New episodes of Arrow will begin this October and you can bet we're excited to see what the CW show will do next. We know Thea will bond and train with her father, Malcolm Merlyn, Roy will be a proper sidekick, Oliver will finally see if a relationship with Felicity can work, and Ray Palmer, a.k.a. the Atom, will enter the picture. That's barely scratching the surface of new plot points that have been revealed and we're obviously curious to see how it'll all be handled, but there's also a few things we'd really like to see.
Ra's al Ghul begins
Love or hate the series, we all know Arrow draws some inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and, let's be honest, it's mostly understandable since it's a really good trilogy. However, what we don't want to see is Ra's al Ghul feeling like a carbon copy of Liam Neeson's character in Batman Begins (yes, we heard the actor would reprise the role, but he's most likely too expensive and there's the concern that would cause some viewers confusion over continuity). There's a wealthy amount of commendable Ra's al Ghul stories from the comics that can serve as inspiration, so there's no good reason why Ra's al Ghul should make this feel like Batman Begins: The TV Series. Sure, the personality and overall objective can draw parallels, but the last thing we want to see is him just wanting to wipe Starling City off the map because it's the same way he felt about Gotham in Nolan's first Batman movie. How about setting the stage a little bigger with his agenda and Oliver somehow discovers the plan and becomes a nuisance to the Demon's Head -- one which has to be dealt with? Or maybe he sees potential in Oliver, but, to some, that may be drawing a little too closely to his dynamic with Batman in the comics. And, seeing as the show is no longer shying away from powers, who else would like to see Lazarus Pits introduced to Oliver's world? This way, Ra's can be as old, knowledgeable, and formidable as he should be.
An evergrowing universe
The CW series has delivered some major fan service by taking steps to expand its DC universe beyond Starling City, and we sincerely hope this is just the beginning of what this world has to offer. We know Arrow will have a crossover with The Flash and that's all kinds of exciting, but what about going beyond these two characters and their villains? Will the Suicide Squad be tasked to take on bigger threats -- threats which can allude to a much bigger world out there? What about other heroes and villains popping up outside of these two cities? Something like that is sure to make national news. Since we've now seen superhuman strength and speed, and we know The Flash will showcase even more powers (e.g. the Rogues), there's no strong reason why we can't see this show embrace more and more elements from DC's comic book universe. Little nods and Easter Eggs are good fun, but sprinkle more and more looks at the bigger picture and it's basically guaranteed many of us will stick around to see how it all plays out.
More Green Arrow, less Batman
As said above, it's understandable that Arrow draws elements from Nolan's trilogy, but this shouldn't feel like Green Arrow doing his best Batman impression. That's how some fans feel and there's definitely sequences here and there where that's a totally understandable opinion. So, let's see the show continue to embrace Oliver's mythos! There's no changing the fact Ra's is the big bad, but seeing as Merlyn is a key element, Count Vertigo is getting a new approach, Roy's in costume, and Komodo and Cupid are entering the picture, it definitely looks like they're heading in the right direction. Batman's rogues gallery is phenomenal, but many of us would rather see them turn Oliver's villains and supporting cast turned into legitimately interesting and engaging characters which can thrive without needing to bring in bigger names. It's unfortunate the very badass Constantine Drakon was removed so early on, but what's stopping them from introducing an up and coming crime lord named Brick?
More of the Suicide Squad
It was a seriously cheerworthy moment when it was announced that Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad would be heading to the CW show. They had a fun debut and there's so much potential with this group, but then they just sort of faded away and never played a significant role. It was terrific to see Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot, get more development, but Ben Turner, a.k.a. Bronze Tiger, kind of seems like he's just there for the occasional fight scene. Here's hoping they show more of Waller's team in Season 3 (fingers crossed they get to take on some members of the League of Assassins) and give Bronze Tiger more depth while still giving Deadshot a fair amount of love. These are cool characters and they most definitely deserve more time in the spotlight.
A more tactical Oliver
Arrow has a talented stunt team and we all like seeing a fight with great choreography, but when Oliver seems rushed to face someone like Bronze Tiger in hand-to-hand combat, you can't help but wonder what's going through his head. Now, we understand they want to excite us with some thrilling melees, but what makes Oliver standout is the fact he's such a superb marksman and has more than just regular arrows to fire. Obviously, he shouldn't end every and all encounter with some quick thinking and a trick arrow, but it would be nice to see him use them more frequently, especially when he discovers a hand-to-hand encounter isn't his best option.
Likable Laurel
Laurel Lance had a really rough time in this show and unfortunately, that's often led to her coming off as an unlikable character. Instead of drawing our empathy, it felt like she was becoming more and more frustrating. She's finally back on the right track and, seeing as the actress has been talking about training and we've seen hints of Laurel's bravery and potential as a combatant, it would be quite cool to see her step up and work her way towards becoming the next Black Canary. It shouldn't be a quick transition, but it would set her on a way more interesting and potentially fun path.
Arrow returns October 8 on The CW.
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