On The Air: Arrow season 7 mid-season report (2018)

Sorry that this one's a little late, as I meant to do this one yesterday.
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Show: Arrow.
Season: 7th.
When it airs: Mondays at 8 (ET). Returns January 14.
Previous rating: C-.
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Where we are: Last year started with a nondescript fellow, Cayden James (Michael Emerson), deluded into believing Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), had killed his son. Turns out that wasn't true at all, and Ollie was framed. Once that was solved, James ended up going to jail, but never got a cell.

That's because Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo), the real villain, whacked James before he even was sentenced. Diaz's rationale for being what he is, other than being more annoying than the average obnoxious radio yapper, is that he was bullied as a child, somehow amassed a fortune, got his revenge on said bully, but then turned Star City against Team Arrow, using said money. However, that plot was foiled at the end of season six. Problem is, Diaz got away, and Queen was sent to prison, which is where we started season seven.

In jail, Queen is reacquainted with some old enemies, including Danny "Brick" Brickwell (Vinnie Jones), Derek Sampson (pro wrestler Cody Runnels), and Ben Turner, aka the Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), who seem to have taken control of the prisoner colony. Sampson was a made-for-TV creation introduced in season 5. Tiger dates back to the 70's, and Brick, originally an African-American like Turner in the books, was rebooted as a White Australian, reversing the usual cultural diversity in casting. However, Jones has all the presence of a dead tree. Didn't like him in "The Condemned" 11 years ago opposite Steve Austin, and Runnels seems to act like he's uncomfortable around him.

Before this arc is over, we say good-bye to FBI agent Samandra Watson (Sydelle Noel, GLOW), who's been reassigned. Diaz is still loose, hassling Ollie's wife, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), but after he's finally busted and joins Ollie at Slabside, a battle royale breaks loose, leading to Turner finding the hero in him (he was originally a hero in the books) to help Ollie, who's finally sprung by Black Siren (Katie Cassidy), still posing as the Earth 1 Laurel Lance, who'd been killed in season four by Damien Dahrk.

Right before Elseworlds, ARGUS agents Lyla & John Diggle, the latter having joined ARGUS in the interim, recruit Diaz, of all people, for a project. That definitely was not a good idea, but an example of someone on the creative staff having some sort of interest in keeping the charismatically challenged Acevedo around.

Here's the season trailer:



There is a second Green Arrow running around, and it turns out to be Ollie's half-sister, Emiko, a recent addition to the comics within the last decade. This will get interesting.

Having shifted time slots twice in as many seasons says this show may be on its last legs. We'll see.

Updated rating: B+.