Arrow (TV series)

Not to be confused with Arrows (TV series) or The Arrow.

Arrow
File:Arrow Logo.png logo
Genre	Superhero Drama Mystery Action/Adventure
Developed by	Greg Berlanti Marc Guggenheim Andrew Kreisberg
Starring	Stephen Amell Katie Cassidy Colin Donnell David Ramsey Willa Holland Susanna Thompson Paul Blackthorne
Composer	Blake Neely
Country of origin	Canada United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	23 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Greg Berlanti David Nutter (pilot) Marc Guggenheim Andrew Kreisberg
Producer	Joseph Patrick Finn
Production locations	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Cinematography	Glen Winter Gordon Verheul
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	43 minutes
Production companies	Warner Bros. Television Berlanti Television DC Comics
Original release
Network	The CW
Release	October 10, 2012 (2012-10-10) – present

Arrow is an American action-adventure television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. It is based on the fictional superhero Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. It premiered in North America on The CW on October 10, 2012, with international broadcasting to take place in late 2012. The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, portrayed by Stephen Amell, who, after five years of being stranded on a hostile island, returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrows. Arrow will also feature appearances by other DC Comics characters. To assist in promotion, a preview comic book was released to tie into the television series.

On October 22, 2012, Arrow was picked up by The CW for a full season. On February 11, 2013, Arrow was renewed for a second season by The CW. The second season of Arrow will premiere on October 9, 2013.

Synopsis

The series follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), billionaire playboy of Starling City, who spends five years stranded on an island following a shipwreck that claims the life of everyone else on board, including his father, Robert Queen, and Sara Lance (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), the sister of Oliver's girlfriend Laurel (Katie Cassidy), and with whom he was having an affair. Upon his return to Starling City, he is reunited with his mother, Moira (Susanna Thompson), her new husband, Walter Steele (Colin Salmon), the former CFO of his father's company who is now the CEO; and his younger sister, Thea (Willa Holland). He is also greeted by his best friend, Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), the son of successful businessman Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). Oliver also tries to reconnect with ex-girlfriend Laurel, but she blames him for the death of her sister, Sara.

During the day Oliver plays the billionaire playboy trying to catch up with society after 5 years, who also owns and runs a nightclub; at night he becomes a green-hooded vigilante, following through with his father's dying wishes to right the wrongs of the Queen family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. Oliver's vigilante persona becomes the focus of police detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne), father to Laurel and Sara, who is determined to arrest the vigilante and who also blames Oliver for his daughter's death and his wife leaving him, though he remains unaware of Oliver's dual identity. Oliver is constantly flanked by a bodyguard, John Diggle (David Ramsey), who later joins him in his fight for justice. Oliver's mother Moira is also hiding secrets: she knows that the family yacht that caused Oliver to be stranded on the island in the first place, was actually sabotaged.

Cast

Main article: List of Arrow characters

• Stephen Amell portrays Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy turned hooded vigilante, who is based on the DC Comics Green Arrow. After surviving a ship wreck on an isolated island for five years, Oliver returns to his home city with a mission to right the wrongs of his father and save the city from the crime that has grown in his absence.
• Katie Cassidy portrays Laurel Lance, a character based on the DC Comics character Black Canary. Laurel is a non-profit attorney who fights for the rights of the less fortunate; she is also Oliver's former girlfriend.
• Colin Donnell portrays Tommy Merlyn, Oliver's best friend, who eventually learns of Oliver's secret life as a vigilante. Like Oliver, Tommy has romantic feelings for Laurel. His father is Malcolm Merlyn, a main antagonist in season one. The surname "Merlyn" is the name of one of Green Arrow's nemeses in the comics.
• David Ramsey portrays John Diggle, Oliver's partner and bodyguard. Diggle is ex-military, and works to have Oliver channel his abilities into helping others in the city, and not just taking down the wealthy, corrupt businessmen that worked with Oliver's father.
• Willa Holland portrays Thea Queen, Oliver's younger sister. Thea develops a drug habit early in season one, but gets clean after criminal charges are brought against her for driving while under the influence.
• Susanna Thompson portrays Moira Queen, Oliver's mother. Moira is revealed to also be part of the secret organization her late-husband was involved with, which is making plans to bring down the city as a means of rebuilding it in the image of the organization's leader.
• Paul Blackthorne portrays Detective Quentin Lance, Laurel's father and Starling City police detective. In the DC Comics, Laurel's father was named Larry Lance, but his name and character attributes have been changed for the series. Detective Lance blames Oliver for the death of his daughter, Sara, as she was with him on his family yacht when it sank. Lance is also out to capture the vigilante, who he sees as a menace to the city for the vigilante's willingness to break the law and kill in the pursuit of stopping crime.
• Emily Bett Rickards portrays Felicity Smoak, the IT technician at Queen Industries who has become part of Oliver's vigilante team. The DC Comics character of the same name was the step-mother of Ronnie Raymond and manager of a computer software company.
• Manu Bennett portrays Slade Wilson, a character based on the DC Comics character Deathstroke. Slade is an ASIS agent who teamed up with Oliver during his time on the island.
• Colton Haynes portrays Roy Harper, a character based on the DC Comics character of the same name. A petty crook, Roy was befriended by Thea and is fascinated by the hooded vigilante.

