I've Been Watching Arrow. Have You?

Dear Wal,

I sat down this morning, completely prepared to write a post about fanfiction. I was proud of myself for actually coming up with something to write about, since for the past few...months, my posts have been more than rare. They're on the endangered species list. Anyway, I was about to let my creativity flow happily into a post about one of my favorite subjects other than Batman, and then I realized I had already posted on this subject. Twice.
It's a good thing that I searched my posts before I started typing. Otherwise I would be in big trouble right now. This is the problem with having written over a hundred posts now: I've run out of stuff to talk about.

That's when I realized that I did have something to talk about-something I could ramble on about until the end of the world. Superheroes-or, more specifically, the new Green Arrow tv show on the CW.
The story is decent. The actors are great. The premise is interesting. The potential is fantastic.
Since this is my only frame of reference for live action superhero TV, I've got to compare it to Smallville. Arrow is basically a much darker (and much better, sorry to those diehard Smallville fans out there), Oliver Queen version of Smallville. Except, we aren't being forced to live through Oliver's highschool years (thank goodness). Instead, the story of the five years Ollie was abandoned on a deserted island is told alongside Ollie's current exploits in Starling City (...why didn't they just call it Star City?). This style of telling the story is much more pleasant than the way Smallville was set up. We don't have to wait ten seasons to see Ollie in tights and a hood.
Oliver's father, Richard, leaves him a journal that contains a list of names and all the information Oliver needs to hunt down and kill the members of a secret organization (as yet unnamed) who have been controlling the criminal element in Starling City. These people have their hooks in everything-drugs, guns, you name it. And there's a Russian mob. And a Chinese mob. Plenty of gangsters for everyone. Oh, and Deadshot. And the Royal Flush gang. And Deathstroke (!!!). And Huntress. And Tommy Merlyn is Ollie's best friend. Dead giveaway.
It's pretty obvious what WB is trying to do here. It's been done before in the comics many times: Green Arrow (or just the dude in the hood, or the Hood, as he's called on Arrow) as a replacement Batman. Starling City is pseudo Gotham. The two characters are similar (the arrow car, please spare me), but there are some key differences. For instance, Ollie actually has a sense of humor. That's my main problem with Arrow: Oliver's personality. He's completely cut off to the point that even the audience has trouble connecting with him. With the introduction of Huntress, this started to improve a little, but not much. Me, I prefer the Oliver from Smallville.
Spoilers be here, so I suggest you evacuate if you don't want to know.

For those of you who read the comics, you know who Merlyn is: Green Arrow's archenemy. Obviously, this is going to play out like Smallville, except not quite as obvious (everyone knows Lex Luthor, not so much when it comes Merlyn). Now, whether or not it's Tommy or Tommy's dad (It's Jack! O:) remains to be seen. At this point, I'm thinking Tommy's dad, since he's the evil leader of the evil organization of Starling City's rich and famous, but anything could happen. Judging by the preview for tonight's episode, I bet we're going to find out pretty soon.

Okay. It's safe now. You can look again.

How does he do that?! D8

Let me just say, I'm excited about this show. I can't wait to see where it's going, and I hope it doesn't get canceled (like The Cape, and failed wonder woman show) because it's freaking epic. Stephen Amell can do the most badass pull ups ever.



/endrant

P.S. One of four college classes to go, and I've deteriorated to the point that I'm having all-day Queen marathons. Someone save me, please.

P.P.S. IT WAS THE FATHER. I KNEW IT.