I think we can all agree that the last two seasons of the CW's Arrow have been underwhelming compared to the greatness of the first two. You can't really pin it on the writers and the creative teams (they are, after all, juggling the ongoing and complex storylines of three other major television series) and the actors haven't turned in bad performances at all. But, results are results. Arrow has now become the most divisive series among fans of the CW-verse (some saying it's the worst of the bunch, and some saying it still holds up compared to the other series in the universe). I tend to fall in the latter category. Is it the best? Probably not. Supergirl couldn't find much of an identity, Legends of Tomorrow lost me partway through, and The Flash''s season finale was, again, a major whimper of an ending.
What makes Arrow so interesting out of all of them, then, is where it stands as a series. Arrow doesn't rake in the big viewers like The Flash might and being the "original show" only gets you so far. Not that I think it's going to get cancelled, but I think the writers did lose focus on this series for a little bit. Damien Darhk was essentially a retelling of Malcolm Merlyn's plot and was only interesting because of Neal McDonough's performance. Ra's Al-Ghul, while threatening, wasn't nearly as interesting a character as Nyssa has proven over the last three seasons (why isn't she in the show more, again?).
Now that Arrow is on the hot-seat, I think we can expect much better results. After all, Arrow was at its best when it was handling things within the realms and reaches of its characters. Before Oliver could use magic and knew all of these crazy mages and super people, all he could hope to do was outsmart enemies or just prove himself their physical better by having to use complex martial arts. Remember: he didn't technically defeat Malcolm Merlyn and only defeated Deathstroke because he played to his ego and want of revenge. Ra's Al-Ghul and Damien he beat because...plot.
When Oliver isn't protected by plot armor and the people close to him are in serious danger is when the show is at its finest. The actors always give their best performances and the writing just seems to hits its highest notes. It comes down to the fundamentals of the character. Green Arrow can indeed fight alongside the Justice League when necessary but at heart the most dangerous villains he often fights are ones that he can compete with at a physical level as well as ones that test him mentally and emotionally. Think: Count Vertigo, Komodo, Merlyn, the Clock King, Deathstroke. All great villains, and all ones that Oliver struggles with within the realms of his character. You think the Flash would have much of a problem with Komodo?
I'm glad that Arrow is taking a step back to redo itself, in a way, back to its most basic elements. No magic, no unnecessary super-beings (except for the crossover, but that's fine: Green Arrow only ever really tussled with the big boys in major crossovers). The new villain, Prometheus (who seems to be much different than his comic book counterpart given his geddup) looks like its going to be someone personal to Oliver's life, and thinking back, the two best villains of the show have been ones with personal stakes against Oliver.
I'm iffy on him raising a team of vigilantes. Evelyn Sharp looks like she can be a compelling character and a nifty little sidekick to Oliver or Thea, and getting to see Curtis mold himself into Mr. Terrific was something I hoped to see more of last year. Wild Dog seems like a bit of a stretch. My hope is that we don't repeat the same plot points that we saw in Season 2 when Oliver was training a Mirakuru-powered Roy to become more in control and become a better vigilante. The training should be personal (I wonder why that word is coming up so much?) given his relationship with them. Evelyn was mimicking his now-dead friend, and Curtis looks up to Oliver as a hero whereas others see him as a former danger. Wild Dog...
Well he kinda exists.
Another thing I'm hoping for is a lack of "villain of the day" scenarios. One of the highlights of last season was that Damien Darhk pronounced himself as the villain straightaway and we had recurring side-villains throughout. Anarky was a treat and a proven warrior, and I hope we can see him return (he's still alive, right?). Cupid and the rest of the Suicide Squad I don't see returning mostly because of the success of the film Suicide Squad, as well as the very forced death of Amanda Waller on Arrow.
The biggest and best thing Arrow can do is return to its roots. Return Diggle and Felicity to their proper roles as his best friends (not love interests) and allow Thea to continue developing on her own so she can seem more competent and less dependent on the decisions of others. Malcolm Merlyn should always be lurking in the background as a wildcard, and the villain most pose a threat to Oliver not in a physical way, but as an emotional foil to him.
Oh, and don't make it another "invasion" or "destroy the city" situation again. It's getting old and boring. Make it a personal stake. Maybe their last fight is at the abandoned Queen Mansion or in the old Foundry where Prometheus is holed up.
Some other hopes I have are for the Arrow verse to get a little more up-to-date on the goings-on of the other shows. Crossovers? Not necessarily. But it'd be nice for them to get fast word about the fact that super aliens from a planet called Krypton now inhabit the Earth. For them to know that, hey, Barry accidentally punched space and time in the face and it wasn't happy.
Hey, there's a thing called the Justice Society of America and you're invited to join.
You know, things like that.
Really, I just hope that this season is better in whatever form that may take. I don't need funnier, or more action-oriented. Just tell a more coherent story and wrap the flashbacks in a way that makes sense. The final moments of Season 5 should be the initial moments of Season 1: Oliver rushes to the shore to find two Southeast Asian sailors arriving to find him. Everything would come full-circle and next season: no flashbacks. Bridge that gap in the fan-base!
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