Production

Arrow was developed by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, while the pilot episode was directed by David Nutter, who also directed the pilot for Smallville. The series was picked up by The CW on May 11, 2012. The series is shot in Vancouver, and Victoria, BC Canada.

The series introduced additional DC Comics characters throughout the first season, including: Darren Shahlavi as Constantine Drakon, Michael Rowe as Deadshot, Kelly Hu as China White, Jeffrey Nordling as Frank Bertinelli, Currie Graham as King of the Royal Flush Gang, Jeffrey C. Robinson as a man wearing the Deathstroke costume, who is later revealed to not be Slade Wilson, and Andrew Dunbar as Firefly. John Barrowman stars as Malcolm Merlyn, better known as just Merlyn from the comics, who is revealed to be "The Dark Archer" in the series.

In September 2012, Tahmoh Penikett was cast as Nick Salvati, the right hand man of Frank Bertinelli. It was announced in November that Ben Browder would guest star as Ted Gaynor, Seth Gabel was cast as a character inspired by Count Vertigo, and that Janina Gavankar would portray a Starling City vice cop named McKenna Hall. On November 30, 2012, it was announced that Manu Bennett would be playing the role of Slade Wilson, and is contracted for multiple episodes. In December 2012, actor Colton Haynes was cast in the role of Roy Harper.

On February 12, 2013, it was announced that Emily Bett Rickards will be promoted to series regular status at the start of the second season. On March 13, 2013, it was reported that Colton Haynes would be joining the main cast at the start of season 2. On March 20, 2013, it was announced that Manu Bennett will also be promoted to series regular for season 2. Celina Jade joined the show in the recurring role of Shado. In July 2013, it was announced that Summer Glau would join the cast in a recurring role as Isabel Rochev, the VP of Acquisitions at Stellmoor International. Caity Lotz was cast as Black Canary in July 2013, a recurring role that is "the beginning of the Black Canary story" according to Kreisberg. It was later revealed at The CW's Television Critics Association summer press day by CW president Mark Pedowitz that Lotz would be playing Laurel's sister, Sara. Also in July 2013, at San Diego Comic-Con International, it was revealed that Kevin Alejandro and Michael Jai White had been cast as Brother Blood and Bronze Tiger, respectively. Also in July, it was announced that Berlanti and Kreisberg, along with Nutter and Geoff Johns, would be creating a TV series based on The Flash as an origin story for Barry Allen. The character will appear in three episodes of season two of Arrow, with the final one acting as a backdoor pilot for the new series. On August 15, 2013, Bex Taylor-Klaus was announced to play Sin in the third and fourth episodes of season two. On September 4, 2013, Cynthia Addai-Robinson was cast as Amanda Waller. On September 13, 2013, actor Grant Gustin was chosen to portrayed Allen.

Marketing

To promote the series, DC Comics produced a 10-page preview comic for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, written by Kreisberg, illustrated by Omar Francia, and featuring a cover by artist Mike Grell. The comic is regarded by the production crew of the TV series as sharing the same canon as the series, with Kreisberg commenting, "[For] anyone who grabs a copy: Hold onto it and as the series progresses, you'll appreciate it more and more." On October 10, 2012, DC Comics debuted a weekly digital comic tie-in written by Kreisberg and Guggenheim and drawn by various artists, including Mike Grell. This ongoing comic is also in continuity with the TV series.

Additionally, a Green Arrow skin based on Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen appears in the 2013 video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. The playable skin was given as a bonus reward to the first 5000 voters of Injustice's promotional Battle Arena competition. Stephen Amell also voiced that particular skin.

