Should Oliver Queen go into politics? Arrow’s showrunners recently teased that an upcoming plotline this season will involve a political campaign of some sort involving special guest star Jeri Ryan as a friend of the Queen family. This led to speculation that the popular TV series might adapt a popular comics storyline that saw Oliver elected as the mayor of Star City and run the city while secretly fighting crime as Green Arrow. It wouldn’t be the first time that Arrow tackled a political campaign plotline. Oliver’s mother ran for office in Season 2 before her campaign was cut shot after Deathstroke killed her. But would a storyline focused on Oliver’s political campaign make sense on Arrow? Let’s weigh the pros and cons.
The Case Against
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Oliver’s mayorship in the comics was the culmination of decades of outspoken political beliefs and crusading. Simply put, that’s not Oliver who is in Arrow. While Arrow’s Oliver cares about Starling City and his residents, he’s almost entirely apolitical. That’s not a bad thing on network TV, seeing as Arrow could alienate up to half its viewers by giving Oliver a controversial political stance, but a haphazard attempt to push Oliver into politics would just result in casual viewers wondering why we’re seeing a Queen run for office for the second time in three seasons.
Plus, Oliver’s not exactly prime candidate material. While his allies (and Arrow’s viewers) know Oliver’s true character, the public view him either as a reformed “party boy” or as the failed former CEO of Queen Industries. And unless Oliver’s willing to use Malcolm Merlyn’s money to fund his campaign, he’s still functionally broke. Short of a major status quo change that would rehabilitate his image in Starling City’s eyes, a Queen mayoral campaign would be dead on arrival.
Then there’s all the skeletons in Oliver’s closet. Not only has he racked up quite a body count during his time as a masked vigilante, there’s also his previous careers as an ARGUS assassin, a League of Assassin member and a Russian mobster to consider. If Oliver made waves while running for office, how long would it take for ARGUS or the League to come knocking on his door and threatening to expose his entire identity. And that’s not even mentioning Oliver’s frosty relationship with Chief of Police Lance, who probably isn’t keen on having an ex-vigilante running around as mayor.
The Case For
Arrow started as a show about one man trying to save his city from corruption and crime. Sure, there were ninjas and earthquake machines and crazed supersoldiers, but Oliver’s mission has always centered on protecting Starling City’s citizens from evil. While vigilante justice worked on a smaller scale, Oliver’s adventures over the last three years have shown that he simply doesn’t have the resources to protect his city long term. That would all change if Oliver was mayor. The mayor’s office represents the logical next step if Oliver is still serious about saving Starling City’s soul.
Given Starling City’s unique history, there might be no one more suited to lead the city than a government trained vigilante. Starling has suffered two major terrorist attacks in the last year and has become a hotbed for what seems like every criminal and secret organization under the sun. Given his intimate knowledge of the criminal underworld, Oliver stands a better chance to stop HIVE or whoever else from using Starling as the staging ground for a cataclysmic attack than any other politician out there.
There’s also the bigger picture to consider. Oliver Queen was the first superhero in his universe and he could act as a powerful advocate for the superhero community should he successfully run as mayor. Not only could Oliver’s clout keep other government organizations off heroes’ backs, he’d also have the ability to organize them as a fully authorized government force. Oliver as mayor could provide funding or legitimacy to the DC Television Universe’s version of the Justice League, providing countless storytelling opportunities for years to come.
So, should Arrow attempt to put Oliver in the mayor’s office? Personally, I’d like to see the show change pace by giving Oliver something to do besides fight crime. Now that Oliver’s in a steady relationship with Felicity, it’s time to see how he handles problems that can’t be solved with a bow and arrow. Plus, the last three seasons have all used the same general plotline with Oliver facing a foe with more resources and manpower. Arrow could use a season where the drama and intrigue comes from Oliver fighting on an equal playing field. A successful mayoral campaign would give Arrow a chance to explore just how much Oliver has changed and grown over he last three years.
