"Green Arrow" Gets a CW Series

Yes, after rumors and discussion, Ollie Queen is getting his own TV show! That pilot we told you about was officially taken to series on Friday. Let’s take a look at the plot description, shall we? We’re sure it’s very faithful.

After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific.

OK, standard origin, so far, so good.

When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island.

“Starling” City? Also, who the hell are any of these people? Oh, wait, Tommy’s name is Tommy Merlyn. So we guess Merlyn the Magician was too corny?

…OK, actually, yeah, that is too corny.

While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance.

Why is Dinah going by her middle name? Also, what exactly is preventing our hero from just working in a soup kitchen or something? Presumably his family is flat-out evil; we’re assuming the Queen company’s tendency to make and sell munitions will come into play here, but come on.

As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory.

You can’t even call him “Green Arrow”, and he’s in a green costume. With a bow. Really? Also, is he a member of a mob family now? Please tell us he’s not a member of a mob family now.

By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness.

We’re guessing by that whole “careless philanderer” thing that Connor will be showing up sooner rather than later.

However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

In other words, they’re cribbing heavily from Spidey and Bats.

We didn’t really expect the CW to just adapt the Mike Grell comics or something, but sheesh, guys, at least with “Smallville”, you made a dim effort to cater to the fans. The choices here are just kind of weird, as if they weren’t allowed or didn’t want to use most of the associated characters from the Green Arrow books. What? Were they too old or something?

We’ll still watch this show, but we think the creators are making some strange choices here already, and it hasn’t even hit the air yet.

image courtesy the CW

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