Arrow Season 6 Review

    Season 6 of  Arrow has just come  out on Netflix.  I watched the first  episode again and I finally understood what Stephen Amell meant when he said that if we go back to the first episode, we will see that the finale could only end  one way.  The writers certainly did plant seeds all along the way that lead to that ending.  I am posting my thoughts on the entire sixth season of Arrow.  If they change after I watch  season six again, I will update  you  all on that.

Season 6 got off to a rocky start for me with the first episode.  Season 5 ended  so well, and we all couldn't wait to see who had made it off the island and how they did it.  Yet the show started flat for me, there were no real surprises.  Everyone  but William's mother made off the island.  Yes, Diggle had hurt himself, and Thea left in a coma, but the episode felt anticlimactic after the build-up that lead to it. I mean the whole entire island  explodes and everyone makes it out?  Even BS survived her gunshot  wound.  How did Cayden James know where to find  her?

For me Season 6 held its own until episode 9  when in the middle  of  a wonderful celebration of the long-anticipated wedding party for Oliver and Felicity, we find out a team member betrayed  Oliver to Samanda Watson.  Then one by one the team members left Oliver, and there's no  clear reasoning why  they all left.  I understood  why Oliver felt betrayed, and he struggled with that, because he knew he would have done what Rene did to keep  his own son near him and safe, so he gives Rene another chance.  It didn't seem clear to me why Rene and Curtis didn't stay in place as Oliver had requested.  They'd  always done so in the past, hadn't they? Isn't that why they worked well as a team?  This whole "Oliver never really  listened to me" line by all of them  including John Diggle, didn't ring true with me.  I kept think they will fix this thing quickly, but it drug on and on.  Even as rating dropped, and  Marc Guggenheim admitted to the press that this story line didn't work, they took too long to try and fix it.  You can read the article here: http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/arrows-marc-guggenheim-admits-they-may-have-miscalculated-season-6-arc

What I think Mr. Guggenheim failed  to see that the majority of  people who  are the biggest Arrow fans are  not necessarily followers of the comic books, so the fact that superheroes fight each other all the time in comics, we  the viewers who don't follow the comics didn't appreciate it.  The viewer had no sympathy with the three newbies, and the writers never took time to allow us to sympathize with them.  They only served to make us despise them.

      Things in Season 6 that worked well:   I loved the story-line with Oliver as a Dad  trying to balance his  life as new Dad to a  preteen and his life as Mayor and  Vigilante.  He and Felicity had put their relationship on hold for William.  All this seemed real.  I would like to have seen  this whole new role explored further.  It would be good  to explore, because he is the first superhero that's married with a child. Barry and Iris have no children.

      The times we saw Oliver cooking for William, or Felicity tutoring him with Oliver watching on created special moments that gave us insight into Oliver that we had  not previously had.  I didn't care for the whole cross-over wedding story, because I don't like to watch the cross-overs for I  don't like the other  shows, and I felt forced  to watch this one, because they hinted the wedding.  I'm glad I did though for this reason, we saw that Felicity had to be one to propose to Oliver.  She had to let go of all her fears.  She had her own fears and superstitions,  if you  will.  We understood her better.  Would the viewer have enjoyed a nifty wedding for them? Yes, but this one satisfied too, because it typified them.  Felicity quickly proposing, and then Oliver jumping in lest he miss his chance, all of that fit both of their characters.  The wedding reception also satisfied this viewer.

     This viewer also  enjoyed John Diggle as the Arrow.  At first it bothered me.  But the show is called Arrow, and though we've come to know Oliver as the Arrow, it seemed interesting to explore John as the Arrow.  Why couldn't Oliver command the troops from the bunker?  That might have been interesting to explore. Oliver and Felicity working together there at night for a while, might have played well, and then let John discover that it really wasn't necessary to be the Arrow after all.  It seemed that the writers didn't want to take chances, so they only  gave a taste of the idea, but we could savor the flavor of it all, because it wasn't developed.

      The death of Quentin  Lance, though very sad  seemed necessary.  He  didn't have much to do on the show anymore, and frankly  I tired of hearing him say, "my baby girl" to BS.  I anticipated his death,  when he gave Oliver the watch that Quentin's father had given him on his wedding day.  It seemed at that point their story had gone full  circle.  The viewer always knew that Oliver had  always  thought  of  Quentin as a father even when  Quentin at his worst hated Oliver.  Stephen Amell  and Paul Blackthorn nailed their scene  in the hospital.  Oliver trying to hold  back  tears, made me remember when my  father  died, and I wasn't able to be there for him.  Some were upset that he died  off stage and didn't get that dramatic moment,  but I thought it ended perfectly.  Oliver being the last person  he saw, and Quentin  telling him  finally that Oliver was a good  dad and that he was  proud  of him.  Quentin deserved a happier ending than he got, but at the same time,  his exit from the show seemed appropriate.  He can  finally rest.

