http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/GraphicCity/news/?a=72716UPDATE: ARROW Showrunners On The Show's Future, Deadshot And China White Team-Up Confirmed
Warning: The article over at Huffington Post covers a lot of ground and has a lot of spoilers so if you don't care to know a thing about the second half of Arrow, click away now!
"We were able to go through the hell of the first seven or eight [episodes] that I think you have to go to, to sort of calibrate how to make a good episode and how to make it on time and on budget and all that stuff, and [we started] to get real, true audience feedback about what people are enjoying most," Arrow executive producer Greg Berlanti shared. "So this next run of episodes is the byproduct of a conversation we've had with the audience and then also our own learning curve in terms of how to make better episodes." Interesting! I know for a fact that the show's producers visit CBM so it's possible our weekly poll and discussion series has played a part in the evolution of the show.
Berlanti and fellow producer, Marc Guggenheim go to to share that the show is really about the evolution of Oliver Queen from vigilante to hero, stress the dup. But he's also evolving physically as well. "It's a silly thing to note," but the show's star, who got quite a bit of notice for his killer abs, has "bulked up" his chest and upper body in the past few months. "He was an impressive physical specimen before, but he has found a new gear," Guggenheim added. The discussion also touched on the fact that a lot of the characters that show up in the first season are indeed DC Comics heroes and villains but many are not at the stage in their life where they're ready to don a cape or tights. In many ways, that sentiment hold true for Oliver as well, right now he's a vigilante and what we're seeing is his journey towards becoming a hero.
Below, are some highlights from a podcast discussion with the producers that contain SPOILERS.
-Before the season's end, one other person besides Diggle and Huntress will learn Oliver's secret identity.
-Episode 11 features Ben Browder as Ted Gaynor, a name comic book fans will recognize from the roster of the Blackhawks Squadron (incorrectly stated as episode 12 over at HuffPo).
-Seth Gabl's Count Vertigo arrives in Episode 12. The producers confirm that he will definitely be back in later eps.
-Manu Bennett arrives in Episode 13 as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke. However, producers caution not to assume that info on Bennett's character is 100% correct. Based on that tease, methinks there's someone else underneath Deathstroke's costume?
-David Anders arrives in Episode 14 as Vanch, a brand new villain and original creation of the show.
-James Callis appears as Dodger in Episode 15. The producers are still undecided about whether he'll be a recurring character.
-It was rumored that Colton Haynes would be debuting in Episode 12 along with Count Vertigo but apparently Roy Harper debuts in Episode 15 as well. For a look at set photos featuring Haynes CLICK HERE.
-Deadshot and China White team-up in Episode 16 of Arrow.
-Oliver will begin to uncover the secrets of his mother between episodes 12 and 14.
-The second half of the season closely examines the relationship between Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell) and his father (John Barrowman) the Dark Archer.
- After episode 16 which airs February 27th, the show goes on a mini-hiatus before closing out the first season with 2 episodes on March 20th and March 27th respectively.
Update: First look at Seth Gabel as Vertigo, courtesy of TV Guide.
