The CW's Arrow is currently in the midst of its hiatus between Seasons 4 and 5, and the plot of what's to come this fall is still mostly shrouded in mystery. There have been new characters announced since the Season 4 finale in May, though, and the latest will contribute some actual law and order to a city that will apparently be overrun with vigilantes. The Star City Police Department is adding to its force for Season 5 with The McCarthys' Tyler Ritter coming on board as a detective.
The new character to be played by Tyler Ritter is named Detective Malone, and he will serve to fill the vacuum in the SCPD in the wake of Captain Lance's departure, according to THR. Arrow is the story of Oliver Queen's work as the Green Arrow, but he's almost always had an inside man in the police department to help him out when vigilantism isn't enough to get a job done. Quentin Lance's dealings with Damien Darhk in Season 4 cost him his job when he admitted the deceit in open court, which meant that Oliver was without a cop contact for Season 5. However, Detective Malone looks to be the next man to work as the Green Arrow's go-between with the SCPD. The police have gone from pursuing to supporting to hunting the Star City vigilantes over the years, so it'll be interesting to see if this new character will start out as friendly to the Team Arrow cause.
Tyler Ritter is best known for his role as Ronny McCarthy on the CBS sitcom The McCarthys, which was sadly cancelled after only one season, but the actor has proven himself capable of tackling parts in just about any genre. In addition to The McCarthys, his recent roles have ranged from Hot in Cleveland to Young & Hungry to both NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS. He even had a role in comic television when he appeared as Thomas Ward in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but his second comic TV role will take him from Marvel to DC for Arrow.
Personally, I'm optimistic about what Ritter will bring to Arrow in his move to DC TV. Unlike most of the other characters who have been announced for Season 5, Detective Malone will be filling a necessary role as a source within the SCPD. Arrow didn't necessarily need more vigilantes in its show about the Green Arrow, and we already know of four characters who will likely start doing extralegal crime-fighting in earnest in Season 5.
Not only will Detective Malone be necessary for how Arrow works, but he also sounds like he'll be quite different from his predecessor Quentin. The prospect is a nice change for the show that literally switched one sister in for another with the role of Black Canary. The show needed another cop; it didn't need another Quentin, and the SCPD could be the source of some great stories even if Paul Blackthorne will no longer be playing the detective.
Unfortunately, Arrow won't be back until Fall 2016, so we have quite a wait before we can see Tyler Ritter in action as Detective Malone. Check out our summer TV premiere schedule to see what you can watch in the meantime.
