What I’m Watching: Arrow

Arrow: Season 1, Episode 4 “An Innocent Man” (B-)

One would think that Oliver could have jump-started his plan to save an innocent man on death throw more than just a few hours prior to his execution. I suppose he was on an island and he’s just catching up, but still, it did put plenty of pressure on him and nearly resulted in Laurel getting herself beaten to death in prison. Even worse, it appears to have gotten Oliver unmasked as the Green Arrow, though that seems somewhat silly so early on in the show, so maybe his arrest will instead serve to disprove his secret identity for the moment. Rob sure doesn’t have the same resolve or intelligence as his predecessor, and he got made to look like a fool a number of times in one short episode. Diggle, on the other hand, did some serious soul-searching, and with a clear head he’s now primed to be a strong ally for Oliver. It’s a shame that Laurel came so close to admiring the Green Arrow and now thinks he’s no more than a killer, thanks in no small part to the Chinese man on the island’s homework assignment that forced Oliver to kill a bird in order to eat. The previously useless Walter deserves some credit for not simply trusting his wife and instead looking into her claims, though it did mean we had to see more of the horribly annoying IT girl. Moira’s knowledge that the Green Arrow is pursuing people on her late husband’s list is bad news, since it can’t be long before someone connects the dots back to Oliver.