Arrow Review: “Draw Back Your Bow”

This week’s episode of Arrow shows just how common costumed characters are becoming in DC’s tv-verse.

Title: “Draw Back Your Bow”

Cast and Crew
Director: Rob Hardy
Writers: Wendy Mericle, Beth Schwartz

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
David Ramsay as John “Dig” Diggle
Colton Haynes as Roy Harper / Arsenal
Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer
Willa Holland as Thea Queen
Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance
Amy Gumenick as Carrie Cutter / Cupid
Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Michaels
Rila Fukushima as Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana
Nathan Mitchell as Isaac Stanzler
Nick Tarabay as Digger Harkness / Captain Boomerang
Jill Teed as Dr. Preznell
Austin Butler as Chase

Full cast and crew may be found here.

Premise

Ollie tracks down a deranged, killer vigilante—you know, the sort of person he used to be. Ray Palmer and Felicity move closer to each other, as Ray moves closer to becoming the Atom. And he’s not the only DC regular who puts in an appearance.

High Point

Arrow: What makes you think I need therapy?

Dr. Preznell: Apart from the mask and the Robin Hood costume?

In this joke, the episode acknowledges the contradiction at the heart of its premise.

Low Point

I know we’re expected to accept a fair bit when we watch a show about superheroes (starting with the fact of superheroes), but:

  • Felicity reacts with shock at the designer dress—of the sort she wears nearly every episode
  • Ollie doesn’t know what gaijin means.
  • The new disc jockey gets the crowd dancing immediately—and keeps the previously-dead party going by playing a song that is on every seventeen-year-old’s playlist

The Scores:

Originality: 2/6 The hero must deal with an imitator/crazed fan.

Effects: 5/6

Acting: 5/6 The regular cast are fine; our guest-villain, while deliberately over the top, still plays as too campy, clashing with the show’s somewhat moderated tone.

Story: 4/6: Many things happen in a disjointed episode that surrounds the main plot.

Emotional Response: 5/6 Katana shows her chops, Ray moves a little closer to becoming the Atom, and Captain Boomerang spins into action.

Production: 5/6

Overall: 4/6

In total, “Draw Back Your Bow” receives 30/42

3 replies on “Arrow Review: “Draw Back Your Bow””

  1. That was a good high point, but I also have to give a nod to “Sherwood Florist” as a location mentioned in the episode.

    I kinda liked Cupid. Or as I called her during the episode, Overly Attached Arrowfriend. She was a bit over-the-top and campy, but I didn’t see that as a bad thing. I’m curious now if she’ll turn back up the next time they have a Suicide Squad episode.

    Agreed on all the low points, too, especially the DJ part. Knowing this show, the DJ is probably evil in some way of course.

    • “Overly Attached Arrowfriend.” Better than “Not-OK Cupid,” I think! I found her a little too much– but shows have to let loose sometimes, and it’s always tricky to know how far to go in a show that’s not quite realistic in the first place.

  2. I’m kinda sad they didn’t save this for a Valentine’s Day episode.

    The DJ thing was a bit silly, but I’ll give it Artistic License because I think the pacing had they done’ that naturally might not have worked. That said, he sounded just as bad to me as the guy before. There’s a reason I don’t go to clubs. Well, there are many reasons I don’t go to clubs. But this is not about me.

    You know, that dress didn’t do it for me. Or maybe it was the hairdo. I dunno. Felicity just didn’t look that good in it.

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