At a police gala, the new Captain Pike asks Thea on the
whereabouts of her brother the mayor. Thea informs him the Oliver is simply
running late and is still interested in discussing the Anti-Crime Initiative
for the city. While the captain believes that Oliver is out with another woman,
Oliver is actually in the middle of a fight as the Green Arrow against Anarky
who has planted a bomb in the city. Oliver successfully takes out Anarky but is
momentarily distracted by a vigilante wearing a hockey mask trying to disable
the bomb. Oliver then pulls him aside as Felicity deactivates the bomb from the
lair. Recognizing him from the streets, Oliver warns the vigilante to keep away
from these fights despite his enthusiasm to help his own city. To make his
point, Oliver fires an arrow into the man’s leg before he leaves.
Oliver returns to the gala and begins to speak with the
press on the Anti-Crime Initiative. Though he hopes to make a good start in the
initiative, Oliver emphasizes identifying and taking care of the corruption
within the SCPD. Thea then takes him aside and admonishes him for criticizing
the entire police department to the public. Oliver reminds Thea that being
mayor allows him more intel as the Green Arrow, but Thea reminds him that he
originally ran for mayor for more than that. Despite her words, Oliver
emphasizes his need to protect the city, even if that must cost him some time
as mayor. Seeing no argument, Thea lets Oliver go after promising to go over
more official initiatives.
Five years ago, Oliver takes part in an underground fighting
ring in Russia. After a lengthy fight, Oliver manages to overpower his enemy
and snaps his neck, winning the battle. One of the officials offers him
payment, but Oliver reminds him that he only signed to fight in order to find
Kovar. Unfortunately, a gang of men arrive shooting in their direction, leading
the man to admit that Oliver was not supposed to beat their prized champion.
One of the members knocks Oliver unconscious as they reveal themselves to be
the Bratva.
Felicity: Aw, you're not making a new friend?
In the lair, Curtis helps Felicity fix one of the processors
on the system since Felicity has had trouble on her own. With Curtis’s help,
Felicity tries to convince Oliver to speak with the vigilante he saw named Wild
Dog. However, Oliver refuses to get someone else involved after already losing
Laurel. Nevertheless, Felicity brings up a number of masked heroes appearing
throughout the city, including Evelyn Sharp. Oliver argues against their help
since he believes that Thea and Diggle will return to the team eventually.
Meanwhile, the police monitor a raid of a gang. However, the
police eventually overpower the gang and plan to take the spoils for
themselves. Before they can, they meet up with another leader, a man named
Tobias Church. Instead of surrendering to the corrupt forces, Church reveals
his own men who kill the police. To assert his own leadership, Church himself
kills the leader.
The next day, Captain Pike and new detective Malone
investigate the area, recognizing one of the bodies as a member of the force.
Though they don’t have the time to ascertain if he was corrupt, they soon
discover a gold coin on the scene of the crime, the calling card behind Tobias
Church, otherwise known as Charon. With little knowledge on crime lords,
detective Malone suggests bringing back Lance. The captain scoffs at the idea
since Lance has returned to the city without any notice.
Oliver goes to meet with Lance after hearing he has returned
but find the former captain in a drunken stupor. Lance admits that he has
returned to Star City a few weeks earlier after breaking up with Donna, leading
him to a depressive state. After Laurel’s death and Sara’s leave, he feels lost
in his life. Oliver still tries to convince Lance to return in order to balance
his fight for the city. Though Lance refuses to rejoin the force, Oliver
maintains that the others will soon return. Although his efforts prove useless,
Oliver still invites Lance to a ceremony to honor the Black Canary.
Back in Russia, Oliver is tied to a chair as the leader
interrogates him on his behavior. Although they are eager to kill him, they are
interested in his book of names and curious at what he intends to do with it.
Oliver orders them to hand it over, revealing it to be left by his father. For
now, he waits for the right time to use it. Because Oliver refuses to discuss
its meaning, the leader plans to shoot Oliver.
At the lair, Felicity identifies Tobias Church from the
crime scene with Oliver eager to find him. Felicity advises against it,
believing he has little chance taking on a crime lord by himself. She also
admits that he is living in denial in waiting for Thea and Diggle to return to
the team. Still, Oliver continues to ignore Felicity and prepares to search for
Church. In the meantime, Felicity sends Curtis out to the street to gather more
intel on Wild Dog.
Outside the city, Oliver gathers the ceremony to honor
Laurel Lance as the Black Canary. He reminds the audience, which includes a
returning Lance, that the Black Canary reminded them that there is always
something better out there and dedicates a new statue to her memory. Suddenly,
the ceremony is ambushed by Church’s men as they begin abducting city
officials. Oliver initially fights back but, after noticing the public eye,
surrenders to the criminals to maintain his innocent image.
Back at the lair, Felicity, Curtis, and Thea search for
Oliver’s location. Because of the corrupt forces, Felicity finds that the
security cameras have gone dark, preventing them from finding Oliver. Thea
insists they keep looking but blanks at Felicity’s suggestion that she helps
the search by returning as Speedy.
Lance: You wanna cover this beautiful face with a mask?
In an unknown location, Church’s men gather the kidnapped
victims as Church explains his plan. Oliver quickly deduces that he wants to go
after the Green Arrow to establish his power but warns that the vigilante will
not be coming. The mayor offers Church a deal to let the others go, but Church
refuses to let go his opportunity to face the Green Arrow and beats Oliver to
prove it.
