Arrow - Season 3

Title: Arrow

Season: 3

Number of Episodes: 23

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Official Page











Official Trailer

Ell Said:

Rating:

Review:

With the excitement of the first season of The Flash, and the epicness of the previous season, our expectations were sky high when this season started. Alas, from the get-go, it was a disappointment. From Sarah's death in the second episode, the series was filled to the brim with terrible writing. First, Malcom's plan in the beginning. From what I can tell, Malcom's plan was to kill Sarah by means of Thea, to draw Nyssa out, which in turn would eventually lead to a confrontation between Rah's and Oliver. So, basically, he brainwashed his daughter, killed a pottential ally, and drew his biggest enemy to Starling City. Thing is, it worked. But, somehow, Thea managed to give Malcom to the League of Assassins in her stead, clearing herself of the 'charges' placed on her head by Sarah's murder. This would have been a great conclusion, but no, this wasn't even the mid-season episode. Because, for some reason, Oliver thought it was a bad idea, and decided to save Malcom from the League, and put himself in the path of it by protecting Malcom. You know, the enemy of a distant, non-enemy league is definitely your ally, or something. This brought about one of the worse group of episodes since Smallville season 10. The episodes after Oliver 'dies' at the hand of Rah's are the most boring episodes I've ever seen, but the worst thing is, it gets worse. Because, when Oliver comes back, Rah's wants to make Oliver the next Rah's Al Ghul, and won't take no for an answer. As the righteous vigilante that he's not supposed to be, Oliver declines, slowly forcing Rah's to use worse and worse tactics to force Oliver to obey. But, here's the thing: If Oliver had just said yes in the beginning, he'd have been able to do everything earlier, and no one, at all, would have had to die. The end itself was, without a doubt, anticlimatic, with it ending on a inconvincing high note of Oliver and Felicity driving into the sunset. Which, you know, would totally bum Ray Parker out. This, with the inclusion of Deathshot's death and the mere existance of Cupid, this season is the worst one of the three we've seen so far. (And don't get me started on the Felicity and Oliver scene in Rah's temple.)

On the other hand, this season also has some of the best moments in the series, and yes, they belong to the one and only Barry Allen. In his first official appearance as the Flash in Arrow, the two duke it out in an amazing fight. The interactions between Oliver and Barry were cool and fresh. Deadshot's few moments were pure gold. And, in all honesty, even Ray seemed more likable to me than other characters, like Felicity or Laurel, that have become something the writers want to ram down your throat. That one episode, were Thea and Oliver go back to the infamous Island to train, during which Deathstroke gets loose, is quite fantastic. But, I wish it would've had a bigger impact on the story and not been a one-time thing. Katana was a happy surprise (no, I didn't know it was her until I saw the ridiculous mask), and that's about it. So, in conclusion, literally everything good about this season comes from somewhere else: The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, or better Arrow seasons.