This is the season that finally broke the fans, prompting the loyal fan base for “Arrow” on reddit to turn a group devoted to the series in to a group about “Daredevil.” The CW and Warner are at a really tough crossroads with “Arrow,” where they somewhat seem hell bent on sticking with what doesn’t work with the series, while pulling back on what does. Yes, they reward fans by bringing back John Constantine from the hell of cancelled television to resolve his television storyline, but he’s on for only two episodes. When Oliver Queen and company find themselves battling the evil Damian Darhk who is all powerful thanks to a supernatural relic, the answer invariably pops up: “Why isn’t Constantine helping them?”
Beyond that, the show has continued pumping out Oliver Queen flashbacks that offer nothing to the series, and bring down the momentum of the season arc to a screeching halt. As well, the big centerpiece of the show is still Oliver and his relationship with Felicity Smoak. The once adorable brainy sidekick to Oliver is almost given equal time during season four, ad nauseum. With the introduction of her mother, and her estranged dad who happens to also be a hacker with the ability to take down the government with the click of a mouse, the series inexplicably drops down on Smoak and her problems when we really should be focusing on the plight Oliver Queen is facing. Neal McDonough is at least great as season four’s villainous Damian Darhk, a very ruthless monster in a tweed suit who has big plans for civilization, and wants to stop Oliver Queen and his group of vigilantes at all costs.
He does so with a ton of resources at his disposal including a slew of cult like soldiers named “Ghosts.” There’s also the Charlotte Ross who is both devilishly sexy and complex as Felicity’s mother Donna. “Arrow” introduces something of a gimmick in season four, presenting the big death of a major character in the series, and the delivery is quite powerful even though the build up leaves a lot to be desired. Along the way season four makes some strides with some fun turns, despite its inherent failings. There’s the return of Roy Harper, the appearance of heroine Vixen, and yet another team up with Team Flash to help realize the powers of Kendra Saunders who’d turn in to Hawkgirl. The highlight though is the introduction of Curtis Holt, as played by Echo Kellum, who is charming and a lot of fun as Mister Terrific, a confidant for Felicity who begins to slowly prove himself as a fledgling superhero in his own right.
While season four is “Arrow” in its lowest point yet, it’s worth watching if only for some really good strides it makes with new characters, and developments with long established characters. The four disc Blu-Ray release from Warner features a Digital release to redeem allowing consumers to redeem every episode. On Disc One, there are three deleted scenes clocking in at almost five minutes total. On Disc two, there’s “Star Crossed Hawks,” an eleven minute discussion about Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Vandal Savage, their massive history in DC comics, and how they’re all inserted in to the DC Television Universe.
“Star Crossed Hawks: The Hunt for Vandal Savage” is an eleven minute look at Hawkman and Hawkgirl nemesis Vandal Savage, his various portrayals over the years, and his new iteration on the shares “The Flash,” “Arrow,” and “Legends of Tomorrow” series. There’s also a deleted scene. Disc three brings three deleted scenes clocking in at almost three minutes, while Disc Four features Arrow: 2015 Comic-Con Panel. It’s a twenty three minute visit with the cast of the series. There’s “Smooth Criminal: The Damien Darhk Story” a fifteen minute exploration of the season four mega-villain, his origin in the comics, and his iteration on “Arrow.” Finally, there’s a six minute gag reel, and finally a ten minute reel of Delete Scenes.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.”