Episodes

Season 1 (2012–13)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code	U.S. viewers (million)
1	1	"Pilot"	David Nutter	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim	October 10, 2012 (2012-10-10)	296818	4.14
Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, missing and presumed dead after a shipwreck that claimed the life of his father, is discovered alive after five years on a remote Pacific island. He is welcomed home to Starling City by his mother Moira, younger sister Thea, and best friend Tommy, but they sense he has changed. Oliver hides the truth about the man he has become, and tries to reconcile with his former girlfriend, Laurel, whom he cheated on with her sister Sara (who also died in the shipwreck). While reconnecting with those closest to him, by night Oliver secretly masquerades as a hooded vigilante archer, attempting to fulfill his dying father's entreaty: to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. Oliver's first task is to take down corrupt millionaire Adam Hunt, who has scammed millions from various people in Starling City. Laurel's father, police detective Quentin Lance, becomes determined to arrest the vigilante. Meanwhile, it is revealed Oliver's mother has an agenda at odds with her son, having orchestrated a kidnapping to determine what his father told him after the shipwreck.
2	2	"Honor Thy Father"	David Barrett	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim	October 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)	2J7302	3.55
Laurel brings a civil suit against millionaire Martin Somers, who is also one of Oliver's targets, for taking part in drug trades with the Chinese Triads that ultimately led to the death of a young woman's father. As the hooded vigilante, Oliver threatens Somers to make him confess to the murder as penance for all of the wrongs he has done to the city. Instead, Somers contacts the Triad, who send the assassin China White to kill Laurel. Oliver saves Laurel from China; he later obtains Somers’ confession and gives an audio recording of it to Detective Lance. Meanwhile, Oliver’s mother and Walter push Oliver to take a position at the company. Oliver stymies their efforts by using the opening of the company's new applied sciences division to publicly opt out of the position, knowing that he cannot simultaneously honor his father’s request to fight for the city and be the man his mother wants him to be. A flashback to Oliver's time on the island shows him being attacked by an unknown hooded figure wielding a bow and arrow.
3	3	"Lone Gunmen"	Guy Bee	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Marc Guggenheim & Andrew Kreisberg	October 24, 2012 (2012-10-24)	2J7303	3.51
Oliver tracks down another millionaire from his list, but before he can get the answers he wants the man is killed by an assassin known as Deadshot. Initially, the police suspect the vigilante (whom they call "The Hood") of the killing, but the evidence goes against that theory. Oliver decides to build a new dance club above his hideout as a cover for his nighttime disappearances. While comparing the competition, he finds Thea, who reveals that Laurel and Tommy had been sleeping together during Oliver's absence. Laurel becomes suspicious when Oliver does not react to the news, and concludes he already knew. Meanwhile, Oliver uses the assassin's M.O. to learn his true identity, and, as the vigilante, enlists the help of Detective Lance to prevent Deadshot assassinating more of the wealthy. Oliver stops Deadshot, apparently killing him in the process, but his bodyguard Diggle is shot during the assassination attempt. In order to save Diggle's life, Oliver is forced to reveal his dual identity to him. Flashbacks reveal that the archer who attacked Oliver was actually trying to help him; Oliver misunderstands and escapes, but is pursued by an unknown group of armed professionals.
4	4	"An Innocent Man"	Vince Misiano	Moira Kirland & Lana Cho	October 31, 2012 (2012-10-31)	2J7304	3.05
Diggle awakens in Oliver's hideout, where Oliver offers Diggle a chance to fight at his side and help the city. Diggle turns him down, calling him a murderer. Later, while watching the news, Oliver discovers a connection between Declan, a deathrow inmate, and Jason Brodeur, one of the men on his list. In his vigilante persona, he enlists the help of Laurel to prove the man innocent before he is executed. Working together, the pair uncover the truth, but Jason Brodeur has his bodyguard stage a prison break so that he can have Laurel and the inmate killed before the truth is revealed. Oliver sneaks into the prison dressed as a guard, with a ski mask to hide his face, and saves Laurel and Declan. The bodyguard ultimately confesses to Declan's innocence. Diggle meets with Oliver and agrees to work with him so that he can both protect the city and protect Oliver from losing his humanity. Detective Lance arrests Oliver on suspicion of being the vigilante after seeing footage of him retrieving his disguise from a bag before confronting Deadshot. Meanwhile, Walter discovers that Moira has been keeping the salvaged and sabotaged family yacht hidden in a warehouse.
5	5	"Damaged"	Michael Schultz	Wendy Mericle & Ben Sokolowski	November 7, 2012 (2012-11-07)	2J7305	3.75
Detective Lance having charged him with murder, Oliver hires Laurel as his attorney. Given Oliver's time on the island, the district attorney offers an insanity plea with open-ended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in a psychiatric facility. Oliver declines, instead offering to take a polygraph test to prove his innocence to Detective Lance. The test indicates he is truthful in saying he is not the vigilante. Flashbacks to his time on the island show Oliver caught and tortured by the armed professionals before being saved by the hooded archer. He shows Laurel his scars, saying he is damaged by his experiences. While remanded under house arrest, Oliver throws a prison-themed party, maintaining his bachelor playboy facade. He has Diggle pose as the vigilante and stop a German arms dealer who is in the city to sell automatic weapons to the city's gangs. The plan works and the charges are dropped. Moira meets with a secret associate, who knows of the vigilante's list of targets and sees him as a threat to their organization. Walter leaves the house after confronting Moira on her deception.
