This guy at work kept raving about this new show, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a look-see. Arrow is on the CW network. I know what your thinking. "The CW is still on the air?" I know! I can't believe it myself.
The show opens with a modern day Robinson Crusoe running barefoot along a rocky island. Out in the bay is a fishing boat. From the top of a cliff, our rugged individual unrolls his pack to reveal his archery arsenal. He shoots an arrow to hit a large pile of wood prepared down on the beach. Whoosh! The pile explodes, attracting the attention of the Chinese fishermen on the boat. (You're probably asking, "How did he make an arrow that can explode when he's on a desert island?" Shhhh. Don't ask questions.) Rescued from his isolation, the castaway reveals he is Tom Hanks. Sorry, couldn't help it. He reveals he is Oliver Queen, played by Stephen Amell.
Oliver tells us in voiceover that he's been on the island for five years. He had been out on a boat with his father, Robert Queen, and others in the North China seas, which seems to be a hot spot for billionaires and their yachts. In his previous life Oliver had been a negligent playboy, dropping out of college, hitting the party circuits, and apparently hitting the paparazzi, giving him a brush with the law. Those were the old days. Now he's returned to Starling City. (Starling City? Well, it's better than Raccoon City.)
His mother, Moira, is told her son she's gotten back is not the son she had before. He's covered with scars and has broken bones that didn't heal correctly. They have a lukewarm reunion. She takes him back to Stately Wayne Queen Manor where he is reunited with his younger sister, Thea. Also there is Walter Steele, a friend of Oliver's father and company worker. Also the new stepdad in Oliver's life. Later, Oliver's buddy, Tommy Merlyn drops by. Merlyn? Seriously, Merlyn?
Meanwhile we see a Laurel Lance working at her legal aids office and preparing to file suit against one Adam Hunt, a swindler. We know she's going to be the future love interest of the hero because she's feisty and is sticking it to da man! (Superheroes never date sedate women like pharmacists or tax preparers. Sorry to break this to you, pharmacists and tax preparers of the world.) She overhears a television newscast talking about the miraculous return of Oliver Queen. He was lost and presumed dead along with the other seven people on board the Queen's Gambit, including Sarah Lance, Laurel's sister.
Oliver is having a subdued dinner with his family and friends. The touchy subject of the moment is mom's marriage to Walter (played by Colin Salmon, from Prime Suspect 2. The only Prime Suspect I ever watched.) Suddenly the maid, Raisa, stumbles into Oliver. She apologizes and he responds in Russian. This surprises everyone that he even knows Russian. Oliver asks to be excused from the table so he can go have a flashback to the shipwreck.
The weather was too rough to feed 'em on the Queen's Gambit. Looks like they were caught in a Category 2 typhoon. On this rather large and roomy yacht, Oliver is fooling around with Sarah, who is worried about the storm while he's worried about getting her bra off. He assures her they're going to be fine. Famous last words. Suddenly the ship lurches and the pair are thrown across the room. Oliver reaches for Sarah just as the ship rips apart and she's sucked out into the dark ocean waters. Oliver surfaces to find his father and another man already on a life raft. They pull him aboard. He tries to go back to look for Sarah but his father prevents him, saying she's gone. They watch as what's left of the Queen's Gambit goes under. But don't worry, Oliver's heart will go on.
Oliver's friend, Tommy (you know, Merlyn) wants to take his old friend out to hit the town and all the hot spots like they did in the day. Instead, Oliver asks to be taken to where Laurel is. He needs to see her. It's an awkward reunion as we discover she had been the girlfriend of Oliver when he chose to cheat on her with her sister. Oliver tries to apologize for all the wrongs he did but she's not buying any of it.
As Oliver and Tommy head back to the car, a van screeches to a halt behind them. Several men in ridiculous masks jump out and shoot Oliver and Tommy with tranquilizer darts. When Oliver wakes up, he's tied to a chair. The head masked man, armed with a tazer, keeps asking Oliver about his father. Is Robert really dead? Did he say anything about them? After a couple of tazer shots, Oliver admits his father did tell him one thing. He told his son he (Oliver) was going to kill them all.
And then I totally lost interest. Yeah, Stephen Amell looks good in a towel, but he just has no personality. In fact, no one had any real personality. They were all rather bland. And no one stopped to think, "Hey, Oliver's been stranded on an island for five years. He probably needs to see a psychiatrist about that." The pace was plodding and everything was so dark. But then, it was filmed in Vancouver. I've been to Vancouver. Nice place. Nice people. It's not always this dark.
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