The third season of the American television series ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'' premiered on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

on October 8, 2014, and concluded on May 13, 2015, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

character

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, 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 Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance,

David Ramsey David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor, director, and martial artist, best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series '' Arrow'', '' The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', and '' Batwoman'' as John Diggle / Spartan, portrayin ...

as John Diggle, Willa Holland as

Thea Queen Thea Dearden Queen, also known as Speedy, is a fictional character portrayed by Willa Holland on The CW television series ''Arrow'', created by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. She is the maternal half-sister of series protag ...

, Emily Bett Rickards as

Felicity Smoak Felicity Smoak is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Her first appearance was in ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #23 (May 1984), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of ...

, Colton Haynes as Roy Harper, John Barrowman as

Malcolm Merlyn Merlyn (Arthur King), otherwise known as the Dark Archer, is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a deadly bow-wielding assassin and contract killer and the archnemesis of Green Arrow, though writers have developed ...

and

Paul Blackthorne Paul Blackthorne (born 5 March 1969) is an English actor. Although born in Shropshire, he spent his early childhood on UK military bases in Britain and Germany. Blackthorne broke into acting via television commercials in England. His breakthro ...

as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. The series follows billionaire playboy

( 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 third season, Oliver's company Queen Consolidated is sold to businessman, scientist and aspiring hero

Ray Palmer Ray Palmer may refer to: * Raymond A. Palmer, science-fiction writer and editor * Raymond F. Palmer, medical professor * Ray Palmer (pastor), American pastor and author of hymns * Ray Palmer (Arrowverse), a TV show character based on his comic boo ...

( Brandon Routh), who changes the company's name to Palmer Technologies and hires Felicity as vice president. After Sara is found murdered, Oliver becomes embroiled in a conflict with Ra's al Ghul ( Matt Nable). He struggles to reconnect with his sister, Thea, who knows Malcolm is her father. Laurel sets out to follow Sara as the Black Canary. Meanwhile, John becomes a father and struggles as a family man. The season features flashbacks to Oliver's third year since he was presumed dead, where after escaping Lian Yu, he is forced to work for

A.R.G.U.S. A.R.G.U.S. is a government organization in DC Comics. A.R.G.U.S. first appeared in ''Justice League'' vol. 2 #7 and was created by Geoff Johns and Gene Ha. Headed by Amanda Waller, A.R.G.U.S. is typically depicted as a parent organization for the ...

leader Amanda Waller ( Cynthia Addai-Robinson) in Hong Kong. Oliver and

Tatsu Yamashiro Katana () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1983, Katana is a samurai warrior whose skill with a sword allows her to fight for justice as a superheroine. Her tragic backstory includes ...

(

Rila Fukushima is a Japanese fashion-model and actress best known for her comic book roles in film and TV and has appeared in projects such as the superhero film '' The Wolverine'' (2013) as Yukio, the TV series ''Arrow'' as Tatsu Yamashiro, and ''Ghost in the ...

) work to stop corrupt general Matthew Shrieve (

Marc Singer Marc Singer (born January 29, 1948) is a Canadian-born American actor best known for his roles in the '' Beastmaster'' film series, as Mike Donovan in the original 1980s TV series '' V'', and as Matt Cantrell in ''Dallas''. Early life Singer wa ...

) from unleashing a pathogen, which Ra's al Ghul acquires in the present. The series was renewed for its third season on February 12, 2014, and began filming in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, British Columbia, Canada in that July. Despite a strong critical start for the season premiere, the season received more negative reviews than the previous seasons, and averaged 3.52 million viewers each week. The season would go on to be nominated for eleven nominations in various categories, winning two. This season includes the first annual Arrowverse crossover with spin-off TV series ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

''. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 22, 2015. The series was renewed for a fourth season in January 2015.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

* Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen / Arrow * Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance / Black Canary *

as John Diggle * Willa Holland as Thea Queen / Speedy * Emily Bett Rickards as

* Colton Haynes as Roy Harper / Arsenal * John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn / Dark Archer *

as Quentin Lance

Recurring

Guest

Production

Development

'' was renewed for a third season by

on February 12, 2014.

