Arrow S1/E05: "Damaged" Review

Arrow has been a certifiable hit for The CW, and "Damaged", the series' fifth episode, makes a pretty good case as to why. Picking up where the previous episode left off, Oliver has been arrested for being "the Hood" (what a ridiculous notion) by Detective Lance, who is not keeping his personal feelings separate from his work. As always, spoilers ahead.

Oliver's stint as a vigilante may be at an end as he had been caught on camera with some of his Green Arrow-gear...or not, most likely not, especially since getting caught is all a part of his larger plan. Flashing back to his time on the island, the show reveals the first time he shot an arrow (badly), how he met Deathstroke and recieved some of his first scars (painfully), and indicates that the Oliver of the old was not completely the selfish cad he had been indicated to be. In the present, however, Oliver has drafted Laurel as his defense attorney (despite the six or seven conflicts of interest) and is planning to throw a prison-themed party while under house-arrest. Meanwhile, Walter is uncovering some of his wife's dirty secrets, Moira is still dealing with the cryptic "well dressed man", Thea is becoming suspicious of Oliver, and Diggle dawns the hood while Oliver is trapped at home.

The series, though still maintaining a villain of the week, seems to be moving towards a more a serialized narrative. The focus in this episode is on character progression, with the taking down of a nasty arms dealer seeming to be more of an afterthought than anything. The only major character actually not receiving any sort of legitimate development is Tommy, who is onscreen only briefly. The episode's A-plot is predictable, though solidly handled, but the subplots are more surprising, which keeps the episode tense throughout.

The episode also addresses some issues with the characters I had noted from the previous episodes, and new wrinkles to characters at risk of becoming stale. Laurel has finally asked if Oliver suffered like she did during the five years he was on the island (he definitely did), which, for a character seemingly quite intelligent and compassionate, was overdue. Thea has become legitimately skeptical of Oliver's story, and appears to be researching the arrowhead "trinket" Oliver gave her, despite his assurances that it was bought at the airport. In addition, Moira may not be the villain she originally appeared and Walter seems to be a legitimately good fellow (which was a nice surprise). And maybe most importantly, this episode establishes that Diggle is going to be a partner, and not a sidekick: he had very little trouble donning the hood and stopping an arms deal all by himself.

Two of the highlights of "Damaged" were the fight scenes between Oliver's island mentor and a silent Deathstroke, as well as between Oliver and an assassin sent to take him out. The fight choreographer deserves special praise for the sequences: they lack the fast cuts and use of stunt doubles so common in television hand to hand sequences. There is also some good attention to detail: Oliver and Lao Fei, his mentor, both use a couple of the same moves during their bouts.

The acting on the show has improved as the characters have become more fleshed out, particularly the performance of Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen. Amell, who I had thought a bit wooden, ably plays the different versions of Oliver: the naive and immature Oliver of five years ago, the brutal and confident vigilante Oliver, and the light-hearted, slightly withdrawn Oliver he presents to his family and the world. Katie Cassidy, as Laurel, does good-work, though she tends towards the melodramatic. Willa Holland, as Thea, is doing a good job with the limited screen time she gets and Paul Blackthorne is solid in the somewhat thankless role of Detective Lance.

Arrow is improving as it goes, and considering it was good to start with, the CW may have something special on their hands should they keep up the good work.

8/10

Additional Notes:

• Laurel: "Ah, yes. I wore those horrible fishnets." (if only she knew the outfits to come)
• Oliver: "You know us billionaire vigilantes, we do love our toys."