Why So Blu?

Arrow The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray Review)

When CW first announced that they were doing an Arrow tv series, I was skeptical.  Oliver Queen is one of the most liberal and rebellious characters in the DCU, I wasn’t sure how the WB was going to pull it off.  Luckily, the first season was a great success, mostly due to lowered expectations (on my end anyway).  Arrow The Complete Second Season was really going to be a make or break season for this show creatively.  A sophomore slump was the fear I had for the show.  Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.  Let’s take a closer look!

Season 

The first season was a good entry point for this world.  Good character building with some bumps in the road and low points, but nothing that ultimately hinders the show.  Season 2 could have been more of the same, coasting on name recognition from the DC character.  Luckily the show runners and producers dedicate their efforts to upping the ante and delivering the goods.

You have a young yet strong cast, with Stephen Amell as the titular character Oliver Queen, who really brings the playboy turned rebellious toughness that you need for Arrow.  Plus, in the beginning of the season he is brooding on an island and makes his eventual return (SHOCKER).  But it felt deserved and earned yet not rushed.   It’s a story arc we have seen time and time again, but I don’t mind it, if its pulled off entertainingly.

There is also a huge cast of supporting characters with good actors to boot.  Kevin Alejandro, who portrays Sebastian Blood, is a standout performance this year, he also happens to be the big bad for the season and with his charm and confidence he seems a worthy advisory for Oliver and his aggressive heroism.   There were other cast highlights as well, a almost will they wont romance with Laurel Lance, played by Katie Kassidy.  Also, sci fi fanboy favorite,  John Borrowman (Dr. Who, Torchwood) returns as Malcolm Merlyn to make life more difficult for Arrow and the residents of Starling City.

But who am I kidding, the real highlight and show stealer is Deathstroke.  I love Slade Wilson in the comics and I was scared that the show wasn’t going to use him properly.  But with Manu Bennett embodying Deathstroke, my nerves were put at ease.

All in all, it’s a good show that borders on great.  CW is putting together some entertaining programming blocks.  They are not at the level of HBO, FX or AMC, but at this point I watch more CW dramas then I do FOX, NBC, CBS or ABC.  Season 1 focuses on Oliver learning whats justice and how to be a good man that fights for the people.  In season 2 he is licking his wounds from the previous season and his focus now is his journey to redemption, and you will be riveted to be on the ride with him.

Video 

• Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC
• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Clarity/Detail:   Great clarity, which in my book equals pretty pristine.  The characters popped right off the screen from the chiseled textures in their costumes to the fine strands of hair.
• Depth:   The depth of field in the presentation looked pretty good, but not the best I have ever seen.  There’s nothing else negative to note here.
• Black Levels:  Solid dark and inky blacks, very little blending.  This is impressive since the show contrasts against the many dark shadowed moments.
• Color Reproduction:  Colors were vibrant and bright.  Even the muted green that Oliver has on his outfit stood out great in contrast within the presentation.
• Flesh Tones:  The skin tones and hues were highly detailed and natural throughout.
• Noise/Artifacts:  I did not notice any nasty noise, artifacts or blemishes at all.

Audio 

• Audio Format(s):  DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0.
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dynamics:   Gunshots and action scenes had a great, full sound that will rock your living room.  Things just pop and ring right here throughout.
• Low Frequency Extension:  I couldn’t find any issues here either.  The mix appropriately reminds you this channel is present and is a force to be reckoned with.  In other words, it packs a punch!
• Surround Sound Presentation:   The surround track here is an immersive pleasure, mixed very well, and puts you in the middle of the action.
• Dialogue Reproduction:  The dialogue sounded good, except for the fact that it can get muddled during an action scene.

Extras 

The season comes in a slick slip cover case which holds all 9 discs securely.

• Year One – Just an hour long recap of season one that seems like a pretty good primer for those who are uninitiated.
• From Vigilante to Hero – The cast and crew discuss the differences between hero and a vigilante, that you can’t figure out from a dictionary.  They try and place Arrow into one or the other.  It was okay.
• How Did They Do That? The visual effects of Arrow – The production crew discussing how they come up with the visual effects and how they’re completed.
• Wirework: The Impossible Moves of Arrow –  A pretty cool featurette discussing the stunts and effects of the show.  About 10 minutes in length, short and sweet.
• 2013 Comic Con Panel – I am a huge sucker for Comic Con panels on home video releases.  It’s always a nice simple touch. Executive Producers Marc Guggenheim, Andy Kreisberg, and Greg Berlanti.  Along with actors Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Colton Haynes, Emily Bett Rickards, and John Barrowman all seem to have a good time together up there.
• 19 Deleted Scenes–  None that are of huge importance.  They are still neat to take a look at.
• Gag Reel-  As a kid or teen I loved gag reels, as I get older I just don’t find them very funny.
• A booklet with episode summaries.
• UltraViolet Digital HD download leaflet with redemption code.

Summary 

In regards to the story and content of the show, it is a strong season two. If you are a completest then get season one and then watch this show.  Or if you want to watch a good comic book inspired show, get this Blu-ray set, watch the year one recap and dive in.  It’s really entertaining.  It’s not going to be completely accurate to the comic book series, but, nothing ever is, yet they have more than a few tie ins.  Just enjoy a show about a bow and arrow carrying vigilante with good production value.  The entire Blu-ray set is impressive you get the Blu-rays, the DVDs, the digital copies and the attention to detail that Warner Brothers puts into their releases.  Even if I didn’t enjoy the show, the actual show set is pretty great.