My wife and I have enjoyed the TV show Arrow, which follows a young vigilante hero doing his best to destroy crime in his city. Of course he is rich, handsome, etc. and every other girl seems smitten by him. But though his selfless fight against crime is admirable, his character has startling moral flaws that mar his hero image. I enjoy this show but HOLLYWOOD HAS CREATED A NEW BRAND OF HEROES AND HEROINES AND WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES.
Oliver Queen lived a promiscuous life prior to being marooned on “the island.” This fact is emphasized in the show and the characters laugh at it sometimes. It seems that they even disapprove of how Oliver was with his lady friends. But, truth be told, nothing in that respect has changed. Oliver sleeps with several girls in the course of the first two seasons. His lack of commitment is trumped up as a “necessary” negative in his isolated, double-life. Yet sadly we the viewers are not shown a man who can rise above temptation. He repeats his old sins but this time it seems he and those around him accept it as part of life.
The Vigilante started off with a willingness to outright execute criminals if he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were guilty. This aspect stood him aside from Gotham’s own Batman. Yet in season two the mood shifts and Oliver is unwilling to take a life… or so the script writers would have us believe. While this standard seems in some ways admirable, does anyone else find it odd that Oliver willingly takes out villains’ henchmen with his arrows but will not do the same to the kingpins?
Honorable? Maybe. His motivations are foggy at times, but Oliver does have a good heart. But wouldn’t it be awesome if we had portrayals of heroes who rise above their circumstances? Heroes who will not afford the temporary pleasure of a lady without genuine and lasting commitment. Heroes whose morals are not dictated by society but are ruled by the laws of God.
Question: What heroes and heroines do you love? Which ones do you despise or pity?
I’ve enjoyed Arrow as well (after I made peace with the horrible acting and the wishy-washy characterization of minor people like Diggle and Felicity in the beginning) and I really love Green Arrow comics. Part of why I enjoy the show is because it seems to be trying to portray the evolution of a killer into the honorable Green Arrow.
Ollie starts out this dark, murderous sort of Batman character calling himself “The Vigilante” and “The Hood” with grease over his eyes and arrows in his enemies’ chests. But he changes. I feel like it’s important to note that he does consistently avoid killing in the second season and spends most of his time dedicated to one girl (even if he’s having ungodly relations with her haha). He puts arrows through hands, knees, and the like of henchmen, but as far as I recall he doesn’t take them out and I get the feeling he genuinely cared about and was committed to Black Canary.
The Green Arrow of the comics is more upstanding anywho. DC has used him as the face of a lot of moral issues in the past and Ollie is consistently the heart of whatever league he’s a part of.
The writing for Arrow isn’t the best, so it’s hard to feel like he’s as upstanding as they try to say he is. But I’m thinking with the transition from Vigilante, to Hood, to Arrow, that this next season might bring us the “Green Arrow” with a golden goatee and firm moral values. ::end rant::
A “golden goatee and firm moral values” would be nice (-: Though I suspect that the producers will continue to blur the moral lines and even try to confuse them to appease their more liberal constituents.
I do look forward to seeing what they do in season 3.
I really enjoy the Flash, but lately it’s been getting worse because they’ve literally covered everything in this sinful world. It started it really good. Here’s to say I’m disappointed in “The Flash.” The acting is marvelous though.
I’ve only seen the first season of The Flash but I did think it was quite excellent.