     Oliver's apology tour bothered me at first.  He tells everyone he's sorry, but they can't admit they too were equally to blame.  It takes two to start a fight.  The more I thought about it the less it bothers me. I put under the things that worked, because it shows that Oliver is the adult in the room.  My husband and I had counseling before we married.  Our pastor told  us that we would have times when  we would argue, but in the end not to think about who should apologize first, because in the end does it matter?  Aren't we simply sorry that we argued and got angry?  I  think in a way that applies here.  Oliver's sorry and that genuine, so why does it matter if the  others don't say it?  I think more of this will play out in season 7

     Things that didn't work well in Season 6: First the villains didn't play  out well, they took too long to give us the real villain, and the mastermind  behind Cayden James.  They took too long  to reveal Ricardo Diaz, and  when they  did they waited too long to develop his character and his motivations.  I still find it difficult to believe that it was Diaz who controlled James.  Then I found  it frustrating  that they had two  sadistic villains in a row.  I'm  almost ready for three or four villains  instead  of one.

There were whole spans of time we didn't see a villain. This viewer thought they took took long to develop Diaz.  So I anticipate he will be the villain in at least 7A of Arrow.  They mentioned the Longbow Hunters, but it would have been nice to have spent at least part of a scene seeing them.

     Black Siren aka Earth 2 Laurel Lance, became an even bigger annoyance.  They took way to long to bring about a redemption arc. She continually used Lance then stabbed him in the back over and over and over again.  Is she redeemed yet?  I'm not so sure.  Was Quentin her only  reason for being "good" ?  Can  she  be redeemed without Quentin around to remind his baby girl of who she is down deep?  I'm not so sure.  The writers certainly gave no clue to me that is the case. Do we even need the BS on the show?   Oliver could have had Diaz and avoided  prison, but no, she had  to scream him over the edge and into Season 7.

The large ensemble cast worked well together at the end.  It shows that the large number of people in the bunker can  work, but are they  all necessary?  When there are too many who  are alike then it seems it's over kill.  Curtis is too much like Felicity, is he needed?  Felicity is smart in her own right, she could start any business by herself.  I don't like it  when they  make Curtis to be smarter than Felicity.  Do we  need two women who are basically the same in that they can fight and scream a person  right to hell?

It did bother me that Oliver didn't explain his decision to Felicity.  He started to, and so I hope she'll keep this in her mind, but I think this only  means rough waters ahead for them. He had grown so much and the writers seemed  to make him digress.  Was this the only  way to keep everyone he loved safe?  It probably was.  I know the reason he didn't tell her was because she would have talked him out of it, and he knew it. I put his in this section because I think Felicity has grown too, and I think the writers underestimated her growth and trust in the character. I think she would understand.

      Splitting the Team:  I understand why Rene did  what he did to protect his daughter.  Oliver admits he would have done the same thing.  I understand why Oliver pulled him off the team when he would not listen to him and went his own way  with Rene, but I didn't get the others leaving in a huff.  Dinah saw Vincent and he worked with Diaz, so that certainly made it difficult to trust her.  Curtis, did  a similar thing to Felicity some time back and yet he gets all upset?  Then he turns off  the device to John's arm and they think  that's all cool, and they are the injured ones?  None of their pity-party excuses meant much to me.  I would have gotten over it easier, but they drug it out for nearly the last half of the season to the end, by then who cared?


The hints the writers gave us of the ending: When I watched the first episode again, two things jumped out at me.  Oliver worried about William's being left alone  again, and he repeatedly tells him he won't.  This type of thing occurred over and over again in later episodes. Also at their wedding, Felicity said, "My greatest fear is losing you." Writers use this foreshadowing to prepare the reader or viewer in this case, that something will happen to our hero.  Also, the fact that the first episode ended with the photo and outing of Oliver as the Green Arrow, foreshadowed  the outing at the end.  Oliver had no other choice.  Some think it bad that he's outed as the Green Arrow, but Tony Stark acknowledged he's the Iron Man.

Overall rating of Arrow Season 7: Rotten Tomatoes gave it 80% Audience score 72%.  I guess I would give it a C.  It wasn't the greatest season, but it wasn't the worst.

Thoughts on Season 7:  

• Anatoli remains alive and well; will  he be in season 7 to help Oliver?
• Rene seemed to be struggling with compartmentalizing his  dad role with his vigilante role, will he retire in season 7? What do  you think?
•  With Roy Harper returning what will everyone's role be?  Will there be a need  for Rene or Curtis?  If only one leaves who you would prefer  it were Rene or Curtis?  
• Dinah ended up working with BS, but is there room  for two Canary-Cry superheroes?
• Is BS truly redeemed?  Will she seek vengeance for Lance? '
• Once Felicity has taken time to think about it, will she be angry with Oliver? What about William? Oliver promised he would always talk to Felicity, and though he tried, he didn't go to her first, how do you think she'll react?
• When Lyla  talked to Felicity in the car, and she mentioned that she and John understood  their roles, because a divorced helped, do you think that's a foreshadowing to season?  I hope not.  They  just got together, and Idon't want them pulled apart in season 7.  That's too trite for the writers to do.
• If they  keep Oliver in prison through 7A, it will give time for John and Felicity to show some of  their stories.  Felicity  starting her business as she is a single mom to William.  It would be good to see how she handles some of William's struggles, because he's likely  to have them. Does John become the Green Arrow to help his friend?
• What do you hope for?  Share  your thoughts in the comments.