Arrow S1 E1 - 'Pilot' Review


My Name is Oliver Queen.
A pilot episode of any series has a lot of important jobs to do. Arrow completed those jobs amicably and gets its hooks into the viewer by the end of the episode. The island intro is perfect and begins the flashbacks. We are introduced to all the main characters, with Quentin Lance beginning a vendetta against the Hood, Thea's antisocial behaviour that's developed since Oliver has gone, the relationship between Tommy and Laurel and the revelation that Moira Queen is doing something sinister behind the scenes. The action scenes were brutal and gritty, showing that this is a darker portrayal of the Green Arrow than has been previously seen. The List is introduced and Oliver crosses the first name off.
It's an exciting start which creates mystery around both Oliver's past and present. It's time for him to begin his crusade to save the city and we are strapped in along for the ride!

 STARRING: Adam Hunt

 EASTER EGGS: 
- Oliver calls Thea Speedy - her superhero alias in the comics.
- The character of John Diggle is named after the writer of The Green Arrow's revival comic "Year One", Andy Diggle.
- In the beach scene where Queen is rescued, a mask similar to the one worn by DC character Deathstroke can be seen. An arrow can be seen in the right eye of the mask. The same eye that the character lost in the comics.
- During the first look inside Oliver's book of names, there can be seen the name of DC's super villain Hannibal Bates (Everyman) Who was later introduced in Season 1 of The Flash (2014) (episode 1x19)
- During the first look inside Oliver's book of names, two names down from Adam Hunt's is the name Isabel Rochev a character introduced in season two.
- During the first look in Oliver's book, on the top of the page is the name Danny Brickwell who is later introduced in the second half of season 3 as the main villain and returns again as an antagonist in the first half of season 7
- At the end of the episode, Tommy calls Laurel "Dinah Laurel Lance." This is the true name of the Black Canary foreshadowing Laurel becoming the Black Canary in season 3

 RATING: 7.5/10

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Office (US) S3 E6 - 'Diwali' Mini-Review

Image
The Festival of Lights. Michael's inappropriate jokes were in full swing this episode as the office attended Kelly's family's Diwali celebrations. Ryan was grilled ruthlessly by Kelly's parents in a number of brilliant scenes, whilst Michael proposed, unsuccessfully, to Carol in a cringe-inducing moment. The irritating boss went on to sink even lower by attempting to kiss Pam. It's certainly the lowest we've seen Michael this season, and it will be interesting to see how he brings himself back from this. Karen and Jim meanwhile earned my approval, proving their chemistry is undeniable. Also, it's Rashida freakin' Jones, so WHY is he not leaving the Pam thing behind him and getting with Ann Perkins!! Either way, a solid and gag-filled episode, one of the strongest so far. BEST MOMENTS "One of our most ethnic coworkers" "Pam wishes" "I wish some of us still had our shoes on" "At lezst I'm not dressed as a...
Read more

The Office (UK) S1 E1 - 'Downsize' Review

Image
Investment in People. The first ever episode of The Office (UK)  sets up an entertaining and relatable workplace, although a number of jokes fall flat. 'Downsize' is light on story and heavy on exposition as it aims t o establish the characters and relationships within the fictional offices of  Wernham Hogg, whilst encouraging the viewer to sympathise with these characters and plot threads. As such, the best way to address this episode would be to view it as a character study. Here is what I got from the characters: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) - The protagonist, loveable idiot boss David Brent drives the show forward and his cringe-inducing gags and interactions form the core of the humour in the show. He clearly wants to do good, but is misguided and inappropriate, resulting in awkward office interactions which many viewers would likely associate with. Despite his rudeness and poor sense of humour, I instantly rooted for Brent and his passion for his colleagues. Ti...
Read more

Arrow S1 E16 - 'Dead to Rights' Review

Image
So... Who Needs Two Bullets in the Chest? 'Dead to Rights' is a solid episode in Arrow 's first season. The episode chooses to refocus upon the Undertaking and the overall running arc of the series, and it is all the better for it. We see fractures in the List organisation, as Moira and Frank turn on Malcolm. Similarly, we see Malcolm struggling to maintain the lie of his identity from his son Tommy, and this conflict plays out well across the 42 minute run time. He kills in front of Tommy and almost reveals his Dark Archer outfit to his son, before Lawton interrupts by shooting Malcolm. Lawton's reintroduction as Deadshot is another excellent move by the showrunners. Deadshot, now missing an eye thanks to his last encounter with the Hood, is a great foe and I'm glad he's back in action and likely to return in the future of the Arrowverse. His new robotic eye is bad-ass, as was the fight scenes between Oliver, the Triad and China White. In the past, little...
Read more