Normally we leave the TV recaps and opinion pieces to our fellow blog Warming Glow, but since this is a TV show based on a comic book superhero, we will, in fact, be weighing in. But what expectations are we going in with?
I’m honestly a bit torn on this one. On the one hand, the sparse clips that we’ve seen have not exactly inspired confidence, but as our commenters have pointed out, that’s not the whole show and I should give it at least an episode. And they’re right. Ollie Queen taking revenge on tennis balls is not the whole show. It’s just incredibly goofy.
On the other hand, they’re actually trying in some respects. The second episode will feature China White, a fairly obscure character, and the third episode will feature Deadshot, who, goofy eyepatch or not, is still a welcome arrival. Apparently Big Belly Burger will be a background gag, and I’m a sucker for shameless continuity porn.
So we’ll see, one way or the other. I’ll be on this post, adding comments as I go, when the show debuts at 8pm tonight.
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They tried to do a live action Aquaman and Wonder Women. Those never got farther than a pilot, so this show must better. Right?…
Excuse me, I meant Wonder Woman. Although there was a live action Wonder Woman in the 70′s that lasted 3 seasons. That show was terrible, but it didn’t matter because Lynda Carter was so freaking hot!
Eh, Lynda Carter’s charms only go so far.
OK, I’m up and running. I’m not sure what’s worse: The awful local political ads or the fact that this show’s lead-in is “Two and a Half Men”.
I’ll also be sharing observations on Twitter @theta1138, tagged #Arrow.
Shaky cam. Not a good start.
Where the hell was he marooned? Ireland? Literally everything is either green or grey on this island?
For five years away, he seems fairly well adjusted.
His mom has a ridiculously short skirt. Like, whoa.
“I missed you so much.” “You were with me the whole time.” GAG.
How much exposition were they ordered to cram into each scene?
Reference count: 2. Deathstroke mask and somebody named “Lance”.
Law And Order Guy looks good in a beard.
Tommy Merlin has less than a minute of screen time and I already hate him.
“I didn’t realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter.” BURN.
I will say that Stephen Amell is actually doing a pretty good job switching between callow douchebag and “guy who survived on an island for five years.”
Aaaaand it’s an ad break, right after Ollie judo flipped his mom and nearly crushed her trachea.
And now, at stately Queen Manor…
Tommy Merlin is a douchebag even by CW standards.
Everybody’s best friend on this show is a sniping, passive aggressive douche.
“We buried an empty coffin.” Yeah, honey, in more ways than one.
… This is substantially more hardcore than I was expecting, action-wise. This show has a body count, and at the hero’s hands.
That said, the parkour sequence, hopping like a kangaroo? Pretty stupid.
YAY HARRY DRESDEN!
Ollie ditching his bodyguard was pretty funny.
They substantially improved the sound mix of this sequence from the teaser. Even if the score is pretty terrible.
Now we’ve got exposition in thought balloons. Great.
The action on this show is very well done, especially for TV. There are movies I’ve seen in theaters with less craft to them in that respect. It’s not John Woo but it’s solid.
I’ve got a secret that no one can know about… I’m the only other person in the country watching Arrow.
Heh, we can hang together. So, do you want to punch Tommy Merlin into a bloodpaste as well?
One of TWO people. I’m 10 minutes behind but Dan’s comments are keeping me involved just cause I want to get to the part he’s talking about. It’s not a terrible show but then, I’m a sucker for an origins story.
Come for the cheese, stay for the beatings!
You know that guy is evil because he’s bald.
I know, right? Baldness as a marker of evil.
DOUCHEPARTY!
Oh, Jesus, the sooner Tommy Merlin inevitably goes evil and gets dickpunched the better.
Aaaaand here’s even more exposition!
This show does NOT do romance well.
It doesn’t do talking well.
I like the comic relief, and I like the action. But everybody in Starling City speaks Exposition.
Stephen Amell is impressing me more and more. The trailers really did not do him justice.
I am liking John Diggle, as well.
Oh, Evil Bald Guy gonna get fucked UP!
If you think UFC could use more arrows to the shoulders than this show is for you.
Yeah, the fighting is fairly MMAish. But it’s well shot and fun to watch, at least.
That was all positivity on my part. This is a superhero show on The CW. Could have been an absolute train wreck.
Good point.
Oh, man, come on, a bullshit cliffhanger before an ad break? Really?
His mask is spray painted on. That will keep his identity secret. So what’s his Kryptonite? Good lighting?
Guyliner: The Ultimate Deception.
Did he just put out two flashlights with arrows? OK, awesome.
Paul Blackthorne is really the best actor on this show, I have to admit.
Ah, and they have to ruin it by making him the father of the girl who “died” in front of him. That’s a bit much.
Oh, God, the hacking arrow. Really?
WHOA. OK, did not see the ending of that flashback coming.
DAMN.
This show is surprisingly brutal.
I saw a man stabbed in the throat with a chair leg this eve.
He’s not exactly how I picture Ollie Queen, but he plays him pretty damn well.
Agreed. Much better that I was expecting.
“It looks like Starling City has a guardian angel.” HORK.
Laurel, you can do better. Maybe Guy Gardner is available.
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Better or worse name reveal than Dark Knight Rises?
Worse, in my opinion.
Mom is evil, much to the shock of nobody who read the press materials.
Yeah. I’m in. For a few episodes, at least. I can’t believe I’m going to watch a show on The CW.
First CW Show I was ever excited about.
Seconded. This is far better than absolutely everything the CW showed us as a preview.
This show will have at least an audience of 4.
I was going to say, good pilot, nerds like it, if we’re really lucky they’ll get to episode three before being replaced by the Secret Supernatural Vampire Gossip Circle.
We should form a support group.
Not as good as the Smallville pilot, but it has potential. I like that he’s killing people. It gives the show an edge.
Yeah what was the kill count for the pilot? Probably more than Clark Kent ended up killing meteor freaks and villains “because he had to” in the entire 10 season run of Smallville.
I think it actually hit high-single or even double digits.
Also it’s nice to see Curtis from 24 on TV again. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get shot in the head.
THANK YOU! I was trying to remember who that guy was.