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POLL : What did you think of Arrow - Pilot?

11 Oct 2012

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70 comments:

  1. Hope everyone enjoyed it. Also, check out http://www.thegreenarrow.net

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  2. First CW show I have ever watched. Freakin' loved it. Wasn't sure at first but then the badassry commenced. I'm in.

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  3. He needs a double infinity box to go with his list. That and a new disguise--the green eye shadow still isn't working for me. I won't make a decision until after the second episode. I want to see what they do with Cassidy, Ms. Dinah Laurel Lance.

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  4. I loved it. I don't think the disguise is that bad. Besides, I'm more concerned with the plot. Which I love so far.

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  5. That was an great pilot episode!
    Easily one of the best pilots of the new Fall season. Easily.


    Okay, it had somewhat sketchy VFX as the yacht sank, but aside from that it was very well done.Most impressive to me was the fact that they managed to make the emotion feel more real than most CW shows, not melodramatic to me.


    The narration was needed, but as with most narration in a drama series it felt cheesy to me.


    It was interesting to see Paul Blackthorne and Roger Cross as detectives. Both actors were on The Gates and on 24.


    The action was great, better than most shows on TV and many movies honestly. Much better than at least one new "action" series this season.


    Overall I thought this was one of the best pilots of the season. It set up the series nicely and was an entertaining episode on its own.

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  6. I agree...
    Considering how they could have gone with the disguise, it was quite good. ..
    Much better than a cheesy mask

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  7. Definitely more than a few similarities....
    I just hope it does not go down the same road as Revenge did!
    It started off sappy, but fun and then turned into a love triangle fueled soap opera.... ACK!

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  8. Definitely worth a second look.


    Good production values. Very good looking lead actor. I like the mythology - nothing like the defunct comic series - but very batman like.


    Laughed at the LOST reference ("Yeah, they were all dead. Or something.").


    Really liked the narrated backstory - even though the actor does NOT have a good reading/speaking/announcing voice. Relies too heavily on inflection instead of timing.


    If the stepfather is a baddie, he's a very very good baddie :) If he's a goodie, he's very Picard-ish. We'll see,


    Loved the cinematography - loved the pacing - loved the use of heavy shadow and sporadic lighting (strobish) to heighten action scenes and speed the pace. The scene in the underground parking place with Hunt, where he shoots an arrow through the bulletproof glass is cool.


    I like that it's very true-to-its-comic-roots it makes no bones about hyperbole and melodrama, doesn't mind looking :"silly" (let's face it, all superhero costumes are silly on real people) and just goes with what it is. Even the dialogue is very comic-bookish (I mean this in a good way). In fact, it's a little like a graphic novel.


    It was good to see Paul Blackthorne (Dresden Files) as the cop. I thought he nailed it. When he dropped the "my daughter" bomb, the story value jumped.


    Lots of pop culture references. Liked this one:


    "The one that looks like the chick from Twilight."
    "What's Twilight?"
    "You're so better off not knowing."


    Hmmm ... on the annoying little sister who has bad habits. They picked the most healthy looking actress I have ever seen and show her as snorting drugs and going to nightclubs on school nights. I think I will find this character like a fly in the ointment - which is probably her purpose.


    Machine guns on the table! Bad guy drinking whiskey straight up and wearing a pinkie ring! Best friend who is Ferris Bueller with a nicer car! Love the bodyguard. Poor bastard.


    Oh my, the lighting when the lights went out in Hunt's building. Brilliant. I think I am going to love this show just because it's so damn pretty. The fight scene with leather-clad-pretty-boy was excellent.


    More batman-ish features ... shooing away the true love by pretending to be a shallow rich as*hat.


    Good to see things slowly building - like the tech arrow that he used to transfer the money and the use of the black notebook as a prop. Crossing a name from it and then showing the flashback to his father's death is interesting. Was that his father's book?


    The mother being a baddie is ... fascinating.


    Well. I liked it. It might well become a favorite.

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  9. Good thoughts.


    I thought the "cheese" was exactly right. Perfect for what it is. I also thought it was melodramatic, but I expected that (ala Batman).


    I also liked Blackthorne and Cross - they're a good team, actually.

