Why I dont enjoy Arrow

Welcome; well, before you begin reading, I'll put it out there - I don't like Arrow very much. I used to enjoy the show upon watching the first few episodes, but the more I watched the more I disliked. The show has it's decent episodes, but is very extremely flawed. If you cant accept opinions, then don't comment. If you cant accept opinions, and you STILL comment, then so be it. Now, I've got a lot to say so I'll just get to it. Note, I haven't seen the 2nd season finale yet, but I'll eventually get to it and leave my review.

Anyone who has been watching Arrow and is willing to analyse will very well know the acting in the show isn't all that good. The cast are C class actors, none with much talent. Stephen Amell tries to be brooding - he isn't. The actors aren't very good at conveying their characters emotions. If you look back to some other episodes, the characters aren't well acted, and it's distracting. There isn't much actors I'll point out in specific, but I'll begin with Colton Haynes' Roy. When he's losing himself to the Mirakuru, it just looked pathetic watching Colton try and act out a believable performance; it was laughable.

Either the actors were casted because of appearances, because of build etc. I'm not very sure, but the actors aren't very good - not good at all.

So, lets talk about characters. People complain a lot about how SHIELD's characters aren't really likeable, yet their image of Arrow is the hit TV show - with the top-notch, well written characters. I don't think so. I found Arrow's characters hateable. Stephen Amell is fine for the role, his acting very isn't good, and he's basically Batman. He doesn't possess many of Green Arrow's traits. So, yeah, he's Batman.

Next, I'll speak about Thea. In the first season, I didn't like Thea. She was a spoiled brat - who didn't care about anyone, only there with some drug subplots, some which could've been easily removed. She was poorly written. Thankfully, she's gotten MUCH MORE likeable in the second season, so that's good.

Sara, well, I'm fine with Sara. I didn't like her to much at first, but as the season progressed, I grew fond of her.

Same goes for Moira; she was poorly, badly written. She was stoic, ruthless, emotionless and was even willing to go as far as sending a group of men to interrogate her own son. Yeah, I know she wanted answers and all, but towards the end of the last season, where she lost her life she proved she's a loving mother and isn't completely ruthless.

I hate Laurel. In the first season - she was rude, mean and selfish, in the second season, she becomes a drug addict, which is somewhat justifiable, but she's just cold. Plain cold.

And, Felicity. Oh... don't get me started. She's a perfect template. She isn't flawed, doesn't make mistakes - she's simply there as a should they/shouldn't they thing going on, and she's a plot device. That I think is how poorly written Arrow's character's are.

Moving onto Quentin, he wasn't very likeable other, but for my own reasons I don't think can be maturely translated onto text. And so the characters are a BIG reason I don't really like the show too much.

Now, moving onto villains. Save for Slade, most antagonists on the show are 2D. I like Slade, he's a solid villain, but the others... meh. The Count is a BIG example. The developers would try SO HARD to construct psychos on par with Joker... but I just end up cracking my self up on their attempts. Now that I've finished discussing characters:

The show is kinda messy. So, Oliver was reckless, cheated on Laurel with Sara, took her to a boat, the damn thing crashed, he was stranded on an island with Sara dead, he feels guilty, but later escapes the island as Green Arrow. 'But wait!' A developer walks into the studio and says, 'you know, how about we make Sara alive instead of having Laurel become Canary? Let's mess the whole thing up?' Why did they have to mess it up?

And the show is quite pathetic. I'll use another example. I remember Oliver was once pleading for Laurel to become his lawyer, she declined, but once the court commenced, she showed up there as his lawyer in a really Smallville-Esque manner.

Well, there you have it. That's why I don't enjoy Arrow very much. Please leave a comment below and we'll discuss. Thanks for reading.

Season 2 was a major disappointment.

Yeah, a downgrade from the first season. Glad you agree, but also not glad that the season sucked so much.