6	6	"Legacies"	John Behring	Moira Kirland & Marc Guggenheim	November 14, 2012 (2012-11-14)	2J7306	3.83
Oliver begins preparing to take on another individual from his father's list, but Diggle argues that he should expand his work and help the police take down a group of bank robbers. Oliver initially refuses, believing that it detracts from his mission to right his father's wrongs; Diggle is able to persuade Oliver in the end. Oliver uses police files and IT specialist Felicity Smoak to deduce that the robbers are actually a family unit, and that the leader Derek Reston worked for Queen Industries before Robert Queen outsourced 1500 jobs to China and the Reston family lost their home as a result. Feeling guilty, Oliver tries to persuade Derek to right his own wrongs, but when he learns that the family are going to rob another bank he chooses to stop them. During Oliver's confrontation, Derek is shot and dies. Meanwhile, Tommy throws Laurel a fundraiser to help her pro-bono law firm, CNRI, stay in business; Tommy hopes that this will show Laurel that he is serious about wanting a relationship with her. Flashbacks also reveal how Oliver first discovered the target names in his father's notebook.
7	7	"Muse of Fire"	David Grossman	Story by: Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Geoff Johns & Marc Guggenheim	November 28, 2012 (2012-11-28)	2J7307	3.74
While on her way to meet Oliver, Moira is almost gunned down by a mysterious assailant who was attempting to assassinate an associate of mob boss Frank Bertinelli. Oliver attempts to infiltrate Frank's business to discover the identity of the attacker. Frank confronts China White and the Triad gang for the murders of his people. Oliver learns that the attacker is Helena Bertinelli, Frank's daughter, with whom he had just been on a date. Helena reveals that she is looking for revenge against her father, who she blames for the murder of her fiancé. Helena and Oliver are abducted by Frank's right-hand man, Nick Salvati, in connection to the deaths of other mob associates; Helena kills Nick after learning he killed her fiancé. She also deduces Oliver's identity as the vigilante after witnessing him fight her father's henchmen. In the end, Helena confesses to Oliver that she believes that they both share similar stories and that is why they feel connected to each other. Meanwhile, Tommy is cut off financially by his father, who turns out to be the unknown associate that Moira was meeting with regarding the target list. Walter returns home after being away for weeks.
8	8	"Vendetta"	Kenneth Fink	Beth Schwartz & Andrew Kreisberg	December 5, 2012 (2012-12-05)	2J7308	3.35
Oliver decides to teach Helena that there is justice outside of revenge after witnessing her try to kill the head of the Triad. Diggle expresses his disapproval, believing that Helena cannot be trusted. Oliver shows Helena that they can bring down her father's business by taking out key players and delivering them to the police. Helena starts to buy into the idea, but after an impromptu dinner with Oliver, Tommy, and Laurel leads to an awkward moment, Helena abandons Oliver's approach, believing he was manipulating her. Helena goes after the Triad, killing their leader. As a result, China White and her men go after Frank Bertinelli, believing him to be responsible, but Oliver gets there in time to stop them. Oliver also stops Helena from killing her father, but she refuses to forgive him for allowing the police to arrest Frank and threatens to reveal his identity if he tries to come after her in the future. Meanwhile, Tommy finally admits to Oliver that his father cut him off financially, and asks for a job working at the club that Oliver is attempting to build. Walter also learns more about the secret organization that Moira is a part of.
9	9	"Year's End"	John Dahl	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim	December 12, 2012 (2012-12-12)	2J7309	3.11
Adam Hunt is killed by a mysterious archer; Detective Lance deduces that a copycat is at work, but his superior publicly blames the hooded vigilante. Oliver plans a Christmas party at the mansion to bring back the spirit of the holidays to his family, to which Tommy invites Laurel. A flashback shows Yao Fei's capture of Edward Fyers, who tells Oliver that the island was a prison for dangerous criminals and that his unit was tasked to exterminate the prisoners, including Yao Fei. Yao Fei is captured by Fyers's men while leading Oliver to a possible escape from the island. In the present, Oliver saves some hostages from the mysterious archer, and the two archers are injured after fighting. The mysterious archer gets away but is revealed to be Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy's father. Walter is kidnapped by one of Malcolm's associates to ensure that Moira will not interfere with Malcolm's organization's plans for the city. While recovering in the hospital, Oliver swears to take down the man he believes is behind the archer.
10	10	"Burned"	Eagle Egilsson	Moira Kirland & Ben Sokolowski	January 16, 2013 (2013-01-16)	2J7310	3.06
Six weeks after his fight with the mysterious archer, Oliver avoids any activities as his vigilante alter-ego, despite insistence from Diggle that the city needs him. When a firefighter is killed in the line of duty, Laurel suspects that he was murdered and steals the phone the vigilante gave her father in order to contact him for help. Tracking down the suspect, Oliver is bested during the confrontation, but discovers that the murderer is a firefighter. Oliver confesses to Diggle that he has lost his edge, as he now has people he worries about losing should anything happen to him, something he did not have to fear when he first returned from the island. Diggle challenges Oliver that having people to live for is more of an edge than having no one. Oliver learns that the murderer is Garfield Lynns, a firefighter thought to have died in a massive fire several years prior, but who survived with severe burns over his entire body. Garfield shows up at a charity gala for the firefighters intent on getting revenge against the fire chief for not sending backup in the night of his injury. Although Oliver saves the chief, Garfield commits suicide by burning himself. Detective Lance discovers Laurel's deception and plants a listening device on the phone to monitor her communications with the vigilante.
