"Arrow" series premiere: Zero or hero?
"Arrow," the CW's new show that follows a billionaire playboy-turned vigilante, premiered Wednesday night and critics seem to agree that the new show has potential.
The series, which is a retelling of DC Comics' Green Arrow, follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Arnell), who went missing and was believed to be dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to his mother (Susanna Thompson) and his sister (Willa Holland), he finds it hard to adjust to the privileged world he came from.
He then decides to create his alter ego Arrow, a vigilante, to fight the wrongs in Starling City, which has become divided into the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots."
Memories from what happened on the island flash back to Oliver occasionally, but he still struggles to put together many questions he has about his time there.
So far, many critics have praised the show. Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times said, "Although darker in tone than most tellings of the Green Arrow tale (including the subplot on"Smallville"), it is the story of a hero, not an anti-. Smooth without being slick, textured but not self-indulgent, "Arrow" reminds us that the best stories we tell are both revelatory and a whole lot of fun to watch."
Robert Bianco of USA Today seemed to agree saying, "Granted, it's all standard superhero stuff. But the action scenes are well-handled, the emotions and the characters mostly ring true, and the plot offers enough twists to keep you intrigued."
Sarah Rodman of the Boston Globe summed it up saying, " 'Arrow' isn't quite a bullseye on its first shot, but it hits the target."
Tell us: What did you think of the show?