Funny, I actually started out hating it and grew to like it. I agree that the acting and the characters aren't very interesting, but once they dropped all the stupid subplots and just got to Green Arrow.... Arrowing, it got a lot better. Then again, I've only seen season 1 on Netflix.

I respect opinions but I disagree with about 90% of what you wrote

Throughout it's span of 2 seasons, I don't feel attached to the characters at the slightest. Smallville is extremely flawed, but I really felt attached to the characters - they were all interesting. But here... meh.

@thedemogoblin: Just wait for season 3 i have a feeling it's going to be much better than season 2 was

That's alright. Thanks for commenting, still.

Yeah, of course, it's had it's great episodes and great plots, but it fell short on Season 1.

Well, if they have Batman in it, then maybe.

I love the show, but I agree that Armell isn't a good Ollie, he is just too broody. His heart is in the right place though.

I also disagree with most of what you said and I was going to have a long reply but eh, whatever.

Only thing I will say is the Batman ripoffs are baseless. Just because you are dark does not mean you're a Batman ripoff. Oliver straight up kills dozens of people in the series, something that is fundamentally against Batman's beliefs.

And Green Arrow does have dark stories. Longbow Hunters, Year One, etc.

But whatever. Like what you like. I see you made a comparison to AoS. One thing I will say about that is: the reason I don't watch that is because its a Comic TV show...about not-comic characters. Green Arrow might not be what you think Green Arrow should be, but its still Green Arrow - not a made for TV character no one cares about.

That's one thing the CW clearly understands with both Arrow and Flash if you ask me.

Yeah. You could even go as far as to call him creepy ^^

But, yeah, the show is okay in my opinion, but I'm glad you've been enjoying it.

I didn't call him a rip-off, but the way they've structured the character is similar to Batman in various ways, and I don't see and different between Starling City and Gotham City, but maybe it's just me.

But seriously, CW's Oliver lacks the charm of Green Arrow.

You don't have to explain yourself, it is a very mediocre show.

I preferred the writing in S1 but the characters in S2.

We have are freedom af speech. I'm just surprised you like season 1 more than 2. I think season 1 finale is better then 2nd but Slade was such an awesome villain it made up for that and you forgot to mention Merlyn for villains he wasn't very 2d character. I agree on Roy though I hate him with a passion. I feel like Felicity is meant to be the comic relief and she does have flaws don't you remeber the clock king episode

Can you refresh my memory on the Clock King episode, please?

I thought Slade was pretty awesome but it took a lot to build him and perhaps it's just me but the way they defeated Slade I found it pretty disappointing.

I don't know maybe it's just me but I still prefer Arrow over Agents of Shield.

Well, you did just spoil for me that Slade get's defeated, but don't worry too much about it. I don't love the show enough to care a lot about the spoilers. But yeah, I thought Slade was cool and solid.

He was able to hack into the arrow base Felicity was tired of feeling helpless and decides to go help and ends up getting shot.

@killemall: Your not alone a lot of people think Arrow>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>AoS

@thedemogoblin Why I don't care.

Because if everyone had the same opinion it would be a very boring place. =) Carry on. =)

Wait, you started out liking the show... but then grew to dislike it?

It took me a while to get into it because the first few episodes were really badly written.

Sounds good to me. I'll be watching.

Yes, I remember now. Thanks.

Well, strange what opinions can do, sometimes =)

Agreed.

I find Agents of Shield more well written. They handle their characters (especially female) better then Arrow ever has. And Arrow takes itself WAAY too seriously.

I could never get into that show....... I'm glad people like it. It's just not for me.

Yeah, it isn't my sort of show either.

To be fair DC in general is taking itself way too seriously now days. Hell even Booster Gold is starting to loose his sense of humor.

I imagine the developers for Arrow probably ruled a margin against themselves, for restriction purposes. Because hell! Even Batman has to be grounded nowadays.

While Arrow isn't the best tv show out there, I like the "darker" Green Arrow in this show, and the acting is subpar most of the time. I don't see the appeal for AoS, the only decent character is Coulson, and imo he was better in the movies than in this tv show.

