10 Ways Arrow Would Be Different If It Were On Netflix

One of the greatest strengths of the Netflix series has been their emphasis on the villains. These antagonists have felt like secondary lead characters, and not only did we know what Wilson Fisk and Killgrave were after, we empathized with their reasoning.

Arrow had that once with Slade Wilson, who had a clear arc, a menacing plan, and a deep connection to the hero. Unfortunately, since then Arrow has produced the underdeveloped Ra’s al Ghul, a poor interpretation of a classic character, and Damien Darhk, a man who, with four episodes left, still hasn’t revealed any semblance of what he’s up to. We simply have less stake in these villains, because we barely know who they are, and the entire series loses audience investment as a result.

Arrow on Netflix would never have had these problems and it’s likely that Damien Darhk could have been just as compelling as Fisk with the appropriate amount of screen time and characterization. Instead, he was screwed over with too few appearances and no development, which is especially noticeable after what Netflix has been doing.