11	11	"Trust But Verify"	Nick Copus	Gabrielle Stanton	January 23, 2013 (2013-01-23)	2J7311	3.14
After an armored truck is robbed, and the drivers killed, Oliver believes that one of the thieves is ex-marine Ted Gaynor, an individual from his target list. Diggle dismisses Oliver's assumption, as Gaynor was Diggle's commanding officer during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan and saved Diggle's life. Oliver goes after Gaynor regardless and steals encrypted data, but Diggle intercedes and prevents Oliver from getting any information directly from Gaynor. The data is revealed to be plans for robbing armored trucks, which Oliver uses to track and stop the thieves during their next heist. Oliver informs Diggle that Gaynor was not at the heist, but someone from his security firm was. While investigating, Diggle learns that Gaynor was the mastermind behind the robberies, and is forced to join Gaynor's team to recoup the money they lost on the previously failed heist. Diggle backs out of helping Gaynor, who attempts to kill Diggle in retaliation. Oliver arrives in time and kills Gaynor before he can succeed. Afterward, Oliver apologizes for not trusting Diggle more, citing his time of the island when his trust was violated by Yao Fei, who is revealed to have been working with Fyers all along. Meanwhile, believing her mother is cheating on Walter, Thea ingests a new drug, "Vertigo", and crashes her car while speeding. She is subsequently arrested by the police for driving while under the influence.
12	12	"Vertigo"	Wendey Stanzler	Wendy Mericle & Ben Sokolowski	January 30, 2013 (2013-01-30)	2J7312	2.97
At her arraignment, Thea attempts to enter into a plea bargain with the district attorney, but determined to set an example for the Vertigo drug dealers, the judge dismisses the plea and orders the charges brought to trial. In an attempt to help Thea, Oliver begins working on tracking down the supplier; he eventually discovers that the supplier goes by "The Count", and he arranges a meeting through his contacts with the Russian mob. The meeting is broken up by the police, and the Count injects Oliver with a concentrated dose of Vertigo when the latter attempts to follow him. While overdosing, Oliver has flashbacks to the island, and Yao Fei pretending to kill him in front of Fyers so that he can help Oliver to escape captivity. Diggle takes Oliver back to his hideout and uses medicinal herbs Oliver brought back with him from the island to fight the drug overdose. Afterward, Oliver has the drug analyzed and uses the ingredients to track the location of the Count. As the vigilante, Oliver is able to confront the Count and inject him with his own drug just as the police arrive as well. Laurel persuades her father to pull some strings and get Thea 2 years of probation and 500 hours of community service, which she begins serving at Laurel's legal office. Additionally, Felicity shows Oliver the list of names that Walter discovered, and informs him that they came from his mother.
13	13	"Betrayal"	Guy Bee	Lana Cho & Beth Schwartz	February 6, 2013 (2013-02-06)	2J7313	2.96
Oliver confronts his mother about the list of names, but she denies any knowledge. Diggle does not trust Moira and decides to look into her daily activities. Oliver has flashbacks to his time on the island, where he met Slade Wilson, an Australian Intelligence operative who came to the island to free Yao Fei. Laurel enlists the help of the vigilante when criminal Cyrus Vanch is released from prison on a technicality. Oliver acquires evidence that could put Vanch back behind bars, but Vanch discovers what the vigilante is up to and kidnaps Laurel in an attempt to kill the vigilante and take leadership over the city's gangs. Detective Lance and the vigilante team up to save Laurel, as Lance realizes that Vanch has contacts on the police force and that was how he learned of Laurel working with the vigilante. The pair save Laurel, with Oliver stopping Lance from killing Vanch as revenge for kidnapping Laurel. In order to protect Laurel, Oliver decides that she can no longer have contact with the vigilante. Diggle presents evidence to Oliver that his mother is connected to the group he is hunting, and that she also knew that his father's yacht was sabotaged and kept it to herself. In response, Oliver decides to interrogate his mother again, but this time as the vigilante.
14	14	"The Odyssey"	John Behring	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim	February 13, 2013 (2013-02-13)	2J7314	3.29
While confronting his mother, Oliver lets his guard down and Moira manages to grab a gun and shoot him. Seeking out Felicity for help, Oliver exposes his secret and asks Felicity to take him to his hideout. With Diggle's help, the bullet is removed and Oliver is stabilized. While unconscious, Oliver has a flashback to his time on the island. Slade Wilson begins training Oliver for an assault on a supply aircraft, which Slade intends to use to escape the island. He also informs Oliver that the man who tortured him was Slade's partner, Billy Wintergreen. He betrayed Slade and joined Fyers. After successfully infiltrating the airstrip, Slade reveals plans to send in an airstrike to wipe out all of Fyers's operation. Oliver heads out to find Yao Fei and save him from the airstrike, but he is recaptured by Fyers. Before he can be executed, Slade arrives, rescuing Oliver and killing his old partner. Although they missed the supply aircraft, Slade and Oliver decide to continue to work together to stop Fyers and get off the island. It is also revealed that Yao Fei changed sides for the safety of his daughter, Shado (Celina Jade), who is held captive by Fyers. Back in the present, Felicity agrees to join Oliver and Diggle, but only until they find Walter. Diggle agrees to back off from pursuing Moira following Oliver's demands, but he is still skeptical of his mother's connection to his father's list of names.
15	15	"Dodger"	Eagle Egilsson	Beth Schwartz	February 20, 2013 (2013-02-20)	2J7315	3.15
