Arrow: Ten Things About “Lone Gunmen”

News Recaps & Reviews Spoilers October 22, 2012 Craig Byrne

A sort-of advance review detailing ten things from this Wednesday's Arrow episode.

We’ve just gotten back from a screening of this week’s episode of Arrow, “The Lone Gunmen,” which airs in the United States and Canada on Wednesday, October 24.

Is it worth seeing?

Of course. Here are a few things to look forward to. We’re trying to keep this vague and non-spoilery, but be warned, some spoilerific comments might be within this advance sort-of review.

1. DC Universe shoutouts galore: Beyond Michael Rowe as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot and the already-revealed appearance of the Big Belly Burger chain, listen for a reference to a famous DC Universe country as well as the name of another one of the best Green Arrow comics artists. Geo-Force and Terra would be proud…

2. Diggle steals the show… again: One of my favorite parts of “Honor Thy Father” was the interaction between Oliver and Diggle, and this week, it happens all over again. They have a great banter and I’m hoping that Diggle learns Oliver’s secret sooner rather than later, so we can see them interacting more. Whoever it was that decided to cast David Ramsey in the role, deserves a raise, because Ramsey is fantastic.

3. More island flashbacks. We see more of what happened on the island, including more details about that green-hooded man on the island at the end of Episode Two.

4. Thea acts out. We get more of Thea’s rebellion, but we also see how the other characters respond to her a bit more. It’s funny; people might have initially wondered “Why did they give Oliver Queen a sister and an alive mother?” and this completely explains why. Moira Queen is given some fantastic material too; not so much moustache-twirling as it is being a caring mother in a very unique situation.

5. Destiny hinted. One character — not going to say who, because I don’t want to ruin the surprise — does something that definitely foreshadows their iconic fate. This show doesn’t waste any time.

6. Deadshot. Smallville envisioned Deadshot as a bit of a modern-day cowboy; Arrow’s take on the character contains a very true-to-form eyepiece and arm holster. With the holster, especially, Michael Rowe’s take on the character is definitely threatening and a worthy foe for the Arrow. I admit that I kind of wished for the silver mask; but hey, it’s Episode 3… maybe we could get it somewhere down the line? Regardless, this Deadshot doesn’t disappoint.

7. Shipper blahs. Am I a horrible fan if I’m not feeling the Oliver/Tommy/Laurel triangle? Maybe I’m just out of the demographic, or maybe I’m just waiting for Oliver to get together with a fellow crimefighter instead, whether it’s The Huntress or Laurel in fishnets. Don’t get me wrong, the show is great and the actors are good… I just want to get back to the action stuff and focus on Arrow taking back his city. Externally, the character Oliver Queen seems to agree with me, though internally, who knows if the whole situation is killing him inside. I guess we’ll have to give it a few more weeks to see what happens… for now I’m fine with Tommy and Laurel in their own little corner while Oliver does his thing on his own.

8. Action. It’s not Arrow without it, and there are some thrilling sequences.

9. Shirtless Stephen Amell. I’d say Stephen is missing his shirt for most of the first five minutes, ensuring that a good amount of audience tunes in at 8:00 and stays tuned in for more. No salmon ladder climbing but instead, some other grueling exercise.

10. Is it worth it? Yes. Arrow, in its third week, is now three-for-three as far as good episodes go. The show did a great job of bringing us Deadshot here, and I think most of the folks in the screening room this morning were dying for Episode Four.

The third episode of Arrow, titled “Lone Gunmen,” airs Wednesday night, October 24 on The CW. Here are some pics. Come talk Arrow on our forum!