Back in Russia, Oliver’s death is prevented by the return of
his friend Anatoli who runs the members of the Bratva. Though Anatoli is glad
to see his old friend, he still dislocates Oliver’s thumbs in order to release
his restraints. However, Oliver then reveals his plan to kill Kovar.
Lance arrives in the lair to provide his limited evidence to
look for Church. Instead, he surprisingly finds Thea, whom he assumed would be
on the streets. Thea admits that the past few months have been the first time
in a while she had felt normal after her blood lust. After that time, she feels
unsure if she should ever return to being Speedy. Lance relates to her story,
having felt lost after Laurel’s death. However, after remembering Oliver’s
speech, he advises her to move on with her life just as he had now.
One of the corrupt cops brings Oliver to a back room and
attempts to beat him. Without any surveillance, Oliver escapes his restraints
and beats the cop to near death. Before any backup arrives, Oliver snaps the
man’s neck to keep his identity secret. At the nick of time, Thea arrives to
his rescue as Speedy, taking out the remaining guards. Though Thea tries to
help the other captives, Oliver warns her about a device triggered to the
captives. If they attempt to help them, the building will explode. Despite
their reservations, the two leave to develop a new plan.
Oliver and Thea return to the lair with Thea concerned about
Oliver’s murder of the guard. Thea reminds Oliver that he swore against
killing, but Oliver admits that he feels he has been too lenient with that
mindset, leading to Laurel’s death. In his anger, he once again denounces
Felicity’s idea to create a new team, especially with the amateurish takes
throughout the city. Felicity fires back that they were only inspired by his
efforts to create a better city and reminds him of the promise he kept to
Laurel.
In Russia, Anatoli questions why Oliver would prefer taking
on Kovar rather than returning home. Although Oliver emphasizes the promise he
made to Taiana, Anatoli prescribes to him an old Russia proverb: the shark that
does not swim drowns. Instead of being trapped in the past, he needs to move
forward in order to return hope. Nevertheless, Anatoli, using his status in the
Bratva, agrees to help his friend move up in the ranks.
As Curtis moves out to look for Wild Dog, Oliver tries to contact
Diggle, admitting he needs his advice. He is then greeted by Lance who tries to
relate to him on his inability to move on with his life. Oliver describes the
same Russian proverb to him in that the shark that does not swim drowns. Lance
admits that the only way Oliver can do that is by reforming a new team. To do
that, Lance assists by giving him a file of cops Lance trusts to look for
Church.
Cop: I didn't vote for you.
Oliver: That's okay. I ran unopposed.
Oliver then remembers his promise to Laurel. As she lied in
her hospital bed, she made Oliver promise that she would not be the last Canary
on the street. That way, the city can be safe and she will always be by his
side.
Together with the team of cops, Oliver infiltrates the area
as the Green Arrow to save the hostages. Though Church threatens their lives,
the cops successfully takes out his men as Oliver fights Church. Unfortunately,
one of the cops accidentally triggers the explosive device, forcing everyone to
evacuate. Oliver, however, spends his remaining moments looking for Church who
seems to have disappeared. Before the explosion, Oliver leaps through a window
and aims an arrow at a nearby helicopter. Taking off, he confronts Church, but
the criminal forces him off, escaping the scene.
The next day, Oliver gives a press conference regarding the
ACI. Though he admits his misgivings on the corrupt police force, he honors the
four officers who fought with the Green Arrow, proving that some on the force still
fight for what’s right. Using them, he develops an anti-crime unit to provide
hope to the city. Meanwhile, Church gathers the forces from other gangs and
officially takes charge as the head of them all in order to take on the Green
Arrow. When one of the leaders refuses, Church’s men kill him.
Back in the lair, Felicity tries to congratulate Oliver’s success
in saving the hostages, though Oliver feels somber about Church’s escape. However,
he admits the need for a new team in order to secure the city, agreeing to look
through the files Felicity has gathered on the others. In addition, Curtis
rejoins the two, having had to fight off two muggers in his search. He agrees
with Felicity’s notion as long as he also joins the team.
In Russian, Anatoli offers to help Oliver in his goal by
initiating him into the Bratva. However, that process will require surviving
each member in a fight. Even then, he cannot promise that Oliver would be able
to survive Kovar.
Back at home, Oliver finally contacts Diggle, and the two catch
up with each other on their lives. Oliver reveals the development of a new
team, something Diggle actually agrees with being the right thing. This moment,
Oliver admits, will be him making peace with everything that’s happened. Diggle
questions whether that also includes his relationship with Felicity, something
Oliver leaves ambiguous. Meanwhile, Felicity returns home to the loft to greet
her new boyfriend: Detective Malone.
At night, an officer walks through the city while speaking
with his wife on the phone. He spots on archer on a roof and greets him as the
Green Arrow. However, the archer fires an arrow towards his chest and begins
fight the man to death, proclaiming that he is not the Green Arrow.
Arrow Notes
- The man Felicity refers to as "Mr. Ski Goggles" is actually a police sketch of Vigilante who is set to appear later in the season.
- The fight between Oliver and the corrupt copy is eerily similar to Oliver's first fight in the pilot, down to the use of chair.
- Oliver fires an arrow into Wild Dog's leg to discourage him off the streets. This is the same move Oliver does to Roy before he joined the team.
Photo Credit: CW/DC