Oliver learns of a jewel thief named "Dodger", who uses hostages tagged with bomb collars to steal for him, who has come to Starling City. Felicity suggests that Oliver bug the phone of Detective McKenna Hall, an old friend of Oliver's, to gain information on the Dodger. She also convinces Oliver to ask Detective Hall out on a date so that he can have some down time. The date prompts flashbacks to the island, and Oliver recalling a time where he came upon another individual who was beaten and tied up, but refuses to help for fear that it is a trap set by Fyers. Through the wire tap, Oliver is able to determine the Dodger's next location, but is stunned by a bomb thrown by the thief, who subsequently gets away. To draw out the Dodger, Oliver donates antique jewels to a local auction. It works, but Felicity is caught tracking the thief, who places a bomb collar on her as insurance in his getaway. Oliver manages to stop the Dodger and deactivate the collar. Meanwhile, Moira attempts to make a deal with China White to have Malcolm killed, so that she can leave the secret organization and get Walter back.
16	16	"Dead to Rights"	Glen Winter	Geoff Johns	February 27, 2013 (2013-02-27)	2J7316	3.17
Oliver stops a hired gunman called Guillermo Barrera who comes to Starling City, but must enlist Felicity to decipher the assassin's phone and determine who the target was. China White hires Deadshot, who is revealed to have survived Oliver's shot with an arrow, to take out Malcolm Merlyn after the previous gunman was stopped by the vigilante. Meanwhile, Malcolm asks Tommy to attend an award ceremony where Malcolm will be receiving a humanitarian award; after much reluctance, Tommy is pursuaded to attend by Oliver. At the last moment, Oliver discovers that Malcolm is the target and races to the event to save him. Although he is almost caught by Detective McKenna, Oliver manages to get Malcolm away from China White's men. While in an office, Malcolm is shot with one of Deadshot's poison tipped bullets, and Oliver is forced to reveal his identity to Tommy in order to secure his trust so that he can save Malcolm's life. Afterward, Malcolm informs Moira that he believes someone from the organization attempted to kill him and entrusts her to identify the culprit. Elsewhere, Laurel is confronted by her mother, Dinah, who reveals that her sister might be alive. During a flashback, Oliver is shown repairing a damaged radio from Slade's downed aircraft, which Slade uses to tune into the radio communications of Fyers and his men.
17	17	"The Huntress Returns"	Guy Bee	Jake Coburn & Lana Cho	March 20, 2013 (2013-03-20)	2J7317	3.02
Helena returns to Starling City to kill her father after she learns that he plans to make a deal with the F.B.I. for a pardon on his sentence and witness protection. Helena asks Oliver for help, but when he refuses she attacks Tommy to force his assistance. The pair go after a set of armored trucks, but Helena is captured by the police when it is revealed to have been a trap. Oliver breaks her out of police custody to protect his secret and demands that she leave Starling City. Instead, Helena forces Felicity to find her father's location. Oliver discovers the truth and manages to stop Helena from killing her father, but when McKenna arrives, Helena shoots her and escapes. In the hospital, McKenna reveals to Oliver that she plans to move to Coast City for her rehab, effectively ending their relationship. Meanwhile, Tommy struggles with his knowledge of Oliver's secret, which in turn affects his relationship with Laurel. Dinah presents her evidence of Sara's existence to her ex-husband and Laurel. In a flashback to the island, Oliver and Slade steal a circuit board to a missile launcher from Fyers and attempt to leverage it as a means to get off the island.
18	18	"Salvation"	Nick Copus	Drew Z. Greenberg & Wendy Mericle	March 27, 2013 (2013-03-27)	2J7318	2.65
Another vigilante, who goes by "The Savior", appears in Starling City and kidnaps one of Oliver's targets, a slum lord who recently had criminal charges dropped against him because he was able to pay off the District Attorney. The Savior forces the slum lord to confess his atrocities, only to shoot him dead over a live internet broadcast. When The Savior kidnaps the District Attorney, and broadcasts his interrogation, Felicity attempts to track his location for Oliver. The signal continues to move and keeps Oliver from being able to save the attorney. The Savior goes after Roy next, whom he deems as just another gangbanger. Diggle realizes that The Savior is using an abandoned subway car to travel around the city, and Oliver is able to catch the subway car and stop the Savior before he can kill Roy. Afterward, Oliver realizes the secret organization's plans involve The Glades, a neighborhood filled with poverty and crime. Meanwhile, Laurel proves to Dinah and her father, who now believes his daughter survived, that Sara did indeed die when the yacht sank. Malcolm contacts the Triad to determine who tried to kill him. Moira turns over her co-conspirator Frank Chen to Malcolm, who, dressed in his archer attire, kills Chen and thanks Moira for her loyalty. The flashback to the island shows that Oliver and Slade freed Yao Fei's daughter, but at the cost of Fyers reacquiring the circuit board.
19	19	"Unfinished Business"	Michael Offer	Bryan Q. Miller & Lindsey Allen	April 3, 2013 (2013-04-03)	2J7319	2.92
After a girl dies from using a new form of Vertigo, Oliver sets out to interrogate the Count and determine who is dealing drugs in the Glades. Oliver quickly determines the Count has lost his mind from the Vertigo overdose he received from Oliver months prior. When news reports state that the Count escaped the facility shortly after he left, Oliver suspects that the Count was faking his mental illness. Meanwhile, Detective Lance finds loose connections between Tommy and Vertigo, and attempts to uncover the truth, which almost leads him to discovering Oliver's hideout. Fortunately, Tommy has all of Oliver's gear stored so that Lance does not find anything. Tommy eventually quits the club after realizing that Oliver did not trust that he had nothing to do with any drug dealing; this leads Tommy to ask his father for a job. Felicity isolates an anti-psychotic compound in the drug, and Oliver realizes that the Count's psychiatrist is the one really behind the re-emergence of Vertigo. Oliver stops the doctor, and opts not to kill the Count, who truly lost his mind from the Vertigo overdose and was the unwitting scapegoat of the doctor's actions. Afterward, Oliver decides to help Diggle track down Deadshot, who was responsible for the death of Diggle's brother. In a flashback, Yao Fei's daughter, Shado, begins training Oliver to use a bow.
