by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
The Arrow is back in action! After the exciting final battle against Deathstroke, Oliver has become a hero to the citizens of Starling City. New threats will require new heroes, as The Flash, The Atom, and the Black Canary get in on the action in the exciting third season. Does Oliver stand a chance against the coming of Ra’s al Ghoul and the League of Assassins? Can Team Arrow stop Danny “Brick” Brickwell from taking over the city? Why does Ray Palmer have such a vested interest in helping to save Starling City? And how does Oliver’s time in Hong Kong relate to the current state of affairs in present day? All questions will be answered with the blu-ray release of Arrow: The Complete Third Season!
Episode Highlights
“The Calm” – In the wake of the attack by Slade Wilson and his men, Starling City has begun to rebuild. Oliver finally gets to take Felicity on a proper date, but their evening will be put to the test as all hell breaks loose with the introduction of a new Count Vertigo. This episode also introduces viewers to Ray Palmer, who has put in a bid to take over Queen Consolidated, and also plans to launch a new campaign to rebrand the city. Finally, tragedy befalls Team Arrow, as one of their own is tragically taken from them without warning. Can Oliver find Sara’s murder before more casualties occur?
“The Brave and the Bold” – The epic crossover with The Flash continues! Following the thrilling events of “Flash Vs Arrow”, Team Flash arrives in Starling to help Felicity identify Sara’s murderer. Digger Harkness makes his first appearance, and it will take a full team-up to stop the deadly Captain Boomerang! This episode was my personal favorite of the season, and it was definitely a highlight seeing the two casts interact further. Make sure you watch the first part of this adventure on The Flash: The Complete First Season Blu-ray!
“The Climb” – Malcolm Merlyn’s plan stands revealed, and we learn that he had manipulated Thea into killing Sara! With Ra’s al Ghoul closing in on Sara’s murder, Oliver attempts to face the Demon’s Head in order to save his sister’s life. In one of the series most shocking cliffhangers, it appears that Oliver has met his match, and that his life has been claimed by Ra’s.
“Left Behind” – With Oliver M.I.A., Team Arrow attempts to protect Starling from the onslaught of violence created by Danny “Brick” Brickwell. Laurel finally steps up to the plate, and suits up in an altered version of her sister’s costume, and finally becomes the Black Canary! Oliver’s true fate will be revealed, and more ghosts from his past will reappear to save the day.
“Public Enemy” – Determined to have Oliver take over as Ra’s al Ghoul, the Demon’s Head reveals The Arrow’s secrets to Detective Lance. with his secret identity now public, Oliver must decide if he can leave his old life behind and take over the League of Assassins. Roy doesn’t take the plan so well, and outs himself as…THE ARROW!
“My name is Oliver Queen” – With Oliver’s plan in effect, Team Arrow manages to escape from certain death with a little help from The Flash! Having revealed his change of heart to be a ploy, Oliver fights against Ra’s to reclaim his life and protect his city from a catastrophic virus. Who will make it out alive? Who will suit up for the final battle? Will we finally see The Atom shrink??? Make sure you watch this episode before the big season four premiere next week!
Special Features
- Second Skins: Creating the Uniforms of Arrow with Costume Designer Maya Mani – Check out the creative process for designing all of the fantastic costumes on Arrow!
- Nanda Parbat: Constructing the Villain’s Lair with Production Designer Richard Hudolin – Go behind the scenes on the construction of Ra’s al Ghoul’s home.
- 2 Key Commentaries with Executive Producers Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle
- Arrow at Comic-Con 2014 – Did you miss out on Comic-Con 2014? The Arrow Blu-ray has you covered with a great recap of the event.
- The Man Beneath the Suit: The Atom’s First Flight
- Gag Reel
- Unaired Scenes
- Digital HD Ultraviolet Episodes
Overall
After pulling out all the stops for the second season of Arrow, fans knew that it would be a challenge to keep the momentum up with the newest installment of Oliver’s story. The third season of Arrow definitely had some incredible moments throughout the 23 episodes, but it was also burdened with a less than thrilling flashback story. The Hong Kong story ended up being more of a burden than a benefit to the narrative of the season, and viewers did become frustrated with the very thin storyline. The previous flashbacks had been used to parallel and enhance the present day story, but it took almost half the season to see any real payoff from this element.
Even with the challenges of the flashbacks, Arrow‘s third season is still a lot of fun, and continues to be one of the best one of the best shows on television. MVP awards for this season go to Willa Holland as Thea Queen, and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer. These two really added a great dynamic to the season, and proved to be very valuable characters. Stephen Amell once again pushes himself to the limit as Oliver Queen, and it will be very interesting to see what happens next in the story of the Arrow. Make sure you get your copy of Arrow – The Complete Third Season, and get caught up before the explosive Season Four premiere this week on the CW!
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Arrow: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray 4 out of 5 crossover episodes.
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