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  10. I agree. I would have hated a mask. And a mask would have seemed very out of character - this is a guy who seems to have studied several forms of martial arts and from the rock he gave his sister has, at least, Buddhist leanings - a mask (for some reason) doesn't fit with that.

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  11. Agreed on the actor's voice for narration.
    Something was just off for me and I could not figure it out, but it may well have been the timing like you mentioned. Imagine if Blackstone (Detective Lance), Colin Salmon (Walter Steele) or even Jamey Sheridan (Robert. Queen) was doing the narration.... Sadly that's just not possible of course.

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  12. Fantastic start of an ep. Some parts of the editing felt a bit jumpy at first, but it seemed to smooth out and besides, it was all for setting up characters and realtionships and plot, so I didn't mind too much. The fighting/arrowplay was excellent and I'll be interested to see the inevitable backstory on how he learns all the skills he has acquired. I do like the dark take on the character as he seems to be willing to take out targets (unless those are stun/knockout arrows with poison) unlike the Batman character to accomplish his goals. Not thrilled with the cheesy makeup mask to hide his identity as it almost seems too easy to see who he is, but perhaps this is CW's way of keeping their pretty boys pretty (case in point the "Beast" from Beauty and the Beast is just a hot guy with weird eyes and a scar as opposed to being truly horrific to look upon. I kinda liked the bodygaurd and wonder if his role will get larger as the series progresses. I liked seeing Paul Blackthorne/Roger Cross again and Katie Cassiday has never looked better. The guy that played his best party friend in some angles reminded me of a better looking Jason Dohring somewhat. I really enjoyed the ep and definitely this one is going on the season pass.

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  13. You said: " I do like the dark take on the character as he seems to be willing to take out targets (unless those are stun/knockout arrows with poison) unlike the Batman character to accomplish his goals. "


    Yes, 100% agreed.

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  14. nellymendezcolon11 October 2012 at 04:01

    ..the writers nailed all the flashbacks well synchronize no holes or flat scenes.everything was important to understand his mental state .the clothe wooow awesome.the color perfect to keep the armony to all background surrounded the character be began to know the players and how each one will affect his life a perfect 10

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  15. I really liked it. A very strong start. I think this show will be the new one that sticks for me this year. I like 666 Park Ave too, but it sounds like that one will probably be canceled. There's always one of those for me each year too. :P

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  16. Sheridan's voice would have been just perfect. Pity that wouldn't fit the story...

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  17. One of the best pilots of the fall (the other being Nashville), and while I did enjoy the episode there were a few things that I didn't like.


    The narration was fine in the beginning and the end but when he was narrating everything in the middle it felt cheesy and overused. I think the writers should have tried to find a way around that without having the middle narration of what Oliver was doing.


    The pop culture references were borderline cringe-worthy. Especially that Twilight reference. I think Tommy would have been a much better character if the writers gave him better comedic lines to play with.


    Other than that, a solid start. I will definitely be back for more.


    P.S., is the Queen Mansion the same as the Luthor Mansion set from Smallville?

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  18. Yeah, if they can dodge that soapy feel, this has loads of promise. It's looking like the kind of story that could go either way, but I'll stay optimistic for now!

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  19. Have to agree - a lot of those same moments felt very forced to me. I'll give it a pass, for now, 'cause every new show has to find its feet, but hopefully those 'Insert Pop-Culture Reference Here" bits, etc., won't stand out so starkly once they find their rhythm.

    Overall, really enjoyed this one, blemishes and all. I'll be interested to see where they take it.

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  20. I agree with everyone about the narration, it was probably needed for background info and/or to fill in the gaps because of it being the first episode but they might phase it out when they get a few episodes & loyal viewers under their hat.

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  21. some awkward edits and interesting moments but I really liked it a lot. I hope it gets legs because I think it'll be pretty awesome. That Arnell guy is a great physical actor, and so very handsome. :)

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  22. Once it got going, it was pretty good. Better than I expected.

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  23. I really liked this Pilot... I think this is my new favorite fall show. It was very engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat. I def see the batman vibe everyone is talking about in the show but.. is that such a bad thing? it works and eventually the show will drift onto its own Path. I like the twist at the end... finding out that his mother hired those goons to kidnap him.. what mess was his dad in? I cant wait to find out and see more Next week. This show would of been great paired with Nikita for an action Packed Night.