20	20	"Home Invasion"	Kenneth Fink	Ben Sokolowski & Beth Schwartz	April 24, 2013 (2013-04-24)	2J7320	3.10
Laurel represents the Moore family who are suing a corrupt businessman, Edward Rasmus (Al Sapienza), who cheated the family out of their life savings, but a hit is put out on the family, and the couple's young child is the only one to survive. Laurel takes the boy into her custody until his extended family can be reached, but the hitman (J. August Richards) comes after the boy, who can identify him. Laurel is saved by the vigilante, and Tommy suggests that they all go to Oliver's for protection while the police look for the hitman. A sting operation headed up by A.R.G.U.S is set to capture Deadshot, but Oliver chooses to locate the man responsible for hiring the hitman instead of stopping Deadshot. Feeling betrayed by Oliver for choosing Laurel over him, after Oliver agreed to help Diggle kill Deadshot, Diggle decides to leave Oliver. After killing his client, the hitman comes to the Queen residence to kill all remaining witnesses, but Oliver manages to kill him before he can get to Laurel and the boy. Afterward, Tommy decides to leave Laurel, believing that he could never compete with Oliver should she ever discover that he is the vigilante. Elsewhere, Roy continues his search for the vigilante, and Thea agrees to help after seeing how important it is to him. During a flashback to the island, Shado teaches Oliver to shoot a bow but before his skills can be used as their cover, Yao Fei brings Fyers' men to their hideout to capture them all.
21	21	"The Undertaking"	Michael Shultz	Jake Coburn & Lana Cho	May 1, 2013 (2013-05-01)	2J7321	2.89
Oliver tracks down an accountant, Backman, for the secret organization and steals his laptop in order to redistribute all of his money back to the people he stole from. While decrypting the laptop, Felicity uncovers a link to Walter—a $2 million transfer was made to Dominic Alonzo, an underground casino owner who was hired to kidnap Walter. With Felicity posing as a card sharp, the pair infiltrate the casino; after being beaten and threatened, Alonzo reveals that Walter was killed. Oliver informs his family; Moira immediately confronts Malcolm, who reveals that Walter is alive. Oliver, who was listening in, discovers that Tommy's father is heading the secret organization, and uses Felicity to hack into his phone records to ascertain Walter's location. As the vigilante, Oliver frees Walter and reunites him with the family. Meanwhile, Laurel goes to Tommy to get the truth about why he left, and Tommy reveals that he believes she is meant to be with Oliver, who still loves her. In a flashback, Robert Queen is shown disagreeing with Malcolm's proposed "Undertaking", which would involve leveling the Glades and kill thousands of people in an effort to rebuild the area and remove the crime. As a result, Malcolm has a bomb planted on the Queens' yacht just before Robert and Oliver set off.
22	22	"Darkness on the Edge of Town"	John Behring	Drew Z. Greenberg & Wendy Mericle	May 8, 2013 (2013-05-08)	2J7322	2.62
Malcolm Merlyn, in his archer costume, goes to Unidac Industries to tie up loose ends by murdering scientists that worked on the seismic device that will be used to level the Glades. Oliver and Diggle devise a plan where Diggle dresses as the vigilante and kidnaps Oliver and Moira in an attempt to uncover the truth about the Undertaking. The plan works and Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle break into Merlyn Global to hack the mainframe and find the device. Oliver convinces Tommy to get back together with Laurel, but when he learns that he could give up being the vigilante if he stops the Undertaking, Oliver decides to reconcile with Laurel himself; later, Tommy witnesses Oliver and Laurel becoming physically intimate. That night, Diggle goes after the device, but Malcolm learns of the system hack and has the device moved. The vigilante attempts to kill Malcolm, who reveals to the vigilante that he is the other archer; the two fight and Malcolm gets the upper hand, discovering Oliver's secret. Meanwhile, Walter reveals that he knew that Moira was part of his kidnapping and gives her divorce papers as a result. In a flashback, Fyers reveals that he plans to cripple the Chinese economy by blowing up aircraft going into China. Fyers then murders Yao Fei after forcing him to take credit for the attacks via video recording.
23	23	"Sacrifice"	David Barrett	Story by: Greg Berlanti Teleplay by: Marc Guggenheim & Andrew Kreisberg	May 15, 2013 (2013-05-15)	2J7323	2.77
Malcolm imprisons Oliver and leaves him to die, hung from chains, but he manages to escape and return home. In a flashback, Fyers fires a missile at an approaching airliner, but Oliver and Shado manage to override the coordinates and destroy the missile. Afterward, Oliver kills Fyers. In the present, Oliver confronts his mother about the Undertaking, which prompts her to hold a press conference and reveal to the city her involvement with Malcolm and the plan to destroy the Glades. Tommy sees the press conference, and Malcolm reveals that he is the other archer to the dismay of his son. Detective Lance, with help from Felicity, is able to dismantle the earthquake device. Diggle and Oliver go after and mortally wound Malcolm, who gloats that there is a second device shortly before he dies. The device activates and begins to level the east side of the Glades. Thea goes into the Glades to save Roy, who heroically works to help others who are trying to escape the earthquake. Laurel is trapped in her office at CNRI, but Tommy arrives to rescue her. Laurel escapes, but Tommy is caught by falling debris. Oliver arrives too late; Tommy is fatally wounded and dies after apologizing and thanking Oliver, after the latter lies about not killing Malcolm to comfort Tommy.

