Arrow

***Arrow*** is an American television series developed by writer/producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. It is based on the DC Comicscharacter Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp. It premiered in North America on The CW on October 10, 2012, with international broadcasting taking place in late 2012. Primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, portrayed by Stephen Amell, who, five years after being stranded on a hostile island, returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. Unlike in the comic books, Queen does not initially go by the alias "Green Arrow".

The series takes a realistic look at the Green Arrow character, as well as other characters from the DC Comics universe. Although Oliver Queen/Green Arrow had been featured in the television series *Smallville* from 2006 to 2011, the producers decided to start clean and find a new actor (Amell) to portray the character. *Arrow* focuses on the humanity of Oliver Queen, and how he was changed by time spent shipwrecked on an island. Most episodes have flashback scenes to the five years in which Oliver was missing.

*Arrow* has received generally positive reviews from critics, and was the CW's highest-rated new series in five years. The series averaged about 3.68 million viewers over the course of the first season, and has received three awards and multiple nominations. To promote it, a preview comic book was released before the television series began, while webisodes featuring a product tie-in with Bose were developed for the second season. The first and second seasons are available on DVD and Blu-ray in regions 1, 2 and 4; a soundtrack was also released for the first two seasons. The third season premiered on October 8, 2014,[2] with a spin-off series set in the same universe, titled *The Flash*, that premiered on October 7, 2014.[2] On January 11, 2015, *Arrow* was renewed for a 23-episode fourth season.[3][4] In August 2015, an animated spin-off, *Vixen*, was released, while a second live-action spin-off, *Legends of Tomorrow*, is currently in development.

## Series Overview

The series follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), billionaire playboy of Starling City, who spends five years shipwrecked on a mysterious island. Upon his return to Starling City, he is reunited with his mother, Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson), his sister, Thea Queen (Willa Holland), and his friend, Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). The first season focuses on Oliver rekindling his relationships and spending his nights hunting down and sometimes killing wealthy criminals as a hooded vigilante. He uncovers a conspiracy to destroy "The Glades", a poorer section of the city that has become overridden with crime. John Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) assist Oliver in his crusade. Oliver also reconnects with ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), who is still angry over his role in her sister's presumed death. The first season also features flashbacks to Oliver's time on the island, and how it changed him; this continues in subsequent seasons.

In season two, Oliver has vowed to stop crime without killing criminals, and comes under attack from Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett), a man from Oliver's time on the island who resurfaces with a vendetta against him. Oliver must also contend with outside forces attempting to take over Queen Consolidated, guilt from decisions he made in the past, and secrets harbored by his family and friends. Oliver grows to accept aspiring vigilante Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) as his protégé, and begins to receive assistance from Laurel's father, Officer Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). Oliver also gains another ally; a mysterious woman in black, who is eventually revealed to be Laurel's sister, Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), who had survived her ordeal at sea years prior.

In season three, Arrow has become a public hero in Starling City following Slade Wilson's defeat. Queen Consolidated is sold to wealthy businessman, scientist, and aspiring hero Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh). Oliver struggles to bring his family back together, an old enemy returns, and Oliver becomes embroiled in a conflict with Ra's al Ghul (Matthew Nable). After a rocky start, Laurel sets out to follow in Sara's footsteps as the Black Canary. John Diggle struggles with his new role as a family man, as Oliver no longer wants John in the field after the birth of his daughter, while Felicity Smoak begins a new career as Vice President of Palmer Technologies (formerly Queen Consolidated).

