If you have not yet watched the season finale of Arrow stop reading this now and go watch it! Where the hell are your priorities? If you continue to read this without watching beware spoilers.
I know I’ve praised Arrow on the show many times and I’ve been all in really since the 2nd episode of the show ( I was still a bit hesitant after the first), but the season finale this week really cemented the greatness of this show in stone for me. It was a great culmination to the season long build up final confrontation between Malcolm and Ollie. Unlike some other shows that tease an epic battle then fail to deliver (I’m snarling at you Walking Dead) this finale went out with a bang…well more like an earth shattering explosion but you get the idea.
It was really nice to see Ollie and Diggle confront The Dark Archer together and defeat him more or less as a team. And while everyone else is talking about the death of Tommy ( more on that in a minute) the stand out for me this episode was the turnaround of Detective Lance. He finally, thanks to Felicity, fully understands the importance of The Hood. I can easily see, and would be ok with, him becoming sort of Olliver’s Jim Gordon moving forward. The development of his character this entire season has been really good and in my opinion it ended in the right spot.
Now onto Tommy, sorry folks but while I did not see his death coming at all it was absolutely necessary. Not only because his death has so much impact on almost everyone else on the show but because he was a loose end IMO. My one criticism of this show was that in the span of the first season far too many people knew The Hood’s true identity and I suspect season 2 will lead to a few more people knowing who he is. It also gives Oliver a good reason to continue to fight the good fight and not simply retire after The Undertaking. Bravo to the show’s writers for having the balls to do it.
Moving forward into season 2 I am really looking forward to the further development of Roy Harper and really hope he becomes Red Arrow in the second season. I may be in the minority on this one but I hope they don’t rush Black Canary in season 2. I’d be ok if that transition didn’t happen until late season 2 or even season 3 if the show lives that long. The other big thing for me in season 2 is Slade Wilson coming to the current continuity. I’m hoping his story in Starling City isn’t hokey though. I don’t want him to be straight up hero or villain. I’m ok with him being somewhere in between and I hope that’s the role he takes. I also really hope they give The Hood some sort of mask in season 2. I’m not feeling the green painted line or sometimes absolute nothing on his face. They need to adress this IMO and the costume would be fine.
Let me know your thoughts on the first season and what you think we can expect in Season2.
