Arrow: 5 Things That "The Calm" Did Right (And 3 It Didn't)

3. New Faces

In addition to those existing character upgrades, a few new faces make their first appearances in "The Calm." The most promising of these newcomers is Ray Palmer, the genius billionaire who swoops in to steal Queen Consolidated away with a dazzling sales pitch that convinces even Oliver that Ray is the right man for the job. Considering Ray's rather close attentions to Felicity, however, Oliver's goodwill toward Dr. Palmer may have a (potentially hilarious) short shelf life. As a professional and personal rival to our hero, the odds were stacked against many fans taking to the character, but former Superman actor Brandon Routh manages to strike a balance between charming and smarmy that somehow just works. His upbeat banter with everybody's favorite tech girl should prove an interesting contrast to the rest of the show. Also new was Peter Stormare as Werner Zytle, the street dealer who takes up the mantle of Count Vertigo after the original's death-via-arrows last year. Playing the Count as more opportunistic and less deranged than Seth Gabel's incarnation of the first two seasons, Stormare exudes a more sinister vibe in his total disregard for collateral damage and innocent lives. While "1812 Overture" would have been the obvious tune for him to whistle while handling explosives, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" will hereafter strike fear into the hearts of viewers in any subsequent episodes. Well, fear into the hearts of shippers, anyway. Damn that Count Vertigo! Finally, we had the first appearance of Diggle's daughter as ex-wife/girlfriend Lyla gives birth toward the end of the episode. As yet unnamed and dubbed the "Digglette" by fans, her mere existence will certainly play a prominent (if largely off-screen) part in the rest of Season 3. Plus, she's super cute. Mazel tov indeed, Digg.