Clearly the cure that they used on Roy worked as he woke up just as people came for them. As they were attacked, he struck, but was quickly in pain. It looks like the cure worked and team Arrow got out of the clock tower in time before Lyla appeared and shot a missile at the mirakuru men. She knowingly came into the city
To all those skeptics who thought that Thea didn’t shoot Malcolm they were wrong. Thea did take those shots, but Malcolm didn’t stay down. he was too smart to go in without Kevlar and popped back up a few moments later with some words for Thea. He was proud of her for having the conviction to pull the trigger. He truly claims her as his own, but Thea wasn’t having that shit.
With Quentin in charge and busy with his force, Laurel went to Sarah, but Nyssa knocked her out with a tranq dart. Sarah was all good with joining up with Nyssa and the League of Assassins. And Nyssa came armed with not just a small army of men, but also information about Slade. Oliver realized that he needed their help if they were going to save the city. He wanted to do things on his terms, although Nyssa wanted a no prisoners objective. Oliver also gave Roy a red mask to remember what he could do.
Slade didn’t expect to see the League of Assassins an that was a benefit to team arrow, but that also meant that Deathstroke took his first opportunity escape. They did catch Isabel in her Ravager get up, but removed her mask and had her on her knees. Oliver ordered that they didn’t kill her. But after a few more disparaging words from Isabel, Nyssa took her out anyway.
The drilling of Oliver over what he needed to do was battered even more when Quentin made it clear that he thought the Arrow needed to kill Slade. Especially now that Laurel had bee taken by one of these men. It finally sunk in that some men just can’t be reasoned with and the only way for them to win and stop all this madness was if he killed again. it would be breaking the exact rule that he enacted for himself early in the season. What Oliver really needed to learn is that there is a time when one needs to break that rule.
Thea and Roy met up. Finally off that binge of power and strength he apologized for everything that had happened. he made it clear that She meant the world to him and that they needed to get out of Starling. They wante to go away for good. But before that he needed to go. All the males closest to her are archers. And Thea soon finds Roy’s spare set stashed under his bed.
Oliver ordered that Felicity stay behind. Felicity wasn’t having that. She wanted to be with them. She wanted to stay part of the team. She thought he was just pushing her aside for her safety and because she wasn’t as strong as the others. It wouldn’t have been the first time that he’s done it. But he spells out his real reason for it. He wants her to stay safe because Slade took the wrong woman. Slade took Laurel because he thought she was the love of Oliver’s life. Oliver made it clear that it was Felicity he uttered those words to her. After a season and a half of building and on and off moments, Olicity is finally a real thing.
Diggle and Lyla went to break out the suicide squad. That meant opening up the cells of a belligerent Deadshot. I’m really hoping we get to see more of his character in the coming season. He is dark, but there is a light in him as he does it not for the thrill but for his daughter. Sure he has no scruples, but he has a cause. After a bit of persuasion, Diggle convinces him to confront Amanda Waller to get them to call off the drones. In typical Amanda Waller fashion she messed this up when she revealed that Lyla was going to have Diggle’s child.
The League of Assassins and the core team went to fight the mirakuru men in the tunnel who had taken out all of the ARGUS men. It was a great moment as the two sides charged at each other. We got a great look at Roy looking truly like Speedy with the red mask and hood, and boy and arrow. It was great. After taking out the mirakuru men in the tunnel Oliver received a call from Slade. He made demands or he would kill the woman that he loved. We presumed that it was Laurel, but when Slade turned his back it was clear he had Felicity. The look of shock on Oliver’s face as he realized that he might lose her was great. That was the necessary draw to get Oliver to meet Slade.
Slade yet again pulled the same trick that he did a few episodes back. While it does make sense for the logic of the character. Then we saw the dupe. We learned that during Oliver and Felicity’s interaction earlier in the episode, he slipped her the cure. And when Slade was so distracted by his need to explain his pain and go on a typical bad guy rant, Felicity injected him with the cure. This only seemed to rile Slade up more as they fought. While the mirakuru gave Slade the edge, he had always been an expert fighter. And Oliver and Slade really go for the fight and while the fight was short it was well choreographed. And he trapped Slade just in time to call of the drones ARGUS was sending off.
With the big disaster resolved it was time for character moments. Laurel and Sarah were finally making amends. In an odd moment, potentially calling out that Laurel may in fact become Black Canary. She took the jacket and said it fit perfect as Sarah left with Nyssa. But not long after Quentin collapsed, coughing up blood. The knock he had got earlier had severely injured him.
When Roy returned he found a letter waiting for him. Apparently, finding out that Roy was keeping secrets was the last straw. For Thea that meant she was going to be with her father. What Thea will become, if she will be a danger or a villain it’s unclear, but she is going on a new journey. For Roy, that means his attempt to flee from greatness had halted. Instead he was going to take up the mask.
Oliver went to visit a locked up Slade. There he thanked Slade for finally making him a hero. The hero that he needed to be. Then we saw that he was locked up in an ARGUS facility under a beach with the only way out a manhole. Waiting for Oliver on the outside was Diggle and Felicity. Diggle gave them a moment. She admitted that for a minute Oliver had her fooled. There was a sort of anticipation that she hoped he’d answer. Instead he denied it. So for now the tension between Oliver and Felicity will remain just that.
Again the flashback was the biggest detractor of the episode second only to the character drama between Thea and Malcolm. Although it was nice to see how they got to this point. How the hatred was pushed that much further and we finally saw the moment when Oliver had the moment to stop all of it frm happening. Oliver chose to keep the cure and instead stab Slade with an arrow through the eye. Though the end of the flashbacks indicated that Oliver was recruited by Amanda Waller before he actually returned to society.
What did you think of the episode?
So, I pondered... 