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  24. live_laugh_love120811 October 2012 at 06:47

    I really liked it! I'm really looking forward to more episodes :-)

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  25. 10 votes aweful? seriously?? come on! that was a great needed one! really really greta start that answers a lot of questions but open new ones, great drama action tension etc... i really needed something like that since Smallville ended.

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  26. I enjoyed it pretty much too, I only have one complain, or doubt better said, why did his daddy kill himself??, wouldn't be easier for 2 people to survive together than one alone??.

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  27. Whoa. I really liked it.


    I have to say that I laughed out loud at the ridiculous hood in that first shot on the island. It was just soooo production designy. LOL

    The CW seems to have a *thing* for voice over this season. (Arrow, Emily Owens MD and Beauty and the Beast) I really hope it's only the pilot for this series.
    I love the character of Oliver Queen and love the hints about what we have to learn along the way about what went on on the island...the Russian. I liked that his *plan* was in place before he was rescued; that he'd planned the Green Arrow to the point that he described him to the cop before the costume was dawned.


    Liked the cast...didn't expect to see Colin Salmon, he's one of my favorite actors. Liked the dialog....the exposition wasn't as heavy handed as some pilots are. I wil be checking out the next ep.

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  28. "The narration was needed, but as with most narration in a drama series it felt cheesy to me."


    For the most part I think they could have done without the narration. Much of it I got because the 'showed' it.


    I think the casting was awesome.

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  29. Yeah. The hood is much better than the Robin Hood hat and eye mask. That was in the earlier version of the comic book

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  30. lol...you had a problem with Revenge turning into a soap! LOL It's one of the best things about it. hee hee

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  31. Some people love it for that reason... I quit watching it for that reason.... Different strokes I guess.


    There is definitely a place for sappy and soapy on the networks.... I don't want them to stop it. I know people love that. I just don't like when series start in one direction and then reverse course and turn into a soap XD


    Why I am so tentative to watch anything on ABC anymore.... They always seem to go soapy or sappy after a couple seasons. I'm hoping Zero Hour does not do that for however long it lasts before being cancelled! XD
    Same with Last Resort and Red Widow...


    I can handle a love triangle written into a series at its foundation like the Queen/Laurel/Merlyn triangle usually. It's when shows go from one triangle to another to another that drives me nuts.

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  32. I liked the casting too. Sad about Jamey Sheridan not having a larger role since he is such a fun actor.... Was surprised to see Salmon too!!


    Toss in a trio of fun actors like Blackthorne, Cross,and the upcoming John Barrowman.... and I will be entertained!

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  33. Since when does Christopher nolan's Batman shoot arrows? xD


    I'm gonna keep watching one or two weeks and then make my mind of it(Like Chicago Fire and Nashville)...


    I need a CW show since i stop watching Supernatural(one of my all time favourites) after Season 5(I tought that Season 6 and Season 7 weren't good... They were kind of pointless).

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  34. Yes, this is a VERY Batman-esque character/show. Not just the general backstory (rich kid, traumatic parental death, years of isolation and self discovery, a heightened sense of justice/social revenge) but the character as well (keeps true love at a distance, hides his identity, is very self-contained, has genuine human relationships with "staff", etc.).


    At times it felt a little too derivative but I cut it some slack on the basis that, at their core, almost all superhero/social justice crusaders are similar.


    Be interesting to see how they converge/diverge the two entities in the coming weeks.

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  35. Not when the biggest problem is a lack of water/food and no ability to replenish. In that case, the fewer there are, the more likely they are to survive.

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  36. Agreed, in general, on the narration.


    I did, however, like the pop culture references. They served the purpose of reminding us that Oliver has been "out of it", that things move along at a fairly rapid rate and it is easy to feel out of touch. We are left with the idea that Oliver must really feel like he left one world and came back to another: it set a tone of displacement and made him seem a little disorientated (which was a good call, imo). The ones I noted seemed to be used as punctuation marks as opposed to actual content.

