Arrow - Season 1 Episode 1
"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series Arrow, which premiered on The CW on October 10, 2012. It was written by series developers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, and directed by David Nutter. The episode introduces Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a billionaire playboy, his mother Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson), sister Thea (Willa Holland), new bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey), best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), ex-girlfriend Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), and her father Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). It follows Oliver as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to right the wrongs of his father, who died during the shipwreck, and save the city.
Arrow - Season 1 Episode 1
Filmed in Vancouver, Canada, the pilot features two timelines on display: Oliver in the present, fighting crime as a vigilante, and Oliver when he is shipwrecked five years earlier. The developers wanted to bring a realistic vision to the character, which translated into a functional costume and no superpowers being featured. The pilot became the highest rated show on The CW in three years. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who generally cited Amell's performance as a highlight. The episode was nominated for various awards, winning three.
Oliver quickly sneaks away from Diggle and begins building his base of operations at an abandoned Queen Industrial warehouse. As he prepares for his new alter ego as a vigilante, Oliver reviews Robert's journal, which contains a list of various names. Disguised in a green hood and leather outfit, and armed with a bow and arrows, Oliver confronts Adam Hunt and orders him to transfer $40 million into an account to be used to pay back the people of the Glades. When Hunt refuses, Oliver makes the transfer anyway before escaping as the police arrive.
Stephen Amell was one of the first actors to audition for the role of Oliver Queen, and Kreisberg felt that he "hit the target from the outset" and "everyone else just paled in comparison".[3] Arrow's pilot script was the first Amell auditioned for during pilot season, having received multiple scripts at the start of the year.[5]Producer Marc Guggenheim expressed that the creative team wanted to "chart [their] own course, [their] own destiny", and avoid any direct connections to Smallville, which featured its own Green Arrow/Oliver Queen who was portrayed by Justin Hartley. Instead, they opted to cast a new actor in the titular role.[3] Amell, who was already in shape from Rent-a-Goalie, did physical fitness training at Tempest Freerunning Academy out of Reseda, California. He received archery training as well, which included watching a video on how archery has been displayed inaccurately or poorly in television and film before learning the basics of shooting a bow.[3] For Amell, the appeal of portraying Queen was that he saw multiple roles tied to the same character: "There's Queen the casual playboy; Queen the wounded hero; Queen the brooding Hamlet; Queen the lover; Queen the man of action, and so on."[3]
Production on the pilot began in March 2012 in Vancouver, Canada.[12] The series features two distinct timelines, which requires more specific planning in the filming schedule. Filming for the island flashbacks takes place in Vancouver's Whytecliff Park area, near beachfront homes. The production team is tasked with keeping the buildings out of camera frame.[13] Additionally, producer Marc Guggenheim finds the process arduous: "Stephen [Amell] has to wear a wig, and his look has to be changed... there's a lot. It's actually incredibly ambitious to do these flashbacks every week, every single episode. Because like Andrew [Kreisberg] said, it's almost like it's its own show."[13] Hatley Castle, located in Royal Roads University was used for exterior shots for the Queen family mansion. Hatley Castle had previously been used as the Luthor ancestral home in Smallville.[14] Vancouver's Terminal City Ironworks Complex doubles as the exterior for Queen Consolidated, Inc.[15]
When it came time to design the look of the costume for Oliver Queen's vigilante persona, the studio brought in Colleen Atwood to develop a realistic approach to the suit.[16] According to Amell, it was important for the suit to be functional, and the best way that he knew for that was if he could put the costume on by himself: "If I can put it on by myself, I think that people will buy it. And that was our idea. That's our world."[4] The opening scene on Lian Yu features an easter egg of a Deathstroke mask with an arrow through it. David Nutter wanted a foreground element and Geoff Johns, who was visiting the set, suggested using the mask. This easter egg eventually led to the introduction of Billy Wintergreen in episode five and Slade Wilson in episode thirteen.[17]
Arrow's premiere episode drew 4.14 million viewers, making it The CW's most-watched telecast of any show on any night in three years, and The CW's most-watched series premiere since The Vampire Diaries in 2009.[18] In Australia, the premiere received 1.32 million viewers, making it the third most-watched broadcast on the network that night.[19] The UK broadcast was the fourth highest-rated telecast of the week, with 1.85 million viewers.[20] In Canada, the first episode got 1.32 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched airing of the night and the twenty-third of the week.[21]
The pilot episode received generally favorable reviews upon release. Newsday's Verne Gay commended the series' start, specifically the casting of Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and the pilot's ability to weave in the action with "a pleasing romantic triangle, interfamily intrigue, a flawed hero and [...] a mystery."[22] David Hiltbrand, of The Philadelphia Inquirer, characterizes the pilot as a "dark, gleaming gem", but acknowledges that the show's success will be built around how well it maintains the quality of the action sequences and the mystery behind Oliver's motives.[23] NY Daily News' David Hinckley praised the start of the series as being "lively" and "better than hard-core 'Green Arrow' fans expected"; Hinckley also pointed out that Amell does a good job of finding the proper balance for Oliver as he moves between his "old world" and "new world".[24] San Francisco Chronicle's David Wiegand favorably compared the pilot to Smallville, stating that the series is fun and action-packed, and worth the same level of longevity that Smallville received. Weigand praised Amell's performance and his ability to convincingly portray both the spoiled billionaire and his vigilante alter-ego, and gives credit to director David Nutter and the editors for putting together an episode that built suspense and kept the action fast and believable.[25]
The pilot won multiple Leo Awards, including Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series (Glen Winter), Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series (Richard Hudolin), and Best Stunt Coordination in a Dramatic Series (J.J. Makaro).[30] Glen Winter was also nominated for an award based on his work in the pilot episode by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.[31]
The first season of the American action television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 10, 2012, at 8:00 pm (ET) and concluded on May 15, 2013, with a total of 23 episodes, after the network ordered a full season on October 22, 2012. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance.
The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on Lian Yu, a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to Starling City (later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. In the first season, Oliver returns to Starling City and is reunited with his mother, Moira (Susanna Thompson), his sister, Thea (Willa Holland), and his friend, Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). Oliver rekindles his relationships, while spending his nights hunting down and sometimes killing criminals as a hooded vigilante, known as The Hood.[1] He uncovers Malcolm Merlyn's (John Barrowman) conspiracy to destroy "The Glades", a poorer section of the city that has become overridden with crime. John Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) assist Oliver in his crusade. Oliver also reconnects with ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), who is still angry over his role in her sister, Sara's, presumed death, while her father, Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne), suspects Oliver being the vigilante. The season features flashbacks to Oliver's first year on the island, and how it changed him, while trying to stop a mercenary force targeting the Chinese economy. After being saved by The Hood, Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) attempts to find him so he will train him so he can help others.
Production on the pilot began in March 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Filming for the rest of the season began on July 18, 2012, and ended on April 18, 2013. The season was generally well received by critics, and averaged 3.68 million viewers each week. Amell's portrayal of Oliver Queen / Arrow drew comparison to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, while the season itself was found to be still looking for its own identity. The season would go on to win multiple awards, including twenty-one nominations in various categories. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 17, 2013. The series was renewed for a second season on February 11, 2013.[citation needed] 041b061a72