Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Geekcap: Arrow "Eleven Fifty-Nine"

At the Diggle apartment, Andy opens a vault to reach for a hidden gun. Diggle spots him and questions why he was moving secretly. Andy reveals to him that he was meeting with Malcolm Merlyn, who still believes that Andy is a part of HIVE, to discuss a plan to break Dahrk out of prison.

At the lair, the team goes over this new knowledge. Thea states that Malcolm believes that Dahrk is on the winning side and will fight against them to likely protect her. From the new connection, Malcolm will likely try to steal back Dahrk’s idol which they keep in the bunker. Oliver reveals to the team that he has seen the idol before on the island. Before he can discuss it, Thea shows Oliver the news on Ruve Adams’ acceptance speech. Laurel and Thea state that Oliver doesn’t owe her anything, but Oliver insists on going as gracious loser part of the election tradition. They still remind him that he did not lose but was blackmailed out of the race.

During Ruve’s acceptance speech, a reporter comes to talk to Oliver. Oliver protests that he is no longer a candidate, but the reporter reveals that Oliver garnered 48% of the vote through write-in votes. Ruve then stops to talk to Oliver who congratulates her on the victory. Oliver nevertheless says that he has the city’s best interests at heart. Ruve then confronts Laurel and commends her on the work on the Damian Dahrk case. The newly-elected mayor then offers Laurel a position as district attorney with the original district attorney moving up in rank as deputy mayor.

On the island, Oliver prepares Taiana to fight the soldiers. Taiana is heartbroken at the idea that they must murder their way to survival, but they have no choice. She looks to an old picture of her and her brother, surprised at a time they were happy. Oliver admits that he also carried a picture of someone he loved that he would look at for hope, but the best thing they need to do is stop looking at the past. They make their way to the soldiers.

Oliver, Diggle, and Andy track a remaining HIVE convoy while Laurel and Thea protect the idol. Both Laurel and Thea believe that Malcolm will sooner or later try to steal the idol from the lair. Laurel casually refers to her offer to be district attorney, which Thea responds would be a good way to keep an eye on Mrs. Dahrk. Laurel, however, wonders how she can be a DA and the Black Canary. Meanwhile, Thea proclaims that she no longer will have anything to do with her father considering his selfish choices. Suddenly, Malcolm appears with some remaining League acolytes fighting off Laurel. Thea tries fighting him off but ultimately hesitates from killing him. He takes advantage of her hesitation and knocks her out to steal the idol. Oliver, Diggle, and Andy meanwhile tag the vehicle only to find that it was a trick to distract half the team away from the lair.

Oliver and Diggle return to the bunker. Malcolm has disappeared, and the team can’t track him with his skills. Diggle suggests asking Andy about any connections, but Oliver is a bit reluctant to put Andy in the position. Diggle says that Andy is already in a compromising position, and asking them would only help the cause. Laurel then finds out from Oliver that the real reason is because Oliver is starting to doubt Andy’s loyalty given the distraction. Laurel warns Oliver that if he should press on this issue, it may start an argument that he and Diggle cannot recover from in the end. She then receives a message from her dad.

Back on the island, Taiana distracts the soldiers before she and Oliver shoot the guards and steal the prison keys. Taiana releases and arms the prisoners who plan to take on the soldiers.

Laurel then meets up with Lance at a Chinese restaurant where Lance has been picking up some phrases thanks to Sara. They discuss Laurel’s possible job change. Lance is against her taking it while Laurel states that it would be a good opportunity to keep an eye on Ruve. Lance then clarifies that should she take the job, she’d be under non-stop surveillance and could no longer be the Black Canary. If she takes the job, she could no longer be a vigilante.

Andy then informs the team that he found Malcolm in an old factory. The group follows Andy to the location where they spot a figure that looks like Malcolm and give chase. They stop by a corner where Oliver and Andy are trapped behind a wall with an automatic firing squad that shoots arrows at the two. Andy dives to protect Oliver when the rest of the team catches up to the two. The figure gets away when Andy warns that this means Malcolm’s on his way to Dahrk.

At jail, Malcolm sneaks in to deliver the idol to Damian Dahrk. Dahrk has promised Malcolm that should he deliver the idol he and Thea will be safe from whatever Genesis has planned for the rest of the city. Unfortunately, Dahrk notices that there is a piece missing. Without it, the idol is useless.

Damian Dahrk: Don't be so high-handed.

Diggle patches up Andy in the bunker where the younger Diggle is still nervous about Dahrk gaining the idol. Diggle reveals to his brother that he has hidden a piece of the idol, so they are safe at this point. Oliver then comes and warns Diggle against telling Andy about the missing piece. Diggle still trusts Andy despite this. Laurel meanwhile decides to go to the jail as ADA to search for the idol.

