The Arrowverse is far from the epitome of quality. Despite borrowing from some of the richest lore in comic book history, the franchise frequently gets in its own way by focusing too much on drama or relationships. The Flash is an excellent example of that issue because, at the start, the focus is all on Barry Allen and his journey. Sure, his friends help, but they’re not The Flash; he is. That starts to change around Season 4, and by the time the show is over, it’s hardly recognizable. All those missteps are why The Flash can’t ever be considered the best Arrowverse show of all time.
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Arrow, the franchise’s flagship show, boasts the franchise’s highest batting average, with at least six out of its eight seasons being worthwhile viewing experiences. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in Star City. In fact, Arrow features one of the worst scenes in the Arrowverse, a moment that threatened to derail the entire show if changes weren’t made.
Arrow Tries a Tired Trope With Its Titular Hero in Season 4
Any long-running superhero franchise eventually runs out of ideas for its big heroes and tries to send them on a retirement tour. The Marvel Cinematic Universe does it to Tony Stark a couple of times, and he always comes back with a bigger and badder Iron Man suit. Well, the Arrowverse has Oliver Queen hang up his bow and quiver after his fight with Ra’s al Ghul in Season 3 and try to live a quiet life with his girlfriend, Felicity Smoak. It certainly doesn’t feel like it’s going to stick, as the problems in Star City are only getting worse. The Arrowverse still gives it the old college try, though, even forcing Oliver to say something that feels entirely out of character.
In the Arrow Season 4 premiere, Oliver returns from a run to find Felicity cooking breakfast. Of course, she’s better with a computer than a frying pan and burns the omelette she was cooking for her partner. After witnessing the scene, Oliver says, “Felicity Smoak, you have failed this omelette.” The line is a riff on the Green Arrow’s Arrowverse catchphrase, “You have failed this city!” However, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard in a show that’s supposed to be about a vigilante and his quest to rid his city of crime. The rest of Season 4 follows in the footsteps of Episode 1, delivering strange character moments and an underwhelming story. If not for the next outing, Arrow would have a very different legacy.
Season 5 Is Arrow At Its Best
Once Damien Darhk is gone and the Green Arrow is back in action, Arrow turns its attention to Team Arrow, which is in need of a significant upgrade. The beginning of Season 5 focuses on recruiting new vigilantes, including the new Black Canary, Wild Dog, Ragman, Mister Terrific, and Arsenal. While not every new member of the team sticks around for the long haul, the talent acquisition phase of the season proves to be a success. The only reason it doesn’t get more love is that the Big Bad of the season, Prometheus, steals all of the spotlight.
Rather than introducing another villain with magical powers, Arrow goes back to the basics and pits its titular hero against someone who has a score to settle. It takes very little time for Adrian Chase to make an impact, and by the end of the season, he’s arguably the best bad guy in the show’s history. It just goes to show that a bad moment doesn’t have to define a series as a whole, especially if it’s willing to learn and grow from its mistakes.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