## Cast

* Stephen Amell portrays Oliver Queen / Arrow, a billionaire playboy turned hooded vigilante, who is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. After surviving a ship wreck on an isolated island for five years, Oliver returns to his home city with a mission to right the wrongs of his father and save the city from the crime that has grown in his absence. Amell was one of the first actors to audition for the role, and Kreisberg felt that he "hit the target from the outset" and "everyone else just paled in comparison".[5] The actor, who was already in shape from *Rent-a-Goalie*, did physical fitness training at Tempest Freerunning Academy out of Reseda, California. Amell received archery training as well, which included watching a video on how archery has been displayed inaccurately or poorly in television and film before learning the basics of shooting a bow.[5] For Amell, the appeal of portraying Queen was that he saw multiple roles tied to the same character: "There’s Queen the casual playboy; Queen the wounded hero; Queen the brooding Hamlet; Queen the lover; Queen the man of action, and so on."[5]
* Katie Cassidy portrays Laurel Lance / Black Canary, based on the DC Comics character Black Canary,[6][7] an attorney turned vigilante and former girlfriend of Oliver Queen. Like Oliver, Laurel fights for the people of Starling City. In the first season, she works for a non-profit legal office that helps people in need. In the second season, she became assistant district attorney, but in the second half of the third season, she became a vigilante taking her late sister's place as Black Canary. Cassidy said she was drawn to the show by Berlanti, Nutter, Kreisberg, and Guggenheim, whom she called smart, creative, and edgy.[8] Cassidy sees her character as a "caregiver" to her family, which led her to become an attorney. She said, "I think that she's very, very driven, and she has a huge heart [...] she's sensitive. She has really strong morals and values, and she expects everybody to live up to them the way that she does."[9]
* Colin Donnell portrays Tommy Merlyn, Oliver's best friend,[10] who eventually learns of Oliver's secret life as a vigilante. Like Oliver, Tommy has romantic feelings for Laurel. His father is Malcolm Merlyn, the main antagonist in season one. Tommy dies saving Laurel at the end of the first season's finale, leaving Oliver and Laurel to cope with this loss.
* David Ramsey portrays John Diggle, Oliver's partner, confidant, and bodyguard.[11] Diggle is ex-military, and works to have Oliver channel his abilities into helping others in the city, and not just taking down the wealthy, corrupt businessmen that worked with Oliver's father. Named after comic book writer Andy Diggle, and created specifically for the show, Diggle was designed to be Oliver's "equal in many respects". Guggenheim further explained that Diggle's mutual abilities are a means of setting him up early in the series as a confidant for Oliver's vigilante persona.[12]
* Willa Holland portrays Thea Queen / Speedy, Oliver's younger sister.[13] Thea develops a drug habit early in season one, but gets clean after criminal charges are brought against her for driving while under the influence. In season two, she learns that Malcolm Merlyn is her biological father, and begins training with him at the start of season three. In the third season, Thea learns Oliver's secret and eventually joins his team. In the fourth season, Thea uses Oliver's nickname for her, Speedy, as her hero identity, which is based on the DC Comics character Mia Dearden.[14]
* Susanna Thompson portrays Moira Queen, Oliver and Thea's mother.[15] Moira is revealed to also be part of the secret organization her late husband was involved with, which is making plans to bring down the city as a means of rebuilding it in the image of the organization's leader.
* Paul Blackthorne portrays Detective Quentin Lance, Laurel's father and Starling City police detective.[16] The character is based on the DC Comics character, Larry Lance, who was also a detective, and husband to Dinah Drake Lance and father to Dinah Laurel Lance. Detective Lance blames Oliver for the presumed death of his daughter, Sara, as she was with him on his family yacht when it sank. In Season 1 Lance is also out to capture the vigilante, who he sees as a menace to the city for the vigilante's willingness to break the law and kill in the pursuit of stopping crime. In season 2, Lance had been demoted to beat cop and was now more accepting of the vigilante's actions to the point of teaming up with him when needed. In season 3, Lance is promoted as police captain but can no longer be active in the field due to his heart condition.
* Emily Bett Rickards portrays Felicity Smoak,[17] the IT technician at Queen Consolidated who has become part of Oliver's vigilante team. The DC Comics character of the same name was the step-mother of Ronnie Raymond and manager of a computer software company.[18] Like Diggle, Felicity also serves as Oliver's friend and confidant. Rickards was promoted to a series regular for season two, after having been a recurring character throughout season one. In the third season, she becomes a love interest of Oliver Queen.[19]
* Colton Haynes portrays Roy Harper / Arsenal, a character based on the DC Comics character of the same name.[20] Initially a petty thief, Roy was befriended by Thea, and subsequently dated her for a period of time. Roy is fascinated by the hooded vigilante, and eventually becomes his protégé. Haynes was moved to series regular status at the beginning of season two, following his recurring appearance in the first season.[21] Haynes left the series at the end of season three after his contract ended.[22]
* Manu Bennett portrays Slade Wilson / Deathstroke, a character based on the DC Comics character of the same name.[23] Slade is an ASIS agent who teamed up with Oliver during his time on the island. However, in season two Slade arrives in Starling City to kill Oliver out of vengeance for events that occurred on the island. Bennett was initially cast as a recurring character for season one,[23]before receiving series regular status during season two.[24]
* John Barrowman portrays Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy's father; he is based on the DC Comics character Merlyn, an archenemy of Green Arrow in the comics. Malcolm sabotaged Oliver’s family yacht, and is thus responsible of Robert Queen’s death and indirectly the creation of Oliver's and Sara Lance’s vigilante alter egos. Malcolm is apparently killed by Oliver in the first season finale, but his plan to destroy the Glades still succeeds.[25] In season two, it is revealed that he did not die, that he was trained by the League of Assassins, and he is the biological father of Thea Queen. After being a recurring guest star for the first two seasons, Barrowman became a series regular at the beginning of season three.[26]
* Neal McDonough is set to play Damien Darhk in the upcoming fourth season of *Arrow*.[27]