First Look: Arrow Pilot

When the successful 10 year run of Smallville ended, the CW began a quest for their next superhero show. With the rights to Wonder Woman tied up with another network, execs initially began developing a series based on Dick Grayson's (aka Batman's Robin) early years. I suppose they realized what a terrible show that would be, and abandoned the concept. Shortly after, the channel announced their latest hero venture would be none other than The Green Arrow. The choice was a strange one, for several reasons that I'll get into later.



Well, what's it about?

In this version of the story, Stephen Amell stars as the young billionaire playboy Oliver Queen. During a cruise with his girlfriend's sister and his father, the ship is destroyed by a storm. Queen swims to shore and is stranded on a deserted island. He spends the next several years developing survival skills, aptitude with a bow and arrow, and his abs. Queen is eventually rescued by a fishing boat and brought back to his family in Star City. He is reunited with his mother, his best friend, and his ex girlfriend.

As the world rushes to greet Oliver, his friends notice a new found seriousness about him. (I guess they figured his years on the island would have just whetted his appetite for partying.) It turns out that Oliver is hiding a secret: his father had been involved in some pretty risky business and has charged Oliver with cleaning up his mess. As Oliver and his friend wander the city, they are abducted and held captive. It seems someone knows about his dad's misdeeds. Using his island martial arts, Queen breaks free of his attackers. He decides to avenge his father and clean up the streets of Star City. He takes on the costume of Robin Hood and begins taking from the wickedly wealthy.

So, how was the show?

Being a network show, especially one on the CW, the budget is a bit limited. With most of the money seemingly eaten up by a lavish party set near the end of episode, the director is forced to throw in some flashy camerawork to make up for the short comings of the previous 39 minutes. It's a valiant effort, however it comes across more as derivative of other action movies (i.e. the Bourne series) rather than something new.

Perhaps the most unforgivable accounting slight of hand comes with the Queen mansion. I was astounded to see that the producers had re used sets (changing them slightly) from the Luther mansion in Smallville. Other sets are also recycled during the episode. I understand the need for saving money, but don't reuse sets that will be so obvious to your target audience.

The acting here is pretty wooden most of the time. Amell appears to have been cast more for his physique than acting ability. During his boat scenes, he acts a little too childish for his age. The rest of the episode he does more than his share of scowling. The other actors turn in serviceable performances, considering the script they have to work with. There is lots of weighty dialogue and grand gestures with nothing to really back them up.

The choice of giving Green Arrow his own show is not, in and of itself, a strange choice. It's the fact that the producers chose to reboot the character rather than branch off from his Smallville version. Justin Hartley created a likeable enough character who may have been able to carry his own show for at least a couple of seasons. This could have given producers a reason to recycle sets and other elements from the show. It could also provide the opportunity to have characters from Smallville show up occasionally if the ratings start to slip.

If the network's goal was to go in a different direction and give the Green Arrow a fresh start, they probably should have waited a few more years to do it. Nothing in this episode is different enough from the Smallville counterpart to distinguish itself, at least in a favorable way. The tone of the show is supposed to be grittier and more serious than the previous incarnation, though I don't think it really works to the show's benefit. A dry sense of humor is part of the character's identity, and without it, he just comes off as quiet and smug.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the show was actually picked up based on this pilot. Don't get me wrong, the show isn't terrible. It's just nothing special. There's nothing here really drawing the audience in or making them want to to tune in again next week. Arrow definitely feels more like retread than refreshing.

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