On the island, Oliver and the prisoners successfully take out the soldiers. Unfortunately, he still has to contend with Reiter in the catacombs. Taiana says that he is no match for Reiter with the idol which gives Oliver the idea to simply trap him with a cave-in.

The police investigate the cells around Dahrk for the “possible contraband.” In the midst of the search, Dahrk subtly threatens Laurel which the ADA refuses fear. At Diggle’s apartment, Andy appears to be searching for something. Oliver catches him in the act, but Andy claims that he was looking for surveillance. Oliver instead believes that he is searching for the missing piece to deliver to Dahrk. Before Oliver can torture him, Diggle arrives to stop the fight and throws Oliver out of his place. Oliver warns that they can’t trust Andy.

At the bunker, Diggle rebukes Oliver for attacking Andy by reminding him that it was his idea to rescue Andy in the first place. Oliver states that he himself is proof that people cannot return from the darkness, but Diggle states that some men change while Oliver is stuck in his self-pity, the reason why Felicity left him. Laurel returns with no news about the idol, but Thea fortunately has hacked into the prison security footage to keep an eye on Dahrk. Laurel then confronts Oliver on the situation with Diggle when she reveals that she is planning to reject Ruve’s offer. Oliver, however, reminds her that she wanted to be the District Attorney for years and only became the Black Canary to avenge Sara’s death. Now that Sara’s alive, the city needs more heroes without masks, something Laurel can do as DA.

Oliver: This city has enough heroes with masks on. With Ruve Adams as mayor, it needs a hero without a mask. It needs Laurel Lance. 

In the prison, Murmur secretly hides the idol for Dahrk in the midst of the prison’s books. At Dahrk’s call, the prisoners fight against the guards and hold the remaining police officers in hostage. Laurel notes that she can’t prosecute Dahrk without first getting him into custody, meaning she has to suit up as the Black Canary for one last time.

At the jail, Lance distracts the police guard by arguing and literally fighting with a lieutenant officer while the team plus Andy sneak to save the hostages. Laurel and Thea take on the prisoners which include Murmur until they are confronted by Malcolm. Thea tells Laurel to go ahead while she deals with her father. The rest of the team make it to Dahrk’s room where they fight off the remaining prisoners. Thea is unable to beat Malcolm, who tells her that without her bloodlust she will unable to ever beat him.

The team nearly defeat the prisoners until Dahrk holds Andy at gunpoint. They surrender to Dahrk only to have him reveal that Andy was a part of his plan. Andy had secretly obtained the final piece of the idol after hearing that Diggle had hidden it and retrieves it for Dahrk. Thea shoots at Dahrk, but that only provides the villain with a blood sacrifice with the help of some fallen prisoners. Dahrk regains his magic and proceeds to freeze the heroes in place. He then reveals that through Andy’s connection he learned about Diggle’s secret identity and, through the Green Arrow’s rescue of William, he learned about Oliver. He tosses Diggle and Thea aside, leaving Oliver with one clear shot. Dahrk stops the arrow and then proceeds to stab Laurel, fulfilling his threat to Lance about any betrayal. Oliver rushes her to the hospital, where she is quickly taken to the emergency room. Dahrk, Malcolm, Andy, and the prisoners escape.

On the island, Taiana asks Oliver about his picture which leads him to showing his old photo of Laurel. She then makes him promise that if she dies, he should go to Russia to find her family. She then promises that if he dies she will find Laurel. The two then set off the explosions which leave Reiter trapped in the catacombs with the idol.

Lance returns to the police station only to reprimanded by an officer for attacking the police. He remains coy hearing the news of the hostages’ rescue until the officer reveals that the Black Canary was gravely injured. He quickly makes his way to the hospital.


Felicity arrives at the hospital to see Laurel’s condition. The doctor says that she will be fine and allows the group to talk to her. Laurel reveals that this was supposed to be her last mission before working as district attorney, and that being the Black Canary was what ultimately made her feel alive. She then personally asks Oliver to take something out from her second pocket, only to have Oliver find his old photo of Laurel. Laurel reveals that she has kept it since he returned to remind her of good times. She finally says that she is glad that he found Felicity, and that while she was not the love of his life, he was the love of hers. She then asks him to do something for her. Before we can learn what that request was, she begins to convulse wildly. The doctors attempt to save her, but she is finally pronounced dead at 11:59. 

Arrow Notes

  • Malcolm's nickname "The Magician" returns in this episode which is not only a reference to an episode title from season three, but also Malcolm Merlyn's codename in the comics.
  • Diggle refers to being shot at by arrows as a "weekly basis." Sounds like Team Arrow is starting to become self-aware!
  • Dahrk references the homo magi as the creators of the idol. The homo magi are a magical race of human beings which includes many famous DC characters including Zatanna.
  • This episode formally reveals that it is Laurel who was in the grave from the season opener. RIP Black Canary.

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