Arrow Arrow General Discussion Thread - Part 5

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[Scarecrow_King]

Hearing Felcity say at the beginning that Ollie could do more good in the city was awesome.

I'd like to see Ollie get political, maybe running for mayor. I always thought that was a neat angle that the comics took in OYL.

 

[Midnight Black]

show follows more of a supernatural approach to it's characters imo

Yes, this is true...very true.

On the flip side, it does tie the show down and potentially restricts them further down the line should the actors be unavailable or choose not to reprise their role in future episodes/seasons.

Yeah, but even still it's not like the actors themselves that have been introduced one or two episodes and then disappeared until later are that memorable. I mean their characters are more important and so if the actors get replaced it's no big whoop. However, given the talent and names introduced so far, I'm guessing they will more than likely be available. This is the CW after all and the actors attached to the show aren't necessarily big names.

What he said.

HA!

I would liken it more to Chris Carter, Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams who would also have problems resolved in one episode while setting up season arcs while having clues for seasons down the road...

Yes, I agree. However, I don't think we have ever seen characters introduced so quickly that fans are familiar with, at least not to my knowledge.

 

[Mad Love]

Hearing Felcity say at the beginning that Ollie could do more good in the city was awesome.

I'd like to see Ollie get political, maybe running for mayor. I always thought that was a neat angle that the comics took in OYL.

I could see that happening down the line. Maybe season 3 :P

 

[DarthDorranceBane]

does everyone have me on ignore?

 

[Midnight Black]

does everyone have me on ignore?

Hi...now what do you want? lol

 

[mr. peasant]

Yeah, but even still it's not like the actors themselves that have been introduced one or two episodes and then disappeared until later are that memorable. I mean their characters are more important and so if the actors get replaced it's no big whoop. However, given the talent and names introduced so far, I'm guessing they will more than likely be available. This is the CW after all and the actors attached to the show aren't necessarily big names.

Au contraire. I'd actually say it's a bigger risk because it's a CW show; the reason being that the CW has a tendency of reusing its actors for new shows. For instance, Stephen Amell (Oliver) had small roles in The Vampire Diaries and 90210 (the former probably putting him on their radar as a possible lead in an action series) prior to Arrow. Likewise, Willa Holland (Thea) is a Gossip Girl alumnus. As is Katie Cassidy (Laurel), who was also on Melrose Place.

Had their previous shows still been in production, I'd reckon their regular status and Arrow's filming schedule might make slotting in (guest) appearances for meaningful arcs in their old shows slightly trickier.

I'd like to see Ollie get political, maybe running for mayor. I always thought that was a neat angle that the comics took in OYL.

I could see that happening down the line. Maybe season 3 :P

I dunno... I think it would too radically change the premise/concept of the show and to be frank, it doesn't sound all too interesting an idea. Perhaps one of the other characters. Just not Oliver/the lead protagonist.

 

[Mad Love]

It doesn't change the premise of the show because it's about Oliver cleaning up the city. Maybe he decides to take another, more public approach and running for mayor fits in with that.

 

[Scarecrow_King]

We've already seen a small shift in the premise of the show. It's not a name-a-week from the book anymore. The book is still a large part of the plot, but there's plenty of the regular stopping crime superhero dynamic now, too.

Ollie running for mayor would just be another step in that direction. It couldn't happen for at least a few seasons, but I hope the writers don't rule it out completely.

 

[Mad Love]

Yeah, one reason I like it because it separates him from Batman more, and it shows that he gave government and law a shot. Once he realizes being a mayor isn't enough, it gives him more reason to go outside the law.

 

[Midnight Black]

Au contraire. I'd actually say it's a bigger risk because it's a CW show; the reason being that the CW has a tendency of reusing its actors for new shows. For instance, Stephen Amell (Oliver) had small roles in The Vampire Diaries and 90210 (the former probably putting him on their radar as a possible lead in an action series) prior to Arrow. Likewise, Willa Holland (Thea) is a Gossip Girl alumnus. As is Katie Cassidy (Laurel), who was also on Melrose Place.

Had their previous shows still been in production, I'd reckon their regular status and Arrow's filming schedule might make slotting in (guest) appearances for meaningful arcs in their old shows slightly trickier.

Now you're talking about "what ifs." Either way even if the actors did go on to have starring roles in other CW shows or came from shows where they had bigger or smaller roles it is still the CW and most if not all productions are shot in California. I'm sure they would either make it work or go with other actors not committed to shows.

 

[mr. peasant]

Now you're talking about "what ifs." Either way even if the actors did go on to have starring roles in other CW shows or came from shows where they had bigger or smaller roles it is still the CW and most if not all productions are shot in California. I'm sure they would either make it work or go with other actors not committed to shows.

I suppose. But then again, wasn't that the whole point of this conversation - hypothetical situations? The base point is that a fast rotation of guest characters/cast members restricts the show's future flexibility as it's tied to said actors' availability.

