TVC: Arrow Season 2 Review!

In my review of the first season of this superhero hit show I had some mixed thoughts about it. The show didn't really know what it was trying to be, and had a tough time trying to fit all of its pieces together to form a cohesive season. I said that there was enough in Season 1 to see potential, so here I am back again to review Season 2 of Arrow, and to my surprise it course corrected this ship (pun intended) in the best directions.

My biggest take away from Season 1 was that the flashback sequences felt more interesting in story and character than the present day one, but with this season the show is equally good in both time periods. Actually, this season felt really well structured compared to the last one because the flashbacks were utilized as a tool in understanding Oliver's past in a way to make you excited for his future. Lesson's he learned on the island would resurface in the present day story line, and from this it created more scenarios for the viewer to anticipate. For example, the man Oliver befriends on the island, Slade Wilson, is our view into the future for certain characters like Roy Harper. By structuring the flashbacks so perfectly with what the viewer needs to know for the rest of the season in the present day time line really made the show a lot more interesting, and a lot more addictive as I was wanting to get to that release this season was building up to that much quicker.

Another problem I had with the previous season that they fixed were the characters, and the acting. After a rough freshman year it looks like the actors are now comfortable in their roles, and knows their characters pretty well. It also helped that the writers actually gave them something to do. Detective Lance was basically the cop that hunted the vigilante because what the hood was doing was wrong, but this season had Detective Lance demoted, and changed his view on the vigilante in an interesting way. Laurel was insufferable to me, but somehow her character went through a really interesting arc this season, to the point that I started to hate her in a good way. Every time I saw her take actions that would blow up in her face I was cursing the TV. This season of Arrow really made me care for the characters in a way I never thought I would, and because of that I found it much more interesting.

As with any superhero show there's gotta be action, and while I enjoyed the action presented in this season I thought it wasn't shot the best way it could have been. Some scenes had bad angles where I could tell no one was hitting anybody, and for that it took me out of the episode a bit. What I did appreciate, however, was that with the addition of returning characters, such as Roy and Sarah, who would join in on the action, the show gave them each their own fighting style. Roy was more of the muscle, Sarah was the assassin that took quick and pivotal blows to take down her opponent, and because of this it allowed the action to be slightly more interesting than two people with bows battling each other.

This season also did a good job at expanding the Arrowverse while bringing back subplots from Season 1 to tie up. Season 2 brought Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad. This allowed villains who would have been just a villain of the week from the early episodes actually have purpose later in the season, like Bronze Tiger. The Suicide Squad also expanded on Diggle's past, and really made his character have more depth. Helena comes back later on in this season and the writers, in a way, tie up her story with taking revenge against her father. Instead of having filler episodes, or episodes that don't entirely advance the plot or story for the season I thought that Season 2 did a good job of placing these types of episodes in the middle of all the drama and action of the main story line which was well worth the season.

The main story line was actually one that I didn't think I would end up liking, until about episode eight. The big plot point of this season was the mayor campaign, and Oliver's mother trying to run to right her sins. This brought a new dynamic to the show, one that I didn't know I even wanted until it happened. One of the reasons I think Green Arrow is a cool character is because he's a street level hero who cares about his city, and as a viewer I didn't think that the first season present the city itself as a character, even though the phrase "You have failed this city" was basically Arrow's slogan. By addressing season one's tragic finale, and using the mayoral debate as the backdrop for the city to have a voice, I thought was really smart in allowing the people of the city really have an opinion and act like a character.

For as much good this season has brought to Arrow, I do think that the show still suffers from dropped plot threads. It's really good at introducing a thread, and setting up the foundation, but more often than not the build up and finish of plot threads tend to dwindle or show up episodes down the line for no reason. For example, at the beginning of the season Oliver wants to take charge of his company and really put some time and effort into it, but he ends up co-running his empire with Summer Glau. The two characters have some friction between them, and you're not entirely sure if Glau's character is trying to take over his company, but the friction and time put into this plot thread is mainly only addressed in the first third of this season, leaving the big reveal of what happens to his company for the end of the season. Same thing happens when Oliver decides he has to finally train Roy. They take an episode or two to develop and start Roy's training, but then that plot thread is pushed to the side until Roy shows up in the finally shooting his bow and arrow as good as Oliver. These plot threads are only replaced with other's, and I do think it's an improvement over last season's troubles, but it's still apparent and slightly frustrating at times.

Overall, Season 2 was a massive improvement over the first season. Oliver takes on a no killing policing, and what he has to deal with in his family life only puts stress on him as a character as he's trying to keep everything in his life stable. Characters supporting Oliver had really upgraded with dimensions, and characters that I hated turned around and made me care for them. The flashbacks were utilized in just the right way to advance the modern day story line, but also create more mystery for Oliver's lost years. This season also wraps up nicely while setting up for next season, and honestly I just can't complain that much, as surprised as I am, when it came to Arrow Season 2.

8.5/10