Writing

Talking ahead of San Diego Comic Con, executive producer Marc Guggenheim stated that the theme of the season would be 'identity'. He and fellow EP Andrew Kreisberg confirmed that the series would continue six months on from the end of the previous season. Producers confirmed that the flashback sequences would continue this season, but be focused on Oliver's time in Hong Kong, and also examine the beginnings of his relationship with Amanda Waller. Regarding character arcs, Guggenheim confirmed that both the characters of

and Laurel Lance would be developed further over the season saying "Laurel and Thea are the two characters we haven't done as much with in the past, and they have the strongest storylines that we've ever given them." In particular, Thea's relationship with her father

would be further explored, including a flashback to their encounter in the season two finale. Regarding Laurel, Kreisberg stated that "We're going to see Laurel take a few big steps toward her comic book self this season." Following previous revelations that the first episode would feature a date between Oliver and

, Kreisberg stated that "The way the show has shaken out and the experiences the two have had, it feels like it's time to explore that." He also confirmed that Brandon Routh's

would be "invading Oliver's life in every aspect", as well as injecting more humor into the season. It was also disclosed at San Diego that the season would feature an episode exploring the origins of the character Felicity Smoak, to be entitled "Oracle", which would focus on her time at

M.I.T The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

. It was confirmed by Marc Guggengheim in August that the episode name had been changed to " The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak" and that the episode would also introduce Felicity's mother,

Donna Smoak ''Arrow'' is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in ...

. Kreisberg also confirmed that

Colin Donnell Colin Donnell (born October 9, 1982) is an American actor and singer best known for his performances as Billy Crocker in ''Anything Goes'', Tommy Merlyn in The CW television series ''Arrow'', Scotty Lockhart on the Showtime drama '' The Affair'' ...

would make an appearance as

Tommy Merlyn Thomas Merlyn is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics related to Green Arrow. Created by Judd Winick and Freddie E. Williams II, he is the son of Arthur King / Malcolm Merlyn / Dark Archer. Colin Donnell po ...

in the second episode of the season, during a flashback sequence. The preview of the third season trailer revealed the season 'big bad' to be Ra's al Ghul. Talking about potential story arcs, Kreisberg noted the possibility of Oliver working with Malcolm Merlyn against Ra's – "We've established firmly that Ra's al Ghul hates Merlyn and Oliver doesn't like Merlyn. It's going to be series of who hates who more. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Casting

In July 2014, the series cast several season regulars, including Brandon Routh as

along with

J. R. Ramirez J. R. Ramirez is a Cuban-American actor. He is best known for his series regular role of Detective Jared Vasquez on the NBC/Netflix series ''Manifest''. Prior, he was a series regular as Julio on the Starz series ''Power'' and as Oscar Arocho on ...

was Ted Grant / Wildcat,

Karl Yune Karl Yune (born April 16, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Maseo Yamashiro in the DC comics TV franchise ''Arrow'', as Tak Mashido in the sci-fi film ''Real Steel'', and as Koichi in the film ''Memoirs of a Geisha''. ...

Maseo Yamashiro ''Arrow'' is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in ...

and

Vinnie Jones was also cast as Danny Brickwell, in a guest role. The following month, it was announced that Charlotte Ross would be joining the series as Felicity's mother,

. Later the same month, Nolan Gerard Funk was cast as Felicity's former boyfriend Cooper Seldon. In September, Matt Nable was cast in the role of the season's antagonist, Ra's al Ghul. Film actor

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

, who played the character in the Christopher Nolan ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'' films '' Batman Begins'' and '' The Dark Knight Rises'', originally expressed an interest in reprising the role for the show, but couldn't take up offer when the showrunners approached him due to scheduling conflicts.

