‘Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season’ Review

It feels like recently I’ve been reviewing way too many superhero series. I’ve gone from the dorky style of Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow, to the slightly more serious The Flash. Now it is time to look at Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season, which takes things even more seriously.

In Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is now mayor meaning that his balance between work and being the Arrow is even more complicated. When a new nemesis in the form of Prometheus arrives in Star City, Oliver’s eyes will be opened to who he really is, and what consequences his actions have.

While there is (normally) a light-hearted feel to the other DC shows, Arrow tends to take the darker tone. This is made obvious in this season when we see Oliver not afraid to kill his enemies for what he sees as the greater good. The message of this season though, is that this is the wrong decision, no matter what the Arrow should represent, killing takes him over a line he shouldn’t be crossing.

Even if that is realised by Oliver, Arrow is a show that is much more violent than the other DC shows. There is plenty of gunfire, hard-hitting close hand combat and of course arrows ripping their way into the bad guys. This makes Arrow a show that feels grittier and more adult, though with characters like Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) at least we still have that dorky element to ground the show in the DC television universe.

Another important theme that is further focused on in Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season is the fact that Oliver needs a team around him. This year we get a new set of vigilantes who agree to work with him, and they bring their own baggage along for the ride. Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez) is a good example of this and probably has the most interesting back story, and is comparable to Oliver himself. Ragman (Joe Dinicol) is another interesting one, and it will be interesting if we see more of him in the future.

If there is anything that tends to annoy me about Arrow it is the obsession with the flashback. In Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season we get to see Oliver’s adventures in Russia, and his obsession with killing Konstantin Kovar (Dolph Lundgren). While I’m not a fan of the flashbacks, I’ll have to admit anything that brings Lundgren to the show can’t be that negative.

Arrow is a show that in some ways takes itself a little too seriously, but I have to admit I like that. While The Flash season 3 dealt with some dark issues, it never takes it to the level of this show. Seeing Oliver go to his darkest places and realise just why he does what he does is a highlight of this season, and Amell does well in conveying the conflict the character feels.

For fans of, I don’t really need to argue why Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season is worth their time. More casual fans though should give it a chance, especially in season 5, with the inclusion of people like Dolph Lungren and Cody Runnels. It may not be the best season of Arrow, but it is still a highly entertaining show that continues to deliver.

Arrow – The Complete Fifth Season is out on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK now.

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