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  37. Pretty good for a pilot =) I'll give it a couple weeks before i make up my mind on whether or not I'll keep watching but so far I like it

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  38. If you stopped watching SPN at the end of season 5, how do you know you do not like 6 & 7? Some of the eps were not as good as the first 5, but still better than most of what is on TV. IMHO

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  39. I thought I would love this series and when I saw David Nutter had directed it, was sure I would love it..did not disappoint. Perfect for my Supernatural night.

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  40. I watched all Season 6 and Season 7 i stopped watching after the episode that seems to happened inside Bobby's mind... But what i wanted to say was that i watched Season 6 after it ended, and until now i didn't watch Season 7... It stopped being a priority.


    The point being is that the show had no direction and the baddies(Eve and the Leviatans) weren't carismatic at all compared with Yellow Eyes, Lillith, Lucifer, Alastair, etc... It was all a circle, when Kripke left, the new Showrunners didn't know how to move the characters foward... I still dosn't get what the point of Season 6 was, it wasn't a part of a mayor arc per se(Like Season 1 to 5)... I really liked the way Season 5 ended as a Series Finale.


    Supernatural WAS the reason i became so fanatic about American's TV Shows... It was the first show i follow online back in 2005 when i saw it on

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  41. I just noticed the Deathstroke mask on the beach in the opening sequence. Ups the interesting factor a LOT in terms of the nascent mythology (because, clearly, most of what we think we know about this character from his DC origins has been reworked and altered so we're really dealing with a new, derived mythlogy).
    I wonder what Deathstroke has to do with the Island. Any guesses?

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  42. There are other great shows on the CW! You should give Nikita a try :)

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  43. I concur. Nikita is excellent

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  44. Awesome! Loved it!


    It is Revenge, but this time around it has a cloak/arrows and a hot guy =D

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  45. awesome episode. the fight scenes where really good. his sister will probably end up being his sidekick seen as her nickname is speedy

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  46. Surprisingly amusing. Definitely gonna keep watching this one.

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  47. I liked this more than I thought I would, definitely shades of Nolan Batman.


    The only real problem I have with the show is that it is over-scored There is music in every scene and it is not needed IMO it makes some moments feel OTT and melodramatic.

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  48. Originally wasn't going to check this show out but after seeing all the positive comments I decided to check it out and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Good action (minus the bad guy shooting the machine gun at Oliver for a good 5-10 seconds without hitting him), and a good plot for at least the 1st season. The flashbacks were also nice and particularly disturbing when his father shot himself so that Oliver could live.

    Initial thought of his younger sister was I like her but hopefully she isn't just an annoying presence and grows into more of a solid rock that Oliver can hold onto to keep himself human. Same goes for Katie Cassidy who I hope gets some good storylines.

    Negatives were the horrid voiceovers, I don't mind them usually (like Dexter), but his delivery of them was just so... I felt like I was in a class with a monotone teacher. Then, as I said, the even worse than normal bad guy aim. The sound effects were a little cheesy too in some of the fighting.

    All in all, good pilot, will definitely keep checking it out. Much darker than Smallville, which is good, has a Batman-similar origin, which is good, and has a Dexter quality in killing/bringing justice to the bad guys and the voice over, which is good and hopefully gets better on the voice over portion.

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  49. It may be wise to continue to be concerned about ABC. They've skewed female for years and Last Resort (which is considered aimed at a male demographic) isn't attracting a male audience. They've got some groundwork for soapy elements built in and I worry that they may be told (or planning to) push that stronger to get ratings.


    I'm a really eclectic viewer. I think the only things I hate right off the bat are the 'follow my life' reality shows. Past that give me great characters and good story and I'm hooked. I have my day time soaps and my night time soaps (which Revenge always was IMHO), sci fi, urban fantasy (Supernatural, Arrow) fantasy, action...just everything...IF the characters are good.


    I've accepted the fact that for a lot of my favorite shows I'm not in the demo that the nets think they're talking to. Kinda hurts my feeling sometimes. :-D

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  50. Jamey Seridan (had to look him up...know his face but never his name) will be back. I'm guessing we'll see him in a few flashbacks over the run.


    Ooooo! I forgot John Barrowman had been booked! Yay!

