Team GATV Midseason Roundtable: Arrow Season 5 So Far

Which episode have you liked the most?

CRAIG: I’m going to have to go with the 100th episode, even if it goes against many of the things Arrow is setting out to be this year. Seeing familiar faces like Susanna Thompson and Katie Cassidy back on the show, as well as the participation of folks like Brandon Routh, Jamey Sheridan, John Barrowman, and Caity Lotz, was a really nice “greeting card” for those of us who have stuck around for all 100. It’s a sign of what the show was in the past as it pivots to the future and their next episodes, however many there may be. Episode 101, “What We Leave Behind,” was also very strong.

MELISSA: As you might guess, none have been favorites, even if I’ve enjoyed parts of each, but leaving the Crossover/100th episode out of the equation since that’s something different from the regular season, I have to say 5×09, “What We Leave Behind.”

Strong plotting, a genuinely surprising turn, and emotional content that left me excited for the first time for the next chapter on Prometheus and where the characters would go next, put this episode on the top of my list…even if rolled my eyes hard over “Laurel” showing up (How many times does the show have to say goodbye to her?) and the absurd way the team rushed to comfort Oliver, but not Felicity, the victim’s girlfriend.

MATT: I think episode 6, “So It Begins,” has probably been my fave of the season so far. We finally get to the true conflict of the season with Prometheus directly challenging Oliver. I liked the process of discovering Prometheus’ connections to Oliver, though I’m a bit torn on the reaction of the team to realizing that Green Arrow was the same man as the Hood/Arrow. And while it touched on past beats, the side storyline with Thea and Quentin was touching.

STEPHANIE: “Invasion.” I’m usually a little wishy-washy on dream sequences or alternate reality episodes because the “what could have been” idea can sometimes feel like a waste of time, but this one managed to ground itself it what actually happened by so effortlessly laying out these characters’ journeys – like Sara snapping from bubbly, supportive sister to stone-cold fighter within mere minutes.

“Human Target” was my second favorite. I haven’t seen the Fox series with Mark Valley, so this was a fun introduction to a character that I hope returns later in the season.