Join us each week as we review the latest episode of ARROW. In anticipation of the upcoming third season premiere, we will recap the events of the first and second years of the show.
Season 2 Theme: “My name is Oliver Queen. After five years on a hellish island, I have come home with only one goal: to save my city. But to do so, I can’t be the killer I once was. To honor my friend’s memory, I must be someone else. I must be… something else.”
Plot: After the devastating events of The Undertaking in Season One, Oliver has retreated to the island of Lian Yu. It has been a full year of isolation before he is called back to Starling City. Swearing never to kill again, The Arrow is called back into action to defend the city against a new group of enemies. At the same time, the Queen family must deal with the fate of their company, their relationships, and secrets that could tear them apart. We also learn about what drove the wedge between Oliver and Slade Wilson on the island of Lian Yu.
Heroes: While the first season was squarely about the development of The Arrow, the second season broadens the scope of the heroes in Starling City and beyond. Now, we have The Canary, a League of Assassin’s trained Sarah Lance, as well as the growing abilities of sidekick Roy Harper who comic book fans better know as Speedy, Arsenal, or Red Arrow. John Diggle and Felicty Smoak are joined by Barry Allen from Central City for a period but not before he is struck by lightning that will eventually turn him into The Flash (crossover alert!). Team Arrow continues to be aided by Officer Lance who has been demoted from detective for aiding the vigilante.
Other Characters: The Queens remain as messed up as ever as Moira is imprisoned for her role in The Undertaking, only to be set free by Malcolm Merlyn. Merlyn reveals that Thea is actually his daughter and he wants her back. Thea, Oliver, and Moira struggle with this knowledge and try to maintain their close relationships. This becomes difficult as Thea deals with Roy and the effects of the Mirakuru. Moria runs for Mayor of Starling City opposite Sebastian Blood but eventually meets her fate at the hands of Slade Wilson.
Villains: We see the return of petty villains like The Clock King, Count Vertigo, and The Huntress, but the majority of the season is devoted to Brother Blood, the alter ego of mayoral candidate Sebastian Blood. While it seems like the entire season will be built around this Scarecrow-esque bad guy, we soon learn he works for Slade Wilson who has returned to destroy Oliver Queen for what happened on the island years ago. Wilson adopts the mask of Deathstroke and has a master plan to bring down everything the Queens hold dear. He is aided by Isabel Rochev, a businesswoman who takes control of Queen Consolidated and was also a mistress to Oliver’s father.
On the Island: Picking up almost exactly where the prior season left off, we find Slade, Shado, and Oliver trying to survive. A burgeoning romance begins between Shado and Oliver, much to Slade’s disdain. Once we learn that Sara survived the wreck of the Queen’s Gambit, a love quadrangle begins. We also learn of Doctor Ivo’s desire to find the lost Mirakuru on a Japanese submarine so he can save his wife and create supersoldiers. Slade is injected with the Mirakuru, saving his life but driving him mad. Oliver is forced to choose between Shado and Sara and causes Shado’s death. Eventually, the mad Slade does battle with Oliver who now thinks Sara is dead. Oliver leaves Slade with an arrow through his eye and awakens mysteriously in Hong Kong along with Amanda Waller from A.R.G.U.S.
In Starling City: Back at home, Thea is now running Oliver’s nightclub Verdant. Oliver returns to take over the CEO position at Queen Consolidated which is now being run by Isabel Rochev. Sebastian Blood is a local politician running for mayor, eventually opposite Moira, who is being supported by her ex-husband. The and Roy’s relationship continues to grow despite his desire to work with the Arrow to save the city. All the while, crime continues to occur in the absence of the Arrow. There is definitely a parallel to Gotham City in the distinct sections of the city and their fear of the Arrow. We now learn beyond Starling is Central City and Bludhaven, both key locations in DC Comics lore.
Review: As I hit the middle of season two, I was concerned that ARROW was going to give up the grounded/realistic approach to the superhero story in favor of crazy comic book physics that will be the benchmark of THE FLASH. The Mirakuru subplot seemed to be a convenient plot device to introduced superhumans/metahumans to this DC Universe and I wasn’t fully bought in. But, as I got to the end of the 23 episodes, something came together for me.
Where a lot of series encounter a sophomore slump, ARROW managed to keep itself pretty even for the long network run of episodes. While the middle lagged a bit, overall the second season worked because it kept itself squarely focused on a main villain (Deathstroke) and his second in command (Brother Blood). By not making this a villain of the week season like last year, ARROW managed to feel like a comic book come to life. The characters had more to lose and the investment in the flashbacks helped solidify the main storyline. There were moments through the season where I wondered why some characters like Isabel Rochev were getting as much screen time as they were, but the final five episodes brought it all together beautifully.
I liked the direction and theme of season two more than the first, but I would have to give them the same overall score due to some weaker episodes in the front half of this season. But, for a show to remain this consistent compared to it’s debut is an achievement few series are able to achieve. It also bodes well that we can look forward to ARROW staying this good as we go into the third season. What will become of Sarah Lance? What happened to Oliver in Hong Kong? Will Oliver and Felicity finally bone? Stay tuned as we will bring you weekly recaps of every episode this coming season.
Season Grade: 8/10