We might have seen the last of Chad Coleman on Arrow for the time being, but hopefully, he will be back. Photo/IMDB
On last week’s episode of Arrow, the first of November 2016, called “Human Target,” Tobias Church held Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez) captive and engaged in some coerced interrogation to procure Green Arrow’s identity. Subsequently, Church sets Mayor Queen in his sights, something that does not sit well with Prometheus who already warned Church once. In the meantime, Oliver enlists an agent Christopher Chance (Wil Traval) codenamed…well, you can guess based on the title of the episode…to help keep him alive and lure in Church.
Wild Dog gets to branch off into his own story arc. He is a loose cannon and more of a loner but he is contrite over breaking and revealing Green Arrow’s identity. Diggle, still recovering from his experiences of trust and betrayal with his brother, takes up the task of being a council for the vigilante’s fall from grace.
We also learn more about Queen’s time in Russia as part of some secretive mafia which comes back to haunt him.
Everything is coming together and the rising action of the season is reaching its apex but what is a little confusing is where that leaves the Tobias Church character. His fate could be only temporary or for keeps. The latter is a disappointing outcome because it looks like a botched attempt at putting time and energy to make someone new and unique to the show a big deal for little payoff.
The rise of Tobias Church at the start of Arrow season five is a bit like booking a heel in wrestling only to job him out. He came in hot and he came in strong — throwing Green Arrow from a helicopter, setting his sights on taking over the city’s drug trade, torturing the Arrow’s teammates, and all around making life hell — but within weeks got captured and supplanted for the bigger more recognizable star.
Prometheus is the one true fans will know so he will draw ratings but, to put it one way, instead of signing an established name they could have taken a risk on building new talent. Long-term plans don’t always mean viewership in the short term but it’s worth a try.
