Team GATV Midseason Roundtable: Arrow Season 5 So Far

Are you happy with this year’s flashbacks?

MELISSA: Yes. I’ve been curious about his time in Russia and the Bratva since season one, so already I’m far more engaged than I have been since season one and two on the island. A big part of the credit goes to the return of Anatoly. He’s a wonderful foil for Oliver and the actor is brimming with personality. The flashbacks aren’t perfect, the pace has been slower than I’d prefer with so much remaining to be accomplished before Oliver becomes the Oliver we met in season one, but I remain optimistic about them. Several times this season, the flashbacks were the best part of the show.

MATT: I am, for the most part. There is a cohesive story, and more often than not they seem to be relevant to what we’re watching in the present. The only drawback to them is that it’s a bit of a slow crawl. Some of the scenes become interchangeable to me, which means they aren’t necessarily moving the story along.

STEPHANIE: Yes. So far, these flashbacks have been about Oliver’s journey, rather than someone else’s grand scheme that Oliver just so happens to get caught up in, and that’s making the Russia flashbacks infinitely more interesting.

CRAIG: Yes! I don’t think anyone would ever say they dislike Anatoly, and David Nykl adds a gravitas to it all. Again, it seems Arrow is being grounded, not too sci-fi, and giving us a personal story for Oliver to go through so we can see the last of his “five years in Hell.” So far, so good, though he’s got a big beard to grow.