The second 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 9, 2013, and concluded on May 14, 2014, 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 Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...

and

George Papp George Edward Papp (January 20, 1916 – August 8, 1989) was an American comics artist best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics. Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weising ...

, and is set in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...

, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were

Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...

Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Lege ...

and

Andrew Kreisberg Andrew Kreisberg (born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and comic book writer. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'', ''Supergirl ...

Stephen Amell Stephen Adam Amell (born May 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He came to prominence for playing the lead role of Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series ''Arrow'' (2012–2020). Amell also appeared in subsequent Arrowverse franchise media, along wi ...

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 Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy (formerly Rodgers) (born November 25, 1986) is an American actress. Following several minor television roles, she came to attention as a scream queen after starring in the horror films '' When a Stranger Calls'' ...

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 ...

John Diggle John William Diggle (2 March 1847 – 24 March 1920) was an English Anglican bishop. He was Archdeacon of Westmorland from 1896 to 1901, Archdeacon of Birmingham from 1903 to 1904, and Bishop of Carlisle from 1905 to his death in 1920. Early ...

Willa Holland Willa Holland is an American actress and model. She is known for her roles as Kaitlin Cooper in the Fox teen drama ''The O.C.'', Agnes Andrews in The CW series ''Gossip Girl'', Aqua in ''Kingdom Hearts'', and Thea Queen / Speedy in ''Arrow''. ...

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 ...

Susanna Thompson Susanna Thompson (born January 27, 1958) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films ''Little Giants'' (1994), ''Ghosts of Mississippi'' (1996), ''Random Hearts'' (1999) and ''Dragonfly (2002 film), Dragonfly'' (2002). On televisio ...

Moira Queen Quakemaster Moira Queen Moira Queen is the mother of Oliver Queen/the Green Arrow. She and her husband Robert were killed by lions during an African safari. Moira Queen in other media Moira Queen was portrayed by Susanna Thompson in The CW' ...

, 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 ...

Quentin Lance '' 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 ...

returning from the previous season. They are joined by

Emily Bett Rickards Emily Bett Rickards (born July 24, 1991) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Felicity Smoak on The CW series ''Arrow'', her first television credit. She has also reprised the role in the Arrowverse shows ''The Flash'', ''Legends ...

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 Colton Lee Haynes (born July 13, 1988) is an American actor and model. He is known for his starring role as Jackson Whittemore in the MTV supernatural drama series ''Teen Wolf'' and as Roy Harper / Arsenal in the CW superhero television ser ...

as Roy Harper and

Manu Bennett Jonathan Manu Bennett (born 10 October 1969) is a New Zealand actor. He is primarily known for portraying characters in epic fantasy works, such as Crixus in the TV series ''Spartacus'', Allanon in '' The Shannara Chronicles'', Slade Wilson / ...

Slade Wilson Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

, who were promoted to series regulars from their recurring status in the previous season. The series follows billionaire playboy

(

), who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on

Lian Yu Lian Yu (; born 1886) was a diplomat, politician, judicial officer and lawyer in the Republic of China. He was an important politician during the Reformed Government of the Republic of China and Wang Jingwei regime (Republic of China-Nanjing). H ...

, a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to

Starling City Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of Green Arrow. Beyond that, it is also known to other characters ...

(later renamed "Star City") to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow. In the second season, Oliver has vowed to stop crime without killing criminals, using "The Arrow" as his new name to represent that, and is aided with by allies, John and Felicity. Oliver's vow is tested when he comes under attack from

(

), a man from Oliver's time on the island who resurfaces with a vendetta against him. Oliver grows to accept aspiring vigilante Roy Harper as his protégé, and begins to receive assistance from Quentin. Oliver also gains another ally,

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 ...

(

Caity Lotz Caitlin Marie Lotz (born December 30, 1986) is an American actress, dancer and singer. She has portrayed Stephanie Horton in ''Mad Men'', Officer Kirsten Landry in the MTV mockumentary series ''Death Valley'' (2011), Annie in '' The Pact'' (2013) ...

