Arrow is the reason we have The Flash, the reason we have Supergirl, the reason we have had Constantine, and yet I feel the show is somewhat underrated. Well, let’s stop letting the show be passed by, and find some reasons how and why the show can be great once again, after a somewhat slow season three.
1. Give Diggle something other than a Magneto helmet
Before there was Barry, before there was Roy, before there was Felicity, there was Diggle. Jim Diggle was the original member of Team Arrow, and he has had about to do on screen as I have the past few seasons. This season, he’s being given a code name and a helmet, but that doesn’t necessarily give him anything to do.
There needs to be something other than telling Ollie he’s nuts or telling his wife and daughter that he loves them for Diggle to do.
By the way, his first name is John, but I called him Jim earlier to see if anyone cared about the character enough to know his first name. I bet some of the writers don’t even pay attention to that shit.
2. Let Ollicity be a thing, at least for a little while
In comics adaptations, both on the side of the fan and the side of the creator, there is an impulse to make sure that certain things will always happen – things like, say, iconic couples winding up together. So, there is a healthy portion of Arrow viewers who are counting on Ollie and Laurel to end up together – and that may happen. But, for now, let’s enjoy the Oliver + Felicity love story.
For starters, they are arguably the best looking couple on TV – just watching them on screen together is a joy. But aside from that, both are characters for whom their families didn’t exactly live up to the standards that society told them they should. Sure, Ollie has Thea and Felicity has her mom, but these aren’t the products of stable, healthy home lives. Let them find that stability and comfort in each other’s arms, at least for a little while.
3. Don’t ignore the Lances
Laurel, perhaps, has the most interesting journey of any character on the show. She went from a cuckolded girlfriend to a district attorney to a superhero in front of our eyes. Continue to let her grow, and the show will benefit greatly. Sure, she’s not the most compelling character on the show, but that can be changed with some solid writing. Ease off her guilt, and lean into what draws her into a life of great justice and service, and she’s suddenly much more interesting.
And that goes for her dad, too. The hard ass cop is a trope that we’ll never be rid of, but Quentin was far more interesting when he wasn’t blaming everyone for his life. Give him something to be other than opposition, and you’ll see a character that is worthy of sharing screen time with vigilantes. Last season, he mostly just brought the tone down whenever he was on screen, and not in the way they wanted him to – he was just dull. He deserves better.
4. Embrace the dark magic
We’ve seen Ra’s al Ghul, we’ve seen mirakuru, we’ve seen a Lazarus Pit – and this season, we’re going to see John Constantine. The dark, magical side of the DCU is ripe for a home in Starling City. The Flash, as discussed yesterday, can be full of the less scary side of magic – think Vixen and Shazam. But let Arrow do more with the dark arts. Would Zatanna be out of place? I don’t think so. If we can establish that magic is a part of this world, then the world gets a lot more interesting.
Because, let’s be real folks: we are already far past ‘remarkable Green Arrow villains,’ and already borrowing all the big guns from other DC franchises. So, bring magic to the forefront and let some of the dark arts practitioners form Ollie’s rogues gallery for a bit. As much fun as he was, that’s way more appealing than the Clock King.
Continued below5. Don’t let ‘green’ just be a color descriptor
What used to set Oliver Queen aside from other heroes in comics is that he was a lefty – not left handed, but politically quite liberal. I think it would give this character a sorely missing element to make him the Green Arrow, who fights for environmental issues as well as for Starling City. This, again, can help line him up with some new rogues, make room for a Swamp Thing guest starring role, and help the show continue to adapt and grow.
Like it or not, The Flash has somewhat supplanted Arrow as the go to DC show, and Supergirl might push it into third place later this month. So, take some chances – making the character more unique can’t hurt.
