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This action-packed superhero drama, which airs before cult-favorite Supernatural on The CW, chronicles the story of billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). After spending five years on a deserted island following a shipwreck, Queen returns home to Starling City a changed man. He makes it his mission to right the wrongs done to his family and restore his city to its former glory as his green-hooded, bow-wielding vigilante alter-ego Arrow.
Arrow, starring Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy and Colin Donnell airs on The CW Wednesdays at 8 pm ET.
A few familiar faces
Viewers who watch a lot of prime-time television can expect to see a few familiar faces within this strong ensemble cast. Canadian heartthrob Stephen Amell (Hung, The Vampire Diaries) stars as Oliver Queen, the billionaire playboy moonlighting as crime-fighting vigilante Arrow. Katie Cassidy (Gossip Girl, Melrose Place) is Ollie's legal activist ex-girlfriend Laurel Lance, while Susana Thompson (Once & Again, Cold Case) and Willa Holland (Gossip Girl, The O.C.) play his mother Moira and sister Thea a.k.a. Speedy. Also residing in Starling City are Laurel's detective dad, Quentin, played by Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files); and Colin Donnell (Pan Am) and David Ramsey (Dexter) as Ollie's best friend Tommy Merlyn and bodyguard John Diggle. John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood) and Colton Haynes (Teen Wolf) are set to join the cast of Arrow later this season.
Modern-day Robin Hood
After returning home to Starling City, a mega-buff and brooding Oliver wastes no time assuming the Arrow persona, a vigilante who seeks revenge to atone for the sins of his now-deceased father. His targets are a list of corrupt white-collar businessmen who have more or less failed the city. Sounds an awful lot like Batman Begins meets ABC's Revenge, doesn't it? Arrow encompasses the same justice factor as Dexter, except with morals. Our modern day Robin Hood hero doesn't revel in killing people, he does it with purpose. Plus he usually tries to give the slime balls on his hit list the chance to make amends for their crimes. Granted, they rarely do, but that's neither here nor there. Let's just say the green-hooded archery expert is not someone I'd want to cross once, let alone twice.
Comic book nerd bait
Based on DC Comics superhero Green Arrow, it's no secret The CW's dark and gritty series appeals to comic book fanboys worldwide. The series guest stars reads like a who's who of comic book nerd bait with Kelly Hu, John Barrowman, David Anders and Seth Gabel all playing versions of the comics' villains. Andrew Kreisberg, who wrote Green Arrow and Black Canary for DC Comics, developed the series for The CW. Comic book geeks will also recognize producer Marc Guggenheim as he has written issues of The Flash and The Amazing Spider-Man.
Unlike previous superhero stories that shall not be named, Arrow takes place in a world where no special superpowers exist. It's a much-appreciated, not to mention refreshing, take on the genre. Fans of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins will no doubt find the obvious story similarities, both in structure and aesthetic, to be titillating to the senses.
Four million viewers can’t be wrong
When the premiere drew more than 4 million viewers back in October, Arrow became the most-watched series on The CW in three years. So what's the secret to Arrow's success? There's literally something for everyone, whether you're a DC comics fan, perplexed by conspiracies/mysteries, or just a sucker for a good, old-fashioned complicated love triangle. There are more than enough plot twists to keep you intrigued. Just when you think you have things figured out, the show flips on you. Suffice it to say, Arrow will keep you on the edge of your seat with constant action and intrigue.
Frequent flashbacks to Oliver's time on the deserted island are an added bonus for those of us missing ABC's Lost. Interestingly enough, these flashbacks actually make sense, giving us an insight to Ollie's five years of personal hell that sparked his transformation from selfish party boy to distant outsider and one-man vigilante bent on revenge. Throughout the stages of grief and growth, Amell proves that he is more than just a pretty face with abs you could play like a xylophone. He also has some serious acting chops.
New episodes of Arrow return to The CW Jan. 16, 2013. Until then, catch up on the last five episodes on cwtv.com.
