[SPOILERS ahead for those not caught up on Arrow.]
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Arrow hasn’t wasted much time changing things up in its fifth season. Four episodes in, and the show has already introduced more new characters faster than it has in any of its previous seasons. It’s not just the character lineup that’s changed this season though, as the dynamics and relationships between the show’s most important characters have been drastically shaken up, with Oliver reverting back to some of his more violent tendencies, and the introduction of villains like Tobias Church and Prometheus offering new dangers for Oliver and his crew to deal with.
However, maybe no other aspect of the show has been altered as much this season than Team Arrow has - with Oliver recruiting a number of entirely new members to help him fight crime this year. Thanks to some new casting news from the series too, it looks like Team Arrow may not be going up against just criminals and other vigilantes this year, but also an unexpected, fierce new police detective.
Variety is reporting that The Walking Dead actress Juliana Harkavy has been cast in Arrow season 5 as Tina Boland, a detective who until her move to Star City this year, spent her time working in The Flash’s Central City. Described as “brash yet tactful,” Boland isn’t an easy detective to impress, and will have some immediate problems with the presence and methods of the city’s vigilantes like Green Arrow, Wild Dog, Artemis, Mr. Terrific, and Ragman. The Variety report states that she will be introduced in the back half of season 5.
As the number of vigilantes continues to grow in Star City, it seems natural that Oliver and his team would start to receive some push back from the city’s other, official protectors. With Prometheus and Tobias Church threatening to throw not only Oliver’s life, but also his entire city, into disarray again, Arrow season 5 has recaptured the sense of momentum that many fans felt was missing from seasons 3 and 4. By bringing the series back to a much more team-oriented dynamic, in addition to the improved incorporation of flashbacks, and a grounded, street-level tone, Arrow is just on the brink of recapturing its former glory once again.
Walking Dead fans will recall Harkavy from her role as Alisha, a former Army revisionist and member of Caesar Martinez’s gang in the show’s fourth season - and Arrow isn’t be the first time Harkavy has stepped into the DC TV pool, either. She had a brief guest role in Constantine on NBC, but it sounds like her role in Arrow season 5 will be much more substantial. Will she play a role not only in Oliver’s vigilante life, but also his political and personal life? We’ll have to wait and see, of course, but as Arrow’s number of heroes this season continues to grow, it looks like the same can be said for its antagonists.
Arrow ‘Human Target’ airs this Wednesday @8pm on The CW.
Source: Variety
