Back in the day, thinking that a superhero show like Arrow could make it big in the small screens was nothing short of a pipe dream. Who would have thought that an obscure superhero like the Green Arrow could become so famous in such a short time? Oliver Queen is a household name among the TV viewing community, thanks to The CW and its massively acclaimed Arrowverse, a superhero shared universe for the TV Screens.
The story seemed so cool – a billionaire, careless playboy ends up on a desolate island where he learns how to fight, survive and knows more about his past. These revelations soon make him into a spirit of vengeance, a lean mean killing machine that decides to get back to his city and wash up the filth left behind by the various criminals eating at the core of Star City’s foundation.
An awesome lead actor supported by an equally talented supporting cast helped make the show a juggernaut in terms of popularity. “You have failed this city!!!” became the most famous battle cry soon after the Arrow Season 1 graced the televisions.
But after 6 seasons (some brilliant, some not so much), Arrow has become truly mediocre. The show that started the Arrowverse has started to lose its charm. Failing ratings and fledgling TRP now is a greater enemy to the Arrowverse than the supervillains that reside within it. Here are the reasons why the Arrow should be canceled after its planned 7th Season run….
The First Five Years:
The first season of the Arrow was arguably the best, closely followed by its second season. The reason? The concept of a TV Superhero was still new and afresh. Oliver Queen became so famous not just he could kick ass and be a billionaire at the same time. He did it with style, panache and behind a mask. The first and foremost rule of a superhero Vigilante is – Never reveal your identity to people more than the number of fingers in your left hand. Season 1 and Season 2 held that rule sacred. But after that, all things went to hell. An ever changing team and almost everyone he knows aware of Queen’s identity has made the Arrow show look and sound stupid.
The Show has lost the edge
Season 6 is starting to use plot elements that have been rigorously tried and tested in previous seasons. Diggle takes over the team as the new leader, Oliver leaves the mantle of the Hood to tend to his personal needs, somebody within the team is a Trojan horse – all are ideas that have been used in Arrow in the past. Season 5 was an improvement but it rating still saw a 29% drop is views. Season 6 saw another 17% drop in overall ratings. The only point where the Arrow saw a rise in rating was in the Crossover arcs. Even still, this season’s crossover ratings were 31% lower than the previous Dominators’ arc.
Time to quit while you are ahead
The Arrow was, is and will always be considered as the father of modern superhero television. It will still be credited as the one that started it all. But stretch it longer and it will lose even that status. All good things come to an end. Oliver started out as the Green Arrow to wage a crusade against the criminal elements of Star City and help him achieve peace in his own personal life. Both of that have been mostly achieved. Oliver Queen is now a father to a son, husband to a wife and Mayor to an entire city he vows to protect. He does not need to be the Green Arrow anymore because he can do everything he could without putting on the Hood and risking his family anymore. It is time to finally give Oliver Queen his happy ending.
Shows like Black Lightning are the future of CW
It is a fact that Black Lightning came into being out of a simple complaint that there are too many white and male superheroes in the Arrowverse. The CW needed to expand itself to include leads that were female and/or POC. Black Lightning is a welcome addition to the Arrowverse. Super Girl is another. The Arrow should get cancelled so that there is a chance for other superheroes to shine. Oliver could still make a cameo or guest appearances when there are crossover arcs. That way Oliver Queen could have a better impact on the Arrowverse – he not only created the Arrowverse, he stepped aside so that it could have a future.
Who could take over The Arrow’s place?
The Arrow needs to have a successor. That much is a given. But heir to the Oliver Queen must be someone without metahuman superpowers of his own and someone that has deep connections to the show. Colton Haynes comes to mind. His character of Roy Harper is extremely popular among the fans. He is rumored of being considered for the new Red Hood and the Outlaws spinoff show reportedly in the cards. John Diggle, if all the rumors about an Arrowverse Green Lantern are true, could become the new protector of Coast City. Another candidate (although a long shot) would be Deathstroke. If Manu Bennett could reprise his role as the one eyed swashbuckling demon of death, the Arrowverse’s future stays bright.
The Arrow airs on Thursdays on The CW channel.
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