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Stephen Amell’sArrowwas the start of many DC shows on the CW network. It introduced many other Arrowverse superheroes like the Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Superman (fromSuperman & Lois) and frequently had crossover events. The final season of the series aired in 2020 after eight seasons.
In the fifth season of the show,Arrowreportedly decided to go political and explored the issue of gun violence in America with the episode ‘Spectre of the Gun’. However, the episode received criticism for failing to commit to an ideology and making a general statement without any nuance.
ArrowTackled Gun Violence In An Episode But Did Not Do A Good Job
Among the CW’s Arrowverse group of shows,Arrowwas the clear veteran, having started the franchise in 2012. TheStephen Amellstarrer saw billionaire Oliver Queen masquerading as the vigilante Green Arrow to fight crime in Starling City. By season 5, the Arrowverse had expanded intoThe Flash, Legends of Tomorrow,andSupergirl.
According toshowrunner Marc Guggenheim, the producers decided to go back toArrow’s crime thriller roots from season one to distinguish themselves from other shows in the Arrowverse, as did many of the others. Being the only series in the franchise to reach season 5 at the time, they reportedly felt equipped to tackle a topical issue.
With the episode ‘Spectre of the Gun’,Arrowdecided to explore gun violence in America. Increased incidents have triggered topics of debates on ownership of firearms and the Second Amendment in America, a debate that still prevails. However,Arrowseemed to fail at providing a nuanced take on the issue.
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The episode sees a mass shooting occur in Starling City, leading the team to urge Oliver Queen to control the situation as the Mayor. He hopes to convince the city council of a gun control act. However, Queen seems to be still neutral about the subject, with Rene Ramirez a.k.a Wild Dog giving the other perspective.
The episode, while having its heart in the right place, seemed to not risk offending either side of the argument and kept things neutral. Rene Ramirez’s backstory of failing to protect his wife in a shootout without a firearm seemed to be included to keep a compelling argument for the side against gun control while Queen’s actions seemed to be neutral.
ArrowProducer Claims The Network Was Completely On Board With The Idea
While a show as popular asArrowusually caters to all demographics, talking about a political issue like gun control and gun violence seemed to be a slippery slope. Many US citizens have claimed that they felt safer with a firearm in their house (viaPew Research).
However, with almost four in ten American households reportedly having firearms (via Pew Research), the country also ranks highest among countries like Canada, England, and Australia in deaths related to gun-related violence (viaBBC). This correlation between the rise in gun violence and the right to bear firearms has sparked a lot of debate.
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Arrowproducer Marc Guggenheim mentioned that he wanted to explore the issue when they began work on season 5. He mentioned that they faced no resistance from the network when they pitched the idea (viaVariety),
I grew up on ‘St. Elsewhere’ and ‘Picket Fences’ and ‘L.A. Law,’ and I grew up in a time where it was commonplace for a one-hour drama to tackle some of the issues of the day. Somewhere along the line, the industry got away from that…We told [the network] we wanted to do a gun violence episode and they said ‘Great’. Nothing was compromised. This is very much the episode we wanted to do.
The producer also mentioned that they took inspiration from their contemporaries likeBlack-ishandThe Carmichael Show.
Arrowis available to stream on Netflix.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