On a personal note, I'm not a fan of re-casting and see it as only something as an option of last resort. Push come to shove, my view is that it's better to just not use the character in question where possible, saving said character for when the actor is available again, and not doing a permanent change/action for what is essentially a temporary problem.

 

[Midnight Black]

I suppose. But then again, wasn't that the whole point of this conversation - hypothetical situations? The base point is that a fast rotation of guest characters/cast members restricts the show's future flexibility as it's tied to said actors' availability.

On a personal note, I'm not a fan of re-casting and see it as only something as an option of last resort. Push come to shove, my view is that it's better to just not use the character in question where possible, saving said character for when the actor is available again, and not doing a permanent change/action for what is essentially a temporary problem.

I agree with this somewhat. However, show runners aren't going to halt stories just because an actor isn't available, especially actors that are doing bit parts. If an actor gets more work after they just did a part on the show good for them, but it would be in their interest to return as a character because that is how they can grow their fan base and name. If they select not to and the part goes to another actor then they risk the chance of growing that character and becoming better known.

Plus I think its in the show's best interest to bring in as many characters and make the stories as interesting as they can rather than just bring in a few characters and risk not getting picked up, or drawn out plots that can be resolved in 1 or 2 episodes rather than a whole season.

My vote is to give me the characters when they fit the story and deal with actor changes if/when they arise.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

man I've been slacking. haven't watched the last two episodes but I have them downloaded. need to catch up

 

[Justin]

I'm kinda thinking Arrow has enough going on right now. This season I hope they just expand on what they already have rather than bring in too many new things.

I like the idea of him becoming a liberal politician but right now he's supposed to be a nightclub owner, with a nightclub that only seems to open on special ocassions, get that storyline up and running properly first. Roy Harper needs to be a slow build rather than next week Red Arrow. Dinah and Merlyn need to advance to what they're going to be, and we have the undertaking, plus a slew of villains who are still alive. Walter is missing. Then they have a lot still to tell on the island, Yao Fei, Shado, Deathstroke etc. And I probably missed a whole lot of other stuff, Laurel's dad, the police informant etc etc. There are lots of threads out there that need tying up preferably this season before they move on to more.

In all honesty, right now, Arrow has enough for the rest of the season. Now they know they are getting renewed, there's no point cramming too much in too soon.

Also, I don't ever want to see Shado "rape" Oli or Roy Harper become a drug addict. Those things may work in a comic, but not here. Once it starts to get too out there, I'd probably move on.

 

[ericadawn16]

I thought the night club got blown up?

 

[HighFivingMF]

I thought the night club got blown up?

It got damaged. But not destroyed.

 

[Human Torch]

does everyone have me on ignore?

If I remember,you were asking where did the producers say they had a 5 year plan for the show?I remember hearing it too,but I have no idea where.

 

[mr. peasant]

It got damaged. But not destroyed.

Further giving Oliver an excuse to continue construction on the club and to not open it. Would be hilarious if they made the destruction/damage to the club each time it's used a running gag on the show.

 

[Lencho01]

http://io9.com/5987370/dcs-geoff-johns-reveals-if-arrow-will-ever-fire-the-boxing-glove-arrow

Feb 27, 2013 11:55 AM
DC’s Geoff Johns reveals if Arrow will ever fire the boxing glove arrow

Rob Bricken

Chief Creative Officer and comics writer extraordinaire Geoff Johns doesn't just write comics; he has also written TV episodes for shows based on comics. In fact, he's penned tonight's episode of the hit CW series Arrow, "Dead to Rights," in which Ollie must keep his mom from assassinating his best friend's dad as an estranged family member and an old enemy return to Starling City. Johns spoke with us about tonight's episode, how the show's in good hands, and when we might see Ollie's quiver arsenal expand.

Warning: There are a few spoilers for tonight's episode below.

Io9: What can you tell us about tonight's episode, "Dead to Rights"? What should people be looking for?

Geoff Johns: It really focuses on the relationship between Oliver and Tommy. Tommy's dad Malcolm Merlyn is part of it in a big, big way, and through him things between Oliver and Tommy… let's just say there are lots of reveals. There's things that happen, revelations that happen to these characters that will change their direction in the show for the rest of the series. That's really fun, and it was a fun opportunity to be able to write that stuff.

Arrow is a heavily serialized show that's clearly building according to a plan. How much of "Dead to Rights" is you, and how much was just following the plan?

Executive producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim and I all broke the story together, just like we do every episode. It's a collaboration, just like anything else. I've been working with the guys a little bit, so knowing where Andrew and Marc are taking the show and knowing what we could accomplish was good. But there's a still few things in the episode that came out by surprise that I think are really interesting.

What can you tell us about Laurel's mom?

