Arrow: 6 Ups And 5 Downs From The Season 4 Premiere 'Green Arrow'

Oliver Queen is running, with a green hood obscuring his face. It appears to be a familiar sight, but in actuality it couldn't be more different. He may be getting used to running without people chasing after him, but we aren't used to seeing it. 

This, then, is our welcome to Arrow season 4, one that looks the same at a glance but has totally shaken up the status quo. We begin with the domestic bliss of Oliver and Felicity, but this isn't going to just be some daytime soap opera and before long they're back in Star (now without the 'ling') City. 

Much like the first episode of The Flash's 2nd season, the return to this corner of The CW's DC-verse does solid work in re-establishing its pieces on the board, and introducing the new threat that the team is going to have to face. 

However, it also changes things up more than has ever been done before in the previous three seasons of the show, with Oliver once again evolving into something else, a villain who is quite unlike anybody else, and a couple of major twists along the way. There was a lot to like about the episode and these new elements, although - much like Oliver himself - it wasn't without its flaws. 

If you're in the camp of Arrow fans who don't like the pairing of Oliver and Felicity, then large parts of this episode - and presumably the coming season as a whole - are not going to be particularly appealing to you. 

If, on the other hand, you're totally on-board with the couple - I'll confess that I am, though maybe stopping short of 'shipping' 'Olicity' - then this is a great development for the series. It starts off with the pair living in domestic bliss, with plenty of time for Oliver to cook brunch for friends with food from the farmers' market. 

What's undeniable, whether you want them to be together or not, is that Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards have great chemistry together, and that really shines through both in the opening moments, and their later scenes together as well. 

Having too much of this each week could become a bit of a drag, detracting from the more Arrow-based elements, but a nice balance is struck here, and hopefully that'll continue throughout the year. It's also worth pointing out that Felicity is pretty awesome here, which gives me a lot of faith they can get the character back to her former glory while still being involved in a relationship. Just, er, don't let her cook anything.