), who survived her ordeal at sea six years prior. The season features flashbacks to Oliver's second year on Lian Yu, where he faces a new threat from Dr Anthony Ivo (

Dylan Neal Dylan Jeremy Neal (born October 8, 1969"Catching up with....Dylan Neal". ''Soap Opera Digest''. July 22, 2013. p. 73.) is a Canadian/American actor. He holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. He is known for his portrayal of the ...

), whilst continuing to struggle to survive alongside allies Slade and Sara, and the archer Shado ( Celina Jade). The origins of his feud with Slade is revealed. The series was renewed for its second season on February 11, 2013. The second season received critical acclaim, and averaged 3.28 million viewers each week. The season would go on to be nominated for fifteen nominations in various categories. This season introduces characters from ''

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 ...

'', which was being developed as a potential spin-off at the time. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 16, 2014. The series was renewed for a third season on February 12, 2014.

Episodes

This season was prefaced with a recap episode airing on October 2, 2013, titled "Year One". It featured highlights from season one and a special preview of the second season.

Cast and characters

Main

as Oliver Queen / Arrow *

as Laurel Lance *

as Roy Harper *

as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke *

as Sara Lance / Canary

Recurring

Guest

Production

Development

On February 11, 2013, The CW renewed Arrow for a second season for the 2013–14 season. A backdoor pilot for ''The Flash'' was originally going to be the twentieth episode, but due to the positive reception of Grant Gustin's appearance in the eighth and ninth episode, executives at The CW scrapped it in favor a traditional pilot so that it gives the developers more time to flesh out the character in addition to receiving an increase in the budget.

Casting

Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes and Manu Bennett were all promoted to series regulars.

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (born 17 April 1987) is a Canadian actress, musician and television personality. For playing fashion executive and heiress Steffy Forrester Finnegan in the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (2008–present) ...

, who originally played Sara Lance in the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

, did not return and was replaced by Caity Lotz.

Costume

In the second half of the second season, Oliver replaces his "paint" mask with a

domino mask Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

, similar to one worn by the character in the comics. The change is addressed on-screen, with Kreisberg saying, "He doesn't just put on a mask. It's actually a big plot point in an episode, and there really is a story behind, not only the need for the mask but also who provides him with it." On adding the mask now, Kreisberg stated that, "Conceptually, it was something we wanted to do because Oliver himself is evolving as the Arrow—from vigilante to hero, sort of from Arrow to Green Arrow—and we wanted to see that progression in his costume as well. As Oliver is embracing being a hero, being a hero means stepping out of the dark and being more of a symbol, so he has to take steps to conceal his identity more." He added that it will "allow the Arrow to interact with people who don't know his identity in a much more organic way than having him constantly keep his head down." Costume designer Maya Mani put together roughly 50 mask options for the producers. Kreisberg said, "What's so wonderful about the design that Maya came up with is that it really is very simple, and it feels as if it’s been part of his costume since the beginning...once we finally had this mask and put it on Stephen

mell Mell (stylized as MELL) is a female Japanese singer from Sapporo, Japan, who is signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment. She is a former member of the Sapporo-based I've Sound, and one of its main vocalists. Mell has contributed vocals to sever ...

even Stephen was like, 'This is the right one. In the episode "

Three Ghosts The second season of the American television series ''Arrow'' premiered on The CW on October 9, 2013, and concluded on May 14, 2014, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter ...

", Oliver receives the mask from Barry Allen, who is able to create a mask that will help conceal his identity, while still being functional and allowing Oliver to see clearly.

Music

Release

Broadcast

The season began airing in the United States on

on October 10, 2013, and completed its 23-episode run on May 14, 2014.

Home media

''Arrow: Season 2'' was released as a 5-disc DVD set and as a 9-disc Blu-ray and DVD combo pack set on September 16, 2014 in the United States and September 15, 2014 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

The second season received favorable reviews.