Lol that's your opinion dude.

Yeah, overall, I'm liking their vision for a darker Green Arrow, but it's just too close with what's been done with Batman, and the acting isn't very good.

Haters gonna hate.

I like "Arrow"..I don't think it's "great", but it certainly isn't bad.

About the writing: I think people are too hung-up on likable. To me, what makes some of the "Arrow" characters interesting is that they aren't likable. In fact, Diggle might be the only one that really is. If Thea was "likable" there'd be no reason to have her character on the show. I think she's very human. She has good traits and bad. She's confused and her allegiances towards Ollie, Roy and her Mom waver because of it. I think her relationship with Roy is VERY relatable. She likes him, and wants it to work, but some of the things that happen, and things that Roy does, make her wonder if it can. If Roy was "likable" he'd be very un-interesting. He has a desire to make a difference, and that's what drew him to "The Hood" in the first palce. If he was likable, he'd just be another 1970's side-kick. Now, i do think they've made Roy too predictable at times. Like I said, i don't think it's a great show, just good. Even Ollie isn't very likable. He'a freaking vigilante, he shouldn't be! He should be conflicted about what he does, and he is.

As for the acting. Ollie may be have been hired more for his looks, and same with Laurel, but Amell is passable. Cassidy..yeah, I wish she was better. Holland is quite good as Thea. The mere fact her character gets sooo much reaction (both good and bad) is a testament to that. It is a CW show, so I don't know if you were expecting Masterpiece Theatre, but the acting is what it is. And I think it's good enough for a CW show.

@thedemogoblin: I don't think he's anything like Batman, sure they're both rich and are dark characters, but that's where the similarities end.

Agreed.

There's a lot of things that bother me with the show, I'm skeptical towards is Deathstroke being Arrow's nemesis, I don't know if Green Arrow deserves to have Slade as is #1 enemy. The whole Barry Allen thing kinda threw me off the chair too, completely unnecessary & kinda disrespectful to Flash (even though he never was a favorite).

But all in all I actually like it, a lot. I was never a big Green Arrow fan so it did introduce me properly to the character. All the people who say "its Green Batman with a bow", stop, its impossible to make a street-level hero in a more serious tone without it somehow resembling Batman.

I also started off hating Stephen Amell, but now I can dig it.

TLDR. Laurel and Felicity are so hawt in that picture.

its a decent show. ncis/supernatural good. not willing to catch the episode when it first come on but willing to watch a marathon or if they did reruns.

@justthatkid:

Good summary but I really hope Ra's al-Ghul does not become the main villain for season 3, it would just be too much to bring him into the picture. Youd think Green Arrow should have his own sufficient rooster for at least one more main villain no? Merlyn will probably get back into the picture as well.

@monkeystarship:

To be fair; the whole rich spoiled playboy thing, that's just the character Green Arrow nothing the show's writers can do much about. I liked the whole island origins, I can buy that he's running around dressed like Robin Hood shooting people with ridiculous precision after that.

I enjoy the show a lot but it's very flawed.The lead character absolutely sucks,sorry to say it but this guy is not Oliver Queen,he's a reject Bruce Wayne.Amell has come a long way and he clearly does his best but the material he is given is sub par,Oliver Queen is a dumb cluster fuck of a character,every thing about him is contradictory.Heck this also applies to Slade but he is saved by Manu's charismatic performance,likewise this show also relies too much on fan pandering,looking at you Olcity and that's just one example,the other is the ridiculous amounts to DC characters they wanna introduce in to their world,Amazo is a boat now,Kate Spencer was killed by a no name thug,Jean Loring is your average lawyer,Sebastian Blood barely resembled Brother Blood,Isabel Rochev was Ravager(almost certain they got this idea from the message boards). It's clear that the lead character is not good enough to hold the show hence they have to resort to all that.

I greatly enjoy the show.