Arrow: Season 3, Episode 1

Arrow

Episode Title: “The Calm”

Channel: CW

Director: Glen Winter

Writers: Marc Guggenheim and Jake Coburn

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Runtime: 45 min

Rated: TV-14

Original Air Date: October 8, 2014

I was very excited to have Arrow back on television. The quality of the second season had me anticipating fireworks with the premiere of season three. Perhaps the non-stop action of the second season worked against the premiere a bit, but I found it a little underwhelming.

The drama felt forced. The burgeoning relationship between Ollie and Felicity, and the consequences of their date, are transparent as another attempt to have Ollie forsake his friends and then learn that he really needs them. Must we really retread the same ground again? I also find it a little hard that Ollie is manifesting these reservations now. After the personal tragedy and general destruction that has surrounded him up to this point, why would he suffer from this crisis of identity now?

The newcomers to the cast were a couple of the brighter spots. Peter Stormare as the new Count Vertigo was a good bit of casting, I've always enjoyed his work, and look forward to him being more than a one-shot villain. Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer the smooth talking charmer was excellent. I think he's going to make a big positive impact on the show. Most of the returning cast are all fitting into their familiar roles, aside from Roy Harper, who seemed to have been written into the episode with out much in the way of direction. He seemed an afterthought with little to say or do of interest.

They did manage to set up the rest of the season by the end of the episode, some of the plots will be interesting, some of them not so much. Captain Lance's health problems seem to be an unneeded aside that could take time away from more important arcs. There's a mystery appearance at the end that really makes an entrance, I just hope that the next step takes more time to evolve than I suspect. It is a chance to the show that if hurried can only detract from the story telling.

Conclusion: While not the bang I was hoping for, with the revisiting of past themes, “The Calm” does manage to give clear direction to the rest of the season. With a few tweaks to the existing characters, and the proper usage of the new additions the new season shows some promise, despite the premiere misstep.

Rating: 6.5/10