Jeff Jensen Jeff Jensen (born 1970) is an American writer and journalist. Early life Jensen is a native of Seattle, Washington, and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Career Jensen is a screenwriter, journalist and author based in ...

of ''

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 ...

'' gave the first half of the second season a rating of B+, saying, "''Arrow'' possesses an intelligence that shines through its TV-budget production values, which aren't too shabby. The writing is adult and witty, the action is exciting, and Amell holds the center with well-cultivated ease." ''The A.V. Club''s Carrie Raisler gave the first half of the second season a rating of A−. She said, "''Arrow'' asofficially established itself as one of the most satisfying shows on television. The most satisfying thing of all is that it did so by respecting its characters... 'Arrow'' respectsthe character’s comic-book roots in its overarching plotlines, all while using the network-appropriate soap-opera stories to do the heavy character lifting."

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

reported a 95% approval rating based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 8.15/10. The site's consensus reading: "The second season of ''Arrow'' boasts more fantastic action, as well as a widening cast of intriguing, richly written characters."

Ratings

The second season averaged 3.28 million viewers across the 23 episodes, ranking 128th among television show viewership.

Accolades

, - ! scope="row" rowspan="16" , 2014 , rowspan="2" ,

Constellation Awards The Constellation Awards were a set of Canadian awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The event was founded in 2007. Constellation Awards are the only Canadian sci-fi award wher ...

, Best Male Performance in a 2013 Science Fiction Television Episode , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" ,

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...

") , , , - , Best Science Fiction Television Series of 2013 , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''

'' , , , - , rowspan="2" ,

IGN Awards ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

, Best TV Action Series , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - , Best TV Hero , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" ,

, , , - , rowspan="6" ,

Leo Awards The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

, Best Cinematography Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Verheul, Gordon" , Gordon Verheul ("

Sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...

") , , , - , Best Dramatic Series ,

, Joseph P. Finn,

Wendy Mericle Wendy Mericle is an American television writer and producer. She is known for her work on the ABC dramedy ''Desperate Housewives'' and The CW's superhero series ''Arrow''. Life and career From the age of seven on, Mericle grew up without a te ...

, , , - , Best Lead Performance by a Male Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" , Stephen Amell ("

Crucible A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. While crucibles were historically usually made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands te ...

") , , , - , Best Lead Performance by a Female Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Rickards, Emily Bett" ,

") , , , - , Best Make-Up Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Fowler, Danielle" , Danielle Fowler ("

Keep Your Enemies Closer The second season of the American television series ''Arrow'' premiered on The CW on October 9, 2013, and concluded on May 14, 2014, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter ...

") , , , - , Best Stunt Coordination Dramatic Series , data-sort-value="Makaro, J. J." , J. J. Makaro (" The Scientist") , , , - ,

People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...

, Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" , Stephen Amell , , , - ,

Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Genre The Satellite Award for Best Genre Series, first handed out in 2011, is an annual award given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, represen ...

, data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - ,

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 Youth-Oriented Television Series , data-sort-value="Arrow" , ''Arrow'' , , , - , rowspan="2" ,

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 TV Female Breakout Star , data-sort-value="Rickards, Emily Bett" , Emily Bett Rickards , , , - ,

Young Hollywood Awards The Young Hollywood Awards was awards presented annually which honored the year's biggest achievements in pop music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also hon ...

, Super Superhero , data-sort-value="Amell, Stephen" , Stephen Amell , , , - ! scope="row" , 2015 ,

PRISM Awards The Entertainment Industries Council is a United States non-profit organization founded in 1983 that promotes the depiction of accurate health and social issues in film, television, music, and comic books. The Council provides guidelines on the depi ...

, Performance in a Drama Multi-Episode Storyline , data-sort-value="Cassidy, Katie" ,

, ,

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Arrowverse Arrow (TV series) seasons 2013 American television seasons 2014 American television seasons Television series set in 2006 Television series set in 2008 Television series set in 2009