I would like to disclaimer this by stating that I do watch Arrow every Wednesday night, so none of the following rants have deterred me enough to quit watching. But that doesn’t mean I’m not getting very annoyed...
Back in October, I remember flicking on the first episode of Arrow. It felt great that there was once again a reliable source of comic book multimedia on each week. I even felt that fuzzy feeling inside when I saw Deathstroke’s mask strewn across a rock on the island. That fuzzy feeling was one that all comic book people share while watching a show like this; the feeling of “Oooh, I know what that means.....”
With it’s season finale drawing nearer and nearer, Arrow has just taken this feeling too far.
I hate how the show’s producers think that it’s so important to add things for us comic book fans, but seeing as it’s a comic book show, this simply should not be. The whole darn thing should be for us! I understand that part of the reason the ratings have been so good is because of it’s appeal to a wider audience, but whose to say that it wouldn’t have better ratings if they simply acknowledged the main character’s REAL name? Why not just call him Green Arrow?
They’re going for a ‘Dark Knight’ feel, I get that, but as I recall...Nolan still called him “Batman”. The whole sentiment of “drop the Green, it’s cooler” is also flawed. He wears a green hood. He shoots green arrows. Green Arrow. He also beats up bad guys, and is a ka-billionaire. I really don’t see how he’s not cool.
The show also tries to compensate for things like this by introducing aspects that are supposed to induce that fuzzy feeling in all of us...
-Te-he! That guy’s last name is Diggle.
-It’s not DINAH Laurel Lance, it’s LAUREL Dinah Lance! And her sister’s in a picture with a canary, great.
-Merlyn! Oh wait...Daddy Merlyn!
-Roy Harper wears a red hoodie!
-Slade Wilson likes swords. A lot.
-STARling City.
-(hot)Brat, drug-using sister is obviously nick-named Speedy.
-Huntress, Deadshot, Vertigo, Etc: Hmmmm....actually, the show has pretty good grounded versions of these characters. No complaints here....yet.
I don’t know why their so afraid to acknowledge the character’s comic book roots. A gigantic chunk of our popular culture is now firmly rooted in comic books. With all the movies destroying the box office, raking in record amounts of money, and warranting sequel after sequel, the logical mind would assume that a fledgling TV show that happens to be based on a comic book would be plastering “From DC Comics” all over the place. The stigma that was once placed on comic books just isn’t as strong as it once was, so let it be known that Arrow comes from this great source of literature that we love!
Everything aside, it really is a good show. I am nit-picking, but one has to admit that all the nod-nod-wink-wink is getting a little old. But who am I kidding? It’s the only superhero comic book show out there(unless of course you count ole Rick and the gang as superheroes...I know I do sometimes), and I know I’m going to sit down this Wednesday and watch it again...