Arrow: Season 1 Episode 8 Review – ‘Vendetta’

Courtesy of CW

This week’s ‘Vendetta’ is a near perfect conclusion to the two-episode arc featuring Helena Bertinelli (DC comic’s The Huntress). Vendetta seamlessly integrated Arrow’s underlying themes on the nature of vigilantism, with conflicting perspectives on justice and an engaging character-driven story.

Oliver’s dangerous quest to honor his father’s dying wish has isolated him from the closest people in his life, with the exception of Diggle. Revealing his secret identity to his family and friends could put their lives at risk to criminals, mafia and the triads whom would undoubtedly seek retribution. Nor could his family and friends possibly relate to his damaged psyche and crusade for justice having not endured their own crucible.

Arrow: Season 1 Episode 5 Review – ‘Damaged’

Last episode’s “An Innocent Man” was a heavy-handed musing on the morality of vigilante justice. Diggle was initially vehemently opposed to Oliver’s actions, denouncing him as a criminal and murderer. However when Oliver revealed that he defeated the assassin that killed Diggle’s brother, an act accomplished outside of the law, Diggle reconsidered the offer to team up with the hooded archer as an opportunity to do good and that the end justifies the means.

Continue reading for full spoilers on Arrow Season 1 Episode 5 “Damaged”:

Arrow: Season 1 Episode 3 Review – ‘Lone Gunman’

Courtesy of CW

“No man is an island” is a sentiment Arrow Season 1 Episode 3′s ‘Lone Gunman’ reflects upon. Simply stated, we cannot live alone or in isolation. If we hope to survive, thrive or pursue our life’s purpose, we must acknowledge our interdependence and recognize how our actions effect one another.

It’s a notion that is literally and metaphorically represented during Oliver Queen’s time on the mysterious island, which as discovered last episode was not deserted. The hooded man who shot the arrow at Ollie explains he did it to protect him and that Ollie could not survive alone on the island.

Arrow: Season 1 Episode 2 Review – ‘Honor Thy Father’

“Honor Thy Father” essentially borrowed the blueprint from the series premiere. As a general unwritten rule, the first several episodes of a new series should act as a pilot to allow casual viewers to easily understand the main characters, their motivations and the dilemmas they must overcome without having to watch the previous episodes. As with most pilots, the plot is merely a device to establish the premise and characters. Similarly to the premiere, this episode features Green Arrow threatening a corrupt business man to confess his crimes, another shirtless training montage and more intriguing flashbacks to the island.