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  51. "I've accepted the fact that for a lot of my favorite shows I'm not in
    the demo that the nets think they're talking to. Kinda hurts my feeling
    sometimes". :-D

    Just think how I feel, 74 year old female, no one cares what I watch, buy or even like. lol

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  52. That does make me feel better. :-D

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  53. it was fantastic. Best pilot of the season together with last resort. I thought I was going to like it, but I liked it even more, it beat my expectations by a mile. Seriously, I loved everything about it. And this was only the pilot, this type of shows usually improve after it, so I think we are in for quite a ride. The acting was good, the writing was good, the action sequences were good, and I definetely did not see the final twist coming. I thought the stepfather was going to be the bad guy, not the mother. Yes, so excited with this show!

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  54. That's how I see ABC too...


    I think you're right and Revenge was always a soap opera, but the revenge elements distracted me from that in the first 8 or 12 episodes. After that those elements took a back seat to the relationship dramas of a typical ABC show or a soap opera in general.


    Nothing wrong with that, but just not my type of show usually...
    I have watched a very few "reality" competition shows over the years, I don;t mind them in spirit since they can be good shows to keep a network afloat while they make other series I enjoy more. XD

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  55. Over-scoring annoys me so much!
    I can handle it in pilots since sometimes they spend more to try to catch the viewer's attention, but if it continues on as the series progresses it is too much for me.

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  56. I can deal with some of the competition shows..though not the ones that thrive on back biting (like Survivor) My fav, of the competition ones, is So You Think You Can Dance. I like the positive vibe, the multiple genres, and that, in general, when one dancer leaves, all or most of the others are upset about it. I confess that I tent to skip the audition shows tho. The one that keeps winning Emmy's is okay but sometimes it's unpleasant to watch exhausted people snap at each other. Great escape was fun. But I am not a fan of stuff like Dance Moms or Honey Boo Boo or the House ones.

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  57. It was a good episode. I love it. And the principal actor is HOT!

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  58. Honestly, I was not as impressed with the pilot as I thought I would be. But I guess I have to blame my expectations for that. But I think they should have spread the pilot's story into 2 episodes. There were so many parts that could have used more time and attention on screen. For instance, we are shown the moment that Oliver is rescued from the island, and right from the boat, we start getting the voice over about what he wants to do now that he is rescued. They could have spent a lot more time with the city's corruption and the pilot's villain. I also want to know how an arrow can help steal 40 million dollars without being traced. But what I did notice was that the show has enormous potential and the pilot just scratched the surface of what can be achieved with the show. So, I will definitely be watching it regularly.


    I also really liked the Dexter type narration. Even the performance was very Dexter like.

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  59. The narration thing reminded me a lot of Dexter.

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  60. I guess I can see how it would....
    Something bothered me though... the actor's timing or rhythm or something... not sure.


    I did notice he looked like Michael C Hall at times. Especially on the life boat after the yacht sank.

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  61. I'll third the recommendation for Nikita. Really an amazing show.

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  62. I'm really rooting for Detective Lance. He has an understandable grudge against Oliver for cheating on one of his daughters with the other (which resulted in Sarah's death), now he has to put up with some nut in a Robin Hood get-up running around killing people.I really feel for the guy.


    It helps that Paul Blackthorne is such a strong actor.

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  63. Definely enjoyed it.

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  64. I found Paul when he played Harry Dresden in the Dresden Files series, he was also very good in The Gates. Always like it when he shows up in a show I am watching.

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  65. Yes, he has a great voice. I think they just need to coach the actor in voice over. He's trying to "act" when what he needs to do is speak, as if to an audience of one, like a narrator.

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  66. I loved it! Great pilot - loved the story and the action. Generally a good cast as well - nice to see Colin Salmon - the only one I'm not sure about is the best friend. A promising start...I hope it can stay that way.

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  67. Yeah, I could have lived without the narration, too. Its 'needed'ness was far outweighed by its cheesiness.

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  68. Oh man, if this turns into a Soap opera, they can count me out. I'm in it for the comic book action. If I want soap I'll start watching Dallas.

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  69. Yep really enjoyed it! Great all-round comic book fun.
    But yeh, as discussed above... please don't turn into a soap :P

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