- Fr 18. Apr 2014, 11:31
#1353270
Ich muss allen an dieser Stelle nochmal Arrow ans Herz legen. Das hat sich diese Season an die Spitze meiner ASAP-Watch-Liste gespielt (wo ich Staffel 1 selbst noch teilweise ziemlich langweilig fand).
Hier auch nochmal eine der Kritiken, die über die Besserung der Serie sprechen:
"You have not failed this city":
Hier auch nochmal eine der Kritiken, die über die Besserung der Serie sprechen:
"You have not failed this city":
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about the disappointing early returns from "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD," which has thus far come across as a show designed by focus group to appeal to the broadest group possible, and which as a result appeals deeply to no one. In response, several readers suggested I give another shot to the CW's "Arrow," primetime's other current superhero series, which I had all but forgotten about after a few competent but unremarkable episodes last fall, but which they insisted was succeeding at so much of what "SHIELD" was struggling with.Und von der Huffington Post:
Having watched a handful of season 1 episodes(*) and all of season 2 to date, I can say that they were right. "Arrow" isn't perfect, but it has a much better understanding than "SHIELD" of what it wants to be and what its strengths and weaknesses are. The folks at ABC/Disney/Marvel might want to take note.
[...]
Overall, though, "Arrow" is a lot of fun, and even if there are just as many cooks stirring this broth as there appear to be on "SHIELD" (which also, in fairness, hasn't been through a season-plus worth of learning curve yet), it doesn't feel timid and designed-by-committee in the same way. It's just trying to be the best, boldest version of "Arrow" that it can be.
Amell is rightly famous for his abs, but he's done his best to convey the character's emotional dilemmas, and he's become more convincing as the show has evolved and become even more sure of itself. "Arrow" may not be the deepest show on TV, but that doesn't mean it's superficial. Like "Spartacus," "Banshee" and "Strike Back," it's a stylistically sharp, well-paced adventure story ably supported by moral architecture that's sturdy yet evolving -- not unlike a good graphic novel.Und ING hat einen Artikel darüber, warum Arrow in Season 2 viel besser ist.
If I have one complaint about the new season, which otherwise has displayed admirable focus and momentum, it's that it hasn't slowed down enough to spend quality time with characters like Diggle, Felicity, Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) and even the quietly iron-willed Moira Queen (Susannah Thompson). "Arrow" has a couple dozen characters cycling in and out all the time, and this season it has made strong additions to the cast
[...]
Many of the show's strongest episodes have focused more heavily on smaller groups, which is just my way of saying I hope we see fewer "every supporting character gets two scenes" episodes, and instead get more focus on the characters mentioned above in the second half of the season. I also hope "Arrow" finds a compelling purpose for Katie Cassidy, who has been great on other shows but whose by-the-numbers lawyer character seems even more expendable this season.
To pivot away from the generally enjoyable Starling City soap opera of it all, here's a fact that should be generally acknowledged: "Arrow" is one of the best-directed shows on TV. It simply looks fantastic, and its action scenes are especially kinetic and exciting. It's impossible to overstate how important it is for a drama derived from the world of comic books to have confident and distinctive direction and editing. Any story with roots in such a gloriously visual medium should look great, damn it.
When talking about the show to friends, I often describe "Arrow" as a live-action motion comic, and I mean that as a compliment. The best comic books use colors, shadows, shapes and space to establish atmosphere, mood and a sense of momentum. "Arrow's" consistently fine roster of directors does this every week on a CW budget; their palettes are well-chosen, their compositions are evocative and memorable, and the drama's fight scenes are often electric -- as is the case in Wednesday's episode. When it comes to action, "Arrow" puts much more expensive one-hour shows to shame.
The smoke and shadows that "Arrow" employs aren't just pretty to look at; the drama's aesthetic reflects the ambiguity of Oliver's situation. One of "Arrow's" strengths is that it doesn't necessarily glorify either the rich playboy or the avenging Arrow. Oliver's alter ego often wins the day in confrontations with bad guys, but there are times when he goes too far, and some of my favorite scenes have depicted Diggle and Felicity telling him just that. He's still figuring out how to save his city, and he couldn't keep his Season 2 vow to stop killing people (though he now approaches the death of foes quite differently). He's evolving, but "Arrow" recognizes that Oliver is an angry, hurt, driven man who is trying to do good in a sea of ugliness and corruption. He does want to be a better human being, but he picked up a lot of baggage on the remote island he inhabited for five years. As Felicity says in Wednesday's episode, "Why couldn't you have been marooned on Aruba?"
[...]
American Horror Story Staffel 2 hatte im Schnitt sehr gute Kritiken. Selbst bei Leuten, die Staffel 1 murksig fanden. 
