Pilot (Arrow)

"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of Arrow and its pilot episode. It aired on October 10, 2012.

Synopsis
After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for 5 years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. Back in Starling City, Oliver slowly reconnects with those closest to him, his devoted mother Moira, his beloved sister Thea, and his best friendTommy Merlyn, but struggles with his ex-girlfriend Dinah Laurel Lance, who blames him for her sister's death. Oliver has brought back many new skills from his time on the island and despite the watchful eye of his new bodyguardJohn Diggle, Oliver manages to secretly create the persona of an unknown vigilante archer nicknamed the Hood by the police trying to catch him. Using the Hood, Oliver tries to right the wrongs of his family and fight the ills of society. As the Hood, Oliver will atone for the past sins of his family while he searches for the personal redemption he needs.

Plot
After a shipwreck that claims the life of his father, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead for 5 years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his mother, Moira, his younger sister, Thea, and his best friend, Tommy, welcome him home, but sense that Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he has become, he tries to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, Laurel, for cheating on her with her sister, who also died in the shipwreck. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly masquerades as a green-hooded vigilante archer known as the Hood by night, attempting to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory as his late father had entrusted him to do before his death. Oliver's first personal task is to take down corrupt millionaire Adam Hunt, who has scammed millions from various people in Starling City. Laurel's father, police Sergeant Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the Hood. Meanwhile, Oliver's mother is revealed to have an agenda against her son, having orchestrated the kidnapping to determine what his father told him after the shipwreck.

Behind the scenes

 * The episode was viewed by 4.14 million.[1]
 * The episode received a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Production

 * Many scenes were filmed at BB Studios in Burnaby, British Columbia in Canada. Also filmed there was Smallville, a former DC superhero show shown on The CW, based on Superman comics.
 * Jacqueline MacInnes Wood makes her only appearance as Sara Lance in this episode, being replaced by Caity Lotz in Season 2.
 * Hatley Castle was used to shoot as the Queen Mansion. This again shares with Smallville, being filmed as Luthor Mansion.
 * Scenes were filmed in Gastown, Vancouver.
 * Filming came to an end on April 3, 2012.
 * The opening scene of the episode would later be used as the final flashback of the series on the finale of Season 5.