Review: ARROW Season Four

[Warning: The Following Contains SPOILERS From Season 4 of Arrow.]

Back in 2012, Arrow premiered on The CW with a surprisingly solid first season. It followed that up with an excellent second season, making the show a must-see amongst DC fans. However, the third season was considered a huge disappointment by most, with many criticizing the decision to pursue the Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak relationship. It doesn’t help that it aired the same time as The Flash‘s debut season, which was acclaimed for its comic book faithfulness and engaging storytelling.

This week, The CW finished airing the fourth season of Arrow. Is it a return to glory for the godfather of the DC-TV Multiverse, or does it continue to descend to new depths of mediocrity?

Overall, I would put Arrow season four on the same level as season three. Both seasons have some great episodes, consisting of intensity, strong action sequences. However, there are also some mediocre episodes, and when it comes to storytelling, both struggle to focus on the main arc of the season.

One way this is particularly evident is Oliver Queen’s story arc. In season four, he realizes that his old methods as The Arrow weren’t enough, and he has to fight the darkness with the light. Thus, he becomes Green Arrow. But he has struggled with this throughout the season – the finale suggests that he hasn’t fully accepted the light yet, indicating a “schism” – and this is partly due to how this season puts so much focus on its supporting characters. John Diggle and Felicity Smoak are essentially co-leads, while Thea Queen and Captain Lance have substantial story arcs. That, along with developing villain Damien Darhk and having so many filler episodes, make it harder to focus on Ollie’s arc. I’m all for strong development of supporting characters, but when it gets to the point where it interferes with the protagonist’s development, that’s a problem.

Speaking of filler episodes, this is a problem that particularly plagued the second half of Arrow‘s fourth season. The first half started off strongly, with only a couple of fillers – even if it did take time to set up DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. But in the second half, there was filler after filler after filler. It gets to the point where many viewers may get bored and stop watching the show. This is a downside to a series having 20+ episodes; there are going to be fillers. And regarding the cheesy soap opera elements – Arrow has always been a soap opera; that’s what happens when a show is on The CW. Even when it has great stuntwork and storytelling, the network limits it with at least some soap opera elements. Oh, and the flashbacks continue to be largely uninteresting this season, while the decision to beef up Donna Smoak’s role is baffling. I just don’t like this character.

Moving on to the biggest critique of the season: Olicity. I kind of liked the idea at first, but season three’s execution of it turned me off completely. Season four is no different. While I prefer the stable relationship over the “will-they-won’t-they” angle from last season, it is still uninteresting and forced. Every time an Olicity scene happens, I want them to move on to Darhk or Laurel or Diggle. Literally anyone else…except Mama Smoak, of course.

Before we discuss the positives, I will save my biggest complaint for last. The fact that Laurel Lance was killed off was just a terrible decision. It flies in the face of her development into Black Canary in season three, where she defied the worries of Oliver and her father to step into her sister’s shoes. “You’ll get hurt,” they said. But she did it anyways. And this season…their worst fears came true. Regardless of the Green Arrow/Black Canary history in the comics, this is just a bad storytelling decision. (By the way, I still think this has something to do with Canary’s rumored role in the DC Extended Universe.)

Arrow season four is not all bad, however. The show continues to excel in the stuntwork department. Episode 7, directed by fight coordinator James Bamford, is particularly great in the action department. It’s also fun when it crosses over with The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, showcasing the shared universe. Damien Darhk makes for a great villain; while he’s not quite as memorable as Malcolm Merlyn and Deathstroke, he is an improvement over Ra’s al Ghul. And while the show is heavily criticized for taking creative liberties, it’s cool to see at least some comic book elements adapted, particularly the Green Arrow name and attitude.

The acting is about what you would expect on the series, but there are some improvements. Stephen Amell is often criticized for his acting skills, but he has upped his game this season. He shows more emotional range as Oliver Queen beyond “I’m brooding with a blank stare on my face and also I’m angry about something.” He’s happier, he tells more jokes, and he just has this life to him that was absent last season. Also, Amell gives his best performance on the show yet in Episode 4, directed by Lexi Alexander. Alexander’s episode is arguably the best in the season, and fingers crossed she returns for season five.

Katie Cassidy and David Ramsey are still good as Laurel and Diggle, respectively. Paul Blackthorne is just great this season as Captain Lance, possibly delivering the best acting this season. Neal McDonough kills it as Darhk, successfully pulling off a despicable, terrifying villain. Willa Holland continues to improve as Thea Queen, while everyone else is…okay, I guess.

As for new characters, Arrow introduces most of them well this season. Curtis Holt is interesting, Anarky is decent, and Calculator isn’t very interesting. Constantine and Vixen guest star in a couple of episodes, and I really enjoyed them. I hope to see more of them in the future.

Damien Darhk’s handling this season is slightly different from the previous three big bads, which is nice. Instead of wanting to destroy Star City in a terrorist attack like the last three years, Darhk wants to destroy the world in a nuclear fire. Still a pretty generic motivation, but at least it’s not a complete rehash of past villains. Also, introducing him at the start of the season, rather than at the end of the first half, is a refreshing change.

Overall, Arrow‘s fourth season is just OK. It is on par with season three, below season one and far below season two. It has a lot of good elements, such as the stuntwork, some acting and DC Universe connections. However, the storylines and character development are very much unfocused, while the show continues to make questionable creative decisions. (I don’t think I’ll ever get over Laurel’s death.) Arrow has never been able to match the excellence of season two, and while it’s not absolutely terrible, it still has some big flaws to overcome.

If you were turned off by Arrow‘s third season, I wouldn’t expect season four to bring you back on board. In fact, it may turn you off even more. The finale ended on a “hook,” which makes me interested in watching next season and in Team Arrow’s future. So, fingers crossed that season five will be the show’s official return to glory.

6/10