Arrow: 10 Ways That Season 3 Went Wrong

Ray Palmer is a prime example of a character that could have worked wonderfully but was utterly failed by the writing. Clearly introduced as an impediment to the wildly popular Oliver/Felicity romance, he was already at a disadvantage with many viewers. Still, as proved with Sara Lance and Barry Allen back in Season 2, Arrow was capable of incorporating outside love interests without derailing the entire narrative.

Unfortunately, the writers insisted on isolating Ray Palmer from the main action for nearly the entire season. Given that he was still present for a sizable chunk of screentime, his scenes opposite only Felicity felt like bits from another show that were accidentally edited into Arrow.

Now, Ray still could have worked if he were written as peripheral to de facto female lead Felicity. Instead, the show used Felicity as a springboard for Ray’s journey toward the ATOM suit. Time was being taken from the established characters to support the fantastical origin story of a newcomer who did not fit within the relative realism of Arrow.

Interestingly, Ray began to work at the end of the season after he was finally allowed to interact with the rest of Team Arrow. His perky enthusiasm was a great foil to Oliver’s long-suffering stoicism, and contributing to the overall plot rather than sucking up time for himself did wonders for him.