Arrow knocks it out of the park with Huntress

Muse of Fire

‘Arrow’ knocked it out of the park by adding Huntress to its guest cast. Jessica De Gouw did an awesome job. Also, adding the always kickbutt Tahmoh ‘Helo’ Penikett doubly amped up the action.

 
 All I have to say to the Arrow writers, producers and directors is … damn! You guys are good!

Arrow continues to develop and deliver as a TV show. Each week, the writers introduce flaws in Ollie’s plans and present him with characters that mirror him in a bizarro way. This week, throwing Huntress into the fray continued Ollie’s development. Out of the bat-family, I always liked bathing-suit-cut-out Huntress the least. But, as a character, she contained an irrational rage. However, because Huntress was essentially bat-candy and Katie Cassidy played Laurel as the sassy girl next door, I had pretty low expectations for the character. Luckily, Jessica De Gouw hit it out of the ballpark, without ever playing the character as the sad little pretty girl. De Gouw’s portrayal hit every single angle that ever existed in the character from rage to sadness to an incredible loss without playing to a pre-established template. Seriously, when she cried in the end over her fiancee while whispering no one could know her secret, I saw the true Huntress that lurked in the comics, but most artists buried by focusing more on her body over her character.

All I have to say to the Arrow writers, producers and directors is … damn! You guys are good!

I have to hand it to the writers for not closing their eyes to Ollie’s weakness (or the weaknesses in the Bat-canon). They hit on my main issue with Huntress in the Batman comics world. Despite his cruelty, Batman viewed Huntress as a wild card. While she didn’t adhere to his law, I always saw their tactics as similar. Likewise, I view Arrow’s Ollie as a cold-blooded killer. Sure, he gives his main targets a chance, but he kills their henchmen without batting an eye.  At the end of the day, he only cares about his father’s vendetta and the 1% of Gotham. I never understood why he seemed so anti-Deadpool and now so anti-Huntress, when he does the same thing. Sure, he might’ve created a “code” for himself, but until he acknowledges that he kills people and realizes that a true hero tries to save everyone, not just the people related to him, he’s stuck in a tunneled mindset. So, bringing Helena on as an exact mirror of his life with Jessica De Gouw basically paralleling Stephen Amell’s deliberately empty portrayal rocks.

I love Helena’s introduction because the character’s honesty and Digg’s truth-talking all force Ollie to continue moving forward. While he feels his vendetta sets him apart from his family, in some ways, he’s still just a spoiled rich kid acting out. While Diggs points that out verbally, Helena, as Ollie’s mirror, points it out physically. (On a side note, I’m going to start calling Digg Alfred. At first I thought they planned on using him as Green Lantern, Green Arrow’s moral action buddy, but, considering Digg hangs out in the mansion wearing a suit, I think we know who he resembles most).

His family doesn’t want their late-twenties son to grow up?! WHAT?! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!

I don’t quite understand why Thea and Ollie’s mother seem determined to have the old Ollie back. Old Ollie sounds like a prick. He cheated on his girlfriend WITH her SISTER!!! He hung out with the smarmiest looking dude in town and was an entitled douche to everyone. Now, he no longer hangs around the house without anything to do. Plus, he wants to get a job and run his own business. Um, he sounds like an ADULT. And, his family doesn’t want their late-twenties son to grow up?! WHAT?! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?! If I lived at home at my age, hung around the house all day, used my family’s money, showed no desire to have a job, and hung out with bad influences, my family wouldn’t exactly smile at that.

Considering Thea is Speedy and Tommy is probably Merlyn, whenever Ollie does the opposite of what they want, it’s probably a good thing. On a side note, I have to congratulate the writers with the name-dropping. Last week, everyone inexplicably started using the Speedy nickname with Thea so we knew who she related to in the comic canon. Now, they’re doing the same with Tommy (where Laurel started calling him by a last name she previously never used). If a teenager’s angry that she has to stay home rather than clubbing in the middle of the week by herself, that’s a good thing. (Am I the only one who forgot she’s still in high school and isn’t of the voting age?) While I like Tommy’s softer side, a dude who’s angry that he has to get a job and can’t live off his parents is still a Scrub in my book. So, good on you, Arrow for the continuing development.

I’m glad Huntress will return next week and I’m glad they didn’t pencil her into a one-episode deal with an actress like De Gouw. The character and the writing accompanying her entrance get mega-props. The costume department equally deserves accolades. The simple silver cross and quiet black dress hit on Helena’s personality and core costume without any bells and whistles. Do I need to say anything about the awesome fight scenes that seamlessly intersected with the dialogue and character development? Nope. Because it’s perfect. Oh, and, casting Tahmoh “Helo” Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) as the boss’ right hand? Sheer awesomeness.

Good job, Arrow. Keep it up.

Photo Credit: CW

4 Comments on “Arrow knocks it out of the park with Huntress

  1. Note: Deliberate Fruedian slip! When I say Gotham, I mean Star City, of course ;)But, seriously, who else thought Huntress rocked in Muse of Fire for this week’s Arrow? Share your review!

  2. By Deadpool I’m assuming you meant Deadshot? Or was this another deliberate parallel to another comic book character?
    They did call Thea “Speedy” in the pilot, that was like my favorite part of the pilot. And Tommy and Ollie have called her that over the course of the last couple episodes-but they do seem to be using it more frequently. Still I will not be happy until she gets a little red hood and arrows and acquires a heroin problem.
    Has it dawned on anyone yet that maybe Tommy’s dad, and not Tommy, is going to be Merlyn? I mean, Merlyn in the comics is an archer as skilled as Green Arrow. Tommy really doesn’t seem like he could pull that off, but in this episode we see the elder Merlyn fencing!-perhaps a foreshadowing of his athleticism?
    I don’t think they mentioned his characters name yet have they? Could be Tommy Senior.
    And really Diggle is this show’s Kato (he even drives the limo!)-which at first pissed me off because they mixed up their green guys-but since that fat hippie Seth Rogen totally whized the entire possibility of a Green Hornet franchise down his leg , I guess it’s OK.
    Now for the Huntress-one word: “gulp!” she is like the hot T Mobile girl if the hot T-mobile girl were a blood thirsty vigilante! (and she may be ! we don’t know what she does in her spare time!) anyway, I instantly love the Huntess, but am starting to wonder how, if and when they are ever going to get Laurel into Black Canary mode.
    And I’m still anxiously awaiting the return of Slade.
    ..and the Mexican Maid lady from the pilot,-or could it be they’ve written her out?

    • I’d like to point out that the T-Mobile woman has become increasingly more Huntress-like with her leather biker outfit and motorcycle ;)

      While Thea is a hot mess, I like Willa Holland’s portrayal. But, considering she continues to booze it up, run around town and crush on her brother’s pushing-thirty friend, I’m quite certain we’ll see her hit the heroine sooner rather than later.

      Regarding Laurel hitting Canary mode, be patient! They have pushed so much into 7 episodes. I wonder what’s left for season one. So, I’m fine if they leave something for the second season ;)

      Deadpool is Marvel Assassin. Sorry, sometimes, the comic nerd in me slips through.

  3. the huntress fight scenes were very poor. she needs a trainer to make it look somewhat real

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