1) This Is Gun Control To Major Tom
When “Spectre of the Gun” began with a viewer discretion disclaimer, I knew we were in for something that dealt with provocative material. As it turned out, I was correct because not only did Arrow tackle the gun control issue, but it did so by simultaneously dealing with a sensitive subject that’s unfortunately prevalent in today’s society: Mass public shootings.
There was just something about this particular episode that transcended the superhero genre, and that’s saying something given that this is a show about a non-powered urban vigilante. And when you found out the shooter was just an everyday Joe and not a supervillain with a fantastical origin story, it very much created a sense of realism.
In addition to the producers approaching the issue from multiple angles, the episode inspired as only a superhero story can when Oliver Queen used words, not arrows, to diffuse the situation.
As for the flashbacks, they finally fleshed out Wild Dog’s backstory and showed how his family life collapsed due to gun violence. It all tied nicely into the present storyline and made for one of the most powerful installments of Arrow in recent memory.
Published: Feb 17, 2017 11:01 am