First Thoughts On 'Arrow' Season 5 (Episodes 1-9)

The fifth season of DC's Arrow has reached its mid-season point, and nine episodes in it's been quite a ride with a new team, new villain and a new tonal approach. It seemed as if the series was really putting me off with its fifth installment of 23 episodes when it mentioned essentially ripping-off the second season of Daredevil and introducing a brand-new team of Arrow when none of the main characters died in Season 4 to make room. I'm not sure if its my lowered expectations for Season 5 that gave me the response I've gotten from it, but I have absolutely loved this new season of Arrow so far.
With Season 4 basically wiping the slate clean, 5 kicks off several months later with Oliver fighting crime as the Green Arrow, having now gone back on his rule of not killing after murdering Damien Darhk. Oliver now also lives a double-life as Star City's new Mayor, a decision that allows us to focus on Oliver's double life - an aspect severely lacking since basically his entire family died at the end of Season 2. Stephen Amell is still really strong in this season, showcasing Oliver's arc of having his past come back to haunt him. The mid-season finale showcased exactly what this season was about: Oliver's legacy. Is Oliver a killer, a hero, or just a vigilante? The season constantly delves into this idea, particularly with Vigilante - Arrow's version of The Punisher from Daredevil - and Prometheus. Meanwhile, the series builds on Oliver's association with the Bratva in the Russia-set flashback sequences that are surprisingly interesting and well-placed into each episode, even if they don't take priority over the main story-line.
There's a huge shift back to the grittiness of the first two seasons, with more violence and less supernatural threats, highlighted with Tobias Church - a new gangster in Star City who sees the Green Arrow as merely an obstacle. Church made for an interesting street-level villain and helped to start the season with a more methodical pace than Season 4. Newcomers Wild Dog and Rag-man make for interesting recruits, even if both lack the development of their counterparts, while I'm very pleased to see Curtis finally put on a mask as Mr Terrific. Diggle and Thea are back as Spartan and Speedy, while Felicity is thankfully kept to as a supporting comic relief character in her Overwatch position. It's sadly Artemis who lets team Arrow down by being a very bland character played by a very dull actress. I wasn't sure about the decision to bring her back, but at least as an antagonist she's less noticeably boring.
Prometheus makes for an interesting big bad this season, at first appearing to be an evil version of the Green Arrow but soon revealing himself to be the very antithesis. The mid-season finale featured a whole chilling sequence of Oliver walking through a re-enactment of his murder of Prometheus' father, which perfectly highlighted Oliver's character growth in the five seasons but also allowed us to see just how psychotic Prometheus is, even if we don't see him properly.
In fact, the mid-season finale ended brilliantly. Diggle is arrested, Felicity's boyfriend is murdered by Oliver, Curtis' boyfriend leaves him and Oliver is left staring in disbelief at a seemingly resurrected Laurel Lance. Whatever the future holds for Arrow, I'm confident that it is bright...or as bright as the series is going to get this season!