The second season of the CW’s popular Arrow has returned to the TV. The show that transformed a classic Robin Hood themed story into a modern, avenging superhero (and threw in some great abs in the process) left many fans hungry for more with its Season 1 ending. As if Stephen Amell’s shirtless workouts and action packed fights weren’t enough, producers decided to kill off one of the main characters and destroy half the city in May’s chilling finale.
The storyline is based on the DC Comics leading superhero ‘Green Arrow’ and much like it’s first season this one begins in the lost island that kept Oliver captive for a little over five years. The much awaited season begins with the episode ‘City of Heroes’ where The Vigilante’s epic struggle to save Starling City continues after the catastrophic Undertaking. Oliver has returned to the lost island in a self-induced penance for failing to save Starling city from a devastating man-made earthquake that killed off thousands of people, including his best friend Tommy. Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity (Emily Brett Rickards) track Oliver down and force him back into Starling City to confront a new enemy: Vigilante Copy Cats. Unlike last season, Oliver Queen seems to have grown a conscience, opting to save his family’s company rather than shooting at bad guys in skintight green leather. Tommy’s death has awakened a sensitivity that seemed to have died along with his father and his playboy days. While Oliver struggles to cope with his best friend’s death and his newfound guilt, his sister Thea, (Willa Holland) is abducted by the so-called copycat ‘Hoods’. This, along with the appearance of Laurel and their reunion at Tommy’s grave (Katie Cassidy) convinces Oliver to take up the hood once more and protect his beloved city.
The new season offers a wide variety of problems; from a financial crisis for the Queens and the incarceration of Oliver’s mother to Thea’s coping mechanisms and Tommy’s death, it promises new action packed scenes for the future. Beautiful Laurel Lance also sports a new look that captivates both the audience and Oliver. Producer’s hint at Oliver’s long awaited humanization and a surprisingly increase of everyday citizens turned superhero. The question is, will this series degrade into a ‘Smallville’ spin off where the best friend (Felicity) is cursed with unrequited love towards our hero and the perfect girl next door (Laurel) is constantly out of reach? Or, will it grow into its own story and become a cult series like its predecessor? Only time will tell.
8/10
Arrow is aired on Sky 1 on Mondays at 8.00. Select episodes can be watched on Sky’s on demand service.
