DVD Review: Arrow Season 2

If you missed season one of Arrow, here’s a brief synopsis: Arrow centers on billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), who was shipwrecked on an Island known as Lian Yu for 5 years. When he came back, he was a changed man, a man who only wants to right the wrongs of his father by taking down those on a list in a secret notebook. To do this however, he must become a vigilante and hide his secret from everyone he loves.

Season two builds on the solid base of season one, but amps things up a bit. It’s a much more darker affair, and it starts out a little unexpectedly, with Oliver having to be dragged back to Starling City and almost forced to wear his hood again. But once again he’s a changed man, and this season he sets out to become more a hero than a vigilante. Where possible Arrow will not kill.

Not that his growing list of adversaries will make that easy for him. In season two we get introduced to some new characters, Sebastian Blood being the first, who by night dons his Scarecrow-esque mask as he attempts to create an army of super villains, with the aid of Slade Wilson who seems intent on destroying everything dear to Oliver. Cue many flashbacks to uncover where these friends became enemies.

In fact the main arc of the season focuses on Slade, Sebastian and Oliver, but that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of other great characters. The arrow isn’t the only vigilante saving people in the dark of night, and just because a character may have been assumed dead in season one, doesn’t mean they are. We also get colourful characters like the DollMaker, the League of Assassins as well as villains from season one returning, such as the Count and Deadshot.

Possibly best of all, is the attempted take over of the Queen Enterprise by non-other than Summer Glau. Any TV show with Summer in it automatically gets extra stars from me, though in Season Two of Arrow it’s sad that she is greatly under utalised.

Rating: M Drug use and violence.

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