and centre, and before you know it you’re hooked. Slow to start off, but when it gets going you won’t know what’s hit you.

Basically a very good under-lying storyline to this series.

The acting was also brilliant, the characters very relatable (and easy on the eye) and the action a roller coaster of a ride, with impressive stunts and choreography. And where there were special effects, they too were brilliant.

The first series is made up of the following episodes:

• Pilot
• Honour Thy Father
• Lone Gunmen
• An Innocent Man
• Damaged
• Legacies
• Muse of Fire
• Vendetta
• Year’s End
• Burned
• Trust But Verify
• Vertigo
• Betrayal
• The Odyssey
• Dodger
• Dead to Rights
• The Huntress Returns
• Salvation
• Unfinished Business
• Home Invasion
• The Undertaking
• Darkness on the Edge of Town
• Sacrifice

And my favourite episodes from this series are ‘Pilot’, ‘Lone Gunmen’, ‘Muse of Fire’, ‘Year’s End’, ‘Vertigo’, ‘The Odyssey’, ‘Dodger’, ‘Dead to Rights’, ‘The Huntress Returns’, ‘Salvation’, ‘Unfinished Business’, ‘Home Invasion’, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’ and ‘Sacrifice’.

And my favourite quotes from season one are:

• ‘Home is a battlefield. Back home they get you to try to open up, be somebody you’re not.’ – John (David Ramsey) – Honour Thy Father
• ‘You were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth.’ – John to Oliver – An Innocent Man
• ‘This isn’t over. I have the loose end now, and no matter what happens I’m gonna pull on it until your whole world unravels.’ – Laurel (Katie Cassidy) – An Innocent Man
• ‘I’m learning you’re not a morning snuggler.’ – Tommy (Colin Donnell)    ‘And I’m learning you don’t like to wake up at any hour that ends in ‘AM’.’ – Laurel – Vertigo
• ‘I guess I didn’t die. Again. Cool.’ – Oliver – The Odyssey
• ‘You’ve been spending a lot of time under that hood the last couple of weeks.’ – John     ‘It keeps my ears warm.’ – Oliver – Salvation
• ‘It feels so good to have you in me. And by you I mean your voice, and by me I mean my ear.’ – Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) to Oliver – The Undertaking

Despite a slow start, sticking with this show is a must. A very good first series, with the hope of season two being even better.

An 8.6 out of 10.