Team GATV Roundtable: Looking Back At The First Half Of Arrow Season 4

What is the biggest surprise you’ve had so far with Arrow Season 4?

DEREK: Everything that works! And I don’t mean that to be a backhanded compliment — it’s just that we were so burnt out from stuff like the League/Lazarus Pit mysticism, Sara dying and getting resurrected, and Olicity from the last couple of years that it seemed disheartening to have the show go back to them so thoroughly. And yet, Thea’s Lazarus Pit arc and the sparse use of the League have led to good character work and a stronger aura of the mystical outlining the season. The road to Sara’s resurrection and the consequences have been brutal, and the characters voiced the same complaints in-universe that we did. Oliver and Felicity have a functional, entertaining relationship that serves them as characters instead of getting milked for melodrama. There have been ample doses of self-awareness and acknowledgements of previous mistakes in all cases, and they’ve been organically justified or course-corrected without the show being too cheeky or self-indulgent about them.

MATT: I think the biggest surprise of the season has been the way that they’ve genuinely been able to fold this lighter approach into the series without destroying the DNA that makes up the series. Oliver being happy and cracking wise has strengthened the character, playing even further on Stephen Amell’s natural charisma. It’s a strong move as they’re leaning heavily on the public Oliver Queen. It’s also seemed to bind everyone on Team Arrow closer together.

STEPHANIE: What’s surprised me the most is how they’ve managed to weave the backstory of characters we already know into the present day situation. I did not expect John Constantine to pop up on Lian Yu, and yet with all the weird stuff that’s happened on that island, Constantine fits right in. On the other hand, Andy Diggle’s resurrection and connection to H.I.V.E. has been less of a pleasant surprise. I like the potential that his character carries to help Team Arrow out of a jam (if the writers go that route), and David Ramsey has done exceptional emotional work, but Andy’s return doesn’t feel all that necessary at the moment.

CRAIG: Oliver running for mayor was certainly a surprise that I didn’t see coming. I probably also didn’t expect him to call himself “Green Arrow” so soon. Both are great surprises.