Amy Gumenick Amy Jaclyn Gumenick ( ; born 17 May 1986) is a Swedish-born American actress, best known for her roles as Natalee Holloway in the television film of the same name (2009) and its sequel, as the young Mary Winchester in '' Supernatural'' (2008– ...

was cast in a guest role as

Carrie Cutter Carrie Eliza Cutter (1842–1862) was an American nurse. She was the daughter of surgeon Calvin Cutter. An 1861 graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she helped her father in the 21st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a nurse. She was ...

in the same month. Caity Lotz was confirmed to return as

Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. The c ...

for at least three episodes at the start of the season.

Filming

The season began filming in

, British Columbia, Canada in July 2014.

Arrowverse tie-ins

The third season includes the first annual crossover with spin-off series ''

'': " Flash vs. Arrow".

Release

Broadcast

The season began airing in the United States on

on October 8, 2014, and completed its 23-episode run on May 13, 2015.

Home media

''Arrow: Season 3'' was released as a 5-disc DVD set and as a 9-disc Blu-ray and DVD combo pack set on September 22, 2015, in the United States and September 28, 2015, in the United Kingdom. The DVD and Blu-ray box sets contain additional features, including making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, gag reel, and highlights from the Paley Fest.

Reception

Critical response

Despite a strong critical start for the third-season premiere, the season received more negative reviews than the previous seasons. Writing for

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

, Chancellor Agard noted that season had been an uneven one where the "highs have been rather high and the lows have been almost insufferable" and highlighted that the season' biggest problem seemed to lie in the characterisation and motivation of the season's big bad, Ra's al Ghul. He did however praise the development of the character Laurel Lance as well as the development of Oliver's relationship with John Diggle. Katie Kulzick, of

A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

noted that the season had a habit of "making bold moves and all too frequently backing away from, rather than embracing, the ramifications of these series-altering decisions." Despite the season's "significant problems", she felt groundwork had been laid for interesting potential storylines, in particular the development of

becoming a member of the team as Speedy, for

with Palmer Technologies and for Oliver to develop a fresh perspective. The season finale was described as "dull", "lacking scope", and "underwhelming" by IGN's Jesse Schedeen in light of the "high standard" the show had previously established for its finales. He cemented the mixed reception of the third season as being "haphazardly paced" and "struggling to develop a clear sense of direction". The third season holds a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 8.37/10. The site's consensus concluding: "''Arrow'' stays on target with new characters and a steady supply of exciting action."

Ratings

The third season averaged 3.52 million viewers across the 23 episodes, ranking 135th among television show viewership.

Accolades

, - ! scope="row" rowspan="12" , 2015 , rowspan="3" , Leo Awards , Best Cinematography Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Miles, C. Kim" , C. Kim Miles (" Blind Spot") , , , - , Best Costume Design Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Mani, Maya" , Maya Mani (" Suicide Squad") , , , - , Best Lead Performance BY A Female Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Rickards, Emily Bett" , Emily Bett Rickards ("

Left Behind ''Left Behind'' is a multimedia franchise that started with a series of 16 bestselling religious novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It focuses on a seven-year conflict between the Tribulation Force, an underground network of converts, a ...

") , , , - , rowspan="2" ,

MTV Fandom Awards The ''MTV Fandom Awards'' was an annual pop culture, television and film awards show presented by MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, i ...

, TV Dramas , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - , Ship of the Year , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen and Emily Bett Rickards" , Olicity (Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards) , , , - ,

Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...

, Best Superhero Adaption Television Series , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - , rowspan="5" ,

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...

, Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - , Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" , Stephen Amell , , , - , Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress , data-sort-value="Rickards, Emily Bett" , Emily Bett Rickards , , , - , Choice TV Liplock , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen and Emily Bett Rickards" , Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards , , , - , Choice TV Villain , data-sort-value="Nable, Matt" , Matt Nable , ,

References

External links

* * {{Arrowverse Arrow (TV series) seasons 2014 American television seasons 2015 American television seasons Television series set in 1993 Television series set in 2009