It's a very brief scene, but yeah, Laurel's mom does return. Fans of the comic books know there was an original Black Canary — Black Canary's mother was the original Black Canary — so that's kind of fun to do. And she comes back with some information that is going to be a little hard to process, but it's going to send a lot of people's imaginations reeling. And it's certainly going to play out over the subsequent episodes of the season.

Was there something specific that drew you to this episode, or a reason they asked you to write this episode as opposed to one of the others?

Well, it's pretty action-heavy. And there's a lot of characters in here, especially a lot of DC characters — Deadshot, China White, Dinah Lance, on top of Oliver and Tommy and Felicity Smoak and everybody else — but there's a lot of DC characters in there, and I think mostly it was the material and the fact that Glen Winter [who directed two of Geoff Johns' Smallville episodes] was directing. The producers knew I wanted to work with Glen again, and I think Greg Berlanti felt it was an opportunity for all of us to get back together. I'm guessing that's how it came about.

Deadshot seemed to die pretty ignominiously early in the season. Was it your idea to bring him back?

It was always a plan. I mean, since Day 1, it was "Hey, don't kill Deadshot, he's too cool of a character, he's got a lot of story in him." And the way his last scene was shot, he looked very dead. That was something we talked about immediately. "He's coming back. We'll figure out a way, he's coming back."

How much input have you had on the season in general?

I have to give all the credit to Greg and Andrew and Mark. They really run the show, they have a plan, they have a story they're telling and I just come into help and bounce ideas back and forth whenever I have the time and whenever they want me to come in. I help out where I can, but those guys deserve all the credit.

Any specific ideas you gave them?

I spent some time on set with Andrew Kresberg when we were shooting the pilot and he went on and on — he just loves this stuff. Greg loves it, and Mark loves it — they all really love the source material. So they've found a really good balance in introducing characters. I've thrown out suggestions, and we've all kind of worked on the bigger DC picture — and that's lot more of that bigger DC picture to come — but it's a collaborative effort.

Arrow is pretty vastly different from comic Green Arrow mythos. What's been your favorite and least favorite change?

God, that's hard to say. My most favorite change… [writer] Andy Diggle and [artist] Jock did it in the Green Arrow: Year One comic, but I love how expansive the mythology on the island is going to be. I know a lot of the plans and what's going to happen on that island, and I think the mystery of all those tattoos and scars paint a road map of what Oliver is going to go through there. I just think that additional depth of his mythology is fantastic.

I absolutely love Thea; I think she's a great addition. I love the character, and I think it gives Oliver a great family dynamic. I really enjoy the supporting cast, and the mythology and everything else, and I think it adds a lot to Arrow. And I don't think it's a mistake that the comics are going to dive into the island more, just like the show is now.

My least favorite change… I have to admit, I really miss Green Arrow's mask. The domino mask is goofy, but I really like the mask.

Actually, Ollie's crazy island backstory and his supporting cast seem to be Arrow's main strengths.

That's why I say the supporting cast and the mythology… I love Green Arrow, and I love him in the comics, but the show has already opened up the island, and taking a page from Diggle and Jock's Year One, certainly, but it's able to explore the island in a deeper way than the comics.
And I think supporting casts in comics are missing. I think a lot of the time in comics, all we have are people in costumes talking to other people in costumes, superheroes talking to superheroes and supervillains, and that's it. So to see this Arrow cast get expanded like this, between his mother and his sister and Diggle and bringing in a beyond-obscure character like Felicity Smoak into it… I just think the guys have created a wonderful cast. And the cast themselves have done a wonderful job. Tonight's episode, for me, contains some of their best performances.

Of Arrow's cast, Ollie's bodyguard/confidante/partner Diggle might be the best. Is there any chance he makes his way to the comics?

I think it would be great if he did. We'll see. Jeff Lemire's writing the book right now, and there's a plan. I don't know if he'll bring them in or not, but I think it'd be great. Although Diggle is in the digital Arrow comic – the whole Arrow writing staff, with Andrew and Mark, write the digital comic every week.

Are we ever going to see some real trick arrows?

Full size

We had the recording arrow, and we had the computer connectivity arrow (laughs) in the pilot. There are some trick arrows. I do remember Mark mentioning at some point they gotta figure out how to do the boxing glove arrow. Like, there's gotta be a way to do it. They think about it all the time. Again, the people on the show love the source material, so they're going to try everything they can to get it in there. If they can actually pull it off it some way, it'll be awesome.

And hopefully by the time the series runs its course — and hopefully it's a long course — we'll get to see a lot of those trick arrows, including some we've never seen before.

Last but certainly not least, why is it called "Arrow" and not "Green Arrow"? Why no "green"?

It's a long answer. But obviously it was debated among everybody, but at the end of the day, everybody just wanted something very clean and right to the point. No pun intended.

 

[Mad Love]

thanks!

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Holy. Sh**. This episodes is awesome.

 

[Sub-Zero]

was that a deadman reference?

 

[TheComicbookKid]

OH MY GOD!!! What is going on!!!