There has been a significant amount of frustration that has gone into my Arrow-watching. I’ve watched the show since day one and I used to be more excited about it. It’s definitely lost a lot of its momentum and quality over the course of the last two seasons. Remember seasons one and two? I do. And they were pretty damn good. From the action, to the general character arcs and progression, to the flashbacks and the villains, Arrow was a solid show.
But the show is no longer what it used to be. It’s gotten fairly melodramatic, killed off or gotten rid of good characters, and even the action scenes aren’t a highlight anymore. I still have some hope for the show though. I mean, this is the show that helped launch The CW DCTV universe into what it has become. So… what happened?
Here are five ways Arrow can improve in season five!
Make the flashbacks important
The flashbacks have been a big part of the show since season one. They’ve largely been used to showcase what happened on Lian Yu during Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) time there, as well as tying back into whatever was going on in the present. During season three, they waned a bit and by the time season four rolled around, they became practically irrelevant, dull, and tactless. They ate up screen time for a story that could have been summed up in ten minutes at the most.
Season five marks the last season they’ll be used and to document Oliver’s final year on the island, the writers should make them meaningful and relevant again. They need to make sense and have an impact on Oliver, emotionally and otherwise. If not given their proper due, the flashbacks will only continue to be dry and useless.
Advertisement
Make Diggle more than just a sidekick
When we first met John Diggle (David Ramsey), he was hired to be Oliver’s body guard after having just gotten back from five years on Lian Yu. Ultimately, Diggle has turned into far more than that. Confidante and friend, Diggle is often the voice of reason. But far more often, he’s also been sidelined or used to be the shoulder that Oliver cries his angsty tears on.
But aside from that, Diggle’s full potential, even after four seasons, has not been fully realized. And it’s a shame. He’s been utilized more on missions, but sometimes his character gets too tangled up in other people’s stories so much that he hasn’t fully gotten a chance to focus on himself. One of the biggest things to come out of The Flash’s Flashpoint story line is a big change for Diggle. What that change will be isn’t clear, but after shooting his brother and subsequently re-enlisting in the military, the writers can do right by him and really give him some meaty emotional and narrative follow-through.
Advertisement
Resurrect Black Canary
Superhero shows are not always the greatest when it comes to developing women or balancing more than one of their stories within the narrative, but the way they pretty much made a mess of Laurel Lance’s (Katie Cassidy) story on Arrow is almost too ridiculous to think about. She’s always been a big part of Green Arrow’s mythos, but the show not only made Laurel’s sister, Sara (Caity Lotz), Black Canary first, but also sabotaged her romance with Oliver from the start by creating a rift that they could never really come back from. Her importance to the story was replaced by another character and Laurel has lost some development because of that.
With the timeline changes, perhaps Laurel can be resurrected in some way (hey, it’s a superhero show, weirder things have happened); or her Earth-2 counterpart, Black Siren, can make a permanent home in Star City. Either way, Black Canary needs to be brought back to Arrow in some capacity as her death was one of last season’s low points.
Advertisement
Make the action scenes better
One of the primary highlights of Arrow from week to week has always been the action sequences. Well-choreographed and executed, the stunt aspects of the show were a strong suit and a joy to watch. Season four saw that practically disappear. There were a couple of highlights, but ultimately, they lost their shine. Since Oliver and company don’t possess any superpowers, the hand-to-hand combat is essential and elevates the show. So if Arrow can bring back the amazing action scenes again, that sense of urgency and intensity will be back and will then proceed to heighten the plot and consequences of a particular episode.
Bring back exciting villains
Last season’s villain, Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), didn’t really bring the heat. There was too much magic involved and that fact even proved too much for the show to handle properly. It wasn’t particularly McDonough’s Dahrk that was the problem, as he could be creepy and slimy when he needed to be, the issue was with the way he was written and how that tied in with Team Arrow. Ultimately, what Arrow needs to do is bring back villains that have more of a personal connection to Oliver. Like with Deathstroke, who set the bar pretty high, there needs to be more of a satisfying payoff for a foe’s story line. This usually comes if he or she is seen as more of an adversary and having the show’s enemy tie back into the arc of the title character will have more of an impact.
Honorable mention
Tone down Felicity’s family drama
Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) began as a fun guest star and it wasn’t long before she became a primary staple on Team Arrow and a series regular on the show. For the most part, Felicity has been a good addition to the show, but last season wasn’t too kind to her in the sense that she has become a Mary Sue-type character who can solve everything with the click of a couple of keys. Just give her two minutes and she’ll even hack a nuclear weapon.
Ultimately though, one of the things the show needs to tone down on is the Smoak’s family drama. I liked the addition of Felicity’s mom at first, but then her father entered the picture and we went episode after episode near the end of the season where their dynamic took up too much of the hour and also took time away from other characters and plot developments. It’s good to see some other parent figures on the show besides Paul Blackthorne’s Captain Lance, but there needs to be more of a balance in the way that they’re written into the show.
Advertisement