The third season of Arrow is almost here! After a massive conflict with Deathstroke, Oliver Queen's heading in an all-new direction. Slade Wilson might be sitting in a cell (hopefully not for too long... the Suicide Squad sure could use a new member, right?), but there's big changes heading to Starling City. New characters are entering the picture, the world's expanding (Flash crossover!), heroes and villains are undergoing changes, and the flashbacks are going to a brand new location. Needless to say, there's a lot going on, so we want to celebrate the show's return and highlight five very important reasons to check out the season three premiere. Oh, and honorable mention goes to the 99.9% chance of Stephen Amell being shirtless at some point. For people attracted to him, it's not a shabby sight. For everyone else, it serves a nice bit of inspiration to eat right and exercise more, yes? Anyway, let's discuss the big reasons to watch!
There's obviously spoilers in here. If you're not current and don't want anything ruined, go catch-up via Netflix or some other way!
Building a new mythos
Season Three looks like it's going to do a lot of worldbuilding. Brandon Routh has been cast as Ray Palmer, a.k.a. Atom. Many shows have multiple characters who are shockingly witty and could be successful comedians in their free time, but in the world of Arrow, Felicity tends to be the only especially quick-witted person. According to interviews, Palmer's move to take over Oliver's company will be filled with lighthearted banter between him and the tech-savvy character. Could that get Oliver a little jealous? All signs are pointing to yes! Not only will his emergence mean more comedic dialogue, but his play to control the company is going to be a big plot point and it has been implied that, if he's going to become the Atom, he'll crossover into The Flash, too. So that's yet another link which will boost the feeling of this being a shared universe. We'd babble about Ra's al Ghul being this season's big bad, but he's apparently not appearing until the fourth episode.
Now that Laurel's back on track, both mentally and with her career, her dynamic with Oliver is sure to be far more enjoyable instead of frustrating. Throw in the fact she knows what Oliver does in his free time and that's sure to make the dynamic even more interesting. Meanwhile, it looks like we'll get more emotionally compelling scenes with John Diggle -- a character who has mostly been a badass -- and we've yet to see what this season has in store for Sara Lance! And while we hear she won't appear in the premiere, it's also great knowing Thea's embarking on a more dramatic and downright cool journey with her father, Malcolm Merlyn. With everyone essentially in a new status quo, this is more than likely going to be an appropriate jumping-on spot for new viewers. So if you've been wondering about the show but you just don't have the time to catch-up, we strongly recommend giving the premiere a shot.
"Olicity"
Okay, this is the one that'll probably make some of you leave the article or leave some not-so-kind comments below. Love or hate "Olicity," there's just no denying that the CW show has established a huge amount of tension between the two. Now that things are seemingly in a good place, can you really blame them for wanting to see if a relationship between them could actually work? It's not like Oliver's proposing or anything -- he's just asking her on a date. Let them have just a little bit of happiness, yeah?
Given their connection and all that they've been through, I'm interested to see how it'll play out and whether it's something that'll expand or fade away. Will this blossom into a strong relationship or will they discover that they're simply too different and they're better off as close friends? As long as they don't drag it out or set it up just to eventually have Felicity killed (can we please avoid that trope?), I'm looking forward to seeing them finally try and express how they feel. They've kept it held inside for so long, so to see them finally lower their guard and open up should be engaging.
The stunts
Arrow's drama may be a little too heavy-handed at times, but one area where the show's consistently awesome is the action. The hand-to-hand sequences are brutal, the chase sequences and shootouts are frenetic, and it's often directed in a way which really compliments the fast-paced strikes and accurate projectiles. You're basically guaranteed to have some kind of action sequence in each and every chapter and, fortunately for us, the cast and crew always do a great job making sure these fights are swift, immersive, and a total blast to witness.
Sure, it's a bit of a bummer that Oliver seems to enjoy using his fists and feet more than his bow, but his martial arts sequences are fun and almost always exciting. As you can see in the upcoming episode's first clip, it's obvious the season three premiere will continue the show's tradition of thrilling action scenes. The clip adds in a little bit of creativity, too. We've yet to see how the new story elements will unfold, but we're pretty certain the stunts are going to rock.
Goodbye island, hello Hong Kong
We're not 100% certain this flashback storyline will appear in the premiere, but given the show's formula, it certainly seems likely. Now, the island offered a nice contrast to Starling City's often dark and brooding atmosphere and it regularly complimented the modern timeline's story well, too. However, we've had two seasons of tales from the island and it's time to move on. So, season three's going to switch it up and it'll bring us all the way to Hong Kong, a place where Oliver's growth will continue as he learns more critical lessons.
In Hong Kong, Oliver's going to encounter the stern and calculating Amanda Waller. While Waller's felt like a pretty bland character so far, the world she's connected to is full of potential. Plus, having a boosted role will hopefully give the character a little more depth and a chance to work with more compelling material. As if that wasn't enough, Oliver will train with a character that DC fans have most likely heard of: Katana. Who knows what else this new setting will offer? Bring on more backstory!
Arsenal
It's time for Roy Harper to step into a positive spotlight! The dude's had a rough road, so it's understandable he hasn't been the most uplifting and levelheaded character around. Now that Thea Queen's not around, his relationship woes won't get in the way or hinder his mentality. Sure, that's likely going to emerge whenever Thea does reappear -- something we're looking forward to -- and we'll probably have little bits of reflection to show Roy misses her, but his mind can mostly remain focused now, especially since the Mirakuru is no longer making him have temper tantrums. And, when he does blatantly miss Thea, it's something he and Oliver can bond over.
Roy can finally be a proper sidekick to Ollie and an important part of team Arrow. Now that he's back on the team and ready to help Oliver with whatever comes their way, it's only fitting that he receives a spiffy new "Arsenal" suit, right? Green Arrow and Arsenal fighting side by side is something we can all get excited about. Just let it sink in that team Arrow will likely take on Ra's al Ghul at some point. Here's hoping that'll be as epic as it sounds!
'Arrow' will return this Wednesday night at 8/7c on The CW. We'll have a review posted on the homepage sometime after the episode ends.
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