by Erin Hatch, Editor

The CW’s Arrow has been steadily gaining momentum since its debut two years ago, and while last spring’s dramatic finale tied up a lot of the ongoing story lines, the show returns for a third season and gets off to an explosive start. Despite the title, this episode is anything but calm, as Team Arrow continues to track down the criminals failing Starling City, while those criminals start fighting back. Oliver Queen’s personal life isn’t particularly tranquil either, as the former billionaire pushes to regain control of his company and explores the possibility of taking his romantic relationship with computer genius Felicity Smoak to the next level. Meanwhile, in flashback land, Oliver has escaped his island prison only to find himself trapped in an entirely new setting.

It has been months since Slade Wilson’s attempted overthrow of Starling City, and while the city is safer than ever, that doesn’t seem to have lightened the Arrow’s workload much. Working with Felicity, John Diggle, and a newly suited up Roy Harper, the team has been effective, but is showing signs of fatigue after fighting so long. Additionally, Diggle is nervously expecting a new daughter any day now, while Felicity is working a menial job in a gadget store to make ends meet. When a new iteration of the Count starts picking off his competition to become the city’s new kingpin, Oliver has to find a way to stop this drug lord before the collateral damage starts claiming any more lives.

There is some excellent action in the season premiere, and a promise of greater things to come, but some of the sub-plots get off to an awkward start as they try to find new material for the show. As much as it is refreshing to finally confront the relationship between Oliver and Felicity head-on, it also feels like the story isn’t entirely fleshed out. Oliver’s flashbacks to captivity in Hong Kong are also slightly ungainly, as they don’t really explain why he is being held, and while there is a connection between the flashbacks and the current events of the show, they feel kind of forced at this point. Other than that, there is little to dislike.

As far as the positive things that stood out in particular: Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Chuck) returns as Ray Palmer, a entrepreneurial scientist and inventor who shows up to prevent Oliver’s attempt at retaking control of Queen Consolidated. Routh has been great at acting like a glorious dick in some of his previous work, and it is fun to think what he might do in this part (though I hear Ray Palmer’s role gets a lot smaller as time goes on). A few old faces show up as well to keep things interesting and hint at the drama to come.

The episode shows that Arrow still has the potential to be just as great as seasons one and two (and if you haven’t watched those, you should do so; season 2 just came out on Netflix so it is easier than ever to watch), even if it might take some time for the new story lines to hit the same levels of excitement that it had by the end of last season. This episode was a fine start, and- if Arrow continues to be anything like previous seasons- it will only get better from here.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Arrow – “The Calm” four and a half explosive first dates out of five.

Check out our Arrow  – Season Three Interview with Stephen Amell:

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