I like Arrow. A lot. I watched all of s1 as I marathoned it over the weekend. Loved every episode in that season. It is a fun pulp superhero show mixed with procedural television formula and it really works. The flashback structure helped create a sense of mystery: "what happened on the island? What happens next?" that helped the show have a very addictive nature to it and it was endlessly entertaining even if it was cheesy pulp.
So far, season 1 is objectively better in almost every way than season 2. Season 2 almost makes me want to quit. The list in season 1 gave Green Arrow a direction. There's hardly any direction in this season so far and not nearly as many interesting plotlines. Merlyn coming back and revealing that he's Theah's father while coercing Mrs. Queen. Sound familiar? Sarah being alive and being trained by the League? Face palm worthy. Oliver being naive and thinking that everyone will be okay if he just throws a party for his mom, who is an accomplice in destroying a giant portion of the city? Pretty FUCKING STUPID, and out of character. Which, in a lot of ways, extends to almost every character in the show this season, from Laurel, to her father, and even Oliver himself.
To make things terrible. The flashbacks in season 1 kept me enthralled and captivated and addicted to the show. They were better than the present story. They're now boring me, especially since they've decided to double down on the romance and make Shado a romantic interest. They just couldn't leave a strong kick ass female character alone without having a man make her worth something, now could they? No. She needs Oliver cock, even though Oliver stares at a picture of the girlfriend he cheated on and regrets cheating on. But no, it makes TOTAL SENSE that Oliver hasn't made amends with that and just wants to continue fucking random women, even though he clearly said last season that he was done with his actions hurting other people. WHOOPS!
Never mind this whole Japanese super soldier plot line is fucking boring compared to the "hunted on an island with mercenaries plotline" as in s1. I get that it is a CW show, but fuck. Some of the writing in s2 has gone straight to terrible cheese ville as opposed to charming cheesville which the previous season embodied.
The great thing about s1 is that it felt like everything connected and had weight. S2 feels so filler-ish to me so far despite a lot of important stuff happening. Sarah turns up alive, and hasn't been mentioned in like three episodes. What was the POINT? I'm like 6 episodes into s2, and I can't recall ANY of the villains Green Arrow has taken down this entire season aside from The Count.
Sara in the league of assassins? I think that's when the show jumped the shark. Sara also on the island with Slade, Shado, and Oliver? Corny teen romance adventures.
Show is turning to shit. Hopefully s2 gets better.