Season 2

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code	U.S. viewers (million)
24	1	"City of Heroes"	John Behring	Story by: Greg Berlanti Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim	October 9, 2013 (2013-10-09)	2J7451	N/A
25	2	"Identity"	Nick Copus	Ben Sokolowski & Beth Schwartz	October 16, 2013 (2013-10-16)	2J7452	N/A
26	3	"Broken Dolls"	Glen Winter	Marc Guggenheim & Keto Shimizu	October 23, 2013 (2013-10-23)	2J7453	N/A
27	4	"Crucible"	Eagle Egilsson	Andrew Kreisberg & Wendy Mericle	October 30, 2013 (2013-10-30)	2J7454	N/A
28	5	"League of Assassins"	Wendey Stanzler	Jake Coburn & Drew Z. Greenberg	TBA	TBA	N/A
29	6	"Keep Your Enemies Closer"	Guy Bee	Ben Sokolowski & Beth Schwartz	TBA	TBA	N/A

Reception

Critical reception

Season one received favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 73 out of 100, based on reviews from 25 critics. Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times called the series an interesting setup with a quality look, describing Amell as "a poster boy (no doubt literally) for the Katniss Everdeen set." Brian Lowry at Variety described the series as a handsome but stiff surrogate for Batman that could benefit from sharper execution.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Outcome
2012	Satellite Award	Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Genre	Arrow	Nominated
	IGN Awards	Best TV Hero	Stephen Amell/Arrow	Nominated
2013	People's Choice Awards	Favorite New TV Drama	Arrow	Nominated
	NewNowNext Awards	Best New Indulgence		Nominated
		Cause You’re Hot	Stephen Amell	Nominated
	Saturn Awards	Best Youth-Oriented Series on Television	Arrow	Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Nominated
		Choice TV Breakout Show		Nominated
		Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi	Stephen Amell	Nominated
		Choice TV Breakout Star		Nominated
		Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi	Katie Cassidy	Nominated
	Canadian Society of Cinematography Awards	Cinematographer Awards for TV Drama Cinematography	Glen Winter csc, Arrow (Pilot)	Won
	Broadcast Music, Inc.	BMI Television Music Awards	Blake Neely	Won
	TV Guide Award	Favorite New Series	Arrow	Won

Release

Broadcasting

Arrow premiered on The CW network October 10, 2012, during the 2012–13 television season. The series was also released in Canada on the same day. Arrow then premiered internationally in South Africa on October 19, 2012, and then on October 22, 2012 throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and Latin America. It later premiered in India on January 23, 2013, and in Australia on May 1, 2013.

Home release

Arrow: The Complete First Season will be released in Region 1 on September 17, 2013, Region 2 on September 23, 2013. and Region 4 on October 2, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Arrow at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show